Who needs Graphviz when you can build it yourself?

Posted by pdubroy 10/29/2025

Who needs Graphviz when you can build it yourself?(spidermonkey.dev)

524 points | 108 commentspage 4

JohnKemeny 10/29/2025|

I added one statement and it only says `timed out`. I'll stick with Graphviz, which certainly doesn't time out.

bvisness 10/29/2025||

The part that is timing out is actually the JS interpreter, not the graph viewer. It’s a total hack to get SpiderMonkey running on the page at all.

The full Frankenstein stack is: SpiderMonkey compiled in arm emulation mode, to a WASI 0.1 module, adapted to a WASI 0.2 component, transpiled to the web with jco, running in some random WASI shim.

We do this because the JS runtime needs inline caches to be filled out before optimization, which requires an JIT and actual execution of machine code. Otherwise you just get a graph full of Unreachable. Frankly I’m amazed it works at all.

kragen 10/29/2025||

It's a shame that Wasm is so hostile to runtime code generation. I've been trying to figure out how to design something that's better on that axis.

rag-hav 10/29/2025||

Hackernews hug of death maybe

stared 10/29/2025|

It is one of the game changers of AI.

It used to be a that the barrier of entry of creating a new tool was high - so we had to use popular pieces of software, often stretching them, or writing plugins (that had their own constraints).

Now it is often easier to write from scratch a new piece of software, for which with have full control.

We can stand on the shoulders of giants - not just "a giant".

jrrrp 10/29/2025||

To me, this article demonstrated the value of knowing your domain and its particular constraints, as well as a good understanding of prior art. Together with the only 1000 line demo it took to produce (which I suppose could have been aided by an LLM), I did not finish reading with any specific appreciation for AI.

bvisness 10/29/2025||

No LLMs were used, at least not in any substantial way.

benterix 10/29/2025||

I'm sorry, I don't get your comment. What makes you think the approach or the code described in the article were developed by an LLM?

stared 10/29/2025||

I don't know how the code was created.

But based on my experience with multiple project, both current frameworks and AI changed the game. I used to much more reply on existing software and cursing that they don't do what I want - as the time to create a personalized tool was simply much to afford. Now often it is quicker to create a personalized tool than fight with existing one.

benterix 10/29/2025||

Probably, but I see no connection with the article we're discussing.