compiler-explorer/compiler-explorer

[REQUEST] Web Assembly JIT compiler

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#1,871 opened on Mar 3, 2020

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 (3 comments) (12 reactions) (0 assignees)TypeScript (14,391 stars) (1,605 forks)batch import
help wantednew-languagerequest

Description

It is possible to get native jitted code for web assembly(wasm) out of javascript engines like SpiderMonkey and V8. Here is an example.

I think it makes sense to add wat(wasm text)-to-x86 explorer in the future to study optimization opportunities. One could use CE to generate wat and then copy-paste that wat in the second window and get native assembly.

One way to get native assembly is to run v8 with --print-wasm-code option. There's also a way using v8's internals to get custom output.

Adding that would involve installing wasm tools for (wat -> wasm) conversion and one of the javasctipt engines. I personally tried using v8 and it wasn't difficult in terms of installing/compiling from source compared to llvm/clang. Although that would also involve pulling some google internal tools like depot_tools.

Thanks, Anton

Contributor guide

Tech stack
wasmtypescript
Domain
backendtooling
Issue type
feature
DifficultyEstimated implementation difficulty for a new contributor, from 1 for very small changes to 5 for expert-level work.
5
Estimated timeA rough time range for an experienced contributor to investigate, implement, test, and prepare a pull request.
over 1 week
Activity statusHow available the issue appears right now: fresh, active, stale, blocked, or waiting on maintainer input.
stale
ClarityHow clearly the issue explains the expected change, acceptance criteria, and next step.
mostly clear
Prerequisites
WebAssembly understandingV8 or SpiderMonkey internalsWat to Wasm conversion toolsCompiler Explorer architecture
Newbie friendlinessA 1-100 score estimating how approachable this issue is for first-time contributors.
15
Research direction
Investigate integrating V8's wasm JIT output (using print wasm code) into Compiler Explorer. Explore using the wabt toolkit for wat to wasm conversion. Look at existing compiler backends in the repository (e.g., in lib/backends/) to understand the architecture for adding a new language. Consider using SpiderMonkey as an alternative and examine the feasibility of parsing the output. The issue mentions a WasmExplorer link and a Godbolt example that could guide the implementation.