The author dives into the topic of WebAssembly and tree-shaking, highlighting its limited success on the web despite some victories like Photoshop. They discuss how WebAssembly has excelled in bringing large C++ programs to the web and how it struggles in DOM-heavy applications. The article explains the importance of tree-shaking in reducing file sizes and points out challenges with languages like Python in achieving optimal tree-shaking. Finally, the piece emphasizes the need for effective tree-shaking algorithms and compact code generation for the success of WebAssembly in web development. The author’s voice is informative and insightful, providing a detailed analysis of the topic. A surprising element is the comparison of different programming languages’ success with WebAssembly.
https://wingolog.org/archives/2023/11/24/tree-shaking-the-horticulturally-misguided-algorithm