atdgen
A syntax for defining cross-language data types to generate type-safe serializers, deserializers, and validators for JSON APIs.
What is atdgen?
ATD (Adaptable Type Definitions) is a syntax and toolset for defining cross-language data types, used to generate type-safe serializers, deserializers, and validators for JSON APIs. It solves the problem of maintaining consistent data structures across different programming languages in a service-oriented architecture.
Developers and teams building multi-language systems or JSON APIs who need to ensure type safety and consistency across services written in different programming languages.
ATD provides a single source of truth for data definitions, reducing bugs and boilerplate code by automatically generating type-safe serialization and validation code for multiple languages from one schema.
Overview
Static types for JSON APIs
Use Cases
Best For
- Generating type-safe API clients and servers in multiple languages from a single schema
- Ensuring data consistency across microservices written in different programming languages
- Automating validation and serialization code for JSON-based APIs
- Migrating or integrating systems that use different tech stacks but share data structures
- Reducing boilerplate and potential errors in API data handling
- Comparing and versioning API schemas to detect breaking changes
Not Ideal For
- Monolingual projects where a single-language type system suffices, as ATD's cross-language generation adds unnecessary complexity
- Teams that prioritize rapid iteration with dynamic or schema-less data, since ATD requires rigid type definitions upfront
- Environments already standardized on JSON Schema for validation, as ATD's export feature might duplicate existing tooling
- Small, short-lived prototypes where setting up the opam toolchain and multi-language integration is overkill
Pros & Cons
Pros
Define types once in ATD syntax and generate code for C++, Java, Python, TypeScript, and other languages, ensuring consistent data structures across services, as listed in the README.
Generates serializers and deserializers that enforce data integrity when converting between JSON and native types, reducing bugs in API handling.
Produces validators from type definitions to enforce constraints automatically, minimizing manual error-checking boilerplate.
Includes utilities like atdcat for syntax checking and atddiff for comparing interface revisions, aiding in API maintenance and versioning, as highlighted in the README.
Cons
Installation requires opam and familiarity with OCaml tooling, which can be a barrier for teams not using OCaml, as noted in the installation instructions.
Some target languages have legacy implementations (e.g., OCaml) or are marked as 'coming soon', limiting readiness for certain tech stacks, per the README's language list.
Integrating ATD into multi-language build processes demands custom scripting and maintenance, adding initial overhead compared to language-native solutions.
Frequently Asked Questions
Related Projects
yojsonLow-level JSON parsing and pretty-printing library for OCaml
sexplibAutomated S-expression conversion
biniouExtensible binary data format, like JSON but faster
cborOCaml CBOR generic decoder/encoder, RFC 7049, http://cbor.io/
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