Examples
C++ WebAssembly App
Building a WebAssembly App
C++ WebAssembly app compiles to WASM with Emscripten.
Introduction to WebAssembly and Emscripten
WebAssembly (WASM) is a binary instruction format for a stack-based virtual machine. It is designed as a portable compilation target for programming languages, enabling deployment on the web for client and server applications. Emscripten is a compiler toolchain that compiles C and C++ code into WebAssembly, allowing you to run C++ applications in the browser.
Setting Up Emscripten
To compile C++ code to WebAssembly using Emscripten, you first need to set up the Emscripten SDK (emsdk) on your machine. Follow these steps to install and activate emsdk:
- Clone the Emscripten SDK repository:
- Navigate into the cloned directory and install emsdk:
Writing a Simple C++ Program
Let's write a simple C++ program that we will compile to WebAssembly. The program will print a message to the console.
Compiling C++ to WebAssembly
Once you have your C++ program ready, use the Emscripten compiler (emcc) to compile it to WebAssembly:
This command will generate three files: hello.js, hello.wasm, and hello.html. The HTML file is a simple page that loads and runs the WebAssembly module.
Running the WebAssembly App
To see your application in action, you can use a simple HTTP server to host the files. For example, using Python's built-in server:
Navigate to http://localhost:8000/hello.html in your browser to see the message "Hello, WebAssembly!" printed in the console.
Conclusion
Compiling C++ to WebAssembly using Emscripten is a powerful way to bring native applications to the web. With minimal setup, you can begin leveraging your C++ skills for web development, making your applications accessible to a broader audience.
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