Compilers Aren't Just for Programming Languages
3 days ago
- #javascript
- #streaming
- #compilers
- Compilers can be used beyond programming languages, such as in building event streaming pipelines.
- Streaming pipelines in JavaScript can be optimized using compilation techniques similar to programming language compilers.
- JavaScript's ecosystem presents challenges with incompatible streaming APIs (Node.js streams vs. Web Streams).
- A compilation approach allows writing pipeline descriptions once and optimizing execution for different environments.
- Operation fusion and other optimizations are possible by analyzing the pipeline structure before execution.
- Extensibility is a key benefit, allowing custom operations and compilers for domain-specific needs.
- Compilation moves complexity from runtime to build time, enabling better performance and maintainability.
- This approach is similar to how SQL query planners, LINQ, and React's compiler optimize execution.
- The article introduces FusionStreams, a system applying these principles to event processing in JavaScript.