Overview

Revali's construct system is designed to be intuitive and flexible, allowing developers to create powerful extensions and plugins for their applications. Whether you need a client-generated package, a Swagger API generator, or a custom deployment tool, Revali provides the tools to build and manage these constructs with ease.

What You Can Build#

Constructs enable you to extend Revali's capabilities in countless ways. (Server generation itself is built into Revali and isn't something you author — see Construct Types below.)

📦 Build Constructs#

• Client SDK generation for multiple languages
• API documentation generators (OpenAPI, Swagger)
• Deployment configurations (Docker, Kubernetes)
• Asset bundlers and optimizers
• Database migration tools
• Testing utilities and mock generators

🔧 Generic Constructs#

• Code generators for specific patterns
• Utility libraries with code generation
• Framework integrations
• Custom annotation processors

Construct Types#

Revali supports different types of constructs, each optimized for specific use cases. Server generation itself isn't a construct you author — Revali always contributes its own, generating code into .revali/server/ — but the types below are the ones you can build:

Build Constructs#

Build constructs generate code, assets, or files needed for deployment and distribution. They run during the build process and prepare your application for production.

Characteristics:

• Generate code in .revali/build/ directory
• Run during build command execution
• Prepare assets for deployment
• Limit: Multiple allowed (enables complex build pipelines)

Generic Constructs#

Generic constructs are flexible packages that can generate any type of code or assets. They're automatically detected and can be used for various purposes.

Characteristics:

• Generate code in .revali/<construct-name>/ directory
• Flexible output structure
• Can be used for any code generation purpose
• Limit: Multiple allowed with automatic conflict resolution

Directory Structure#

When you create a construct, Revali automatically manages the generated output:

.revali/
├── server/              # Server construct output
├── build/               # Build construct output
├── my_custom_construct/ # Generic construct output
└── another_construct/   # Another generic construct

Conflict Resolution#

If multiple constructs have the same name, Revali automatically resolves conflicts by nesting them under their package names:

.revali/
├── package_a/
│   └── my_construct/
└── package_b/
    └── my_construct/

This ensures no conflicts while maintaining clear organization.

Getting Started#

Ready to create your first construct? Follow these guides:

1. Create a Package - Set up your construct package
2. Add as Dependency - Integrate with Revali
3. Create Entrypoint - Define your construct's main logic
4. Run New Construct - Test your construct

Advanced Topics#

For more complex constructs, explore these advanced concepts:

• Construct Lifecycle - Understand how constructs integrate with Revali
• Build Constructs - Create deployment and build tools
• Generic Constructs - Build flexible code generators

Best Practices#

Design Principles#

• Single Responsibility: Each construct should have a clear, focused purpose
• Composability: Design constructs to work well with others
• Performance: Optimize for fast code generation
• Maintainability: Write clean, well-documented code

Naming Conventions#

• Use descriptive, clear names
• Follow Dart package naming conventions

Documentation#

• Provide clear README files
• Document all configuration options
• Include usage examples
• Maintain up-to-date API documentation