The Universal Fabricator

Where legacy code gets a second chance at life.

What is the Universal Fabricator?

The Universal Fabricator is Hatcher's modernization engine. It runs a process we call the Function Foundry—a pipeline that transforms battle-tested business logic from legacy languages like Delphi and COBOL into high-performance, secure Hatcher Functions (powered by WebAssembly).

These Hatcher Functions are the core components that are later assembled and executed within the safety of a Hatcher EGG (Enforced Governance Guardrails).

The Foundry Process

Stage 1: Analysis

Before touching your code, we understand it:

hatcher analyze --source="./legacy/payroll.pas" --language="delphi"

> Analysis Complete:
> - Functions found: 247
> - Business rules identified: 89
> - External dependencies: 12
> - Estimated complexity: High
> - Modernization feasibility: 94%

Stage 2: Preparation

Your code is prepared for transformation:

• Dependency mapping: Identifying what needs to be included
• Interface extraction: Understanding inputs and outputs
• Memory profiling: Estimating resource requirements
• Risk assessment: Identifying potential issues

Stage 3: Compilation

The actual transformation to WebAssembly:

hatcher compile --input="./legacy/payroll.pas" --output="./hatcher/functions/payroll.wasm"

> Compiling Delphi to WebAssembly...
> ✓ Parsing source code
> ✓ Resolving dependencies
> ✓ Optimizing for WASM
> ✓ Generating bindings
>
> Output: payroll.wasm (247KB)
> Performance: 0.97x native speed
> Memory: 12MB heap required

Stage 4: Validation

Every Hatcher Function is thoroughly tested:

// Auto-generated test harness
describe('Payroll Hatcher Function Validation', () => {
  test('Matches original output', async () => {
    const original = await runOriginalDelphi(testData)
    const functionName = await runWASMModule(testData)

    expect(functionName.output).toEqual(original.output)
    expect(functionName.performance).toBeWithin(0.1).of(original.performance)
  })
})

Stage 5: Packaging

Your Hatcher Function is packaged with everything needed:

# payroll.function.yaml
metadata:
  name: payroll-processor
  version: 1.0.0
  original: delphi-7.0
  compiled: 2024-01-15

module:
  binary: payroll.wasm
  size: 247KB
  memory: 12MB

interface:
  typescript: ./types/payroll.d.ts
  documentation: ./docs/payroll-api.md

validation:
  tests: ./tests/payroll.spec.js
  coverage: 94%
  performance: 0.97x

The Fabrication Environment

Isolated Compilation

Each compilation runs in a completely isolated environment:

# Fabricator Container
FROM hatcher/fabricator:latest

# Language-specific toolchain
RUN install-toolchain --language=delphi

# Isolation boundaries
USER foundry
WORKDIR /sandbox
RESTRICT network=none filesystem=readonly

# Compile with full isolation
CMD ["hatcher", "compile", "--safe-mode"]

Multi-Language Support

The Universal Fabricator supports legacy languages most tools ignore:

• Delphi/Pascal: Full Object Pascal support
• COBOL: Including COBOL-85 and COBOL-2002
• Visual Basic: VB6 and VB. NET
• Fortran: Scientific computing preservation
• ** C/C++**: With legacy compiler compatibility
• Ada: Mission-critical system support

Advanced Features

Incremental Modernization

Don't modernize everything at once:

// Start with critical functions
const criticalFunctions = await compile({
  source: './legacy/core-business.pas',
  functions: ['calculateTax', 'processPayroll', 'validateCompliance'],
})

// Add more over time
const phase2 = await compile({
  source: './legacy/reporting.pas',
  functions: ['generateReport', 'exportData'],
})

// Combine into single module
const combined = await merge([criticalFunctions, phase2])

Hybrid Execution

Run legacy and modern code side-by-side:

class HybridSystem {
  // Legacy calculation engine
  private legacy = await loadFunction('./hatcher/function/calculation.wasm')

  // Modern enhancement layer
  private modern = new ModernEnhancements()

  async process(data: Input): Output {
    // Use legacy for core logic
    const calculated = await this.legacy.calculate(data)

    // Enhance with modern features
    const enhanced = this.modern.addRealTimeAnalytics(calculated)

    return enhanced
  }
}

Performance Optimization

The Universal Fabricator automatically optimizes for WebAssembly:

Original Delphi: 100ms average execution
Naive WASM: 180ms (1.8x slower)
Optimized WASM: 103ms (1.03x slower)

Optimizations applied:
- SIMD vectorization
- Memory alignment
- Dead code elimination
- Function inlining
- Loop unrolling

Security in the Fabricator

Code Sanitization

Legacy code often has security issues. The Universal Fabricator fixes them:

security_fixes:
  buffer_overflows:
    detected: 3
    fixed: 3
    method: automatic_bounds_checking

  sql_injection:
    detected: 7
    fixed: 7
    method: parameterized_queries

  memory_leaks:
    detected: 12
    fixed: 12
    method: automatic_memory_management

Capability-Based Security

Hatcher Functions run with minimal permissions:

const functionName = await loadFunction('./payroll.wasm', {
  capabilities: {
    memory: { limit: '50MB' },
    cpu: { timeout: '5s' },
    io: {
      filesystem: 'none',
      network: 'none',
      random: 'deterministic',
    },
  },
})

Real-World Transformations

Before: Monolithic Delphi Application

// 500,000 lines of Delphi code
// Single executable
// Windows-only
// No API

After: Modular Hatcher Functions System

functions:
  - core-business.wasm (45KB)
  - reporting.wasm (89KB)
  - calculations.wasm (156KB)
  - validation.wasm (67KB)

deployment:
  - Web browsers
  - Node.js servers
  - Edge functions
  - Mobile apps
  - IoT devices

api:
  - REST endpoints
  - GraphQL schema
  - WebSocket streams
  - gRPC services

Getting Started

1. Inventory Your Legacy Code

hatcher inventory --directory="./legacy"

> Found:
> - Delphi: 1,247 files (500K lines)
> - VB6: 89 files (45K lines)
> - C++: 456 files (200K lines)

2. Prioritize Modernization

hatcher recommend --business-critical

> Recommended modernization order:
> 1. PayrollCalculation.pas (high usage, low complexity)
> 2. TaxEngine.pas (high value, medium complexity)
> 3. ReportGenerator.pas (medium usage, low risk)

3. Start the Universal Fabricator

hatcher fabricator --start

> Universal Fabricator initialized
> Function Foundry pipeline ready
> Run 'hatcher compile' to begin transformation

The Future of Legacy Code

The Universal Fabricator represents a fundamental shift in how we think about legacy code. Instead of viewing it as technical debt to be eliminated, we see it as business logic to be preserved and enhanced.

Your Delphi code from 1995 can power your React app in 2024. Your COBOL transactions can run in serverless functions. Your Visual Basic calculations can execute in web browsers.

This isn't just modernization—it's liberation.

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The Universal Fabricator: Where your legacy code doesn't die, it evolves.

Transform Legacy into Modern Assets

Compile decades-old code into WebAssembly and run it anywhere

Start Your Migration→

From COBOL to cloud. From Delphi to Docker. Your code, universal.