Merge pull request #10 from avalon-vanguard/develop

Link the live docs site

.github/workflows/ci.yml

@@ -2,17 +2,19 @@ name: CI
 
 on:
   push:
-    branches: [ main ]
+    branches: [ main, develop ]
   pull_request:
-    branches: [ main ]
+    branches: [ main, develop ]
 
 jobs:
-  build:
+  verify:
+    name: Node ${{ matrix.node-version }}
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
 
     strategy:
+      fail-fast: false
       matrix:
-        node-version: [18.x, 20.x, 22.x]
+        node-version: [20.x, 22.x, 24.x]
 
     steps:
     - uses: actions/checkout@v4
@@ -25,5 +27,26 @@ jobs:
       run: npm ci
     - name: Type Check
       run: npm run type-check
+    - name: Lint
+      run: npm run lint
+    - name: Test
+      run: npm run test:coverage
+    - name: Build
+      run: npm run build
+    - name: Verify published entry points load
+      run: |
+        node --input-type=module -e "import * as m from './dist/esm/index.js'; if (typeof m.toInstance !== 'function') throw new Error('ESM entry point broken');"
+        node --input-type=commonjs -e "const m = require('./dist/cjs/index.js'); if (typeof m.toInstance !== 'function') throw new Error('CJS entry point broken');"
+        node --input-type=module -e "import { standardDecorators } from './dist/esm/vite.js'; if (standardDecorators().enforce !== 'pre') throw new Error('ESM cereale/vite broken');"
+        node --input-type=commonjs -e "const { standardDecorators } = require('./dist/cjs/vite.js'); if (standardDecorators().enforce !== 'pre') throw new Error('CJS cereale/vite broken');"
     - name: Run Demo
       run: npm run demo
+    - name: Published types stand alone
+      run: npm run check:types
+    - name: Landing page loads nothing from the network
+      run: npm run check:docs
+    - name: Landing page bundle is in sync with src/
+      run: |
+        npm run build:docs
+        git diff --exit-code -- docs/ \
+          || (echo "docs/ is stale — run 'npm run build:docs' and commit the result" && exit 1)

.github/workflows/release.yml

@@ -0,0 +1,93 @@
+name: Publish to npm
+
+# Deliberately manual. Pushing a tag does NOT publish — a tag is a decision to cut a release,
+# not a decision to make it public and immutable, and npm's 72-hour unpublish window makes the
+# second one hard to take back. Run this workflow from the Actions tab when you mean it.
+#
+# Before the first real run:
+#   1. Create an npm automation token and add it as the NPM_TOKEN repository secret.
+#   2. Run once with dry_run left as `true` and read the file list it prints.
+#   3. Run again with dry_run set to `false`.
+on:
+  workflow_dispatch:
+    inputs:
+      dry_run:
+        description: 'Resolve and pack everything, but do not publish'
+        type: boolean
+        default: true
+
+permissions:
+  contents: read
+  id-token: write        # required for npm provenance
+
+jobs:
+  publish:
+    name: ${{ inputs.dry_run && 'Dry run' || 'Publish' }}
+    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    steps:
+      - uses: actions/checkout@v4
+        with:
+          # Tags are not fetched at the default depth, and the version gate below
+          # resolves one — without this it fails on every release, tag or no tag.
+          fetch-depth: 0
+
+      - uses: actions/setup-node@v4
+        with:
+          node-version: 22.x
+          cache: 'npm'
+          registry-url: 'https://registry.npmjs.org'
+
+      - name: Install dependencies
+        run: npm ci
+
+      # The tag and the manifest disagreeing is the classic way to publish 0.3.0 as 0.2.0.
+      - name: Tag and package.json version must agree
+        run: |
+          VERSION=$(node -p "require('./package.json').version")
+          echo "package.json version: $VERSION"
+          if git rev-parse "v$VERSION" >/dev/null 2>&1; then
+            echo "tag v$VERSION exists"
+          else
+            echo "::error::No tag v$VERSION. Tag the release commit before publishing."
+            exit 1
+          fi
+          if [ "$(git rev-parse HEAD)" != "$(git rev-parse "v$VERSION^{commit}")" ]; then
+            echo "::error::v$VERSION does not point at the commit being published."
+            exit 1
+          fi
+
+      - name: Refuse to republish a version already on the registry
+        run: |
+          VERSION=$(node -p "require('./package.json').version")
+          NAME=$(node -p "require('./package.json').name")
+          if npm view "$NAME@$VERSION" version >/dev/null 2>&1; then
+            echo "::error::$NAME@$VERSION is already published. Bump the version."
+            exit 1
+          fi
+          echo "$NAME@$VERSION is not on the registry yet."
+
+      # The same gate that guards every push: type-check, lint, 259 tests, build, and the
+      # checks that the published types stand alone and the landing page has no CDN deps.
+      - name: Verify
+        run: npm run verify
+
+      - name: Show exactly what would ship
+        run: npm publish --dry-run
+
+      - name: Publish
+        if: ${{ inputs.dry_run == false }}
+        run: npm publish --provenance --access public
+        env:
+          NODE_AUTH_TOKEN: ${{ secrets.NPM_TOKEN }}
+
+      - name: Summary
+        run: |
+          VERSION=$(node -p "require('./package.json').version")
+          {
+            echo "### cereale@$VERSION"
+            if [ "${{ inputs.dry_run }}" = "true" ]; then
+              echo "Dry run — nothing was published."
+            else
+              echo "Published to https://www.npmjs.com/package/cereale/v/$VERSION"
+            fi
+          } >> "$GITHUB_STEP_SUMMARY"

.gitignore

@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 # Node modules and dependency files
+# NOTE: package-lock.json is intentionally committed — CI installs with `npm ci`,
+# which requires a lockfile to be present in the repository.
 /node_modules/
-/package-lock.json
 
 # Build outputs
 /dist/

CHANGELOG.md

@@ -0,0 +1,432 @@
+# Changelog
+
+All notable changes to this project are documented in this file.
+
+The format is based on [Keep a Changelog](https://keepachangelog.com/en/1.1.0/),
+and this project adheres to [Semantic Versioning](https://semver.org/spec/v2.0.0.html).
+
+## [0.3.0] - 2026-08-05
+
+Every change here comes from the same question: where does cereale currently fail *quietly*?
+Three answers, each of which cost a real user nothing to hit and everything to diagnose.
+
+### Vite 8 and Vitest 4 silently drop decorators — `cereale/vite`
+
+Both transform TypeScript with oxc, which does not implement the standard decorator transform
+and does not say so. It leaves the syntax in the output, so:
+
+- `vitest` reports `0 test` next to a bare `SyntaxError`
+- `vite build` reports **success**, having emitted a bundle that throws the moment it is imported
+
+Cereale now ships the plugin that fixes it:
+
+```ts
+// vite.config.ts / vitest.config.ts
+import { standardDecorators } from 'cereale/vite';
+
+export default defineConfig({ plugins: [standardDecorators()] });
+```
+
+It transforms with esbuild, falling back to the TypeScript compiler; cereale depends on
+neither, and says which to install if somehow neither is present. Options: `include`,
+`target`, and `transformer` to pin one deliberately. The library's own test suite runs
+through it, so it is exercised by every test rather than by one test about itself.
+
+### Legacy decorators now say so
+
+With `experimentalDecorators: true` — still the default in most existing TypeScript projects,
+because class-validator required it — decorators are invoked as `(prototype, "name")` and
+cereale died with `TypeError: Cannot convert undefined or null to object`, which names neither
+the cause nor the fix. Every decorator now resolves its metadata through one checkpoint that
+raises an error naming the tsconfig setting instead. The same checkpoint rejects application
+to a method, getter or `accessor` field, all of which previously recorded metadata that
+nothing would ever read.
+
+### Values JSON cannot carry are refused, not emptied
+
+A populated `Map` serialized to `{}`. A `Set` serialized to `{}`. A `Uint8Array` to
+`{"0":1,"1":2}`. A `bigint` passed straight through, so the caller's own `JSON.stringify`
+threw somewhere unrelated. `RegExp`, `Error`, `Promise`, `WeakMap`, `DataView`, symbols and
+functions all had their own version of the same failure. All of them now raise a
+`JsonMappingError` that names the property path and the two ways out:
+
+```
+JsonMappingError: lines[1].tags[0] is a Set, which cannot be serialized to JSON.
+Give the property a @JsonSerialize() serializer that converts it, or drop it from the
+output with @JsonIgnore().
+```
+
+The check also covers what a `@JsonSerialize` serializer hands back, sync or async. This is
+**breaking** for anyone relying on the old behaviour, though "relying on" is a strong word for
+losing data without being told.
+
+Circular-reference and depth-limit errors now name the path too (`at child.parent`), which
+came free with the bookkeeping.
+
+### Fixed
+
+- `defineRule` on a subclass with no decorators of its own wrote the rule into its **base
+  class**, because the base's metadata object is inherited through the static prototype chain
+  and `??=` found it non-nullish. Every sibling subclass then inherited a rule meant for one
+  of them.
+- The plugin's TypeScript path emitted a `//# sourceMappingURL=` comment pointing at a file
+  nobody wrote, which Vite followed and failed to read on every transformed module.
+- `fromRequest` was declared as taking the global `Request`, so cereale's own published
+  `.d.ts` raised `Cannot find name 'Request'` in any project whose `lib` and `types` did not
+  happen to supply it — an error inside a dependency, in code the consumer may never call,
+  that they could not fix from the outside. It now takes a structural `JsonBody`
+  (`{ json(): Promise<any> }`), which a `Request` still satisfies. The library's own type
+  tests had been hiding this by enabling both `DOM` and `skipLibCheck`; `npm run check:types`
+  now compiles a consumer against `dist/` with neither.
+
+### The landing page
+
+`docs/index.html` was rebuilt. Its playground had been dead for some time and said nothing
+about it: the page loaded `@babel/standalone` from an **unpinned** CDN URL, which rolled over
+to Babel 8 and dropped the `proposal-class-properties` plugin the page asked for, so
+`Babel.transform` threw before it ever reached the decorators — and the decorator config it
+passed was `{ legacy: true }`, which 0.2.0 had already made wrong. The copy was still selling
+the 0.1.0 pitch ("Spring-like"), listed about half the decorators, and claimed "Zero overhead"
+against a README that publishes the real microsecond costs.
+
+The rebuild is one self-contained page: hand-written CSS, no Tailwind CDN, no CodeMirror, and
+a vendored compiler pinned by `package.json`. It loads **nothing** from the network, which
+`npm run check:docs` now enforces in CI. The playground runs the real bundled library across
+six examples; the reference lists all 68 decorators and the full API, counted from the bundle
+at runtime so it cannot drift.
+
+The hero's compiler error is not typed into the HTML — `scripts/build-docs.mjs` compiles the
+snippet with the real `tsc` and writes the verbatim diagnostic into `docs/diagnostics.js`,
+failing the build if a snippet the page calls a compile error ever compiles. Two more snippets
+that must compile guard against the harness passing vacuously.
+
+### Corrected
+
+The README's toolchain table said esbuild takes "the same settings via `tsconfigRaw`". It does
+not: esbuild lowers standard decorators only when its **own top-level `target`** is below
+`esnext`. A `target` inside `tsconfigRaw` sets the `useDefineForClassFields` default and
+nothing else, so following that advice leaves decorator syntax in the output — the same silent
+passthrough the section blames on oxc. Both the table and the landing page now say so, and
+`src/toolchain.test.ts` asserts both halves, so the trap is documented by a test rather than by
+a sentence.
+
+Also corrected in the same pass: the toolchain table is described as executed by a test, but
+the oxc row — the only ✗ — cannot be, because oxc ships inside a native binary with no
+standalone transform API. The claim now covers the three rows it actually covers.
+
+### A rename now actually takes effect
+
+**Breaking.** The docs said that once a property carries `@JsonProperty`, its original name
+"is no longer accepted on input". It stopped being *mapped*, but it was not refused: unlike
+`@JsonReadOnly`, whose JSON name goes into the blocked set, a renamed property's old key fell
+through to the unknown-key policy, and the default `allow` copied it onto the instance
+untouched. The value landed on a declared property having skipped everything declared for it —
+no `@JsonType` conversion, so `@ValidateNested` then inspected a plain object with no model and
+reported nothing. A payload aimed at the previous version of a class was accepted in part, in
+silence.
+
+Names that no longer reach their property are now refused. That covers three routes to the
+same hole:
+
+- the property key of a field renamed with `@JsonProperty`
+- the raw key of a field a naming strategy renders differently (`firstName` under `snake_case`)
+- the property key of a field that is both renamed and `@JsonReadOnly`, which was still
+  settable under its own key
+
+Refused, not silently swallowed. A stale name is a mismatch with whatever produced the payload
+rather than a deliberate refusal like `@JsonReadOnly`, so `unknownKeys: 'error'` still reports
+it — and now says which property it was reaching for and what that property is called now:
+
+```
+JsonMappingError: "ref" is not a JSON name for Order: property "ref" is mapped to
+"order_ref". Send that name, or add @JsonAlias("ref") to keep accepting this one.
+```
+
+`@JsonAlias` remains the way to keep an old name working, and a key that some *other* property
+legitimately answers to is still mapped to that property.
+
+Two reference entries on the landing page were also imprecise: `@IsNotEmpty()` and `@IsEmpty()`
+read as complements but are not (`[]` and `{}` pass both), and `unknownKeys` is
+deserialization-only.
+
+### Positioning
+
+`zod-alternative` is out of the keywords, and the README leads with the comparison that
+actually applies: cereale replaces **class-validator + class-transformer**. It does not infer
+types from schemas, and framing it against Zod invited exactly the objection that it is
+missing `z.infer` — which is a different design, not a gap.
+
+The README's toolchain support table (`tsc`, esbuild, swc ✅, oxc ❌) is now
+[executed by a test](src/toolchain.test.ts): each row compiles a decorated class with that
+tool and asserts the metadata arrived, so the table cannot quietly go stale.
+
+### Performance
+
+Serialization is a few percent slower for the representability check. Primitives are handled
+inline, and arrays and dates skip it, so it costs one `Symbol.toStringTag` read per object.
+Validation is unchanged.
+
+### Packaging
+
+`files` was `["dist"]`, but `dist` carries 256 KB of `.js.map` and `.d.ts.map` files whose
+`sources` point at `../../src/*.ts` — which was not published. Every shipped sourcemap
+resolved to nothing: 44% of the tarball, dead. The source is only 116 KB and its comments are
+the most detailed explanation of why the engine does what it does, so it is now published
+(tests and the demo excluded) and the maps resolve. Stepping into cereale in a debugger, and
+"go to definition" from a decorator, both land in the real TypeScript.
+
+`CHANGELOG.md` ships too. The `repository`, `homepage` and `bugs` URLs said `Avalon-Vanguard`
+and only worked through GitHub's redirect; they now use the org's actual lowercase name.
+`publishConfig.access` is set explicitly so a future move to a scoped name cannot quietly
+attempt a private publish.
+
+A `Publish to npm` workflow is in place but deliberately manual — pushing a tag does not
+publish. It checks that the tag exists and points at the commit being published, refuses a
+version already on the registry, runs the full `verify` gate, prints the file list, and
+defaults to a dry run. Publishing needs an `NPM_TOKEN` secret and someone choosing to run it.
+
+## [0.2.0] - 2026-08-04
+
+> The project stays on 0.x while nothing has been published: under semver that signals the
+> API may still move, which is honest for software with no real-world users. A breaking
+> change is therefore a minor bump, which is why this is 0.2.0 rather than 2.0.0.
+
+**Breaking.** Cereale moves to TC39 standard decorators, which is what makes validation rules
+type-checked against the fields they are attached to.
+
+### The headline
+
+A rule that does not fit its field is now a compile error:
+
+```ts
+class User {
+  @IsString() name!: string;   // fine
+  @IsString() age!: number;    // Type 'number' is not assignable to type 'string'
+}
+```
+
+Legacy decorators receive `(target: any, key: string)` and lose the field's type entirely, so
+this was impossible in v1. Standard decorators receive `ClassFieldDecoratorContext<This, Value>`,
+which carries it. Checked rules include:
+
+- scalar rules against scalar fields (`@Min` on a string is rejected)
+- `{ each: true }` against arrays (`@IsString({ each: true })` demands a `string[]`, and a bare
+  `@IsString()` on a `string[]` is rejected)
+- `@JsonType(() => Address)` against the field's class
+- `@JsonSerialize` / `@JsonDeserialize` against the field's type
+- `@IsIn([...])` and `@IsEnum(E)` against the field's value type
+
+17 tests invoke the real compiler to assert these stay rejected.
+
+### Migration
+
+- Remove `"experimentalDecorators": true`; add `"ESNext.Decorators"` to `lib`.
+- `registerDecorator({ target, propertyName, validator })` is replaced by
+  `defineRule(Class, 'field', constraint)`.
+- Decorators cannot be applied to `abstract` fields. Declare the field concretely in the base.
+- Field types may need tightening where a rule narrows them: `@IsIn(['a','b']) x!: string`
+  becomes `x!: 'a' | 'b'`.
+- `@JsonPolymorphic` takes its base type explicitly to check subtypes:
+  `@JsonPolymorphic<Media>('type', [...])`.
+- `@ValidateIf` takes the class as a type argument: `@ValidateIf<Movie>(m => ...)`.
+
+Everything else — the engine, options, naming strategies, access control, error helpers, the
+sync API — is unchanged.
+
+### Removed
+
+- `metadata-storage.ts` and its WeakMap singleton. Metadata now lives on `context.metadata`,
+  the language's own mechanism, which also removes the dual ESM/CJS double-singleton hazard.
+- `registerDecorator`, replaced by `defineRule`.
+
+### Fixed
+
+- Inheritance merging is now structural rather than reconstructed: `context.metadata` inherits
+  through the prototype chain, so the subclass-shadowing defect fixed by hand in 0.1.0 cannot
+  reoccur by construction. Identical inherited rules are still collapsed so re-stating a rule
+  on an override does not double-report.
+
+### Toolchain
+
+Standard decorators are transformed by `tsc` and by esbuild; **oxc does not implement them
+yet**. The library builds with `tsc` and consumers bundling with esbuild or Vite are fine, but
+the test runner (Vitest 4, which uses oxc) needs an esbuild transform plugin — see
+`vitest.config.ts`. Projects on an oxc-based toolchain should stay on 0.1.x for now.
+
+## [0.1.0] - 2026-08-05
+
+### Added
+
+**Synchronous API.** `validateSync`, `validateOrRejectSync`, `toPlainSync`, `toJsonSync`,
+`toInstanceSync`, `toInstanceArraySync`, `fromJsonSync` and `fromJsonArraySync`. Nothing on
+the default path is genuinely asynchronous — only a user-supplied serializer, deserializer or
+validator can be — so requiring `await` everywhere was a tax on the common case.
+
+The engines are now written synchronously, and anything a hook makes asynchronous is recorded
+and reconciled once at the end. There is no second copy of the traversal logic to keep in
+step, and the async entry points stop paying for a microtask per property. If a hook does
+return a Promise, the `*Sync` call raises a `JsonMappingError` naming the async alternative
+rather than silently returning a half-built object.
+
+`fromRequest` has no synchronous counterpart, because reading a request body is inherently
+asynchronous.
+
+- `maxDepth` option (default 64) on every mapping function and on `configure()`. All three
+  engines recurse, so a hostile payload nested thousands of levels deep could exhaust the
+  call stack; it now raises a `JsonMappingError`. Cycles were already handled, but legitimate
+  deep nesting was not bounded.
+- `validate(obj, options?)` accepts options, so `maxDepth` applies to standalone validation.
+- `REDACTED` export, the placeholder substituted for withheld values.
+
+### Security
+
+- **Validation errors no longer carry the value of a property that is never serialized.**
+  A `@JsonWriteOnly` password that failed `@MinLength` put the rejected password into
+  `ValidationError.value`, and from there into any log that recorded the error. Values for
+  `@JsonWriteOnly` and `@JsonIgnore` properties are replaced with `REDACTED`; the property
+  name and the failure message are unchanged, so the error is still actionable.
+
+### Performance
+
+Profiling the validator showed roughly **half of all validation time** was spent re-deriving
+answers that cannot change: `collectConstraints` (22%), `getOwnMetadata` (12%),
+`getMetadataChain` (9%), `getProperties` (4%) and `getMetadata` (3%), plus 8% garbage
+collection from the allocation churn. The constraint predicates themselves accounted for
+under 1%.
+
+Decorator metadata is fixed once classes are declared, so the derived structures are now
+memoized per prototype — the validation plan, the serialization plan, the deserialization
+plan, and serializer/deserializer instances (previously constructed fresh for every property
+of every object). `MetadataStorage` carries a version counter that invalidates every cache
+if metadata is registered late, so `registerDecorator` after first use still works.
+
+Together with the synchronous core, measured on a customer record with a nested address and
+orders, against `JSON.parse` + `JSON.stringify` (5.8 us) as a fixed reference point:
+
+| Operation | 0.1.0 | Now | Speedup |
+| --- | --- | --- | --- |
+| `validate` (50 orders) | 221.6 us | 17.8 us | 12.4x |
+| `validate` (10 orders) | 47.8 us | 4.5 us | 10.6x |
+| `toPlain` (50 orders) | 294.4 us | 36.0 us | 8.2x |
+| `toInstance` (50 orders) | 255.1 us | 31.7 us | 8.0x |
+| `toInstance` (10 orders) | 64.6 us | 8.2 us | 7.9x |
+| `toInstance` (single) | 19.8 us | 5.2 us | 3.8x |
+
+### Changed
+
+- `each: true` failures now report which element failed — `"... (failed at index 3)"`. A bad
+  entry in a 200-item array previously produced a message that could not locate it. A message
+  function now receives the failing element as `args.value` rather than the whole array;
+  caller-supplied string messages are still reported verbatim.
+
+## [0.1.0] - 2026-08-03
+
+The first release with a working test suite. Everything below the "Fixed" heading was
+found by writing tests against the previous release; the suite has grown from 40 tests
+that never executed to 136 that do.
+
+### Added
+
+**Field-name mapping.** A library whose headline feature is "JSON mapping" could not map
+a name. It can now.
+
+- `@JsonProperty(name)` renames a property in both directions.
+- `@JsonAlias(...names)` accepts extra names on input only, so a field can be renamed
+  without breaking older clients.
+- Naming strategies — `snake_case`, `kebab-case`, `SCREAMING_SNAKE_CASE`, `PascalCase`,
+  `camelCase`, or your own function — applied to properties with no explicit name.
+  Acronyms split where a reader expects: `parseHTTPResponse` → `parse_http_response`.
+
+**Access control.**
+
+- `@JsonIgnore()` — excluded in both directions.
+- `@JsonWriteOnly()` — accepted from input, never echoed back (passwords).
+- `@JsonReadOnly()` — serialized, never settable by a client (server-owned ids).
+
+**Transform options**, per call or globally via `configure()`.
+
+- `validate: false` maps without validating, for lenient parsing.
+- `unknownKeys: 'allow' | 'strip' | 'error'` decides what happens to undeclared keys.
+- `namingStrategy` selects the JSON naming convention.
+
+**Error ergonomics.** Turning the nested `ValidationError` tree into an HTTP 400 body used
+to be the caller's problem.
+
+- `flattenErrors(errors)` → `{ "items[0].qty": ["qty must be at least 1"] }`
+- `formatErrors(errors)` → one human-readable line per failure
+- `collectErrorMessages(errors)` → just the messages
+- `validateOrReject(obj)` throws instead of returning an array you might forget to check
+
+**30 validation decorators.** `@Equals`, `@NotEquals`, `@IsEmpty`, `@IsEnum`, `@IsInstance`,
+`@Length`, `@IsAlpha`, `@IsAlphanumeric`, `@IsNumberString`, `@IsLowercase`, `@IsUppercase`,
+`@Contains`, `@NotContains`, `@StartsWith`, `@EndsWith`, `@IsUUID`, `@IsJSON`,
+`@IsDateString`, `@IsSemVer`, `@IsHexColor`, `@IsIP`, `@IsDivisibleBy`, `@IsPort`,
+`@IsLatitude`, `@IsLongitude`, `@IsBigInt`, `@MinDate`, `@MaxDate`, `@ArrayUnique`,
+`@ArrayContains`, `@ArrayNotContains`.
+
+**Conditional validation.** `@ValidateIf(o => ...)` makes a property's rules depend on the
+rest of the object; `@Allow()` declares a property that needs no rules of its own.
+
+**Correctly typed array entry points.** `toInstanceArray()` and `fromJsonArray()`.
+`toInstance`/`fromJson` accept arrays at runtime but type the result as `T`, so callers had
+to cast to reach the elements.
+
+**`@JsonPolymorphic` options.** `{ onUnknown: 'error' }` and `{ fallback: SomeClass }`.
+
+**`JsonMappingError`** — raised when a value cannot be mapped at all, as distinct from
+mapping fine and failing validation.
+
+### Fixed
+
+- **Inheritance silently discarded base-class rules.** A subclass re-decorating an inherited
+  property registered its constraints against its own prototype, and the engine read only the
+  nearest set. Constraints now merge down the whole prototype chain, base first. The
+  library's own example was affected: `Media`'s `@IsString() title` had never been enforced
+  for `Book`.
+- **A circular reference exhausted the heap.** `serialize()` recursed forever, taking 8 GB
+  and the process with it. It now raises a `JsonMappingError` naming the cause. Diamonds
+  still serialize; `validate()` skips back-edges.
+- **`@Matches` with a `g` or `y` flag was stateful.** `RegExp.test` advances `lastIndex`, so
+  validating the same value twice gave different answers. Those flags are stripped.
+- **An unmatched `@JsonPolymorphic` discriminator silently dropped the value.** The
+  single-object branch fell through without assigning; the property came back `undefined`.
+  The raw value is now preserved.
+- **`@JsonSerialize` serializers ran on `null`/`undefined`**, crashing on any unset optional
+  property. They now only see real values.
+- **`serialize()` crashed on null-prototype objects.** It read `obj.constructor.prototype`;
+  both engines now agree on `Object.getPrototypeOf`.
+- **`__proto__`, `constructor` and `prototype` in untrusted JSON** were copied onto the
+  instance, detaching it from its own class. They are dropped.
+- **Caller-supplied messages were mangled** by the `each element in ...` prefix, producing
+  sentences like "each element in tags must all be strings".
+- **Two rules sharing a name overwrote each other**, so only one failure was ever reported.
+- **`fromRequest` leaked a raw `SyntaxError`** for a non-JSON body; it now reports a
+  `JsonMappingError`.
+- **`@ValidateNested({ each: true })`** was documented in the README but did not compile —
+  `ValidateNested()` accepted no arguments. It now does, and asserts the value is an array.
+
+### Changed
+
+- `toPlain`, `toJson`, `toInstance`, `fromJson`, `fromJsonArray`, `toInstanceArray` and
+  `fromRequest` accept an optional trailing options argument. All defaults preserve the
+  previous behaviour.
+- `src/example.ts` is no longer published in `dist`. It called `runExample()` at import
+  time — an import side effect in a package declaring `"sideEffects": false`.
+- Minimum supported Node is 20.
+
+### Infrastructure
+
+- **The test suite had never run.** Vitest 4 transpiles with oxc, which does not read
+  `experimentalDecorators` from a tsconfig that excludes the files it is transforming, so
+  every decorator-using suite failed to parse and was reported as "0 test" rather than as an
+  error. A `vitest.config.ts` enabling legacy decorators brought all 40 existing tests back
+  to life.
+- Test files are now type-checked, which surfaced 17 strict-mode errors.
+- CI runs lint, coverage tests, build and ESM/CJS entry-point smoke checks across Node
+  20/22/24, and `npm ci` works because `package-lock.json` is committed.
+- `npm run build:docs` regenerates the previously hand-maintained `docs/cereale.js`.
+
+## [0.0.1]
+
+Initial release: mapping and validation decorators, polymorphic types, custom
+serializers/deserializers, and the `toJson` / `fromJson` / `toPlain` / `toInstance` API.

README.md

@@ -1,15 +1,73 @@
 # Cereale
 
-Cereale is a lightweight TypeScript library that provides Spring-like decorators for JSON mapping and validation. Built with ZERO external dependencies, it simplifies the process of converting between plain JSON and class instances with full validation support.
+**Validated domain objects, not validated data.**
+
+Cereale maps JSON onto your own classes and gives you back real instances — with your methods,
+your inheritance, your `instanceof` checks — and type-checks the validation rules against the
+fields they are attached to. Zero runtime dependencies.
+
+```typescript
+class User {
+  @JsonProperty('display_name')
+  @IsString() @MinLength(2)
+  displayName!: string;
+
+  @IsInt() @Min(0)
+  age!: number;
+
+  @IsString()
+  age2!: number;   // ← compile error: Type 'number' is not assignable to type 'string'
+
+  greet() { return `Hi ${this.displayName}`; }
+}
+
+const user = fromJsonSync(User, body);   // a real User
+user.greet();                            // your methods are still there
+```
+
+**[avalon-vanguard.github.io/cereale](https://avalon-vanguard.github.io/cereale/)** — an
+interactive playground that runs this library in your browser, the full decorator reference,
+and the toolchain matrix. The page is self-contained and loads nothing from the network; it is
+served from `docs/` on `main`, and `npm run build:docs` rebuilds its assets to open locally.
+
+## Where it fits
+
+The stack Cereale replaces is **class-validator + class-transformer**:
+
+| | class-validator + class-transformer | Cereale |
+| --- | --- | --- |
+| Packages to install | 2, plus `reflect-metadata` | 1, no runtime dependencies |
+| Decorators | legacy (`experimentalDecorators`) | TC39 standard |
+| Rules checked against the field | no — `@IsInt() name: string` compiles | **yes, at compile time** |
+| Mapping and validation | two libraries that must agree | one model |
+
+The comparison people ask about is **Zod**, and it is worth being precise about, because
+Cereale is not a drop-in for it:
+
+| | Zod | Cereale |
+| --- | --- | --- |
+| Result of parsing | an anonymous object matching a schema | an instance of **your class** |
+| Methods, getters, inheritance | none — data only | preserved |
+| Where the type comes from | inferred from the schema | your class declaration |
+| Bidirectional mapping (renaming both ways) | not the focus | first-class |
+
+Cereale does **not** infer your type from a schema. You write the field type and the rule, and
+what it guarantees is that **the two cannot disagree** — `@IsInt() name!: string` does not
+compile. If you want `z.infer`, you want Zod; that is a different design, not a missing feature.
+
+Reach for Cereale when your domain model is already a class — a NestJS provider, a TypeORM
+entity, anything with behaviour attached. Reach for Zod when you just want the data.
 
 ## Features
 
-- **Spring-like Decorators:** Familiar `@JsonSerialize`, `@JsonDeserialize`, `@JsonType`, and `@JsonPolymorphic`.
-- **Custom Serializers/Deserializers:** Easily handle complex types like Dates, BigInts, or custom objects.
-- **Polymorphism Support:** Native handling of polymorphic types via discriminators.
-- **Integrated Validation:** Automatically validates objects during serialization and deserialization.
-- **Type Safety:** Fully written in TypeScript for excellent developer experience.
-- **Zero Dependencies:** Extremely lightweight and fast.
+- **Strongly typed decorators:** a rule that does not fit its field is a compile error.
+- **Real instances:** nested objects, polymorphic subtypes and arrays all come back as classes.
+- **Field-name mapping:** `@JsonProperty`, `@JsonAlias` and naming strategies, both directions.
+- **Access control:** keep passwords out of responses and server-owned ids out of requests.
+- **Nothing fails quietly:** a misconfigured compiler, a cycle, or a value JSON cannot carry
+  raises an error that names the cause — never an empty object.
+- **Sync and async:** every entry point has a synchronous twin.
+- **Zero dependencies**, ESM + CJS, Node 20+.
 
 ## Installation
 
@@ -17,110 +75,129 @@ Cereale is a lightweight TypeScript library that provides Spring-like decorators
 npm install cereale
 ```
 
-Make sure to enable `experimentalDecorators` and `emitDecoratorMetadata` in your `tsconfig.json`:
+Cereale uses **TC39 standard decorators** (since 0.2.0), so no `experimentalDecorators` flag:
 
 ```json
 {
   "compilerOptions": {
-    "experimentalDecorators": true,
-    "emitDecoratorMetadata": true,
-    "target": "ES2025"
+    "target": "ES2022",
+    "lib": ["ESNext", "ESNext.Decorators"]
   }
 }
 ```
 
+Requires TypeScript 5.2+ and Node 20+. `reflect-metadata` is not needed and
+`emitDecoratorMetadata` is not read.
+
+`experimentalDecorators` must be **off**. The two decorator systems cannot coexist in one
+program, so a project that still needs legacy decorators for another library cannot use
+Cereale yet. If yours is configured for them, you get an error saying exactly that rather
+than a `TypeError` from somewhere inside the engine.
+
+### Toolchain support
+
+Whether Cereale works at all depends on your compiler emitting standard decorators, so the three
+✅ rows are [checked by a test](src/toolchain.test.ts) rather than asserted here — each compiles a
+decorated class with that tool and asserts the metadata arrived. The ❌ row cannot be: oxc ships
+inside a native binary with no standalone transform API.
+
+| Transformer | Status | Notes |
+| --- | --- | --- |
+| `tsc` | ✅ | With `experimentalDecorators: false` and `target: ES2022`+ |
+| esbuild | ✅ | `experimentalDecorators: false` via `tsconfigRaw`, **plus** esbuild's own top-level `target: es2022`. Its default `esnext` target leaves decorator syntax in the output |
+| swc | ✅ | `jsc.transform.decoratorVersion: "2022-03"` |
+| **oxc** | ❌ | Used by **Vite 8** and **Vitest 4** — see below |
+
+**If you are on Vite 8 or Vitest 4**, oxc leaves decorator syntax in the output without
+reporting anything: `vitest` prints `0 test` next to a bare `SyntaxError`, and `vite build`
+reports success while emitting a bundle that throws the moment it is imported. Cereale ships
+the plugin that fixes it:
+
+```ts
+// vite.config.ts / vitest.config.ts
+import { defineConfig } from 'vite';
+import { standardDecorators } from 'cereale/vite';
+
+export default defineConfig({
+  plugins: [standardDecorators()],
+});
+```
+
+It transforms `.ts`, `.mts` and `.cts` outside `node_modules` with esbuild, falling back to
+the TypeScript compiler if esbuild is not installed — Cereale depends on neither. Pass
+`include` to widen or narrow the set (decorated classes in `.tsx` files need this),
+`transformer: 'esbuild' | 'typescript'` to pin one, or `target` to change the output level
+from the default `es2022`. Nothing in the plugin is specific to Cereale; delete it once oxc
+implements the transform.
+
 ## Quick Start
 
-### 1. Define your Models
-
-Use decorators to define how your data should be transformed and validated.
+### 1. Define your model
 
 ```typescript
 import {
-  IsString, 
-  IsInt, 
-  Min, 
-  IsDate, 
-  ValidateNested,
-  JsonSerialize, 
-  JsonDeserialize, 
-  JsonPolymorphic, 
-  JsonSerializer, 
-  JsonDeserializer 
+  IsString, IsDate, IsInt, Min, ValidateNested, JsonType,
+  JsonProperty, JsonWriteOnly, JsonPolymorphic,
 } from 'cereale';
 
-// Custom Date Serializer
-class DateSerializer implements JsonSerializer<Date, string> {
-  serialize(value: Date): string {
-    return value.toISOString().split('T')[0];
-  }
-}
+class Address {
+  @IsString() street!: string;
+  @IsString() city!: string;
 
-class DateDeserializer implements JsonDeserializer<string, Date> {
-  deserialize(value: string): Date {
-    return new Date(value);
-  }
+  format() { return `${this.street}, ${this.city}`; }
 }
 
 abstract class Media {
-  @IsString()
-  abstract type: string;
-
-  @IsString()
-  title: string;
+  // Standard decorators cannot decorate an `abstract` member, so declare it concretely.
+  @IsString() type: string = '';
+  @IsString() title: string = '';
 }
 
 class Book extends Media {
-  type = 'book';
+  @IsString() override type = 'book';
+  @IsString() author!: string;
 
-  @IsString()
-  author: string;
-
-  @JsonSerialize(DateSerializer)
-  @JsonDeserialize(DateDeserializer)
+  @JsonProperty('published_at')
   @IsDate()
-  publishedAt: Date;
+  publishedAt!: Date;
 }
 
 class Library {
-  @IsString()
-  name: string;
+  @IsString() name!: string;
+
+  @ValidateNested() @JsonType(() => Address)
+  address!: Address;              // the class must match the field
 
   @ValidateNested({ each: true })
-  @JsonPolymorphic('type', [
-    { value: Book, name: 'book' }
-  ])
-  items: Media[];
+  @JsonPolymorphic<Media>('type', [{ value: Book, name: 'book' }])
+  items!: Media[];
 }
 ```
 
-### 2. Map JSON with Validation
+Constraints accumulate down an inheritance chain: `Book` is checked against `Media`'s rules as
+well as its own, and re-stating a rule on an override does not report it twice.
 
-Use standalone utility functions to handle the conversion process directly.
+### 2. Map JSON, synchronously or not
 
 ```typescript
-import { fromJson, toJson, JsonValidationError } from 'cereale';
-
-async function main() {
-  const json = '{"name": "Central Library", "items": [{"type": "book", "title": "The Great Gatsby", "author": "F. Scott Fitzgerald", "publishedAt": "1925-04-10"}]}';
+import { fromJsonSync, toJsonSync, JsonValidationError, flattenErrors } from 'cereale';
 
 try {
-    // Deserialize JSON to Class Instance
-    const library = await fromJson(Library, json);
-    console.log(library.name); // "Central Library"
-    console.log(library.items[0] instanceof Book); // true
-
-    // Serialize Class Instance back to JSON
-    const outputJson = await toJson(library);
-    console.log(outputJson);
+  const library = fromJsonSync(Library, json);
+  library.address.format();                   // your method, on a real Address
+  library.items[0] instanceof Book;           // true
+  console.log(toJsonSync(library));
 } catch (error) {
   if (error instanceof JsonValidationError) {
-      console.error("Validation failed:", error.errors);
-    }
+    console.error(flattenErrors(error.errors));
+    // { "items[0].title": ["title must be a string"] }
   }
 }
 ```
 
+Every function has an async form too (`fromJson`, `toJson`, …) for when a serializer,
+deserializer or validator of yours returns a Promise.
+
 ### 3. Modern Web Frameworks (Request Integration)
 
 Cereale is compatible with Fetch-based frameworks like Hono, Next.js, and Remix. Use the `fromRequest` async helper.
@@ -135,20 +212,123 @@ app.post('/books', async (c) => {
 });
 ```
 
+## Field-name Mapping
+
+JSON rarely uses the same names as your classes.
+
+```typescript
+import { JsonProperty, JsonAlias } from 'cereale';
+
+class User {
+  @JsonProperty('first_name')
+  firstName: string;        // <-> {"first_name": "Ada"}
+
+  @JsonProperty('surname')
+  @JsonAlias('last_name')   // also accepted on input, never emitted
+  lastName: string;
+}
+```
+
+Or convert every property at once with a naming strategy:
+
+```typescript
+import { configure, toPlain } from 'cereale';
+
+// once, for the whole application
+configure({ namingStrategy: 'snake_case' });
+
+// or per call
+await toPlain(user, { namingStrategy: 'snake_case' });
+```
+
+Built-in strategies: `identity` (default), `camelCase`, `PascalCase`, `snake_case`,
+`SCREAMING_SNAKE_CASE`, `kebab-case`. You can also pass your own
+`(propertyKey: string) => string`. An explicit `@JsonProperty` always wins.
+
+Acronyms split where a reader expects them to: `parseHTTPResponse` becomes
+`parse_http_response`, not `parse_h_t_t_p_response`.
+
+## Access Control
+
+```typescript
+import { JsonIgnore, JsonReadOnly, JsonWriteOnly } from 'cereale';
+
+class Account {
+  @JsonReadOnly()      // sent to clients, never settable by them
+  id: number;
+
+  @IsString()
+  email: string;
+
+  @JsonWriteOnly()     // accepted from clients, never echoed back
+  @IsString()
+  password: string;
+
+  @JsonIgnore()        // never crosses the boundary in either direction
+  internalNotes: string;
+}
+```
+
+## Options
+
+Every mapping function takes an optional trailing options argument, and `configure()` sets
+defaults for the whole application. Per-call options win.
+
+| Option | Values | Default | Meaning |
+| --- | --- | --- | --- |
+| `validate` | `boolean` | `true` | Validate the result; throw `JsonValidationError` on failure. |
+| `namingStrategy` | strategy name or function | `identity` | JSON naming convention for properties without `@JsonProperty`. |
+| `unknownKeys` | `allow` \| `strip` \| `error` | `allow` | What to do with incoming keys matching no declared property. |
+| `maxDepth` | `number` | `64` | Nesting depth before a `JsonMappingError` is raised, bounding hostile payloads. |
+
+```typescript
+// lenient parse: build the instance, inspect the damage yourself
+const draft = await fromJson(Order, body, { validate: false });
+const problems = flattenErrors(await validate(draft));
+
+// strict intake: reject anything you did not declare
+const order = await fromJson(Order, body, { unknownKeys: 'error' });
+```
+
+## Synchronous API
+
+Nothing on the default path is genuinely asynchronous — only a serializer, deserializer or
+validator you supply can be — so every mapping function has a synchronous twin.
+
+```typescript
+import { fromJsonSync, toJsonSync, validateSync } from 'cereale';
+
+const user = fromJsonSync(User, body);      // no await
+const errors = validateSync(user);
+const payload = toJsonSync(user);
+```
+
+`validateSync`, `validateOrRejectSync`, `toPlainSync`, `toJsonSync`, `toInstanceSync`,
+`toInstanceArraySync`, `fromJsonSync`, `fromJsonArraySync`.
+
+If one of your hooks does return a Promise, the synchronous call raises a `JsonMappingError`
+naming the async function to use instead, rather than handing back a half-built object.
+`fromRequest` has no synchronous form, since reading a request body is inherently async.
+
 ## API Reference
 
-### Decorators
+### Mapping Decorators
 
-- `@JsonSerialize(serializer: ClassConstructor<JsonSerializer>)`: Specifies a custom serializer for a property.
-- `@JsonDeserialize(deserializer: ClassConstructor<JsonDeserializer>)`: Specifies a custom deserializer for a property.
-- `@JsonType(typeFunction: () => ClassConstructor<any>)`: Explicitly sets the type for nested transformations.
-- `@JsonPolymorphic(discriminator: string, subTypes: { value: ClassConstructor<any>, name: string }[])`: Configures polymorphic transformation based on a discriminator field.
+- `@JsonProperty(name: string)`: Renames the property in JSON, both directions.
+- `@JsonAlias(...names: string[])`: Extra names accepted on input only.
+- `@JsonIgnore()`: Excludes the property from mapping entirely.
+- `@JsonReadOnly()`: Serialized, but never populated from incoming JSON.
+- `@JsonWriteOnly()`: Populated from incoming JSON, but never serialized.
+- `@JsonSerialize(serializer: ClassConstructor<JsonSerializer>)`: Custom serializer for a property. Skipped when the value is `null`/`undefined`.
+- `@JsonDeserialize(deserializer: ClassConstructor<JsonDeserializer>)`: Custom deserializer for a property.
+- `@JsonType(typeFunction: () => ClassConstructor<any>)`: Explicitly sets the type for nested transformations. Applies element-wise to arrays.
+- `@JsonPolymorphic(discriminator, subTypes, options?)`: Polymorphic transformation based on a discriminator field. `options` accepts `{ onUnknown: 'keep' | 'error' }` (default `keep`, which preserves the raw value) and `{ fallback: ClassConstructor }`.
 
-#### Validation Decorators
+### Validation Decorators
 
 Most validation decorators accept an optional `ValidationOptions` object:
 - `each: boolean`: Apply validation to each element of an array.
-- `message: string | ((args: ValidationArguments) => string)`: Custom error message.
+- `message: string | ((args: ValidationArguments) => string)`: Custom error message, reported verbatim.
 
 | Decorator | Description |
 | --- | --- |
@@ -156,46 +336,95 @@ Most validation decorators accept an optional `ValidationOptions` object:
 | `@IsNumber()` | Checks if value is a number (and not NaN). |
 | `@IsInt()` | Checks if value is an integer. |
 | `@IsBoolean()` | Checks if value is a boolean. |
+| `@IsBigInt()` | Checks if value is a bigint. |
 | `@IsObject()` | Checks if value is an object (not null/array). |
 | `@IsDate()` | Checks if value is a valid Date object. |
 | `@IsDefined()` | Checks if value is not null or undefined. |
 | `@IsOptional()` | Skips other validations if value is null/undefined. |
 | `@IsNotEmpty()` | Checks if value is not null/undefined/empty string. |
-| `@Min(value)` | Checks if number is >= value. |
-| `@Max(value)` | Checks if number is <= value. |
-| `@Positive()` | Checks if number is > 0. |
-| `@Negative()` | Checks if number is < 0. |
-| `@MinLength(len)` | Checks if string length is >= len. |
-| `@MaxLength(len)` | Checks if string length is <= len. |
+| `@IsEmpty()` | Checks if value is null/undefined/`''`/`[]`/`{}`. |
+| `@Equals(value)` / `@NotEquals(value)` | Strict equality against a fixed value. |
+| `@IsEnum(enumObject)` | Checks membership of a TypeScript enum. |
+| `@IsInstance(Class)` | Checks `value instanceof Class`. |
+| `@Min(value)` / `@Max(value)` | Numeric bounds. |
+| `@Positive()` / `@Negative()` | Checks sign. |
+| `@IsDivisibleBy(n)` | Checks `value % n === 0`. |
+| `@IsPort()` | Integer in 0–65535, as number or numeric string. |
+| `@IsLatitude()` / `@IsLongitude()` | Geographic bounds. |
+| `@MinLength(len)` / `@MaxLength(len)` | String length bounds. |
+| `@Length(min, max?)` | Both bounds in one rule. |
+| `@IsAlpha()` / `@IsAlphanumeric()` | Character-class checks. |
+| `@IsLowercase()` / `@IsUppercase()` | Case checks. |
+| `@IsNumberString()` | String that parses as a finite number. |
+| `@Contains(s)` / `@NotContains(s)` | Substring checks. |
+| `@StartsWith(s)` / `@EndsWith(s)` | Affix checks. |
 | `@Email()` | Checks if string is a valid email. |
 | `@IsUrl()` | Checks if string is a valid URL. |
+| `@IsUUID(version?)` | Checks if string is a valid UUID. |
+| `@IsIP(version?)` | Checks if string is a valid IPv4/IPv6 address. |
+| `@IsJSON()` | Checks if string parses as JSON. |
+| `@IsDateString()` | Checks if string is a parseable date. |
+| `@IsSemVer()` | Checks if string is a semantic version. |
+| `@IsHexColor()` | Checks `#rgb`, `#rrggbb`, `#rrggbbaa`. |
 | `@Matches(regex)` | Checks if string matches a regular expression. |
+| `@MinDate(d)` / `@MaxDate(d)` | Date bounds. Accepts `() => Date` for a moving bound. |
 | `@IsArray()` | Checks if value is an array. |
 | `@ArrayNotEmpty()` | Checks if array is not empty. |
-| `@ArrayMinSize(n)`| Checks if array has at least n elements. |
-| `@ArrayMaxSize(n)`| Checks if array has at most n elements. |
-| `@IsIn(values)` | Checks if value is in the allowed list. |
-| `@IsNotIn(vals)` | Checks if value is NOT in the list. |
-| `@ValidateNested()`| Recursively validates nested objects/arrays. |
+| `@ArrayMinSize(n)` / `@ArrayMaxSize(n)` | Array size bounds. |
+| `@ArrayUnique(keyFn?)` | Checks for duplicate elements. |
+| `@ArrayContains(vals)` / `@ArrayNotContains(vals)` | Membership checks. |
+| `@IsIn(values)` / `@IsNotIn(values)` | Allow/deny lists. |
+| `@ValidateNested(options?)` | Recursively validates nested objects/arrays. |
+| `@ValidateIf(o => boolean)` | Skips this property's rules when the condition is false. |
+| `@Allow()` | Declares a property with no rules of its own. |
+| `@Validate(validator, constraints?, options?)` | Applies a custom validator class or function. |
+
+Write your own with `registerDecorator({ name, target, propertyName, validator })`.
 
 ### Utilities
 
-- `toJson(obj: any)`: Validates and serializes an instance to a JSON string (Returns `Promise<string>`).
-- `toPlain(obj: any)`: Validates and transforms an instance to a plain object (Returns `Promise<any>`).
-- `fromJson(clazz: ClassConstructor, json: string)`: Parses JSON and transforms it to a validated class instance (Returns `Promise<T>`).
-- `toInstance(clazz: ClassConstructor, plain: any)`: Transforms a plain object to a validated class instance (Returns `Promise<T>`).
-- `fromRequest(clazz: ClassConstructor, request: Request)`: Extracts JSON from a Fetch `Request` and transforms it to a validated instance (Returns `Promise<T>`).
-- `validate(obj: any)`: Performs full validation on an object/instance (Returns `Promise<ValidationError[]>`).
+- `toJson(obj, options?)`: Validates and serializes an instance to a JSON string (`Promise<string>`).
+- `toPlain(obj, options?)`: Validates and transforms an instance to a plain object (`Promise<any>`).
+- `fromJson(clazz, json, options?)`: Parses JSON to a validated class instance (`Promise<T>`).
+- `fromJsonArray(clazz, json, options?)`: Same, for a JSON array (`Promise<T[]>`).
+- `toInstance(clazz, plain, options?)`: Transforms a plain object to a validated class instance (`Promise<T>`).
+- `toInstanceArray(clazz, plain, options?)`: Same, for an array (`Promise<T[]>`).
+- `fromRequest(clazz, request, options?)`: Extracts JSON from a Fetch `Request` (`Promise<T>`).
+- `validate(obj, options?)`: Full validation, returning `Promise<ValidationError[]>`.
+- `validateOrReject(obj, options?)`: As above, but throws `JsonValidationError`.
+- Synchronous twins of all of the above except `fromRequest`: `toPlainSync`, `toJsonSync`,
+  `fromJsonSync`, `fromJsonArraySync`, `toInstanceSync`, `toInstanceArraySync`,
+  `validateSync`, `validateOrRejectSync`.
+- `configure(options)` / `getConfig()` / `resetConfig()`: Library-wide defaults.
+
+### Error Handling
+
+`JsonValidationError` carries a nested `ValidationError[]`. Three helpers turn it into
+something you can return to a client:
+
+```typescript
+import { flattenErrors, formatErrors, collectErrorMessages } from 'cereale';
+
+flattenErrors(errors);        // { "items[0].qty": ["qty must be at least 1"] }
+formatErrors(errors);         // "items[0].qty: qty must be at least 1"
+collectErrorMessages(errors); // ["qty must be at least 1"]
+```
+
+Values of properties that never leave the process — `@JsonWriteOnly` and `@JsonIgnore` — are
+replaced with `REDACTED` in `ValidationError.value`, so a rejected password does not travel
+into your logs inside an error object. The property name and message are unaffected.
+
+`JsonMappingError` is raised when a value cannot be mapped at all — a body that is not
+JSON, a circular reference, an unknown discriminator under `{ onUnknown: 'error' }` — as
+distinct from mapping fine and failing validation.
 
 ## Framework Integrations
 
-Cereale is designed to be compatible with all trending web frameworks.
-
 ### Hono / Next.js / Cloudflare Workers
 Use `fromRequest` for seamless integration with the Fetch `Request` API.
 
 ### NestJS
-You can use Cereale inside your controllers for explicit mapping and validation without needing `reflect-metadata`.
+Use Cereale inside your controllers for explicit mapping and validation without needing `reflect-metadata`.
 
 ```typescript
 import { toInstance } from 'cereale';
@@ -208,21 +437,87 @@ async create(@Body() body: any) {
 ```
 
 ### Express / Fastify
-Easily integrate with traditional Node.js frameworks.
 
 ```typescript
-import { toInstance, toPlain } from 'cereale';
+import { toInstance, toPlain, JsonValidationError, flattenErrors } from 'cereale';
 
 app.post('/user', async (req, res) => {
   try {
     const user = await toInstance(User, req.body);
     res.json(await toPlain(user));
   } catch (err) {
-    res.status(400).json(err);
+    if (err instanceof JsonValidationError) {
+      return res.status(400).json({ errors: flattenErrors(err.errors) });
+    }
+    throw err;
   }
 });
 ```
 
+## Performance
+
+Decorator metadata is fixed once your classes are declared, so cereale resolves each class's
+validation, serialization and deserialization plans once and memoizes them per prototype.
+A version counter invalidates the caches if metadata is registered late, so `registerDecorator`
+after first use still behaves correctly. The engines are synchronous internally, so the async
+entry points do not pay for a microtask per property.
+
+Indicative throughput for a customer record with a nested address and 10 orders, measured
+against `JSON.parse` + `JSON.stringify` (5.8 us) on the same machine:
+
+| Operation | Time |
+| --- | --- |
+| `toInstance` (deserialize + validate) | ~8 us |
+| `toInstance` with `{ validate: false }` | ~3 us |
+| `validate` on an existing instance | ~4.5 us |
+| `toPlain` (validate + serialize) | ~12 us |
+
+If you validate at the edge and map internally afterwards, `{ validate: false }` skips the
+dominant cost.
+
+Serialization also checks every value it walks against the set JSON cannot represent. That
+costs a few percent on `toPlain`, which is the price of never emitting `{}` where a `Map`
+used to be; primitives are handled inline and the check is skipped for arrays and dates, so
+it is one `Symbol.toStringTag` read per object.
+
+## Notes and Limitations
+
+- **Rules are checked, types are not inferred.** You write both the field type and the rule;
+  cereale guarantees they agree. If you want the type derived from a schema, that is Zod's
+  model, not this one.
+- **`abstract` fields cannot be decorated.** Standard decorators do not apply to abstract
+  members. Declare the field concretely in the base class instead.
+- **`accessor` fields cannot be decorated.** Their value lives in a private slot that mapping
+  and validation cannot reach. Applying a decorator to one is an error, not a silent no-op.
+- **oxc does not transform standard decorators yet.** `tsc`, esbuild and swc do — see
+  [Toolchain support](#toolchain-support) for the Vite/Vitest plugin.
+- **Values JSON cannot carry are rejected**, not quietly dropped. `Map`, `Set`, `RegExp`,
+  `Error`, typed arrays, `bigint`, `symbol` and functions all raise a `JsonMappingError` naming
+  the property path:
+
+  ```
+  JsonMappingError: lines[1].tags[0] is a Set, which cannot be serialized to JSON.
+  Give the property a @JsonSerialize() serializer that converts it, or drop it from the
+  output with @JsonIgnore().
+  ```
+
+  Serializing a populated `Map` to `{}` and returning success is the failure mode this
+  library exists to prevent, so it does not do it either.
+- **Circular references** are rejected during serialization with a `JsonMappingError` that
+  names where the cycle closed. Break it with `@JsonIgnore()` on the back-reference.
+- **`validate()` on a plain object** returns no errors: rules live on the class, so validate
+  the instance you get back from `toInstance`, not the raw payload.
+- **Renaming is not backwards-compatible by itself.** Once a property carries
+  `@JsonProperty`, its original name no longer reaches it — and is refused rather than copied
+  onto the instance behind the rename's back. Add `@JsonAlias` to keep older clients working.
+  Under `unknownKeys: 'error'` the stale name is reported along with what the property is
+  called now:
+
+  ```
+  JsonMappingError: "ref" is not a JSON name for Order: property "ref" is mapped to
+  "order_ref". Send that name, or add @JsonAlias("ref") to keep accepting this one.
+  ```
+
 ## Contributing
 
 Please see [CONTRIBUTING.md](CONTRIBUTING.md) for details on how to contribute to this project.

docs/diagnostics.js

@@ -0,0 +1,29 @@
+// Generated by scripts/build-docs.mjs from real tsc output — do not edit.
+window.CEREALE_DIAGNOSTICS = {
+  "hero": [
+    {
+      "code": 1240,
+      "messages": [
+        "Unable to resolve signature of property decorator when called as an expression.",
+        "Argument of type 'ClassFieldDecoratorContext<Order, Date> & { name: \"placedAt\"; private: false; static: false; }' is not assignable to parameter of type 'ClassFieldDecoratorContext<Order, string | null | undefined>'.",
+        "The types returned by 'access.get(...)' are incompatible between these types.",
+        "Type 'Date' is not assignable to type 'string'."
+      ],
+      "line": 12
+    }
+  ],
+  "compare": [
+    {
+      "code": 1240,
+      "messages": [
+        "Unable to resolve signature of property decorator when called as an expression.",
+        "Argument of type 'ClassFieldDecoratorContext<User, number> & { name: \"age\"; private: false; static: false; }' is not assignable to parameter of type 'ClassFieldDecoratorContext<User, string | null | undefined>'.",
+        "The types returned by 'access.get(...)' are incompatible between these types.",
+        "Type 'number' is not assignable to type 'string'."
+      ],
+      "line": 4
+    }
+  ],
+  "instances": [],
+  "correct": []
+};

docs/meta.js

@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+// Generated by scripts/build-docs.mjs — do not edit.
+window.CEREALE_META = {
+  "version": "0.3.0",
+  "node": ">=20.0.0"
+};

docs/page.js

@@ -0,0 +1,556 @@
+/* cereale landing page. No dependencies, no network. */
+(function () {
+  'use strict';
+
+  var meta = window.CEREALE_META || {};
+
+  /* ------------------------------------------------------------- theme */
+  var root = document.documentElement;
+  var stored = null;
+  try { stored = localStorage.getItem('cereale-theme'); } catch (e) { /* private mode */ }
+  if (stored === 'light' || stored === 'dark') root.setAttribute('data-theme', stored);
+
+  var toggle = document.getElementById('theme-toggle');
+  if (toggle) {
+    toggle.addEventListener('click', function () {
+      var current = root.getAttribute('data-theme');
+      if (!current) {
+        current = window.matchMedia('(prefers-color-scheme: dark)').matches ? 'dark' : 'light';
+      }
+      var next = current === 'dark' ? 'light' : 'dark';
+      root.setAttribute('data-theme', next);
+      try { localStorage.setItem('cereale-theme', next); } catch (e) { /* ignore */ }
+    });
+  }
+
+  /* ------------------------------------------------------- facts on tap */
+  // Read from the bundle rather than written into the page, so they cannot drift.
+  var exportNames = Object.keys(window.Cereale || {}).filter(function (name) {
+    return /^[A-Za-z_$][\w$]*$/.test(name);
+  });
+  var decoratorCount = exportNames.filter(function (name) {
+    return /^[A-Z]/.test(name) && typeof window.Cereale[name] === 'function' &&
+      !/^Json(Mapping|Validation)Error$|^JsonMapper$/.test(name);
+  }).length;
+
+  var countEl = document.getElementById('decorator-count');
+  if (countEl && decoratorCount) countEl.textContent = String(decoratorCount);
+  var versionEl = document.getElementById('version-badge');
+  if (versionEl && meta.version) versionEl.textContent = 'v' + meta.version;
+  var nodeEl = document.getElementById('node-req');
+  if (nodeEl && meta.node) nodeEl.textContent = meta.node.replace('>=', '≥').replace('.0.0', '');
+
+  /* ------------------------------------------------------- highlighting */
+  var TOKENS = [
+    ['comment', /\/\/[^\n]*|\/\*[\s\S]*?\*\//],
+    ['string', /'(?:[^'\\\n]|\\.)*'|"(?:[^"\\\n]|\\.)*"|`(?:[^`\\]|\\.)*`|\/(?:[^\/\\\n\[]|\\.|\[(?:[^\]\\]|\\.)*\])+\/[gimsuy]*/],
+    ['decorator', /@[A-Za-z_$][\w$]*/],
+    ['keyword', /\b(?:class|extends|implements|interface|const|let|var|function|return|new|await|async|import|export|from|type|enum|if|else|for|of|in|try|catch|throw|instanceof|typeof|null|undefined|true|false|this|readonly|private|public|static|default)\b/],
+    ['type', /\b(?:string|number|boolean|bigint|symbol|Date|any|unknown|void|never|Promise|Array|Map|Set|Error|TypeError|Record|Partial)\b/],
+    ['number', /\b\d[\d_]*(?:\.\d+)?n?\b/]
+  ];
+  var TOKEN_RE = new RegExp(TOKENS.map(function (t) {
+    return '(?<' + t[0] + '>' + t[1].source + ')';
+  }).join('|'), 'g');
+
+  function esc(text) {
+    return text.replace(/[&<>]/g, function (c) {
+      return c === '&' ? '&amp;' : c === '<' ? '&lt;' : '&gt;';
+    });
+  }
+
+  function highlight(code) {
+    var out = '', last = 0, match;
+    TOKEN_RE.lastIndex = 0;
+    while ((match = TOKEN_RE.exec(code)) !== null) {
+      out += esc(code.slice(last, match.index));
+      var kind = '';
+      for (var key in match.groups) {
+        if (match.groups[key] !== undefined) { kind = key; break; }
+      }
+      out += '<span class="t-' + kind + '">' + esc(match[0]) + '</span>';
+      last = match.index + match[0].length;
+    }
+    return out + esc(code.slice(last));
+  }
+
+  // Wraps each line so a single one can be marked as the line the compiler refuses.
+  function renderCode(block) {
+    var source = block.textContent.replace(/\n$/, '');
+    var errorLine = parseInt(block.getAttribute('data-error-line') || '0', 10);
+    var plain = block.getAttribute('data-lang') === 'text';
+    var lines = (plain ? esc(source) : highlight(source)).split('\n');
+    block.innerHTML = lines.map(function (line, index) {
+      var cls = index + 1 === errorLine ? 'ln ln--error' : 'ln';
+      return '<span class="' + cls + '">' + (line || '&nbsp;') + '</span>';
+    }).join('');
+  }
+
+  Array.prototype.forEach.call(document.querySelectorAll('pre code[data-lang]'), renderCode);
+
+  /* ------------------------------------------------- compiler diagnostics */
+  // Written by scripts/build-docs.mjs from a real `tsc` run over the same snippet, so the
+  // page cannot quote an error the compiler did not produce. Falls back to the markup.
+  Array.prototype.forEach.call(document.querySelectorAll('[data-case]'), function (el) {
+    var found = (window.CEREALE_DIAGNOSTICS || {})[el.getAttribute('data-case')];
+    if (!found || !found.length) return;
+    var diagnostic = found[0];
+    var headline = diagnostic.messages[0];
+    var leaf = diagnostic.messages[diagnostic.messages.length - 1];
+    var body = '<strong>ts(' + diagnostic.code + ')</strong> ' + esc(headline);
+    if (leaf !== headline) body += '<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;…&nbsp;&nbsp;' + esc(leaf);
+    el.innerHTML = '<span class="mark" aria-hidden="true">✖</span><span>' + body + '</span>';
+  });
+
+  /* ---------------------------------------------------------- reference */
+  var REFERENCE = [
+    ['Mapping', 'How a field is named and shaped on the JSON side.', [
+      ["@JsonProperty(name)", 'maps this field to a different name in JSON, both directions'],
+      ["@JsonAlias(...names)", 'extra names accepted on input only'],
+      ["@JsonType(() => Class)", 'declares the class a nested field maps to'],
+      ["@JsonPolymorphic<Base>(key, subTypes, options?)", 'picks the concrete subclass from a discriminator'],
+      ["@JsonSerialize(Serializer)", 'custom serializer for this field'],
+      ["@JsonDeserialize(Deserializer)", 'custom deserializer for this field']
+    ]],
+    ['Access control', 'Which direction a field is allowed to travel.', [
+      ["@JsonIgnore()", 'excluded from mapping in both directions'],
+      ["@JsonReadOnly()", 'written to JSON, never populated from it — server-owned ids'],
+      ["@JsonWriteOnly()", 'populated from JSON, never written back — passwords']
+    ]],
+    ['Control flow', 'When the rules on a field apply at all.', [
+      ["@IsOptional()", 'skips the other rules when the value is null or undefined'],
+      ["@ValidateIf(fn)", 'skips every rule when the predicate returns false'],
+      ["@ValidateNested(options?)", 'recursively validates the value, or each element'],
+      ["@Allow()", 'declares a field that carries no rules of its own']
+    ]],
+    ['Type rules', 'What kind of value the field holds.', [
+      ["@IsString()", 'must be a string'],
+      ["@IsNumber()", 'must be a number'],
+      ["@IsInt()", 'must be an integer'],
+      ["@IsBoolean()", 'must be a boolean'],
+      ["@IsBigInt()", 'must be a bigint'],
+      ["@IsDate()", 'must be a valid Date object'],
+      ["@IsObject()", 'must be an object'],
+      ["@IsDefined()", 'must not be null or undefined'],
+      ["@IsNotEmpty()", 'must not be null, undefined or an empty string — [] and {} pass'],
+      ["@IsEmpty()", 'must be null, undefined, an empty string, [] or {}']
+    ]],
+    ['Numbers', 'Constraints on number fields.', [
+      ["@Min(n)", 'must be at least n'],
+      ["@Max(n)", 'must be at most n'],
+      ["@Positive()", 'must be positive'],
+      ["@Negative()", 'must be negative'],
+      ["@IsDivisibleBy(n)", 'must be divisible by n'],
+      ["@IsPort()", 'must be a valid port number — attaches to a number or a numeric string'],
+      ["@IsLatitude()", 'must be a latitude between −90 and 90'],
+      ["@IsLongitude()", 'must be a longitude between −180 and 180']
+    ]],
+    ['Strings', 'Constraints on string fields.', [
+      ["@MinLength(n)", 'must be longer than or equal to n characters'],
+      ["@MaxLength(n)", 'must be shorter than or equal to n characters'],
+      ["@Length(min, max?)", 'must be between min and max characters, or at least min if max is omitted'],
+      ["@Email()", 'must be a valid email'],
+      ["@IsUrl()", 'must be a valid URL'],
+      ["@IsUUID(version?)", 'must be a valid UUID'],
+      ["@IsIP(version?)", 'must be a valid IP address'],
+      ["@Matches(regex)", 'must match the regular expression'],
+      ["@IsAlpha()", 'must contain only letters'],
+      ["@IsAlphanumeric()", 'must contain only letters and numbers'],
+      ["@IsLowercase()", 'must be lowercase'],
+      ["@IsUppercase()", 'must be uppercase'],
+      ["@IsSemVer()", 'must be a valid semantic version'],
+      ["@IsHexColor()", 'must be a hex color'],
+      ["@IsNumberString()", 'must be a number string'],
+      ["@IsDateString()", 'must be a valid ISO 8601 date string'],
+      ["@IsJSON()", 'must be a JSON string'],
+      ["@Contains(text)", 'must contain the substring'],
+      ["@NotContains(text)", 'must not contain the substring'],
+      ["@StartsWith(text)", 'must start with the prefix'],
+      ["@EndsWith(text)", 'must end with the suffix']
+    ]],
+    ['Equality and membership', 'Pinning a field to specific values. These narrow the field’s type too — except @IsNotIn, which accepts any field, because narrowing a deny-list would be backwards.', [
+      ["@Equals(value)", 'must equal the value'],
+      ["@NotEquals(value)", 'must not equal the value'],
+      ["@IsIn(values)", 'must be one of the listed values'],
+      ["@IsNotIn(values)", 'must not be one of the listed values'],
+      ["@IsEnum(Enum)", 'must be a member of the enum'],
+      ["@IsInstance(Class)", 'must be an instance of the class']
+    ]],
+    ['Arrays', 'Constraints on array fields.', [
+      ["@IsArray()", 'must be an array'],
+      ["@ArrayNotEmpty()", 'must not be empty'],
+      ["@ArrayMinSize(n)", 'must contain at least n elements'],
+      ["@ArrayMaxSize(n)", 'must contain at most n elements'],
+      ["@ArrayUnique(by?)", 'must not contain duplicate values'],
+      ["@ArrayContains(values)", 'must contain all the listed values'],
+      ["@ArrayNotContains(values)", 'must not contain any of the listed values']
+    ]],
+    ['Dates', 'Both take a Date, or a thunk so a moving boundary is evaluated per validation rather than frozen when the class was declared.', [
+      ["@MinDate(date | (() => date))", 'must not be earlier than the date'],
+      ["@MaxDate(date | (() => date))", 'must not be later than the date']
+    ]],
+    ['Custom rules', 'When the built-ins run out.', [
+      ["@Validate(validator, constraints?, options?)", 'applies a custom validator class or predicate; annotate the predicate\'s parameter to constrain the field type'],
+      ["defineRule(Class, field, rule, options?)", 'registers a rule from outside a decorator']
+    ]],
+    ['Reading JSON', 'Each of these has a …Sync twin that needs no await, except fromRequest.', [
+      ["toInstance(Class, plain, options?)", 'plain object → validated instance'],
+      ["fromJson(Class, json, options?)", 'JSON string → validated instance'],
+      ["toInstanceArray(Class, plain, options?)", 'array of plain objects → instances'],
+      ["fromJsonArray(Class, json, options?)", 'JSON array string → instances'],
+      ["fromRequest(Class, request, options?)", 'reads and maps a Request body — async only']
+    ]],
+    ['Writing JSON', 'Also available as toPlainSync and toJsonSync.', [
+      ["toPlain(instance, options?)", 'instance → plain object'],
+      ["toJson(instance, options?)", 'instance → JSON string']
+    ]],
+    ['Validating', 'Also available as validateSync and validateOrRejectSync.', [
+      ["validate(instance, options?)", 'returns ValidationError[]'],
+      ["validateOrReject(instance, options?)", 'throws JsonValidationError on failure']
+    ]],
+    ['Errors', 'Turning a ValidationError tree into something you can show.', [
+      ["flattenErrors(errors)", "nested errors → { 'path.to.field': messages }"],
+      ["formatErrors(errors)", 'errors → readable multi-line text'],
+      ["collectErrorMessages(errors)", 'every message as a flat array of strings'],
+      ["JsonValidationError", 'thrown when validation fails'],
+      ["JsonMappingError", 'thrown when a value cannot be mapped at all']
+    ]],
+    ['Configuration', 'Per call, or once via configure().', [
+      ["validate: boolean", 'validate while mapping — default true'],
+      ["namingStrategy: strategy", 'identity (default), camelCase, PascalCase, snake_case, SCREAMING_SNAKE_CASE, kebab-case, or your own function'],
+      ["unknownKeys: policy", 'allow (default), strip, or error — deserialization only'],
+      ["maxDepth: number", 'nesting limit before a JsonMappingError — default 64'],
+      ["configure(options)", 'sets the library-wide defaults'],
+      ["getConfig()", 'reads the defaults currently in force'],
+      ["resetConfig()", 'restores the built-in defaults — the one a test suite needs']
+    ]],
+    ['Build', 'Only needed on toolchains that transform with oxc.', [
+      ["standardDecorators(options?)", "the Vite and Vitest plugin, from 'cereale/vite'"]
+    ]]
+  ];
+
+  var groupsEl = document.getElementById('ref-groups');
+  var filterEl = document.getElementById('ref-filter');
+  var refCountEl = document.getElementById('ref-count');
+
+  if (groupsEl) {
+    groupsEl.innerHTML = REFERENCE.map(function (group) {
+      var items = group[2].map(function (item) {
+        return '<li data-search="' + esc((item[0] + ' ' + item[1]).toLowerCase()) + '">' +
+          '<code>' + esc(item[0]) + '</code>' +
+          '<span class="sum">' + esc(item[1]) + '</span></li>';
+      }).join('');
+      return '<div class="ref-group" data-group>' +
+        '<h3>' + esc(group[0]) + '</h3>' +
+        '<p class="blurb">' + esc(group[1]) + '</p>' +
+        '<ul>' + items + '</ul></div>';
+    }).join('');
+
+    var allItems = groupsEl.querySelectorAll('li[data-search]');
+    var allGroups = groupsEl.querySelectorAll('[data-group]');
+    var totalEntries = allItems.length;
+
+    var applyFilter = function () {
+      var term = (filterEl ? filterEl.value : '').trim().toLowerCase();
+      var shown = 0;
+      Array.prototype.forEach.call(allGroups, function (group) {
+        var visibleInGroup = 0;
+        Array.prototype.forEach.call(group.querySelectorAll('li[data-search]'), function (li) {
+          var hit = !term || li.getAttribute('data-search').indexOf(term) !== -1;
+          li.hidden = !hit;
+          if (hit) { visibleInGroup++; shown++; }
+        });
+        group.hidden = visibleInGroup === 0;
+      });
+      if (refCountEl) {
+        refCountEl.textContent = term
+          ? shown + ' of ' + totalEntries + ' shown'
+          : totalEntries + ' entries';
+      }
+    };
+
+    applyFilter();
+    if (filterEl) filterEl.addEventListener('input', applyFilter);
+  }
+
+  /* --------------------------------------------------------- playground */
+  var EXAMPLES = [
+    {
+      label: 'Mapping',
+      code: [
+        "// Rename a field, keep a secret out of the response,",
+        "// and get a real instance back — methods and all.",
+        "class User {",
+        "  @JsonProperty('display_name')",
+        "  @IsString() @MinLength(3)",
+        "  displayName!: string;",
+        "",
+        "  @IsInt() @Min(18)",
+        "  age!: number;",
+        "",
+        "  // accepted on input, never written back out",
+        "  @JsonWriteOnly() @IsString()",
+        "  password!: string;",
+        "",
+        "  greet() { return 'Hi ' + this.displayName; }",
+        "}",
+        "",
+        "const body = '{\"display_name\":\"Ada\",\"age\":36,' +",
+        "             '\"password\":\"hunter2\"}';",
+        "const user = fromJsonSync(User, body);",
+        "",
+        "console.log('a real User:', user instanceof User);",
+        "console.log('its methods survived:', user.greet());",
+        "console.log('back out again:', toJsonSync(user));"
+      ].join('\n')
+    },
+    {
+      label: 'Validation errors',
+      code: [
+        "class Signup {",
+        "  @IsString() @MinLength(3)  name!: string;",
+        "  @IsInt() @Min(18)          age!: number;",
+        "  @Email()                   email!: string;",
+        "}",
+        "",
+        "// Map without validating so we can inspect the damage ourselves.",
+        "const payload = { name: 'Bo', age: 15, email: 'nope' };",
+        "const bad = toInstanceSync(Signup, payload, { validate: false });",
+        "",
+        "console.log(formatErrors(validateSync(bad)));",
+        "console.log('');",
+        "console.log('as a map for a form:', flattenErrors(validateSync(bad)));",
+        "",
+        "// Or let it throw, which is the default.",
+        "try {",
+        "  fromJsonSync(Signup, JSON.stringify(payload));",
+        "} catch (error) {",
+        "  console.log('');",
+        "  console.log('threw:', error.name);",
+        "}"
+      ].join('\n')
+    },
+    {
+      label: 'Nested',
+      code: [
+        "class Line {",
+        "  @IsString()        sku!: string;",
+        "  @IsInt() @Min(1)   qty!: number;",
+        "}",
+        "",
+        "class Order {",
+        "  @IsString() ref!: string;",
+        "",
+        "  @ValidateNested({ each: true })",
+        "  @JsonType(() => Line)",
+        "  lines!: Line[];",
+        "}",
+        "",
+        "const order = toInstanceSync(Order,",
+        "  { ref: 'A-1', lines: [",
+        "    { sku: 'grain', qty: 2 },",
+        "    { sku: 'oat',   qty: 0 },   // ← the one that fails",
+        "  ] },",
+        "  { validate: false });",
+        "",
+        "console.log('nested items are real:', order.lines[0] instanceof Line);",
+        "console.log('errors keep their path:', flattenErrors(validateSync(order)));"
+      ].join('\n')
+    },
+    {
+      label: 'Polymorphism',
+      code: [
+        "class Media { @IsString() title!: string; }",
+        "",
+        "class Movie extends Media {",
+        "  @IsInt() @Min(1) duration!: number;",
+        "  hours() { return (this.duration / 60).toFixed(2); }",
+        "}",
+        "class Song extends Media { @IsString() artist!: string; }",
+        "",
+        "class Playlist {",
+        "  @JsonPolymorphic('type', [",
+        "    { value: Movie, name: 'movie' },",
+        "    { value: Song,  name: 'song'  },",
+        "  ])",
+        "  @ValidateNested({ each: true })",
+        "  items!: Media[];",
+        "}",
+        "",
+        "const list = toInstanceSync(Playlist, { items: [",
+        "  { type: 'movie', title: 'Inception', duration: 148 },",
+        "  { type: 'song',  title: 'Reckoner', artist: 'Radiohead' },",
+        "] });",
+        "",
+        "console.log('first is a Movie:', list.items[0] instanceof Movie);",
+        "console.log('and it has behaviour:', list.items[0].hours() + ' hours');",
+        "console.log('second is a Song:', list.items[1].constructor.name);"
+      ].join('\n')
+    },
+    {
+      label: 'Naming',
+      code: [
+        "// One setting instead of a @JsonProperty on every field.",
+        "class Account {",
+        "  @IsString() firstName!: string;",
+        "  @IsString() lastName!: string;",
+        "  @IsString() emailAddress!: string;",
+        "}",
+        "",
+        "const options = { namingStrategy: 'snake_case' };",
+        "",
+        "const account = toInstanceSync(Account,",
+        "  { first_name: 'Ada', last_name: 'Lovelace',",
+        "    email_address: 'ada@example.com' },",
+        "  options);",
+        "",
+        "console.log('read:', account.firstName, account.lastName);",
+        "console.log('written:', toPlainSync(account, options));"
+      ].join('\n')
+    },
+    {
+      label: 'Nothing fails quietly',
+      code: [
+        "// Each of these used to succeed and lose your data, or fail somewhere",
+        "// unrelated. Run it and read what comes back instead.",
+        "",
+        "class Basket { items: any; }",
+        "",
+        "const basket = new Basket();",
+        "basket.items = new Map([['grain', 2]]);",
+        "",
+        "try { toPlainSync(basket, { validate: false }); }",
+        "catch (error) { console.log(error.name + ': ' + error.message); }",
+        "",
+        "console.log('');",
+        "",
+        "class Node { name = 'root'; child: any = null; parent: any = null; }",
+        "const root = new Node(), child = new Node();",
+        "child.name = 'child'; child.parent = root; root.child = child;",
+        "",
+        "try { toPlainSync(root, { validate: false }); }",
+        "catch (error) { console.log(error.name + ': ' + error.message); }",
+        "",
+        "console.log('');",
+        "",
+        "class Strict { @IsString() a!: string; }",
+        "try { toInstanceSync(Strict, { a: 'x', b: 'y' }, { unknownKeys: 'error' }); }",
+        "catch (error) { console.log(error.name + ': ' + error.message); }"
+      ].join('\n')
+    }
+  ];
+
+  var editor = document.getElementById('editor');
+  var output = document.getElementById('output');
+  var runBtn = document.getElementById('run-btn');
+  var tabsEl = document.getElementById('tabs');
+  var statusEl = document.getElementById('pg-status');
+
+  if (editor && output && runBtn && tabsEl) {
+    tabsEl.innerHTML = EXAMPLES.map(function (example, index) {
+      return '<button class="tab" type="button" data-example="' + index + '"' +
+        ' aria-pressed="' + (index === 0 ? 'true' : 'false') + '">' + esc(example.label) + '</button>';
+    }).join('');
+
+    var selectExample = function (index) {
+      Array.prototype.forEach.call(tabsEl.querySelectorAll('[data-example]'), function (tab) {
+        tab.setAttribute('aria-pressed', tab.getAttribute('data-example') === String(index) ? 'true' : 'false');
+      });
+      editor.value = EXAMPLES[index].code;
+      // The compiler is only fetched on the first run, so the pane starts empty; say why
+      // rather than showing a blank box.
+      output.innerHTML = '<span class="out-dim">Press Run (or ' +
+        (/Mac|iPhone|iPad/.test(navigator.platform) ? '⌘' : 'Ctrl') +
+        '+Enter) to compile this and execute it\nagainst the bundled library.</span>';
+      if (statusEl) statusEl.textContent = '';
+    };
+
+    tabsEl.addEventListener('click', function (event) {
+      var tab = event.target.closest('[data-example]');
+      if (tab) selectExample(parseInt(tab.getAttribute('data-example'), 10));
+    });
+
+    // Tab indents rather than escaping the editor; Escape then Tab still moves focus out.
+    var tabEscapes = false;
+    editor.addEventListener('keydown', function (event) {
+      if (event.key === 'Escape') { tabEscapes = true; return; }
+      if (event.key !== 'Tab' || tabEscapes) { tabEscapes = false; return; }
+      event.preventDefault();
+      var start = editor.selectionStart, end = editor.selectionEnd;
+      editor.value = editor.value.slice(0, start) + '  ' + editor.value.slice(end);
+      editor.selectionStart = editor.selectionEnd = start + 2;
+    });
+
+    var write = function (text, cls) {
+      var line = document.createElement('span');
+      if (cls) line.className = cls;
+      line.textContent = text + '\n';
+      output.appendChild(line);
+    };
+
+    var show = function (value) {
+      if (typeof value === 'string') return value;
+      if (value instanceof Error) return value.name + ': ' + value.message;
+      try { return JSON.stringify(value, null, 2); } catch (e) { return String(value); }
+    };
+
+    // The compiler is ~540KB gzipped, so it is fetched on the first run rather than
+    // charged to everyone who scrolls past.
+    var compiler = null;
+    var loadCompiler = function () {
+      return compiler || (compiler = new Promise(function (resolve, reject) {
+        var script = document.createElement('script');
+        script.src = 'vendor/babel.min.js';
+        script.onload = function () { resolve(window.Babel); };
+        script.onerror = function () { reject(new Error('Could not load the compiler (vendor/babel.min.js).')); };
+        document.head.appendChild(script);
+      }));
+    };
+
+    var running = false;
+    var run = function () {
+      if (running) return;
+      running = true;
+      runBtn.disabled = true;
+      output.textContent = '';
+      if (statusEl) statusEl.textContent = window.Babel ? 'running…' : 'loading compiler…';
+
+      loadCompiler().then(function (Babel) {
+        if (statusEl) statusEl.textContent = 'running…';
+        // TypeScript is stripped first, then decorators are lowered: the other order
+        // leaves the decorator transform's initialisers on a `field!: T` declaration,
+        // which the TypeScript plugin then rejects.
+        var compiled = Babel.transform(editor.value, {
+          filename: 'playground.ts',
+          plugins: [['transform-typescript', {}], ['proposal-decorators', { version: '2023-11' }]]
+        }).code;
+
+        var sandboxConsole = {
+          log: function () {
+            write(Array.prototype.map.call(arguments, show).join(' '));
+          }
+        };
+        var body = 'return (async () => {\n' + compiled + '\n})();';
+        var fn = Function.apply(null, ['console'].concat(exportNames, [body]));
+        return fn.apply(null, [sandboxConsole].concat(exportNames.map(function (name) {
+          return window.Cereale[name];
+        })));
+      }).then(function () {
+        if (!output.textContent) write('(the code ran, but logged nothing)', 'out-dim');
+      }).catch(function (error) {
+        write((error && error.name === 'SyntaxError' ? '' : '') + show(error), 'out-err');
+      }).then(function () {
+        running = false;
+        runBtn.disabled = false;
+        if (statusEl) statusEl.textContent = '';
+      });
+    };
+
+    runBtn.addEventListener('click', run);
+    editor.addEventListener('keydown', function (event) {
+      if ((event.metaKey || event.ctrlKey) && event.key === 'Enter') { event.preventDefault(); run(); }
+    });
+
+    selectExample(0);
+  }
+})();

docs/vendor/README.md

@@ -0,0 +1,7 @@
+# Vendored assets
+
+Generated by `npm run build:docs`. Do not edit by hand.
+
+- `babel.min.js` — @babel/standalone 8.0.4, used by the playground to compile TypeScript with standard decorators in the browser. Vendored rather than loaded from a CDN: the previous page referenced an unpinned unpkg URL, which silently began serving Babel 8 and broke the playground.
+
+- `../.nojekyll` — opts the directory out of Jekyll, so GitHub Pages serves it verbatim. Jekyll ignores paths beginning with an underscore and carries default `vendor/` exclusions, and the failure mode is an asset that silently does not publish — for this page, the playground's compiler 404ing while everything else looks fine.

package.json

@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 {
   "name": "cereale",
-  "version": "0.0.1",
-  "description": "Spring-like decorators for JSON mapping and validation in TypeScript",
+  "version": "0.3.0",
+  "description": "Strongly typed JSON mapping and validation for TypeScript classes \u2014 validated domain objects, not validated data. A zero-dependency replacement for class-validator + class-transformer, on TC39 standard decorators.",
   "type": "module",
   "main": "./dist/cjs/index.js",
   "module": "./dist/esm/index.js",
@@ -11,49 +11,79 @@
       "types": "./dist/esm/index.d.ts",
       "import": "./dist/esm/index.js",
       "require": "./dist/cjs/index.js"
+    },
+    "./vite": {
+      "types": "./dist/esm/vite.d.ts",
+      "import": "./dist/esm/vite.js",
+      "require": "./dist/cjs/vite.js"
     }
   },
-  "sideEffects": false,
+  "sideEffects": [
+    "./dist/esm/metadata.js",
+    "./dist/cjs/metadata.js"
+  ],
   "files": [
-    "dist"
+    "dist",
+    "src",
+    "CHANGELOG.md",
+    "!src/**/*.test.ts",
+    "!src/example.ts"
   ],
   "scripts": {
     "build": "rm -rf dist && tsc -p tsconfig.cjs.json && tsc -p tsconfig.esm.json && echo '{\"type\": \"commonjs\"}' > dist/cjs/package.json",
+    "build:docs": "node scripts/build-docs.mjs",
     "demo": "node --no-warnings=ExperimentalWarning --loader ts-node/esm src/example.ts",
     "type-check": "tsc --noEmit",
     "test": "vitest run",
+    "test:watch": "vitest",
     "test:coverage": "vitest run --coverage",
     "lint": "eslint .",
     "lint:fix": "eslint . --fix",
-    "prepublishOnly": "npm run build"
+    "verify": "npm run type-check && npm run lint && npm run test && npm run build && npm run check:types && npm run check:docs",
+    "prepublishOnly": "npm run verify",
+    "check:docs": "node scripts/check-docs.mjs",
+    "check:types": "node scripts/check-types.mjs"
+  },
+  "engines": {
+    "node": ">=20.0.0"
   },
   "repository": {
     "type": "git",
-    "url": "git+https://github.com/Avalon-Vanguard/cereale.git"
+    "url": "git+https://github.com/avalon-vanguard/cereale.git"
   },
   "keywords": [
     "json",
-    "mapping",
     "validation",
     "decorators",
-    "spring",
-    "typescript"
+    "standard-decorators",
+    "typescript",
+    "dto",
+    "serialization",
+    "class-validator",
+    "class-transformer",
+    "class-validator-alternative"
   ],
   "author": "Avalon Vanguard",
   "license": "MIT",
   "bugs": {
-    "url": "https://github.com/Avalon-Vanguard/cereale/issues"
+    "url": "https://github.com/avalon-vanguard/cereale/issues"
   },
-  "homepage": "https://github.com/Avalon-Vanguard/cereale#readme",
+  "homepage": "https://avalon-vanguard.github.io/cereale/",
   "devDependencies": {
+    "@babel/standalone": "^8.0.4",
     "@eslint/js": "^10.0.1",
+    "@swc/core": "^1.15.47",
     "@types/node": "^25.6.0",
     "@vitest/coverage-v8": "^4.1.4",
+    "esbuild": "^0.25.0",
     "eslint": "^10.2.1",
     "globals": "^17.5.0",
     "ts-node": "^10.9.2",
     "typescript": "^6.0.2",
     "typescript-eslint": "^8.58.2",
     "vitest": "^4.1.4"
+  },
+  "publishConfig": {
+    "access": "public"
   }
 }

scripts/build-docs.mjs

@@ -0,0 +1,88 @@
+/**
+ * Builds the assets the landing page needs, into docs/.
+ *
+ * The page is served by GitHub Pages straight from the repository, so everything it loads has
+ * to be committed — there is no build step on the hosting side. Everything it loads is also
+ * local: the previous page pulled Tailwind, CodeMirror and Babel from three CDNs, and its
+ * playground died silently when the unpinned `@babel/standalone` URL rolled over to Babel 8
+ * and the plugin list it passed stopped existing. Vendoring the compiler pins it to the
+ * version in package.json and to a lockfile.
+ */
+import { build } from 'esbuild';
+import { copyFile, mkdir, readFile, writeFile, stat } from 'node:fs/promises';
+import { fileURLToPath } from 'node:url';
+import path from 'node:path';
+import { collectDiagnostics } from './diagnostics.mjs';
+
+const root = path.dirname(path.dirname(fileURLToPath(import.meta.url)));
+const docs = path.join(root, 'docs');
+const vendor = path.join(docs, 'vendor');
+
+const size = async (file) => {
+  const { size: bytes } = await stat(file);
+  return `${(bytes / 1024).toFixed(0)} KB`;
+};
+
+await mkdir(vendor, { recursive: true });
+
+const pkg = JSON.parse(await readFile(path.join(root, 'package.json'), 'utf8'));
+
+// 1. The library itself, as a browser global the playground can pull names out of.
+await build({
+  entryPoints: [path.join(root, 'src/index.ts')],
+  bundle: true,
+  format: 'iife',
+  globalName: 'Cereale',
+  minify: true,
+  target: 'es2022',
+  tsconfigRaw: {
+    compilerOptions: { experimentalDecorators: false, useDefineForClassFields: true, target: 'es2022' },
+  },
+  outfile: path.join(docs, 'cereale.js'),
+});
+
+// 2. Facts the page would otherwise hard-code and then get wrong. Everything else it needs —
+//    the decorator count, the export list — it derives from the bundle at runtime.
+await writeFile(
+  path.join(docs, 'meta.js'),
+  `// Generated by scripts/build-docs.mjs — do not edit.\n` +
+  `window.CEREALE_META = ${JSON.stringify({ version: pkg.version, node: pkg.engines.node }, null, 2)};\n`
+);
+
+// 3. The compiler errors the page quotes, produced by actually running the compiler. If a
+//    snippet the page calls a compile error ever compiles, this fails the build.
+const { byCase, problems } = await collectDiagnostics(root);
+if (problems.length > 0) {
+  console.error('The landing page makes a claim the compiler does not support:\n' +
+    problems.map((p) => `  - ${p}`).join('\n'));
+  process.exit(1);
+}
+await writeFile(
+  path.join(docs, 'diagnostics.js'),
+  `// Generated by scripts/build-docs.mjs from real tsc output — do not edit.\n` +
+  `window.CEREALE_DIAGNOSTICS = ${JSON.stringify(byCase, null, 2)};\n`
+);
+
+// 4. The playground's TypeScript compiler, pinned by package.json rather than by a CDN URL.
+const babel = path.join(root, 'node_modules/@babel/standalone/babel.min.js');
+await copyFile(babel, path.join(vendor, 'babel.min.js'));
+await writeFile(
+  path.join(vendor, 'README.md'),
+  `# Vendored assets\n\n` +
+  `Generated by \`npm run build:docs\`. Do not edit by hand.\n\n` +
+  `- \`babel.min.js\` — @babel/standalone ${JSON.parse(await readFile(path.join(root, 'node_modules/@babel/standalone/package.json'), 'utf8')).version}, ` +
+  `used by the playground to compile TypeScript with standard decorators in the browser. ` +
+  `Vendored rather than loaded from a CDN: the previous page referenced an unpinned unpkg URL, ` +
+  `which silently began serving Babel 8 and broke the playground.\n\n` +
+  `- \`../.nojekyll\` — opts the directory out of Jekyll, so GitHub Pages serves it verbatim. ` +
+  `Jekyll ignores paths beginning with an underscore and carries default \`vendor/\` exclusions, ` +
+  `and the failure mode is an asset that silently does not publish — for this page, the ` +
+  `playground's compiler 404ing while everything else looks fine.\n`
+);
+
+// 5. Written rather than committed by hand so it cannot be lost in a docs/ rewrite.
+await writeFile(path.join(docs, '.nojekyll'), '');
+
+console.log(`docs/cereale.js       ${await size(path.join(docs, 'cereale.js'))}`);
+console.log(`docs/meta.js          ${await size(path.join(docs, 'meta.js'))}  (v${pkg.version})`);
+console.log(`docs/vendor/babel.min.js  ${await size(path.join(vendor, 'babel.min.js'))}`);

scripts/check-docs.mjs

@@ -0,0 +1,98 @@
+/**
+ * Guards the two properties the landing page silently lost before.
+ *
+ * 1. It must load nothing from the network. The previous page pulled Tailwind, CodeMirror and
+ *    Babel from three CDNs, and its playground died without a sound the day the unpinned
+ *    `@babel/standalone` URL started serving Babel 8, whose plugin list no longer had the
+ *    plugin the page asked for. Nobody noticed, because nothing on the page said so.
+ * 2. The bundle the playground runs must match the library source. It is built from `src/`,
+ *    so a change there leaves the page demonstrating a version that no longer exists.
+ *
+ * Ordinary <a href> links out are fine — a link is not a subresource.
+ */
+import { readFile, readdir } from 'node:fs/promises';
+import { fileURLToPath } from 'node:url';
+import path from 'node:path';
+
+const root = path.dirname(path.dirname(fileURLToPath(import.meta.url)));
+const docs = path.join(root, 'docs');
+
+const failures = [];
+
+/** Subresource references — the things a browser fetches without being clicked. */
+const SUBRESOURCES = [
+  [/<script\b[^>]*\bsrc\s*=\s*["']([^"']+)["']/gi, 'script src'],
+  [/<(?:img|iframe|video|audio|source|embed)\b[^>]*\bsrc\s*=\s*["']([^"']+)["']/gi, 'media src'],
+  [/@import\s+(?:url\()?["']([^"']+)["']/gi, 'css @import'],
+  [/url\(\s*["']?(https?:\/\/[^)"']+)/gi, 'css url()'],
+];
+
+/**
+ * `<link>` relations the browser actually fetches or connects to.
+ *
+ * Checked against `rel` rather than flagging every `<link href>`, because the metadata
+ * relations — `canonical` above all — are declarations about the document, not requests. A
+ * check that cannot tell the difference gets switched off the first time it is wrong.
+ */
+const FETCHING_REL = new Set([
+  'stylesheet', 'icon', 'shortcut icon', 'apple-touch-icon', 'apple-touch-icon-precomposed',
+  'manifest', 'preload', 'modulepreload', 'prefetch', 'prerender', 'preconnect', 'dns-prefetch',
+]);
+
+const isRemote = (url) => /^(?:https?:)?\/\//i.test(url);
+
+const html = (await readdir(docs)).filter((name) => name.endsWith('.html'));
+if (html.length === 0) failures.push('docs/ contains no HTML page');
+
+for (const name of html) {
+  const source = await readFile(path.join(docs, name), 'utf8');
+  for (const [pattern, kind] of SUBRESOURCES) {
+    for (const match of source.matchAll(pattern)) {
+      if (isRemote(match[1])) failures.push(`docs/${name}: remote ${kind} — ${match[1]}`);
+    }
+  }
+
+  for (const match of source.matchAll(/<link\b([^>]*)>/gi)) {
+    const attrs = match[1];
+    const rel = (/\brel\s*=\s*["']([^"']+)["']/i.exec(attrs)?.[1] ?? '').trim().toLowerCase();
+    const href = /\bhref\s*=\s*["']([^"']+)["']/i.exec(attrs)?.[1];
+    if (href && isRemote(href) && FETCHING_REL.has(rel)) {
+      failures.push(`docs/${name}: remote link rel="${rel}" — ${href}`);
+    }
+  }
+  // A fetch to a CDN would not be caught by the markup scan.
+  for (const match of source.matchAll(/\b(?:fetch|importScripts)\(\s*["'`](https?:\/\/[^"'`]+)/gi)) {
+    failures.push(`docs/${name}: remote fetch — ${match[1]}`);
+  }
+}
+
+for (const name of (await readdir(docs)).filter((f) => f.endsWith('.js'))) {
+  const source = await readFile(path.join(docs, name), 'utf8');
+  for (const match of source.matchAll(/\.src\s*=\s*["'`](https?:\/\/[^"'`]+)/gi)) {
+    failures.push(`docs/${name}: loads a remote script — ${match[1]}`);
+  }
+  for (const match of source.matchAll(/\bfetch\(\s*["'`](https?:\/\/[^"'`]+)/gi)) {
+    failures.push(`docs/${name}: remote fetch — ${match[1]}`);
+  }
+}
+
+// The playground compiles against whatever is in the bundle, so a stale bundle means the
+// page demonstrates a library that no longer exists.
+const bundle = await readFile(path.join(docs, 'cereale.js'), 'utf8').catch(() => null);
+if (bundle === null) {
+  failures.push('docs/cereale.js is missing — run `npm run build:docs`');
+} else {
+  // Spot-check that the exports the page relies on actually made it into the bundle.
+  for (const name of ['toInstanceSync', 'toPlainSync', 'flattenErrors', 'JsonMappingError', 'IsString']) {
+    if (!bundle.includes(name)) failures.push(`docs/cereale.js does not export ${name} — rebuild it`);
+  }
+}
+
+const babel = path.join(docs, 'vendor/babel.min.js');
+await readFile(babel).catch(() => failures.push('docs/vendor/babel.min.js is missing — run `npm run build:docs`'));
+
+if (failures.length > 0) {
+  console.error('docs check failed:\n' + failures.map((f) => `  - ${f}`).join('\n'));
+  process.exit(1);
+}
+console.log(`docs check passed — ${html.length} page(s), no network dependencies.`);

scripts/check-types.mjs

@@ -0,0 +1,108 @@
+/**
+ * Compiles a minimal consumer against the built type declarations, in the least forgiving
+ * configuration a real project might have: no `skipLibCheck`, no `DOM` lib, no `types`.
+ *
+ * A zero-dependency library's public types have to stand on their own. `fromRequest` used to
+ * be declared as taking the global `Request`, so cereale's own `.d.ts` raised
+ * `Cannot find name 'Request'` in any project whose `lib` and `types` did not happen to
+ * supply it — an error inside a dependency, in code the consumer may never call, that they
+ * cannot fix from the outside. The library's own test suite hid it by enabling both.
+ *
+ * Run after `npm run build`, since it checks what is actually published.
+ */
+import ts from 'typescript';
+import { mkdtemp, rm, writeFile, access } from 'node:fs/promises';
+import { tmpdir } from 'node:os';
+import { fileURLToPath } from 'node:url';
+import path from 'node:path';
+
+const root = path.dirname(path.dirname(fileURLToPath(import.meta.url)));
+const types = path.join(root, 'dist/esm/index.d.ts');
+
+try {
+  await access(types);
+} catch {
+  console.error('dist/esm/index.d.ts is missing — run `npm run build` first.');
+  process.exit(1);
+}
+
+const CONSUMER = `
+import {
+  IsString, MinLength, IsInt, Min, IsDate, JsonProperty, JsonWriteOnly,
+  ValidateNested, JsonType, fromJsonSync, toPlainSync, validateSync, fromRequest,
+} from ${JSON.stringify(types.replace(/\.d\.ts$/, '.js'))};
+
+class Address {
+  @IsString() city!: string;
+}
+
+export class User {
+  @JsonProperty('display_name')
+  @IsString() @MinLength(2)
+  displayName!: string;
+
+  @IsInt() @Min(0)
+  age!: number;
+
+  @IsDate()
+  joinedAt!: Date;
+
+  @JsonWriteOnly() @IsString()
+  password!: string;
+
+  @ValidateNested() @JsonType(() => Address)
+  address!: Address;
+
+  greet(): string { return 'Hi ' + this.displayName; }
+}
+
+export function use(body: string) {
+  const user = fromJsonSync(User, body);
+  return [user.greet(), toPlainSync(user), validateSync(user)];
+}
+
+// Declared structurally, so this must type-check without the DOM or Node globals.
+export function fromAnythingWithJson(source: { json(): Promise<unknown> }) {
+  return fromRequest(User, source);
+}
+`;
+
+const dir = await mkdtemp(path.join(tmpdir(), 'cereale-consumer-'));
+try {
+  const file = path.join(dir, 'consumer.ts');
+  await writeFile(file, CONSUMER);
+
+  const program = ts.createProgram([file], {
+    target: ts.ScriptTarget.ES2022,
+    module: ts.ModuleKind.ESNext,
+    moduleResolution: ts.ModuleResolutionKind.Bundler,
+    // Deliberately bare: no DOM, no node, and lib checking left on.
+    lib: ['lib.esnext.d.ts', 'lib.esnext.decorators.d.ts'],
+    types: [],
+    strict: true,
+    strictPropertyInitialization: false,
+    skipLibCheck: false,
+    noEmit: true,
+  });
+
+  const diagnostics = [
+    ...program.getSemanticDiagnostics(),
+    ...program.getSyntacticDiagnostics(),
+    ...program.getGlobalDiagnostics(),
+  ];
+
+  if (diagnostics.length > 0) {
+    console.error(
+      'cereale\'s published types do not stand alone. A consumer without DOM lib or @types/node sees:\n' +
+      diagnostics.slice(0, 12).map((d) => {
+        const where = d.file ? `${path.basename(d.file.fileName)}:${d.file.getLineAndCharacterOfPosition(d.start ?? 0).line + 1} ` : '';
+        return `  - ${where}TS${d.code}: ${ts.flattenDiagnosticMessageText(d.messageText, ' ')}`;
+      }).join('\n')
+    );
+    process.exit(1);
+  }
+
+  console.log('type check passed — published types resolve with no DOM lib and no @types/node.');
+} finally {
+  await rm(dir, { recursive: true, force: true });
+}

scripts/diagnostics.mjs

@@ -0,0 +1,210 @@
+/**
+ * Runs the real TypeScript compiler over the snippets the landing page quotes, and writes
+ * the verbatim diagnostics into docs/diagnostics.js.
+ *
+ * The page's central claim is that a rule which does not fit its field does not compile. The
+ * honest way to show that is not to type a plausible-looking error into the HTML — it is to
+ * compile the snippet and print whatever the compiler said. If a snippet marked `rejected`
+ * ever starts compiling, or a snippet marked `compiles` stops, the build fails here rather
+ * than the page quietly going on claiming something that is no longer true.
+ */
+import ts from 'typescript';
+import { mkdtemp, rm, writeFile } from 'node:fs/promises';
+import { tmpdir } from 'node:os';
+import path from 'node:path';
+
+/** Each case is compiled against the real library, not a stub. */
+export const CASES = [
+  {
+    id: 'hero',
+    expect: 'rejected',
+    // Kept character-for-character in step with the hero block in docs/index.html.
+    source: `import { JsonProperty, IsString, Matches, IsInt, Min, fromJsonSync } from '../src/index.js';
+declare const body: string;
+
+class Order {
+  @JsonProperty('order_ref')
+  @IsString() @Matches(/^[A-Z]-\\d+$/)
+  ref!: string;
+
+  @IsInt() @Min(1)
+  quantity!: number;
+
+  @IsString()
+  placedAt!: Date;
+
+  total(): number { return this.quantity * 9.99; }
+}
+
+const order = fromJsonSync(Order, body);
+order.total();
+`,
+  },
+  {
+    id: 'compare',
+    expect: 'rejected',
+    source: `import { IsString } from '../src/index.js';
+
+export class User {
+  @IsString()
+  age!: number;
+}
+`,
+  },
+  {
+    id: 'instances',
+    expect: 'compiles',
+    // The "What you get back" section. It is here because an earlier draft showed
+    // `list.items[0].hours()` on a `Media[]`, which tsc rejects with TS2339 — TypeScript that
+    // the compiler refuses, on a page whose whole argument is that the compiler is the authority.
+    source: `import { IsString, IsInt, Min, JsonPolymorphic, ValidateNested, fromJsonSync } from '../src/index.js';
+declare const body: string;
+
+class Media {
+  @IsString() title!: string;
+}
+class Movie extends Media {
+  @IsInt() @Min(1) duration!: number;
+  hours() { return this.duration / 60; }
+}
+class Song extends Media {
+  @IsString() artist!: string;
+}
+
+class Playlist {
+  @JsonPolymorphic<Media>('type', [
+    { value: Movie, name: 'movie' },
+    { value: Song,  name: 'song'  },
+  ])
+  @ValidateNested({ each: true })
+  items!: Media[];
+}
+
+const list = fromJsonSync(Playlist, body);
+const first = list.items[0];
+
+first instanceof Movie;
+
+if (first instanceof Movie) {
+  first.hours();
+}
+`,
+  },
+  {
+    id: 'correct',
+    expect: 'compiles',
+    // The same class with the rule that actually fits, so a broken harness cannot make the
+    // two cases above "pass" by failing everything.
+    source: `import { JsonProperty, IsString, Matches, IsInt, Min, IsDate, fromJsonSync } from '../src/index.js';
+declare const body: string;
+
+class Order {
+  @JsonProperty('order_ref')
+  @IsString() @Matches(/^[A-Z]-\\d+$/)
+  ref!: string;
+
+  @IsInt() @Min(1)
+  quantity!: number;
+
+  @IsDate()
+  placedAt!: Date;
+
+  total(): number { return this.quantity * 9.99; }
+}
+
+const order = fromJsonSync(Order, body);
+order.total();
+`,
+  },
+];
+
+/** Compiles every case in one program and returns its diagnostics, keyed by case id. */
+export async function collectDiagnostics(root) {
+  const dir = await mkdtemp(path.join(tmpdir(), 'cereale-diagnostics-'));
+  try {
+    const files = new Map();
+    for (const testCase of CASES) {
+      const file = path.join(dir, `${testCase.id}.ts`);
+      // The snippets import '../src/index.js' relative to a sibling of src/, so they are
+      // written one directory below the repo root.
+      const target = path.join(root, '.diagnostics', `${testCase.id}.ts`);
+      files.set(testCase.id, target);
+      await writeFile(file, testCase.source);
+    }
+
+    // Write into the repo so that '../src/index.js' resolves the way it does for a consumer.
+    const scratch = path.join(root, '.diagnostics');
+    await rm(scratch, { recursive: true, force: true });
+    const { mkdir } = await import('node:fs/promises');
+    await mkdir(scratch, { recursive: true });
+    for (const testCase of CASES) {
+      await writeFile(files.get(testCase.id), testCase.source);
+    }
+
+    const configPath = path.join(root, 'tsconfig.json');
+    const configFile = ts.readConfigFile(configPath, ts.sys.readFile);
+    const parsed = ts.parseJsonConfigFileContent(configFile.config, ts.sys, root);
+
+    const program = ts.createProgram([...files.values()], {
+      ...parsed.options,
+      noEmit: true,
+      rootDir: root,
+      outDir: undefined,
+      declaration: false,
+      declarationMap: false,
+      sourceMap: false,
+    });
+
+    const all = [...program.getSemanticDiagnostics(), ...program.getSyntacticDiagnostics()];
+    const byCase = {};
+    const problems = [];
+
+    for (const testCase of CASES) {
+      const file = files.get(testCase.id);
+      const mine = all.filter((d) => d.file && path.resolve(d.file.fileName) === path.resolve(file));
+
+      if (testCase.expect === 'rejected' && mine.length === 0) {
+        problems.push(`case "${testCase.id}" was expected to be rejected by tsc, but it compiled. ` +
+          'The landing page claims this is a compile error — either the claim or the library is wrong.');
+      }
+      if (testCase.expect === 'compiles' && mine.length > 0) {
+        problems.push(`case "${testCase.id}" was expected to compile, but tsc reported: ` +
+          ts.flattenDiagnosticMessageText(mine[0].messageText, ' '));
+      }
+
+      byCase[testCase.id] = mine.map((diagnostic) => {
+        const { line } = diagnostic.file.getLineAndCharacterOfPosition(diagnostic.start ?? 0);
+        return {
+          code: diagnostic.code,
+          // The chain, flattened one message per level, so the page can show the headline
+          // and the "Type X is not assignable to type Y" leaf without inventing either.
+          messages: flattenChain(diagnostic.messageText),
+          line: line + 1,
+        };
+      });
+    }
+
+    // Diagnostics anywhere else mean the harness itself is broken.
+    const stray = all.filter((d) => !d.file || ![...files.values()].some((f) => path.resolve(d.file.fileName) === path.resolve(f)));
+    if (stray.length > 0) {
+      problems.push(`the diagnostics harness produced ${stray.length} error(s) outside the cases, ` +
+        `starting with: ${ts.flattenDiagnosticMessageText(stray[0].messageText, ' ')}`);
+    }
+
+    await rm(scratch, { recursive: true, force: true });
+    return { byCase, problems };
+  } finally {
+    await rm(dir, { recursive: true, force: true });
+  }
+}
+
+function flattenChain(messageText) {
+  if (typeof messageText === 'string') return [messageText];
+  const out = [];
+  let node = messageText;
+  while (node) {
+    out.push(node.messageText);
+    node = node.next && node.next[0];
+  }
+  return out;
+}

src/config.ts

@@ -0,0 +1,85 @@
+import { NamingStrategy } from './naming.js';
+
+/**
+ * How an incoming key that maps to no known property should be treated.
+ *
+ * - `allow` (default): copy it onto the instance untouched, preserving the previous behaviour.
+ * - `strip`: drop it, so instances only ever carry declared properties.
+ * - `error`: reject the payload with a {@link JsonMappingError}.
+ */
+export type UnknownKeyPolicy = 'allow' | 'strip' | 'error';
+
+export interface TransformOptions {
+  /**
+   * Validate the result and throw {@link JsonValidationError} on failure.
+   *
+   * Defaults to `true`, matching the behaviour of every previous release. Set it to `false`
+   * to map without validating — useful when you want to inspect a partially-valid payload,
+   * or when validation happens elsewhere in your stack.
+   */
+  validate?: boolean;
+
+  /**
+   * Naming convention used on the JSON side for properties without an explicit
+   * `@JsonProperty`. Defaults to `identity` (property names are used as-is).
+   */
+  namingStrategy?: NamingStrategy;
+
+  /** What to do with incoming keys that match no declared property. Deserialization only. */
+  unknownKeys?: UnknownKeyPolicy;
+
+  /**
+   * Maximum nesting depth before a {@link JsonMappingError} is raised. Defaults to 64.
+   *
+   * All three engines recurse, so a hostile payload nested thousands of levels deep would
+   * otherwise exhaust the call stack. Raise it if you legitimately model deep trees.
+   */
+  maxDepth?: number;
+}
+
+/** Options that can be set once for the whole application via {@link configure}. */
+export type GlobalOptions = Pick<TransformOptions, 'namingStrategy' | 'unknownKeys' | 'validate' | 'maxDepth'>;
+
+const DEFAULTS: Required<GlobalOptions> = {
+  namingStrategy: 'identity',
+  unknownKeys: 'allow',
+  validate: true,
+  maxDepth: 64,
+};
+
+let globalOptions: Required<GlobalOptions> = { ...DEFAULTS };
+
+/**
+ * Sets library-wide defaults, so an application that consistently speaks `snake_case` does
+ * not have to repeat itself at every call site.
+ *
+ * ```ts
+ * configure({ namingStrategy: 'snake_case', unknownKeys: 'strip' });
+ * ```
+ *
+ * Per-call options always take precedence over these.
+ */
+export function configure(options: GlobalOptions): void {
+  globalOptions = { ...globalOptions, ...options };
+}
+
+/** Returns the current library-wide defaults. */
+export function getConfig(): Required<GlobalOptions> {
+  return { ...globalOptions };
+}
+
+/** Restores the library-wide defaults to their original values. */
+export function resetConfig(): void {
+  globalOptions = { ...DEFAULTS };
+}
+
+/** Merges per-call options over the library-wide defaults. */
+export function resolveOptions(options?: TransformOptions): Required<GlobalOptions> {
+  if (!options) return globalOptions;
+  return {
+    namingStrategy: options.namingStrategy ?? globalOptions.namingStrategy,
+    unknownKeys: options.unknownKeys ?? globalOptions.unknownKeys,
+    validate: options.validate ?? globalOptions.validate,
+    maxDepth: options.maxDepth ?? globalOptions.maxDepth,
+  };
+}

src/decorators.test.ts

@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@ import {
   ArrayMaxSize, 
   IsNotIn, 
   Validate, 
-  registerDecorator,
+  defineRule,
   JsonType,
   JsonPolymorphic,
   JsonMapper,
@@ -238,27 +238,20 @@ describe('Additional Decorators', () => {
       t.val = 'wrong';
       const errors = await JsonMapper.validate(t);
       expect(errors).toHaveLength(1);
-      expect(errors[0].constraints['CustomValidator']).toBe('val must be correct');
+      expect(errors[0]!.constraints['CustomValidator']).toBe('val must be correct');
     });
   });
 
   describe('registerDecorator', () => {
     it('should register a custom decorator with functional validator', async () => {
-      function IsEven() {
-        return function (object: any, propertyName: string) {
-          registerDecorator({
-            name: 'isEven',
-            target: object.constructor,
-            propertyName: propertyName,
-            validator: (value: any) => typeof value === 'number' && value % 2 === 0,
-          });
-        };
-      }
-
       class Test {
-        @IsEven()
-        val: number;
+        val: number = 0;
       }
+      defineRule(Test, 'val', {
+        name: 'isEven',
+        validate: (value: any) => typeof value === 'number' && value % 2 === 0,
+        message: 'val must be even',
+      });
 
       const t = new Test();
       t.val = 2;
@@ -271,19 +264,15 @@ describe('Additional Decorators', () => {
       class MyValidator implements ValidatorConstraintInterface {
         validate(v: any) { return v === 'ok'; }
       }
-      function IsOk() {
-        return function (object: any, propertyName: string) {
-          registerDecorator({
-            name: 'isOk',
-            target: object.constructor,
-            propertyName: propertyName,
-            validator: MyValidator,
-          });
-        };
-      }
       class Test {
-        @IsOk() val: string;
+        val: string = '';
       }
+      const validator = new MyValidator();
+      defineRule(Test, 'val', {
+        name: 'isOk',
+        validate: (v: any) => validator.validate(v),
+        message: 'val must be ok',
+      });
       const t = new Test();
       t.val = 'ok';
       expect(await JsonMapper.validate(t)).toHaveLength(0);
@@ -304,7 +293,7 @@ describe('Additional Decorators', () => {
       t.val = 5;
       const errors = await JsonMapper.validate(t);
       expect(errors).toHaveLength(1);
-      expect(errors[0].constraints['custom']).toBe('must be ten');
+      expect(errors[0]!.constraints['custom']).toBe('must be ten');
     });
 
     it('should handle options as second argument', async () => {
@@ -318,7 +307,7 @@ describe('Additional Decorators', () => {
       t.val = 2;
       const errors = await JsonMapper.validate(t);
       expect(errors).toHaveLength(1);
-      expect(errors[0].constraints['custom']).toBe('must be one');
+      expect(errors[0]!.constraints['custom']).toBe('must be one');
     });
   });
 
@@ -339,10 +328,10 @@ describe('Additional Decorators', () => {
         name: string;
       }
       const json = '[{"name": "a"}, {"name": "b"}]';
-      const items = await JsonMapper.fromJson(Item, json);
+      const items = (await JsonMapper.fromJson(Item, json)) as unknown as Item[];
       expect(Array.isArray(items)).toBe(true);
       expect(items[0]).toBeInstanceOf(Item);
-      expect(items[0].name).toBe('a');
+      expect(items[0]!.name).toBe('a');
     });
 
     it('should handle single polymorphic object', async () => {
@@ -350,7 +339,7 @@ describe('Additional Decorators', () => {
         @IsString() type: string;
       }
       class Dog extends Animal {
-        type = 'dog';
+        override type = 'dog';
         @IsString() breed: string;
       }
       class Test {
@@ -376,7 +365,7 @@ describe('Additional Decorators', () => {
       t.tags = ['a', 1 as any];
       const errors = await JsonMapper.validate(t);
       expect(errors).toHaveLength(1);
-      expect(errors[0].constraints['isString']).toContain('each element');
+      expect(errors[0]!.constraints['isString']).toContain('each element');
     });
   });
 });

src/errors.ts

@@ -0,0 +1,57 @@
+import type { ValidationError } from './utils.js';
+
+/**
+ * Flattens the nested {@link ValidationError} tree into a flat map of dotted paths to
+ * messages — the shape you actually want when turning a failure into an HTTP 400 body.
+ *
+ * ```ts
+ * flattenErrors(errors);
+ * // {
+ * //   "name":            ["name must be a string"],
+ * //   "items[0].qty":    ["qty must be at least 1"]
+ * // }
+ * ```
+ */
+export function flattenErrors(errors: ValidationError[]): Record<string, string[]> {
+  const flat: Record<string, string[]> = {};
+
+  const walk = (nodes: ValidationError[], prefix: string) => {
+    for (const node of nodes) {
+      // Array indices read as `items[0]`, named properties as `order.total`.
+      const path = node.property.startsWith('[')
+        ? `${prefix}${node.property}`
+        : prefix ? `${prefix}.${node.property}` : node.property;
+
+      const messages = Object.values(node.constraints);
+      if (messages.length > 0) {
+        (flat[path] ??= []).push(...messages);
+      }
+
+      if (node.children?.length) {
+        walk(node.children, path);
+      }
+    }
+  };
+
+  walk(errors, '');
+  return flat;
+}
+
+/**
+ * Renders the error tree as human-readable lines, one per failed rule.
+ *
+ * Intended for logs and CLI output; use {@link flattenErrors} when the destination is JSON.
+ */
+export function formatErrors(errors: ValidationError[]): string {
+  const flat = flattenErrors(errors);
+  return Object.entries(flat)
+    .flatMap(([path, messages]) => messages.map(message => `${path}: ${message}`))
+    .join('\n');
+}
+
+/**
+ * Collects every message in the tree, discarding paths.
+ */
+export function collectErrorMessages(errors: ValidationError[]): string[] {
+  return Object.values(flattenErrors(errors)).flat();
+}

src/example.ts

@@ -5,18 +5,27 @@ import {
   ValidateNested,
   IsArray,
   IsDate,
+  IsEnum,
+  IsUUID,
+  ValidateIf,
+  JsonProperty,
+  JsonAlias,
+  JsonReadOnly,
+  JsonWriteOnly,
   JsonSerialize,
   JsonDeserialize,
   JsonPolymorphic,
   toJson,
   fromJson,
+  toPlain,
+  validate,
+  flattenErrors,
   JsonSerializer,
   JsonDeserializer,
   Validate,
   ValidatorConstraintInterface,
   ValidationArguments,
-  registerDecorator,
-  ValidationOptions
+  Matches,
 } from './index.js';
 
 // --- Custom Validators ---
@@ -32,27 +41,15 @@ class IsLongerThan implements ValidatorConstraintInterface {
   }
 }
 
-function IsUsername(options?: ValidationOptions) {
-  return function (object: any, propertyName: string) {
-    registerDecorator({
-      name: 'isUsername',
-      target: object.constructor,
-      propertyName: propertyName,
-      ...(options ? { options } : {}),
-      validator: (value: any) => typeof value === 'string' && /^[a-zA-Z0-9_]+$/.test(value)
-    });
-  };
-}
+/** A custom rule is just a decorator that composes an existing one. */
+const IsSlug = () => Matches(/^[a-z0-9-]+$/, { message: 'name must be a lowercase slug' });
 
 // --- Custom Serializers ---
 
 class DateSerializer implements JsonSerializer<Date, string> {
   serialize(value: Date): string {
-    if (value instanceof Date) {
     return value.toISOString().split('T')[0] || '';
   }
-    return String(value);
-  }
 }
 
 class DateDeserializer implements JsonDeserializer<string, Date> {
@@ -63,26 +60,34 @@ class DateDeserializer implements JsonDeserializer<string, Date> {
 
 // --- Domain Models ---
 
-abstract class Media {
-  @IsString()
-  abstract type: string;
+enum Format {
+  Hardback = 'hardback',
+  Paperback = 'paperback',
+}
 
+abstract class Media {
+  // Standard decorators cannot be applied to an `abstract` member, so the discriminator is a
+  // concrete field the subclasses override.
   @IsString()
-  title: string;
+  type: string = '';
+
+  // Declared once here. Subclasses inherit the rule without restating it.
+  @IsString()
+  title: string = '';
 }
 
 class Book extends Media {
   @IsString()
   override type: string = 'book';
 
-  @IsString()
-  @IsUsername({ message: 'Title must be a valid alphanumeric username' })
-  declare title: string;
-
   @IsString()
   @Validate(IsLongerThan, [5])
   author: string;
 
+  @IsEnum(Format)
+  format: Format = Format.Paperback;
+
+  @JsonProperty('published_at')
   @JsonSerialize(DateSerializer)
   @JsonDeserialize(DateDeserializer)
   @IsDate()
@@ -91,87 +96,127 @@ class Book extends Media {
 
 class Movie extends Media {
   @IsString()
-  type: string = 'movie';
+  override type: string = 'movie';
 
   @IsInt()
   @Min(1)
   duration: number;
+
+  // Only checked for films that claim to be part of a series.
+  @ValidateIf<Movie>(movie => movie.duration > 200)
+  @IsString()
+  intermissionNote?: string;
 }
 
 class Library {
+  @JsonReadOnly()
+  @IsUUID(4)
+  id: string;
+
   @IsString()
+  @IsSlug()
   name: string;
 
+  @JsonProperty('curator_email')
+  @JsonAlias('curatorEmail')
+  @IsString()
+  curatorEmail: string;
+
+  @JsonWriteOnly()
+  @IsString()
+  adminToken: string;
+
   @IsArray()
-  @ValidateNested()
-  @JsonPolymorphic('type', [
+  @ValidateNested({ each: true })
+  // Naming the base type has the subtype list checked against it.
+  @JsonPolymorphic<Media>('type', [
     { value: Book, name: 'book' },
     { value: Movie, name: 'movie' }
   ])
-  items: Media[];
+  items: Media[] = [];
 }
 
 // --- Execution ---
 
 async function runExample() {
-  console.log("--- Starting Example ---");
+  console.log('--- Starting Example ---');
 
-  // 1. Create a Library instance
   const library = new Library();
-  library.name = "Central Library";
+  library.id = '9b2e4c1a-77bd-4f2e-8c33-1d9a6b0e5f21';
+  library.name = 'central-library';
+  library.curatorEmail = 'ada@example.com';
+  library.adminToken = 'super-secret';
 
   const book = new Book();
-  book.title = "Gatsby";
-  book.author = "Fitzgerald";
-  book.publishedAt = new Date("1925-04-10");
+  book.title = 'Gatsby';
+  book.author = 'Fitzgerald';
+  book.format = Format.Hardback;
+  book.publishedAt = new Date('1925-04-10');
 
   const movie = new Movie();
-  movie.title = "Inception";
+  movie.title = 'Inception';
   movie.duration = 148;
 
   library.items = [book, movie];
 
-  try {
-    // 2. Serialize to JSON
-    console.log("\n[1] Serializing Library to JSON...");
+  // 1. Serialize, honouring @JsonProperty and the write-only token
+  console.log('\n[1] Serializing Library to JSON...');
   const json = await toJson(library);
-    console.log("JSON Output:", json);
+  console.log('JSON Output:', json);
+  console.log('Secret withheld from output:', !json.includes('super-secret'));
 
-    // 3. Deserialize back to Instance
-    console.log("\n[2] Deserializing JSON back to Library instance...");
-    const deserializedLibrary = await fromJson(Library, json);
-    console.log("Deserialized Library Name:", deserializedLibrary.name);
-    console.log("Items count:", deserializedLibrary.items.length);
-
-    // Check Polymorphism
-    deserializedLibrary.items.forEach((item, index) => {
-      console.log(`Item ${index} is instance of ${item.constructor.name}: ${item.title}`);
+  // 2. Deserialize back, resolving the polymorphic items
+  console.log('\n[2] Deserializing JSON back to Library instance...');
+  const restored = await fromJson(Library, json, { validate: false });
+  console.log('Curator (read via curator_email):', restored.curatorEmail);
+  console.log('Items count:', restored.items.length);
+  restored.items.forEach((item, index) => {
+    console.log(`Item ${index} is a ${item.constructor.name}: ${item.title}`);
     if (item instanceof Book) {
-        console.log(`  > Book Author: ${item.author}`);
-        console.log(`  > Published At: ${item.publishedAt.toISOString()} (instanceof Date: ${item.publishedAt instanceof Date})`);
+      console.log(`  > Author: ${item.author}, format: ${item.format}`);
+      console.log(`  > Published: ${item.publishedAt.toISOString()} (Date: ${item.publishedAt instanceof Date})`);
     } else if (item instanceof Movie) {
-        console.log(`  > Movie Duration: ${item.duration} mins`);
+      console.log(`  > Duration: ${item.duration} mins`);
     }
   });
 
-    // 4. Test Validation Failure
-    console.log("\n[3] Testing Validation Failure (Invalid Movie Duration)...");
-    const invalidJson = JSON.stringify({
-      name: "Invalid Library",
-      items: [
-        { type: "movie", title: "Short Film", duration: -5 } // Invalid: duration < 1
-      ]
+  // 3. A client cannot set a @JsonReadOnly field
+  console.log('\n[3] A client trying to set the read-only id...');
+  const hijacked = await fromJson(
+    Library,
+    JSON.stringify({ id: 'attacker-supplied', name: 'x', curator_email: 'a@b.c', adminToken: 't', items: [] }),
+    { validate: false }
+  );
+  console.log('id after mapping (expected undefined):', hijacked.id);
+
+  // 4. Validation failures, flattened for an HTTP response
+  console.log('\n[4] Reporting validation failures...');
+  const invalid = await fromJson(
+    Library,
+    JSON.stringify({
+      name: 'Not A Slug',
+      curator_email: 'a@b.c',
+      adminToken: 't',
+      items: [{ type: 'movie', title: 'Short Film', duration: -5 }]
+    }),
+    { validate: false }
+  );
+  console.log(flattenErrors(await validate(invalid)));
+
+  // 5. A base-class rule applies to a subclass that never restates it
+  console.log('\n[5] Base-class constraints reach subclasses...');
+  const untitled = new Book();
+  untitled.title = undefined as any;
+  untitled.author = 'Fitzgerald';
+  untitled.publishedAt = new Date('1925-04-10');
+  console.log(flattenErrors(await validate(untitled)));
+
+  // 6. Naming strategies convert every property at once
+  console.log('\n[6] The same movie under snake_case...');
+  console.log(await toPlain(movie, { namingStrategy: 'snake_case' }));
+}
+
+runExample().catch((error) => {
+  console.error('Example failed:', error);
+  process.exitCode = 1;
 });
-
-    await fromJson(Library, invalidJson);
-  } catch (error) {
-    if (error instanceof Error) {
-      console.log("Caught expected error:", error.message);
-      if ((error as any).errors) {
-        console.log("Validation details:", JSON.stringify((error as any).errors, null, 2));
-      }
-    }
-  }
-}
-
-runExample();

src/hardening.test.ts

@@ -0,0 +1,262 @@
+import { describe, it, expect, afterEach } from 'vitest';
+import {
+  IsString, IsInt, Min, IsIn, ValidateNested, JsonType, JsonSerialize, JsonDeserialize,
+  JsonSerializer, JsonDeserializer, JsonMappingError,
+  defineRule, validate, toInstance, toPlain, configure, resetConfig,
+} from './index.js';
+
+afterEach(() => resetConfig());
+
+describe('plan caching', () => {
+  // The validation plan for a class is memoized. It must not go stale when metadata is
+  // registered after the class has already been validated once.
+  it('picks up a decorator registered after the first validation', async () => {
+    class Late {
+      value: any;
+    }
+
+    const before = new Late();
+    before.value = 'anything';
+    expect(await validate(before)).toEqual([]);
+
+    // Register a rule after the plan has already been built and cached.
+    defineRule(Late, 'value', {
+      name: 'isEven',
+      validate: (v: any) => typeof v === 'number' && v % 2 === 0,
+      message: 'value must be even',
+    });
+
+    const after = new Late();
+    after.value = 'anything';
+    expect(await validate(after)).toHaveLength(1);
+
+    after.value = 4;
+    expect(await validate(after)).toEqual([]);
+  });
+
+  it('keeps per-class plans separate', async () => {
+    class A {
+      @IsString()
+      v: any;
+    }
+    class B {
+      @IsInt()
+      v: any;
+    }
+
+    const a = new A();
+    a.v = 'text';
+    const b = new B();
+    b.v = 'text';
+
+    expect(await validate(a)).toEqual([]);
+    expect(await validate(b)).toHaveLength(1);
+  });
+
+  it('reuses one serializer instance rather than constructing per property', async () => {
+    let constructed = 0;
+    class Counting implements JsonSerializer<string, string> {
+      constructor() { constructed++; }
+      serialize(value: string): string { return value.toUpperCase(); }
+    }
+    class Doc {
+      @JsonSerialize(Counting)
+      a: string;
+
+      @JsonSerialize(Counting)
+      b: string;
+    }
+
+    const doc = new Doc();
+    doc.a = 'x';
+    doc.b = 'y';
+
+    await toPlain(doc);
+    await toPlain(doc);
+    await toPlain(doc);
+
+    expect(await toPlain(doc)).toEqual({ a: 'X', b: 'Y' });
+    expect(constructed).toBe(1);
+  });
+
+  it('still honours a deserializer after caching', async () => {
+    class ToDate implements JsonDeserializer<string, Date> {
+      deserialize(value: string): Date { return new Date(value); }
+    }
+    class Event {
+      @JsonDeserialize(ToDate)
+      at: Date;
+    }
+
+    for (let i = 0; i < 3; i++) {
+      const e = await toInstance(Event, { at: '2026-01-01T00:00:00Z' });
+      expect(e.at).toBeInstanceOf(Date);
+    }
+  });
+});
+
+describe('maxDepth guard', () => {
+  const nest = (depth: number): any => {
+    let node: any = { value: 'leaf' };
+    for (let i = 0; i < depth; i++) node = { child: node };
+    return node;
+  };
+
+  class Node {
+    @ValidateNested()
+    @JsonType(() => Node)
+    child?: Node;
+
+    value?: string;
+  }
+
+  it('rejects a payload nested past the limit instead of exhausting the stack', async () => {
+    await expect(toInstance(Node, nest(500), { validate: false }))
+      .rejects.toThrow(JsonMappingError);
+    await expect(toInstance(Node, nest(500), { validate: false }))
+      .rejects.toThrow(/Maximum nesting depth/);
+  });
+
+  it('accepts nesting within the limit', async () => {
+    const parsed = await toInstance(Node, nest(10), { validate: false });
+    expect(parsed).toBeInstanceOf(Node);
+  });
+
+  it('is configurable per call and globally', async () => {
+    await expect(toInstance(Node, nest(10), { validate: false, maxDepth: 3 }))
+      .rejects.toThrow(/Maximum nesting depth of 3/);
+
+    configure({ maxDepth: 2 });
+    await expect(toInstance(Node, nest(10), { validate: false }))
+      .rejects.toThrow(/Maximum nesting depth of 2/);
+  });
+
+  it('guards serialization too', async () => {
+    const deep = await toInstance(Node, nest(30), { validate: false, maxDepth: 200 });
+    await expect(toPlain(deep, { validate: false, maxDepth: 5 }))
+      .rejects.toThrow(/Maximum nesting depth/);
+  });
+
+  it('guards validation too', async () => {
+    const deep = await toInstance(Node, nest(30), { validate: false, maxDepth: 200 });
+    await expect(validate(deep, { maxDepth: 5 })).rejects.toThrow(/Maximum nesting depth/);
+  });
+});
+
+describe('each: true error reporting', () => {
+  it('names the index of the element that failed', async () => {
+    class Basket {
+      @IsIn(['a', 'b'], { each: true })
+      tags!: ('a' | 'b')[];
+    }
+
+    const basket = new Basket();
+    basket.tags = ['a', 'b', 'a', 'nope' as 'a', 'b'];
+
+    const errors = await validate(basket);
+    expect(errors).toHaveLength(1);
+    expect(errors[0]!.constraints['isIn']).toContain('failed at index 3');
+  });
+
+  it('leaves a caller-supplied message untouched', async () => {
+    class Basket {
+      @IsIn(['a'], { each: true, message: 'bad tag' })
+      tags!: 'a'[];
+    }
+    const basket = new Basket();
+    basket.tags = ['a', 'zzz' as 'a'];
+
+    const errors = await validate(basket);
+    expect(errors[0]!.constraints['isIn']).toBe('bad tag');
+  });
+
+  it('gives the failing element to a message function, not the whole array', async () => {
+    class Basket {
+      @IsIn(['a'], { each: true, message: (args) => `rejected ${JSON.stringify(args.value)}` })
+      tags!: 'a'[];
+    }
+    const basket = new Basket();
+    basket.tags = ['a', 'zzz' as 'a'];
+
+    const errors = await validate(basket);
+    expect(errors[0]!.constraints['isIn']).toBe('rejected "zzz"');
+  });
+
+  it('reports nothing when every element passes', async () => {
+    class Basket {
+      @IsIn(['a', 'b'], { each: true })
+      tags!: ('a' | 'b')[];
+    }
+    const basket = new Basket();
+    basket.tags = ['a', 'b'];
+    expect(await validate(basket)).toEqual([]);
+  });
+});
+
+describe('validate() accepts options', () => {
+  it('threads maxDepth through nested validation', async () => {
+    class Item {
+      @IsInt()
+      @Min(1)
+      qty: number;
+    }
+    class Order {
+      @IsString()
+      ref: string;
+
+      @ValidateNested()
+      @JsonType(() => Item)
+      items: Item[];
+    }
+
+    const bad = new Item();
+    bad.qty = -1;
+    const order = new Order();
+    order.ref = 'r';
+    order.items = [bad];
+
+    // Deep enough to be fine at the default, so behaviour is unchanged.
+    expect(await validate(order)).toHaveLength(1);
+  });
+});
+
+describe('decorator context guards', () => {
+  // Every decorator resolves its metadata through one checkpoint, so one representative
+  // decorator per shape is enough to cover the rule.
+  const shapes: [string, unknown][] = [
+    ['a method', { kind: 'method', name: 'run', metadata: {} }],
+    ['a getter', { kind: 'getter', name: 'total', metadata: {} }],
+    ['an accessor', { kind: 'accessor', name: 'value', metadata: {} }],
+    ['a class', { kind: 'class', name: 'Thing', metadata: {} }],
+  ];
+
+  for (const [label, context] of shapes) {
+    it(`refuses being applied to ${label}`, () => {
+      expect(() => (IsString() as any)(undefined, context)).toThrow(/apply to fields/);
+    });
+  }
+
+  it('explains why `accessor` in particular cannot work', () => {
+    const context = { kind: 'accessor', name: 'value', metadata: {} };
+    expect(() => (IsString() as any)(undefined, context)).toThrow(/private slot/);
+  });
+
+  it('refuses a legacy decorator call shape', () => {
+    // What `experimentalDecorators: true` emits: (prototype, propertyKey).
+    expect(() => (IsString() as any)({}, 'name')).toThrow(/experimentalDecorators/);
+  });
+
+  it('refuses a standard context that carries no metadata', () => {
+    const context = { kind: 'field', name: 'value', metadata: undefined };
+    expect(() => (IsString() as any)(undefined, context)).toThrow(/no metadata object/);
+  });
+
+  it('names the field it could not record', () => {
+    const context = { kind: 'field', name: 'nickname', metadata: null };
+    expect(() => (IsString() as any)(undefined, context)).toThrow(/"nickname"/);
+  });
+
+  it('guards the mapping decorators too, not just the rules', () => {
+    expect(() => (JsonSerialize(class {} as any) as any)({}, 'name')).toThrow(/experimentalDecorators/);
+  });
+});

src/index.test.ts

@@ -41,16 +41,18 @@ class DateDeserializer implements JsonDeserializer<string, Date> {
 
 // --- Domain Models ---
 abstract class Media {
+  // Standard decorators cannot be applied to an `abstract` member, so the base declares a
+  // concrete field the subclasses override.
   @IsString()
-  abstract type: string;
+  type: string = '';
 
   @IsString()
-  title: string;
+  title: string = '';
 }
 
 class Book extends Media {
   @IsString()
-  type: string = 'book';
+  override type: string = 'book';
 
   @IsString()
   author: string;
@@ -63,7 +65,7 @@ class Book extends Media {
 
 class Movie extends Media {
   @IsString()
-  type: string = 'movie';
+  override type: string = 'movie';
 
   @IsInt()
   @Min(1)
@@ -162,7 +164,7 @@ describe('JsonMapper', () => {
 
       @ArrayNotEmpty()
       @IsIn(['admin', 'user', 'guest'], { each: true })
-      roles: string[];
+      roles!: ('admin' | 'user' | 'guest')[];
 
       @IsUrl()
       @IsOptional()
@@ -202,8 +204,8 @@ describe('JsonMapper', () => {
 
       const errors = await JsonMapper.validate(user);
       expect(errors).toHaveLength(1);
-      expect(errors[0].property).toBe('username');
-      expect(errors[0].constraints).toHaveProperty('minLength');
+      expect(errors[0]!.property).toBe('username');
+      expect(errors[0]!.constraints).toHaveProperty('minLength');
     });
 
     it('should fail on invalid email', async () => {
@@ -215,8 +217,8 @@ describe('JsonMapper', () => {
 
       const errors = await JsonMapper.validate(user);
       expect(errors).toHaveLength(1);
-      expect(errors[0].property).toBe('email');
-      expect(errors[0].constraints).toHaveProperty('isEmail');
+      expect(errors[0]!.property).toBe('email');
+      expect(errors[0]!.constraints).toHaveProperty('isEmail');
     });
 
     it('should fail on invalid role (IsIn)', async () => {
@@ -224,12 +226,12 @@ describe('JsonMapper', () => {
       user.username = 'johndoe';
       user.email = 'john@example.com';
       user.active = true;
-      user.roles = ['superadmin'];
+      user.roles = ['superadmin' as 'admin'];
 
       const errors = await JsonMapper.validate(user);
       expect(errors).toHaveLength(1);
-      expect(errors[0].property).toBe('roles');
-      expect(errors[0].constraints).toHaveProperty('isIn');
+      expect(errors[0]!.property).toBe('roles');
+      expect(errors[0]!.constraints).toHaveProperty('isIn');
     });
 
     it('should skip validation for null optional field', async () => {
@@ -238,7 +240,7 @@ describe('JsonMapper', () => {
       user.email = 'john@example.com';
       user.active = true;
       user.roles = ['user'];
-      user.age = undefined; // optional
+      delete user.age; // optional
 
       const errors = await JsonMapper.validate(user);
       expect(errors).toHaveLength(0);
@@ -254,8 +256,8 @@ describe('JsonMapper', () => {
 
       const errors = await JsonMapper.validate(user);
       expect(errors).toHaveLength(1);
-      expect(errors[0].property).toBe('age');
-      expect(errors[0].constraints).toHaveProperty('min');
+      expect(errors[0]!.property).toBe('age');
+      expect(errors[0]!.constraints).toHaveProperty('min');
     });
   });
 });

src/index.ts

@@ -1,3 +1,7 @@
 export * from './interfaces.js';
+export * from './metadata.js';
+export * from './naming.js';
+export * from './config.js';
 export * from './decorators.js';
+export * from './errors.js';
 export * from './utils.js';

src/interfaces.ts

@@ -38,3 +38,42 @@ export interface JsonDeserializer<T = any, R = any> {
 export type ClassConstructor<T> = {
   new (...args: any[]): T;
 };
+
+/**
+ * A decorator that may only be applied to a field whose type is assignable to `Allowed`.
+ *
+ * This is what makes cereale's rules type-checked rather than merely declared. Standard
+ * decorators receive a `ClassFieldDecoratorContext<This, Value>` that carries the field's
+ * declared type, so applying `@IsString()` to a `number` field is a compile error rather
+ * than a runtime surprise:
+ *
+ * ```ts
+ * class User {
+ *   @IsString() name!: string;   // fine
+ *   @IsString() age!: number;    // Type 'number' is not assignable to type 'string'
+ * }
+ * ```
+ *
+ * `null` and `undefined` are included in the `Allowed` union of every built-in rule so
+ * optional fields (`nickname?: string`) still accept the rule that describes them.
+ */
+export type FieldDecorator<Allowed> = <This, Value extends Allowed>(
+  target: undefined,
+  context: ClassFieldDecoratorContext<This, Value>
+) => void;
+
+/** A field holding a string, or nothing. */
+export type StringField = string | null | undefined;
+/** A field holding a number, or nothing. */
+export type NumberField = number | null | undefined;
+/** A field holding a boolean, or nothing. */
+export type BooleanField = boolean | null | undefined;
+/** A field holding a bigint, or nothing. */
+export type BigIntField = bigint | null | undefined;
+/** A field holding a Date, or nothing. */
+export type DateField = Date | null | undefined;
+/** A field holding an array, or nothing. */
+export type ArrayField = readonly unknown[] | null | undefined;
+
+/** The element type of an array field, used by rules that run per element. */
+export type ElementOf<T> = T extends readonly (infer E)[] ? E : never;

src/mapping.test.ts

@@ -0,0 +1,582 @@
+import { describe, it, expect, afterEach } from 'vitest';
+import {
+  IsString, IsInt, IsOptional, ValidateNested, Min,
+  JsonProperty, JsonAlias, JsonIgnore, JsonReadOnly, JsonWriteOnly, JsonType,
+  JsonMappingError, JsonValidationError,
+  toPlain, toJson, toInstance, fromJson, validate, validateOrReject,
+  configure, resetConfig, getConfig,
+  flattenErrors, formatErrors, collectErrorMessages,
+  resolveNamingStrategy,
+} from './index.js';
+
+afterEach(() => resetConfig());
+
+describe('@JsonProperty', () => {
+  class User {
+    @JsonProperty('first_name')
+    @IsString()
+    firstName: string;
+
+    @JsonProperty('last_name')
+    @IsString()
+    lastName: string;
+  }
+
+  it('renames on the way out', async () => {
+    const u = new User();
+    u.firstName = 'Ada';
+    u.lastName = 'Lovelace';
+
+    await expect(toPlain(u)).resolves.toEqual({ first_name: 'Ada', last_name: 'Lovelace' });
+  });
+
+  it('renames on the way in', async () => {
+    const u = await fromJson(User, '{"first_name":"Ada","last_name":"Lovelace"}');
+    expect(u.firstName).toBe('Ada');
+    expect(u.lastName).toBe('Lovelace');
+  });
+
+  it('round-trips', async () => {
+    const json = '{"first_name":"Ada","last_name":"Lovelace"}';
+    expect(await toJson(await fromJson(User, json))).toBe(json);
+  });
+
+  it('no longer accepts the raw property name once renamed', async () => {
+    const u = await toInstance(
+      User,
+      { firstName: 'Ada', last_name: 'L' },
+      { unknownKeys: 'strip', validate: false }
+    );
+    expect(u.firstName).toBeUndefined();
+    expect(u.lastName).toBe('L');
+  });
+
+  it('rejects two properties claiming the same JSON name', async () => {
+    class Clash {
+      @JsonProperty('name')
+      a: string;
+
+      @JsonProperty('name')
+      b: string;
+    }
+
+    await expect(toInstance(Clash, { name: 'x' })).rejects.toThrow(JsonMappingError);
+    await expect(toInstance(Clash, { name: 'x' })).rejects.toThrow(/both map to the JSON name/);
+  });
+});
+
+describe('@JsonAlias', () => {
+  class Person {
+    @JsonProperty('surname')
+    @JsonAlias('last_name', 'lastName')
+    @IsString()
+    surname: string;
+  }
+
+  it('accepts every alias on input', async () => {
+    for (const key of ['surname', 'last_name', 'lastName']) {
+      const p = await toInstance(Person, { [key]: 'Hopper' });
+      expect(p.surname).toBe('Hopper');
+    }
+  });
+
+  it('never emits an alias on output', async () => {
+    const p = new Person();
+    p.surname = 'Hopper';
+    await expect(toPlain(p)).resolves.toEqual({ surname: 'Hopper' });
+  });
+});
+
+describe('access control decorators', () => {
+  it('@JsonIgnore drops the property in both directions', async () => {
+    class Secretive {
+      @IsString()
+      name: string;
+
+      @JsonIgnore()
+      internalNote: string;
+    }
+
+    const s = new Secretive();
+    s.name = 'x';
+    s.internalNote = 'do not leak';
+    await expect(toPlain(s)).resolves.toEqual({ name: 'x' });
+
+    const parsed = await toInstance(Secretive, { name: 'x', internalNote: 'injected' });
+    expect(parsed.internalNote).toBeUndefined();
+  });
+
+  it('@JsonWriteOnly accepts input but never echoes it back', async () => {
+    class Credentials {
+      @IsString()
+      email: string;
+
+      @JsonWriteOnly()
+      @IsString()
+      password: string;
+    }
+
+    const c = await toInstance(Credentials, { email: 'a@b.com', password: 'hunter2' });
+    expect(c.password).toBe('hunter2');
+    await expect(toPlain(c)).resolves.toEqual({ email: 'a@b.com' });
+  });
+
+  it('@JsonReadOnly is emitted but cannot be set by a client', async () => {
+    class Record {
+      @JsonReadOnly()
+      id: number;
+
+      @IsString()
+      title: string;
+    }
+
+    const r = await toInstance(Record, { id: 999, title: 'hello' });
+    expect(r.id).toBeUndefined();
+
+    r.id = 1;
+    await expect(toPlain(r)).resolves.toEqual({ id: 1, title: 'hello' });
+  });
+
+  it('@JsonReadOnly is not resurrected by the default unknownKeys policy', async () => {
+    class Record {
+      @JsonProperty('identifier')
+      @JsonReadOnly()
+      id: number;
+
+      @IsString()
+      title: string;
+    }
+
+    const r = await toInstance(Record, { identifier: 999, title: 't' }, { unknownKeys: 'allow' });
+    expect(r.id).toBeUndefined();
+    expect((r as any).identifier).toBeUndefined();
+  });
+});
+
+describe('naming strategies', () => {
+  class Account {
+    @IsString()
+    accountHolderName: string;
+
+    @IsInt()
+    balanceInCents: number;
+  }
+
+  it('snake_case both ways', async () => {
+    const a = new Account();
+    a.accountHolderName = 'Ada';
+    a.balanceInCents = 100;
+
+    const plain = await toPlain(a, { namingStrategy: 'snake_case' });
+    expect(plain).toEqual({ account_holder_name: 'Ada', balance_in_cents: 100 });
+
+    const back = await toInstance(Account, plain, { namingStrategy: 'snake_case' });
+    expect(back.accountHolderName).toBe('Ada');
+    expect(back.balanceInCents).toBe(100);
+  });
+
+  it('kebab-case, SCREAMING_SNAKE_CASE and PascalCase', async () => {
+    const a = new Account();
+    a.accountHolderName = 'Ada';
+    a.balanceInCents = 1;
+
+    await expect(toPlain(a, { namingStrategy: 'kebab-case' }))
+      .resolves.toEqual({ 'account-holder-name': 'Ada', 'balance-in-cents': 1 });
+    await expect(toPlain(a, { namingStrategy: 'SCREAMING_SNAKE_CASE' }))
+      .resolves.toEqual({ ACCOUNT_HOLDER_NAME: 'Ada', BALANCE_IN_CENTS: 1 });
+    await expect(toPlain(a, { namingStrategy: 'PascalCase' }))
+      .resolves.toEqual({ AccountHolderName: 'Ada', BalanceInCents: 1 });
+  });
+
+  it('accepts a custom function', async () => {
+    const a = new Account();
+    a.accountHolderName = 'Ada';
+    a.balanceInCents = 1;
+
+    await expect(toPlain(a, { namingStrategy: (k) => `x_${k}` }))
+      .resolves.toEqual({ x_accountHolderName: 'Ada', x_balanceInCents: 1 });
+  });
+
+  it('@JsonProperty wins over the naming strategy', async () => {
+    class Mixed {
+      @JsonProperty('EXPLICIT')
+      someField: string;
+
+      otherField: string;
+    }
+    const m = new Mixed();
+    m.someField = 'a';
+    m.otherField = 'b';
+
+    await expect(toPlain(m, { namingStrategy: 'snake_case' }))
+      .resolves.toEqual({ EXPLICIT: 'a', other_field: 'b' });
+  });
+
+  it('splits acronyms the way a reader expects', () => {
+    const snake = resolveNamingStrategy('snake_case');
+    expect(snake('parseHTTPResponse')).toBe('parse_http_response');
+    expect(snake('firstName')).toBe('first_name');
+    expect(snake('id')).toBe('id');
+    expect(snake('already_snake')).toBe('already_snake');
+
+    const camel = resolveNamingStrategy('camelCase');
+    expect(camel('first_name')).toBe('firstName');
+  });
+
+  it('rejects an unknown strategy name', () => {
+    expect(() => resolveNamingStrategy('shouty' as any)).toThrow(/Unknown naming strategy/);
+  });
+
+  it('applies to nested objects too', async () => {
+    class Inner {
+      @IsString()
+      innerValue: string;
+    }
+    class Outer {
+      @ValidateNested()
+      @JsonType(() => Inner)
+      outerChild: Inner;
+    }
+
+    const parsed = await toInstance(
+      Outer,
+      { outer_child: { inner_value: 'v' } },
+      { namingStrategy: 'snake_case' }
+    );
+    expect(parsed.outerChild).toBeInstanceOf(Inner);
+    expect(parsed.outerChild.innerValue).toBe('v');
+  });
+});
+
+describe('configure()', () => {
+  class Account {
+    @IsString()
+    accountHolderName: string;
+  }
+
+  it('sets a library-wide default', async () => {
+    configure({ namingStrategy: 'snake_case' });
+
+    const a = new Account();
+    a.accountHolderName = 'Ada';
+    await expect(toPlain(a)).resolves.toEqual({ account_holder_name: 'Ada' });
+    expect(getConfig().namingStrategy).toBe('snake_case');
+  });
+
+  it('is overridden by per-call options', async () => {
+    configure({ namingStrategy: 'snake_case' });
+
+    const a = new Account();
+    a.accountHolderName = 'Ada';
+    await expect(toPlain(a, { namingStrategy: 'kebab-case' }))
+      .resolves.toEqual({ 'account-holder-name': 'Ada' });
+  });
+
+  it('resetConfig() restores the defaults', async () => {
+    configure({ namingStrategy: 'snake_case', unknownKeys: 'error', validate: false });
+    resetConfig();
+    expect(getConfig()).toEqual({
+      namingStrategy: 'identity',
+      unknownKeys: 'allow',
+      validate: true,
+      maxDepth: 64,
+    });
+  });
+});
+
+describe('unknownKeys policy', () => {
+  class Dto {
+    @IsString()
+    known: string;
+  }
+
+  it('allow (default) copies unknown keys through', async () => {
+    const d = await toInstance(Dto, { known: 'a', extra: 'b' });
+    expect((d as any).extra).toBe('b');
+  });
+
+  it('strip drops them', async () => {
+    const d = await toInstance(Dto, { known: 'a', extra: 'b' }, { unknownKeys: 'strip' });
+    expect((d as any).extra).toBeUndefined();
+    expect(d.known).toBe('a');
+  });
+
+  it('error rejects the payload and names the offending key', async () => {
+    await expect(toInstance(Dto, { known: 'a', extra: 'b' }, { unknownKeys: 'error' }))
+      .rejects.toThrow(/Unknown property "extra"/);
+  });
+
+  it('never lets __proto__ through, whatever the policy', async () => {
+    for (const unknownKeys of ['allow', 'strip', 'error'] as const) {
+      const d = await toInstance(Dto, JSON.parse('{"known":"a","__proto__":{"x":1}}'), { unknownKeys });
+      expect(Object.getPrototypeOf(d)).toBe(Dto.prototype);
+      expect(({} as any).x).toBeUndefined();
+    }
+  });
+});
+
+describe('validate option', () => {
+  class Strict {
+    @IsString()
+    name: string;
+
+    @IsOptional()
+    @IsInt()
+    @Min(0)
+    age?: number;
+  }
+
+  it('throws by default', async () => {
+    await expect(toInstance(Strict, { name: 123 })).rejects.toThrow(JsonValidationError);
+  });
+
+  it('maps without validating when told to', async () => {
+    const s = await toInstance(Strict, { name: 123 }, { validate: false });
+    expect(s).toBeInstanceOf(Strict);
+    expect(s.name).toBe(123 as any);
+  });
+
+  it('skips validation on the way out too', async () => {
+    const s = new Strict();
+    s.name = 123 as any;
+    await expect(toPlain(s, { validate: false })).resolves.toEqual({ name: 123 });
+  });
+
+  it('validateOrReject throws, validate returns', async () => {
+    const s = new Strict();
+    s.name = 123 as any;
+
+    await expect(validateOrReject(s)).rejects.toThrow(JsonValidationError);
+    await expect(validate(s)).resolves.toHaveLength(1);
+  });
+});
+
+describe('error helpers', () => {
+  class Item {
+    @IsInt()
+    @Min(1)
+    qty: number;
+  }
+  class Order {
+    @IsString()
+    reference: string;
+
+    @ValidateNested()
+    @JsonType(() => Item)
+    items: Item[];
+  }
+
+  const buildFailing = () => {
+    const bad = new Item();
+    bad.qty = -5;
+    const o = new Order();
+    o.reference = 42 as any;
+    o.items = [bad];
+    return o;
+  };
+
+  it('flattenErrors produces dotted paths with array indices', async () => {
+    const errors = await validate(buildFailing());
+    const flat = flattenErrors(errors);
+
+    expect(flat['reference']).toEqual(['reference must be a string']);
+    expect(flat['items[0].qty']).toEqual(['qty must be at least 1']);
+  });
+
+  it('formatErrors renders one line per failure', async () => {
+    const errors = await validate(buildFailing());
+    const text = formatErrors(errors);
+
+    expect(text).toContain('reference: reference must be a string');
+    expect(text).toContain('items[0].qty: qty must be at least 1');
+  });
+
+  it('collectErrorMessages returns just the messages', async () => {
+    const messages = collectErrorMessages(await validate(buildFailing()));
+    expect(messages).toHaveLength(2);
+    expect(messages).toContain('qty must be at least 1');
+  });
+
+  it('returns an empty result for a valid object', async () => {
+    const o = new Order();
+    o.reference = 'ok';
+    o.items = [];
+    expect(flattenErrors(await validate(o))).toEqual({});
+    expect(formatErrors(await validate(o))).toBe('');
+  });
+});
+
+describe('a realistic API payload', () => {
+  it('maps a snake_case request and answers without the secret', async () => {
+    class SignUp {
+      @JsonReadOnly()
+      id: number;
+
+      @JsonProperty('email_address')
+      @IsString()
+      email: string;
+
+      @JsonWriteOnly()
+      @IsString()
+      password: string;
+
+      @IsString()
+      displayName: string;
+    }
+
+    const body = JSON.stringify({
+      id: 999,                       // client must not be able to set this
+      email_address: 'ada@example.com',
+      password: 'hunter2',
+      display_name: 'Ada',
+    });
+
+    const signUp = await fromJson(SignUp, body, { namingStrategy: 'snake_case' });
+    expect(signUp.id).toBeUndefined();
+    expect(signUp.email).toBe('ada@example.com');
+    expect(signUp.password).toBe('hunter2');
+    expect(signUp.displayName).toBe('Ada');
+
+    signUp.id = 1;
+    const response = await toJson(signUp, { namingStrategy: 'snake_case' });
+    expect(JSON.parse(response)).toEqual({
+      id: 1,
+      email_address: 'ada@example.com',
+      display_name: 'Ada',
+    });
+    expect(response).not.toContain('hunter2');
+  });
+});
+
+describe('renaming and the unknown-key policy', () => {
+  class Address {
+    @IsString() city!: string;
+  }
+
+  class Order {
+    @JsonProperty('order_ref')
+    @IsString()
+    ref!: string;
+
+    @JsonProperty('home_address')
+    @JsonType(() => Address)
+    @ValidateNested()
+    address!: Address;
+  }
+
+  /**
+   * A rename has to actually take effect.
+   *
+   * The old key used to fall through to the unknown-key policy, and the default `allow`
+   * copied it onto the instance untouched — landing a value on a declared property having
+   * skipped the `@JsonType` declared for it, so `@ValidateNested` then inspected a plain
+   * object with no model and reported nothing. A payload aimed at the previous version of
+   * this class was accepted in part, in silence.
+   */
+  it('does not write the old key after a rename', async () => {
+    const order = await toInstance(
+      Order,
+      { ref: 'A-1', address: { city: 'Paris' } },
+      { validate: false }
+    );
+
+    expect(order.ref).toBeUndefined();
+    expect(order.address).toBeUndefined();
+  });
+
+  it('lets validation report the fields the stale payload failed to fill', async () => {
+    const order = await toInstance(Order, { ref: 'A-1' }, { validate: false });
+    const errors = flattenErrors(await validate(order));
+
+    expect(Object.keys(errors)).toContain('ref');
+  });
+
+  it('maps the declared names properly, producing real instances', async () => {
+    const order = await toInstance(
+      Order,
+      { order_ref: 'A-1', home_address: { city: 'Paris' } },
+      { validate: false }
+    );
+
+    expect(order.ref).toBe('A-1');
+    expect(order.address instanceof Address).toBe(true);
+  });
+
+  // A stale name is a mismatch with whatever produced the payload, not a deliberate refusal
+  // like @JsonReadOnly, so a caller who asked to hear about unrecognised keys hears about it —
+  // and is told which property it was reaching for and what that property is called now.
+  it('names the property and its current JSON name under unknownKeys: error', async () => {
+    await expect(
+      toInstance(Order, { ref: 'A-1' }, { validate: false, unknownKeys: 'error' })
+    ).rejects.toThrow(/"ref" is not a JSON name for Order.*mapped to "order_ref".*@JsonAlias\("ref"\)/s);
+  });
+
+  it('drops the old key silently under strip and allow alike', async () => {
+    for (const unknownKeys of ['strip', 'allow'] as const) {
+      const order = await toInstance(Order, { ref: 'A-1' }, { validate: false, unknownKeys });
+      expect(order.ref, unknownKeys).toBeUndefined();
+    }
+  });
+
+  it('keeps the old name working when @JsonAlias declares it', async () => {
+    class Kept {
+      @JsonProperty('order_ref')
+      @JsonAlias('ref')
+      @IsString()
+      ref!: string;
+    }
+
+    const kept = await toInstance(Kept, { ref: 'A-1' }, { validate: false });
+    expect(kept.ref).toBe('A-1');
+    expect(await validate(kept)).toEqual([]);
+  });
+
+  it('refuses a property key that a naming strategy renders differently', async () => {
+    class Account {
+      @IsString() firstName!: string;
+    }
+
+    const snake = { namingStrategy: 'snake_case' as const, validate: false };
+    expect((await toInstance(Account, { firstName: 'Ada' }, snake)).firstName).toBeUndefined();
+    expect((await toInstance(Account, { first_name: 'Ada' }, snake)).firstName).toBe('Ada');
+  });
+
+  // The same protection by a different route: a read-only property that was also renamed was
+  // still settable under its own key.
+  it('blocks the property key of a renamed read-only field', async () => {
+    class Server {
+      @JsonProperty('server_id')
+      @JsonReadOnly()
+      @IsString()
+      id!: string;
+
+      @IsString() name!: string;
+    }
+
+    const server = await toInstance(
+      Server,
+      { id: 'client-supplied', server_id: 'also-client-supplied', name: 'x' },
+      { validate: false }
+    );
+
+    expect(server.id).toBeUndefined();
+    expect(server.name).toBe('x');
+  });
+
+  // A key one property no longer answers to may be exactly what another property is called.
+  it('still maps a key that another property legitimately claims', async () => {
+    class Shuffled {
+      @JsonProperty('other')
+      @IsString()
+      a!: string;
+
+      @JsonAlias('a')
+      @IsString()
+      b!: string;
+    }
+
+    const shuffled = await toInstance(Shuffled, { other: 'x', a: 'y' }, { validate: false });
+    expect(shuffled.a).toBe('x');
+    expect(shuffled.b).toBe('y');
+  });
+});

src/metadata-storage.ts

@@ -1,108 +0,0 @@
-export class MetadataStorage {
-  private static instance: MetadataStorage;
-  
-  // Maps a prototype to its property names
-  private properties = new WeakMap<any, string[]>();
-  
-  // Maps a prototype and property name to its metadata
-  // Map<Prototype, Map<PropertyKey, Map<MetadataKey, Value>>>
-  private propertyMetadata = new WeakMap<any, Map<string, Map<string, any>>>();
-  
-  // Maps a prototype to its class-level metadata
-  private classMetadata = new WeakMap<any, Map<string, any>>();
-
-  private constructor() {}
-
-  static getInstance(): MetadataStorage {
-    if (!MetadataStorage.instance) {
-      MetadataStorage.instance = new MetadataStorage();
-    }
-    return MetadataStorage.instance;
-  }
-
-  /**
-   * Defines metadata for a specific property on a target.
-   */
-  defineMetadata(key: string, value: any, target: any, propertyKey?: string) {
-    if (propertyKey) {
-      let targetMap = this.propertyMetadata.get(target);
-      if (!targetMap) {
-        targetMap = new Map();
-        this.propertyMetadata.set(target, targetMap);
-      }
-      
-      let propertyMap = targetMap.get(propertyKey);
-      if (!propertyMap) {
-        propertyMap = new Map();
-        targetMap.set(propertyKey, propertyMap);
-      }
-      
-      propertyMap.set(key, value);
-    } else {
-      let targetMap = this.classMetadata.get(target);
-      if (!targetMap) {
-        targetMap = new Map();
-        this.classMetadata.set(target, targetMap);
-      }
-      targetMap.set(key, value);
-    }
-  }
-
-  /**
-   * Gets metadata for a specific property on a target, including from the prototype chain.
-   */
-  getMetadata(key: string, target: any, propertyKey?: string): any {
-    let current = target;
-    while (current) {
-      const value = this.getOwnMetadata(key, current, propertyKey);
-      if (value !== undefined) {
-        return value;
-      }
-      current = Object.getPrototypeOf(current);
-    }
-    return undefined;
-  }
-
-  /**
-   * Gets metadata defined directly on the target.
-   */
-  getOwnMetadata(key: string, target: any, propertyKey?: string): any {
-    if (propertyKey) {
-      return this.propertyMetadata.get(target)?.get(propertyKey)?.get(key);
-    } else {
-      return this.classMetadata.get(target)?.get(key);
-    }
-  }
-
-  /**
-   * Registers a property for a target.
-   */
-  registerProperty(target: any, propertyKey: string) {
-    let props = this.properties.get(target);
-    if (!props) {
-      props = [];
-      this.properties.set(target, props);
-    }
-    if (!props.includes(propertyKey)) {
-      props.push(propertyKey);
-    }
-  }
-
-  /**
-   * Gets all registered properties for a target, including from the prototype chain.
-   */
-  getProperties(target: any): string[] {
-    const allProps = new Set<string>();
-    let current = target;
-    while (current) {
-      const props = this.properties.get(current);
-      if (props) {
-        props.forEach(p => allProps.add(p));
-      }
-      current = Object.getPrototypeOf(current);
-    }
-    return Array.from(allProps);
-  }
-}
-
-export const metadataStorage = MetadataStorage.getInstance();

src/metadata.ts

@@ -0,0 +1,245 @@
+import type { ClassConstructor } from './interfaces.js';
+
+/**
+ * The key decorator metadata is stored under.
+ *
+ * Resolved into a binding rather than read as `Symbol.metadata` at each use. If the well-known
+ * symbol is absent, `Symbol.metadata` evaluates to `undefined` and `clazz[undefined]` quietly
+ * reads a property literally named "undefined" — `modelOf` would return an empty model and
+ * every object would validate clean. Silent success is the worst failure mode a validation
+ * library can have, so the fallback is baked into the value the code actually uses.
+ *
+ * `Symbol.for` matches what the decorator transforms emit (esbuild's `__knownSymbol` uses the
+ * same fallback), and keeps the key identical across duplicate copies of the library, which
+ * the dual ESM/CJS build can otherwise produce.
+ */
+const METADATA_KEY: symbol = (Symbol as { metadata?: symbol }).metadata ?? Symbol.for('Symbol.metadata');
+
+// Also installed globally, because a consumer's own compiler emit may read `Symbol.metadata`
+// directly. package.json marks this module as having side effects so it survives bundling.
+((Symbol as { metadata?: symbol }).metadata as symbol | undefined) ??= METADATA_KEY;
+
+export interface ValidationArguments {
+  value: any;
+  object: any;
+  property: string;
+  constraints: any[];
+}
+
+export interface ValidationOptions {
+  /** Apply the rule to each element of an array rather than to the array itself. */
+  each?: boolean;
+  /** Replaces the built-in message. Reported verbatim — the engine never decorates it. */
+  message?: string | ((args: ValidationArguments) => string);
+}
+
+/** Narrowed form used by the `each: true` decorator overloads. */
+export interface EachValidationOptions extends ValidationOptions {
+  each: true;
+}
+
+export type ValidationConstraint = {
+  name: string;
+  validate: (value: any, args: ValidationArguments) => boolean | Promise<boolean>;
+  message: string | ((args: ValidationArguments) => string);
+  constraints?: any[];
+  each?: boolean;
+  /**
+   * True when the message came from the caller. The engine only decorates its own default
+   * wording with the "each element in ..." prefix.
+   */
+  hasCustomMessage?: boolean;
+};
+
+export interface ValidatorConstraintInterface {
+  validate(value: any, args: ValidationArguments): boolean | Promise<boolean>;
+  defaultMessage?(args: ValidationArguments): string;
+}
+
+/**
+ * Which directions a property participates in.
+ *
+ * - `readwrite` (default): mapped both ways.
+ * - `readonly`: written to JSON, never populated from incoming JSON (server-assigned ids).
+ * - `writeonly`: populated from incoming JSON, never written back out (passwords).
+ * - `none`: ignored entirely.
+ */
+export type PropertyAccess = 'readwrite' | 'readonly' | 'writeonly' | 'none';
+
+export interface PolymorphicInfo {
+  discriminator: string;
+  subTypes: { value: ClassConstructor<any>; name: string }[];
+  onUnknown: 'keep' | 'error';
+  fallback?: ClassConstructor<any>;
+}
+
+/** Everything cereale knows about one field. */
+export interface PropertyModel {
+  constraints: ValidationConstraint[];
+  optional?: boolean;
+  nested?: boolean;
+  condition?: (object: any) => boolean;
+  /** Explicit JSON name from `@JsonProperty`. */
+  name?: string;
+  aliases?: string[];
+  access?: PropertyAccess;
+  serializer?: ClassConstructor<any>;
+  deserializer?: ClassConstructor<any>;
+  type?: () => ClassConstructor<any>;
+  polymorphic?: PolymorphicInfo;
+}
+
+export type ClassModel = Record<string, PropertyModel>;
+
+const MODEL = Symbol.for('cereale.model');
+
+/**
+ * Bumped whenever a model is written. Derived structures (the plans in engine.ts) record the
+ * version they were built from and rebuild if it moves, so programmatic registration after a
+ * class has already been used stays correct.
+ */
+let version = 0;
+
+export function modelVersion(): number {
+  return version;
+}
+
+/**
+ * Returns the model owned by this class, creating it if necessary.
+ *
+ * `context.metadata` inherits from the base class's metadata through the prototype chain, so
+ * a subclass starts out seeing everything its base declared. Writing requires an own copy —
+ * otherwise a subclass would mutate its parent — and the inherited entries are deep-copied so
+ * that a subclass re-decorating an inherited field *adds to* the base's rules instead of
+ * replacing them. That inheritance-merging behaviour is structural here; the previous
+ * WeakMap-based storage had to reconstruct it by walking prototypes on every read.
+ */
+function ownModel(metadata: DecoratorMetadata): ClassModel {
+  if (!Object.hasOwn(metadata, MODEL)) {
+    const inherited = (metadata as Record<symbol, ClassModel | undefined>)[MODEL];
+    const own: ClassModel = {};
+    for (const [key, property] of Object.entries(inherited ?? {})) {
+      own[key] = { ...property, constraints: [...property.constraints] };
+    }
+    (metadata as Record<symbol, ClassModel>)[MODEL] = own;
+  }
+  return (metadata as Record<symbol, ClassModel>)[MODEL]!;
+}
+
+/**
+ * Validates a decorator context and returns the metadata object to record into.
+ *
+ * Every decorator goes through here rather than reading `context.metadata` directly, because
+ * each of the three failures below is a configuration mistake with a one-line fix, and the
+ * error you get without the check — `TypeError: Cannot convert undefined or null to object`,
+ * raised somewhere inside cereale — points at none of them.
+ *
+ * Typed as `unknown` deliberately: the whole point is to inspect a context that may not have
+ * the shape the type says it has, because it came from the wrong decorator transform.
+ */
+export function fieldMetadata(context: unknown): DecoratorMetadata {
+  const ctx = context as { kind?: unknown; name?: unknown; metadata?: unknown } | null | undefined;
+
+  // A legacy (`experimentalDecorators: true`) field decorator is invoked as
+  // `(prototype, "propertyName")`, so the second argument is a string, not a context object.
+  if (typeof ctx !== 'object' || ctx === null || typeof ctx.kind !== 'string') {
+    throw new TypeError(
+      'cereale needs TC39 standard decorators, but the compiler emitted legacy ones. ' +
+      'Set "experimentalDecorators": false in tsconfig.json (and drop "emitDecoratorMetadata"). ' +
+      'The two decorator systems cannot coexist in one program, so a project that still needs ' +
+      'legacy decorators for another library cannot use cereale yet.'
+    );
+  }
+
+  if (ctx.kind !== 'field') {
+    throw new TypeError(
+      `cereale decorators apply to fields, but this one was applied to a ${ctx.kind}.` +
+      (ctx.kind === 'accessor'
+        ? ' An `accessor` field keeps its value in a private slot that mapping and validation ' +
+          'cannot reach — declare it as a plain field instead.'
+        : '')
+    );
+  }
+
+  // Standard decorators are specified to always carry a metadata object, but the emitted
+  // helpers create it conditionally: tsc writes `Symbol.metadata ? Object.create(...) : void 0`.
+  // Importing cereale installs the `Symbol.metadata` fallback, so this only fires if the
+  // decorated class somehow evaluates first.
+  if (typeof ctx.metadata !== 'object' || ctx.metadata === null) {
+    throw new TypeError(
+      `The decorator context for "${String(ctx.name)}" carries no metadata object, so cereale ` +
+      'has nowhere to record the rule. The compiler emitted its decorator helpers without ' +
+      'metadata support: make sure cereale is imported before the decorated class is evaluated ' +
+      '(importing it installs the Symbol.metadata fallback) and that the build targets ES2022 ' +
+      'or later.'
+    );
+  }
+
+  return ctx.metadata as DecoratorMetadata;
+}
+
+/** Returns (creating if needed) the model entry for one field. */
+export function propertyModel(metadata: DecoratorMetadata, property: string): PropertyModel {
+  version++;
+  const model = ownModel(metadata);
+  return (model[property] ??= { constraints: [] });
+}
+
+/** Appends a validation rule to a field, honouring `each` and a caller-supplied message. */
+export function addConstraint(
+  metadata: DecoratorMetadata,
+  property: string,
+  constraint: ValidationConstraint,
+  options?: ValidationOptions
+): void {
+  if (options?.each) constraint.each = true;
+  if (options?.message) {
+    constraint.message = options.message;
+    constraint.hasCustomMessage = true;
+  }
+  propertyModel(metadata, property).constraints.push(constraint);
+}
+
+/** Reads the model declared on a class. Returns an empty model for undecorated classes. */
+export function modelOf(clazz: unknown): ClassModel {
+  if (typeof clazz !== 'function') return {};
+  const metadata = (clazz as unknown as Record<symbol, DecoratorMetadata | undefined>)[METADATA_KEY];
+  return (metadata as Record<symbol, ClassModel> | undefined)?.[MODEL] ?? {};
+}
+
+/**
+ * Reads the model that applies to an instance.
+ *
+ * Guarded rather than reading `obj.constructor` directly: null-prototype objects have no
+ * constructor, and an instance whose `constructor` property has been overwritten would lie.
+ */
+export function modelOfInstance(obj: object): ClassModel {
+  const prototype = Object.getPrototypeOf(obj);
+  if (!prototype) return {};
+  const descriptor = Object.getOwnPropertyDescriptor(prototype, 'constructor');
+  return modelOf(descriptor?.value);
+}
+
+/**
+ * Registers a rule on a class from outside a decorator.
+ *
+ * The escape hatch for rules that cannot be expressed at the declaration site — built from
+ * configuration, say. Prefer decorators, which are type-checked against the field.
+ */
+export function defineRule<T>(
+  clazz: ClassConstructor<T>,
+  property: keyof T & string,
+  constraint: ValidationConstraint,
+  options?: ValidationOptions
+): void {
+  const holder = clazz as unknown as Record<symbol, DecoratorMetadata | undefined>;
+  // `hasOwn`, not `??=`: a subclass with no decorators of its own *inherits* its base's
+  // metadata object through the static side of the prototype chain, and `??=` would find it
+  // non-nullish and write the rule straight into the base. Creating an own object that
+  // prototype-chains to the inherited one is what the decorator transform itself does, and it
+  // is what lets `ownModel` copy-on-write the base's rules instead of mutating them.
+  if (!Object.hasOwn(holder, METADATA_KEY)) {
+    holder[METADATA_KEY] = Object.create(holder[METADATA_KEY] ?? null) as DecoratorMetadata;
+  }
+  addConstraint(holder[METADATA_KEY]!, property, constraint, options);
+}

src/naming.ts

@@ -0,0 +1,74 @@
+/**
+ * Translates a class property name into the name used in JSON.
+ *
+ * Applied only to properties that do not carry an explicit `@JsonProperty`, which always wins.
+ */
+export type NamingStrategyFn = (propertyKey: string) => string;
+
+/**
+ * A built-in strategy name, or your own function.
+ *
+ * The built-ins assume property names are written in the TypeScript convention (camelCase)
+ * and convert away from it.
+ */
+export type NamingStrategy =
+  | 'identity'
+  | 'camelCase'
+  | 'PascalCase'
+  | 'snake_case'
+  | 'SCREAMING_SNAKE_CASE'
+  | 'kebab-case'
+  | NamingStrategyFn;
+
+/**
+ * Splits an identifier into lowercase words.
+ *
+ * Handles the two boundaries that matter in practice: a lowercase-or-digit followed by an
+ * uppercase (`firstName`), and an acronym running into a new word (`parseHTTPResponse`,
+ * where the split belongs before `Response`, not inside `HTTP`). Existing separators are
+ * treated as boundaries too, so an already-converted name survives a second pass unchanged.
+ */
+function words(propertyKey: string): string[] {
+  return propertyKey
+    .replace(/([a-z0-9])([A-Z])/g, '$1 $2')
+    .replace(/([A-Z]+)([A-Z][a-z])/g, '$1 $2')
+    .replace(/[_\-\s]+/g, ' ')
+    .trim()
+    .split(' ')
+    .filter(Boolean)
+    .map(word => word.toLowerCase());
+}
+
+const capitalize = (word: string): string => (word ? word.charAt(0).toUpperCase() + word.slice(1) : word);
+
+const BUILT_INS: Record<Exclude<NamingStrategy, NamingStrategyFn>, NamingStrategyFn> = {
+  identity: (key) => key,
+  camelCase: (key) => {
+    const parts = words(key);
+    if (parts.length === 0) return key;
+    return parts[0] + parts.slice(1).map(capitalize).join('');
+  },
+  PascalCase: (key) => words(key).map(capitalize).join('') || key,
+  snake_case: (key) => words(key).join('_') || key,
+  SCREAMING_SNAKE_CASE: (key) => words(key).join('_').toUpperCase() || key,
+  'kebab-case': (key) => words(key).join('-') || key,
+};
+
+/**
+ * Resolves a {@link NamingStrategy} to the function that implements it.
+ *
+ * @throws Error when given a name that is not one of the built-in strategies.
+ */
+export function resolveNamingStrategy(strategy: NamingStrategy | undefined): NamingStrategyFn {
+  if (!strategy) return BUILT_INS.identity;
+  if (typeof strategy === 'function') return strategy;
+
+  const builtIn = BUILT_INS[strategy];
+  if (!builtIn) {
+    throw new Error(
+      `Unknown naming strategy ${JSON.stringify(strategy)}. ` +
+      `Use one of: ${Object.keys(BUILT_INS).join(', ')}, or pass your own function.`
+    );
+  }
+  return builtIn;
+}

src/regressions.test.ts

@@ -0,0 +1,447 @@
+import { describe, it, expect } from 'vitest';
+import {
+  IsString, IsInt, Min, MinLength, Matches, IsIn, ValidateNested, JsonType,
+  JsonPolymorphic, JsonSerialize, JsonSerializer, JsonMappingError,
+  toInstance, toInstanceArray, toPlain, toJson, fromJson, fromJsonArray, fromRequest, validate,
+} from './index.js';
+
+/**
+ * Each block here pins down a defect that the engine used to have. The comment above the
+ * block describes the old, wrong behaviour.
+ */
+describe('regressions', () => {
+  describe('inheritance', () => {
+    // Was: a subclass re-decorating an inherited property registered its constraints on its
+    // own prototype, and the engine read only the nearest set — so every rule the base class
+    // declared was silently dropped.
+    it('merges validation constraints across the prototype chain', async () => {
+      class Base {
+        @MinLength(5)
+        name: string;
+      }
+      class Sub extends Base {
+        @IsString()
+        override name: string = '';
+      }
+
+      const s = new Sub();
+      s.name = 'ab'; // satisfies Sub's @IsString, violates Base's @MinLength(5)
+
+      const errors = await validate(s);
+      expect(errors).toHaveLength(1);
+      expect(errors[0]!.constraints).toHaveProperty('minLength');
+    });
+
+    it('enforces base constraints that the subclass never restates', async () => {
+      abstract class Media {
+        @IsString()
+        title: string = '';
+      }
+      class Book extends Media {
+        @IsString()
+        author: string;
+      }
+
+      const b = new Book();
+      b.title = 42 as any;
+      b.author = 'Fitzgerald';
+
+      const errors = await validate(b);
+      expect(errors.map(e => e.property)).toContain('title');
+    });
+
+    it('does not report an identical inherited rule twice', async () => {
+      class Base {
+        @IsString()
+        type: string;
+      }
+      class Sub extends Base {
+        @IsString()
+        override type: string = '';
+      }
+
+      const s = new Sub();
+      s.type = 1 as any;
+
+      const errors = await validate(s);
+      expect(errors).toHaveLength(1);
+      expect(Object.keys(errors[0]!.constraints)).toEqual(['isString']);
+    });
+  });
+
+  describe('cycles', () => {
+    // Was: serialize() recursed forever on a cycle, exhausting an 8 GB heap and killing the
+    // process. A clear error beats an OOM.
+    it('reports a circular reference instead of exhausting the heap', async () => {
+      class Node {
+        @IsString()
+        name: string;
+        next?: any;
+      }
+      const a = new Node();
+      a.name = 'a';
+      a.next = a;
+
+      await expect(toPlain(a)).rejects.toThrow(JsonMappingError);
+      await expect(toPlain(a)).rejects.toThrow(/Circular reference/);
+    });
+
+    it('still serializes a diamond, where one object is referenced twice', async () => {
+      class Leaf {
+        @IsString()
+        id: string;
+      }
+      class Holder {
+        left: Leaf;
+        right: Leaf;
+      }
+
+      const shared = new Leaf();
+      shared.id = 'shared';
+      const h = new Holder();
+      h.left = shared;
+      h.right = shared;
+
+      const plain = await toPlain(h);
+      expect(plain).toEqual({ left: { id: 'shared' }, right: { id: 'shared' } });
+    });
+
+    it('terminates when validating a cyclic @ValidateNested graph', async () => {
+      class Person {
+        @IsString()
+        name: string;
+
+        @ValidateNested()
+        friend?: Person;
+      }
+
+      const a = new Person();
+      a.name = 'a';
+      const b = new Person();
+      b.name = 'b';
+      a.friend = b;
+      b.friend = a;
+
+      await expect(validate(a)).resolves.toEqual([]);
+    });
+  });
+
+  describe('messages', () => {
+    // Was: the "each element in ..." prefix was glued onto every message, including ones the
+    // caller wrote, producing "each element in tags must all be strings".
+    it('reports a caller-supplied message verbatim under each:true', async () => {
+      class T {
+        @IsString({ each: true, message: 'tags must all be strings' })
+        tags: any[];
+      }
+      const t = new T();
+      t.tags = [1];
+
+      const errors = await validate(t);
+      expect(errors[0]!.constraints['isString']).toBe('tags must all be strings');
+    });
+
+    it('still prefixes the library default message under each:true', async () => {
+      class T {
+        @IsString({ each: true })
+        tags: any[];
+      }
+      const t = new T();
+      t.tags = [1];
+
+      const errors = await validate(t);
+      expect(errors[0]!.constraints['isString']).toContain('each element in');
+    });
+
+    // Was: two constraints sharing a name overwrote each other in the error record, so only
+    // the last failure was ever reported.
+    it('keeps every failure when two rules share a name', async () => {
+      class T {
+        @Min(10)
+        @Min(5)
+        n: number;
+      }
+      const t = new T();
+      t.n = 1;
+
+      const errors = await validate(t);
+      const messages = Object.values(errors[0]!.constraints);
+      expect(messages).toHaveLength(2);
+      expect(messages).toEqual(expect.arrayContaining([
+        'n must be at least 5',
+        'n must be at least 10',
+      ]));
+    });
+  });
+
+  describe('@Matches', () => {
+    // Was: a /g regex kept its lastIndex between calls, so validating the same value twice
+    // gave different answers — the second call spuriously failed.
+    it('is stateless when the pattern carries a g flag', async () => {
+      class T {
+        @Matches(/^[a-z]+$/g)
+        v: string;
+      }
+      const t = new T();
+      t.v = 'abc';
+
+      expect(await validate(t)).toHaveLength(0);
+      expect(await validate(t)).toHaveLength(0);
+      expect(await validate(t)).toHaveLength(0);
+    });
+
+    it('is stateless when the pattern carries a y flag', async () => {
+      class T {
+        @Matches(/^[a-z]+$/y)
+        v: string;
+      }
+      const t = new T();
+      t.v = 'abc';
+
+      expect(await validate(t)).toHaveLength(0);
+      expect(await validate(t)).toHaveLength(0);
+    });
+  });
+
+  describe('@JsonPolymorphic', () => {
+    abstract class Animal {
+      @IsString()
+      type: string;
+    }
+    class Dog extends Animal {
+      @IsString()
+      breed: string;
+    }
+
+    // Was: when the discriminator matched no subtype, the single-object branch fell through
+    // without assigning anything, so the property came back `undefined` and the caller's data
+    // vanished without a word.
+    it('keeps the raw value when the discriminator matches nothing', async () => {
+      class Holder {
+        @JsonPolymorphic('type', [{ value: Dog, name: 'dog' }])
+        pet: Animal;
+      }
+
+      const h = await toInstance(Holder, { pet: { type: 'cat', sound: 'meow' } });
+      expect(h.pet).toBeDefined();
+      expect(h.pet).toEqual({ type: 'cat', sound: 'meow' });
+    });
+
+    it('can be told to reject an unknown discriminator instead', async () => {
+      class Holder {
+        @JsonPolymorphic('type', [{ value: Dog, name: 'dog' }], { onUnknown: 'error' })
+        pet: Animal;
+      }
+
+      await expect(toInstance(Holder, { pet: { type: 'cat' } })).rejects.toThrow(JsonMappingError);
+      await expect(toInstance(Holder, { pet: { type: 'cat' } })).rejects.toThrow(/Unknown discriminator/);
+    });
+
+    it('can fall back to a default subtype', async () => {
+      class Unknown extends Animal {
+        @IsString()
+        override type = 'unknown';
+      }
+      class Holder {
+        @JsonPolymorphic('type', [{ value: Dog, name: 'dog' }], { fallback: Unknown })
+        pet: Animal;
+      }
+
+      const h = await toInstance(Holder, { pet: { type: 'cat' } });
+      expect(h.pet).toBeInstanceOf(Unknown);
+    });
+
+    it('keeps unmatched entries inside an array', async () => {
+      class Holder {
+        @JsonPolymorphic('type', [{ value: Dog, name: 'dog' }])
+        pets: Animal[];
+      }
+
+      const h = await toInstance(Holder, {
+        pets: [{ type: 'dog', breed: 'Lab' }, { type: 'cat', sound: 'meow' }],
+      });
+      expect(h.pets[0]).toBeInstanceOf(Dog);
+      expect(h.pets[1]).toEqual({ type: 'cat', sound: 'meow' });
+    });
+  });
+
+  describe('prototype handling', () => {
+    // Was: serialize() read `obj.constructor.prototype`, which throws for an object created
+    // with a null prototype because it has no `constructor`.
+    it('serializes a null-prototype object', async () => {
+      const o = Object.create(null);
+      o.a = 1;
+      o.b = { c: 2 };
+
+      await expect(toPlain(o)).resolves.toEqual({ a: 1, b: { c: 2 } });
+    });
+
+    // Was: `__proto__` arriving in a JSON body was copied straight onto the instance, which
+    // swaps the instance's prototype and detaches it from its own class.
+    it('drops __proto__ from untrusted input', async () => {
+      class Dto {
+        @IsString()
+        name: string;
+      }
+
+      const malicious = JSON.parse('{"name":"x","__proto__":{"polluted":"yes"}}');
+      const dto = await toInstance(Dto, malicious);
+
+      expect(dto).toBeInstanceOf(Dto);
+      expect(Object.getPrototypeOf(dto)).toBe(Dto.prototype);
+      expect(({} as any).polluted).toBeUndefined();
+    });
+
+    it('drops constructor and prototype keys from untrusted input', async () => {
+      class Dto {
+        @IsString()
+        name: string;
+      }
+
+      const dto = await toInstance(Dto, JSON.parse('{"name":"x","constructor":1,"prototype":2}'));
+      expect(dto.constructor).toBe(Dto);
+      expect((dto as any).prototype).toBeUndefined();
+    });
+  });
+
+  describe('custom serializers', () => {
+    // Was: a @JsonSerialize serializer was invoked even when the property was null or
+    // undefined, so any serializer that touched the value crashed on an unset optional field.
+    it('is skipped for an unset optional property', async () => {
+      class IsoDate implements JsonSerializer<Date, string> {
+        serialize(value: Date): string {
+          return value.toISOString();
+        }
+      }
+      class T {
+        @JsonSerialize(IsoDate)
+        when?: Date | undefined;
+
+        @IsString()
+        other: string;
+      }
+
+      const t = new T();
+      t.other = 'x';
+      t.when = undefined;
+
+      await expect(toPlain(t)).resolves.toEqual({ when: undefined, other: 'x' });
+    });
+
+    it('still runs for a property that has a value', async () => {
+      class IsoDate implements JsonSerializer<Date, string> {
+        serialize(value: Date): string {
+          return value.toISOString().slice(0, 10);
+        }
+      }
+      class T {
+        @JsonSerialize(IsoDate)
+        when: Date;
+      }
+
+      const t = new T();
+      t.when = new Date('1925-04-10T00:00:00Z');
+
+      await expect(toJson(t)).resolves.toBe('{"when":"1925-04-10"}');
+    });
+  });
+
+  describe('array entry points', () => {
+    class Item {
+      @IsString()
+      name: string;
+    }
+
+    // Was: `toInstance`/`fromJson` accepted arrays at runtime but typed the result as `T`,
+    // so consumers had to cast to reach the elements.
+    it('toInstanceArray returns a correctly typed array', async () => {
+      const items = await toInstanceArray(Item, [{ name: 'a' }, { name: 'b' }]);
+      expect(items).toHaveLength(2);
+      expect(items[0]).toBeInstanceOf(Item);
+      expect(items[0]!.name).toBe('a');
+    });
+
+    it('fromJsonArray parses and validates a JSON array', async () => {
+      const items = await fromJsonArray(Item, '[{"name":"a"}]');
+      expect(items[0]!.name).toBe('a');
+    });
+
+    it('toInstanceArray rejects a non-array payload', async () => {
+      await expect(toInstanceArray(Item, {} as any)).rejects.toThrow(JsonMappingError);
+    });
+
+    it('fromJson still accepts an array for backwards compatibility', async () => {
+      const items = (await fromJson(Item, '[{"name":"a"}]')) as unknown as Item[];
+      expect(Array.isArray(items)).toBe(true);
+    });
+  });
+
+  describe('fromRequest', () => {
+    it('reports a non-JSON body as a mapping error', async () => {
+      class Dto {
+        @IsString()
+        name: string;
+      }
+      const request = new Request('https://example.com', { method: 'POST', body: 'not json' });
+
+      await expect(fromRequest(Dto, request)).rejects.toThrow(JsonMappingError);
+      await expect(
+        fromRequest(Dto, new Request('https://example.com', { method: 'POST', body: '' }))
+      ).rejects.toThrow(/not valid JSON/);
+    });
+  });
+
+  describe('@ValidateNested', () => {
+    it('accepts the documented { each: true } option', async () => {
+      class Item {
+        @IsInt()
+        @Min(1)
+        qty: number;
+      }
+      class Order {
+        @ValidateNested({ each: true })
+        @JsonType(() => Item)
+        items: Item[];
+      }
+
+      const bad = new Item();
+      bad.qty = -5;
+      const o = new Order();
+      o.items = [bad];
+
+      const errors = await validate(o);
+      expect(errors).toHaveLength(1);
+      expect(errors[0]!.children?.[0]?.children?.[0]?.property).toBe('qty');
+    });
+
+    it('{ each: true } asserts the value really is an array', async () => {
+      class Item {
+        @IsInt()
+        qty: number;
+      }
+      class Order {
+        @ValidateNested({ each: true })
+        items: Item[];
+      }
+
+      const o = new Order();
+      o.items = 'nope' as any;
+
+      const errors = await validate(o);
+      expect(errors[0]!.constraints).toHaveProperty('nestedEach');
+    });
+  });
+
+  describe('@IsIn with each:true', () => {
+    it('rejects a non-array value rather than passing it through', async () => {
+      class T {
+        @IsIn(['a', 'b'], { each: true })
+        tags: any;
+      }
+      const t = new T();
+      t.tags = 'not-allowed';
+
+      expect(await validate(t)).toHaveLength(1);
+    });
+  });
+});

src/representable.test.ts

@@ -0,0 +1,185 @@
+import { describe, it, expect } from 'vitest';
+import {
+  IsString, JsonIgnore, JsonSerialize, JsonSerializer, JsonMappingError,
+  toPlain, toPlainSync, defineRule, modelOf, validateSync,
+} from './index.js';
+
+/**
+ * Before 0.3.0 every case in this file produced `{}` (or index-keyed noise, or a bigint that
+ * made the caller's own `JSON.stringify` throw somewhere unrelated) with nothing logged and
+ * no error raised. A mapping layer that loses data quietly is worse than one that stops.
+ */
+describe('values JSON cannot carry', () => {
+  class Basket {
+    // Typed loosely on purpose: the point is what happens at runtime, and the decorators are
+    // deliberately absent so nothing is claiming to handle these.
+    items: any;
+  }
+
+  const withItems = (items: unknown) => Object.assign(new Basket(), { items });
+
+  const cases: [string, unknown, RegExp][] = [
+    ['a Map', new Map([['a', 1]]), /is a Map/],
+    ['a Set', new Set([1, 2]), /is a Set/],
+    ['a WeakMap', new WeakMap(), /is a WeakMap/],
+    ['a WeakSet', new WeakSet(), /is a WeakSet/],
+    ['a Promise', Promise.resolve(1), /is a Promise/],
+    ['a RegExp', /abc/g, /is a RegExp/],
+    ['an Error', new Error('boom'), /is an Error/],
+    ['a TypeError', new TypeError('boom'), /is an Error/],
+    ['an ArrayBuffer', new ArrayBuffer(8), /is an ArrayBuffer/],
+    ['a DataView', new DataView(new ArrayBuffer(8)), /is a DataView/],
+    ['a Uint8Array', new Uint8Array([1, 2, 3]), /is a Uint8Array/],
+    ['a Float64Array', new Float64Array([1.5]), /is a Float64Array/],
+    ['a bigint', 10n, /is a bigint/],
+    ['a symbol', Symbol('x'), /is a symbol/],
+    ['a function', () => 1, /is a function/],
+  ];
+
+  for (const [label, value, expected] of cases) {
+    it(`refuses ${label}`, () => {
+      expect(() => toPlainSync(withItems(value), { validate: false })).toThrow(JsonMappingError);
+      expect(() => toPlainSync(withItems(value), { validate: false })).toThrow(expected);
+    });
+  }
+
+  it('names the property in the message and points at the way out', () => {
+    expect(() => toPlainSync(withItems(new Map()), { validate: false }))
+      .toThrow(/items is a Map.*@JsonSerialize\(\).*@JsonIgnore\(\)/s);
+  });
+
+  it('names the full path through nested objects and arrays', () => {
+    class Line { tags: any }
+    class Order { lines: any }
+    const order = Object.assign(new Order(), {
+      lines: [Object.assign(new Line(), { tags: [] }), Object.assign(new Line(), { tags: [new Set(['a'])] })],
+    });
+
+    expect(() => toPlainSync(order, { validate: false })).toThrow(/lines\[1\]\.tags\[0\] is a Set/);
+  });
+
+  it('reports the root when the offending value is the argument itself', () => {
+    expect(() => toPlainSync(new Map(), { validate: false })).toThrow(/the value passed in is a Map/);
+  });
+
+  it('still allows the built-ins that do map cleanly', () => {
+    class Fine {
+      when = new Date('2024-01-01T00:00:00.000Z');
+      list = [1, 'two', true, null];
+      nested = { deep: { deeper: [{ ok: true }] } };
+      empty = {};
+    }
+
+    expect(toPlainSync(new Fine(), { validate: false })).toEqual({
+      when: '2024-01-01T00:00:00.000Z',
+      list: [1, 'two', true, null],
+      nested: { deep: { deeper: [{ ok: true }] } },
+      empty: {},
+    });
+  });
+
+  it('accepts a Map once a serializer converts it', () => {
+    class TagsSerializer implements JsonSerializer<Map<string, number>, Record<string, number>> {
+      serialize(value: Map<string, number>) { return Object.fromEntries(value); }
+    }
+
+    class Post {
+      @JsonSerialize(TagsSerializer)
+      tags!: Map<string, number>;
+    }
+
+    const post = new Post();
+    post.tags = new Map([['a', 1], ['b', 2]]);
+    expect(toPlainSync(post, { validate: false })).toEqual({ tags: { a: 1, b: 2 } });
+  });
+
+  it('accepts a Map once the property is ignored', () => {
+    class Cache {
+      @IsString() name = 'x';
+      @JsonIgnore() entries = new Map([['a', 1]]);
+    }
+
+    expect(toPlainSync(new Cache(), { validate: false })).toEqual({ name: 'x' });
+  });
+
+  it('refuses a serializer that hands back something unrepresentable', () => {
+    class BadSerializer implements JsonSerializer<string, unknown> {
+      serialize() { return new Set(['still a Set']); }
+    }
+
+    class Thing {
+      @JsonSerialize(BadSerializer)
+      label!: string;
+    }
+
+    const thing = new Thing();
+    thing.label = 'x';
+    expect(() => toPlainSync(thing, { validate: false })).toThrow(/label is a Set/);
+  });
+
+  it('refuses an async serializer that resolves to something unrepresentable', async () => {
+    class SlowBadSerializer implements JsonSerializer<string, unknown> {
+      async serialize() { return new Map([['a', 1]]); }
+    }
+
+    class Thing {
+      @JsonSerialize(SlowBadSerializer)
+      label!: string;
+    }
+
+    const thing = new Thing();
+    thing.label = 'x';
+    await expect(toPlain(thing, { validate: false })).rejects.toThrow(/label is a Map/);
+  });
+});
+
+describe('serialization error paths', () => {
+  it('names where the cycle was found', () => {
+    class Node { name = 'root'; child: any = null; parent: any = null }
+    const root = new Node();
+    const child = new Node();
+    child.name = 'child';
+    child.parent = root;
+    root.child = child;
+
+    expect(() => toPlainSync(root, { validate: false })).toThrow(/at child\.parent/);
+  });
+
+  it('names where the depth limit was hit', () => {
+    class Deep { next: any = null }
+    const root = new Deep();
+    let tip = root;
+    for (let i = 0; i < 5; i++) {
+      tip.next = new Deep();
+      tip = tip.next;
+    }
+
+    expect(() => toPlainSync(root, { validate: false, maxDepth: 3 }))
+      .toThrow(/exceeded while serializing at next\.next\.next/);
+  });
+});
+
+describe('defineRule', () => {
+  // `??=` on an inherited static symbol property finds the base class's metadata object and
+  // never creates an own one, so the rule lands on the base and every sibling inherits it.
+  it('does not write a subclass rule into its base class', () => {
+    class Base {
+      @IsString() name!: string;
+    }
+    class Sub extends Base { extra!: string }
+    class Sibling extends Base { }
+
+    defineRule(Sub, 'extra', {
+      name: 'isShouty',
+      validate: (v: any) => typeof v === 'string' && v === v.toUpperCase(),
+      message: 'extra must be upper case',
+    });
+
+    expect(Object.keys(modelOf(Sub)).sort()).toEqual(['extra', 'name']);
+    expect(Object.keys(modelOf(Base))).toEqual(['name']);
+    expect(Object.keys(modelOf(Sibling))).toEqual(['name']);
+
+    const sibling = Object.assign(new Sibling(), { name: 'ok' });
+    expect(validateSync(sibling)).toEqual([]);
+  });
+});

src/sync.test.ts

@@ -0,0 +1,400 @@
+import { describe, it, expect } from 'vitest';
+import {
+  IsString, IsInt, Min, MinLength, IsIn, ValidateNested, JsonType, JsonProperty,
+  JsonSerialize, JsonDeserialize, JsonSerializer, JsonDeserializer,
+  JsonIgnore, JsonWriteOnly, Validate, JsonMappingError, JsonValidationError, REDACTED,
+  validate, validateSync, validateOrReject, validateOrRejectSync,
+  toPlain, toPlainSync, toJson, toJsonSync,
+  toInstance, toInstanceSync, toInstanceArray, toInstanceArraySync,
+  fromJsonSync, fromJsonArraySync,
+  flattenErrors,
+} from './index.js';
+
+class Upper implements JsonSerializer<string, string> {
+  serialize(value: string): string { return value.toUpperCase(); }
+}
+class Lower implements JsonDeserializer<string, string> {
+  deserialize(value: string): string { return value.toLowerCase(); }
+}
+
+class User {
+  @JsonProperty('display_name')
+  @IsString()
+  @MinLength(2)
+  displayName: string;
+
+  @IsInt()
+  @Min(0)
+  age: number;
+}
+
+describe('synchronous API', () => {
+  it('toInstanceSync / fromJsonSync map and validate without a Promise', () => {
+    const user = toInstanceSync(User, { display_name: 'Ada', age: 36 });
+    expect(user).toBeInstanceOf(User);
+    expect(user.displayName).toBe('Ada');
+
+    const parsed = fromJsonSync(User, '{"display_name":"Ada","age":36}');
+    expect(parsed.displayName).toBe('Ada');
+  });
+
+  it('toPlainSync / toJsonSync round-trip', () => {
+    const user = new User();
+    user.displayName = 'Ada';
+    user.age = 36;
+
+    expect(toPlainSync(user)).toEqual({ display_name: 'Ada', age: 36 });
+    expect(toJsonSync(user)).toBe('{"display_name":"Ada","age":36}');
+  });
+
+  it('validateSync returns the same errors as validate', async () => {
+    const user = new User();
+    user.displayName = 'A';
+    user.age = -1;
+
+    const sync = validateSync(user);
+    const async = await validate(user);
+    expect(flattenErrors(sync)).toEqual(flattenErrors(async));
+    expect(Object.keys(flattenErrors(sync))).toEqual(['displayName', 'age']);
+  });
+
+  it('throws JsonValidationError on invalid input, like the async form', () => {
+    expect(() => toInstanceSync(User, { display_name: 'A', age: 5 })).toThrow(JsonValidationError);
+    expect(() => validateOrRejectSync(Object.assign(new User(), { displayName: 'A', age: 1 })))
+      .toThrow(JsonValidationError);
+  });
+
+  it('honours options', () => {
+    const lenient = toInstanceSync(User, { display_name: 'A', age: -1 }, { validate: false });
+    expect(lenient.displayName).toBe('A');
+
+    expect(() => toInstanceSync(User, { display_name: 'Ada', age: 1, stray: 1 }, { unknownKeys: 'error' }))
+      .toThrow(/Unknown property "stray"/);
+  });
+
+  it('array entry points work synchronously', () => {
+    class Item {
+      @IsString()
+      name: string;
+    }
+    expect(toInstanceArraySync(Item, [{ name: 'a' }])[0]!.name).toBe('a');
+    expect(fromJsonArraySync(Item, '[{"name":"b"}]')[0]!.name).toBe('b');
+    expect(() => toInstanceArraySync(Item, {} as any)).toThrow(JsonMappingError);
+  });
+
+  it('runs synchronous custom serializers and deserializers', () => {
+    class Doc {
+      @JsonSerialize(Upper)
+      @JsonDeserialize(Lower)
+      code: string;
+    }
+    const doc = toInstanceSync(Doc, { code: 'ABC' }, { validate: false });
+    expect(doc.code).toBe('abc');
+    expect(toPlainSync(doc)).toEqual({ code: 'ABC' });
+  });
+
+  it('handles nesting, cycles and depth the same way', () => {
+    class Child { @IsString() name: string; }
+    class Parent {
+      @ValidateNested()
+      @JsonType(() => Child)
+      child: Child;
+    }
+    const parent = toInstanceSync(Parent, { child: { name: 'x' } });
+    expect(parent.child).toBeInstanceOf(Child);
+
+    const cyclic: any = new Parent();
+    cyclic.child = cyclic;
+    expect(() => toPlainSync(cyclic, { validate: false })).toThrow(/Circular reference/);
+  });
+});
+
+describe('synchronous API refuses asynchronous hooks', () => {
+  class SlowSerializer implements JsonSerializer<string, string> {
+    async serialize(value: string): Promise<string> { return value.toUpperCase(); }
+  }
+  class SlowDeserializer implements JsonDeserializer<string, string> {
+    async deserialize(value: string): Promise<string> { return value.toLowerCase(); }
+  }
+
+  it('reports a clear error for an async serializer and names the async alternative', () => {
+    class Doc {
+      @JsonSerialize(SlowSerializer)
+      code: string;
+    }
+    const doc = new Doc();
+    doc.code = 'abc';
+
+    expect(() => toPlainSync(doc, { validate: false })).toThrow(JsonMappingError);
+    expect(() => toPlainSync(doc, { validate: false })).toThrow(/toPlainSync\(\) requires every/);
+    expect(() => toPlainSync(doc, { validate: false })).toThrow(/Use toPlain\(\) instead/);
+  });
+
+  it('reports a clear error for an async deserializer', () => {
+    class Doc {
+      @JsonDeserialize(SlowDeserializer)
+      code: string;
+    }
+    expect(() => toInstanceSync(Doc, { code: 'ABC' }, { validate: false }))
+      .toThrow(/toInstanceSync\(\) requires every/);
+  });
+
+  it('reports a clear error for an async validator', () => {
+    class Doc {
+      @Validate(async (v: any) => v === 'ok')
+      code: string;
+    }
+    const doc = new Doc();
+    doc.code = 'ok';
+    expect(() => validateSync(doc)).toThrow(/validateSync\(\) requires every/);
+  });
+
+  it('does not leave an unhandled rejection behind when it refuses', async () => {
+    class Exploding implements JsonSerializer<string, string> {
+      serialize(): Promise<string> { return Promise.reject(new Error('boom')); }
+    }
+    class Doc {
+      @JsonSerialize(Exploding)
+      code: string;
+    }
+    const doc = new Doc();
+    doc.code = 'x';
+
+    const unhandled: unknown[] = [];
+    const onUnhandled = (reason: unknown) => unhandled.push(reason);
+    process.on('unhandledRejection', onUnhandled);
+    try {
+      expect(() => toPlainSync(doc, { validate: false })).toThrow(JsonMappingError);
+      await new Promise(resolve => setTimeout(resolve, 20));
+    } finally {
+      process.off('unhandledRejection', onUnhandled);
+    }
+    expect(unhandled).toEqual([]);
+  });
+});
+
+describe('the async API still supports asynchronous hooks', () => {
+  it('awaits an async serializer', async () => {
+    class Slow implements JsonSerializer<string, string> {
+      async serialize(value: string): Promise<string> {
+        await new Promise(resolve => setTimeout(resolve, 1));
+        return value.toUpperCase();
+      }
+    }
+    class Doc {
+      @JsonSerialize(Slow)
+      code: string;
+
+      @IsString()
+      other: string;
+    }
+    const doc = new Doc();
+    doc.code = 'abc';
+    doc.other = 'kept';
+
+    await expect(toPlain(doc)).resolves.toEqual({ code: 'ABC', other: 'kept' });
+    await expect(toJson(doc)).resolves.toBe('{"code":"ABC","other":"kept"}');
+  });
+
+  it('awaits an async deserializer, including inside a nested type', async () => {
+    class Slow implements JsonDeserializer<string, Date> {
+      async deserialize(value: string): Promise<Date> {
+        await new Promise(resolve => setTimeout(resolve, 1));
+        return new Date(value);
+      }
+    }
+    class Child {
+      @JsonDeserialize(Slow)
+      at: Date;
+    }
+    class Parent {
+      @JsonType(() => Child)
+      child: Child;
+    }
+
+    const parent = await toInstance(Parent, { child: { at: '2026-01-01T00:00:00Z' } }, { validate: false });
+    expect(parent.child.at).toBeInstanceOf(Date);
+    expect(parent.child.at.getUTCFullYear()).toBe(2026);
+  });
+
+  it('awaits an async deserializer inside an array', async () => {
+    class Slow implements JsonDeserializer<string, string> {
+      async deserialize(value: string): Promise<string> { return value.toUpperCase(); }
+    }
+    class Row {
+      @JsonDeserialize(Slow)
+      code: string;
+    }
+    const rows = await toInstanceArray(Row, [{ code: 'a' }, { code: 'b' }], { validate: false });
+    expect(rows.map(r => r.code)).toEqual(['A', 'B']);
+  });
+
+  it('awaits an async validator and reports its failure', async () => {
+    class Doc {
+      @Validate(async (v: any) => {
+        await new Promise(resolve => setTimeout(resolve, 1));
+        return v === 'ok';
+      }, { message: 'must be ok' })
+      code: string;
+    }
+    const doc = new Doc();
+
+    doc.code = 'ok';
+    await expect(validate(doc)).resolves.toEqual([]);
+
+    doc.code = 'wrong';
+    const errors = await validate(doc);
+    expect(errors).toHaveLength(1);
+    expect(errors[0]!.constraints['custom']).toBe('must be ok');
+  });
+
+  it('awaits an async validator under each: true and keeps the index', async () => {
+    class Doc {
+      @Validate(async (v: any) => v === 'ok', { each: true })
+      codes: string[];
+    }
+    const doc = new Doc();
+
+    doc.codes = ['ok', 'ok'];
+    await expect(validate(doc)).resolves.toEqual([]);
+
+    doc.codes = ['ok', 'ok', 'bad'];
+    const errors = await validate(doc);
+    expect(errors).toHaveLength(1);
+    expect(errors[0]!.constraints['custom']).toContain('failed at index 2');
+  });
+
+  it('mixes sync and async validators on one object without losing either failure', async () => {
+    class Doc {
+      @IsString()
+      name: any;
+
+      @Validate(async (v: any) => v > 0, { message: 'must be positive' })
+      amount: number;
+    }
+    const doc = new Doc();
+    doc.name = 123;
+    doc.amount = -5;
+
+    const flat = flattenErrors(await validate(doc));
+    expect(flat['name']).toEqual(['name must be a string']);
+    expect(flat['amount']).toEqual(['must be positive']);
+  });
+
+  it('prunes provisional entries for async validators that pass', async () => {
+    class Doc {
+      @Validate(async () => true)
+      a: string;
+
+      @Validate(async () => true)
+      b: string;
+    }
+    await expect(validate(new Doc())).resolves.toEqual([]);
+  });
+
+  it('validateOrReject still rejects on an async failure', async () => {
+    class Doc {
+      @Validate(async () => false)
+      code: string;
+    }
+    await expect(validateOrReject(new Doc())).rejects.toThrow(JsonValidationError);
+  });
+});
+
+describe('write-only redaction in validation errors', () => {
+  it('redacts a @JsonWriteOnly value but keeps the failure message', async () => {
+    class Credentials {
+      @IsString()
+      email: string;
+
+      @JsonWriteOnly()
+      @IsString()
+      @MinLength(12)
+      password: string;
+    }
+
+    const creds = new Credentials();
+    creds.email = 'ada@example.com';
+    creds.password = 'hunter2';
+
+    const errors = await validate(creds);
+    const failure = errors.find(e => e.property === 'password')!;
+
+    expect(failure.value).toBe(REDACTED);
+    expect(failure.constraints['minLength']).toContain('12');
+    expect(JSON.stringify(errors)).not.toContain('hunter2');
+  });
+
+  it('redacts @JsonIgnore values too', async () => {
+    class Record {
+      @JsonIgnore()
+      @IsString()
+      internalSecret: any;
+    }
+    const record = new Record();
+    record.internalSecret = 999;
+
+    const errors = await validate(record);
+    expect(errors[0]!.value).toBe(REDACTED);
+    expect(JSON.stringify(errors)).not.toContain('999');
+  });
+
+  it('leaves ordinary property values in place', async () => {
+    class Doc {
+      @IsString()
+      name: any;
+    }
+    const doc = new Doc();
+    doc.name = 42;
+
+    const errors = await validate(doc);
+    expect(errors[0]!.value).toBe(42);
+  });
+
+  it('keeps the secret out of a thrown JsonValidationError', async () => {
+    class SignUp {
+      @JsonWriteOnly()
+      @IsString()
+      @MinLength(12)
+      password: string;
+    }
+
+    await expect(toInstance(SignUp, { password: 'short' })).rejects.toThrow(JsonValidationError);
+    try {
+      await toInstance(SignUp, { password: 'short' });
+    } catch (error) {
+      expect(String((error as JsonValidationError).toString())).not.toContain('short');
+    }
+  });
+
+  it('redacts in the synchronous path as well', () => {
+    class Credentials {
+      @JsonWriteOnly()
+      @IsString()
+      @MinLength(12)
+      password: string;
+    }
+    const creds = new Credentials();
+    creds.password = 'hunter2';
+
+    expect(validateSync(creds)[0]!.value).toBe(REDACTED);
+  });
+
+  it('does not redact a value that merely sits next to a secret', async () => {
+    class Form {
+      @IsIn(['a', 'b'])
+      choice!: 'a' | 'b';
+
+      @JsonWriteOnly()
+      @IsString()
+      token: string;
+    }
+    const form = new Form();
+    form.choice = 'zzz' as 'a';
+    form.token = 'secret-token';
+
+    const errors = await validate(form);
+    expect(errors.find(e => e.property === 'choice')!.value).toBe('zzz');
+    expect(JSON.stringify(errors)).not.toContain('secret-token');
+  });
+});

src/toolchain.test.ts

@@ -0,0 +1,204 @@
+import { describe, it, expect, beforeAll, afterAll } from 'vitest';
+import { mkdtemp, rm, writeFile } from 'node:fs/promises';
+import { pathToFileURL } from 'node:url';
+import { tmpdir } from 'node:os';
+import path from 'node:path';
+import ts from 'typescript';
+import { transform } from 'esbuild';
+import { transform as swcTransform } from '@swc/core';
+
+import { IsString, modelOf } from './index.js';
+import { standardDecorators } from './vite.js';
+
+/**
+ * The support matrix in the README, executed.
+ *
+ * cereale reads `context.metadata`, which only exists if the compiler emitted TC39 standard
+ * decorators — so which compiler a consumer uses, and how it is configured, decides whether
+ * the library works at all. Claiming that in prose is not worth much; each row below actually
+ * compiles a decorated class with the tool in question and checks the metadata arrived.
+ *
+ * The one row that cannot run here is oxc, the transformer Vite 8 and Vitest 4 use, because it
+ * ships inside a native binary with no standalone transform API. Its behaviour is why
+ * `cereale/vite` exists, and the plugin is covered further down.
+ */
+const PROBE = `
+const Rule = globalThis.__cerealeProbeRule;
+
+export class Probe {
+  @Rule() name;
+}
+`;
+
+/** Compiler options a consumer needs for cereale to work. */
+const STANDARD = { experimentalDecorators: false, useDefineForClassFields: true };
+/** What most existing TypeScript projects still have, because class-validator required it. */
+const LEGACY = { experimentalDecorators: true, useDefineForClassFields: false };
+
+const emit = {
+  tsc(source: string, options: typeof STANDARD): string {
+    return ts.transpileModule(source, {
+      compilerOptions: {
+        target: ts.ScriptTarget.ES2022,
+        module: ts.ModuleKind.ESNext,
+        ...options,
+      },
+    }).outputText;
+  },
+  async esbuild(source: string, options: typeof STANDARD): Promise<string> {
+    const result = await transform(source, {
+      loader: 'ts',
+      target: 'es2022',
+      tsconfigRaw: { compilerOptions: options },
+    });
+    return result.code;
+  },
+  async swc(source: string, options: typeof STANDARD): Promise<string> {
+    const result = await swcTransform(source, {
+      filename: 'probe.ts',
+      jsc: {
+        parser: { syntax: 'typescript', decorators: true },
+        target: 'es2022',
+        // swc spells the choice as a proposal date rather than a boolean.
+        transform: { decoratorVersion: options.experimentalDecorators ? '2021-12' : '2022-03' },
+      },
+      module: { type: 'es6' },
+    });
+    return result.code;
+  },
+};
+
+let workspace: string;
+let counter = 0;
+
+beforeAll(async () => {
+  workspace = await mkdtemp(path.join(tmpdir(), 'cereale-toolchain-'));
+  // The emitted probe reaches the decorator through a global rather than an import, so that
+  // it needs no module resolution back into a package that has not been built yet.
+  (globalThis as Record<string, unknown>).__cerealeProbeRule = IsString;
+});
+
+afterAll(async () => {
+  delete (globalThis as Record<string, unknown>).__cerealeProbeRule;
+  await rm(workspace, { recursive: true, force: true });
+});
+
+/** Writes emitted JavaScript to disk and imports it, the way a consumer's runtime would. */
+async function load(code: string): Promise<{ Probe: unknown }> {
+  const file = path.join(workspace, `probe-${counter++}.mjs`);
+  await writeFile(file, code);
+  return import(pathToFileURL(file).href) as Promise<{ Probe: unknown }>;
+}
+
+describe('compilers that emit standard decorators', () => {
+  it('tsc records the rule', async () => {
+    const { Probe } = await load(emit.tsc(PROBE, STANDARD));
+    expect(Object.keys(modelOf(Probe))).toEqual(['name']);
+  });
+
+  it('esbuild records the rule', async () => {
+    const { Probe } = await load(await emit.esbuild(PROBE, STANDARD));
+    expect(Object.keys(modelOf(Probe))).toEqual(['name']);
+  });
+
+  it('swc records the rule', async () => {
+    const { Probe } = await load(await emit.swc(PROBE, STANDARD));
+    expect(Object.keys(modelOf(Probe))).toEqual(['name']);
+  });
+
+  // esbuild lowers standard decorators only when its own top-level `target` is below `esnext`.
+  // A `target` inside `tsconfigRaw` sets the `useDefineForClassFields` default and nothing else,
+  // so the natural-looking "put the tsconfig settings in tsconfigRaw" configuration leaves the
+  // decorator syntax in the output — the same silent passthrough oxc produces. Documented here
+  // because the README and the landing page both tell people how to configure esbuild.
+  it('needs esbuild’s own target, not one inside tsconfigRaw', async () => {
+    const withoutTarget = await transform(PROBE, {
+      loader: 'ts',
+      tsconfigRaw: { compilerOptions: { experimentalDecorators: false, target: 'es2022' } },
+    });
+    expect(withoutTarget.code, 'expected the decorator to survive untransformed').toMatch(/@Rule\(\)/);
+
+    const withTarget = await transform(PROBE, {
+      loader: 'ts',
+      target: 'es2022',
+      tsconfigRaw: { compilerOptions: { experimentalDecorators: false, useDefineForClassFields: true } },
+    });
+    expect(withTarget.code).not.toMatch(/@Rule\(\)/);
+  });
+});
+
+describe('compilers configured for legacy decorators', () => {
+  // Left unguarded, both of these die inside cereale with `TypeError: Cannot convert undefined
+  // or null to object`, which names neither the cause nor the setting that fixes it.
+  it('tsc emit is refused by name', async () => {
+    await expect(load(emit.tsc(PROBE, LEGACY))).rejects.toThrow(/experimentalDecorators/);
+  });
+
+  it('esbuild emit is refused by name', async () => {
+    await expect(load(await emit.esbuild(PROBE, LEGACY))).rejects.toThrow(/experimentalDecorators/);
+  });
+
+  it('swc emit is refused by name', async () => {
+    await expect(load(await emit.swc(PROBE, LEGACY))).rejects.toThrow(/experimentalDecorators/);
+  });
+});
+
+describe('cereale/vite', () => {
+  const plugin = (options?: Parameters<typeof standardDecorators>[0]) => standardDecorators(options);
+
+  it('lowers decorator syntax that oxc would pass through untouched', async () => {
+    const result = await plugin().transform(PROBE, '/app/src/model.ts');
+    expect(result).not.toBeNull();
+    expect(result!.code).not.toMatch(/@Rule\(\)/);
+
+    const { Probe } = await load(result!.code);
+    expect(Object.keys(modelOf(Probe))).toEqual(['name']);
+  });
+
+  it('produces working output through the TypeScript compiler too', async () => {
+    const result = await plugin({ transformer: 'typescript' }).transform(PROBE, '/app/src/model.ts');
+    const { Probe } = await load(result!.code);
+    expect(Object.keys(modelOf(Probe))).toEqual(['name']);
+  });
+
+  it('emits a source map', async () => {
+    const result = await plugin().transform(PROBE, '/app/src/model.ts');
+    expect(result!.map).toBeTruthy();
+  });
+
+  // tsc appends one pointing at a file that was never written; Vite follows it and logs a
+  // failure to read the map for every transformed module.
+  it('does not leave a sourceMappingURL comment behind', async () => {
+    for (const transformer of ['esbuild', 'typescript'] as const) {
+      const result = await plugin({ transformer }).transform(PROBE, '/app/src/model.ts');
+      expect(result!.code, transformer).not.toMatch(/sourceMappingURL/);
+    }
+  });
+
+  for (const id of ['/app/src/model.ts', '/app/src/model.mts', '/app/src/model.cts', '/app/src/model.ts?v=123']) {
+    it(`transforms ${id}`, async () => {
+      expect(await plugin().transform(PROBE, id)).not.toBeNull();
+    });
+  }
+
+  for (const id of ['/app/node_modules/dep/model.ts', '/app/src/model.js', '/app/src/model.tsx', '/app/src/style.css']) {
+    it(`leaves ${id} alone`, async () => {
+      expect(await plugin().transform(PROBE, id)).toBeNull();
+    });
+  }
+
+  it('honours a caller-supplied include', async () => {
+    const onlyModels = plugin({ include: id => id.includes('/models/') });
+    expect(await onlyModels.transform(PROBE, '/app/src/models/user.ts')).not.toBeNull();
+    expect(await onlyModels.transform(PROBE, '/app/src/routes/user.ts')).toBeNull();
+  });
+
+  it('runs before Vite’s own transform', () => {
+    expect(plugin().enforce).toBe('pre');
+  });
+
+  it('rejects a target the compiler does not know', async () => {
+    const bad = plugin({ transformer: 'typescript', target: 'es1999' });
+    await expect(bad.transform(PROBE, '/app/src/model.ts')).rejects.toThrow(/es1999/);
+  });
+});

src/type-safety.test.ts

@@ -0,0 +1,176 @@
+import { describe, it, expect } from 'vitest';
+import { execFileSync } from 'node:child_process';
+import { mkdtempSync, writeFileSync, rmSync } from 'node:fs';
+import { tmpdir } from 'node:os';
+import { join, resolve } from 'node:path';
+
+/**
+ * The headline guarantee of v2 is that a rule cannot be attached to a field it does not fit.
+ * That is a *compile-time* claim, so asserting it needs the compiler: each case below is
+ * type-checked in isolation and must fail.
+ *
+ * These run the real `tsc`, so they are slower than the rest of the suite — but a guarantee
+ * nobody checks is a guarantee that quietly stops holding.
+ */
+const TSC = resolve('node_modules/.bin/tsc');
+const SRC = resolve('src/index.js').replace(/\.js$/, '');
+
+function typeCheck(body: string): { ok: boolean; output: string } {
+  const dir = mkdtempSync(join(tmpdir(), 'cereale-types-'));
+  try {
+    writeFileSync(join(dir, 'tsconfig.json'), JSON.stringify({
+      compilerOptions: {
+        target: 'ES2022', module: 'NodeNext', moduleResolution: 'NodeNext',
+        // These cases compile the library's *source*, whose implementations call `new URL()`.
+        // Nothing in the published signatures needs DOM — scripts/check-types.mjs compiles a
+        // consumer against dist/ with no DOM lib and no @types/node to keep it that way.
+        lib: ['ESNext', 'ESNext.Decorators', 'DOM'], strict: true,
+        strictPropertyInitialization: false, noEmit: true, skipLibCheck: true,
+      },
+      include: ['case.ts'],
+    }));
+    writeFileSync(join(dir, 'case.ts'), `import {\n  IsString, IsInt, Min, MinLength, IsArray, ArrayMinSize, ArrayUnique,\n  IsDate, MinDate, IsBoolean, IsIn, IsEnum, JsonType, JsonSerialize,\n  JsonDeserialize, JsonSerializer, JsonDeserializer,\n} from ${JSON.stringify(SRC + '.js')};\n\n${body}\n`);
+    try {
+      execFileSync(process.execPath, [TSC, '-p', dir], { stdio: 'pipe' });
+      return { ok: true, output: '' };
+    } catch (error: any) {
+      return { ok: false, output: String(error.stdout ?? '') + String(error.stderr ?? '') };
+    }
+  } finally {
+    rmSync(dir, { recursive: true, force: true });
+  }
+}
+
+const compiles = (body: string) => {
+  const result = typeCheck(body);
+  if (!result.ok) throw new Error(`expected this to compile but it did not:\n${result.output}`);
+};
+
+const rejects = (body: string) => {
+  const result = typeCheck(body);
+  expect(result.ok, 'expected a compile error, but it compiled').toBe(false);
+  return result.output;
+};
+
+describe('rules are checked against the field type', () => {
+  it('accepts rules that match the field', () => {
+    compiles(`
+      class Ok {
+        @IsString() @MinLength(2) name!: string;
+        @IsInt() @Min(0) age!: number;
+        @IsBoolean() active!: boolean;
+        @IsDate() @MinDate(new Date(0)) when!: Date;
+        @IsArray() @ArrayMinSize(1) tags!: string[];
+        @IsString() nickname?: string;
+        @IsString() maybe!: string | null;
+      }
+      void Ok;
+    `);
+  }, 60_000);
+
+  it('rejects a string rule on a number field', () => {
+    expect(rejects(`class Bad { @IsString() age!: number } void Bad;`))
+      .toMatch(/not assignable|Unable to resolve/);
+  }, 60_000);
+
+  it('rejects a number rule on a string field', () => {
+    expect(rejects(`class Bad { @Min(0) label!: string } void Bad;`))
+      .toMatch(/not assignable|Unable to resolve/);
+  }, 60_000);
+
+  it('rejects an array rule on a non-array field', () => {
+    expect(rejects(`class Bad { @ArrayMinSize(1) count!: number } void Bad;`))
+      .toMatch(/not assignable|Unable to resolve/);
+  }, 60_000);
+
+  it('rejects a date rule on a string field', () => {
+    expect(rejects(`class Bad { @MinDate(new Date(0)) when!: string } void Bad;`))
+      .toMatch(/not assignable|Unable to resolve/);
+  }, 60_000);
+});
+
+describe('each: true moves the rule onto the elements', () => {
+  it('accepts a matching array field', () => {
+    compiles(`class Ok { @IsString({ each: true }) tags!: string[] } void Ok;`);
+  }, 60_000);
+
+  it('rejects each:true on a scalar field', () => {
+    expect(rejects(`class Bad { @IsString({ each: true }) tag!: string } void Bad;`))
+      .toMatch(/not assignable|Unable to resolve/);
+  }, 60_000);
+
+  it('rejects a bare rule on an array field', () => {
+    expect(rejects(`class Bad { @IsString() tags!: string[] } void Bad;`))
+      .toMatch(/not assignable|Unable to resolve/);
+  }, 60_000);
+
+  it('rejects an element-type mismatch', () => {
+    expect(rejects(`class Bad { @IsString({ each: true }) nums!: number[] } void Bad;`))
+      .toMatch(/not assignable|Unable to resolve/);
+  }, 60_000);
+});
+
+describe('nested types and converters are checked', () => {
+  const shapes = `
+    class Address { street!: string }
+    class Money { amount!: number }
+  `;
+
+  it('accepts the matching class', () => {
+    compiles(`${shapes}
+      class Ok {
+        @JsonType(() => Address) ship!: Address;
+        @JsonType(() => Address) history!: Address[];
+      }
+      void Ok;`);
+  }, 60_000);
+
+  it('rejects an unrelated class', () => {
+    expect(rejects(`${shapes}
+      class Bad { @JsonType(() => Money) ship!: Address }
+      void Bad;`)).toMatch(/not assignable|Unable to resolve/);
+  }, 60_000);
+
+  it('rejects a serializer whose input does not match the field', () => {
+    expect(rejects(`
+      class DateToString implements JsonSerializer<Date, string> {
+        serialize(v: Date) { return v.toISOString(); }
+      }
+      class Bad { @JsonSerialize(DateToString) name!: string }
+      void Bad;`)).toMatch(/not assignable|Unable to resolve/);
+  }, 60_000);
+
+  it('rejects a deserializer whose output does not match the field', () => {
+    expect(rejects(`
+      class StringToDate implements JsonDeserializer<string, Date> {
+        deserialize(v: string) { return new Date(v); }
+      }
+      class Bad { @JsonDeserialize(StringToDate) name!: string }
+      void Bad;`)).toMatch(/not assignable|Unable to resolve/);
+  }, 60_000);
+});
+
+describe('membership rules narrow the field', () => {
+  it('accepts a field typed as the allowed union', () => {
+    compiles(`class Ok { @IsIn(['a', 'b']) choice!: 'a' | 'b' } void Ok;`);
+  }, 60_000);
+
+  it('rejects a field that cannot hold the allowed values', () => {
+    expect(rejects(`class Bad { @IsIn(['a', 'b']) choice!: number } void Bad;`))
+      .toMatch(/not assignable|Unable to resolve/);
+  }, 60_000);
+
+  it('rejects an enum rule on a mismatched field', () => {
+    expect(rejects(`
+      enum Role { Admin = 'admin' }
+      class Bad { @IsEnum(Role) role!: number }
+      void Bad;`)).toMatch(/not assignable|Unable to resolve/);
+  }, 60_000);
+
+  it('accepts an enum rule on the enum field', () => {
+    compiles(`
+      enum Role { Admin = 'admin', User = 'user' }
+      class Ok { @IsEnum(Role) role!: Role }
+      void Ok;`);
+  }, 60_000);
+});

src/utils.test.ts

@@ -30,7 +30,7 @@ describe('Standalone Utility Functions', () => {
     user.age = '30' as any;
     const errors2 = await validate(user);
     expect(errors2).toHaveLength(1);
-    expect(errors2[0].property).toBe('age');
+    expect(errors2[0]!.property).toBe('age');
   });
 
   it('should transform to plain object directly', async () => {

src/validators.test.ts

@@ -0,0 +1,340 @@
+import { describe, it, expect } from 'vitest';
+import {
+  Equals, NotEquals, IsEmpty, IsEnum, IsInstance,
+  Length, IsAlpha, IsAlphanumeric, IsNumberString, IsLowercase, IsUppercase,
+  Contains, NotContains, StartsWith, EndsWith,
+  IsUUID, IsJSON, IsDateString, IsSemVer, IsHexColor, IsIP,
+  IsDivisibleBy, IsPort, IsLatitude, IsLongitude, IsBigInt,
+  MinDate, MaxDate,
+  ArrayUnique, ArrayContains, ArrayNotContains,
+  ValidateIf, Allow, IsString, IsIn, IsOptional,
+  validate, toInstance,
+} from './index.js';
+
+/**
+ * Applies a decorator to a synthetic one-field class and reports which rules failed.
+ *
+ * Standard decorators are invoked as `(undefined, context)` rather than against a prototype,
+ * so the context is built by hand here. Only `name` and `metadata` are read by the library;
+ * the rest satisfies the shape.
+ */
+async function check(decorator: any, value: any): Promise<string[]> {
+  const metadata = Object.create(null) as DecoratorMetadata;
+  decorator(undefined, {
+    kind: 'field',
+    name: 'val',
+    static: false,
+    private: false,
+    metadata,
+    access: { has: () => true, get: (o: any) => o.val, set: (o: any, v: any) => { o.val = v; } },
+    addInitializer: () => undefined,
+  });
+
+  class Subject {
+    val: any;
+  }
+  (Subject as any)[Symbol.metadata] = metadata;
+
+  const subject = new Subject();
+  subject.val = value;
+
+  const errors = await validate(subject);
+  return errors.length ? Object.keys(errors[0]!.constraints) : [];
+}
+
+const passes = async (decorator: any, value: any) => expect(await check(decorator, value)).toEqual([]);
+const fails = async (decorator: any, value: any) => expect((await check(decorator, value)).length).toBeGreaterThan(0);
+
+describe('equality and presence', () => {
+  it('@Equals / @NotEquals', async () => {
+    await passes(Equals('x'), 'x');
+    await fails(Equals('x'), 'y');
+    await passes(NotEquals('x'), 'y');
+    await fails(NotEquals('x'), 'x');
+  });
+
+  it('@IsEmpty', async () => {
+    for (const empty of [null, undefined, '', [], {}]) await passes(IsEmpty(), empty);
+    for (const filled of ['a', [1], { a: 1 }, 0]) await fails(IsEmpty(), filled);
+  });
+
+  it('@IsInstance', async () => {
+    class Thing {}
+    await passes(IsInstance(Thing), new Thing());
+    await fails(IsInstance(Thing), {});
+  });
+});
+
+describe('@IsEnum', () => {
+  enum StringRole { Admin = 'admin', User = 'user' }
+  enum NumericLevel { Low, High }
+
+  it('accepts members of a string enum', async () => {
+    await passes(IsEnum(StringRole), 'admin');
+    await fails(IsEnum(StringRole), 'root');
+  });
+
+  it('accepts members of a numeric enum without accepting its reverse-mapped names', async () => {
+    await passes(IsEnum(NumericLevel), 0);
+    await passes(IsEnum(NumericLevel), 1);
+    await fails(IsEnum(NumericLevel), 2);
+    // 'Low' is the reverse mapping, not a legal value
+    await fails(IsEnum(NumericLevel), 'Low');
+  });
+});
+
+describe('strings', () => {
+  it('@Length with and without a maximum', async () => {
+    await passes(Length(2), 'ab');
+    await fails(Length(3), 'ab');
+    await passes(Length(2, 4), 'abc');
+    await fails(Length(2, 4), 'abcde');
+  });
+
+  it('@IsAlpha / @IsAlphanumeric', async () => {
+    await passes(IsAlpha(), 'abcDEF');
+    await fails(IsAlpha(), 'abc1');
+    await passes(IsAlphanumeric(), 'abc123');
+    await fails(IsAlphanumeric(), 'abc-123');
+  });
+
+  it('@IsNumberString', async () => {
+    await passes(IsNumberString(), '42');
+    await passes(IsNumberString(), '-1.5');
+    await fails(IsNumberString(), 'abc');
+    await fails(IsNumberString(), '');
+    await fails(IsNumberString(), 42);
+  });
+
+  it('@IsLowercase / @IsUppercase', async () => {
+    await passes(IsLowercase(), 'abc');
+    await fails(IsLowercase(), 'Abc');
+    await passes(IsUppercase(), 'ABC');
+    await fails(IsUppercase(), 'Abc');
+  });
+
+  it('@Contains / @NotContains / @StartsWith / @EndsWith', async () => {
+    await passes(Contains('ell'), 'hello');
+    await fails(Contains('xyz'), 'hello');
+    await passes(NotContains('xyz'), 'hello');
+    await fails(NotContains('ell'), 'hello');
+    await passes(StartsWith('he'), 'hello');
+    await fails(StartsWith('lo'), 'hello');
+    await passes(EndsWith('lo'), 'hello');
+    await fails(EndsWith('he'), 'hello');
+  });
+});
+
+describe('@IsUUID', () => {
+  const v4 = '9b2e4c1a-77bd-4f2e-8c33-1d9a6b0e5f21';
+
+  it('accepts any version when unversioned', async () => {
+    await passes(IsUUID(), v4);
+    await passes(IsUUID(), '00000000-0000-0000-0000-000000000000'); // nil
+    await fails(IsUUID(), 'not-a-uuid');
+    await fails(IsUUID(), 42);
+  });
+
+  it('enforces a requested version', async () => {
+    await passes(IsUUID(4), v4);
+    await fails(IsUUID(1), v4);
+  });
+});
+
+describe('formats', () => {
+  it('@IsJSON', async () => {
+    await passes(IsJSON(), '{"a":1}');
+    await passes(IsJSON(), '[1,2]');
+    await fails(IsJSON(), '{a:1}');
+    await fails(IsJSON(), { a: 1 });
+  });
+
+  it('@IsDateString', async () => {
+    await passes(IsDateString(), '2026-08-03T00:00:00Z');
+    await fails(IsDateString(), 'not a date');
+  });
+
+  it('@IsSemVer', async () => {
+    await passes(IsSemVer(), '1.2.3');
+    await passes(IsSemVer(), '1.0.0-alpha.1+build.5');
+    await fails(IsSemVer(), '1.2');
+    await fails(IsSemVer(), 'v1.2.3');
+  });
+
+  it('@IsHexColor', async () => {
+    await passes(IsHexColor(), '#fff');
+    await passes(IsHexColor(), '#A1B2C3');
+    await passes(IsHexColor(), '#A1B2C3FF');
+    await fails(IsHexColor(), 'fff');
+    await fails(IsHexColor(), '#ggg');
+  });
+
+  it('@IsIP', async () => {
+    await passes(IsIP(4), '192.168.0.1');
+    await fails(IsIP(4), '256.0.0.1');
+    await fails(IsIP(4), '::1');
+    await passes(IsIP(6), '::1');
+    await passes(IsIP(), '10.0.0.1');
+    await fails(IsIP(), 'nope');
+  });
+});
+
+describe('numbers', () => {
+  it('@IsDivisibleBy', async () => {
+    await passes(IsDivisibleBy(5), 10);
+    await fails(IsDivisibleBy(5), 11);
+    await fails(IsDivisibleBy(5), '10');
+  });
+
+  it('@IsPort', async () => {
+    await passes(IsPort(), 8080);
+    await passes(IsPort(), '443');
+    await fails(IsPort(), 70000);
+    await fails(IsPort(), -1);
+    await fails(IsPort(), 1.5);
+  });
+
+  it('@IsLatitude / @IsLongitude', async () => {
+    await passes(IsLatitude(), 48.85);
+    await fails(IsLatitude(), 91);
+    await passes(IsLongitude(), 2.35);
+    await fails(IsLongitude(), 181);
+  });
+
+  it('@IsBigInt', async () => {
+    await passes(IsBigInt(), 10n);
+    await fails(IsBigInt(), 10);
+  });
+});
+
+describe('dates', () => {
+  it('@MinDate / @MaxDate with a fixed bound', async () => {
+    const bound = new Date('2026-01-01T00:00:00Z');
+    await passes(MinDate(bound), new Date('2026-06-01T00:00:00Z'));
+    await fails(MinDate(bound), new Date('2025-06-01T00:00:00Z'));
+    await passes(MaxDate(bound), new Date('2025-06-01T00:00:00Z'));
+    await fails(MaxDate(bound), new Date('2026-06-01T00:00:00Z'));
+  });
+
+  it('@MinDate accepts a thunk so the bound moves', async () => {
+    await passes(MinDate(() => new Date(Date.now() - 1000)), new Date());
+    await fails(MinDate(() => new Date(Date.now() + 60_000)), new Date());
+  });
+
+  it('rejects a non-date', async () => {
+    await fails(MinDate(new Date(0)), '2026-01-01');
+  });
+});
+
+describe('arrays', () => {
+  it('@ArrayUnique by value', async () => {
+    await passes(ArrayUnique(), [1, 2, 3]);
+    await fails(ArrayUnique(), [1, 2, 2]);
+  });
+
+  it('@ArrayUnique by extracted key', async () => {
+    const byId = (item: any) => item.id;
+    await passes(ArrayUnique(byId), [{ id: 1 }, { id: 2 }]);
+    await fails(ArrayUnique(byId), [{ id: 1 }, { id: 1 }]);
+  });
+
+  it('@ArrayContains / @ArrayNotContains', async () => {
+    await passes(ArrayContains(['a']), ['a', 'b']);
+    await fails(ArrayContains(['c']), ['a', 'b']);
+    await passes(ArrayNotContains(['c']), ['a', 'b']);
+    await fails(ArrayNotContains(['a']), ['a', 'b']);
+  });
+});
+
+describe('@ValidateIf', () => {
+  class Payment {
+    @IsIn(['card', 'invoice'])
+    method!: 'card' | 'invoice';
+
+    @ValidateIf<Payment>(o => o.method === 'card')
+    @IsString()
+    cardNumber?: string;
+  }
+
+  it('skips the constraint when the condition is false', async () => {
+    const p = new Payment();
+    p.method = 'invoice';
+    expect(await validate(p)).toEqual([]);
+  });
+
+  it('applies the constraint when the condition is true', async () => {
+    const p = new Payment();
+    p.method = 'card';
+
+    const errors = await validate(p);
+    expect(errors).toHaveLength(1);
+    expect(errors[0]!.property).toBe('cardNumber');
+  });
+
+  it('passes when the condition is true and the value is valid', async () => {
+    const p = new Payment();
+    p.method = 'card';
+    p.cardNumber = '4111111111111111';
+    expect(await validate(p)).toEqual([]);
+  });
+});
+
+describe('@Allow', () => {
+  it('declares a property so strict unknown-key policies keep it', async () => {
+    class Dto {
+      @IsString()
+      name: string;
+
+      @Allow()
+      metadata: unknown;
+    }
+
+    const d = await toInstance(
+      Dto,
+      { name: 'x', metadata: { anything: true }, stray: 1 },
+      { unknownKeys: 'strip' }
+    );
+    expect(d.metadata).toEqual({ anything: true });
+    expect((d as any).stray).toBeUndefined();
+  });
+});
+
+describe('new validators cooperate with existing options', () => {
+  it('honours each: true', async () => {
+    class T {
+      @IsUUID(4, { each: true })
+      ids: string[];
+    }
+    const t = new T();
+    t.ids = ['9b2e4c1a-77bd-4f2e-8c33-1d9a6b0e5f21'];
+    expect(await validate(t)).toEqual([]);
+
+    t.ids = ['9b2e4c1a-77bd-4f2e-8c33-1d9a6b0e5f21', 'nope'];
+    expect(await validate(t)).toHaveLength(1);
+  });
+
+  it('honours @IsOptional', async () => {
+    class T {
+      @IsOptional()
+      @IsSemVer()
+      version?: string;
+    }
+    const t = new T();
+    expect(await validate(t)).toEqual([]);
+
+    t.version = 'bad';
+    expect(await validate(t)).toHaveLength(1);
+  });
+
+  it('honours a custom message', async () => {
+    class T {
+      @IsPort({ message: 'give me a real port' })
+      port: number;
+    }
+    const t = new T();
+    t.port = -1;
+
+    const errors = await validate(t);
+    expect(errors[0]!.constraints['isPort']).toBe('give me a real port');
+  });
+});

src/vite.ts

@@ -0,0 +1,175 @@
+/**
+ * A Vite plugin that lowers TC39 standard decorators, for projects on Vite 8 or Vitest 4.
+ *
+ * Those versions transform TypeScript with oxc, which does not implement the standard
+ * decorator transform yet. It does not report that: it leaves the decorator syntax in the
+ * output, so `vitest` prints "0 test" next to a bare `SyntaxError`, and `vite build` reports
+ * success while emitting a bundle that throws `SyntaxError` the moment anything imports it.
+ *
+ * Nothing here is specific to cereale — any library built on standard decorators needs it —
+ * but cereale ships it because a consumer's first experience of the library should not be a
+ * syntax error with no obvious cause. Delete it once oxc supports the transform.
+ *
+ * ```ts
+ * // vite.config.ts / vitest.config.ts
+ * import { standardDecorators } from 'cereale/vite';
+ *
+ * export default defineConfig({ plugins: [standardDecorators()] });
+ * ```
+ *
+ * The transform is done by esbuild if it is installed, otherwise by the TypeScript compiler.
+ * cereale depends on neither; one of the two is present in essentially every TypeScript
+ * project, and the plugin says which to install if somehow neither is.
+ */
+
+/**
+ * The shape Vite expects of a plugin, declared here rather than imported.
+ *
+ * `cereale/vite` must not drag `vite` into a consumer's type-checking just to describe its own
+ * return value — this object is structurally assignable to Vite's `Plugin`.
+ */
+export interface StandardDecoratorsPlugin {
+  name: string;
+  enforce: 'pre';
+  transform(code: string, id: string): Promise<{ code: string; map: string } | null>;
+}
+
+export interface StandardDecoratorsOptions {
+  /**
+   * Decides which modules to transform. Receives the resolved module id.
+   *
+   * The default takes `.ts`, `.mts` and `.cts` outside `node_modules`. `.tsx` is excluded
+   * because lowering decorators there means also deciding what happens to the JSX, and
+   * getting that wrong is worse than not handling it; pass an `include` of your own if you
+   * declare decorated classes in `.tsx` files.
+   */
+  include?: (id: string) => boolean;
+  /** ECMAScript target for the emitted code. Defaults to `es2022`, the first with class fields. */
+  target?: string;
+  /**
+   * Which tool does the transform. `'auto'` (the default) prefers esbuild for speed and falls
+   * back to the TypeScript compiler; name one explicitly to keep a build reproducible, or to
+   * fail loudly rather than silently switch if the preferred one is not installed.
+   */
+  transformer?: 'auto' | 'esbuild' | 'typescript';
+}
+
+const DEFAULT_INCLUDE = (id: string): boolean =>
+  /\.[cm]?ts(\?.*)?$/.test(id) && !id.includes('/node_modules/');
+
+type Transformer = (code: string, id: string, target: string) => Promise<{ code: string; map: string }>;
+
+function isMissingModule(error: unknown): boolean {
+  const code = (error as { code?: unknown } | null)?.code;
+  return code === 'ERR_MODULE_NOT_FOUND' || code === 'MODULE_NOT_FOUND';
+}
+
+async function esbuildTransformer(): Promise<Transformer | null> {
+  let esbuild: typeof import('esbuild');
+  try {
+    esbuild = await import('esbuild');
+  } catch (error) {
+    if (isMissingModule(error)) return null;
+    throw error;
+  }
+  return async (code, id, target) => {
+    const result = await esbuild.transform(code, {
+      loader: 'ts',
+      target,
+      sourcefile: id,
+      sourcemap: true,
+      // Standard semantics, not the legacy ones: cereale records into `context.metadata`.
+      tsconfigRaw: { compilerOptions: { experimentalDecorators: false, useDefineForClassFields: true } },
+    });
+    return { code: result.code, map: result.map };
+  };
+}
+
+async function typescriptTransformer(): Promise<Transformer | null> {
+  let ts: typeof import('typescript');
+  try {
+    ts = await import('typescript');
+  } catch (error) {
+    if (isMissingModule(error)) return null;
+    throw error;
+  }
+  // `ScriptTarget` members are spelled `ES2022`, `ESNext`; esbuild-style targets are lower
+  // case. Matched case-insensitively rather than upper-casing, which would miss `ESNext`.
+  const targetKey = (target: string) =>
+    Object.keys(ts.ScriptTarget).find(key => key.toLowerCase() === target.toLowerCase());
+
+  return async (code, id, target) => {
+    const key = targetKey(target);
+    if (key === undefined) {
+      throw new Error(`cereale/vite: ${JSON.stringify(target)} is not a target the TypeScript compiler knows.`);
+    }
+    const result = ts.transpileModule(code, {
+      fileName: id.replace(/\?.*$/, ''),
+      compilerOptions: {
+        target: ts.ScriptTarget[key as keyof typeof ts.ScriptTarget],
+        module: ts.ModuleKind.ESNext,
+        experimentalDecorators: false,
+        useDefineForClassFields: true,
+        sourceMap: true,
+        isolatedModules: true,
+      },
+    });
+    // tsc appends `//# sourceMappingURL=<file>.map` even though the map is handed back
+    // separately. Vite would follow that comment and fail to read a file nobody wrote.
+    const output = result.outputText.replace(/\r?\n?\/\/# sourceMappingURL=\S*[ \t]*$/, '');
+    return { code: output, map: result.sourceMapText ?? '' };
+  };
+}
+
+const FACTORIES = { esbuild: esbuildTransformer, typescript: typescriptTransformer };
+
+// Resolution is memoized per choice: the transform hook runs once per module, and neither
+// `import('esbuild')` nor `import('typescript')` is cheap enough to repeat.
+const resolved = new Map<string, Promise<Transformer>>();
+
+function resolveTransformer(choice: 'auto' | 'esbuild' | 'typescript'): Promise<Transformer> {
+  let pending = resolved.get(choice);
+  if (!pending) {
+    pending = (async () => {
+      if (choice !== 'auto') {
+        const only = await FACTORIES[choice]();
+        if (only) return only;
+        throw new Error(
+          `cereale/vite was asked to transform with ${choice}, which is not installed. ` +
+          `Install it (\`npm i -D ${choice}\`) or drop the \`transformer\` option to let the ` +
+          'plugin pick whichever is available.'
+        );
+      }
+      const best = (await esbuildTransformer()) ?? (await typescriptTransformer());
+      if (best) return best;
+      throw new Error(
+        'cereale/vite needs a transformer that understands TC39 standard decorators, and found ' +
+        'neither esbuild nor typescript. Install one of them as a dev dependency: ' +
+        '`npm i -D esbuild`.'
+      );
+    })();
+    resolved.set(choice, pending);
+  }
+  return pending;
+}
+
+/**
+ * Transforms TypeScript sources with esbuild (or tsc) before Vite's own oxc pass sees them.
+ *
+ * `enforce: 'pre'` is what makes this work: the hook runs ahead of Vite's transform, hands
+ * back plain JavaScript, and oxc is then left with nothing it cannot parse.
+ */
+export function standardDecorators(options: StandardDecoratorsOptions = {}): StandardDecoratorsPlugin {
+  const include = options.include ?? DEFAULT_INCLUDE;
+  const target = options.target ?? 'es2022';
+  const choice = options.transformer ?? 'auto';
+
+  return {
+    name: 'cereale:standard-decorators',
+    enforce: 'pre',
+    async transform(code: string, id: string) {
+      if (!include(id)) return null;
+      return (await resolveTransformer(choice))(code, id, target);
+    },
+  };
+}

tsconfig.cjs.json

@@ -5,5 +5,6 @@
     "moduleResolution": "Bundler",
     "outDir": "dist/cjs",
     "declaration": true
-  }
+  },
+  "exclude": ["node_modules", "dist", "src/**/*.test.ts", "src/example.ts"]
 }

tsconfig.esm.json

@@ -4,5 +4,6 @@
     "module": "NodeNext",
     "outDir": "dist/esm",
     "declaration": true
-  }
+  },
+  "exclude": ["node_modules", "dist", "src/**/*.test.ts", "src/example.ts"]
 }

tsconfig.json

@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@
     // Environment Settings
     "module": "NodeNext",
     "target": "ES2025",
-    "lib": ["ESNext"],
+    "lib": ["ESNext", "ESNext.Decorators"],
     "types": ["node"],
 
     // Other Outputs
@@ -33,8 +33,12 @@
     "isolatedModules": true,
     "skipLibCheck": true,
 
-    "experimentalDecorators": true
+    // NOTE: no `experimentalDecorators`. v2 uses TC39 standard decorators, which is what
+    // gives ClassFieldDecoratorContext<This, Value> and therefore compile-time checking of
+    // rules against field types. The two decorator systems cannot coexist in one program.
   },
+  // NOTE: test files are deliberately included here so that `npm run type-check`
+  // covers them. The two build configs exclude them (and the demo) from `dist`.
   "include": ["src/**/*"],
-  "exclude": ["node_modules", "dist", "src/**/*.test.ts"]
+  "exclude": ["node_modules", "dist"]
 }

vitest.config.ts

@@ -0,0 +1,19 @@
+import { defineConfig } from 'vitest/config';
+import { standardDecorators } from './src/vite.js';
+
+/**
+ * The library's own tests run through the plugin the library ships, so that `cereale/vite`
+ * is exercised by every test run rather than only by the one test that asserts it exists.
+ */
+export default defineConfig({
+  plugins: [standardDecorators()],
+  test: {
+    include: ['src/**/*.test.ts'],
+    coverage: {
+      provider: 'v8',
+      reporter: ['text', 'lcov'],
+      include: ['src/**/*.ts'],
+      exclude: ['src/**/*.test.ts', 'src/example.ts', 'src/index.ts'],
+    },
+  },
+});