Overview

Kayan is a Kotlin Gradle plugin for layered JSON and YAML config. It supports Kotlin Multiplatform, JVM, and Android projects.

Kayan generates a typed Kotlin API so your code can read configuration directly instead of routing values through platform-specific build config.

Kayan is designed for non-sensitive configuration. If a value should stay out of generated code or normal Gradle configuration, keep it out of Kayan. See Security for the trust model and main boundaries.

How it works

1. Write a JSON or YAML config file with a flavors object for environment-specific values.
2. Declare the schema in build.gradle.kts with the kayan {} DSL.
3. Kayan merges the base and override files, then validates the declared entries.
4. Kayan generates a typed Kotlin object that shared code can import.

Merge priority

For a selected flavor, values resolve in this priority order:

1. Custom config flavor value
2. Custom config top-level default value
3. Base config flavor value
4. Base config top-level default value

Common setups

• Use Gradle usage for the main plugin DSL and defaults.
• Use Target-specific generation when KMP source sets need different resolved values behind one shared API.
• Use Multi-module shared config when several modules read one shared config file.
• Use Build-time config access when Gradle logic needs resolved values during configuration.