Writing boilerplate code in Dart—like copyWith, == operators, hashCode, and serialization methods—is a tedious part of data class creation. While code generation tools like build_runner and freezed exist, they introduce an asynchronous build step that can sometimes slow down the development workflow and clutter your directory with .g.dart files.
Reimagining Code Generation
To tackle this, I built analyzer_kit along with analyzer_kit_annotation. Instead of relying on a background build process to generate separate files, this setup hooks directly into the Dart Analysis Server. It provides real-time lint rules and IDE quick fixes for common boilerplate patterns.
The Developer Experience
By simply annotating a class with @DataClass(), the analyzer plugin parses the AST (Abstract Syntax Tree) of your class, determines its fields, and prompts you with quick fixes (the lightbulb icon in VS Code). Selecting the fix instantly injects the missing methods right inside your source file.
It’s an elegant solution that bridges the gap between manual boilerplate and heavy code-generation pipelines. You get the speed of code generation without the overhead of build scripts, keeping your project clean and your development loop tight and responsive.