Advanced Users

Welcome back to another jam session: Advanced Workflows.

If you read the introduction you learned that model.js are the leader singers of alab. In the following section you we are going to take a tour to the backstage and take this from a band to an orchestra.

OpenAPI (V3)

OpenAPI is the language of the internet. Within Alab, it serves as the conductor, orchestrating every section to play in sync.

By using v3 extensions AstrolaDB includes x-db fields in your Model(Table) and Fields(Columns). These extensions turn a standard OpenAPI spec into a complete database blueprint that any tool, language or framework can consume.

What x-db Gives You

At the schema level (per table), x-db carries:

Field	Type	Description
table	string	Fully qualified table name (e.g. auth_user)
namespace	string	Schema namespace (e.g. auth)
primary_key	string[]	Primary key column(s)
timestamps	boolean	Whether the table has created_at / updated_at
soft_delete	boolean	Whether the table uses deleted_at
auditable	boolean	Whether the table tracks created_by / updated_by
sort_by	string[]	Default ORDER BY columns for queries
searchable	string[]	Columns marked for full-text search indexing
filterable	string[]	Columns available for query filtering
indexes	object[]	Index definitions (unique, composite, primary)
join_table	object	Join table metadata (only on many-to-many tables)
relationships	object	Relationship map (has_one, has_many, many_to_many)

At the property level (per column), x-db carries:

Field	Type	Description
sql_type	object	Native SQL type per dialect (postgres, sqlite)
semantic	string	Column role hint (id, username, flag, etc.)
default	any	Default value or expression (e.g. {"expr": "NOW()"})
auto_managed	boolean	Whether adapters must manage this column
generated	boolean	Whether the value is auto-generated (e.g. UUID id)
ref	string	Referenced table name
fk	string	Full foreign key path (e.g. auth_user.id)
on_delete	string	Referential action on delete (e.g. CASCADE)
on_update	string	Referential action on update
relation	string	Relationship name derived from the column
inverse_of	string	Inverse relationship (source table name)
virtual	boolean	Whether this is a computed/virtual column
computed	object	Computed column expression
polymorphic	object	Polymorphic relationship metadata

More Than Documentation

Most tools use OpenAPI just for documentation. AstrolaDB uses it as a Rich Metadata Manifest. By embedding x-db tags into the standard OpenAPI spec, it creates a portable brain of your database — types, constraints, relationships, indexes, and SQL details all in one file.

Since almost every language on earth speaks JSON, your automation is truly portable. AstrolaDB is essentially a Metadata Factory that feeds the rest of your ecosystem:

• Generate typed clients: in any language with QuickType; x-db extensions stay intact.
• Build custom adapters: ORM, REST, or GraphQL from a single JSON.
• Automate infrastructure: CI, migration checks, and docs all parse the same spec.
• Feed AI agents: LLMs or code generators understand your entire DB without source access.

Tip

Even if you stop using AstrolaDB, that JSON file can be read by Python scripts, custom Rust generators, or whatever comes next — forever. If the band breaks up, you keep the code.