Hacker News Board Hacker News, browsed like a classic message board
Live data from Hacker News

Show HN: Instant API – Build type-safe web APIs with JavaScript

github.com

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

11–20 of 88 posts

Re: Show HN: Instant API – Build type-safe web APIs with JavaScript

#11

Post by devjab »

I think it’s very cool. We went a similar, yet different route into the realm of code-generation rather than building our own api framework. Basically we have something which can generate, types, SQLscripts, data and type conversion and security and an express API service/controller based on a mermaid table input.

I think your way is better, but we’re very reliant on express because of our heavy Azure integration and how that’s just easier with express because Microsoft has a lot of tools for it.

Re: Show HN: Instant API – Build type-safe web APIs with JavaScript

#12

Post by stagas »

Type Safety != Runtime Type Validation. Something being Type Safe means that I, the programmer, am Safe from making type mistakes while developing and maintaining the software. For that to be possible, you need a type system that is embedded in the language and the editor and can continously analyze all of your code types to be correct. Type safe means that any breaking change to any interface will immediately error and point me to all the locations I need to visit, and therefore I am safe from making any type errors.

While this is a neat project, it's not Type safe, as nothing in the pipeline will inform you about a breaking type error prior to running it and seeing the validation fail. That usually means in production. To catch those errors early before they hit production, you use a type system, and one that exists for JavaScript and works really well, is TypeScript, and I find it mind-boggling that there is no mention of it in this entire document discussing "type safety".

Re: Show HN: Instant API – Build type-safe web APIs with JavaScript

#13

Post by keithwhor »

stagas wrote: post #12

Type Safety != Runtime Type Validation. Something being Type Safe means that I, the programmer, am Safe from making type mistakes while developing and maintaining the software. For that to be possible, you need a type system that is embedded in the language and the editor and can continously analyze all of your code types to be correct. Type safe means that any breaking change to any interface will immediately error…

My claim is only type-safety at the HTTP layer. This claim is intentionally specific! As per another comment in this thread, pedantry is the most valuable currency on HN, so this sort of feedback is not only expected but welcome.

Re: Show HN: Instant API – Build type-safe web APIs with JavaScript

#14

Post by keithwhor »

devjab wrote: post #11

I think it’s very cool. We went a similar, yet different route into the realm of code-generation rather than building our own api framework. Basically we have something which can generate, types, SQLscripts, data and type conversion and security and an express API service/controller based on a mermaid table input. I think your way is better, but we’re very reliant on express because of our heavy Azure integration and…

When you say “we” who are you referring to? Would love to learn more about what you’ve built. I haven’t built easy deployment rails for Azure but if you’re interested in playing with our solution I’d be down for a call! email keith@instant.dev

Re: Show HN: Instant API – Build type-safe web APIs with JavaScript

#16

Post by keithwhor »

firechickenbird wrote: post #15

Please don’t call this mess “type-safe”

I’d never suggest this is “mess type” safe. In fact I strongly discourage mess types.

Edit: Parent added quotation marks and hyphens after my comment. I stand proudly by my cutesy remark.

Re: Show HN: Instant API – Build type-safe web APIs with JavaScript

#17

Post by stagas »

keithwhor wrote: post #13
stagas wrote: post #12

Type Safety != Runtime Type Validation. Something being Type Safe means that I, the programmer, am Safe from making type mistakes while developing and maintaining the software. For that to be possible, you need a type system that is embedded in the language and the editor and can continously analyze all of your code types to be correct. Type safe means that any breaking change to any interface will immediately error…

My claim is only type-safety at the HTTP layer. This claim is intentionally specific! As per another comment in this thread, pedantry is the most valuable currency on HN, so this sort of feedback is not only expected but welcome.

It's not pedantry, you're using the term wrong. I understand why it can be confusing if you are just using JavaScript and you haven't had the experience of type-safe codebases. Type-safe does not refer to runtime anything, it refers to the developer being able to refactor their interfaces safely, meaning that the type system informs you of any errors across the entire codebase and all of the dependants of that software. Type safety really means "developing with type safety". Type validation on the other hand, can mean runtime type validation, which is what this software is doing, runtime type validation at the HTTP layer, which is a cool project I admit, very useful stuff, but the term type-safe here is misleading.

Re: Show HN: Instant API – Build type-safe web APIs with JavaScript

#18

Post by keithwhor »

stagas wrote: post #17
keithwhor wrote: post #13

Earlier quoted context omitted.

My claim is only type-safety at the HTTP layer. This claim is intentionally specific! As per another comment in this thread, pedantry is the most valuable currency on HN, so this sort of feedback is not only expected but welcome.

It's not pedantry, you're using the term wrong. I understand why it can be confusing if you are just using JavaScript and you haven't had the experience of type-safe codebases. Type-safe does not refer to runtime anything, it refers to the developer being able to refactor their interfaces safely, meaning that the type system informs you of any errors across the entire codebase and all of the dependants of that softwa…

Fair enough; if I were to change the qualifiers associated with the project, what’s cool about what exists here and how would you describe it in a way that’s maximally appealing? Is “type-safe” an acceptable generalization given an audience less sophisticated than you or can I use a different framing to the same effect?

Re: Show HN: Instant API – Build type-safe web APIs with JavaScript

#19

Post by PDSCodes »

stagas wrote: post #12

Type Safety != Runtime Type Validation. Something being Type Safe means that I, the programmer, am Safe from making type mistakes while developing and maintaining the software. For that to be possible, you need a type system that is embedded in the language and the editor and can continously analyze all of your code types to be correct. Type safe means that any breaking change to any interface will immediately error…

Whilst nowhere near as robust as typescript, JSDoc offers a level of type checking through an editor such as vs code or intellj.
Post reply on HN