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Architecture Overview

This document provides a comprehensive overview of the Azu CLI architecture, including its core components, design principles, and how they work together.

Overview

Azu CLI is built on top of the Azu Toolkit framework and provides a command-line interface for rapid application development. It follows a modular, extensible architecture that promotes code reusability and maintainability.

Core Architecture

┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│                    Azu CLI Application                      │
├─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│  ┌─────────────┐  ┌─────────────┐  ┌─────────────┐          │
│  │   Commands  │  │ Generators  │  │  Templates  │          │
│  └─────────────┘  └─────────────┘  └─────────────┘          │
├─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│  ┌─────────────┐  ┌─────────────┐  ┌─────────────┐          │
│  │   Config    │  │   Logger    │  │   Utils     │          │
│  └─────────────┘  └─────────────┘  └─────────────┘          │
├─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│                    Topia CLI Framework                      │
├─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│                    Crystal Language                         │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘

Key Components

1. Command System

The command system is built on top of the Topia CLI framework and provides:

  • Command Parsing: Automatic parsing of command-line arguments and options

  • Help System: Built-in help generation for all commands

  • Subcommands: Hierarchical command structure

  • Middleware: Command-level middleware for cross-cutting concerns

class Azu::Commands::Generate < Azu::Commands::Base
  def call
    case @subcommand
    when "model"
      Azu::Generators::Model.new(@name, @options).generate
    when "endpoint"
      Azu::Generators::Endpoint.new(@name, @options).generate
    # ... other generators
    end
  end
end

2. Generator System

The generator system is responsible for creating new files and code structures:

  • Base Generator: Common functionality for all generators

  • Template Engine: ECR-based templating for code generation

  • File Operations: Safe file creation and directory management

  • Validation: Input validation and error handling

class Azu::Generators::Base
  abstract def generate
  abstract def template_path : String

  def render_template(context : Hash(String, String)) : String
    ECR.render(template_path, context)
  end
end

3. Template System

Templates use Crystal's ECR (Embedded Crystal) for code generation:

  • ECR Templates: Crystal code embedded in templates

  • Variable Substitution: Dynamic content generation

  • Conditional Logic: Template branching based on options

  • Reusable Components: Shared template fragments

# Template example
class <%= @name.camelcase %> < CQL::Model
  table :<%= @name.underscore.pluralize %>

  <% @attributes.each do |attr| %>
  column :<%= attr.name %>, <%= attr.type %>
  <% end %>

  timestamps
end

4. Configuration System

The configuration system manages application settings:

  • YAML Configuration: Human-readable configuration format

  • Environment Variables: Secure configuration management

  • Default Values: Sensible defaults for all settings

  • Validation: Configuration schema validation

# config/application.yml
database:
  url: <%= ENV["DATABASE_URL"] %>
  pool_size: <%= ENV["DB_POOL_SIZE"] || 10 %>

server:
  host: <%= ENV["HOST"] || "0.0.0.0" %>
  port: <%= ENV["PORT"] || 3000 %>

5. Logging System

The logging system provides structured logging capabilities:

  • Multiple Levels: Debug, Info, Warn, Error, Fatal

  • Structured Output: JSON and human-readable formats

  • Context Support: Request context and correlation IDs

  • Performance: Minimal overhead logging

class Azu::Logger
  def self.info(message : String, context : Hash(String, String) = {} of String => String)
    Log.info { format_message(message, context) }
  end
end

Design Principles

1. Modularity

Each component is designed to be independent and replaceable:

  • Loose Coupling: Components communicate through well-defined interfaces

  • High Cohesion: Related functionality is grouped together

  • Single Responsibility: Each class has one clear purpose

  • Dependency Injection: Dependencies are injected rather than hardcoded

2. Extensibility

The system is designed to be easily extended:

  • Plugin System: Third-party plugins can extend functionality

  • Custom Generators: Users can create custom generators

  • Template Customization: Templates can be customized or replaced

  • Command Extensions: New commands can be added dynamically

3. Consistency

Consistent patterns throughout the codebase:

  • Naming Conventions: Consistent naming across all components

  • Error Handling: Uniform error handling patterns

  • Configuration: Consistent configuration management

  • Documentation: Comprehensive documentation for all components

4. Performance

Performance considerations in design:

  • Compile-time Optimization: Leveraging Crystal's compile-time features

  • Lazy Loading: Loading components only when needed

  • Caching: Intelligent caching of frequently used data

  • Memory Management: Efficient memory usage patterns

Data Flow

Command Execution Flow

1. User Input → Command Parser
2. Command Parser → Command Router
3. Command Router → Command Handler
4. Command Handler → Generator/Service
5. Generator/Service → Template Engine
6. Template Engine → File System
7. File System → User Feedback

Configuration Flow

1. Application Start → Config Loader
2. Config Loader → Environment Variables
3. Environment Variables → YAML Parser
4. YAML Parser → Config Validator
5. Config Validator → Config Store
6. Config Store → Application Components

File Organization

Source Code Structure

src/
├── azu_cli.cr                   # Main entry point
├── azu_cli/
│   ├── command.cr               # Base command class
│   ├── commands/                # Command implementations
│   │   ├── new.cr               # Project creation
│   │   ├── generate.cr          # Code generation
│   │   ├── serve.cr             # Development server
│   │   └── db.cr                # Database operations
│   ├── generators/              # Generator implementations
│   │   ├── base.cr              # Base generator
│   │   ├── model.cr             # Model generator
│   │   ├── endpoint.cr          # Endpoint generator
│   │   └── project.cr           # Project generator
│   ├── templates/               # ECR templates
│   │   ├── generators/          # Generator templates
│   │   └── project/             # Project templates
│   ├── config.cr                # Configuration management
│   ├── logger.cr                # Logging system
│   └── utils.cr                 # Utility functions

Template Structure

src/templates/
├── generators/                   # Generator templates
│   ├── model/                   # Model generator templates
│   │   ├── model.cr.ecr         # Model class template
│   │   └── model_spec.cr.ecr    # Model test template
│   ├── endpoint/                # Endpoint generator templates
│   │   ├── index_endpoint.cr.ecr
│   │   ├── show_endpoint.cr.ecr
│   │   └── endpoint_spec.cr.ecr
│   └── project/                 # Project templates
│       ├── basic/               # Basic project template
│       ├── api/                 # API project template
│       └── web/                 # Web project template

Integration Points

1. Azu Framework Integration

Azu CLI integrates with the Azu framework through:

  • Framework Detection: Automatic detection of Azu projects

  • Configuration Sharing: Shared configuration between CLI and framework

  • Template Compatibility: Templates that work with framework conventions

  • Development Tools: Tools that understand framework structure

2. Crystal Language Integration

Deep integration with Crystal language features:

  • Type System: Leveraging Crystal's static type system

  • Macros: Using Crystal macros for code generation

  • Compile-time: Compile-time optimizations and checks

  • Standard Library: Using Crystal's standard library components

3. Database Integration

Database integration through CQL ORM:

  • Migration Generation: Automatic migration file generation

  • Model Generation: CQL-compatible model generation

  • Schema Management: Database schema management tools

  • Query Building: CQL query building support

Security Considerations

1. Input Validation

  • Command Arguments: Validation of all command-line arguments

  • File Paths: Safe file path handling to prevent directory traversal

  • Template Variables: Validation of template variable substitution

  • Configuration: Validation of configuration values

2. File Operations

  • Safe File Creation: Preventing overwriting of existing files

  • Permission Management: Appropriate file permissions

  • Path Sanitization: Sanitizing file paths and names

  • Backup Creation: Creating backups before destructive operations

3. Configuration Security

  • Environment Variables: Secure handling of sensitive configuration

  • Secret Management: Proper secret management practices

  • Access Control: Controlling access to configuration files

  • Audit Logging: Logging configuration changes

Performance Characteristics

1. Startup Time

  • Lazy Loading: Components loaded only when needed

  • Compile-time Optimization: Leveraging Crystal's compile-time features

  • Caching: Caching frequently accessed data

  • Minimal Dependencies: Keeping dependencies minimal

2. Memory Usage

  • Efficient Data Structures: Using appropriate data structures

  • Memory Pooling: Reusing objects where possible

  • Garbage Collection: Working with Crystal's GC effectively

  • Resource Cleanup: Proper resource cleanup

3. File I/O Performance

  • Buffered I/O: Using buffered I/O operations

  • Batch Operations: Batching file operations where possible

  • Async Operations: Using async operations for I/O

  • Caching: Caching file system operations

Testing Strategy

1. Unit Testing

  • Component Isolation: Testing components in isolation

  • Mock Objects: Using mocks for external dependencies

  • Edge Cases: Testing edge cases and error conditions

  • Performance Tests: Testing performance characteristics

2. Integration Testing

  • End-to-End: Testing complete workflows

  • File System: Testing file system operations

  • Configuration: Testing configuration management

  • Generator Pipeline: Testing the complete generation pipeline

3. Acceptance Testing

  • User Scenarios: Testing real user scenarios

  • Command Line: Testing command-line interface

  • Output Validation: Validating generated output

  • Error Handling: Testing error handling scenarios

Future Architecture Considerations

1. Plugin System

  • Dynamic Loading: Dynamic plugin loading

  • Plugin Registry: Centralized plugin registry

  • Version Compatibility: Plugin version compatibility

  • Security: Plugin security and sandboxing

2. Cloud Integration

  • Cloud Providers: Integration with cloud providers

  • Deployment: Automated deployment capabilities

  • Monitoring: Application monitoring integration

  • Scaling: Auto-scaling capabilities

3. AI/ML Integration

  • Code Suggestions: AI-powered code suggestions

  • Pattern Recognition: Automatic pattern recognition

  • Optimization: AI-powered optimization suggestions

  • Documentation: Automated documentation generation

Related Documentation

PreviousScaffold GeneratorNextCLI Framework (Topia)

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