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... which finally adds support for a common bytecode format, usable as a compilation target for various languages. Oh wait, that would actually be useful. Bet

... which finally adds support for a common bytecode format, usable as a compilation target for various languages. Oh wait, that would actually be useful. Better just design yet-another JIT compiler to speed up that language design train wreck that is Java Script. </s>

pjscott 14y ago
Wrong thread; I think you meant to post a happy comment in one of the threads about asm.js, which actually could be a halfway decent common bytecode format. (It also happens to be valid JavaScript, and an ugly hack, but oh well.)
- happy_dino 14y ago
  I had high hope, but no, it isn't. It would only let you build your own asm.js-based VM on top of the existing JavaScript-like VM which could implement some bytecode format and interpret it. I have seen something like that already. Let me tell you, you don't want to download 20 MB for some simple web-based Tetris-clone. asm.js is useless for pretty much any modern language which relies on garbage collection. I want less indirections, not more.
  - pcwalton 14y ago
    > I have seen something like that already. Let me tell you, you don't want to download 20 MB for some simple web Tetris-clone. http://mozakai.blogspot.com/2011/11/code-size-when-compiling-to-javascript.html http://mozakai.blogspot.com/2011/11/code-size-when-compiling... > asm.js is useless for pretty much any modern language which relies on garbage collection. That is being worked on with the Binary Data spec: http://asmjs.org/faq.html http://asmjs.org/faq.html
    - happy_dino 14y ago
      Again, these are C/C++ use-cases. That's exactly what asm.js was made for. Apart from the potential of making some of Mozilla's insane ideas like implementing a PDF reader in JavaScript easier/faster, it's applicability is pretty much limited. No one out there who is waiting for a sane language for the web will rejoice that he can now use C/C++ instead of JavaScript. > That is being worked on with the Binary Data spec: http://asmjs.org/faq.html http://asmjs.org/faq.html I'll believe it when I see it working. Most likely they will still find a way to make it next to useless, forcing people to keep writing/targeting JavaScript.
      - smosher 14y ago
        I'll believe it when I see it working. Most likely they will still find a way to make it next to useless, forcing people to keep writing/targeting JavaScript. FYI, you're talking to them right now. Patrick Walton is a Moz employee.
        happy_dino 14y ago
        Of course. I know his nick from the work on Rust.

pjscott 14y ago

Wrong thread; I think you meant to post a happy comment in one of the threads about asm.js, which actually could be a halfway decent common bytecode format. (It also happens to be valid JavaScript, and an ugly hack, but oh well.)

happy_dino 14y ago
I had high hope, but no, it isn't. It would only let you build your own asm.js-based VM on top of the existing JavaScript-like VM which could implement some bytecode format and interpret it. I have seen something like that already. Let me tell you, you don't want to download 20 MB for some simple web-based Tetris-clone. asm.js is useless for pretty much any modern language which relies on garbage collection. I want less indirections, not more.
- pcwalton 14y ago
  > I have seen something like that already. Let me tell you, you don't want to download 20 MB for some simple web Tetris-clone. http://mozakai.blogspot.com/2011/11/code-size-when-compiling-to-javascript.html http://mozakai.blogspot.com/2011/11/code-size-when-compiling... > asm.js is useless for pretty much any modern language which relies on garbage collection. That is being worked on with the Binary Data spec: http://asmjs.org/faq.html http://asmjs.org/faq.html
  - happy_dino 14y ago
    Again, these are C/C++ use-cases. That's exactly what asm.js was made for. Apart from the potential of making some of Mozilla's insane ideas like implementing a PDF reader in JavaScript easier/faster, it's applicability is pretty much limited. No one out there who is waiting for a sane language for the web will rejoice that he can now use C/C++ instead of JavaScript. > That is being worked on with the Binary Data spec: http://asmjs.org/faq.html http://asmjs.org/faq.html I'll believe it when I see it working. Most likely they will still find a way to make it next to useless, forcing people to keep writing/targeting JavaScript.
    - smosher 14y ago
      I'll believe it when I see it working. Most likely they will still find a way to make it next to useless, forcing people to keep writing/targeting JavaScript. FYI, you're talking to them right now. Patrick Walton is a Moz employee.
      - happy_dino 14y ago
        Of course. I know his nick from the work on Rust.