Skip to content

no-boolean

Id
@azure-tools/typespec-azure-core/no-boolean

Boolean properties should use descriptive extensible enums when semantic values matter.

Boolean values can be hard for API users to understand when the property or payload represents a domain state, option, or mode. Prefer a descriptive extensible enum modeled as a union so future values can be added without a breaking change.

Impact

Section titled “Impact”
  • Area: SDK, API

Boolean shapes can make generated clients less readable and can force future breaking changes if the API later needs more than two values.

LintDiff Equivalent

Section titled “LintDiff Equivalent”

This rule corresponds to the LintDiff rule EnumInsteadOfBoolean.

Incorrect

Section titled “Incorrect”
model Widget {
  enabled: boolean;
}
@get
op isWidgetEnabled(): boolean;

Correct

Section titled “Correct”
union WidgetState {
  Enabled: "Enabled",
  Disabled: "Disabled",
  string,
}


model Widget {
  state: WidgetState;
}
@get
op getWidgetState(): WidgetState;

Suppression

Section titled “Suppression”

Suppress this rule only when the value is inherently boolean and is unlikely to grow additional states, such as a simple yes/no capability.