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https://github.com/stablekernel/dart-codable

A library for converting dynamic, structured data (JSON, YAML) into Dart types.
https://github.com/stablekernel/dart-codable

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A library for converting dynamic, structured data (JSON, YAML) into Dart types.

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# codable

[![Build Status](https://travis-ci.org/stablekernel/dart-codable.svg?branch=master)](https://travis-ci.org/stablekernel/dart-codable)

A library for encoding and decoding dynamic data into Dart objects.

## Basic Usage

Data objects extend `Coding`:

```dart
class Person extends Coding {
String name;

@override
void decode(KeyedArchive object) {
// must call super
super.decode(object);

name = object.decode("name");
}

@override
void encode(KeyedArchive object) {
object.encode("name", name);
}
}
```

An object that extends `Coding` can be read from JSON:

```dart
final json = json.decode(...);
final archive = KeyedArchive.unarchive(json);
final person = Person()..decode(archive);
```

Objects that extend `Coding` may also be written to JSON:

```dart
final person = Person()..name = "Bob";
final archive = KeyedArchive.archive(person);
final json = json.encode(archive);
```

`Coding` objects can encode or decode other `Coding` objects, including lists of `Coding` objects and maps where `Coding` objects are values. You must provide a closure that instantiates the `Coding` object being decoded.

```dart
class Team extends Coding {

List members;
Person manager;

@override
void decode(KeyedArchive object) {
super.decode(object); // must call super

members = object.decodeObjects("members", () => Person());
manager = object.decodeObject("manager", () => Person());
}

@override
void encode(KeyedArchive object) {
object.encodeObject("manager", manager);
object.encodeObjects("members", members);
}
}
```

## Dynamic Type Casting

Types with primitive type arguments (e.g., `List` or `Map`) are a particular pain point when decoding. Override `castMap` in `Coding` to perform type coercion.
You must import `package:codable/cast.dart as cast` and prefix type names with `cast`.

```dart
import 'package:codable/cast.dart' as cast;
class Container extends Coding {
List things;

@override
Map> get castMap => {
"things": cast.List(cast.String)
};

@override
void decode(KeyedArchive object) {
super.decode(object);

things = object.decode("things");
}

@override
void encode(KeyedArchive object) {
object.encode("things", things);
}
}

```

## Document References

`Coding` objects may be referred to multiple times in a document without duplicating their structure. An object is referenced with the `$key` key.
For example, consider the following JSON:

```json
{
"components": {
"thing": {
"name": "The Thing"
}
},
"data": {
"$ref": "#/components/thing"
}
}
```

In the above, the decoded value of `data` inherits all properties from `/components/thing`:

```json
{
"$ref": "#/components/thing",
"name": "The Thing"
}
```

You may create references in your in-memory data structures through the `Coding.referenceURI`.

```dart
final person = Person()..referenceURI = Uri(path: "/teams/engineering/manager");
```

The above person is encoded as:

```json
{
"$ref": "#/teams/engineering/manager"
}
```

You may have cyclical references.

See the specification for [JSON Schema](http://json-schema.org) and the `$ref` keyword for more details.