operations/docs/architecture/api-surface.md

status, last_updated

status	last_updated
draft	2026-05-10

API Surface

All public types, registry, call protocol, subscribe, env, validation, adapters, and response envelopes. See call-protocol.md for detailed call protocol semantics, response-envelopes.md for the envelope type system and integration points, and adapters.md for adapter internals.

Core Types

OperationType

enum OperationType {
  QUERY = "query",
  MUTATION = "mutation",
  SUBSCRIPTION = "subscription",
}

• QUERY — read-only, no side effects
• MUTATION — write, has side effects
• SUBSCRIPTION — async generator, yields multiple values over time

Identity

interface Identity {
  id: string
  scopes: string[]
  resources?: Record<string, string[]>
}

Caller security context. scopes are global permissions (AND-checked against requiredScopes). resources maps "type:id" to action arrays (checked against resourceType/resourceAction). Derived from keypal ApiKeyMetadata.

AccessControl

type AccessControl = Static<typeof AccessControlSchema>

const AccessControlSchema = Type.Object({
  requiredScopes: Type.Array(Type.String()),
  requiredScopesAny: Type.Optional(Type.Array(Type.String())),
  resourceType: Type.Optional(Type.String()),
  resourceAction: Type.Optional(Type.String()),
  customAuth: Type.Optional(Type.String()),
})

Field	Semantics
requiredScopes	AND — caller must have ALL listed scopes
requiredScopesAny	OR — caller must have at least ONE listed scope
resourceType	Resource category for resource-scoped checks
resourceAction	Required action on the resource
customAuth	Name of custom auth function (not yet enforced)

ErrorDefinition

type ErrorDefinition = Static<typeof ErrorDefinitionSchema>

const ErrorDefinitionSchema = Type.Object({
  code: Type.String(),
  description: Type.String(),
  schema: Type.Unknown(),
  httpStatus: Type.Optional(Type.Number()),
})

Declared on IOperationDefinition.errorSchemas. Contract between operation and callers about what errors it may produce.

Response Envelope Types

All operation results are wrapped in ResponseEnvelope at the call protocol boundary. See response-envelopes.md for the full type system, factory functions, and integration points.

interface ResponseEnvelope<T = unknown> {
  data: T
  meta: ResponseMeta
}

type ResponseMeta = LocalResponseMeta | HTTPResponseMeta | MCPResponseMeta
type ResponseSource = "local" | "http" | "mcp"

interface LocalResponseMeta {
  source: "local"
  operationId: string
  timestamp: number
}

interface HTTPResponseMeta {
  source: "http"
  statusCode: number
  headers: Record<string, string>
  contentType: string
}

interface MCPResponseMeta {
  source: "mcp"
  isError: boolean
  content: MCPContentBlock[]
  structuredContent?: Record<string, unknown>
  _meta?: Record<string, unknown>
}

OperationContext

type OperationContext = Static<typeof OperationContextSchema> & {
  env?: OperationEnv
  stream?: () => AsyncIterable<unknown>
  pubsub?: unknown
}

Passed to every handler. env provides namespace-keyed access to other operations (via buildEnv). stream and pubsub support subscription and event patterns.

OperationSpec

interface OperationSpec<TInput = unknown, TOutput = unknown> {
  name: string
  namespace: string
  version: string
  type: OperationType
  title?: string
  description: string
  tags?: string[]
  inputSchema: TSchema
  outputSchema: TSchema
  errorSchemas?: ErrorDefinition[]
  accessControl: AccessControl
  _meta?: Record<string, unknown>
}

Serializable, hashable descriptor. No handler — safe to send over the wire, persist, or use as a template for ujsx tree interpretation. Value.Hash(inputSchema) provides structural deduplication keys.

IOperationDefinition

interface IOperationDefinition<TInput, TOutput, TContext> extends OperationSpec<TInput, TOutput> {
  handler: OperationHandler<TInput, TOutput, TContext> | SubscriptionHandler<TInput, TOutput, TContext>
}

Convenience type combining spec and handler. Still supported by register() for backward compatibility, but the registry now stores them separately internally.

OperationHandler / SubscriptionHandler

type OperationHandler<TInput, TOutput, TContext> = (
  input: TInput, context: TContext,
) => Promise<TOutput> | TOutput

type SubscriptionHandler<TInput, TOutput, TContext> = (
  input: TInput, context: TContext,
) => AsyncGenerator<TOutput, void, unknown>

OperationHandler returns a single value. SubscriptionHandler yields values over time. Both return/yield raw values — wrapping in ResponseEnvelope happens in infrastructure (execute(), CallHandler, subscribe()). Handlers that need to provide transport metadata can return a pre-built ResponseEnvelope (detected by isResponseEnvelope()), but this is only needed for adapter handlers (MCP, OpenAPI).

OperationEnv

type OperationEnv = Record<string, Record<string, (input: unknown) => Promise<ResponseEnvelope>>>

Namespace-keyed operation map. Accessed as env.namespace.operationName(input). Created by buildEnv. Each inner function returns Promise<ResponseEnvelope> — callers access typed data via envelope.data and metadata via envelope.meta, or use unwrap(envelope) for the common case where only data is needed.

Type note: OperationEnv inner functions return Promise<ResponseEnvelope> (untyped), which means callers lose per-operation type inference through OperationEnv. The generic TOutput of the underlying operation is not propagated through the namespace-keyed map — this is an inherent limitation of the string-keyed access pattern. Consumers should use envelope.data with their own type narrowing, or use registry.execute() directly when type inference is needed.

Registry

OperationRegistry

The registry stores specs and handlers in separate internal maps. Specs are serializable descriptors; handlers are runtime functions. They can be registered together or separately.

Method	Signature	Description
register(operation)	(operation: OperationSpec & { handler?: OperationHandler | SubscriptionHandler }) => void	Register spec + optional handler by {namespace}.{name} key. Validates schemas.
registerAll(operations)	(operations: Array<OperationSpec & { handler?: ... }>) => void	Bulk register.
registerSpec(spec)	(spec: OperationSpec) => void	Register spec only (no handler). Validates schemas.
registerHandler(id, handler)	(id: string, handler: OperationHandler | SubscriptionHandler) => void	Register handler for existing spec. Throws if spec not found.
get(id)	(id: string) => (OperationSpec & { handler?: ... }) | undefined	Get spec + handler (if registered) by full id.
getSpec(id)	(id: string) => OperationSpec | undefined	Serializable spec (no handler).
getHandler(id)	(id: string) => OperationHandler | SubscriptionHandler | undefined	Handler only. undefined if spec registered without handler.
getByName(namespace, name)	(namespace: string, name: string) => (OperationSpec & { handler?: ... }) | undefined	Get by parts.
list()	() => Array<OperationSpec & { handler?: ... }>	All registered entries (spec + handler if present).
getAllSpecs()	() => OperationSpec[]	All serializable specs.
execute(operationId, input, context)	(id: string, input: TInput, ctx: OperationContext) => Promise<ResponseEnvelope<TOutput>>	Validate input, run handler, wrap result in ResponseEnvelope, warn on output mismatch. Throws if spec or handler not found.

Registration key format: {namespace}.{name}. Overwrite on duplicate.

Specs and handlers can be registered independently: registerSpec() then registerHandler() for the same id, or register() with { ...spec, handler } in one call. execute() requires both — throws "Operation not found" if spec missing, "No handler registered" if handler missing.

execute validates input with validateOrThrow before calling the handler. The handler return value is wrapped in a ResponseEnvelope via isResponseEnvelope() detection — if the result is already an envelope, it passes through; otherwise localEnvelope(result, operationId) wraps it. Output validation uses collectErrors on envelope.data against spec.outputSchema and logs warnings — it does not throw.

Call Protocol

PendingRequestMap

See call-protocol.md for full semantics.

Method	Signature	Description
constructor(eventTarget?)	(eventTarget?: EventTarget)	Creates internal pubsub, wires subscription handlers for responded/error/aborted.
call(operationId, input, options?)	Promise<ResponseEnvelope>	Publish call.requested, return Promise that resolves with ResponseEnvelope on call.responded.
respond(requestId, output)	void	Publish call.responded. output must be ResponseEnvelope — isResponseEnvelope() guard throws on raw values.
emitError(requestId, code, message, details?)	void	Publish call.error.
abort(requestId)	void	Publish call.aborted, reject pending Promise.
getPendingCount()	number	Number of in-flight requests.

CallHandler

type CallHandler = (event: CallRequestedEvent) => Promise<void>

Created by buildCallHandler({ registry, eventTarget? }). Subscribes to call.requested, checks access control, validates input, calls the handler directly (not via registry.execute()), applies the shared result pipeline (detect → wrap → normalize → validate), and publishes call.responded. On failure: publishes call.error with mapped CallError. Adapters that return pre-built envelopes (MCP, OpenAPI) pass through via isResponseEnvelope() detection. See response-envelopes.md for the shared pipeline definition.

CallEventMap

const CallEventMap = {
  "call.requested": Type.Object({ ... }),
  "call.responded": Type.Object({ ... }),
  "call.aborted": Type.Object({ ... }),
  "call.error": Type.Object({ ... }),
}

Typed event map compatible with @alkdev/pubsub. See call-protocol.md for event shapes.

Event Types

Type	Fields	Description
CallRequestedEvent	requestId, operationId, input, parentRequestId?, deadline?, identity?	Initiates a call
CallRespondedEvent	requestId, output: ResponseEnvelope	Successful response (envelope always present)
CallAbortedEvent	requestId	Call cancelled
CallErrorEvent	requestId, code, message, details?	Error response

Subscribe

subscribe

async function* subscribe(
  registry: OperationRegistry,
  operationId: string,
  input: unknown,
  context: OperationContext,
): AsyncGenerator<ResponseEnvelope, void, unknown>

Direct subscription execution. Gets the operation, casts its handler to AsyncGenerator, yields each value wrapped in ResponseEnvelope. If a yielded value is already an envelope (isResponseEnvelope()), it passes through. Otherwise, localEnvelope(value, operationId) wraps it. Properly cleans up the generator on iteration stop (calls generator.return() in finally).

This is the synchronous alternative to the call protocol's call.requested → call.responded flow for subscriptions. Use subscribe() for in-process subscription consumption; use PendingRequestMap for cross-transport subscription.

Env Builder

buildEnv

function buildEnv(options: EnvOptions): OperationEnv

interface EnvOptions {
  registry: OperationRegistry
  context: OperationContext
  allowedNamespaces?: string[]
  callMap?: PendingRequestMap
}

Creates a namespace-keyed OperationEnv for nested operation calls. Each env function returns Promise<ResponseEnvelope> — callers access typed data via envelope.data or use unwrap(envelope). Two modes:

• Direct mode: buildEnv({ registry, context }) — env functions call registry.execute(), which wraps in localEnvelope
• Call protocol mode: buildEnv({ registry, context, callMap }) — env functions call callMap.call(), which resolves to ResponseEnvelope directly, publishing call.requested events with parentRequestId for call graph tracking

SUBSCRIPTION operations are filtered out — env only provides QUERY and MUTATION operations for nested calls.

allowedNamespaces restricts which namespaces are available.

Validation

Export	Signature	Description
assertIsSchema(schema, context?)	(unknown, string?) => void	Throws if schema is not a valid TypeBox schema.
validateOrThrow(schema, value, context?)	(TSchema, unknown, string?) => void	Throws with formatted errors if value fails schema check.
collectErrors(schema, value)	(TSchema, unknown) => Array<{path, message}>	Returns errors array (empty if valid).
formatValueErrors(errors, indent?)	(Iterable<{path, message}>, string?) => string	Human-readable error formatting.

Error Model

CallError

class CallError extends Error {
  readonly code: CallErrorCode
  readonly details?: unknown
  constructor(code: CallErrorCode, message: string, details?: unknown)
}

InfrastructureErrorCode

enum InfrastructureErrorCode {
  OPERATION_NOT_FOUND = "OPERATION_NOT_FOUND",
  ACCESS_DENIED = "ACCESS_DENIED",
  VALIDATION_ERROR = "VALIDATION_ERROR",
  TIMEOUT = "TIMEOUT",
  ABORTED = "ABORTED",
  EXECUTION_ERROR = "EXECUTION_ERROR",
  UNKNOWN_ERROR = "UNKNOWN_ERROR",
}

CallErrorCode is InfrastructureErrorCode | string — domain codes from errorSchemas are plain strings.

mapError

function mapError(error: unknown, errorSchemas?: { code: string; schema: unknown }[]): CallError

Converts any thrown value to CallError. If the thrown value is already a CallError, returns it. If it's an Error and errorSchemas are provided, matches against declared error codes. Falls back to EXECUTION_ERROR for unmatched Error instances and UNKNOWN_ERROR for non-Error values.

Schema Conversion

FromSchema

function FromSchema<T>(T: T): TSchema

Converts JSON Schema to TypeBox TSchema. Handles: allOf, anyOf, oneOf, enum, object (with required tracking), tuple, array, const, $ref, primitives (string, number, integer, boolean, null). Unknown shapes fall back to Type.Unknown().

Used internally by FromOpenAPI to convert OpenAPI JSON Schema definitions to TypeBox. Also used by from_mcp to convert MCP tool inputSchema (which is JSON Schema).

Response Envelope Utilities

See response-envelopes.md for detailed semantics and integration points.

Export	Signature	Description
isResponseEnvelope(value)	(unknown) => value is ResponseEnvelope	Type guard. Checks meta.source discriminant against "local" | "http" | "mcp".
localEnvelope(data, operationId)	<T>(data: T, operationId: string) => ResponseEnvelope<T>	Wrap local handler result.
httpEnvelope(data, meta)	<T>(data: T, meta: Omit<HTTPResponseMeta, "source">) => ResponseEnvelope<T>	Wrap HTTP response data.
mcpEnvelope(data, meta)	<T>(data: T, meta: Omit<MCPResponseMeta, "source">) => ResponseEnvelope<T>	Wrap MCP tool result.
unwrap(envelope)	<T>(envelope: ResponseEnvelope<T>) => T	Convenience: returns envelope.data.
ResponseEnvelopeSchema	TSchema	TypeBox schema for ResponseEnvelope.
ResponseMetaSchema	TSchema	TypeBox schema for the ResponseMeta discriminated union.

Adapters

See adapters.md for detailed adapter documentation.

Adapter	Import	Description
FromOpenAPI	Main barrel	OpenAPI spec → OperationSpec & { handler }[]
FromOpenAPIFile	Main barrel	OpenAPI file → OperationSpec & { handler }[]
FromOpenAPIUrl	Main barrel	OpenAPI URL → OperationSpec & { handler }[]
createMCPClient	from-mcp sub-path	MCP server → MCPClientWrapper with tool operations
closeMCPClient	from-mcp sub-path	Close MCP client connection
MCPClientLoader	from-mcp sub-path	Manage multiple MCP servers
scanOperations	Main barrel	Filesystem auto-discovery of operation specs