Flesh out the README.md with more specific goals.

This commit is contained in:
Dan Gohman
2018-12-06 04:13:01 -05:00
parent dca7729313
commit 1fda62ed33

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@@ -1,6 +1,13 @@
# Wasmtime: a WebAssembly Runtime. # Wasmtime: a WebAssembly Runtime.
A standalone wasm-only runtime for [WebAssembly], using [Cranelift]. Wasmtime is a standalone wasm-only runtime for [WebAssembly], using the [Cranelift] JIT.
It runs WebAssembly code [outside of the Web], and can be used both as a command-line
utility or as a library embedded in a larger application.
[WebAssembly]: https://webassembly.org/
[Cranelift]: https://github.com/CraneStation/cranelift
[outside of the Web]: https://webassembly.org/docs/non-web/
[![Travis Status](https://travis-ci.org/CraneStation/wasmtime.svg?branch=master)](https://travis-ci.org/CraneStation/wasmtime) [![Travis Status](https://travis-ci.org/CraneStation/wasmtime.svg?branch=master)](https://travis-ci.org/CraneStation/wasmtime)
[![Appveyor Status](https://ci.appveyor.com/api/projects/status/vxvpt2plriy5s0mc?svg=true)](https://ci.appveyor.com/project/CraneStation/cranelift) [![Appveyor Status](https://ci.appveyor.com/api/projects/status/vxvpt2plriy5s0mc?svg=true)](https://ci.appveyor.com/project/CraneStation/cranelift)
@@ -9,19 +16,31 @@ A standalone wasm-only runtime for [WebAssembly], using [Cranelift].
*This is a work in progress that is not currently functional, but under active development.* *This is a work in progress that is not currently functional, but under active development.*
Goals include: One goal for this project is to implement [CloudABI](https://cloudabi.org/) using
- Be a general-purpose engine for running WebAssembly code [outside of browsers], WebAssembly as the code format, provide [CloudABI system calls] as WebAssembly
usable both standalone or as a library embedded in a larger application. host imports, and then port the [Rust CloudABI package] and [CloudABI libc] to it
- Support a variety of host APIs with fast calling sequences. to support Rust, C, C++, and other toolchains.
- Prototype syscall APIs that can be proposed for use in the WebAssembly
CloudABI is a natural complement for WebAssembly, since WebAssembly provides
sandboxing for code but doesn't have any builtin I/O, and CloudABI provides
sandboxed I/O.
[CloudABI]: https://cloudabi.org/
[CloudABI system calls]: https://github.com/NuxiNL/cloudabi#specification-of-the-abi
[Rust CloudABI package]: https://crates.io/crates/cloudabi
[CloudABI libc]: https://github.com/NuxiNL/cloudlibc
Additional goals for Wasmtime include:
- Support a variety of host APIs (not just CloudABI), with fast calling sequences,
and develop proposals for system calls in the WebAssembly
[Reference Sysroot](https://github.com/WebAssembly/reference-sysroot). [Reference Sysroot](https://github.com/WebAssembly/reference-sysroot).
- Implement the [proposed WebAssembly C API].
- Facilitate testing, experimentation, and development around the [Cranelift] and - Facilitate testing, experimentation, and development around the [Cranelift] and
[Lightbeam] JITs. [Lightbeam] JITs.
- Develop a the native ABI used for compiling WebAssembly suitable for use in - Develop a the native ABI used for compiling WebAssembly suitable for use in both
both JIT and AOT to native object files. JIT and AOT to native object files.
[WebAssembly]: https://webassembly.org/ [proposed WebAssembly C API]: https://github.com/rossberg/wasm-c-api
[outside of browsers]: https://github.com/WebAssembly/design/blob/master/NonWeb.md
[Cranelift]: https://github.com/CraneStation/cranelift [Cranelift]: https://github.com/CraneStation/cranelift
[Lightbeam]: https://github.com/CraneStation/lightbeam [Lightbeam]: https://github.com/CraneStation/lightbeam