Client-side Preprocessing

[AdamSobieski]

Had an idea blending JS and PHP: client-side preprocessing.

<script preprocess="text/preprocessor_input_type" type="text/preprocessor_output_type" src="input.txt" />

<script preprocess="text/php" type="text/javascript">
  <!CDATA[[
    function foo(x, y)
    {
       console.log('<? here, a client-side preprocessor is invoked, e.g., with a kb and other arguments ?>');
    }
  ]]>
</script>

In the above example, the embedded input content is of MIME type text/php and it is processed into output of MIME type text/javascript.

<script preprocess="text/gpp" type="application/ld+json">
  <!CDATA[[
    ...
  ]]>
 </script>

In the above example, the MIME type provided for the preprocess attribute, e.g., text/gpp, would indicate the MIME type of the input content, before preprocessing, and the MIME type specified for the type attribute, e.g., application/ld+json, would indicate the MIME type of the output content, after preprocessing.

These techniques can be of use for implementing generics, templates, and parametric polymorphism, as shown in the following example:

<types>
  <type name="Widget" uri="...">
    <parameters>
      <parameter name="T" uri="...">
        <!-- describe type parameter here -->
      </parameter>
    </parameters>
    <metadata preprocess="text/php" type="application/trig">
      <!-- preprocessor receives the type argument for parameter T and a knowledgebase -->
    </metadata>
    <definition preprocess="text/php" type="application/trig">
      <!-- preprocessor receives the type argument for parameter T and a knowledgebase -->
    </definition>
  </type>
</types>

See also

• Client-side Preprocessing WICG/proposals#82
• Advancing Modeling #20 (comment)
• Preprocessor
• C preprocessor
• General-purpose macro processor
• PHP in browser
• php-wasm

[AdamSobieski]

N3 could also be of use as a preprocessor. Here is a markup example:

<types>
  <type name="Widget" uri="...">
    <parameters>
      <parameter name="T" uri="...">
        <!-- describe type parameter here -->
      </parameter>
    </parameters>
    <metadata preprocess="text/n3" type="application/trig">
      <!-- preprocessor receives the type argument for parameter T and a knowledgebase -->
    </metadata>
    <definition preprocess="text/n3" type="application/trig">
      <!-- preprocessor receives the type argument for parameter T and a knowledgebase -->
    </definition>
  </type>
</types>