more_visibility #

Analysis server plugin + post-process builder that brings Java-style "protected" and "default" visibility to Dart projects using the annotations @mprotected and @mdefault.

What it does #

• @mprotected: declaration/file is usable from the same directory and any subdirectories.
• @mdefault: declaration/file is usable only from the same directory.
• Lint powered by analysis_server_plugin catches violations at analysis time in IDEs and dart analyze.
• Post-process builder automatically stamps generated files (Riverpod, Freezed, etc.) with a file-level annotation so they obey the same visibility rules.

Requirements #

• Dart SDK 3.10.0 or later (Flutter SDK 3.38.0 or later)

Quick start #

1. Add dependencies:

dependencies:
  more_visibility_annotation: ^0.1.0
dev_dependencies:
  more_visibility: ^0.1.3 # analysis server plugin
  build_runner: any # if you want the auto-annotation builder

2. Enable the plugin in analysis_options.yaml:

plugins:
  more_visibility: ^0.1.3

Or for local development:

plugins:
  more_visibility:
    path: path/to/more_visibility

3. Annotate code:

import 'package:more_visibility_annotation/more_visibility_annotation.dart';

@mprotected // usable from lib/ and lib/**
final shared = 1;

@mdefault // usable only inside this directory
final local = 2;

4. Run the lints:

dart analyze

Or your IDE will automatically show violations as you code.

Configuring severity levels #

By default, visibility violations are reported as errors. You can change the severity level in your analysis_options.yaml:

analyzer:
  errors:
    # Change all visibility violations to warnings
    more_visibility_protected: warning
    more_visibility_module_default: warning

    # Or set to info (won't fail CI)
    more_visibility_protected: info
    more_visibility_module_default: info

    # Or ignore completely
    more_visibility_protected: ignore
    more_visibility_module_default: ignore

Available severity levels:

• error (default) - Causes analysis to fail
• warning - Shown as warning, doesn't fail analysis by default
• info - Informational only
• ignore - Suppresses the diagnostic

File-level annotations #

Annotate an entire file to give every declaration the same visibility:

import 'package:more_visibility_annotation/more_visibility_annotation.dart';

@mprotected
library feature_auth;

// Everything in this file inherits the @mprotected rule.

Auto-annotating generated files #

Add the post-process builder so generated files copy the declaration-level visibility from their source part:

# build.yaml in your app/repo
targets:
  $default:
    builders:
      more_visibility:auto_annotate:
        enabled: true

post_process_builders:
  more_visibility:auto_annotate:
    options:
      visibility: mprotected # fallback if source has no annotated declaration

Then run:

dart run build_runner build --delete-conflicting-outputs

The builder inserts @mprotected (or @mdefault) at the top of matching generated files (*.g.dart, *.freezed.dart, *.riverpod.dart) unless they are already annotated. The builder copies the first declaration-level @mprotected/@mdefault from the source part file into the generated file (after part of), so generated declarations share the same visibility. File-level annotations are not copied because parts share library metadata automatically.

Example project #

See example/ for a minimal project showing allowed/blocked usages and how the lint reports violations.

Testing #

Run the package tests, which include an end-to-end lint invocation and builder coverage:

dart test

More info #

• docs/usage.md: setup steps and idioms
• docs/visibility_rules.md: rule details and edge cases
• docs/auto_annotation.md: builder options and integration notes