@palbase/backend 4.0.0 → 5.0.0

package/docs/llms-full.txt

@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 # Palbase Backend SDK (`@palbase/backend`)
 
-> File-based TypeScript backend SDK. All handler types import service singletons (`Database`, `Cache`, …). Trigger arg differs by type: endpoints use `req`, workers `(payload, meta)`, jobs `(meta)`, hooks/webhooks `(event, meta)`. Middleware is the one exception (`ctx`). Not Express, not Supabase Edge Functions.
+> TypeScript backend SDK. NestJS-style class controllers: `@Controller` classes with `@Get`/`@Post`/… methods and `@Body`/`@Query`/`@Param`/`@User` parameter decorators. All handler types import service singletons (`Database`, `Cache`, …). Trigger arg differs by type: endpoints use parameter decorators, workers `(payload, meta)`, jobs `(meta)`, hooks/webhooks `(event, meta)`. Middleware is the one exception (`ctx`). Not Express, not Supabase Edge Functions.
 
 
 
@@ -12,10 +12,202 @@ Write your backend as TypeScript files. Palbase discovers them by path, runs
 them inside the managed backend runtime, and exposes them as a typed HTTP API.
 
 This is **not** Express, Fastify, or a Supabase Edge Function. There is no
-`app.get(...)`, no manual route registration, no `import express`. You export
-definitions; the runtime wires them up.
+`app.get(...)`, no manual route registration, no `import express`. You author
+**class controllers** with method + parameter decorators (NestJS-style); the
+runtime wires them up.
 
-## Mental model (important)
+## AGENTS / AI codegen guide (read this first)
+
+If you are an AI generating a Palbase backend, this is the contract. Get these
+seven rules right and the deploy succeeds; get them wrong and it fails the
+deploy gate or the TypeScript compile.
+
+### Folder layout
+
+```
+controllers/<name>.controller.ts   # @Controller class + @Get/@Post/… route methods (the API surface)
+models/<controller>/<endpoint>.ts   # zod schemas — one folder per controller, one file per endpoint (+ shared.ts)
+services/<name>.service.ts          # plain class + singleton — the real logic (controllers stay thin)
+db/schema.ts                        # config-as-code Postgres schema (tables, columns, RLS) — auto-migrated on deploy
+```
+
+The four folders above are the daily surface. These also exist (own docs, linked
+below): `resources/` (external connections — [resources.md](./resources.md)),
+`seeds/` (seed data), `jobs/` + `workers/` (background — [background.md](./background.md)),
+`webhooks/` + `hooks/` (events — [events.md](./events.md)), `middleware/`.
+
+### The 7 rules (checklist)
+
+1. **`export default <ControllerClass>` is REQUIRED.** Every `controllers/*.controller.ts`
+   must default-export its `@Controller` class, or the deploy FAILS with a
+   "not a @Controller / non-controller export" error. Either `export default class X {}`
+   or a trailing `export default X;` — both work.
+2. **Methods that call a service are `async` and return `Promise<T>`.** Services
+   `await Database`, so they return promises; a sync return type on an async body
+   is a tsc error. Annotate `: Promise<TodoSchema>`, not `: TodoSchema`, whenever
+   the body awaits.
+3. **`@User()` (value) vs `UserT` (type) are two different imports.**
+   `import { User } from "@palbase/backend"` (the decorator) +
+   `import type { UserT } from "@palbase/backend"` (the user type). Write
+   `@User() user: UserT`. They are NOT the same symbol.
+4. **The method's RETURN TYPE names the response schema.** Write
+   `: Promise<TodoSchema>` (or `: Promise<z.infer<typeof TodoSchema>>`) — codegen
+   + the runtime read that named type to bind the 200 response zod schema. There
+   is no `@Returns` decorator. A body route with no named return type is a build
+   error; a method with no response body annotates `: Promise<void>` / `: void`.
+5. **Schemas live in `models/<controller>/<endpoint>.ts`,** exported as a zod
+   VALUE and a same-named `z.infer` TYPE. The controller imports them and writes
+   `@Body(CreateTodoBody) body: CreateTodoBody` (value in the decorator, same name
+   as the type annotation).
+6. **Errors are global throw classes.** `throw new Conflict("…")` / `NotFound` /
+   `BadRequest` / `Unauthorized` / `Forbidden` / `TooManyRequests` /
+   `PalError(status, code, msg)` — from a controller OR a service, with no `req`.
+   There is no per-route errors map and no `req.errors`.
+7. **Auth is secure-by-default.** Every route needs a signed-in user unless it
+   opts out: `@Controller("/x", { auth: false })` (whole controller) or
+   `@Get("", { auth: false })` (one route). Cascade: route > controller >
+   default(required). On a public route inject `@OptionalUser() user: UserT | null`.
+
+> **Never** emit `defineController`, `defineHandler`, `defineEndpoint`, `route.get(...)`,
+> `req.input`, `req.params`, or `req.errors` — those are the removed legacy model
+> and will not compile against `@palbase/backend` 4.
+
+### Complete CRUD example (copy-pasteable, compiles)
+
+```ts
+// models/todos/shared.ts — the response shape, reused across endpoints.
+import { z } from "@palbase/backend";
+export const TodoSchema = z.object({
+  id: z.string(),
+  title: z.string(),
+  completed: z.boolean(),
+});
+export type TodoSchema = z.infer<typeof TodoSchema>;
+```
+
+```ts
+// models/todos/create.ts — the POST body.
+import { z } from "@palbase/backend";
+export const CreateTodoBody = z.object({ title: z.string().min(1) });
+export type CreateTodoBody = z.infer<typeof CreateTodoBody>;
+```
+
+```ts
+// services/todo.service.ts — plain class + singleton. The real work.
+import { Database, NotFound } from "@palbase/backend";
+import type { TodoSchema } from "../models/todos/shared.js";
+
+export class TodoService {
+  list(userId: string): Promise<TodoSchema[]> {
+    return Database.tables.todos.findMany({ user_id: userId });
+  }
+  create(userId: string, title: string): Promise<TodoSchema> {
+    return Database.tables.todos.insert({ user_id: userId, title });
+  }
+  async get(userId: string, id: string): Promise<TodoSchema> {
+    const t = await Database.tables.todos.findById(id);
+    if (!t || t.user_id !== userId) throw new NotFound("No todo with that id");
+    return t;
+  }
+  async remove(userId: string, id: string): Promise<void> {
+    const t = await Database.tables.todos.findById(id);
+    if (!t || t.user_id !== userId) throw new NotFound("No todo with that id");
+    await Database.tables.todos.delete(id);
+  }
+}
+export const todoService = new TodoService();
+```
+
+```ts
+// controllers/todos.controller.ts — class controller. Thin: delegates to the service.
+import { Controller, Get, Post, Delete, Body, Param, User } from "@palbase/backend";
+import type { UserT } from "@palbase/backend";       // the user TYPE (@User is the value)
+import { todoService } from "../services/todo.service.js";
+import { TodoSchema } from "../models/todos/shared.js";
+import { CreateTodoBody } from "../models/todos/create.js";
+
+@Controller("/todos")                                  // secure-by-default; { auth: false } opts the whole controller out
+export class TodosController {
+  private todos = todoService;
+
+  @Get("")                                             // GET /todos → operationId getTodos
+  async list(@User() user: UserT): Promise<TodoSchema[]> {  // return type → 200 response schema
+    return this.todos.list(user.id);
+  }
+
+  @Post("")                                            // POST /todos → postTodos
+  async create(@Body(CreateTodoBody) body: CreateTodoBody, @User() user: UserT): Promise<TodoSchema> {
+    return this.todos.create(user.id, body.title);
+  }
+
+  @Get("/{id}")                                        // GET /todos/{id} → getTodosById
+  async get(@Param("id") id: string, @User() user: UserT): Promise<TodoSchema> {
+    return this.todos.get(user.id, id);
+  }
+
+  @Delete("/{id}")                                     // DELETE /todos/{id} → deleteTodosById; no body → : Promise<void>
+  async remove(@Param("id") id: string, @User() user: UserT): Promise<void> {
+    await this.todos.remove(user.id, id);
+  }
+}
+
+export default TodosController;                         // REQUIRED — the runtime loads the default export
+```
+
+```ts
+// db/schema.ts — config-as-code; the deploy auto-migrates additive changes.
+import { defineSchema, uuid, text, boolean, timestamp, policy } from "@palbase/backend";
+export default defineSchema({
+  tables: {
+    todos: {
+      columns: {
+        id:         uuid().primaryKey().defaultRandom(),
+        user_id:    text().notNull(),                  // palauth user id (TEXT, e.g. "usr_…")
+        title:      text().notNull(),
+        completed:  boolean().default(false),
+        created_at: timestamp().defaultNow(),
+      },
+      rls: true,                                       // every Database.* query runs as the request user
+      policies: [
+        policy("pb_owner_all")
+          .for("all")
+          .to("authenticated")
+          .using("user_id = (select auth.uid())")
+          .withCheck("user_id = (select auth.uid())"),
+      ],
+    },
+  },
+});
+```
+
+### operationId — what the generated clients call
+
+The operationId is derived FLAT from the verb + full path (NOT the method name):
+`GET /todos` → `getTodos`, `POST /todos` → `postTodos`, `GET /todos/{id}` →
+`getTodosById`. The generated iOS/TS clients expose these as `pb.getTodos()`,
+`pb.postTodos(...)`, `pb.getTodosById(id:)`. Rename the method freely; the
+operationId is unaffected. Change the verb and the operationId changes — no file
+rename needed.
+
+### CLI workflow
+
+- `palbase serve` — run `controllers/` locally with hot reload (proxies
+  `Database`/services to the deployed branch; runs `gen-types` on startup).
+- `palbase gen-types` — regenerate `palbase-env.d.ts` from `db/schema.ts` so
+  `Database.tables.*` is typed (no import, no generic). Standalone version of what
+  `serve` runs.
+- **Deploy is GitHub-native** — `git push` triggers the deploy (there is no
+  `palbase push`). Push a branch to deploy that branch.
+- `palbase secret set NAME=value` / `palbase secret list` — branch-scoped
+  secrets (encrypted at rest), read in code via `process.env.NAME`.
+- `palbase secret pull` / `palbase secret push` — sync the branch's env vars with
+  a local `.env.local` (gitignored). `pull` writes decrypted values for local dev
+  (merging local-only keys); `push` uploads changed keys (new keys default to
+  SECRET and need `--secret`/`--plain` classification, existing secrets are left
+  untouched unless `--force-secrets`).
+- `tsconfig.json` needs `"experimentalDecorators": true` (the scaffold sets it).
+
+## Mental model
 
 Every handler type imports service singletons the same way:
 
@@ -43,6 +235,7 @@ the imported singletons — not from `ctx` or any argument.
 ```
 my-backend/
 ├── package.json            # depends on @palbase/backend
+├── tsconfig.json           # experimentalDecorators: true (required for the decorators)
 ├── controllers/            # @Controller classes: @Get/@Post methods (mount the API)
 │   └── hello.controller.ts # @Controller("/hello") + @Get example
 ├── models/<ctrl>/<ep>.ts   # zod schemas, folder per controller, file per endpoint
@@ -50,6 +243,8 @@ my-backend/
 ├── services/               # plain classes/singletons your controllers call
 ├── db/schema.ts            # table definitions (optional, enables typed DB)
 ├── db/migrations/          # explicit SQL migrations for type changes (optional)
+├── resources/              # external connections, set up once at boot (optional)
+├── seeds/                  # seed data (optional)
 ├── workers/                # background job handlers (optional)
 ├── jobs/                   # cron-scheduled jobs (optional)
 ├── hooks/                  # auth/storage/document event hooks (optional)
@@ -72,12 +267,15 @@ HTTP endpoints are **not** file-path routed. You author a class controller
 | Schema & typed DB | [schema.md](./schema.md) |
 | Migrations (additive vs type-change + drift-gate) | [migrations.md](./migrations.md) |
 | Services (Cache, Queue, Storage, …) | [services.md](./services.md) |
+| Resources (external connections) | [resources.md](./resources.md) |
 | Errors | [errors.md](./errors.md) |
 | Workers & Jobs | [background.md](./background.md) |
 | Hooks & Webhooks | [events.md](./events.md) |
 
 For AI coding tools: a single concatenated corpus is generated at
 [`llms-full.txt`](./llms-full.txt) (and an index at [`llms.txt`](./llms.txt)).
+</content>
+</invoke>
 
 
 
@@ -88,7 +286,7 @@ For AI coding tools: a single concatenated corpus is generated at
 There is no CLI init command. A starter project is created for you when your
 Palbase project is provisioned. You then edit the files locally and deploy them.
 
-## package.json
+## package.json + tsconfig.json
 
 Your project depends on the SDK and uses the Palbase CLI for the dev loop:
 
@@ -105,13 +303,33 @@ Your project depends on the SDK and uses the Palbase CLI for the dev loop:
 }
 ```
 
+The controllers use **decorators**, so the `tsconfig.json` must set
+`experimentalDecorators: true` (the scaffold ships it):
+
+```json
+{
+  "compilerOptions": {
+    "target": "ES2022",
+    "module": "ESNext",
+    "moduleResolution": "Bundler",
+    "strict": true,
+    "experimentalDecorators": true,
+    "noEmit": true
+  },
+  "include": ["controllers/**/*.ts", "models/**/*.ts", "services/**/*.ts", "db/**/*.ts", "*.d.ts"]
+}
+```
+
 ## Local dev loop
 
 - `palbase serve` — run your backend locally with hot reload. It runs your
-  `controllers/` locally but proxies `Database`/`ctx.*` to the **deployed**
-  branch, so the branch must already be deployed (serve tells you to push first
-  if it isn't). See [migrations.md](./migrations.md) for the schema/migration
-  side of this.
+  `controllers/` locally but proxies `Database` and the service singletons to
+  the **deployed** branch, so the branch must already be deployed (serve tells
+  you to push first if it isn't). On startup it also runs `gen-types`. See
+  [migrations.md](./migrations.md) for the schema/migration side of this.
+- `palbase gen-types` — regenerate `palbase-env.d.ts` from `db/schema.ts` so
+  `Database.tables.*` is typed (no import, no generic). Run it standalone after
+  editing the schema, or rely on `palbase serve` running it for you.
 - **Deploy is GitHub-native** — there is no `palbase push`. Commit and
   `git push` to your project's repo; the push triggers a deploy of the backend
   runtime. Push a **branch** to deploy that branch instead of `main`.
@@ -134,14 +352,14 @@ export type HelloResponse = z.infer<typeof HelloResponse>;
 Then write the controller in `controllers/hello.controller.ts`:
 
 ```ts
-import { Controller, Get, Returns, Query, OptionalUser } from "@palbase/backend";
+import { Controller, Get, Query, OptionalUser } from "@palbase/backend";
 import type { UserT } from "@palbase/backend";
-import { GreetQuery, HelloResponse } from "../models/hello/greet.js";
+import { GreetQuery } from "../models/hello/greet.js";
+import type { HelloResponse } from "../models/hello/greet.js";  // the return TYPE names the 200 schema
 
 @Controller("/hello", { auth: false })
 export default class HelloController {
   @Get("")
-  @Returns(HelloResponse)
   greet(@Query(GreetQuery) q: GreetQuery, @OptionalUser() user: UserT | null): HelloResponse {
     return { message: `hello, ${q.name ?? "world"}!`, user: user?.id ?? null };
   }
@@ -149,9 +367,23 @@ export default class HelloController {
 ```
 
 This is served at `GET /hello`. The `@Query` schema validates the query string;
-the method's return type (paired with `@Returns(HelloResponse)`) validates and
-describes the response. See [routing.md](./routing.md) and
-[endpoints.md](./endpoints.md) for the full class-controller model.
+the method's RETURN TYPE (`: HelloResponse`) names the response schema — codegen
++ the runtime read it to validate and describe the 200 response. There is no
+`@Returns` decorator; a body route with no named return type is a build error.
+
+Two things every controller file MUST have:
+
+- **A default export of the `@Controller` class.** Above it is `export default class
+  HelloController` (inline); the equivalent trailing form is `export class
+  HelloController {…}` then `export default HelloController;`. Without a default
+  export the deploy fails ("not a @Controller").
+- **`async` + `Promise<T>` once the method awaits a service.** `greet` above is
+  synchronous (pure), so it returns `HelloResponse` directly. The moment a method
+  calls a service that awaits `Database`, make it `async` and return
+  `Promise<HelloResponse>`.
+
+See [routing.md](./routing.md) and [endpoints.md](./endpoints.md) for the full
+class-controller model.
 
 
 
@@ -178,22 +410,20 @@ method declares its verb + subpath; the real work lives in a `services/` class
 
 ```ts
 // controllers/places.controller.ts
-import { Controller, Get, Post, Returns, Body, User, z } from "@palbase/backend";
+import { Controller, Get, Post, Body, User } from "@palbase/backend";
 import type { UserT } from "@palbase/backend";
 import { placeService } from "../services/place.service.js";
 import { ImportNearbyBody } from "../models/places/import.js";
-import { PlaceSchema } from "../models/places/shared.js";
+import type { PlaceSchema } from "../models/places/shared.js";  // the return TYPE names the 200 schema
 
 @Controller("/places")
 export default class PlacesController {
   @Post("/import")
-  @Returns(PlaceSchema)
   importNearby(@Body(ImportNearbyBody) body: ImportNearbyBody, @User() user: UserT): PlaceSchema {
     return placeService.importNearby(body.lat, body.lng, user.id);
   }
 
   @Get("/favorites", { auth: false })
-  @Returns(z.array(PlaceSchema))
   listFavorites(): PlaceSchema[] {
     return placeService.listFavorites();
   }
@@ -211,8 +441,10 @@ Rules:
 - A `{segment}` in a path becomes a path param, injected via `@Param("segment")`.
 - Input is declared with the parameter decorators — `@Body(schema)`,
   `@Query(schema)`, `@Param("id")`, `@Headers(schema?)`. The success response is
-  the method's RETURN TYPE; pair it with `@Returns(schema)` so the zod value
-  drives the OpenAPI 200 response (or annotate `: void` for no body).
+  the method's RETURN TYPE (`: PlaceSchema` or `: z.infer<typeof PlaceSchema>`):
+  codegen + the runtime read that named type to drive the OpenAPI 200 response.
+  A body route with no named return type is a build error — annotate `: void`
+  (or `: Promise<void>`) for no body.
 - The operationId is derived FLAT from method + full path (`postPlacesImport`),
   not from the method name. Change `@Post` → `@Put` — no file rename.
 
@@ -237,22 +469,20 @@ imported singletons (see [services.md](./services.md)).
 
 ```ts
 // controllers/rooms.controller.ts
-import { Controller, Get, Post, Returns, Body, Param, User, NotFound, Database } from "@palbase/backend";
+import { Controller, Get, Post, Body, Param, User, NotFound, Database } from "@palbase/backend";
 import type { UserT } from "@palbase/backend";
 import { CreateRoomBody } from "../models/rooms/create.js";
-import { RoomSchema } from "../models/rooms/shared.js";
+import type { RoomSchema } from "../models/rooms/shared.js";  // the return TYPE names the 200 schema
 
 @Controller("/rooms")
 export default class RoomsController {
   @Post("")
-  @Returns(RoomSchema)
   async create(@Body(CreateRoomBody) body: CreateRoomBody, @User() user: UserT): Promise<RoomSchema> {
     const room = await Database.insert("rooms", { name: body.name, capacity: body.capacity ?? null });
     return { id: room.id as string, name: room.name as string, capacity: (room.capacity as number) ?? null };
   }
 
   @Get("/{id}")
-  @Returns(RoomSchema)
   async getOne(@Param("id") id: string): Promise<RoomSchema> {
     const room = await Database.findById("rooms", id);
     if (!room) throw new NotFound("Room does not exist", "room_not_found");
@@ -261,6 +491,19 @@ export default class RoomsController {
 }
 ```
 
+**Two non-negotiables** (the most common codegen mistakes):
+
+1. **`export default <Controller>` is REQUIRED.** Above it is
+   `export default class RoomsController`; the trailing form `export class
+   RoomsController {…}` + `export default RoomsController;` is equivalent. Without
+   a default export the deploy aborts with a "not a @Controller / non-controller
+   export" error — the runtime loads the file's default export.
+2. **A method that awaits a service is `async` + `Promise<T>`.** `Database`
+   returns promises, so a body that `await`s it cannot have a sync return type
+   (`: RoomSchema` on an `async` body is a `tsc` error). Both methods above are
+   `async` and return `Promise<RoomSchema>`. (A pure method that returns a literal
+   with no `await` may stay synchronous.)
+
 ## Method decorators
 
 `@Get`/`@Post`/`@Put`/`@Patch`/`@Delete` take `(subpath, options?)`:
@@ -298,10 +541,11 @@ name `User` is the `@User()` decorator.
 
 ## Output = return type
 
-The success response is the method's RETURN TYPE. Pair it with `@Returns(schema)`
-so the zod value drives the OpenAPI 200 response (the type annotation drives
-compile-time checking; the zod value is lossless for codegen). A method that
-returns nothing annotates `: void`.
+The success response is the method's RETURN TYPE — there is no `@Returns`
+decorator. Annotate `: Promise<RoomSchema>` (or `: Promise<z.infer<typeof
+RoomSchema>>`); codegen + the runtime read that named type to bind the OpenAPI
+200 response zod schema. A body route with no named return type is a build
+error. A method that returns nothing annotates `: void` (or `: Promise<void>`).
 
 ## Auth — controller default + route override cascade
 
@@ -560,7 +804,7 @@ You do **not** wire anything per endpoint. Saving `db/schema.ts` regenerates
 of the schema, no generic, no cast:
 
 ```ts
-import { Controller, Post, Returns, Body, Database, z } from "@palbase/backend";
+import { Controller, Post, Body, Database, z } from "@palbase/backend";
 
 const CreateRoomBody = z.object({ name: z.string() });
 const RoomOut = z.object({ id: z.string(), name: z.string() });
@@ -568,7 +812,8 @@ const RoomOut = z.object({ id: z.string(), name: z.string() });
 @Controller("/rooms")
 export default class RoomsController {
   @Post("")
-  @Returns(RoomOut)
+  // The return type names the 200 schema — `z.infer<typeof RoomOut>` works
+  // inline, no separate `export type` needed.
   async create(@Body(CreateRoomBody) body: z.infer<typeof CreateRoomBody>): Promise<z.infer<typeof RoomOut>> {
     const room = await Database.tables.rooms.insert({ name: body.name });
     return { id: room.id, name: room.name }; // room.id: string ✓
@@ -696,101 +941,103 @@ so they apply without the `acceptDataLoss` confirmation that column drops need.
 
 # Migrations
 
-`db/schema.ts` is the single source of truth for your Postgres schema. On every
-deploy, Palbase diffs your declared schema against the live branch database and
-reconciles it — but *how* it reconciles depends on whether the change is safe to
-apply automatically.
+`db/schema.ts` is the single source of truth for your Postgres schema. You change
+the schema by editing that file, then generating a **migration** from the diff
+with `palbase db diff`. Every schema change — additive or destructive — flows
+through a reviewable migration file committed to git. The deploy applies the
+migrations in `db/migrations/`; nothing is auto-applied behind your back.
 
-## Two kinds of change
+## The workflow
 
-### 1. Additive — auto-applied, no migration file
+```bash
+# 1. Edit db/schema.ts (add a column, a table, a policy, …)
 
-A new table, or a new **nullable** or **defaulted** column, is additive: the
-deploy applies it automatically (`CREATE TABLE` / `ADD COLUMN`) with no manual
-step and no backfill risk. Just edit `db/schema.ts` and deploy.
+# 2. Generate the migration from the diff (declared schema vs the live branch)
+palbase db diff -f add_priority
+#   → writes db/migrations/<timestamp>_add_priority.sql
 
-```ts
-// before
-todos: {
-  id: uuid().primaryKey().defaultRandom(),
-  title: text().notNull(),
-}
-
-// after — additive: `notes` (nullable) + `priority` (defaulted) auto-apply on deploy
-todos: {
-  id: uuid().primaryKey().defaultRandom(),
-  title: text().notNull(),
-  notes: text().nullable(),
-  priority: text().nullable().default("normal"),
-}
+# 3. Review the generated SQL (especially destructive changes — see below),
+#    then commit + push. git push deploys; the migration runs on deploy.
+git add db/migrations && git commit -m "add priority column" && git push
 ```
 
-> A new **NOT NULL column without a default** is NOT additive-safe on a table
-> that already has rows (there is nothing to put in the existing rows). Make it
-> `.nullable()`, give it a `.default(...)`, or apply it as an explicit migration
-> (add nullable → backfill → set NOT NULL).
+`palbase db diff` introspects your **live branch database** (there is no local
+database — every branch runs on the server), diffs it against `db/schema.ts`, and
+writes one migration SQL file. If the schema is already in sync it writes nothing
+and tells you so.
 
-### 2. Destructive / type-changing — needs an explicit migration
+## Additive vs destructive
 
-Renaming or dropping a column, changing a column's type, or adding a NOT NULL
-constraint can lose or corrupt existing data — so the deploy's **drift-gate
-blocks them** and the deploy fails until you provide an explicit migration.
-Write the SQL yourself in `db/migrations/`:
+The generated SQL labels what it does. An additive change (new table, new column)
+is plain DDL:
 
+```sql
+-- palbase db diff: add_priority
+-- generated 20260605T142233
+
+ALTER TABLE todos ADD COLUMN IF NOT EXISTS priority text;
 ```
-db/migrations/
-  001_user_id_to_text.up.sql
-  001_user_id_to_text.down.sql
-```
+
+A **destructive** change (dropping a column or table — losing data) is generated
+with a clear warning comment, and `palbase db diff` prints a warning. Review it
+before committing:
 
 ```sql
--- 001_user_id_to_text.up.sql
-ALTER TABLE todos ALTER COLUMN user_id TYPE text USING user_id::text;
+-- DESTRUCTIVE: dropping todos.notes loses its data
+ALTER TABLE todos DROP COLUMN notes;
 ```
 
+A **column type change** is emitted as a commented stub — auto-migration never
+alters types, so you write the real `ALTER ... TYPE` with whatever `USING` cast
+and backfill your data needs:
+
 ```sql
--- 001_user_id_to_text.down.sql
-ALTER TABLE todos ALTER COLUMN user_id TYPE uuid USING user_id::uuid;
+-- TYPE CHANGE: todos.priority text -> integer (review; auto-migrate does not ALTER types)
+-- ALTER TABLE todos ALTER COLUMN priority TYPE integer;
 ```
 
-Migrations are golang-migrate style: numbered `NNN_name.up.sql` / `.down.sql`
-pairs, applied in order and tracked so each runs exactly once (idempotent).
-`db/schema.ts` always describes the **end state**; the migration describes **how
-existing data gets there**. Keep the two in sync — after the migration lands,
-`schema.ts` should already reflect the new column type.
+## The drift gate
+
+You can't push a schema change without its migration:
 
-## The drift-gate
+- **`palbase db check`** exits non-zero when `db/schema.ts` declares something the
+  database lacks (i.e. you edited the schema but didn't run `palbase db diff`).
+- The scaffold installs a **git pre-push hook** that runs `palbase db check`, so a
+  plain `git push` is **blocked** until you generate + commit the migration.
+  (Bypass with `git push --no-verify` — but the deploy-time gate still rejects it.)
+- On deploy, after migrations run, Palbase asserts `db/schema.ts` matches the live
+  database. Any unresolved drift **fails the deploy** and keeps the previous
+  version live — a broken schema never goes out silently.
 
-On deploy, Palbase compares `db/schema.ts` to the live database:
+## `palbase serve` uses the deployed database
 
-- **Additive** diffs → auto-applied.
-- **Type-changing / destructive** diffs **with** a matching migration → the
-  migration runs.
-- **Type-changing / destructive** diffs **without** a migration → the deploy
-  **aborts** and your currently-running version keeps serving.
+`palbase serve` runs your controllers locally but proxies `Database` and `ctx.*`
+to the **deployed** branch — it does not spin up a local Postgres. So a schema
+change in `db/schema.ts` doesn't exist in the database until you generate the
+migration and push. Run `palbase gen-types` (or just `palbase serve`, which
+regenerates on change) after editing the schema to refresh `palbase-env.d.ts` so
+`Database.tables.<name>` is fully typed in your services.
 
-This is deliberate: it stops an accidental column-type change from silently
-dropping production data. A blocked deploy is a prompt to write the migration,
-not a failure to work around.
+## Hand-written migrations
 
-## Local dev: `palbase serve` uses the deployed database
+`db/migrations/*.sql` is plain SQL applied in filename order and tracked in
+`schema_migrations` (idempotent — a migration runs once). `palbase db diff`
+generates them for you, but you can also hand-write one for anything the diff
+can't express (a data backfill, a complex type change with a `USING` cast, a
+trigger). Keep `db/schema.ts` as the declared end-state so the drift gate passes.
 
-`palbase serve` runs your controllers locally but proxies `Database` and
-`ctx.*` to the **deployed** branch — it does **not** spin up a local Postgres or
-apply migrations locally. So when your local `db/schema.ts` or `db/migrations/`
-is ahead of what's deployed, serve prints a note: new tables/columns won't exist
-until you push. Deploy to apply them.
+## Adding a NOT NULL column to a table with rows
 
-## Workflow
+There's nothing to put in existing rows, so do it in two migrations: first add it
+nullable (or with a default) and backfill, then a follow-up `ALTER ... SET NOT
+NULL`. `db/schema.ts` describes the end state; the migrations describe how
+existing data gets there.
 
-1. Edit `db/schema.ts`.
-2. **Additive** change? → `git push`. It auto-migrates on deploy.
-3. **Type change / rename / drop?** → add `db/migrations/NNN_*.up.sql` (+
-   `.down.sql`), then `git push`. The runner applies it; without it the
-   drift-gate blocks the deploy.
-4. `palbase serve` warns locally until the change is deployed.
+## Row-Level Security
 
-See [schema.md](./schema.md) for the column builders and typed
+Add `rls: true` + `policies: [policy(...)]` to a table in `db/schema.ts`; the
+generated migration emits the `ENABLE ROW LEVEL SECURITY` + `CREATE POLICY` DDL.
+See [schema.md](./schema.md) for the column builders, the policy DSL, and typed
 `Database.tables.*` access.
 
 
@@ -889,7 +1136,7 @@ await Notifications.sms.send({ /* PalbaseSmsSendParams */ });
 ## Flags
 
 ```ts
-import { Controller, Get, Returns, User, Flags, z } from "@palbase/backend";
+import { Controller, Get, User, Flags, z } from "@palbase/backend";
 import type { UserT } from "@palbase/backend";
 
 const FlagsOut = z.object({ enabled: z.boolean() });
@@ -897,8 +1144,7 @@ const FlagsOut = z.object({ enabled: z.boolean() });
 @Controller("/checkout")
 export default class CheckoutController {
   @Get("/flags")                       // auth omitted → required → user is non-null
-  @Returns(FlagsOut)
-  async flags(@User() user: UserT): Promise<z.infer<typeof FlagsOut>> {
+  async flags(@User() user: UserT): Promise<z.infer<typeof FlagsOut>> {  // return type names the 200 schema
     const { data: enabled } = await Flags.isEnabled("new-checkout", { userId: user.id });
     const { data: variant } = await Flags.getVariant("button-color", { userId: user.id });
     return { enabled: enabled ?? false };

package/docs/llms.txt

@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 # Palbase Backend SDK (`@palbase/backend`)
 
-> File-based TypeScript backend SDK. All handler types import service singletons (`Database`, `Cache`, …). Trigger arg differs by type: endpoints use `req`, workers `(payload, meta)`, jobs `(meta)`, hooks/webhooks `(event, meta)`. Middleware is the one exception (`ctx`). Not Express, not Supabase Edge Functions.
+> TypeScript backend SDK. NestJS-style class controllers: `@Controller` classes with `@Get`/`@Post`/… methods and `@Body`/`@Query`/`@Param`/`@User` parameter decorators. All handler types import service singletons (`Database`, `Cache`, …). Trigger arg differs by type: endpoints use parameter decorators, workers `(payload, meta)`, jobs `(meta)`, hooks/webhooks `(event, meta)`. Middleware is the one exception (`ctx`). Not Express, not Supabase Edge Functions.
 
 ## Docs