@fastify/ajv-compiler

What is @fastify/ajv-compiler?

@fastify/ajv-compiler is a Fastify plugin that provides a custom JSON schema compiler using the AJV (Another JSON Schema Validator) library. It allows you to compile and validate JSON schemas efficiently within the Fastify framework.

What are @fastify/ajv-compiler's main functionalities?

Schema Compilation

This feature allows you to compile JSON schemas using AJV within the Fastify framework. The code sample demonstrates how to set up a Fastify server with a custom schema compiler and define a route with a JSON schema for request validation.

const Fastify = require('fastify');
const AjvCompiler = require('@fastify/ajv-compiler');

const fastify = Fastify({
  schemaController: {
    compilersFactory: {
      buildValidator: AjvCompiler()
    }
  }
});

fastify.post('/user', {
  schema: {
    body: {
      type: 'object',
      properties: {
        name: { type: 'string' },
        age: { type: 'integer' }
      },
      required: ['name', 'age']
    }
  }
}, (request, reply) => {
  reply.send({ hello: request.body.name });
});

fastify.listen(3000, err => {
  if (err) throw err;
  console.log('Server listening on http://localhost:3000');
});

Custom AJV Options

This feature allows you to customize AJV options when compiling schemas. The code sample shows how to enable all errors and use default values in the AJV options.

const Fastify = require('fastify');
const AjvCompiler = require('@fastify/ajv-compiler');

const fastify = Fastify({
  schemaController: {
    compilersFactory: {
      buildValidator: AjvCompiler({
        ajvOptions: {
          allErrors: true,
          useDefaults: true
        }
      })
    }
  }
});

fastify.post('/user', {
  schema: {
    body: {
      type: 'object',
      properties: {
        name: { type: 'string' },
        age: { type: 'integer', default: 18 }
      },
      required: ['name']
    }
  }
}, (request, reply) => {
  reply.send({ hello: request.body.name, age: request.body.age });
});

fastify.listen(3000, err => {
  if (err) throw err;
  console.log('Server listening on http://localhost:3000');
});

Other packages similar to @fastify/ajv-compiler

ajv

AJV (Another JSON Schema Validator) is a standalone JSON schema validator that can be used in various JavaScript environments. It is highly performant and supports JSON Schema draft-07 and later. Compared to @fastify/ajv-compiler, AJV is a more general-purpose library that can be used outside of the Fastify framework.

joi

Joi is a powerful schema description language and data validator for JavaScript. It allows you to create blueprints for JavaScript objects to ensure validation. While Joi is not specifically designed for Fastify, it can be integrated with Fastify using plugins. Compared to @fastify/ajv-compiler, Joi offers a different approach to schema validation with a focus on object schema descriptions.

yup

Yup is a JavaScript schema builder for value parsing and validation. It is similar to Joi but focuses on a more functional programming style. Yup can be used in various environments, including client-side and server-side applications. Compared to @fastify/ajv-compiler, Yup provides a more flexible and chainable API for schema validation.

README

@fastify/ajv-compiler

This module manages the ajv instances for the Fastify framework. It isolates the ajv dependency so that the AJV version is not tightly coupled to the Fastify version. This allows the user to decide which version of AJV to use in their Fastify based application.

Versions

@fastify/ajv-compiler	ajv	Default in fastify
v1.x	v6.x	^3.14
v2.x	v8.x	-
v3.x	v8.x	^4.x

AJV Configuration

The Fastify's default ajv options are:

{
  coerceTypes: 'array',
  useDefaults: true,
  removeAdditional: true,
  uriResolver: require('fast-uri'),
  addUsedSchema: false,
  // Explicitly set allErrors to `false`.
  // When set to `true`, a DoS attack is possible.
  allErrors: false
}

Moreover, the ajv-formats module is included by default. If you need to customize it, check the usage section below.

To customize the ajv's options, see how in the Fastify official docs.

Usage

This module is already used as default by Fastify. If you need to provide to your server instance a different version, refer to the official doc.

Customize the ajv-formats plugin

The format keyword is not part of the official ajv module since v7. To use it, you need to install the ajv-formats module and this module does it for you with the default configuration.

If you need to configure the ajv-formats plugin you can do it using the standard Fastify configuration:

const app = fastify({
  ajv: {
    plugins: [[require('ajv-formats'), { mode: 'fast' }]]
  }
})

In this way, your setup will have precendence over the @fastify/ajv-compiler default configuration.

Customize the ajv instance

If you need to customize the ajv instance and take full control of its configuration, you can do it by using the onCreate option in the Fastify configuration that accepts a syncronous function that receives the ajv instance:

const app = fastify({
  ajv: {
    onCreate: (ajv) => {
      // Modify the ajv instance as you need.
      ajv.addFormat('myFormat', (data) => typeof data === 'string')
    }
  }
})

Fastify with JTD

The JSON Type Definition feature is supported by AJV v8.x and you can benefit from it in your Fastify application.

With Fastify v3.20.x and higher, you can use the @fastify/ajv-compiler module to load JSON Type Definitions like so:

const factory = require('@fastify/ajv-compiler')()

const app = fastify({
  jsonShorthand: false,
  ajv: {
    customOptions: { }, // additional JTD options
    mode: 'JTD'
  },
  schemaController: {
    compilersFactory: {
      buildValidator: factory
    }
  }
})

The defaults AJV JTD options are the same as the Fastify's default options.

Fastify with JTD and serialization

You can use JTD Schemas to serialize your response object too:

const factoryValidator = require('@fastify/ajv-compiler')()
const factorySerializer = require('@fastify/ajv-compiler')({ jtdSerializer: true })

const app = fastify({
  jsonShorthand: false,
  ajv: {
    customOptions: { }, // additional JTD options
    mode: 'JTD'
  },
  schemaController: {
    compilersFactory: {
      buildValidator: factoryValidator,
      buildSerializer: factorySerializer
    }
  }
})

AJV Standalone

AJV v8 introduces the standalone feature that let you to pre-compile your schemas and use them in your application for a faster startup.

To use this feature, you must be aware of the following:

1. You must generate and save the application's compiled schemas.
2. Read the compiled schemas from the file and provide them back to your Fastify application.

Generate and save the compiled schemas

Fastify helps you to generate the validation schemas functions and it is your choice to save them where you want. To accomplish this, you must use a new compiler: StandaloneValidator.

You must provide 2 parameters to this compiler:

• readMode: false: a boolean to indicate that you want generate the schemas functions string.
• storeFunction" a sync function that must store the source code of the schemas functions. You may provide an async function too, but you must manage errors.

When readMode: false, the compiler is meant to be used in development ONLY.

const { StandaloneValidator } = require('@fastify/ajv-compiler')
const factory = StandaloneValidator({
  readMode: false,
  storeFunction (routeOpts, schemaValidationCode) {
    // routeOpts is like: { schema, method, url, httpPart }
    // schemaValidationCode is a string source code that is the compiled schema function
    const fileName = generateFileName(routeOpts)
    fs.writeFileSync(path.join(__dirname, fileName), schemaValidationCode)
  }
})

const app = fastify({
  jsonShorthand: false,
  schemaController: {
    compilersFactory: {
      buildValidator: factory
    }
  }
})

// ... add all your routes with schemas ...

app.ready().then(() => {
  // at this stage all your schemas are compiled and stored in the file system
  // now it is important to turn off the readMode
})

Read the compiled schemas functions

At this stage, you should have a file for every route's schema. To use them, you must use the StandaloneValidator with the parameters:

• readMode: true: a boolean to indicate that you want read and use the schemas functions string.
• restoreFunction" a sync function that must return a function to validate the route.

Important keep away before you continue reading the documentation:

• when you use the readMode: true, the application schemas are not compiled (they are ignored). So, if you change your schemas, you must recompile them!
• as you can see, you must relate the route's schema to the file name using the routeOpts object. You may use the routeOpts.schema.$id field to do so, it is up to you to define a unique schema identifier.

const { StandaloneValidator } = require('@fastify/ajv-compiler')
const factory = StandaloneValidator({
  readMode: true,
  restoreFunction (routeOpts) {
    // routeOpts is like: { schema, method, url, httpPart }
    const fileName = generateFileName(routeOpts)
    return require(path.join(__dirname, fileName))
  }
})

const app = fastify({
  jsonShorthand: false,
  schemaController: {
    compilersFactory: {
      buildValidator: factory
    }
  }
})

// ... add all your routes with schemas as before...

app.listen({ port: 3000 })

How it works

This module provide a factory function to produce Validator Compilers functions.

The Fastify factory function is just one per server instance and it is called for every encapsulated context created by the application through the fastify.register() call.

Every Validator Compiler produced, has a dedicated AJV instance, so, this factory will try to produce as less as possible AJV instances to reduce the memory footprint and the startup time.

The variables involved to choose if a Validator Compiler can be reused are:

• the AJV configuration: it is one per server
• the external JSON schemas: once a new schema is added to a fastify's context, calling fastify.addSchema(), it will cause a new AJV inizialization

License

Licensed under MIT.