WebAssembly
WebAssembly is a portable binary instruction format that runs inside a host such as a browser. JavaScript loads modules and provides host capabilities.
What it is
WebAssembly is a portable binary instruction format that runs inside a host such as a browser. JavaScript loads modules and provides host capabilities.
Why it matters
WASM is useful for compact numerical kernels, but host calls, copying, and initialization are part of its cost.
Example
A chatbot can run matrix multiplication in WASM while JavaScript manages the interface and answer selection.
Technical detail
A compiled module defines imports, exports, functions, and optionally linear memory. It does not directly own the browser DOM.
When to use it
Benchmark the complete operation against JavaScript, including first load. A tiny kernel is not automatically faster.
Go deeper
Sources
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Assembled from the ReLU.chat curated knowledge base. These explanations are concise on purpose; check the sources for anything important.