alphax_generator

alphax_generator is AlphaX's dev-time source generator for small, typed REST API declarations. It emits ordinary Dart implementations that call the supplied AlphaXClient directly:

AlphaX annotations → alphax_generator → AlphaXRequest → AlphaXClient

It is for applications that want a direct AlphaX typed API without adding Dio, Retrofit, or package:http. Existing Retrofit applications remain supported through alphax_dio.

Setup

For a native Flutter application, keep the runtime dependency at the deployment boundary and add the generator only to development tooling:

dependencies:
  alphax_native: ^1.0.0

dev_dependencies:
  alphax_generator: ^1.0.0
  build_runner: ^2.16.0

The annotations are lightweight const metadata in alphax; they do not bring analyzer, source_gen, or build_runner into the runtime dependency graph.

Pure-Dart consumers import package:alphax/alphax.dart and package:alphax/annotations.dart, then supply their own AlphaXTransport. The compile-tested pure-Dart hand-off is in examples/typed_rest_dart.

Declare an API

The deployment package re-exports the AlphaX annotation and client surface, so the API declaration needs one AlphaX deployment import:

import 'package:alphax_native/alphax_native.dart';

part 'users_api.g.dart';

@AlphaXApi(baseUrl: 'https://api.example.com')
abstract class UsersApi {
  factory UsersApi(AlphaXClient client) = _UsersApi;

  @AlphaXGet('/users/{id}')
  @AlphaXDecode('User.fromJson')
  Future<User> getUser(@AlphaXPath('id') String id);

  @AlphaXPost('/users')
  @AlphaXDecode('User.fromJson')
  Future<User> createUser(@AlphaXBodyParam() CreateUser input);
}

Run the normal builder:

dart run build_runner build

The complete compile-tested native declaration is in examples/typed_rest/lib/users_api.dart. The Web equivalent is in examples/typed_rest_web/lib/users_api.dart.

Supported first slice

The generator supports GET, POST, PUT, PATCH, DELETE, and HEAD; absolute or relative endpoints; URI path-segment encoding; scalar and repeated query parameters; static and dynamic headers; JSON, text, byte, stream, file, and existing multipart bodies; caller-owned cancellation and AlphaXRequestOptions; typed JSON decoders; raw AlphaX responses; typed AlphaXApiResponse<T> metadata; streamed byte responses; and AlphaX file transfers.

URI resolution uses Dart's Uri.resolveUri: a relative endpoint resolves against the API base URL, a leading slash replaces the base path, and an absolute http/https endpoint does not inherit the base URL's query. For relative endpoints, base and endpoint query values are retained and generated query values are appended for repeated keys. Static headers use API-level-then-method-level precedence case-insensitively; a dynamic header binding is emitted last and replaces either static value.

AlphaXBodyParam is intentionally named as a parameter binding. It avoids colliding with the existing AlphaXBody and AlphaXRequestBody runtime API. For custom models, use a decoder expression that accepts one decoded JSON value, such as User.fromJson or a caller-owned decodeUser function. Serialization and model generation remain caller-owned; json_serializable and Freezed work without becoming AlphaX runtime dependencies.

Static API/method headers are emitted into generated source. Do not place credentials or other secrets in those annotations; use AlphaX middleware or a dynamic header parameter so secret values remain application-owned.

Non-2xx HTTP responses remain AlphaX responses. They are not converted into transport exceptions by generated code. Transport, TLS, cancellation, and request-body failures retain AlphaX's normal error semantics.

Ownership and escape hatches

Generated services borrow the AlphaXClient passed to their factory and never close it. The application owns one client and closes it after all generated services stop using it. Middleware, authentication, retry, cookies, cache, resilience, TLS, proxy, protocol, timeout, progress, and cancellation policy remain AlphaX concerns below the generated service.

For direct control, use the unchanged explicit path:

final client = AlphaXClient(transport: MyTransport());
final api = UsersApi(client);

This package is the direct annotation generator foundation. The OpenAPI template is a bounded proof that emits AlphaX declarations, and the Protobuf recipe is caller-layer serialization guidance; neither adds a runtime schema or serialization package. Framework-specific generator integrations remain outside this package.

Libraries

alphax_generator

Dev-time direct typed REST source generation for AlphaX.

builder