macro_kit 0.0.7

A development-time macro system for Dart that generates code instantly for fast iteration without build_runner.

Macro Kit

A blazingly fast code generation tool for Dart that generates code instantly on save—no build runner required.

Features

• ⚡ Lightning Fast: Generate code in under 100ms after the initial run
• 🎯 Instant Generation: Simply press Ctrl+S and watch your code appear
• 🐛 Easy Debugging: Debug your own macros or third-party packages to understand and fix code generation issues
• 🚫 No Build Runner: Say goodbye to slow build processes and generated file conflicts
• 🔧 Flexible: Apply macros to classes with enough capability for most day-to-day code generation needs

Installation

1. Activate the macro tool globally

dart pub global activate macro_kit

Or install from source:

dart pub global activate --source path ./

2. Add macro_kit to your project

In your pubspec.yaml:

dependencies:
  macro_kit: ^latest_version

3. Configure the analyzer plugin

In your analysis_options.yaml:

analyzer:
  plugins:
    - macro_kit

4. Initialize macros in your app

Add this code to your main entry point. This only runs in development mode and has no effect in production.

void main() async {
  await runMacro(
    macros: {
      'DataClassMacro': DataClassMacro.initialize,
      'MyMacro': MyMacro.initialize,
      // Add your own macros or use from other packages
    },
  );

  runApp(MyApp());
}

Usage

1. Annotate your class

To apply a macro like DataClassMacro to your class:

@dataClassMacro
class UserProfile with UserProfileData {
  const UserProfile({required this.name, required this.age});

  final String name;
  final int age;
}

2. Save and generate

Press Ctrl+S to save the file. Code generation happens instantly!

• First run: ~3-5 seconds
• Subsequent runs: <100ms

The macro will automatically generate:

• fromJson method
• toJson method
• Equality operators
• toString method

3. Debug when needed

If your macro isn't generating code properly, simply run your app in debug mode and step through the generation process to identify and fix issues.

Example

import 'package:macro_kit/macro_kit.dart';

@dataClassMacro
class User with UserData {
  const User({
    required this.id,
    required this.name,
    required this.email,
  });

  final int id;
  final String name;
  final String email;
}

// Generated code includes:
// - User.fromJson(Map<String, dynamic> json)
// - Map<String, dynamic> toJson()
// - operator ==(Object other)
// - int get hashCode
// - String toString()

Limitations

Currently, macros can only be applied to classes with limited functionality. However, this provides sufficient capability for most common code generation tasks. Future updates will include:

• Support for applying macros to variables
• More information exposed to library developers for building custom packages

Contributing

Contributions are welcome! Feel free to submit issues and pull requests.

License

This repo is licenced under MIT.