Custom Code
Generated SDKs rarely cover every need. You might add a convenience method, tweak a type, write a helper, or adjust the README. Scalar lets you edit generated code directly and carries your changes forward on every regeneration, so you customize the SDK without forking it or losing future updates.
This works on any target linked to a GitHub repository.
How it works
Each build does a three-way merge: it compares the previously generated code, the newly generated code, and your repository's current state, then opens a pull request that combines the new generation with your edits. Untouched generated files update cleanly; your edits are preserved; brand-new files you added are left alone.
Edit the generated code
In your SDK repository, change generated files or add new ones, the same as any other code. Commit to the default branch as usual.
Rebuild
The next build regenerates from the latest OpenAPI document and merges your changes into the build's pull request. Your edits ride along instead of being overwritten.
Review and merge
Review the pull request as normal. Most changes merge automatically; only real conflicts need attention.
Resolving conflicts
A conflict happens when a regenerated file changes the same lines you edited (for example, you customized a method whose signature then changed in the API). When that happens, the target's build is marked as having conflicts, and you can resolve them two ways:
- In the dashboard: open the target's conflicts view and pick the generated or your version for each conflicting file.
- In GitHub: resolve the conflict on the pull request like any other Git merge conflict.
Once resolved, the build continues and the pull request reflects the merged result.
Tips
- Keep custom code separate where you can. New files in their own paths never conflict, so prefer adding a helper file over editing deep inside a generated one.
- Review every build pull request. It is the single place where generated changes and your customizations come together, so it is the natural review point before anything releases or publishes.
- Custom code is per repository. Each target keeps its own customizations in its own repository.
