Serverpod Code Generation Skill

When to Run Generation

Run serverpod generate after:

•Creating a new model YAML file
•Modifying fields in an existing model
•Adding or changing indexes
•Modifying relations between models

Model File Location

Models are defined in YAML files at:

code

rmotly_server/lib/src/models/*.yaml

Model Definition Syntax

Basic Model

yaml

# lib/src/models/control.yaml
class: Control
table: controls
fields:
  name: String
  controlType: String
  config: String
  position: int
  createdAt: DateTime
  updatedAt: DateTime

With Relations

yaml

# lib/src/models/control.yaml
class: Control
table: controls
fields:
  userId: int, relation(parent=users)
  name: String
  controlType: String
  actionId: int?, relation(parent=actions)
  config: String
  position: int
  createdAt: DateTime
  updatedAt: DateTime

With Indexes

yaml

class: Event
table: events
fields:
  userId: int, relation(parent=users)
  sourceType: String
  sourceId: String
  eventType: String
  payload: String?
  timestamp: DateTime
indexes:
  event_user_idx:
    fields: userId
    type: btree
  event_timestamp_idx:
    fields: timestamp
    type: btree

Field Types

Type	Description
`String`	Text field
`int`	Integer
`double`	Floating point
`bool`	Boolean
`DateTime`	Date and time
`ByteData`	Binary data
`Duration`	Time duration
`UuidValue`	UUID
`List<T>`	List of type T
`Map<K,V>`	Map with key K and value V

Optional Fields

Add ? suffix for nullable fields:

yaml

fields:
  description: String?    # Optional
  payload: String?        # Optional
  actionId: int?          # Optional foreign key

Generation Commands

Basic Generation

bash

cd rmotly_server
serverpod generate

This generates:

•Model classes in lib/src/generated/
•Client code in rmotly_client/
•Protocol files

Full Workflow After Model Changes

bash

# 1. Navigate to server directory
cd rmotly_server

# 2. Generate code
serverpod generate

# 3. If database schema changed, create migration
serverpod create-migration

# 4. Apply migrations to database
serverpod apply-migrations

# 5. Verify server starts correctly
dart bin/main.dart

Database Migrations

Create Migration

After changing model fields that affect the database:

bash

cd rmotly_server
serverpod create-migration

This creates a migration file in migrations/ directory.

Apply Migrations

bash

serverpod apply-migrations

Migration Options

bash

# Apply migrations (default)
serverpod apply-migrations

# Repair migration state (if needed)
serverpod repair-migrations

# List pending migrations
serverpod list-migrations

Verification Steps

After running generation:

1. Check Generated Files

bash

# Verify model was generated
ls rmotly_server/lib/src/generated/

# Verify client was updated
ls rmotly_client/lib/src/protocol/

2. Start Server

bash

cd rmotly_server
dart bin/main.dart

Expected output:

code

Server starting...
Serverpod listening on port 8080

3. Run Server Tests

bash

cd rmotly_server
dart test

4. Update Flutter App Dependencies

bash

cd rmotly_app
flutter pub get

Troubleshooting

Generation Errors

"Could not find model file"

•Check YAML file is in lib/src/models/
•Verify YAML syntax is correct

"Invalid field type"

•Check field type is supported
•Ensure proper relation syntax

Migration Errors

"Migration already applied"

•Don't modify existing migrations
•Create new migration for changes

"Database connection failed"

•Check PostgreSQL is running
•Verify config/development.yaml credentials

Server Won't Start

bash

# Check database is accessible
psql -U rmotly_user -d rmotly -h localhost

# Check Redis is running
redis-cli ping

# Check port is not in use
lsof -i :8080

Common Model Patterns

User Model with Auth

yaml

class: User
table: users
fields:
  email: String
  displayName: String?
  fcmToken: String?
  createdAt: DateTime
  updatedAt: DateTime
indexes:
  user_email_idx:
    fields: email
    unique: true

Event Logging Model

yaml

class: Event
table: events
fields:
  userId: int, relation(parent=users)
  sourceType: String
  sourceId: String
  eventType: String
  payload: String?
  actionResult: String?
  timestamp: DateTime
indexes:
  event_user_time_idx:
    fields: userId, timestamp

Many-to-Many Relation

yaml

# Junction table for many-to-many
class: ControlAction
table: control_actions
fields:
  controlId: int, relation(parent=controls)
  actionId: int, relation(parent=actions)
indexes:
  control_action_unique_idx:
    fields: controlId, actionId
    unique: true

Quick Reference

bash

# Generate code
cd rmotly_server && serverpod generate

# Create migration
serverpod create-migration

# Apply migrations
serverpod apply-migrations

# Start server
dart bin/main.dart

# Run tests
dart test