Fluent Schema API

Fluent Schema API

The Z factory

public static class Z (namespace ZodSharp) is the entry point for creating schemas.

Method	Signature	Returns
String()	Z.String()	ZodString
Number()	Z.Number()	ZodNumber
Boolean()	Z.Boolean()	ZodBoolean
Null()	Z.Null()	ZodNull
Date()	Z.Date()	ZodDate
DateTimeOffset()	Z.DateTimeOffset()	ZodDateTimeOffset
BigInt()	Z.BigInt()	ZodBigInt
Array<T>	Z.Array<T>(IZodSchema<T, T> elementSchema)	ZodArray<T>
Optional<T>	Z.Optional<T>(IZodSchema<T, T> schema) — T : class	ZodOptional<T>
Nullable<T>	Z.Nullable<T>(IZodSchema<T, T> schema) — T : struct	ZodNullable<T>
Object()	Z.Object()	ZodObjectBuilder
Union (untyped)	Z.Union(params IZodSchema<object, object>[] options)	ZodUnion
Union<T1,T2> (typed)	Z.Union<T1, T2>(IZodSchema<T1, T1>, IZodSchema<T2, T2>)	ZodTypedUnion<T1, T2>
Intersection<T>	Z.Intersection<T>(IZodSchema<T, T> left, IZodSchema<T, T> right)	ZodIntersection<T>
Literal<T>	Z.Literal<T>(T value) — T : IEquatable<T>	ZodLiteral<T>
Lazy<T>	Z.Lazy<T>(Func<IZodSchema<T, T>> schemaGetter)	ZodLazy<T>
DiscriminatedUnion	Z.DiscriminatedUnion(string discriminator)	ZodDiscriminatedUnionBuilder
Enum (string values)	Z.Enum(params string[] values)	ZodEnum
Enum<TEnum> (native)	Z.Enum<TEnum>() — TEnum : struct, Enum	ZodNativeEnum<TEnum>
Record<TValue>	Z.Record<TValue>(IZodSchema<TValue, TValue> valueSchema)	ZodRecord<TValue>
Tuple<T1,T2>	Z.Tuple<T1, T2>(IZodSchema<T1, T1>, IZodSchema<T2, T2>)	ZodTuple<T1, T2>
Tuple<T1,T2,T3>	Z.Tuple<T1, T2, T3>(IZodSchema<T1, T1>, IZodSchema<T2, T2>, IZodSchema<T3, T3>)	ZodTuple<T1, T2, T3>
ToJsonSchema<T>	Z.ToJsonSchema<T>(IZodSchema<T, T> schema, ToJsonSchemaOptions? options = null)	JsonSchemaDefinition

Note

Enum and Union are overloaded: Enum(params string[]) vs Enum<TEnum>(), and Union(params ...) vs Union<T1, T2>(...). ToJsonSchema lives in the core package; FromJsonSchema is an extension on Z provided by the JSON integration packages.

Schema type reference

Each schema type has its own page:

• String Validation — ZodString.
• Number Validation — ZodNumber.
• Object Validation — ZodObject, ZodObjectBuilder.
• Arrays and Other Schemas — ZodArray, ZodBoolean, ZodNull, ZodEnum, ZodNativeEnum, ZodLiteral, ZodRecord, ZodTuple, ZodLazy.
• Unions and Discriminated Unions — ZodUnion, ZodTypedUnion, ZodDiscriminatedUnion.
• Composition and Transforms — ZodTransform, ZodRefinement, ZodSuperRefinement, ZodPipe, ZodCatch, ZodDefault, ZodPrefault, ZodIntersection.
• Compiled Validators and Caching — CompiledValidator, SchemaCache.

The interfaces

• IZodSchema<TOutput, TInput> — Validate / ValidateAsync; IZodSchema<T> is the convenience form where input equals output.
• IZodSchemaValidator (marker) and IZodSchemaValidator<T> — the DI-facing adapter surface (see Dependency Injection).
• IValidationRule<T> — the rule contract implemented by every struct rule. ZodType<TOutput, TInput>.AddRule(rule) and Rule<TRule>(rule) are public, so custom rules can be attached to any schema, and a fluent extension method can give them a first-class method like the built-in rules. Every rule exposes its reported code and message template as public const string ErrorCode / MessageFormat constants (enforced by ZODSGEN042). ZodString also exposes IsValidSpan/ValidateSpan for span-based string validation, and string rules that implement IStringValidationRule participate in the span path.
• IZodRule — implemented by rules that own their error identity (Code/Origin). When a mapped rule implements it, the generator prefers the rule’s values over the attribute’s, so one attribute can produce a per-member error code.
• IStringValidationRule — the span-based counterpart of IValidationRule<string>.

The shipped ZodSharp.Rules namespace provides the built-in rules (for example EmailRule, MinLengthRule, NonSentinelRule<T>); each is a readonly record struct usable standalone or through the fluent API. Every rule has a fluent method on its schema — see Validation Rules Reference for the catalogue.

See Custom Rules for defining, attaching, and mapping rules (including generic rules, the ErrorCode/MessageFormat constants convention, and fluent extension methods).

Convenience composition on any schema

Because composition is implemented on the base ZodType, every schema can chain .Describe(...), .Transform(...), .Refine(...), .SuperRefine(...), .Pipe(...), .Catch(...), .Prefault(...), .Default(...), .And(...), and .Or(...). See Composition and Transforms.