Serpent
A high-performance Swift framework for serializing and deserializing model objects to/from JSON, designed for REST APIs.
What is Serpent?
Serpent is a Swift framework for serializing and deserializing model objects (structs and classes) to and from JSON. It provides a protocol-based approach to handle encoding and decoding, supporting complex data types like nested objects, enums, URLs, and dates. It solves the problem of tedious boilerplate code when consuming REST APIs by offering high-performance parsing and seamless Alamofire integration.
iOS, macOS, tvOS, and watchOS developers building apps that consume REST APIs and need efficient JSON mapping for model objects. It's particularly useful for teams prioritizing performance and reduced boilerplate.
Developers choose Serpent for its exceptional parsing speed, comprehensive type support, and tight Alamofire integration. Its compatibility with the Model Boiler app drastically reduces manual coding, making model creation quick and error-free.
Overview
A protocol to serialize Swift structs and classes for encoding and decoding.
Use Cases
Best For
- High-performance JSON parsing in Swift apps
- Reducing boilerplate code for REST API model objects
- Integrating model serialization with Alamofire network calls
- Handling complex nested objects and custom types in JSON
- Swift projects requiring compatibility with iOS, macOS, tvOS, and watchOS
- Teams using the Model Boiler app for automated code generation
Not Ideal For
- New projects requiring long-term maintenance and Swift 5+ compatibility
- Teams standardized on Swift's native Codable protocol for JSON serialization
- Applications not using Alamofire for network requests
- Projects where minimizing third-party dependencies and vendor lock-in is a priority
Pros & Cons
Pros
Benchmarks show up to 4x faster JSON decoding than similar libraries, ideal for performance-critical apps handling large payloads.
Out-of-the-box parsing for enums, URLs, Dates, UIColor, and nested objects reduces custom code, as demonstrated in the School/Student example.
Includes responseSerializable extension for one-liner API calls that auto-parse responses into models, streamlining network layer code.
Integration with Model Boiler app auto-generates boilerplate serialization code, cutting model creation time significantly.
Cons
The repository is archived with no future updates, risking compatibility with newer Swift versions, iOS releases, and security patches.
Each model requires explicit encodableRepresentation and init methods, adding complexity even with Model Boiler, unlike Swift's native Codable.
Relies on Objective-C's NSDictionary for serialization, which is less Swift-idiomatic and may introduce bridging performance overhead.
Best features depend on Nodes' tools like Model Boiler and Cashier, creating vendor dependency that complicates switching.
Frequently Asked Questions
Related Projects
SwiftyJSONThe better way to deal with JSON data in Swift.
MantleModel framework for Cocoa and Cocoa Touch
ObjectMapperSimple JSON Object mapping written in Swift
MJExtensionA fast, convenient and nonintrusive conversion framework between JSON and model. Your model class doesn't need to extend any base class. You don't need to modify any model file.
Found a gem we're missing?
Open-Awesome is built by the community, for the community. Submit a project, suggest an awesome list, or help improve the catalog on GitHub.