2023

[lastmjs]

These are the most important protocol features that Demergent Labs will push for in 2023.

• [x] dfx chunk uploading
  • [x] Will fix encrypted identity issue in Kybra: https://github.com/demergent-labs/kybra/issues/429
  • [x] Will hopefully allow us to remove the entire post_install process with the kybra deployer canister
  • [x] Will fix the lack of errors on init and post_upgrade, and the caveats around init and post_upgrade
• [x] Wasm binary size limit (limited launch now, 10MiB code section, 30MiB data section, 30MiB total uncompressed)
  • [x] Will drastically reduce Azle/Kybra compile times (we're probably down to as fast as we can get without a pure binary solution that requires no recompilation, essentially manipulating the Wasm binary directly)
  • [x] Will remove the need for ic-cdk-optimizer (major source of compile times)
  • [x] Will allow Python stdlib and PyPI packages in Kybra
  • [x] Will allow larger npm packages in Azle (like Motoko JS runtime)
  • [x] Will remove the need for gzip, which adds complexity to build process and dfx.json for the developer
  • [x] Will remove the need to install and use ic-wasm just to put custom metadata sections back
  • [x] Will allow us to implement (hopefully) async/await in Kybra (this is checked but was never addressed, we will probably address this once we switch to CPython)
• [x] wasi environment variables
  • [x] ic-wasi-polyfill issue: https://github.com/wasm-forge/ic-wasi-polyfill/issues/7
• [x] DFX extensions (work beginning in Q1 2023)
  • [x] Will allow Azle/Kybra dfx.json to be as simple as Motoko or Rust, reducing complexity for devs, improving DX
• [ ] Remove the need for Candid file to be specified in dfx.json for Rust and custom canisters (should be coming in April 2023: https://forum.dfinity.org/t/automatically-generate-candid-from-rust-sources/5924/20)
  • [ ] Will remove 5-10 seconds from Azle/Kybra compile times
  • [x] Will reduce Azle/Kybra build process complexity
  • [ ] Will reduce architecture complexities from having to compile for the developers' machines vs just wasm32-unknown-unknown (this has caused a bug before that was difficult to understand and fix)
• [x] cdk public metadata standardized
  • [x] We will be able to query any canister and know if it is an Azle or Kybra canister
  • [x] Canister indexing services like the IC dashboard and icscan will be able to show canister totals by CDK, and could allow us to filter and sort through Azle, Kybra, Rust, Motoko and other canisters
  • [x] Standardizing seems like the best path forward to get indexing services like IC Dashboard to start indexing these stats
  • [x] Simply implementing some conventions in the cdks seems like a good step towards standardization
    • [x] cdk-rs: https://github.com/dfinity/cdk-rs/issues/410
    • [x] Motoko: https://github.com/dfinity/motoko/issues/4104
    • [x] icpp: https://forum.dfinity.org/t/icpp-looking-for-additional-beta-testers-to-build-some-c-smart-contracts/20326/5?u=lastmjs
• [ ] Message size limit increase or abstraction
• [ ] Cycle compensation at the protocol level (instead of burning all cycles, the protocol sets aside a percentage for the libraries installed into a canister, thus providing open source projects a stream of revenue)
• [ ] Increased cycle threshold for queries and composite queries (cycle charging for queries is a prerequisite)
  • [ ] May allow for more complex Sudograph queries
• [ ] zkWasm on the DFINITY roadmap
• [x] Wasix (this will probably never happen)
• [x] WebSockets
  • [x] PoC: https://forum.dfinity.org/t/websockets-on-the-ic-a-proof-of-concept/20836
  • [x] Beta: https://forum.dfinity.org/t/ic-websocket-beta-release/21962
• [x] Wasi support
• [x] Increases in stable memory size (100 GiB+)
  • [x] Will make single-canister development, stable structures, and Sudograph more attractive to devs
• [x] Stable data structures (especially removing max key and value sizes and recovering memory)
  • [x] Will make development with stable structures much simpler (major source of complexity for devs)
  • [x] Will remove the need to add many directives and extra complexity in Sudograph
  • [x] Will allow developers to use the maximum stable memory size

[icppWorld]

@lastmjs , One of the IC limits that we run into when compiling C++ to wasm for the IC is the max number of globals.

The current max is 300, which is ok if you're careful but definitely not sufficient once people start building more extensive apps.

I like to push for increase of this limit to 10000, or if possible complete removal of this limit.

Have you checked the number of globals that you get in wasm files build with Kybra?

[lastmjs]

We may have run into this issue in the past, but currently no one is reporting this issue across Azle and Kybra and we haven't seen it in a long time. I'm all for increasing these limits proactively though.