Question: why is the `@Validate` annotation needed...

# akkurate

[Cies]

Question: why is the @Validate annotation needed?

[Johann Pardanaud]

Hi @Cies! The annotation allows the compiler plugin to know for which classes it should generate accessors.

Take this example:

@Validate
data class Book(val title: String)

Validator<Book> { // this: Validatable<Book>
    title.hasLengthLowerThan(50)
}

When you call title inside the validator lambda, you don't get an instance of String but an instance of Validatable<String>, which allows to call new methods like hasLengthLowerThan.

The fact that you get this string type wrapped in a Validatable is due to the annotation.