Defaults & Generated Values

Atscript lets you set default values directly in your .as schema. Defaults ensure fields are populated automatically on insert — you define them once, and every adapter handles the rest.

Static Defaults

Use @db.default to assign a fixed value when a field is not provided at insert time. The argument is always a string — non-string values are parsed as JSON:

// String default — used as-is
@db.default 'pending'
status: string

// Boolean default — parsed from JSON
@db.default 'false'
isArchived: boolean

// Number default — parsed from JSON
@db.default '0'
retryCount: number

Generated Defaults

Some defaults need to be computed at insert time. Atscript provides three portable generated-default annotations:

@db.default.increment — Auto-Incrementing Integer

Generates sequential integers (1, 2, 3, ...). The field must be a number type. An optional argument sets the starting value:

@db.default.increment
id: number

// With optional start value:
@db.default.increment 1000
id: number

@db.default.uuid — Random UUID

Generates a random UUID v4 string. The field must be a string type:

@db.default.uuid
id: string

@db.default.now — Current Timestamp

Captures the current time at insert. Works with number (Unix epoch milliseconds) and string (ISO format) types:

@db.default.now
createdAt?: number

Timestamps use number (epoch milliseconds) rather than a Date type — this is deliberate. Numbers are JSON-native, so timestamps pass through HTTP boundaries (client ↔ server) without any serialization or hydration step. A Date type would require walking every response to convert strings back to Date instances on both sides.

Semantic Types Include Defaults

Semantic types like number.timestamp.created already include @db.default.now — you don't need to add it manually:

// Concise — semantic type handles the default
createdAt?: number.timestamp.created

// Equivalent verbose form
@db.default.now
createdAt?: number

How Defaults Interact with Inserts

Understanding when defaults apply:

• Omitted fields — the default value is used. This is the primary use case.
• Explicit values — if you pass a value for a field with a default, your value takes precedence. The default is only a fallback.
• Optional fields without defaults — become NULL if omitted from the insert.
• Fields with @db.default.increment — typically omitted from inserts entirely. The database generates the next value.
• Non-optional fields without defaults — must always be provided. @db.default does not make a field optional in TypeScript — you still need ? if you want to omit it from inserts.

// Only 'title' is required — all other fields are optional (marked with ?)
await todos.insertOne({ title: 'Learn Atscript' })

// Result:
// {
//   id: 1,                    ← @db.default.increment
//   title: 'Learn Atscript',
//   completed: false,         ← @db.default 'false' (field is optional with ?)
//   description: null,        ← optional, no default
//   createdAt: 1710500000000  ← @db.default.now
// }

Next Steps

• Indexes & Constraints — database indexes, precision, and collation
• Tables & Fields — declaring tables, primary keys, and field types
• CRUD Operations — insert, query, update, and delete data