API Reference
Complete API documentation for all types, functions, and interfaces
Binding Package
Complete API reference for the rivaas.dev/binding package
5 minute read
Complete API reference documentation for the rivaas.dev/binding package - high-performance request data binding for Go web applications.
Package Information
- Import Path:
rivaas.dev/binding - Go Version: 1.25+
- Documentation: pkg.go.dev/rivaas.dev/binding
- Repository: github.com/rivaas-dev/rivaas
Overview
The binding package provides a high-performance, type-safe way to bind request data from various sources (query parameters, JSON bodies, headers, etc.) into Go structs using struct tags.
import "rivaas.dev/binding"
type CreateUserRequest struct {
Username string `json:"username"`
Email string `json:"email"`
Age int `json:"age"`
}
// Generic API (preferred)
user, err := binding.JSON[CreateUserRequest](body)
Key Features
- Type-Safe Generic API: Compile-time type safety with zero runtime overhead
- Multiple Sources: Query, path, form, header, cookie, JSON, XML, YAML, TOML, MessagePack, Protocol Buffers
- Zero Allocation: Struct reflection info cached for optimal performance
- Flexible Type Support: Primitives, time types, collections, nested structs, custom types
- Detailed Errors: Field-level error information with context
- Extensible: Custom type converters and value getters
- Multi-Source Binding: Combine data from multiple sources with precedence control
Package Structure
graph TB
A[binding] --> B[Core API]
A --> C[Sub-Packages]
B --> B1[JSON/XML/Form]
B --> B2[Query/Header/Cookie]
B --> B3[Multi-Source]
B --> B4[Custom Binders]
C --> C1[yaml]
C --> C2[toml]
C --> C3[msgpack]
C --> C4[proto]
style A fill:#e1f5ff
style B fill:#fff3cd
style C fill:#d4eddaQuick Navigation
API Documentation
- API Reference - Core types, functions, and interfaces
- Options - Configuration options and settings
- Sub-Packages - YAML, TOML, MessagePack, Protocol Buffers
Performance and Troubleshooting
- Performance - Benchmarks and optimization guide
- Troubleshooting - Common issues and solutions
Learning Resources
- User Guide - Step-by-step tutorials
- Examples - Real-world code examples
Core API
Generic Functions
Type-safe binding with compile-time guarantees:
// JSON binding
func JSON[T any](data []byte, opts ...Option) (T, error)
// Query parameter binding
func Query[T any](values url.Values, opts ...Option) (T, error)
// Form data binding
func Form[T any](values url.Values, opts ...Option) (T, error)
// Header binding
func Header[T any](headers http.Header, opts ...Option) (T, error)
// Cookie binding
func Cookie[T any](cookies []*http.Cookie, opts ...Option) (T, error)
// Path parameter binding
func Path[T any](params map[string]string, opts ...Option) (T, error)
// XML binding
func XML[T any](data []byte, opts ...Option) (T, error)
// Multi-source binding
func Bind[T any](sources ...Source) (T, error)
Non-Generic Functions
For cases where type comes from a variable:
// JSON binding to pointer
func JSONTo(data []byte, target interface{}, opts ...Option) error
// Query binding to pointer
func QueryTo(values url.Values, target interface{}, opts ...Option) error
// ... similar for other sources
Reader Variants
Stream from io.Reader for large payloads:
func JSONReader[T any](r io.Reader, opts ...Option) (T, error)
func XMLReader[T any](r io.Reader, opts ...Option) (T, error)
Type System
Built-in Type Support
| Category | Types |
|---|---|
| Primitives | string, int, int8, int16, int32, int64, uint, uint8, uint16, uint32, uint64, float32, float64, bool |
| Time | time.Time, time.Duration |
| Network | net.IP, net.IPNet, url.URL |
| Regex | regexp.Regexp |
| Collections | []T, map[string]T |
| Pointers | *T for any supported type |
| Nested | Nested structs with dot notation |
Custom Types
Register custom converters for unsupported types:
import "github.com/google/uuid"
binder := binding.MustNew(
binding.WithConverter[uuid.UUID](uuid.Parse),
)
Struct Tags
Control binding behavior with struct tags:
| Tag | Purpose | Example |
|---|---|---|
json | JSON body field | json:"field_name" |
query | Query parameter | query:"param_name" |
form | Form data | form:"field_name" |
header | HTTP header | header:"X-Header-Name" |
path | Path parameter | path:"param_name" |
cookie | HTTP cookie | cookie:"cookie_name" |
default | Default value | default:"value" |
validate | Validation rules | validate:"required,email" |
Error Types
BindError
Field-specific binding error:
type BindError struct {
Field string // Field name
Source string // Source ("query", "json", etc.)
Value string // Raw value
Type string // Expected type
Reason string // Error reason
Err error // Underlying error
}
UnknownFieldError
Unknown fields in strict mode:
type UnknownFieldError struct {
Fields []string // List of unknown fields
}
MultiError
Multiple errors with WithAllErrors():
type MultiError struct {
Errors []*BindError
}
Configuration Options
Common options for all binding functions:
// Security limits
binding.WithMaxDepth(16) // Max struct nesting
binding.WithMaxSliceLen(1000) // Max slice elements
binding.WithMaxMapSize(500) // Max map entries
// Unknown fields
binding.WithStrictJSON() // Fail on unknown fields
binding.WithUnknownFields(mode) // UnknownError/UnknownWarn/UnknownIgnore
// Slice parsing
binding.WithSliceMode(mode) // SliceRepeat or SliceCSV
// Error collection
binding.WithAllErrors() // Collect all errors instead of failing on first
Reusable Binders
Create configured binder instances:
binder := binding.MustNew(
binding.WithConverter[uuid.UUID](uuid.Parse),
binding.WithTimeLayouts("2006-01-02", "01/02/2006"),
binding.WithMaxDepth(16),
)
// Use across handlers
user, err := binder.JSON[User](body)
params, err := binder.Query[Params](values)
Sub-Packages
Additional format support via sub-packages:
| Package | Format | Import Path |
|---|---|---|
yaml | YAML | rivaas.dev/binding/yaml |
toml | TOML | rivaas.dev/binding/toml |
msgpack | MessagePack | rivaas.dev/binding/msgpack |
proto | Protocol Buffers | rivaas.dev/binding/proto |
Performance Characteristics
- First binding: ~500ns overhead for reflection
- Subsequent bindings: ~50ns overhead (cache lookup)
- Query/Path/Form: Zero allocations for primitive types
- JSON/XML: Allocations depend on
encoding/jsonandencoding/xml - Thread-safe: All operations are safe for concurrent use
Integration
With net/http
func Handler(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
req, err := binding.JSON[CreateUserRequest](r.Body)
if err != nil {
http.Error(w, err.Error(), http.StatusBadRequest)
return
}
// Process request...
}
With rivaas.dev/router
import "rivaas.dev/router"
func Handler(c *router.Context) error {
req, err := binding.JSON[CreateUserRequest](c.Request().Body)
if err != nil {
return c.JSON(http.StatusBadRequest, err)
}
return c.JSON(http.StatusOK, processRequest(req))
}
With rivaas.dev/app
import "rivaas.dev/app"
func Handler(c *app.Context) error {
var req CreateUserRequest
if err := c.Bind(&req); err != nil {
return err // Automatically handled
}
return c.JSON(http.StatusOK, processRequest(req))
}
Version Compatibility
The binding package follows semantic versioning:
- v1.x: Stable API, backward compatible
- v2.x: Major changes, may require code updates
External Links
See Also
- rivaas.dev/validation - Request validation
- rivaas.dev/router - HTTP routing
- rivaas.dev/app - Application framework
For step-by-step guides and tutorials, see the Binding Guide.
For real-world examples, see the Examples page.
Options
Complete reference for all configuration options
Sub-Packages
YAML, TOML, MessagePack, and Protocol Buffers support
Troubleshooting
Common issues, solutions, and FAQs
Feedback
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