Comment by DonHopkins | Hacker News Reader

Comment by DonHopkins | Hacker News Reader

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Anybody used or have opinions about AssemblyScript?

https://github.com/AssemblyScript/assemblyscript

>AssemblyScript compiles strictly typed TypeScript (basically JavaScript with types) to WebAssembly using Binaryen. It generates lean and mean WebAssembly modules while being just an npm install away.

https://dev.to/jtenner/an-assemblyscript-primer-for-typescri...

Here's a great example of a project that uses it:

https://github.com/torch2424/wasmboy

>️Gameboy Emulator Library written in Web Assembly using AssemblyScript, Debugger/Shell in Preact ️

Here's an excellent talk about wasmboy by the author, Aaron Turner -- he's done some really outstanding work:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZlL1nduatZQ

Since you can compile AssemblyScript into JavaScript with the TypeScript compiler as well as into WebAssembly, you can compare the speed of JavaScript -vs- WebAssembly on the same source code. Aaron did some interesting benchmarks using wasmboy, in the great tradition of using GameBoy emulators to benchmark JavaScript engines:

https://medium.com/@torch2424/webassembly-is-fast-a-real-wor...

Aaron Turner posted this useful link to a good AssemblyScript example a while ago:

https://news.ycombinator.com/threads?id=torch2424

torch2424 7 months ago | unvote | parent [-] | on: Walt: JavaScript-like syntax for WebAssembly

I help out every once and a while on the AssemblyScript team with like issues, docs, and things. And made wasmboy, which uses AssemblyScript:

https://github.com/torch2424/wasmBoy

But that being said, usually when people are interested in the language, we usually direct them to the "n-body" example: https://github.com/AssemblyScript/assemblyscript/blob/master... . Which kind of looks more typescript-y :)

Also, just to stay on topic, I think walt is awesome. Stoked to see so many projects coming up with a "Wasm for JS devs" approach/story.

I look forward to see its maturity improving, given that I am a fan of TypeScript and type safe languages.

Hello!

Aaron Turner here, thank you for all the kind words! :) Yes I did all those things, and stoked to see people excited about it!

Definitely feel free to reach out anytime about AssemblyScript or WasmBoy. Would love to chat with you / anyone interested.

We also have a slack channel you can reach out and get invited to (see the wiki sidebar): https://github.com/AssemblyScript/assemblyscript/wiki

Thanks again!

Hi Aaron! I got to the assemblyscript slack signin page here -- https://assemblyscript.slack.com/ -- but there's no obvious way to get an invitation. Where should I click or send a request to? Or if you could please send one to don@donhopkins.com, I'd appreciate that. Thank you!

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