Maisa Rissi introduces the public preview of Dart support in Kiota, detailing how developers can generate Dart API clients from OpenAPI specs and highlighting community-driven development.

Announcing Public Preview of Kiota Dart Support

Author: Maisa Rissi

Overview

Kiota, Microsoft’s open-source generator for API client libraries from OpenAPI descriptions, now supports Dart – made possible by significant community contributions. This new feature, available in public preview, allows developers to effortlessly create type-safe Dart API clients for any OpenAPI-described API.

Community-Driven Development

The Dart support milestone in Kiota was driven largely by the open-source community. Special thanks go to contributors Kees-Schotanus, Joanne ter Maat, Ricardo Boss, Andrea Peruffo, and Emond Papegaaij for their efforts.

What is Kiota?

Purpose: Kiota generates API client libraries for multiple languages, now including Dart, from OpenAPI descriptions.
Use Cases: Quickly create robust, strongly-typed clients for any RESTful API, and automate creating plugins for declarative agents in Microsoft 365 Copilot.
Benefits: Saves developer time and reduces errors by eliminating manual client coding.

Why Use Kiota?

Automation: Kiota eliminates boilerplate code for API interactions.
Type Safety: Generated clients catch errors at compile time.
Efficiency: Tailor clients to your app needs, optimizing performance.
Community Collaboration: The Dart implementation showcases the open-source spirit and Microsoft’s readiness to evolve the tool with community input.

Getting Started with Kiota and Dart

1. Install Kiota

Options: Use as a .NET tool, with Docker, or other supported methods.
See Kiota documentation for full installation instructions.

2. Generate the API Client

Open the Kiota extension in your development environment (e.g., VS Code via the Active Bar icon).
Provide a local or remote OpenAPI description, or choose one from Kiota’s public catalog.
Select desired API paths and click Generate.
Specify output language as Dart.
Full quickstart guide: Build API clients for Dart.

3. Use the Generated Client

Integrate the generated Dart code into your application.
Example: Use API Key for authentication, or implement OAuth for more secure scenarios.

Next Steps

Try Dart Support: Test out Dart client generation and provide feedback at aka.ms/kiota.
Authentication: Implement OAuth for secure, authenticated API calls.
Contribute: Report bugs, suggest features, or submit pull requests to improve Kiota further.
Follow the Project: Monitor development as Dart support moves toward General Availability, continuing to share user feedback.

Resources

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