Bringing compiled code into a browser introduces a boundary around memory, data transfer, and execution. WebAssembly in Action explains how to work across that boundary, using C/C++ modules with JavaScript and HTML. Gerard Gallant gives module integration as much attention as compilation.
Working with Modules
The book moves from module structure and compilation to reusing C++ code, calling JavaScript, and communicating through function pointers. Dynamic linking, web workers and pthreads, Node.js execution, the WebAssembly Text Format, debugging, and testing follow.
This progression makes the application contract visible: imports and exports, memory ownership, and the interface between languages all need to be understood. A successful build is only one stage of that work.
Prerequisites and Scope
Basic C/C++, JavaScript, and HTML are useful prerequisites. The book suits developers bringing existing code or a specific computation to the web. Current toolchain and browser documentation should accompany the examples, and performance gains need measurement against build and data-transfer costs.
Get the Book
- Manning Publications (Buy): WebAssembly in Action