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What languages can be compiled to WebAssembly (Wasm)?
I believe right now C, C++, and Rust (experimental) can be compiled to WebAssembly, with the llvm compiler backend, with languages like Java, Swift, and C# not currently being supported, but being possible candidates for future development.
I don't believe JavaScript can be compiled to Wasm. https://github.com/WebAssembly/design/issues/219
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We are often asked which languages are best supported for production-grade WebAssembly. We suggest C/C++, Rust, and AssemblyScript.
Python is the second most popular programming language. Thanks to a few different efforts, it is now possible to compile the Python interpreter to WebAssembly.
Awesome WebAssembly Languages. WebAssembly, or wasm for short, is a low-level bytecode format that runs in the browser just like JavaScript. It is designed to be faster to parse than JavaScript, as well as faster to execute which makes it a suitable compilation target for new and existing languages.
JWebAssembly, from I-Net Software, is a Java bytecode to WebAssembly compiler that takes Java class files as input and generates WebAssembly binary format (. wasm file) or text format (. wat file) as output. The target is to run natively in the browser with WebAssembly.
WebAssembly support is ever evolving. Right now it is supported by the following languages:
C / C++ - has very good (production ready) support via EmScripten, or other minimal LLVM-based toolchains
Rust - WebAssembly is an officially supported target, with a highly active community around it.
Go - has now supports WebAssembly as an official, yet experimental, target
C# - has experimental support via Blazor, however this currently requires embedding a .NET runtime into Wasm. Blazor was officially adopted by Microsoft as an experimental technology, with a recent preview release.
D - the "betterC" subset of D can be compiled to WebAssembly through LDC (LLVM compiler).
TypeScript - via AssemblyScript, highly experimental, but gaining momentum.
Java - via TeaVM or Bytecoder
Haxe - just announced support
Kotlin - Kotlin/Native 0.4 gained experimental support of WebAssembly and via TeaVM
Python - Pyodide is a port of Python to WebAssembly that includes the core packages of the scientific Python stack (Numpy, Pandas, matplotlib).
PHP - Experimental, but with a working prototype
Perl - WebPerl is a port of the Perl binary to WebAssembly, allowing you to run Perl scripts on the web.
Scala - using the Emscripten compiler, and TeaVM
Ruby - via the run.rb project
Swift - using SwiftWasm
There are commercial solutions also:
Regarding JavaScript, it is unlikely to gain support as WebAssembly is a statically typed assembly language.
There are also various more obscure / hobbyist languages that support WebAssembly. Further details can be found on the more exhaustive Awesome WebAssembly Languages list.
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