Google V8 API bridges WebAssembly and asynchronous web
The developers of Google's V8 JavaScript/WebAssembly engine have created the JavaScript Promise Integration (JSPI) API, which allows WebAssembly applications designed for synchronous environments to operate seamlessly in asynchronous environments.
While the JSPI API is currently experimental, it is expected to become a standard across major browsers.
The JSPI API connects synchronous WebAssembly applications with asynchronous web APIs by temporarily pausing the application when it makes a synchronous API call and resuming once the asynchronous I/O operation is completed. This is achieved with minimal changes required to the application itself.
JSPI, the JavaScript Promise Integration API, is a tool developed by the team behind Google's V8 JavaScript/WebAssembly engine that is especially beneficial for a software development agency. It allows WebAssembly applications designed for synchronous environments to operate seamlessly in asynchronous environments. It works by intercepting the JavaScript Promise returned from an asynchronous API call.Â
This causes the main logic of the WebAssembly application to be suspended and a Promise to be returned from the export used to enter the WebAssembly application. When the asynchronous API call is completed, the WebAssembly application is resumed, allowing it to process the results of the API call.
Working with Promises can be challenging, especially when using WebAssembly, as it does not allow for direct manipulation of Promises. JSPI, the JavaScript Promise Integration API, was created to address this issue.
It enables developers to build WebAssembly applications using synchronous APIs while allowing them to participate in the web's asynchronous ecosystem. JSPI allows developers to work with Promises in WebAssembly, overcoming the limitation of direct manipulation.
JSPI, the JavaScript Promise Integration API, is currently being developed for Intel and ARM64 architectures and is available for various operating systems such as Linux, Windows, macOS, and ChromeOS.
Developers can test JSPI locally by going to chrome://flags in Chrome, searching for "Experimental WebAssembly JavaScript Promise Integration (JSPI)", and checking the box. The Chrome Canary channel is recommended for this. However, JSPI has yet to be available for end-user usage.
Web assembly is considered a major advancement in web application performance. It uses a binary instruction format which allows various programming languages, such as C/C++, C#, and Rust, to be utilized for web development. This greatly expands the options available for developers and can lead to improved performance of web applications.
