bare-config

The type-safe configuration authority for Rust.

A pluggable framework that evolves beyond static loading to provide full CRUD operations across multiple backends, enforcing "Parse, don't validate" for the entire configuration lifecycle.

Overview

bare-config is not just another configuration loader. It is a Configuration Authority that:

Validates at boundaries - Configuration is parsed and validated once at system entry points
Enforces type safety - Strongly typed configuration values prevent invalid states
Supports full CRUD - Read, create, update, and delete operations across multiple backends
Pluggable backends - File system, environment variables, remote services, and custom backends
Zero runtime overhead - After validation, configuration access is cost-free

Philosophy

Parse, Don't Validate

Traditional configuration libraries mix parsing and validation throughout the codebase. bare-config separates these concerns:

Parse - Convert raw configuration data (TOML, YAML, JSON, etc.) into typed values
Validate - Ensure values meet constraints at system boundaries
Trust - Use validated values without re-checking within the system

This eliminates primitive obsession and ensures data integrity where it matters most.

Quick Start

use bare_config::{Config, ConfigBuilder};

#[derive(Debug, Clone)]
struct AppConfig {
    host: String,
    port: u16,
    max_connections: usize,
}

fn main() -> Result<(), Box<dyn std::error::Error>> {
    let config: AppConfig = ConfigBuilder::new()
        .load_file("config.toml")?
        .load_env()?
        .build()?;

    println!("Server running on {}:{}", config.host, config.port);
    Ok(())
}

Features

Type-safe configuration - Strongly typed values with compile-time guarantees
Multiple backends - File system, environment variables, and extensible backend system
CRUD operations - Full lifecycle management of configuration values
Hot reloading - Optional runtime configuration updates
Validation - Schema-based validation with detailed error messages
Zero dependencies - Core functionality has no external dependencies

Roadmap

Core configuration framework
File system backends (TOML, YAML, JSON, INI)
Environment variable backend
Validation schema system
CRUD operations
Hot reloading
Remote configuration backends
Configuration migration tools

License

Licensed under either of:

Apache License, Version 2.0 (LICENSE-APACHE)
MIT License (LICENSE-MIT)

Contributing

Contributions are welcome! Please open an issue or submit a PR.

Related Crates

bare-types - Zero-cost foundation for type-safe domain modeling

bare-config 0.1.0