DSL compiler never distributed — consumers receive precompiled JS bundles only

decisionactive owner: philip · updated 2026-11-14

The form/application DSL (qform/qapp, UIForm DSL v2) and its compiler are core IP; the compiled JavaScript runtime is the distributable artifact.
Distribution targets include third-party sites embedding forms (JotForm-style model) and client workspaces — neither should ever receive DSL source or the compiler.
The submission endpoint is already a seam (works standalone or serverless, env-selected adapters).
Edge distribution (Cloudflare Pages/R2) serves static assets at $0 egress behind the edge-via-seam seam.

The DSL→JS compiler, DSL schemas, and DSL source of every form stay server-side in the repo; they are never shipped to consumers or embed targets.
Consumers receive only precompiled, self-contained JS bundles (render + validate + collect + submit). Bundles carry no DSL text, no compiler, no build tooling.
Bundles are produced at build time in CI and distributed as static assets via the edge seam (Pages/R2), versioned by content hash.
Bundle updates are atomic: a new bundle version is published alongside its submission-endpoint contract version; the endpoint accepts only contracts it knows.
Obfuscation is not a substitute: the protection is that the compiler and DSL never leave the repo, not that the bundle is unreadable.

Form changes require a recompile + redeploy of the bundle; consumers cannot self-modify forms (by design).
The bundle must be fully self-contained: inlined runtime, no runtime fetch of DSL or compiler assets.
Source maps must not be published with bundles (they would reconstruct the compiler's output structure).
The submission contract (payload schema, upload flow) becomes the public API — versioned and documented; the DSL stays private.
Hot-fix path: an urgent form fix is a new bundle version through CI, same as any release.