if I'd like to retrieve all the classes marked with a specific annotation, shall I use the kotlinx.s...

# multiplatform

[elect]

if I'd like to retrieve all the classes marked with a specific annotation, shall I use the kotlinx.serialization for that (for the descriptor)?

[mbonnin]

Are you talking some kind of multiplatform reflection?

[elect]

yep

[mbonnin]

kotlinx.serialization uses findAssociatedObject

[elect]

I wonder if I can exploit, at runtime, the descriptor generated at compile time

[mbonnin]

The descriptor is in the companion object, I don't think you can enumerate those

[elect]

that findAssociatedObject looks to be only native and js?

[mbonnin]

On the JVM you can use plain reflection/classpath scanning I guess?

[elect]

so I need 2 implementations 😕

[mbonnin]

yep

[mbonnin]

Overall I find multiplatform reflection to be a bit awkward, maybe you can use KSP or some other form of meta-programming instead?

[elect]

yeah, someone mentioned that, but I have no idea where to start

[mbonnin]

KSP isn't that hard, calling resolver.getSymbolsWithAnnotation() will get you all your classes. Then use KotlinPoet to generate a top level list of all of them

[mbonnin]

There are a couple ksp samples out there. Maybe this one?

[elect]

I need that at runtime

[mbonnin]

Ah oh yea then KSP won't help

[elect]

what if I use KSP for getting all classes with the annotation I want, generating at compile time some metadata to be read in runtime later on?

[mbonnin]

Yep, this is exactly what I was suggesting

[mbonnin]

The metadata would be the KotlinPoet generated top level property containing the list of all your KClass

[mbonnin]

You could dump to a JSON too but it's the same underlying mechanism

[elect]

I'd need the list of all the classes, in third dependencies too..
do you think it'll work?

[mbonnin]

Yep, KSP scans the compile classpaths of your sources

[elect]

eh, the problem is on native, there is no classpath over there

[mbonnin]

I would expect this to work

[mbonnin]

KSP looks in the .klibs or whatever

[mbonnin]

The Kotlin compiler knows about all those symbols

[elect]

this is a library, do you think this will work on consumers side as well?

[mbonnin]

If your users add the KSP processor to their build, sure

[mbonnin]

Means you have to ship both the runtime library and the build-time KSP processor, like moshi for an example