preProcess

preProcess

Type: Array<(config: Object, document: Document, utils: Object) => void | Promise<void>> Default: []

An array of functions that run before ReSpec begins processing. Use this to fetch external data, inject content into the document, or perform setup that other processing steps depend on.

Usage

async function loadTerms(config, document) {
  const res = await fetch("https://api.example.org/terms.json");
  const terms = await res.json();

  // Inject <dfn> elements so xref can resolve them
  const section = document.querySelector("#terminology");
  for (const { id, label } of terms) {
    const p = document.createElement("p");
    p.innerHTML = `The <dfn data-export id="${id}">${label}</dfn> is ...`;
    section.append(p);
  }
}

var respecConfig = {
  preProcess: [loadTerms],
};

function addGeneratedSection(config, document) {
  const section = document.createElement("section");
  section.id = "build-info";
  section.innerHTML = `
    <h2>Build Information</h2>
    <p>Built by: <strong>${config.editors[0].name}</strong></p>
  `;
  document.body.insertAdjacentElement("beforeend", section);
}

var respecConfig = {
  preProcess: [addGeneratedSection],
};

Function signature

Each function receives three arguments:

Argument	Type	Description
config	Object	The respecConfig object plus ReSpec internal state
document	Document	The HTML document in its original, unprocessed form
utils	Object	ReSpec utility functions

Notes

• Functions run in order, and ReSpec awaits each one before proceeding
• async functions are fully supported
• preProcess runs before any ReSpec transformation — the document is still in its original source form. Definitions, headings, and xrefs have not yet been processed.
• For post-processing after ReSpec is done, see postProcess