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@czfabrics/zod-to-proto

v0.2.0

Published

A TypeScript library for seamlessly converting Zod schemas into Protocol Buffers v3 definitions, with built-in support for generating RPC services and functions from structured object definitions.

Readme

-----------------------------------------------------

Table of Contents

-----------------------------------------------------

Overview

A TypeScript library for seamlessly converting Zod schemas into Protocol Buffers v3 definitions, with built-in support for generating RPC services and functions from structured object definitions.

Key Features

  • Zod support: Write your Zod schemas and convert them to Protobuf definitions.
  • Typesafe Zod conversion: If it throws a TypeScript error, it’s not supported. Simple as that.
  • gRPC support: Define your gRPC services in a TypeScript-first way.
  • Type-safe structured objects: Write your Protobuf definitions in a TypeScript-first way and convert them into proto3 files.
  • Flexible Zod conversion: Write custom transformers to modify Protobuf definitions after conversion.

-----------------------------------------------------

Installation

Bun

bun add @czfabrics/[email protected]

Yarn

yarn add @czfabrics/[email protected]

NPM

npm install @czfabrics/[email protected]

-----------------------------------------------------

Quick Start

import { UnscopedMessage, zodToProto } from '@czfabrics/zod-to-proto'
import z from 'zod'

const User = z.object({
    id: z.int64(),
    fullName: z.string().optional(),
    role: z.enum(['ADMIN', 'VIEWER']),
})

const result = zodToProto({
    syntax: 'proto3',
    packageName: 'services.authentication.v1',
    services: [],
    unscopedMessages: {
        user: UnscopedMessage.new('OUT', User),
    },
})

Result:

syntax = "proto3";

import "buf/validate/validate.proto";

package services.authentication.v1;

enum UserRole {
  ADMIN = 0;
  VIEWER = 1;
}

message User {
  int64 id = 1 [
    (buf.validate.field).required = true
  ];
  optional string full_name = 2;
  UserRole role = 3 [
    (buf.validate.field).required = true
  ];
}

-----------------------------------------------------

Usage

Basic

import { UnscopedMessage, zodToProto } from '@czfabrics/zod-to-proto'
import z from 'zod'

const User = z.object({
    id: z.int64(),
    fullName: z.string().optional(),
    role: z.enum(['ADMIN', 'VIEWER']),
})

const result = zodToProto({
    syntax: 'proto3',
    packageName: 'services.authentication.v1',
    services: [],
    unscopedMessages: {
        user: UnscopedMessage.new('OUT', User),
    },
})

Result:

syntax = "proto3";

import "buf/validate/validate.proto";

package services.authentication.v1;

enum UserRole {
  ADMIN = 0;
  VIEWER = 1;
}

message User {
  int64 id = 1 [
    (buf.validate.field).required = true
  ];
  optional string full_name = 2;
  UserRole role = 3 [
    (buf.validate.field).required = true
  ];
}

gRPC Service

import { MessageOut, zodToProto } from '@czfabrics/zod-to-proto'
import z from 'zod'

const User = z.object({
    id: z.int64(),
    fullName: z.string().optional(),
    role: z.enum(['ADMIN', 'VIEWER']),
})

const result = zodToProto({
    syntax: 'proto3',
    packageName: 'services.user.v1',
    services: [
        {
            name: 'UserService',
            functions: [
                {
                    name: 'GetUsers',
                    in: undefined,
                    inStream: false,
                    out: MessageOut.new(
                        z.object({
                            users: z.array(User),
                        })
                    ),
                    outStream: true,
                },
            ],
        },
    ],
})

Result:

syntax = "proto3";

import "google/protobuf/empty.proto";
import "buf/validate/validate.proto";

package services.user.v1;

service UserService {
  rpc GetUsers(google.protobuf.Empty) returns (stream GetUsersOutput) {}
}

enum UserRole {
  ADMIN = 0;
  VIEWER = 1;
}

message GetUsersOutputUser {
  int64 id = 1 [
    (buf.validate.field).required = true
  ];
  optional string full_name = 2;
  UserRole role = 3 [
    (buf.validate.field).required = true
  ];
}

message GetUsersOutput {
  repeated GetUsersOutputUser users = 1 [
    (buf.validate.field).required = true
  ];
}

gRPC Service with gRPC gateway annotations

import { MessageIn, Proto3HttpAnnotation, zodToProto } from '@czfabrics/zod-to-proto'
import z from 'zod'

const User = z.object({
    id: z.int64(),
    fullName: z.string().optional(),
    role: z.enum(['ADMIN', 'VIEWER']),
})

const result = zodToProto({
    syntax: 'proto3',
    packageName: 'services.user.v1',
    services: [
        {
            name: 'UserService',
            functions: [
                {
                    name: 'AddUser',
                    in: MessageIn.new(
                        z.object({
                            user: User.omit({ id: true }),
                        })
                    ),
                    extensions: [
                        Proto3HttpAnnotation.useExtension({
                            post: '/users',
                            body: '*',
                        }),
                    ],
                },
            ],
        },
    ],
})

Result:

syntax = "proto3";

import "buf/validate/validate.proto";
import "google/protobuf/empty.proto";
import "google/api/annotations.proto";

package services.user.v1;

service UserService {
  rpc AddUser(AddUserInput) returns (google.protobuf.Empty) {
    option (google.api.http) = {
      post: "/users",
      body: "*"
    };
  }
}

enum UserRole {
  ADMIN = 0;
  VIEWER = 1;
}

message AddUserInputUser {
  optional string full_name = 1;
  UserRole role = 2 [
    (buf.validate.field).required = true
  ];
}

message AddUserInput {
  AddUserInputUser user = 1 [
    (buf.validate.field).required = true
  ];
}

Type prefix

Three levels of type prefix: file, service, function.

import { MessageOut, zodToProto } from '@czfabrics/zod-to-proto'
import z from 'zod'

const User = z.object({
    id: z.int64(),
    fullName: z.string().optional(),
    role: z.enum(['ADMIN', 'VIEWER']),
})
const User2 = z.object({
    id: z.int64(),
    fullName: z.string().optional(),
    role: z.enum(['ADMIN', 'VIEWER']),
})

const result = zodToProto({
    syntax: 'proto3',
    packageName: 'services.user.v1',
    typePrefix: 'UserPackage', // First level prefix
    services: [
        {
            name: 'UserService',
            typePrefix: 'UserService', // Second level prefix
            functions: [
                {
                    name: 'GetUsers',
                    typePrefix: 'GetUsers', // Third level prefix
                    out: MessageOut.new(
                        z.object({
                            users: z.array(User),
                        })
                    ),
                },
            ],
        },
        {
            name: 'UserService2',
            typePrefix: 'UserService2',
            functions: [
                {
                    name: 'GetUsers',
                    typePrefix: 'GetUsers',
                    out: MessageOut.new(
                        z.object({
                            users: z.array(User2),
                        })
                    ),,
                },
            ],
        },
    ],
})

Result:

syntax = "proto3";

import "google/protobuf/empty.proto";
import "buf/validate/validate.proto";

package services.user.v1;

service UserService {
  rpc GetUsers(google.protobuf.Empty) returns (UserPackageUserServiceGetUsersOutput) {}
}

service UserService2 {
  rpc GetUsers(google.protobuf.Empty) returns (UserPackageUserService2GetUsersOutput) {}
}

enum UserPackageUserService2GetUsersUserRole {
  ADMIN = 0;
  VIEWER = 1;
}

message UserPackageUserService2GetUsersOutputUser {
  int64 id = 1 [
    (buf.validate.field).required = true
  ];
  optional string full_name = 2;
  UserPackageUserService2GetUsersUserRole role = 3 [
    (buf.validate.field).required = true
  ];
}

message UserPackageUserService2GetUsersOutput {
  repeated UserPackageUserService2GetUsersOutputUser users = 1 [
    (buf.validate.field).required = true
  ];
}

enum UserPackageUserServiceGetUsersUserRole {
  ADMIN = 0;
  VIEWER = 1;
}

message UserPackageUserServiceGetUsersOutputUser {
  int64 id = 1 [
    (buf.validate.field).required = true
  ];
  optional string full_name = 2;
  UserPackageUserServiceGetUsersUserRole role = 3 [
    (buf.validate.field).required = true
  ];
}

// UserPackage -> UserService -> GetUsers
message UserPackageUserServiceGetUsersOutput {
  repeated UserPackageUserServiceGetUsersOutputUser users = 1 [
    (buf.validate.field).required = true
  ];
}

Enforced typecheck

You can safely check if your schema is compatible. It will trigger a TypeScript error. Note that deeper schemas may slow down the TSC compiler.

import { UnscopedMessage, zodToProto } from '@czfabrics/zod-to-proto'
import z from 'zod'

const User = z.object({
    id: z.int64(),
    fullName: z.string().optional(),
    role: z.enum(['ADMIN', 'VIEWER']),
})

const result = zodToProto({
    syntax: 'proto3',
    packageName: 'services.authentification.v1',
    services: [],
    unscopedMessages: {
        user: UnscopedMessage.safeNew('OUT', User), // => No TS error because it's compatible
        user2: UnscopedMessage.safeNew(
            'OUT',
            z.object({
                createdAt: z.date(),
                // => TypeDebuggingError<"This Zod type 'date' is not supported">
                //
                // **Note:** You can make the schema compatible by using z.string().pipe(z.coerce.date()) or a ZodCodec.
                // This will result in the following proto field: `string created_at = 1;`
            })
        ),
        user3: UnscopedMessage.safeNew(
            'OUT',
            z.object({
                createdAt: z.codec(z.date(), z.iso.datetime(), {
                    decode: (date) => date.toISOString(),
                    encode: (isoString) => new Date(isoString),
                }),
                // => No TS error because it will take the 'out' schema of the Codec: `z.iso.datetime`
            })
        ),
        user4: UnscopedMessage.safeNew(
            'IN',
            z.object({
                createdAt: z.codec(z.iso.datetime(), z.date(), {
                    decode: (isoString) => new Date(isoString),
                    encode: (date) => date.toISOString(),
                }),
                // => No TS error because it will take the 'in' schema of the Codec: `z.iso.datetime`
            })
        ),
    },
})

Note that you can utilize the type behind the UnscopedMessage.safeNew method in your own functions.

Example of usage:

import { CheckZodSchemaCompatibility, ZodPassthroughDirection } from '@czfabrics/zod-to-proto'
import { SomeType } from 'zod/v4/core'

export const safeNew = function <
    const TDirection extends ZodPassthroughDirection,
    const TSchema extends SomeType,
>(direction: TDirection, schema: CheckZodSchemaCompatibility<TDirection, TSchema>) {
    return schema
}

Extension

import {
    MessageOut,
    Proto3Deprecated,
    Proto3HttpAnnotation,
    zodToProto,
} from '@czfabrics/zod-to-proto'
import z from 'zod'

const User = z.object({
    id: z.int64(),
    fullName: z.string().optional(),
    role: z.enum(['ADMIN', 'VIEWER']),
})

const result = zodToProto({
    syntax: 'proto3',
    packageName: 'services.authentification.v1',
    services: [
        {
            name: 'UserService',
            functions: [
                {
                    name: 'GetUsers',
                    out: MessageOut.new(
                        z.object({
                            users: z.array(User),
                        })
                    ),
                    outStream: true,
                    extensions: [
                        //// google.api.http option for gRPC restful gateway
                        Proto3HttpAnnotation.useExtension({
                            get: '/users',
                        }),
                    ],
                },
            ],
            extensions: [
                //// Global option
                Proto3Deprecated.useExtension(true),
            ],
        },
    ],
})

Result:

syntax = "proto3";

import "google/protobuf/empty.proto";
import "buf/validate/validate.proto";
import "google/api/annotations.proto";

package services.authentification.v1;

service UserService {
  option (deprecated) = true;
  rpc GetUsers(google.protobuf.Empty) returns (stream GetUsersOutput) {
    option (google.api.http).get = "/users";
  }
}

enum UserRole {
  ADMIN = 0;
  VIEWER = 1;
}

message User {
  int64 id = 1 [
    (buf.validate.field).required = true
  ];
  optional string full_name = 2;
  UserRole role = 3 [
    (buf.validate.field).required = true
  ];
}

message GetUsersOutput {
  repeated User users = 1 [
    (buf.validate.field).required = true
  ];
}

-----------------------------------------------------

Compatibility

Zod

| Zod Type | Interpreted as | Notice | | ----------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------ | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | Primitif Types | | | | ZodString | string | | | ZodStringFormat | string | Format is ignored, but can be handled by a transformer. | | ZodLiteral | string | Value is ignored, but can be handled by a transformer. | | ZodTemplateLiteral | string | Template is ignored, but can be handled by a transformer. | | ZodNumber | double | | | ZodNumberFormat | int32float32float64uint32 | The conversion result depends on the format of the ZodNumberFormat.(Format safeint is interpreted as int64) | | ZodBigInt | int64uint64 | Depends on the format. | | ZodBoolean | bool | | | ~~ZodDate~~ | Not handled | Use a ZodCodec with a string input and convert it to a JS Date instead. | | Structure Types | | | | ZodObject | message Some {} | | | ZodEnum | enum Some {} | | | ZodRecord | map<{key type}, {value type}> | Not all Zod types are supported due to Proto limitations.Keys can be an integer or a string.Values can be any types except array or another map. | | ~~ZodMap~~ | Not handled | Use ZodRecord instead. | | ZodArray | repeated {} | Not all Zod types are supported due to Proto limitations.Elements can be any types except map. | | ZodSet | repeated {} | Not all Zod types are supported due to Proto limitations.Elements can be any types except map. | | Other Types | | | | ZodOptional | optional {some_type} my_field = 1 | Internally uses Zod's safeParse to determine if the schema is optional. | | ZodNonOptional | {some_type} my_field = 1 [(buf.validate.field).required = true]; | Internally uses Zod's safeParse to determine if the schema is optional. | | ZodIntersection | message Some {} | Only works with ZodObjectUses the left ZodObject to extend the right one. | | ZodPipe | | The ZodPipe is transparent—it just passes through the input value depending on the direction (IN or OUT). | | ZodCodec | | Same as ZodPipe. | | ZodTransform | | Same as ZodPipe. | | ZodPrefault | | Same as ZodPipe. | | ZodLazy | | Same as ZodPipe. | | ZodCatch | | Same as ZodPipe. | | ZodReadonly | | Same as ZodPipe. | | ZodDefault | | Same as ZodPipe. | | Special Types | | | | ZodDiscriminatedUnion | oneof my_field {} | Not all cases are handled; use pz.oneOfUnion().This method builds a ZodDiscriminatedUnion that matches the ts-proto feature oneof=unions-value type. | | ~~ZodUnion~~ | Not handled | Use ZodOneOfUnion instead. |

Note: Other Zod types are not handled.

Proto3

| Feature | Type | | --------------------------------- | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | File | Proto3File | | Imports | Proto3ImportedType | | RPC service | Proto3RpcService | | RPC function | Proto3RpcFunction | | Message | Proto3Message | | Basic field | Proto3MessageField | | OneOf field | Proto3MessageOneOfField | | Enum | Proto3Enum | | Enum field | Proto3EnumField | | Scalar type | Proto3StringTypeProto3BoolTypeProto3Int32TypeProto3Int64TypeProto3UInt32TypeProto3UInt64TypeProto3SInt32TypeProto3SInt64TypeProto3Fixed32TypeProto3Fixed64TypeProto3SFixed32TypeProto3SFixed64TypeProto3DoubleTypeProto3FloatTypeProto3BytesType | | Repeated | Proto3RepeatedType | | Map | Proto3MapType | | Global option (like deprecated) | Proto3GlobalType |

Protovalidate

| Annotation | Type | Notice | | -------------------- | ------------------------------- | ----------------------------------------- | | buf.validate.field | Proto3ValidateFieldAnnotation | Only the required parameter is handled. | | buf.validate.oneof | Proto3ValidateFieldAnnotation | Only the required parameter is handled. |

Google

| Annotation/Type | Type | | ----------------------- | ---------------------- | | google.api.http | Proto3HttpAnnotation | | google.protobuf.Empty | Proto3Empty |

-----------------------------------------------------

Plugin

Custom Type

import { Proto3ImportedType } from '@czfabrics/zod-to-proto'

export const Proto3Empty = {
    useType: () => {
        return Proto3ImportedType.new({
            importPath: 'google/protobuf/empty.proto',
            typeReference: 'google.protobuf.Empty',
        })
    },
} as const

Custom Extension

import { Proto3Extension, Proto3ImportedType } from '@czfabrics/zod-to-proto'

export const Proto3ValidateFieldAnnotation = {
    useType: function () {
        return Proto3ImportedType.new({
            importPath: 'buf/validate/validate.proto',
            typeReference: 'buf.validate.field',
        })
    },
    useExtension: function (value: { required?: boolean }) {
        return Proto3Extension.new({
            key: this.useType(),
            value,
        })
    },
} as const

Zod Conversion Transformer

This package allows you to write custom transformers to modify Protobuf definitions after converting from Zod schemas.

Available transformers:

  • ZodDeprecatedMessageConversionTransformer
  • ZodMessageNameIncludedInFieldConversionTransformer
  • ZodEnumNameIncludedInFieldConversionTransformer
  • ZodMessageNameConversionTransformer
  • ZodDeprecatedFieldConversionTransformer
  • ZodRequiredFieldConversionTransformer
  • ZodDeprecatedOneOfFieldConversionTransformer
  • ZodRequiredOneOfFieldConversionTransformer
  • ZodDeprecatedEnumConversionTransformer
  • ZodEnumNameConversionTransformer

Writing a transformer

import {
    isZodSchemaDeprecated,
    Proto3Deprecated,
    WithMaybeZodPassthrough,
    ZodConversionContext,
    ZodMessageFieldConversionTransformer,
    ZodMessageFieldType,
    type ReadOnlyProto3MessageField,
} from '@czfabrics/zod-to-proto'

export class ZodDeprecatedFieldConversionTransformer implements ZodMessageFieldConversionTransformer {
    transform(
        context: ZodConversionContext,
        schema: WithMaybeZodPassthrough<ZodMessageFieldType>,
        protoDefinition: ReadOnlyProto3MessageField
    ): ReadOnlyProto3MessageField {
        const isDeprecated = isZodSchemaDeprecated(context, schema)

        if (!isDeprecated) {
            return protoDefinition
        }

        return protoDefinition.clone({
            extensions: [
                ...protoDefinition.extensions,
                Proto3Deprecated.useExtension(true),
            ],
        })
    }
}

Using a Transformer

zodToProto(
    <...>,
    {
        transformers: {
            message: [],
            messageField: [new ZodDeprecatedFieldConversionTransformer()],
            messageOneOfField: [],
            enum: [],
        },
    }
)

-----------------------------------------------------

License

Licensed under MIT.