Before we get into WebAssembly, let’s talk about Blazor. This framework runs through web standards, so there is no need to install any plugins or perform any transpilation for it to work. All the code is executed in the browser itself using a .NET runtime framework implemented in WebAssembly.
In other words, Blazor is an open-source framework created by Microsoft that is officially included in .NET Core 3.0 version for developing single-page applications (SPA) in .NET using Razor and C #.
Blazor is implemented based on HTML, CSS, and other standard web technologies. It is a very complete framework for the development of SPAs, similar to the sophisticated development possible in Angular, React, and Vue applications. It is worth mentioning that Blazor has systems for bindings, routing, components, lifecycles, validations, templates, error management, dependency injection, and more. Blazor provides everything we need to create a high-quality web applications.
Note: The first version of Blazor was launched accompanying .NET Core 3.0 in September 2019, although only in one of its hosted models: the so-called server-side or Blazor Server.
Here is a demo website developed in Blazor: https://blazor-demo.github.io/.
If we are looking for a short description, it would be that it is an open standard that allows the execution of binary code on the web, providing a level of performance superior to the performance offered by an interpreted language such as JavaScript.
The official WebAssembly website states: WebAssembly (abbreviated Wasm) is a binary instruction format for a stack-based virtual machine. Wasm is designed as a portable compilation target for programming languages, enabling deployment on the web for client and server applications.
That definition is not very easy to understand, so I will try to explain it not so literally. For me, Wasm enables the possibility that the web can execute more than one programming language, such as C++ and Rust, through an assembly process. With this process, we can improve the performance or speed of our applications, and we have the opportunity to implement new improvements and innovations on the web.
Previously, web developers created applications on the internet with JavaScript, which is relatively slow and, in certain scenarios, limited.
To encourage better web app development and functionality, the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) has promoted the use of Wasm. However, for Wasm to work, the browser must support it. For this reason, Mozilla (Firefox), Microsoft (Edge), Apple (Safari), and Google (Chrome) have participated in its development.
Note: WebAssembly applications can run in all current browser versions from these providers.
Currently, WebAssembly has one drawback: it is spreading very slowly. Most web developers working with JavaScript have no plans to stop using it. The Wasm project management places great importance on presenting Wasm as a complementary option for JavaScript in application communication. Thanks to compatibility with the big browser providers and the efforts of W3C, Wasm is starting to take off. Its adoption is also on the rise because web applications built with WebAssembly load as easily as those built with JavaScript, and are faster.
The advantages of Blazor WebAssembly are:
So, there are no excuses for developers to avoid studying WebAssembly in more detail.
Note: If you want to experiment with WebAssembly for the first time, you can do so in WebAssembly Studio, an online development environment for Wasm.
Essential Studio® for Blazor provides 65+ high-performance, lightweight, and responsive UI components, including file-format libraries, for the web and WebAssembly applications. Use them to enhance your productivity!
To conclude, let’s remember that Blazor has grown into a professional web development platform used to build SPAs using C#/Razor and HTML executed in the browser. Its name comes from the combination of the words “Browser” and “Razor.”
This framework runs through web standards, so there is no need to use any plugin or perform any transpilation for it to work. This is because all the code is executed in the browser using a .NET runtime implemented in WebAssembly.
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Happy coding!
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