Paperclip Interim Compiler

18.3.8 verified Fri May 01 auth: no javascript

Interim compiler step for Paperclip, a visual programming language. Current stable version 18.3.8. Acts as an intermediate representation layer between Paperclip engines and output compilers like React. Bundles AST transformations and provides a uniform interface for compiler backends. Differentiates by being part of the Paperclip ecosystem, designed for multi-target code generation with a focus on UI components. Release cadence is tied to Paperclip monorepo releases, roughly monthly.

Common errors

error TypeError: InterimCompiler is not a constructor ↓

cause Using CommonJS require() in ESM-only package.

fix

Use import { InterimCompiler } from 'paperclip-interim' or ensure your module system is ESM.

error Cannot find module 'paperclip-interim' ↓

cause Package not installed or missing from dependencies.

fix

Run npm install paperclip-interim@18.3.8

Warnings

gotcha InterimCompiler constructor expects an engine instance; passing a string will throw silently. ↓

fix Ensure first argument is a compatible Paperclip engine object.

gotcha toString() method may produce undefined if not preprocessed; check engine state. ↓

fix Run engine's compile() before accessing InterimCompiler's output methods.

deprecated InterimCompiler.serialize() is deprecated in v18, use toString() instead. ↓

fix Replace serialize() calls with toString().

Install

npm install paperclip-interim

yarn add paperclip-interim

pnpm add paperclip-interim

Imports

InterimCompiler

wrong

const { InterimCompiler } = require('paperclip-interim')

correct

import { InterimCompiler } from 'paperclip-interim'

ESM-only since v18. CommonJS require will fail.

InterimCompiler (default)
wrong
```
import { default } from 'paperclip-interim'
```
correct
```
import InterimCompiler from 'paperclip-interim'
```
Default export also available for convenience, but named export is preferred for tree-shaking.
InterimNode
wrong
```
import InterimNode from 'paperclip-interim'
```
correct
```
import { InterimNode } from 'paperclip-interim'
```
InterimNode is a type export, available from named exports for TypeScript usage.

Quickstart

Shows basic usage of InterimCompiler with an existing engine and serialization of the intermediate representation.

import { InterimCompiler } from 'paperclip-interim';
import { existingEngine } from './engine'; // hypothetical

const compiler = new InterimCompiler(existingEngine);
console.log(compiler.toString()); // serialized IR