@stoplight/json-schema-ref-parser

What is @stoplight/json-schema-ref-parser?

@stoplight/json-schema-ref-parser is a powerful library for parsing, resolving, and dereferencing JSON Schema $ref pointers. It helps in managing complex JSON schemas by resolving references to external files, URLs, or internal schema definitions.

What are @stoplight/json-schema-ref-parser's main functionalities?

Parsing JSON Schema

This feature allows you to parse a JSON Schema from a file or URL. The parsed schema is returned as a JavaScript object.

const $RefParser = require('@stoplight/json-schema-ref-parser');

async function parseSchema() {
  const schema = await $RefParser.parse('path/to/your/schema.json');
  console.log(schema);
}

parseSchema();

Resolving References

This feature resolves all $ref pointers in the JSON Schema, returning a detailed object that includes the resolved references.

const $RefParser = require('@stoplight/json-schema-ref-parser');

async function resolveSchema() {
  const schema = await $RefParser.resolve('path/to/your/schema.json');
  console.log(schema);
}

resolveSchema();

Dereferencing

This feature dereferences all $ref pointers in the JSON Schema, replacing them with the actual referenced values. The result is a fully dereferenced schema.

const $RefParser = require('@stoplight/json-schema-ref-parser');

async function dereferenceSchema() {
  const schema = await $RefParser.dereference('path/to/your/schema.json');
  console.log(schema);
}

dereferenceSchema();

Other packages similar to @stoplight/json-schema-ref-parser

json-schema-ref-parser

json-schema-ref-parser is another popular library for parsing, resolving, and dereferencing JSON Schema $ref pointers. It offers similar functionalities to @stoplight/json-schema-ref-parser, including parsing schemas from files or URLs, resolving references, and dereferencing schemas. The main difference is that @stoplight/json-schema-ref-parser is a fork of json-schema-ref-parser with additional features and improvements.

json-schema-deref-sync

json-schema-deref-sync is a synchronous library for dereferencing JSON Schema $ref pointers. Unlike @stoplight/json-schema-ref-parser, which is asynchronous, json-schema-deref-sync performs dereferencing operations synchronously, which can be useful in environments where asynchronous operations are not desirable.

json-schema-resolver

json-schema-resolver is a library focused on resolving JSON Schema $ref pointers. It provides functionalities to resolve references within a schema but does not offer parsing or dereferencing capabilities like @stoplight/json-schema-ref-parser.

README

JSON Schema $Ref Parser

Parse, Resolve, and Dereference JSON Schema $ref pointers

The Problem:

You've got a JSON Schema with $ref pointers to other files and/or URLs. Maybe you know all the referenced files ahead of time. Maybe you don't. Maybe some are local files, and others are remote URLs. Maybe they are a mix of JSON and YAML format. Maybe some of the files contain cross-references to each other.

{
  "definitions": {
    "person": {
      // references an external file
      "$ref": "schemas/people/Bruce-Wayne.json"
    },
    "place": {
      // references a sub-schema in an external file
      "$ref": "schemas/places.yaml#/definitions/Gotham-City"
    },
    "thing": {
      // references a URL
      "$ref": "http://wayne-enterprises.com/things/batmobile"
    },
    "color": {
      // references a value in an external file via an internal reference
      "$ref": "#/definitions/thing/properties/colors/black-as-the-night"
    }
  }
}

The Solution:

JSON Schema $Ref Parser is a full JSON Reference and JSON Pointer implementation that crawls even the most complex JSON Schemas and gives you simple, straightforward JavaScript objects.

• Use JSON or YAML schemas — or even a mix of both!
• Supports $ref pointers to external files and URLs, as well as custom sources such as databases
• Can bundle multiple files into a single schema that only has internal $ref pointers
• Can dereference your schema, producing a plain-old JavaScript object that's easy to work with
• Supports circular references, nested references, back-references, and cross-references between files
• Maintains object reference equality — $ref pointers to the same value always resolve to the same object instance
• Tested in Node and all major web browsers on Windows, Mac, and Linux

Example

$RefParser.dereference(mySchema, (err, schema) => {
  if (err) {
    console.error(err);
  }
  else {
    // `schema` is just a normal JavaScript object that contains your entire JSON Schema,
    // including referenced files, combined into a single object
    console.log(schema.definitions.person.properties.firstName);
  }
})

Or use async/await syntax instead. The following example is the same as above:

try {
  let schema = await $RefParser.dereference(mySchema);
  console.log(schema.definitions.person.properties.firstName);
}
catch(err) {
  console.error(err);
}

For more detailed examples, please see the API Documentation

Installation

Install using npm:

npm install @apidevtools/json-schema-ref-parser

Usage

When using JSON Schema $Ref Parser in Node.js apps, you'll probably want to use CommonJS syntax:

const $RefParser = require("@apidevtools/json-schema-ref-parser");

When using a transpiler such as Babel or TypeScript, or a bundler such as Webpack or Rollup, you can use ECMAScript modules syntax instead:

import $RefParser from "@apidevtools/json-schema-ref-parser";

Browser support

JSON Schema $Ref Parser supports recent versions of every major web browser. Older browsers may require Babel and/or polyfills.

To use JSON Schema $Ref Parser in a browser, you'll need to use a bundling tool such as Webpack, Rollup, Parcel, or Browserify. Some bundlers may require a bit of configuration, such as setting browser: true in rollup-plugin-resolve.

API Documentation

Full API documentation is available right here

Contributing

I welcome any contributions, enhancements, and bug-fixes. File an issue on GitHub and submit a pull request.

Building/Testing

To build/test the project locally on your computer:

1. Clone this repo
   git clone https://github.com/APIDevTools/json-schema-ref-parser.git

2. Install dependencies
   npm install

3. Run the tests
   npm test

License

JSON Schema $Ref Parser is 100% free and open-source, under the MIT license. Use it however you want.

This package is Treeware. If you use it in production, then we ask that you buy the world a tree to thank us for our work. By contributing to the Treeware forest you’ll be creating employment for local families and restoring wildlife habitats.

Big Thanks To

Thanks to these awesome companies for their support of Open Source developers ❤