Inputsuch

Inputsuch is a hypothetical declarative notation used in discussions of input validation and data transformation within software applications. It is described as a single-schema approach to specify the expected shape of input, constraints on values, and corresponding transformations, independent of user interface or programming language.

Core concepts of inputsuch include schema definitions for individual fields, constraints such as required, type, ranges, patterns, and default values, as well as built-in transformation rules for normalization or coercion. Schemas can be composed to describe nested objects and arrays, enabling complex input structures to be validated in a uniform manner. In this view, validation is separate from rendering, with inputsuch providing a contract that input must satisfy and errors that should be reported when it does not.

A typical inputsuch description might specify a username as a required string with a minimum length of three, an age as an optional integer between 0 and 120 with a default of 18, and an email field as a string matching a basic email pattern. When processed by a library that implements inputsuch, the result would be a validated, possibly transformed data object along with structured error messages for any violations.

Relation to existing approaches: inputsuch is conceptually related to JSON Schema, Joi, and Zod, which also aim to declaratively specify data shapes and validation rules. It remains a theoretical construct, discussed in the context of design patterns for robust input handling and type-safe data pipelines.

See also: form validation, JSON Schema, data validation libraries, type systems.