pscpexe

pscpexe is a term used to describe a class of software tools and file formats that bundle a pipeline of commands into a single, self-contained executable. A pscpexe typically represents a lightweight wrapper that embeds an executable runtime and a description of a multi-stage process. The runtime wires the standard streams between stages, enabling data to flow through the pipeline as if the stages were separate processes, while preserving portability.

In practice, pscpexe implementations aim to improve reproducibility, distribution, and startup performance by shipping the entire workflow as one file or package. They are often used in data processing, scientific computing, and build systems, where complex pipelines must run consistently across environments without requiring users to install a suite of tools separately.

A pscpexe may include a manifest or graph describing the stages, a minimal interpreter or launcher, and optional plugins. Some approaches serialize configuration in a human-readable form inside the executable, while others embed pre-compiled stage binaries. Security considerations include the risk of executing untrusted pipelines inside a single binary, as well as verification of the contained components.

Limitations include platform dependence, larger file sizes, and potential debugging complexity compared to traditional pipelines that invoke separate processes. While not standardized, pscpexe has inspired related concepts such as portable workflow bundles and single-file executables for data pipelines.