Play Flappy Bird in Your Browser: A Swift and WebAssembly Experiment

Want to see the power of Swift in your browser? Get ready to play a fully functional Flappy Bird clone, built entirely with Swift and WebAssembly (WASM)! This project showcases the performance capabilities of DOM-based rendering using ElementaryDOM and ElementaryCSS.

Instead of relying on Canvas or WebGL, Flappy Swift renders directly to the DOM. This means every animation frame undergoes a complete reactivity-based reconciliation process, proving that even complex animations can be achieved without specialized graphics libraries.

Why Build Flappy Bird with Swift and WASM?

This project isn't just about creating another Flappy Bird clone. It's a technical demonstration exploring:

• DOM Rendering Performance: Pushing the boundaries of what's possible with DOM manipulation in Swift.
• ElementaryDOM and ElementaryCSS: Testing the capabilities of these rendering libraries.
• Swift WebAssembly: Demonstrating the feasibility of using Swift for complex web applications.

This innovative approach lets developers explore the intersection of Swift, WebAssembly, and web development.

How to Play Flappy Swift

Dive into the game here: [Play it here] (replace with actual link). Experience the smoothness and responsiveness of a game entirely rendered with DOM elements. It's surprisingly addictive!

Get Your Hands Dirty: Build and Run the Code

Want to explore the code yourself? Here's how to get Flappy Swift up and running on your local machine:

Option 1: Embedded Swift

This method utilizes an embedded Swift environment:

1. Execute the build script: ./build-embedded.sh
2. Serve the Public Directory npx serve Public

Option 2: Full Swift (Requires SwiftWasm SDK)

This method requires the SwiftWasm SDK. Refer to the official documentation for setup: https://book.swiftwasm.org/getting-started/setup.html

1. Execute the build script: ./build.sh
2. Serve the "Public" directory: npx serve Public

Requirements

• Swift 6.1 or later

Diving Deeper: DOM-based Rendering in WASM

Flappy Swift stands out because it avoids using Canvas or WebGL. Instead, it manipulates the DOM directly for every animation frame. This is a deliberate design choice to test the limits of DOM-based rendering and to showcase the efficiency of ElementaryDOM and ElementaryCSS when combined with Swift WebAssembly.

What Can You Learn?

By examining the Flappy Swift source code, you can gain valuable insights into:

• Reactive Programming: How changes in data automatically update the DOM.
• Virtual DOM Implementation: How the virtual DOM optimizes rendering performance.
• Swift WebAssembly Toolchain: How to compile and run Swift code in the browser.
• Performance Characterization: The trade-offs involved in DOM-based rendering.

Flappy Swift pushes the boundaries of what's possible with Swift WebAssembly and DOM rendering, demonstrating that you can create a fun and engaging game experience without relying on traditional graphics libraries. This project is a must-see for anyone interested in Swift WASM and the future of web development.