API-First with Hono: OpenAPI to Typed Routes Without Lock-in

When working with Hono , both code-first and API-first approaches have valid use cases. @hono/zod-openapi is an excellent choice for many teams that prefer a code-first workflow. However, some teams deliberately choose (or are required) to adopt an API-first strategy, where the OpenAPI specification is the Single Source of Truth. This article shows a simple, flexible way to implement API-first with Hono using @apical-ts/craft and a lightweight custom generator. Why Some Teams Choose API-First Wh