Scripten

Scripten is an open-source compiler toolchain aimed at translating code written in languages such as C and C++ into JavaScript and WebAssembly, enabling native-like applications to run inside web browsers and other JavaScript environments without source modifications. It integrates with the LLVM compiler infrastructure to produce compact, portable binaries and provides a runtime system that emulates common operating-system services in the browser, including file I/O, threading where supported, and dynamic memory management.

Historically, Scripten was developed to facilitate porting existing native software to the web, with early emphasis on game engines, scientific computing libraries, and multimedia applications. Over time, it evolved to support WebAssembly as a primary output, as well as traditional JavaScript, and offered interoperable interfaces to expose native functions to JavaScript and vice versa through binding utilities.

Key components include a sequence of build stages that compile C/C++ sources into an intermediate representation, a linker to assemble modules, and a runtime library that provides compatibility shims for browser APIs. The toolchain also facilitates integration with browser graphics and input APIs, and can export functions for use from JavaScript or other languages.

Scripten is used for web porting, performance-sensitive web applications, and education or demonstration projects that require running native code in the browser. It remains part of a broader ecosystem of Web development tools and continues to be developed by an active community.