Best of WebAssembly — December 2024

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   Article

   InfoWorld·1y

   10 hot programming trends — and 10 going cold

   Programming trends are continuously evolving, with certain technologies gaining popularity while others lose steam. Emerging trends include repatriation to control cloud bills, AI partners in coding, the use of memory-safe languages like Rust, and the adoption of WebAssembly for faster code execution. Meanwhile, traditional pair programming, C/C++ languages, and interpreters are seeing a decline in favor. Other shifts include a preference for CPUs over GPUs due to cost efficiency, the rise of zero-knowledge proofs for better privacy, and the popularity of static site generators. Trends reflect the adaptability of companies seeking better performance, cost control, and security.

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   Article

   Fermyon·1y

   You Are Already Using Wasm In Production

   WebAssembly (Wasm) has been in production for years, used in popular applications like Microsoft Office.com, Figma, and streaming services such as BBC and Amazon Prime. Despite its proven stability and deployment, doubts persist regarding its readiness due to misconceptions about language support, WASI standardization, and threading capabilities. However, numerous server-side and serverless applications, including platforms like Fermyon Cloud, Fastly Compute@Edge, and Cloudflare Workers, demonstrate the widespread use and reliability of Wasm in production environments. The real-world adoption of WebAssembly proves its production-readiness.

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   Video

   Deno·1y

   Deno got even better!

   Deno 2.1 introduces several enhancements including direct WebAssembly imports, the first Long Term Support (LTS) release, improved dependency management with the 'deno outdated' command, and easier asset bundling in Deno compile. Other updates include enhanced debugging with stack traces in permission prompts and CommonJs support for legacy projects.

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   Article

   DEVCLASS·1y

   SQLite re-implemented in Rust to achieve asynchronous I/O and other changes • DEVCLASS

   Turso, a database solutions developer, is re-implementing SQLite in Rust to introduce features like asynchronous I/O and enhanced memory safety. The project, codenamed Limbo, aims for full compatibility with SQLite and leverages Deterministic Simulation Testing (DST) for reliability. Limbo uses io_uring for high-performance I/O and supports compilation to WebAssembly (WASM). Although not necessarily faster than SQLite, Limbo has demonstrated good performance early in its development.

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   Article

   Bytes by ui.dev·1y

   The bridge to modern React

   React Router v7 has been released, integrating many features from Remix to serve as a bridge to React 19. This update helps developers leverage new React APIs without rewriting their entire applications. The new version offers two upgrade options: Library Mode for traditional SPA routing and Framework Mode for a full-stack framework experience. Additionally, Extism has developed a universal plugin system to simplify using Wasm apps, emphasizing security. Below are tips on JavaScript benchmarking, cognitive load in development, and a notable React course offer.

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   Article

   Hacker News·1y

   egui – An immediate mode GUI written in Rust

   To use egui, an immediate mode GUI written in Rust, ensure your browser supports WebGL and WASM. This way, you can properly load and interact with egui's features.

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   Article

   Fermyon·1y

   Using SpinKube on Kairos

   A guide to running Spin applications on Kairos, detailing SpinKube—a project to run WebAssembly apps on Kubernetes—and explaining Kairos, a Linux meta-distribution that enhances existing distributions with features like container-based management, immutability, and atomic upgrades. The guide provides step-by-step instructions on setting up Kairos, installing SpinKube, and testing the configuration for edge computing efficiency.

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   Article

   Npm Packages you need·1y

   The Future of Development: WebContainers Are Here

   WebContainers are a groundbreaking technology that enables running full-stack Node.js applications directly inside your browser. They offer enhanced speed, security, and a more seamless development experience compared to traditional local environments or legacy online IDEs. With features such as VS Code integration, npm support, and native debugging through Chrome DevTools, developers can collaborate and prototype instantly within a browser. WebContainers eliminate latency, downtime, and security risks associated with remote VMs, marking a significant advancement in web development.

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