fix: write bridge before asset build codegen (#319)

## Summary

- Write `.litestar.json` at the start of the `litestar assets build` /
deploy build preparation path, before route export, pre-build code
generators, JS typegen, or Vite itself can read the bridge.
- Add a regression test that asserts the bridge file and
`LITESTAR_VITE_CONFIG_PATH` are available before
`TypeGenConfig.extra_commands` run.
- Document the updated bridge timing

## Root Cause

`assets generate-types` already wrote `.litestar.json`, and `assets
serve` wrote it before launching the frontend process. The build path
did not: `_prepare_and_build()` only called `set_environment()` after
route export, extra commands, and JS typegen. Generators such as
TanStack Router's `tsr generate` could therefore run before the
Python-to-JS bridge existed.

Author: cofin

docs/changelog.rst

@@ -7,6 +7,11 @@ Notable changes to this project are documented in this file.
 Litestar Vite Changelog
 ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
 
+0.26.1 - 2026-07-06
+-------------------
+
+- Fixed ``litestar assets build`` so ``.litestar.json`` is written before pre-build code generators and the JS typegen CLI read the Vite bridge.
+
 0.26.0 - 2026-07-05
 -------------------
 

docs/usage/types.rst

@@ -148,13 +148,14 @@ Generate all types with a single command:
 
 This runs the full pipeline:
 
-1. Exports OpenAPI schema to ``src/generated/openapi.json``
-2. Exports route metadata to ``src/generated/routes.json`` and ``routes.ts`` (if enabled)
-3. Runs any ``extra_commands`` (e.g., ``tsr generate`` for TanStack Router)
-4. Runs ``litestar-vite-typegen`` (invokes ``@hey-api/openapi-ts`` and generates ``schemas.ts`` / page props types)
-
-The command also writes/updates ``.litestar.json`` and reports whether it was
-updated or unchanged, matching the output style for other generated files.
+1. Writes or refreshes ``.litestar.json`` so JS-side generators can read the Python config
+2. Exports OpenAPI schema to ``src/generated/openapi.json``
+3. Exports route metadata to ``src/generated/routes.json`` and ``routes.ts`` (if enabled)
+4. Runs any ``extra_commands`` (e.g., ``tsr generate`` for TanStack Router)
+5. Runs ``litestar-vite-typegen`` (invokes ``@hey-api/openapi-ts`` and generates ``schemas.ts`` / page props types)
+
+The command reports whether ``.litestar.json`` was updated or unchanged,
+matching the output style for other generated files.
 
 You can also export routes separately:
 

docs/usage/vite.rst

@@ -129,7 +129,8 @@ Runtime Bridge File (``.litestar.json``)
 
 Litestar writes a deterministic ``.litestar.json`` file from your Python config.
 The Vite plugin reads it to avoid duplicating configuration values on the JS side.
-The file is created or updated on app startup and when running
+The file is created or updated during app startup and before these commands use
+the frontend bridge: ``litestar assets serve``, ``litestar assets build``, and
 ``litestar assets generate-types``.
 
 Python Configuration (`ViteConfig`)

package-lock.json

@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 {
   "name": "litestar-vite-plugin",
-  "version": "0.26.0",
+  "version": "0.26.1",
   "type": "module",
   "description": "Litestar plugin for Vite.",
   "keywords": [

package.json

@@ -30,7 +30,7 @@ license = { text = "MIT" }
 name = "litestar-vite"
 readme = "README.md"
 requires-python = ">=3.10"
-version = "0.26.0"
+version = "0.26.1"
 
 [project.urls]
 Changelog = "https://litestar-org.github.io/litestar-vite/latest/changelog"
@@ -102,7 +102,7 @@ test = [
 allow_dirty = true
 commit = false
 commit_args = "--no-verify"
-current_version = "0.26.0"
+current_version = "0.26.1"
 ignore_missing_files = false
 ignore_missing_version = false
 message = "chore(release): bump to `v{new_version}`"

pyproject.toml

@@ -216,6 +216,9 @@ def _build_deploy_config(
 
 def _prepare_and_build(config: ViteConfig, root_dir: Path, console: Any, app: "Litestar | None", verbose: bool) -> None:
     """Export metadata, run typegen, and execute the configured frontend build."""
+    if config.set_environment:
+        set_environment(config=config)
+
     generated_assets = _generate_schema_and_routes(app, config, console) if app is not None else False
 
     if not (root_dir / "node_modules").exists():
@@ -228,8 +231,6 @@ def _prepare_and_build(config: ViteConfig, root_dir: Path, console: Any, app: "L
         if not extra_commands_ok:
             raise SystemExit(1)
 
-    if config.set_environment:
-        set_environment(config=config)
     os.environ.setdefault("VITE_BASE_URL", config.base_url or "/")
 
     env_manager = (

src/py/litestar_vite/cli.py

@@ -244,6 +244,28 @@ def test_cli_run_vite_build_executes(tmp_path: Path) -> None:
     assert fake_executor.executes
 
 
+def test_cli_prepare_and_build_writes_bridge_before_extra_commands(tmp_path: Path) -> None:
+    app = _make_app(tmp_path, types=True)
+    config = app.plugins.get(VitePlugin).config
+    fake_executor = FakeExecutor()
+    config._executor_instance = fake_executor
+    (tmp_path / "node_modules").mkdir()
+
+    def assert_bridge_exists(config_arg: ViteConfig, verbose: bool) -> bool:
+        del verbose
+        assert config_arg is config
+        assert (tmp_path / ".litestar.json").exists()
+        assert os.environ["LITESTAR_VITE_CONFIG_PATH"] == str(tmp_path / ".litestar.json")
+        return True
+
+    with (
+        patch("litestar_vite.cli._generate_schema_and_routes", return_value=True),
+        patch("litestar_vite.cli._run_extra_commands", side_effect=assert_bridge_exists),
+        patch("litestar_vite.cli._invoke_typegen_cli"),
+    ):
+        _run_vite_build(config, tmp_path, Mock(), no_build=False, app=app)
+
+
 def test_cli_run_vite_build_skips_js_build_typegen_after_cli_typegen(tmp_path: Path) -> None:
     app = _make_app(tmp_path, types=True)
     config = app.plugins.get(VitePlugin).config