@skmtc/gen-arktype

A model generator. The ArkType analog of gen-zod and gen-valibot. Use when your project prefers ArkType's TypeScript-syntax-mirroring DSL over method chains or pipes.

Source

skmtc-generators/gen-arktype/src/

What it generates

For a User schema:

import { type } from 'arktype'

export const user = type({
  id: 'string',
  name: 'string',
  'email?': 'string',
})

The entry is identical to gen-zod and gen-valibot:

export const arktypeEntry = toModelEntry({
  id: denoJson.name,
  transform({ context, refName }) {
    context.insertModel(ArktypeProjection, refName)
  }
})

Key decisions

• String DSL for primitives. ArkType expresses 'string', 'number', 'integer' as string literals rather than function calls. The Projection produces these literally — a notable departure from Zod/Valibot's function-call style.
• Optional marker via key suffix. 'email?' (with the literal ? in the key) is how ArkType marks optional fields. The Projection handles this at the object-rendering level rather than via a modifier wrapper.
• as const not needed — ArkType infers from the literal types directly.

What to learn from it

• A different validation library has different idioms. Where Zod uses .optional() and Valibot uses v.optional(...), ArkType uses a key-name suffix. The OasSchema-variant dispatch structure stays the same; the rendering style changes.
• Generator-level decisions vs library-level decisions. The decision to mark optional via key suffix vs wrapper isn't the Projection's choice — it's ArkType's API. The Projection just mirrors what the target library wants.

Common customizations when cloned

• Add ArkType-specific features the stock skips (e.g., scope composition, narrows, morphs).
• Change how nullable is encoded (ArkType supports several options).
• Tweak the import shape ({ type } vs * as a).

See also

• gen-zod — the canonical model-generator template
• gen-valibot — another sibling
• OasSchema variants reference
• Projections and Snippets concept