Keeping the asm in Wasm - Running High-Level Languages on a Low-Level VM

Explore the challenges and solutions of running high-level languages on WebAssembly (Wasm), a low-level virtual machine, in this 33-minute conference talk from ACM SIGPLAN. Delve into the unique characteristics of Wasm, designed to abstract hardware while maintaining safety and portability. Examine the complexities of implementing dynamic language runtimes on Wasm, including the need for performance optimization techniques and the potential hurdles posed by Wasm's abstractions. Discover the additional mechanisms required for Wasm to efficiently support advanced techniques like JIT compilation and inline caches. Gain insights into the delicate balance between maintaining Wasm's low-level nature and accommodating the needs of high-level language implementations.

[DLS23] Keeping the asm in Wasm – Running high-level languages on a low-level VM