The Future of Web Development Frameworks: Will They Be Rewritten for WebAssembly?

Web development has long been dominated by languages and frameworks that are optimized for JavaScript. However, with the rise of WebAssembly (WASM), a new era of web development is beginning to take shape. This article explores the potential for existing frameworks to be rewritten or new frameworks to be designed specifically for WebAssembly, and the implications for web developers.

Paradigm Shift in Web Development

Different programming languages are designed to work with different paradigms, encouraging distinct coding styles and providing unique data structures. This means that a framework developed for one language may not be directly applicable to another. Given JavaScript's dynamically typed nature, garbage collection, and prototypal inheritance, it is not a one-to-one fit with the requirements of statically typed languages that WebAssembly is designed for.

Existing JavaScript Frameworks and WebAssembly

While JavaScript has been the de facto standard for web development for many years, WebAssembly's arrival offers web developers the opportunity to choose different programming languages for their browser-based projects. This could mean that we may see existing JavaScript frameworks inspiring new frameworks specifically designed for languages that can leverage WebAssembly.

Examples and Inspiration

DenisKolodin/yew is a modern Rust framework inspired by Elm and ReactJS. It is designed to create multi-threaded frontend applications using WebAssembly. This example demonstrates the potential for frameworks to be reimagined and rewritten for WebAssembly, opening up new possibilities for developers.

Reasons Against Rewriting Existing Frameworks

However, rewriting existing frameworks is a monumental task. The points below outline why rewriting frameworks may not be the optimal approach:

1. Flexibility in Project Start

Starting a new framework or project from scratch may be a perfect opportunity to choose a language that aligns perfectly with the project's needs. As more lines of code are written, the development team becomes even more committed to the chosen language, making any potential language switch more difficult.

2. Rewriting Complexity

Rewriting a complex project is a massive undertaking. It requires a significant investment of time and resources. Even if a language is significantly inferior to another in every other aspect, the benefits of focusing on bug fixes and feature additions might outweigh the advantages of a complete rewrite.

Further Reflection on WebAssembly's Role

WebAssembly is not intended to be a lower-level replacement for JavaScript but rather a way to extend its capabilities. One of the key aspects of WebAssembly is that it does not transpile to JavaScript; instead, it targets WASM engines, aiming for native performance. This makes it incredibly efficient for executing code on the web. Therefore, attempting to force JavaScript frameworks into WebAssembly would be counterproductive.

Conclusion

While it is possible that existing frameworks will inspire new frameworks optimized for WebAssembly, it is highly unlikely that WebAssembly will replace JavaScript as the primary language for web development any time soon. WebAssembly's strength lies in its ability to extend web applications' performance, not in rewriting entire frameworks.

For now, web developers should focus on leveraging WebAssembly for its strengths, while continuing to explore and develop frameworks and libraries that can take full advantage of its capabilities.