Python can be run on many platforms: Linux, Windows, Apple Macs, microcomputers, and even Android devices. But it’s a widely known fact that, if

Python Software Foundation News: The 2022 Python Language Summit: Python in the browser

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2022-05-14 18:00:08

Python can be run on many platforms: Linux, Windows, Apple Macs, microcomputers, and even Android devices. But it’s a widely known fact that, if you want code to run in a browser, Python is simply no good – you’ll just have to turn to JavaScript.

Now, however, that may be about to change. Over the course of the last two years, and following over 60 CPython pull requests (many attached to GitHub issue #84461 ), Core Developer Christian Heimes and contributor Ethan Smith have achieved a state where the CPython main branch can now be compiled to WebAssembly . This opens up the possibility of being able to run arbitrary Python programs clientside inside your web browser of choice.

At the 2022 Python Language Summit, Heimes gave a talk updating the attendees of the progress he’s made so far, and where the project hopes to go next.

WebAssembly (or “WASM”, for short), Heimes explained, is a low-level assembly -like language that can be as fast as native machine code . Unlike your usual machine code, however, WebAssembly is independent from the machine it is running on. Instead, the core principle of WebAssembly is that it can be run anywhere , and can be run in a completely isolated environment. This leads to it being a language that is extremely fast, extremely portable, and provides minimal security risks – perfect for running clientside in a web browser.