Code Generation

Experimental Feature

Code generation is an experimental feature in Fory Go. The API and behavior may change in future releases. The standard runtime path remains the stable, recommended approach for most use cases.

Fory Go provides optional ahead-of-time (AOT) code generation for performance-critical paths. This generates dedicated serializers ahead of time and adds compile-time shape checks.

Why Code Generation?

Aspect	Standard Path	Code Generation
Setup	Zero configuration	Requires go generate
Performance	Excellent	Better on hot paths
Type Safety	Runtime validation	Compile-time checks
Maintenance	Automatic	Requires regeneration

Use code generation when:

• Maximum performance is required
• Compile-time type safety is important
• Hot paths are performance-critical

Use the standard path when:

• Simple setup is preferred
• Types change frequently
• Dynamic typing is needed
• Code generation complexity is undesirable

Installation

Install the fory generator binary:

go install github.com/apache/fory/go/fory/cmd/fory@latest

GO111MODULE=on go get -u github.com/apache/fory/go/fory/cmd/fory

Ensure $GOBIN or $GOPATH/bin is in your PATH.

Basic Usage

Step 1: Annotate Structs

Add the //fory:generate comment above structs:

package models

//fory:generate
type User struct {
    ID   int64  `json:"id"`
    Name string `json:"name"`
}

//fory:generate
type Order struct {
    ID       int64
    Customer string
    Total    float64
}

Step 2: Add Go Generate Directive

Add a go:generate directive (once per file or package):

//go:generate fory -file models.go

Or for the entire package:

//go:generate fory -pkg .

Step 3: Run Code Generation

go generate ./...

This creates models_fory_gen.go with generated serializers.

Generated Code Structure

The generator creates:

Type Snapshot

A compile-time check to detect struct changes:

// Snapshot of User's underlying type at generation time
type _User_expected struct {
    ID   int64
    Name string
}

// Compile-time check: fails if User no longer matches
var _ = func(x User) { _ = _User_expected(x) }

Serializer Implementation

Strongly-typed serialization methods:

type User_ForyGenSerializer struct{}

func NewSerializerFor_User() fory.Serializer {
    return &User_ForyGenSerializer{}
}

func (User_ForyGenSerializer) WriteTyped(ctx *fory.WriteContext, v *User) error {
    buf := ctx.Buffer()
    buf.WriteInt64(v.ID)
    ctx.WriteString(v.Name)
    return nil
}

func (User_ForyGenSerializer) ReadTyped(ctx *fory.ReadContext, v *User) error {
    err := ctx.Err()
    buf := ctx.Buffer()
    v.ID = buf.ReadInt64(err)
    v.Name = ctx.ReadString()
    if ctx.HasError() {
        return ctx.TakeError()
    }
    return nil
}

Auto-Registration

Serializers are registered in init():

func init() {
    fory.RegisterSerializerFactory((*User)(nil), NewSerializerFor_User)
}

Command-Line Options

File-Based Generation

Generate for a specific file:

fory -file models.go

Package-Based Generation

Generate for a package:

fory -pkg ./models

Explicit Types (Legacy)

Specify types explicitly:

fory -pkg ./models -type "User,Order"

Force Regeneration

Force regeneration even if up-to-date:

fory --force -file models.go

When to Regenerate

Regenerate when any of these change:

• Field additions, removals, or renames
• Field type changes
• Struct tag changes
• New structs with //fory:generate

Automatic Detection

Fory includes a compile-time guard:

// If struct changed, this fails to compile
var _ = func(x User) { _ = _User_expected(x) }

If you forget to regenerate, the build fails with a clear message.

Auto-Retry

When invoked via go generate, the generator detects stale code and retries:

1. Detects compile error from guard
2. Removes stale generated file
3. Regenerates fresh code

Supported Types

Code generation supports:

• All primitive types (bool, int*, uint*, float*, string)
• Slices of primitives and structs
• Maps with supported key/value types
• Nested structs (must also be generated)
• Pointers to structs

Nested Structs

All nested structs must also have //fory:generate:

//fory:generate
type Address struct {
    City    string
    Country string
}

//fory:generate
type Person struct {
    Name    string
    Address Address  // Address must also be generated
}

CI/CD Integration

Check In Generated Code

Recommended for libraries:

go generate ./...
git add *_fory_gen.go
git commit -m "Regenerate Fory serializers"

Pros: Consumers can build without generator; reproducible builds Cons: Larger diffs; must remember to regenerate

Generate in Pipeline

Recommended for applications:

steps:
  - run: go install github.com/apache/fory/go/fory/cmd/fory@latest
  - run: go generate ./...
  - run: go build ./...

Usage with Generated Code

Generated code integrates transparently:

f := fory.New()

// Fory automatically uses generated serializer if available
user := &User{ID: 1, Name: "Alice"}
data, _ := f.Serialize(user)

var result User
f.Deserialize(data, &result)

No code changes needed - registration happens in init().

Mixing Generated and Non-Generated

You can mix approaches:

//fory:generate
type HotPathStruct struct {
    // Performance-critical, use codegen
}

type ColdPathStruct struct {
    // Not annotated, uses the standard runtime serializer
}

Limitations

Experimental Status

• API may change
• Not all edge cases tested
• May have undiscovered bugs

Not Supported

• Interface fields (dynamic types)
• Recursive types without pointers
• Private (unexported) fields
• Custom serializers

Standard Path Fallback

If generated serializers are unavailable, Fory falls back to the standard serializer path:

// If User_ForyGenSerializer is not linked in, Fory uses the standard path
f.Serialize(&User{})

Troubleshooting

"fory: command not found"

Ensure the binary is in PATH:

export PATH=$PATH:$(go env GOPATH)/bin

Compile Error After Struct Change

Regenerate:

go generate ./...

Or force:

fory --force -file yourfile.go

Generated Code Out of Sync

The compile-time guard catches this:

cannot use x (variable of type User) as type _User_expected in argument

Run go generate to fix.

Example Project Structure

myproject/
├── models/
│   ├── models.go           # Struct definitions
│   ├── models_fory_gen.go  # Generated code
│   └── generate.go         # go:generate directive
├── main.go
└── go.mod

models/generate.go:

package models

//go:generate fory -pkg .

models/models.go:

package models

//fory:generate
type User struct {
    ID   int64
    Name string
}

FAQ

Is codegen required?

No. The standard serializer path works without code generation.

Does generated code work across Go versions?

Yes. Generated code is plain Go with no version-specific features.

Can I mix generated and non-generated types?

Yes. Fory automatically uses generated serializers when available.

How do I update generated code?

Run go generate ./... after struct changes.

Should I commit generated files?

For libraries: yes. For applications: either works.

Related Topics

• Basic Serialization
• Configuration
• Troubleshooting