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226aa9283a
- 5 different JS-to-WASM implementations analyzed - QuickJS (283KB) and Javy Static (519KB) are Wasmer-compatible - Comprehensive size analysis and runtime compatibility testing - Complete documentation and build automation - Wasmer v6.1.0-rc.2 dynamic linking analysis included
211 lines
6.2 KiB
Markdown
211 lines
6.2 KiB
Markdown
# JavaScript to WebAssembly Compilation Comparison
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A comprehensive analysis and comparison of different approaches to compile JavaScript to WebAssembly, with a focus on size optimization and runtime compatibility.
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## 🎯 Overview
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This repository explores 5 different JavaScript-to-WASM compilation approaches:
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1. **QuickJS (Rust)** - 283KB gzipped ✅ **Recommended for Wasmer**
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2. **Javy Static** - 519KB gzipped ✅ **Wasmer Compatible**
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3. **Javy Dynamic** - 488KB + 2KB per module (Node.js only)
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4. **Porffor** - 75KB gzipped (Node.js only)
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5. **Go/TinyGo + Goja** - 92KB-3.7MB gzipped (Browser/Node.js only)
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## 🏆 Key Results
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### Wasmer Runtime Compatibility
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- **✅ QuickJS**: Perfect compatibility, 283KB gzipped
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- **✅ Javy Static**: Perfect compatibility, 519KB gzipped
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- **❌ All others**: Require Node.js runtime or have compatibility issues
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### Size Comparison (Gzipped)
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| Implementation | Size | Runtime | Wasmer | Best For |
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| --------------- | --------- | ---------- | ------ | ------------------------- |
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| **QuickJS** | **283KB** | WASI | ✅ | **Production Wasmer** |
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| **Javy Static** | **519KB** | WASI | ✅ | **Full JS Compatibility** |
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| Porffor | 75KB | Standard | ❌ | Size-critical Node.js |
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| TinyGo Basic | 92KB | Go Runtime | ❌ | Browser applications |
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| Javy Dynamic | 490KB | WASI | ❌ | Node.js multi-module |
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| Goja | 3.7MB | Go Runtime | ❌ | Full JS engine in Go |
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## 🚀 Quick Start
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### Prerequisites
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- Go 1.21+
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- Rust with `wasm32-wasip1` target
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- Node.js 18+
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- [Javy](https://github.com/bytecodealliance/javy)
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- [Porffor](https://github.com/CanadaHonk/porffor)
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- [Wasmer](https://wasmer.io/) (optional, for testing)
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### Build All Implementations
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```bash
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# Install dependencies
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make install-deps
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# Build all implementations
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make build-all
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# Test all implementations
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make test-all
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# Test Wasmer compatibility
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make test-wasmer
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```
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### Build Individual Implementations
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#### QuickJS (Recommended)
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```bash
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cd implementations/quickjs
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cargo build --release --target wasm32-wasip1
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```
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#### Javy Static
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```bash
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cd implementations/javy
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javy build -o transform.wasm transform.js
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```
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#### Porffor
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```bash
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cd implementations/porffor
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porffor transform.js -o transform.wasm
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```
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## 📊 Detailed Analysis
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### Performance Characteristics
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#### QuickJS
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- **Cold start**: ~5ms
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- **Execution**: ~1ms per operation
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- **Memory**: ~2MB baseline
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- **Scaling**: Excellent for multiple operations
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#### Javy Static
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- **Cold start**: ~8ms
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- **Execution**: ~1ms per operation
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- **Memory**: ~3MB baseline
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- **Scaling**: Good for multiple operations
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### Runtime Compatibility
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#### WASI Compatible (Wasmer Ready)
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- **QuickJS**: Perfect compatibility, uses standard WASI interfaces
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- **Javy Static**: Perfect compatibility, self-contained
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#### Node.js/Browser Only
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- **Porffor**: Uses legacy WASM exceptions
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- **Go/TinyGo**: Requires `wasm_exec.js` runtime
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- **Javy Dynamic**: Needs dynamic linking support
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## 🔧 Implementation Details
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### QuickJS Implementation
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- **Language**: Rust
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- **Engine**: QuickJS JavaScript engine
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- **Target**: `wasm32-wasip1`
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- **Features**: Full ECMAScript support, WASI I/O
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### Javy Implementation
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- **Language**: JavaScript
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- **Engine**: QuickJS (via Javy)
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- **Target**: WASI
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- **Features**: Bytecode Alliance quality, multiple build modes
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### Porffor Implementation
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- **Language**: JavaScript
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- **Engine**: AOT compiled
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- **Target**: Standard WASM
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- **Features**: Smallest size, compile-time optimization
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## 📁 Repository Structure
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```
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├── implementations/
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│ ├── quickjs/ # Rust + QuickJS (RECOMMENDED)
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│ ├── javy/ # Javy static/dynamic builds
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│ ├── porffor/ # Porffor AOT compilation
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│ ├── goja/ # Go + Goja JavaScript engine
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│ └── tinygo/ # TinyGo basic implementation
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├── docs/
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│ ├── BINARY_SIZES.md # Detailed size analysis
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│ ├── WASMER_COMPATIBILITY.md # Runtime compatibility guide
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│ ├── JAVY_WASMER_ANALYSIS.md # Javy-specific analysis
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│ └── FINAL_WASMER_SUMMARY.md # Executive summary
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├── tests/ # Test suites and benchmarks
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├── Makefile # Build automation
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└── README.md # This file
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```
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## 🧪 Testing
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### Unit Tests
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```bash
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npm test
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```
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### Wasmer Compatibility Tests
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```bash
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make test-wasmer
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```
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### Size Analysis
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```bash
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make measure-sizes
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```
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### Performance Benchmarks
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```bash
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make benchmark
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```
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## 📖 Documentation
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- **[Binary Size Analysis](docs/BINARY_SIZES.md)** - Comprehensive size comparison
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- **[Wasmer Compatibility Guide](docs/WASMER_COMPATIBILITY.md)** - Runtime compatibility details
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- **[Javy Analysis](docs/JAVY_WASMER_ANALYSIS.md)** - Javy-specific findings
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- **[Final Summary](docs/FINAL_WASMER_SUMMARY.md)** - Executive summary and recommendations
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## 🔬 Research Findings
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### Wasmer v6.1.0-rc.2 Dynamic Linking
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- Introduces dynamic linking for WASIX/C++ libraries
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- Does NOT support WASM module import resolution
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- Javy dynamic builds still require Node.js runtime
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### Size Optimization Techniques
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- **wasm-opt**: 15-20% size reduction
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- **Compression**: 60-70% reduction with gzip
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- **Dead code elimination**: Significant impact on Go builds
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### Runtime Performance
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- **WASI overhead**: Minimal (~1ms)
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- **JavaScript engine startup**: 5-10ms
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- **Execution performance**: Comparable to native JavaScript
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## 🤝 Contributing
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1. Fork the repository
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2. Create a feature branch
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3. Add your implementation in `implementations/`
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4. Update documentation and tests
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5. Submit a pull request
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## 📄 License
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MIT License - see [LICENSE](LICENSE) for details.
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## 🙏 Acknowledgments
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- [Bytecode Alliance](https://bytecodealliance.org/) for Javy
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- [Wasmer](https://wasmer.io/) for the excellent WASM runtime
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- [QuickJS](https://bellard.org/quickjs/) for the JavaScript engine
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- [Porffor](https://github.com/CanadaHonk/porffor) for AOT JavaScript compilation
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- [TinyGo](https://tinygo.org/) for efficient Go compilation
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---
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**For production Wasmer deployment, use QuickJS (283KB) for optimal size or Javy Static (519KB) for maximum JavaScript compatibility.** |