Generated Files

kiln generates two categories of files: auto-generated (regenerated on each run) and write-once (generated once, yours to edit).

Auto-Generated Files

These are regenerated on each kiln generate. Each has an embedded checksum - if you edit one, kiln detects the change and skips it.

File	Contents
generated/models/<table>.go	Response struct, Create/Update request structs, list response
generated/store/<table>.go	Store with Get, List, Create, Update, Delete methods
generated/handlers/<table>.go	HTTP handlers for each CRUD operation
generated/router.go	Route registration for all tables
docs/openapi.yaml	OpenAPI 3.0 specification

Models

Each table gets a models file with:

• Response struct (User) - all visible columns with JSON tags
• CreateRequest struct (CreateUserRequest) - writable columns with validation tags
• UpdateRequest struct (UpdateUserRequest) - all fields as pointers (partial updates)
• ListResponse struct (ListUsersResponse) - paginated response wrapper
• LinkRequest struct (LinkTagToPostRequest) - for M2M relationships (one per junction table)

Store

Each table gets a store file with:

• Get - fetch by primary key
• List - paginated with filtering and sorting
• Create - insert with request validation
• Update - partial update by primary key
• Delete - hard delete or soft delete (if deleted_at exists)
• ListByParent - one per foreign key relationship
• Link/Unlink/ListLinked - for many-to-many relationships via junction tables

Store constructors accept bob.Executor, which both bob.DB and bob.Tx satisfy. This allows wrapping store calls in transactions without modifying generated code.

Handlers

Each table gets a handler file with HTTP handlers that:

• Parse request bodies and path parameters
• Call store methods
• Return JSON responses with correct status codes
• Handle errors (404, 409 conflict, 422 FK violation, 500)

Router

A single file that registers all routes. Supports stdlib http.ServeMux or chi.

Write-Once Files

Generated once on first run. kiln never overwrites them. Edit freely.

File	Purpose
generated/store/mappers/<table>.go	Map bob model to response type. Add computed fields, hide sensitive data.
generated/handlers/helpers.go	Error formatting, pagination parsing, request validation.
generated/auth/middleware.go	Auth middleware skeleton (if auth enabled).
cmd/server/main.go	Server entry point - wires stores, handlers, and router.

Internal Files (Bob)

These are generated by bob (kiln's schema reader) and are internal:

Directory	Contents
models/	Bob's query builder models
dbinfo/	Raw schema metadata (column types, constraints, indexes)
factory/	Test factories (bob feature)
dberrors/	Database error helpers (bob feature)

You don't need to edit these. kiln reads them during generation.