From Combinatorial Mess to Linear Elegance: Architecting a Conversion Engine

5 days ago

Minimal app supports file format conversion across Markdown, Rich Text, HTML, PDF, plain text, and MNML.
To manage conversion complexity, an Intermediate Representation (IR) acts as a middleman between formats, simplifying conversions.
Adding a new format requires building only its specific converter, avoiding direct pairwise conversions.
IR architecture is analogous to biological systems, like cellular metabolism or the genetic code, which use shared intermediaries.
IR can lead to architectural lock-in, similar to the 'frozen accident' of the genetic code, making system-wide changes difficult.
IR's document structure is defined in Swift, with parsers and renderers implemented for each format (e.g., HTML, Markdown).
Conversion process involves parsing source files into IR and rendering IR into target formats.
Integration in Minimal app includes import/export features like drag-and-drop, paste, share extension, and keyboard shortcuts.
Proprietary .mnml file type enables roundtrip export-import without concessions.
Utilities support file type detection, folder handling, concession reporting, staging for bulk operations, and Rich Text pasteboard.
Quick Export allows rapid export for uses like copying Markdown into LLMs (e.g., Claude or ChatGPT).

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