Introducing Popcorn: Elixir in the Browser

The article introduces Popcorn, a tool enabling the execution of Elixir code directly in web browsers, designed to simplify experimentation with Elixir. It outlines the significance of this development, including features such as REPL and interactive guides, which could lead to a browser-based Livebook or Elixir front-end frameworks. The text details the technical approaches explored, including compiling to WebAssembly, and explains the selection of AtomVM, a smaller Erlang VM, for this purpose. Initial experiments are described, highlighting the subset of functionalities currently supported and the ongoing efforts to enhance AtomVM to accommodate more features. The future of Popcorn includes addressing limitations related to Elixir/OTP support, improving compiled artifact sizes through tree-shaking, and ultimately making it viable for production use. Readers are encouraged to contribute through feedback and participation.