# Export: Avro IDL

> Export a data contract to an Avro IDL (.avdl) schema definition.

#  Export: Avro IDL

Converts the data contract to [Avro IDL](https://avro.apache.org/docs/1.11.1/idl-language/).

{/* AUTOGENERATED EXAMPLE: do not edit by hand; regenerate with the update script. */}

```bash
datacontract export avro-idl orders.odcs.yaml --output orders.avdl
```

Running this against the [example `orders` contract](https://github.com/datacontract/datacontract-cli/blob/main/examples/orders/orders.odcs.yaml) produces:

```text
/** Tracks customer orders and their line items for analytics and reporting. */
protocol Orders {
    /** One row per customer order. */
    record orders {
        /** Unique identifier of the order. */
        string order_id;
        /** Timestamp when the order was placed. */
        string order_timestamp;
        /** Reference to the customer who placed the order. */
        string customer_id;
        /** Total amount of the order in cents. */
        double order_total;
        /** Current fulfilment status of the order. */
        string status;
    }
    /** One row per line item within an order. */
    record line_items {
        /** Unique identifier of the line item. */
        string line_item_id;
        /** Reference to the parent order. */
        string order_id;
        /** Stock keeping unit of the purchased product. */
        string sku;
        /** Number of units purchased. */
        int quantity;
    }
}
```

{/* END AUTOGENERATED EXAMPLE */}

All options: **[`datacontract export avro-idl`](../commands/export/avro-idl.md)**.