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Nx Plugin OpenAPI

Overview

Overview

Section titled “Overview”

The Nx Plugin OpenAPI brings first-class support for generating API client code from OpenAPI specifications within your Nx workspace, leveraging all the powerful features of the Nx task pipeline.

Plugin Architecture

Section titled “Plugin Architecture”

The project is structured as a modular plugin system, allowing you to choose the code generator that best fits your needs:

┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│                   @nx-plugin-openapi/core                    │
│       Executor, Plugin Loader, Auto-Installation             │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
                              │
          ┌───────────────────┴───────────────────┐
          ▼                                       ▼
┌────────────────────────┐           ┌────────────────────────┐
│   plugin-openapi       │           │   plugin-hey-api       │
│   (OpenAPI Generator)  │           │   (hey-api/openapi-ts) │
└────────────────────────┘           └────────────────────────┘

Available Generators

Section titled “Available Generators”
GeneratorPluginDescription
openapi-tools@nx-plugin-openapi/plugin-openapiUses OpenAPI Generator - supports 50+ languages including TypeScript Angular
hey-api@nx-plugin-openapi/plugin-hey-apiUses hey-api/openapi-ts - modern TypeScript-first client generation

Key Benefits

Section titled “Key Benefits”

🚀 Nx Native Integration

Section titled “🚀 Nx Native Integration”
  • Uses standard Nx executors and configuration
  • Integrates with Nx’s dependency graph
  • Supports Nx’s powerful caching system
  • Works with Nx Cloud for distributed caching

⚡ Smart Caching

Section titled “⚡ Smart Caching”
  • Only regenerates when OpenAPI specs change
  • Supports both local and remote OpenAPI specifications
  • Caches based on file content, not timestamps
  • Dramatically speeds up builds in large monorepos

🔧 Flexible Plugin System

Section titled “🔧 Flexible Plugin System”
  • Choose the generator that fits your project needs
  • Plugins are auto-installed when first used
  • Pass generator-specific options via generatorOptions
  • Support for multiple OpenAPI specifications in a single target
  • Create custom plugins for any OpenAPI generator

📦 Production Ready

Section titled “📦 Production Ready”
  • Battle-tested generators used in thousands of production applications
  • Comprehensive configuration options for customization
  • TypeScript-safe configuration through JSON schema

Choosing a Generator

Section titled “Choosing a Generator”

OpenAPI Generator (openapi-tools)

Section titled “OpenAPI Generator (openapi-tools)”

Best for:

  • Angular applications needing injectable services
  • Projects requiring specific OpenAPI Generator templates
  • Teams familiar with OpenAPI Generator ecosystem
  • Supporting multiple languages/frameworks

hey-api (hey-api)

Section titled “hey-api (hey-api)”

Best for:

  • Modern TypeScript/JavaScript projects
  • Projects prioritizing type safety
  • Fetch-based HTTP clients
  • Simpler, more lightweight generated code

Extensibility

Section titled “Extensibility”

Need to integrate a different OpenAPI generator? The plugin architecture makes it easy to create custom plugins for any code generator. See our Creating Custom Plugins guide for a complete walkthrough.

Next Steps

Section titled “Next Steps”

Ready to get started? Let’s install the plugin in your Nx workspace.