Add models_only option to generate only Pydantic models without client code

When `models_only = true`, ariadne-codegen generates only input types, enums,
result types, fragments, and the base model — skipping the client class, base
client, and exceptions module. This removes the httpx dependency for type-only
use cases. The `queries_path` and base client configuration become optional in
this mode.

Closes #418

Co-Authored-By: Claude Opus 4.6 <noreply@anthropic.com>

Author: magicmark

ariadne_codegen/client_generators/package.py

@@ -92,6 +92,7 @@ def __init__(
         default_optional_fields_to_none: bool = False,
         include_typename: bool = True,
         ignore_extra_fields: bool = True,
+        models_only: bool = False,
     ) -> None:
         self.package_path = Path(target_path) / package_name
 
@@ -150,21 +151,23 @@ def __init__(
         self._unpacked_fragments: set[str] = set()
         self._used_enums: list[str] = []
 
+        self.models_only = models_only
         self.enable_custom_operations = enable_custom_operations
         if self.enable_custom_operations:
             self.files_to_include.append(self.base_schema_root_file_path)
 
     def generate(self) -> list[str]:
         """Generate package with graphql client."""
-        self._include_exceptions()
+        if not self.models_only:
+            self._include_exceptions()
         self._validate_unique_file_names()
         if not self.package_path.exists():
             self.package_path.mkdir()
         self._generate_input_types()
         self._generate_result_types()
         self._generate_fragments()
         self._copy_files()
-        if self.enable_custom_operations:
+        if not self.models_only and self.enable_custom_operations:
             self._generate_custom_fields_typing()
             self._generate_custom_fields()
             self.client_generator.add_execute_custom_operation_method(self.async_client)
@@ -179,7 +182,8 @@ def generate(self) -> list[str]:
                     "mutation", OperationType.MUTATION.value.upper(), self.async_client
                 )
 
-        self._generate_client()
+        if not self.models_only:
+            self._generate_client()
         self._generate_enums()
         self._generate_init()
 
@@ -223,14 +227,15 @@ def add_operation(self, definition: OperationDefinitionNode):
             query_types_generator.get_generated_public_names(), module_name, 1
         )
 
-        self.client_generator.add_method(
-            definition=definition,
-            name=method_name,
-            return_type=return_type_name,
-            return_type_module=module_name,
-            operation_str=operation_str,
-            async_=self.async_client,
-        )
+        if not self.models_only:
+            self.client_generator.add_method(
+                definition=definition,
+                name=method_name,
+                return_type=return_type_name,
+                return_type_module=module_name,
+                operation_str=operation_str,
+                async_=self.async_client,
+            )
 
     def _include_exceptions(self):
         if self.base_client_file_path in (
@@ -247,18 +252,19 @@ def _include_exceptions(self):
             )
 
     def _validate_unique_file_names(self):
-        file_names = (
-            [
+        file_names = [
+            self.base_model_file_path.name,
+            f"{self.enums_module_name}.py",
+            f"{self.input_types_module_name}.py",
+            f"{self.fragments_module_name}.py",
+        ]
+        if not self.models_only:
+            file_names += [
                 f"{self.client_file_name}.py",
                 self.base_client_file_path.name,
-                self.base_model_file_path.name,
-                f"{self.enums_module_name}.py",
-                f"{self.input_types_module_name}.py",
-                f"{self.fragments_module_name}.py",
             ]
-            + list(self._result_types_files.keys())
-            + [f.name for f in self.files_to_include]
-        )
+        file_names += list(self._result_types_files.keys())
+        file_names += [f.name for f in self.files_to_include]
 
         if len(file_names) != len(set(file_names)):
             seen = set()
@@ -310,7 +316,7 @@ def _generate_enums(self):
         )
 
     def _generate_input_types(self):
-        if self.include_all_inputs:
+        if self.include_all_inputs or self.models_only:
             module = self.input_types_generator.generate()
         else:
             used_inputs = self.client_generator.arguments_generator.get_used_inputs()
@@ -359,10 +365,9 @@ def _generate_fragments(self):
         )
 
     def _copy_files(self):
-        files_to_copy = self.files_to_include + [
-            self.base_client_file_path,
-            self.base_model_file_path,
-        ]
+        files_to_copy = self.files_to_include + [self.base_model_file_path]
+        if not self.models_only:
+            files_to_copy.append(self.base_client_file_path)
         for source_path in files_to_copy:
             code = self._add_comments_to_code(source_path.read_text(encoding="utf-8"))
             if not self.ignore_extra_fields and source_path.name == "base_model.py":
@@ -373,11 +378,12 @@ def _copy_files(self):
             target_path.write_text(code)
             self._generated_files.append(target_path.name)
 
-        self.init_generator.add_import(
-            names=[self.base_client_name],
-            from_=self.base_client_file_path.stem,
-            level=1,
-        )
+        if not self.models_only:
+            self.init_generator.add_import(
+                names=[self.base_client_name],
+                from_=self.base_client_file_path.stem,
+                level=1,
+            )
         self.init_generator.add_import(
             names=[BASE_MODEL_CLASS_NAME, UPLOAD_CLASS_NAME],
             from_=self.base_model_file_path.stem,
@@ -429,20 +435,30 @@ def get_package_generator(
     plugin_manager: PluginManager,
 ) -> PackageGenerator:
     init_generator = InitFileGenerator(plugin_manager=plugin_manager)
-    client_generator = ClientGenerator(
-        base_client_import=generate_import_from(
+    if settings.models_only:
+        base_client_import = generate_import_from(
+            names=["object"], from_="builtins", level=0
+        )
+        client_name = "Client"
+        base_client = "object"
+    else:
+        base_client_import = generate_import_from(
             names=[settings.base_client_name],
             from_=Path(settings.base_client_file_path).stem,
             level=1,
-        ),
+        )
+        client_name = settings.client_name
+        base_client = settings.base_client_name
+    client_generator = ClientGenerator(
+        base_client_import=base_client_import,
         arguments_generator=ArgumentsGenerator(
             schema=schema,
             convert_to_snake_case=settings.convert_to_snake_case,
             custom_scalars=settings.scalars,
             plugin_manager=plugin_manager,
         ),
-        name=settings.client_name,
-        base_client=settings.base_client_name,
+        name=client_name,
+        base_client=base_client,
         enums_module_name=settings.enums_module_name,
         input_types_module_name=settings.input_types_module_name,
         unset_import=UNSET_IMPORT,
@@ -553,4 +569,5 @@ def get_package_generator(
         default_optional_fields_to_none=settings.default_optional_fields_to_none,
         include_typename=settings.include_typename,
         ignore_extra_fields=settings.ignore_extra_fields,
+        models_only=settings.models_only,
     )

ariadne_codegen/settings.py

@@ -78,9 +78,14 @@ class ClientSettings(BaseSettings):
     default_optional_fields_to_none: bool = False
     include_typename: bool = True
     ignore_extra_fields: bool = True
+    models_only: bool = False
 
     def __post_init__(self):
-        if not self.queries_path and not self.enable_custom_operations:
+        if (
+            not self.queries_path
+            and not self.enable_custom_operations
+            and not self.models_only
+        ):
             raise TypeError("__init__ missing 1 required argument: 'queries_path'")
         super().__post_init__()
 
@@ -93,24 +98,27 @@ def __post_init__(self):
                 f"Valid options are: {valid_options}"
             ) from exc
 
-        self._set_default_base_client_data()
+        if not self.models_only:
+            self._set_default_base_client_data()
 
         for name, data in self.scalars.items():
             data.graphql_name = name
 
-        assert_path_exists(self.queries_path)
+        if self.queries_path:
+            assert_path_exists(self.queries_path)
 
         assert_string_is_valid_python_identifier(self.target_package_name)
         assert_path_is_valid_directory(self.target_package_path)
 
-        assert_string_is_valid_python_identifier(self.client_name)
-        assert_string_is_valid_python_identifier(self.client_file_name)
-        assert_string_is_valid_python_identifier(self.base_client_name)
-        assert_path_exists(self.base_client_file_path)
-        assert_path_is_valid_file(self.base_client_file_path)
-        assert_class_is_defined_in_file(
-            Path(self.base_client_file_path), self.base_client_name
-        )
+        if not self.models_only:
+            assert_string_is_valid_python_identifier(self.client_name)
+            assert_string_is_valid_python_identifier(self.client_file_name)
+            assert_string_is_valid_python_identifier(self.base_client_name)
+            assert_path_exists(self.base_client_file_path)
+            assert_path_is_valid_file(self.base_client_file_path)
+            assert_class_is_defined_in_file(
+                Path(self.base_client_file_path), self.base_client_name
+            )
 
         assert_string_is_valid_python_identifier(self.enums_module_name)
         assert_string_is_valid_python_identifier(self.input_types_module_name)
@@ -177,6 +185,23 @@ def used_settings_message(self) -> str:
             if self.include_typename
             else "Not including __typename fields in generated queries."
         )
+        if self.models_only:
+            return dedent(
+                f"""\
+                Selected strategy: {Strategy.CLIENT}
+                Generating models only.
+                Using schema from '{self.schema_path or self.remote_schema_url}'.
+                Using '{self.target_package_name}' as package name.
+                Generating package into '{self.target_package_path}'.
+                Generating enums into '{self.enums_module_name}.py'.
+                Generating inputs into '{self.input_types_module_name}.py'.
+                Generating fragments into '{self.fragments_module_name}.py'.
+                Comments type: {self.include_comments.value}
+                {snake_case_msg}
+                {files_to_include_msg}
+                {plugins_msg}
+                """
+            )
         return dedent(
             f"""\
             Selected strategy: {Strategy.CLIENT}

tests/client_generators/package_generator/test_generated_files.py

@@ -764,3 +764,52 @@ def test_generate_creates_client_with_custom_scalars_imports(
         f"{generator.client_file_name}.py"
     ).open() as client_file:
         assert "from .abc import ScalarABC" in client_file.read()
+
+
+def test_generate_models_only(tmp_path, schema, async_base_client_import):
+    package_name = "test_graphql_client"
+    generator = PackageGenerator(
+        package_name=package_name,
+        target_path=tmp_path.as_posix(),
+        schema=schema,
+        init_generator=InitFileGenerator(),
+        client_generator=ClientGenerator(
+            base_client_import=async_base_client_import,
+            arguments_generator=ArgumentsGenerator(schema=schema),
+        ),
+        enums_generator=EnumsGenerator(schema=schema),
+        input_types_generator=InputTypesGenerator(schema=schema),
+        fragments_generator=FragmentsGenerator(schema=schema, fragments_definitions={}),
+        models_only=True,
+    )
+    query_str = """
+    query CustomQuery($id: ID!) {
+        query1(id: $id) {
+            field1
+        }
+    }
+    """
+    generator.add_operation(parse(query_str).definitions[0])
+    generated_files = generator.generate()
+
+    package_path = tmp_path / package_name
+    # Model files should exist
+    assert (package_path / "__init__.py").exists()
+    assert (package_path / "base_model.py").exists()
+    assert (package_path / f"{generator.enums_module_name}.py").exists()
+    assert (package_path / f"{generator.input_types_module_name}.py").exists()
+    # Result types from operations should still be generated
+    assert (package_path / "custom_query.py").exists()
+    assert "custom_query.py" in generated_files
+    # Client runtime files should NOT exist
+    assert not (package_path / "client.py").exists()
+    assert not (package_path / generator.base_client_file_path.name).exists()
+    assert not (package_path / EXCEPTIONS_FILE_PATH.name).exists()
+    assert "client.py" not in generated_files
+    assert EXCEPTIONS_FILE_PATH.name not in generated_files
+    # __init__.py should not import client classes
+    init_content = (package_path / "__init__.py").read_text()
+    assert "from .base_model import BaseModel, Upload" in init_content
+    assert "Client" not in init_content
+    assert "AsyncBaseClient" not in init_content
+    assert "GraphQLClientError" not in init_content

tests/test_settings.py

@@ -479,3 +479,22 @@ def test_client_settings_include_typename_can_be_set_to_true(tmp_path):
     )
 
     assert settings.include_typename is True
+
+
+def test_client_settings_models_only(tmp_path):
+    schema_path = tmp_path / "schema.graphql"
+    schema_path.touch()
+
+    settings = ClientSettings(
+        schema_path=schema_path.as_posix(),
+        models_only=True,
+    )
+
+    assert settings.models_only is True
+    assert settings.queries_path == ""
+    assert settings.base_client_name == ""
+    assert settings.base_client_file_path == ""
+
+    result = settings.used_settings_message
+    assert "Generating models only." in result
+    assert settings.schema_path in result