TL;DR
Two Ask HN replies highlight maker and developer work: an experimental pipeline-oriented DSL for web apps with a Rust runtime and TypeScript language-server integration, and a 3D-printed rotatable polariser used to image magnetic fields. Both projects include linked repositories and demonstration media.
What happened
In the January 2026 Ask HN thread, one contributor described an experimental domain-specific language for building web applications that models request handling as a series of pipeline stages. The system is polyglot and borrows ideas from shell-style pipelines; it runs on a Rust-based runtime and is paired with a TypeScript language server that supports jump-to-definition, hover information and DAP debugging. The language also bundles a BDD-style testing facility. The author shared links to the runtime and the LSP implementation. Another commenter posted a maker project: a rotatable polariser designed in OpenSCAD and 3D printed for use on a microscope. They combined two polarisers and a magneto-optical sensor, exploiting the Faraday effect, to reveal the magnetic field lines of a magstripe card and linked a YouTube demonstration. The author said a floppy-disk experiment is planned but currently not working.
Why it matters
- Integrated tooling (runtime, LSP, debugging, and testing) could streamline development and debugging workflows for the DSL.
- A pipeline-oriented, polyglot approach may reduce impedance between data-transformation steps and templating in web apps.
- The maker project demonstrates low-cost techniques for visualizing magnetic fields using 3D-printed optics and magneto-optical sensing.
- Public links to code and demos let other developers and hobbyists inspect, reproduce, or build on the work.
Key facts
- The web DSL is experimental and pipeline-oriented, taking inspiration from Bash-style pipelines.
- Runtime for the web DSL is implemented in Rust; a repository link was provided by the author.
- The project includes a TypeScript language server offering features such as jump-to-definition, hover, and DAP debugging; an LSP repo link with GIF demos was shared.
- The language includes a built-in BDD-style testing framework.
- Example usage shown in the thread pipes an HTTP GET route through a JSON transformation step and a Handlebars template before rendering.
- A separate project uses OpenSCAD designs to 3D print a rotatable polariser for microscope work; a GitHub repo was linked.
- Using two polarisers plus a magneto-optical sensor (leveraging the Faraday effect), the maker visualized magnetic field lines of a magstripe card; a YouTube demo was linked.
- The author of the polariser project intends to try the method with a floppy disk but reports it is not currently working.
What to watch next
- Progress and updates to the web DSL runtime and language-server repositories — not confirmed in the source.
- Whether the web DSL gains broader usage, contributions, or documentation improvements — not confirmed in the source.
- Further attempts to visualize magnetic fields on a floppy disk and any troubleshooting or results — not confirmed in the source.
Quick glossary
- Domain-Specific Language (DSL): A programming or scripting language tailored to a specific application domain, offering specialized syntax and constructs for that area.
- Language Server Protocol (LSP): A protocol that standardizes communication between code editors and language-specific services to provide features like autocomplete, go-to-definition, and hover info.
- DAP (Debug Adapter Protocol): A protocol that enables debuggers to communicate with development tools, allowing features such as breakpoints, stepping, and variable inspection.
- Faraday effect: A magneto-optical phenomenon where the polarization plane of light rotates when passing through a material subject to a magnetic field.
- OpenSCAD: A script-based CAD tool used to create 3D models, commonly employed for parametric designs and 3D printing.
Reader FAQ
Are the projects public and where are they hosted?
Both authors provided links to repositories; the web DSL runtime and LSP are linked on GitHub and the polariser project includes a GitHub repo and a YouTube demo.
What platform does the web DSL use for runtime?
The runtime is implemented in Rust according to the linked repository.
Does the polariser demonstration actually show magnetic field lines?
Yes — the author reports using two polarisers with a magneto-optical sensor to visualize magnetic field lines of a magstripe card and included a YouTube video.
Has the floppy-disk experiment succeeded?
The author said the floppy-disk attempt is not currently working.
An experimental DSL for writing web applications. It's pipeline oriented, polyglot and loosely inspired by Bash pipelines. Rust runtime, fully-featured TypeScript language server (jump to def, hover, etc), full DAP…
Sources
- Ask HN: What are you working on? (Jan 2026)
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