app.json

app.json

app.json is a manifest format for describing web apps. It's a file in the root directory of an app that describes the app's build requirements, environment variables, addons, and other information.

This repository contains the source for an npm module called app.json, which has many facets:

• A JavaScript interface for creating, validating, and consuming app.json manifests.
• A module that is designed to work in browsers and Node.js.
• A CLI for creating manifests and producing schema documentation.

Installation and Usage

Programmatic usage with Node.js or Browserify

Download the module from npm and save it to your package.json:

npm install app.json --save

Require it in your script:

var App = require("app.json")

Usage in the Browser (without Browserify)

If browserify isn't your thing, use the pre-compiled browser-ready bundle in dist/app.js. Include this file in your html page and it will create window.App for you.

Usage on the Command Line

To use this module on the command line, you'll need to install it globally using npm:

npm install app.json --global

Now you can run app or app.json from any directory:

$ app

  Usage: app [options] [command]

  Commands:

    schema [options]       Write the app.json schema to STDOUT

  Options:

    -h, --help     output usage information
    -V, --version  output the version number

  Use 'app <command> --help' to get more information about a specific command.

Schema

The app.json schema is defined using the JSON Schema specification and is validated with the revalidator node module. View the raw schema or the auto-generated app.json Schema Documentation on Heroku Dev Center.

Class Methods

App.new(payload)

Instantiate with a JSON filename:

var app = App.new(__dirname + "/path/to/app.json")

Instantiate with a JSON string:

var json = "{name: \"small-sharp-tool\", description: \"This app does one little thing, and does it well.\"}"
var app = App.new(json)

Instantiate with a JavaScript object:

var app = App.new({
  name: "small-sharp-tool",
  description: "This app does one little thing, and does it well."
})

App.fetch(url, callback)

You can fetch app manifests straight from GitHub. The github-raw-cors-proxy service is used to make the app.json file downloadable from browsers.

url can be a fully qualified GitHub URL, or a shorthand user/repo string:

App.fetch('zeke/harp-slideshow-template', function(err, manifest) {
  console.log(err, manifest)
})

App.example

Generates an example manifest from example content in the schema.

App.example

Instance Methods

app.valid

A getter method that validates the app manifest and returns true or false

app.errors

Returns null if app manifest is valid.

Returns an array of error objects if invalid:

[
  {property: "name", message: "is required"},
  {property: "website", message: "is not a valid url"}
]

app.toJSON()

Return a pretty JSON string representation of the manifest, without any superfluous properties.

app.getAddonPrices(callback)

Fetch pricing data about the app's required addons by hitting the Heroku Platform API.

Tests

npm install
npm test

Bundle

To prepare a browser-ready bundle, run the following:

npm run build

# Wrote dist/app.js
# Wrote dist/app.min.js

Docs

Genarate human-friendly docs from the schema

npm run docs

# Wrote dist/schema.md
# Wrote dist/schema.html

License

MIT