readability and platform convention. Transcompiler pipelines A transcompiler pipeline is what results from recursive transcompiling. By stringing together multiple layers of tech, with a transcompile step between each layer, technology can be repeatedly transformed, effectively creating a distributed language independent specification. XSLT is a general-purpose transform tool that can be used between many different technologies, to create such a derivative code pipeline. Recursive transcompiling Recursive transcompilation (or recursive transpiling) is the process of applying the notion of transcompiling recursively, to create a pipeline of transformations (often starting from a single source of truth) which repeatedly turn one technology into another. By repeating this process, one can turn A → B → C → D → E → F and then back into . Some information will be preserved through this pipeline, from A → , and that information (at an abstract level) demonstrates what each of the components A–F agree on. In each of the different versions that the transcompiler pipeline produces, that information is preserved. It might take on many different shapes and sizes, but by the time it comes back to , having been transcompiled six times in the pipeline above, the information returns to its original state. This information which survives the transform through each format, from , is (by definition) derivative content or derivative code. Recursive transcompilation takes advantage of the fact that transcompilers may either keep translated code as close to the source code as possible to ease development and debugging of the original source code, or else they may change the structure of the original code so much, that the translated code does not look like the source code. There are also debugging utilities that map the transcompiled source code back to the original code; for example, JavaScript source maps allow mapping of the JavaScript code executed by a web browser back to the original source in a transcompiled-to-JavaScript language. See also a source-to-source compiler framework using explicit pattern-directed rewrite rules a source-to-source compiler from Fortran 77 to C (running IBM 1401 programs on Honeywell H200) a source-to-source compiler framework Notes References Further reading 1984-11-11 version 1.05 (NB. The DOS executable XLT86.COM [12 KB] translates Intel 8080 assembly language source code to Intel 8086 assembly language source code. Despite its name this implementation in 8086 assembly is not related to Digital Research's earlier and much more sophisticated XLT86.) and , also available as (9