WASM, short for WebAssembly, is an open standard portable binary instruction format designed to provide a fast, efficient, and safe execution environment for running high-performance applications on the web. It is a low-level virtual machine that enables efficient execution and near-native performance of code by allowing various high-level programming languages to be compiled into a compact and load-time efficient binary format.
WebAssembly is primarily used to extend the capabilities of web browsers, allowing them to execute code written in languages other than JavaScript, such as C, C++, and Rust. By providing a standardized and efficient execution environment, WASM enables web developers to harness the power of these lower-level languages for more complex and computationally intensive web applications.
The key advantage of WebAssembly is its ability to deliver near-native performance while maintaining portability across different platforms and operating systems. It achieves this through its compact binary format, which allows for faster parsing and execution speed compared to traditional interpreters. This performance boost makes WebAssembly suitable for a wide range of applications, including gaming, multimedia processing, scientific simulations, and other performance-intensive web experiences.
The standardization of WebAssembly has also led to a vibrant ecosystem of tools, frameworks, and libraries that facilitate its development and integration into existing web projects. With broad support from major browser vendors, WebAssembly has become an integral part of modern web development, revolutionizing the way web applications are built and enabling new possibilities for web-based software.
