QuadletLens

QuadletLens is an open-source Rust library for parsing, inspecting, generating, and rendering Podman Quadlet files. It preserves source details while keeping Podman and systemd compatibility decisions explicit.

Guides · Rust API · crates.io · Source code

Install

cargo add quadlet-lens

QuadletLens requires Rust 1.85.0 or newer.

Parse a document

use quadlet_lens::{
    model::{QuadletDocument, QuadletUnitType},
    source::SourceId,
};

let source = "[Container]\nImage=example.invalid/web:1\n";
let parsed = QuadletDocument::parse(
    QuadletUnitType::Container,
    SourceId::new(1),
    source,
)
.expect("valid Quadlet input");

assert!(parsed.is_valid());

The parse result retains typed entries, the original syntax document, source spans, and separate syntax and model diagnostics.

What the library guarantees

External environment files and secrets resolve only from caller-authorized, already-decoded values.
Ordered sections, repeated keys, comments, continuations, unknown fields, and systemd specifiers remain available.
Typed documents cover the supported Quadlet unit types without flattening their source.
Document sets resolve native cross-file references without filesystem discovery.
Preservation and canonical rendering are deterministic.
Programmatic generation validates and reparses its output before returning it.
Compatibility queries use a versioned, evidence-backed catalogue.

QuadletLens never installs units, reloads systemd, invokes Podman, inspects the host, or converts another container format. Cross-format conversion belongs to BoxFerry.

Documentation

Repository instructions for coding agents are in AGENTS.md.

Open source