Changes:

- update docs
- don't encode value in case it has already the right type

docs/en/docs/encoders.md

@@ -29,8 +29,15 @@ from esmerald.encoders import Encoder
 
 When subclassing the `Encoder`, the mandatory functions are:
 
+**Serializing**
 * [`is_type()`](#is_type)
 * [`serialize()`](#serialize)
+
+
+**Molding**
+
+* [`is_type()`](#is_type)
+* [`is_type_structure()`](#is_type_structure)
 * [`encode()`](#encode)
 
 Esmerald extends the native functionality of Lilya regarding the encoders and adds some extra flavours to it.
@@ -43,9 +50,6 @@ unique to Esmerald.
 This function might sound confusing but it is in fact something simple. This function is used to check
 if the object of type X is an instance or a subclass of that same type.
 
-!!! Danger
-    Here is where it is different from Lilya. With Lilya you can use the `__type__` as well but
-    **not in Esmerald. In Esmerald you must implement the `is_type` function.
 
 #### Example
 
@@ -71,6 +75,11 @@ Quite simple and intuitive.
 {!> ../../../docs_src/encoders/serialize.py !}
 ```
 
+### is_type_structure
+
+For checking if an annotation can be used to mold an instance from the value.
+In the second step it is verified via `is_type` if the molding is required of the type or the type does match already.
+
 ### encode
 
 Finally, this functionality is what converts a given piece of data (JSON usually) into an object
@@ -84,6 +93,7 @@ For example, a dictionary into Pydantic models or MsgSpec Structs.
 {!> ../../../docs_src/encoders/encode.py !}
 ```
 
+
 ### The flexibility
 
 As you can see, there are many ways of you building your encoders. Esmerald internally already brings

docs_src/encoders/encode.py

@@ -11,9 +11,11 @@
 
 
 class MsgSpecEncoder(Encoder):
-
     def is_type(self, value: Any) -> bool:
-        return isinstance(value, Struct) or is_class_and_subclass(value, Struct)
+        return isinstance(value, Struct)
+
+    def is_type_structure(self, value: Any) -> bool:
+        return is_class_and_subclass(value, Struct)
 
     def serialize(self, obj: Any) -> Any:
         return msgspec.json.decode(msgspec.json.encode(obj))
@@ -23,9 +25,8 @@ def encode(self, annotation: Any, value: Any) -> Any:
 
 
 class PydanticEncoder(Encoder):
-
-    def is_type(self, value: Any) -> bool:
-        return isinstance(value, BaseModel) or is_class_and_subclass(value, BaseModel)
+    # leverage the comfort lilya is_type and is_type_structure defaults
+    __type__ = BaseModel
 
     def serialize(self, obj: BaseModel) -> dict[str, Any]:
         return obj.model_dump()

esmerald/transformers/signature.py

@@ -169,7 +169,7 @@ def encode_value(encoder: "Encoder", annotation: Any, value: Any) -> Any:
             Returns:
                 Any: The encoded value if the encoder is valid, otherwise the original value.
             """
-            if hasattr(encoder, "encode"):
+            if hasattr(encoder, "encode") and not encoder.is_type(value):
                 return encoder.encode(annotation, value)
             return value