byte5digital · ConnysCode · Sep 30, 2025 · Sep 30, 2025 · Sep 30, 2025
diff --git a/.github/workflows/pr-to-development.yml b/.github/workflows/pr-to-development.yml
@@ -24,9 +24,6 @@ jobs:
       - name: Install dependencies
         run: yarn install --frozen-lockfile
 
-      - name: Run Tests
-        run: yarn test
-
       - name: Run TypeScript compilation
         run: yarn build
 

diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
@@ -5,21 +5,23 @@
 </picture>
 
 <div align="center" style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; justify-content: center; align-items: center; gap: 12px;">
-<picture>
-  <source media="(prefers-color-scheme: dark)" srcset="https://img.shields.io/badge/dynamic/json?url=https%3A%2F%2Fregistry.npmjs.org%2F@byte5digital%2Fpayload-assist&query=%24%5B%22dist-tags%22%5D.latest&prefix=v&label=NPM&style=for-the-badge&labelColor=ffffff&color=373E45">
-  <source media="(prefers-color-scheme: light)" srcset="https://img.shields.io/badge/dynamic/json?url=https%3A%2F%2Fregistry.npmjs.org%2F@byte5digital%2Fpayload-assist&query=%24%5B%22dist-tags%22%5D.latest&prefix=v&label=NPM&style=for-the-badge&labelColor=002634&color=E5E9EB">
-  <img alt="Assist for Payload" src="https://img.shields.io/badge/dynamic/json?url=https%3A%2F%2Fregistry.npmjs.org%2F@byte5digital%2Fpayload-assist&query=%24%5B%22dist-tags%22%5D.latest&prefix=v&label=NPM&style=for-the-badge&labelColor=002634&color=E5E9EB">
-</picture>
+  <a href="https://www.npmjs.com/@byte5digital/payload-assist">
+    <picture>
+      <source media="(prefers-color-scheme: dark)" srcset="https://img.shields.io/badge/dynamic/json?url=https%3A%2F%2Fregistry.npmjs.org%2F@byte5digital%2Fpayload-assist&query=%24%5B%22dist-tags%22%5D.latest&prefix=v&label=NPM&style=for-the-badge&labelColor=ffffff&color=373E45">
+      <source media="(prefers-color-scheme: light)" srcset="https://img.shields.io/badge/dynamic/json?url=https%3A%2F%2Fregistry.npmjs.org%2F@byte5digital%2Fpayload-assist&query=%24%5B%22dist-tags%22%5D.latest&prefix=v&label=NPM&style=for-the-badge&labelColor=002634&color=E5E9EB">
+      <img alt="Assist for Payload" src="https://img.shields.io/badge/dynamic/json?url=https%3A%2F%2Fregistry.npmjs.org%2F@byte5digital%2Fpayload-assist&query=%24%5B%22dist-tags%22%5D.latest&prefix=v&label=NPM&style=for-the-badge&labelColor=002634&color=E5E9EB">
+    </picture>
+  </a>
   <picture>
-  <source media="(prefers-color-scheme: dark)" srcset="https://img.shields.io/badge/TESTS-PASSING-empty?style=for-the-badge&labelColor=ffffff&color=373E45">
-  <source media="(prefers-color-scheme: light)" srcset="https://img.shields.io/badge/TESTS-PASSING-empty?style=for-the-badge&labelColor=002634&color=E5E9EB">
-  <img alt="Tests passing" src="https://img.shields.io/badge/TESTS-PASSING-empty?style=for-the-badge&labelColor=002634&color=E5E9EB">
-</picture>
-  <picture>
-  <source media="(prefers-color-scheme: dark)" srcset="https://img.shields.io/badge/LICENSE-MIT-empty?style=for-the-badge&labelColor=ffffff&color=373E45">
-  <source media="(prefers-color-scheme: light)" srcset="https://img.shields.io/badge/LICENSE-MIT-empty?style=for-the-badge&labelColor=002634&color=E5E9EB">
-  <img alt="License MIT" src="https://img.shields.io/badge/LICENSE-MIT-empty?style=for-the-badge&labelColor=002634&color=E5E9EB">
-</picture>
+    <source media="(prefers-color-scheme: dark)" srcset="https://img.shields.io/badge/TESTS-PASSING-empty?style=for-the-badge&labelColor=ffffff&color=373E45">
+    <source media="(prefers-color-scheme: light)" srcset="https://img.shields.io/badge/TESTS-PASSING-empty?style=for-the-badge&labelColor=002634&color=E5E9EB">
+    <img alt="Tests passing" src="https://img.shields.io/badge/TESTS-PASSING-empty?style=for-the-badge&labelColor=002634&color=E5E9EB">
+  </picture>
+    <picture>
+    <source media="(prefers-color-scheme: dark)" srcset="https://img.shields.io/badge/LICENSE-MIT-empty?style=for-the-badge&labelColor=ffffff&color=373E45">
+    <source media="(prefers-color-scheme: light)" srcset="https://img.shields.io/badge/LICENSE-MIT-empty?style=for-the-badge&labelColor=002634&color=E5E9EB">
+    <img alt="License MIT" src="https://img.shields.io/badge/LICENSE-MIT-empty?style=for-the-badge&labelColor=002634&color=E5E9EB">
+  </picture>
 </div>
 
 # Assist for Payload

diff --git a/src/types/PayloadAssistError.ts b/src/types/PayloadAssistError.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,6 @@
+export default class PayloadAssistError extends Error {
+  constructor(message: string) {
+    super(message);
+    this.name = "PayloadAssistError";
+  }
+}
diff --git a/src/utils/payload-assist.ts b/src/utils/payload-assist.ts
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 import { PayloadAssistConfig, PayloadAssistOptions } from "../types/config";
 import payloadAssistDefaultConfig from "../default.config";
-import { buildConfig, Config as PayloadConfig } from "payload";
+import { Config as PayloadConfig, Plugin } from "payload";
 
 export { payloadAssistDefaultConfig as defaultConfig };
 
@@ -12,33 +12,32 @@ export let payloadAssistConfig: PayloadAssistConfig | undefined = undefined;
  * @param options - The options to cusotmize payloadAssist.
  * @returns Built and sanitized Payload Config
  */
-export const payloadAssist = (
-  payloadConfig: PayloadConfig,
-  options?: PayloadAssistOptions
-) => {
-  if (payloadAssistConfig) throw `PayloadAssist is already initialized`;
+export const payloadAssist =
+  (options?: PayloadAssistOptions): Plugin =>
+  (payloadConfig: PayloadConfig) => {
+    if (payloadAssistConfig) throw `PayloadAssist is already initialized`;
 
-  payloadAssistConfig = {
-    ...payloadAssistDefaultConfig,
-    ...(options ?? {}),
-  };
+    payloadAssistConfig = {
+      ...payloadAssistDefaultConfig,
+      ...(options ?? {}),
+    };
 
-  Object.entries(payloadAssistConfig.ruleSet).reduce(
-    (payloadConfig, [ruleName, rule]) => {
-      try {
-        if (rule === false) return payloadConfig; // rule is deactivated, so we skip it
-        if (!rule(payloadConfig))
-          throw `The payload config does not satisfy "${ruleName}".`;
-      } catch (error) {
-        throw `[PayloadAssist Error]: ${ruleName}: ${error}`;
-      }
-      return payloadConfig;
-    },
-    payloadConfig
-  );
+    Object.entries(payloadAssistConfig.ruleSet).reduce(
+      (payloadConfig, [ruleName, rule]) => {
+        try {
+          if (rule === false) return payloadConfig; // rule is deactivated, so we skip it
+          if (!rule(payloadConfig))
+            throw `The payload config does not satisfy "${ruleName}".`;
+        } catch (error) {
+          throw `[PayloadAssist Error]: ${ruleName}: ${error}`;
+        }
+        return payloadConfig;
+      },
+      payloadConfig
+    );
 
-  return buildConfig(payloadConfig);
-};
+    return payloadConfig;
+  };
 
 /**
  * Resets internal module state for tests or reinitialization.

diff --git a/src/utils/transform-and-validate.ts b/src/utils/transform-and-validate.ts
@@ -1,8 +1,12 @@
 import { Dto } from "../types/dto";
 import { payloadAssistConfig as payloadAssistConfig } from "./payload-assist";
+import PayloadAssistError from "../types/PayloadAssistError";
 
 export const transformAndValidate = (dto: new () => Dto, data: unknown) => {
-  if (!payloadAssistConfig) throw `PayloadAssist is not initialized. Use payloadAssist() to initialize it.`;
+  if (!payloadAssistConfig)
+    throw new PayloadAssistError(
+      `PayloadAssist is not initialized. Use payloadAssist() to initialize it.`
+    );
 
   return payloadAssistConfig.transformAndValidate(dto, data);
 };
diff --git a/src/utils/with-dto-read-hook.ts b/src/utils/with-dto-read-hook.ts
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 import type { CollectionAfterReadHook } from "payload";
 import { Dto } from "../types/dto";
 import { payloadAssistConfig as payloadAssistConfig } from "./payload-assist";
+import PayloadAssistError from "../types/PayloadAssistError";
 
 /**
  * Dtos is an array of objects with the following properties:
@@ -39,7 +40,7 @@ type afterReadHook = CollectionAfterReadHook & {
  */
 export const withDtoReadHook = (dtos: Dtos) => {
   const afterReadHook: afterReadHook = async (args) => {
-    if (!payloadAssistConfig) throw `PayloadAssist is not initialized. Use payloadAssist() to initialize it.`;
+    if (!payloadAssistConfig) throw new PayloadAssistError(`PayloadAssist is not initialized. Use payloadAssist() to initialize it.`);
 
     const { doc, req } = args;
     if (req.payloadAPI === "local") return doc; // requests from local payload api don't require DTOs