@json-render/core

Core package for schema definition, catalog creation, and spec streaming.

Key Concepts

• Schema: Defines the structure of specs and catalogs (use defineSchema)
• Catalog: Maps component/action names to their definitions (use defineCatalog)
• Spec: JSON output from AI that conforms to the schema
• SpecStream: JSONL streaming format for progressive spec building

Defining a Schema

import { defineSchema } from "@json-render/core";

export const schema = defineSchema((s) => ({
  spec: s.object({
    // Define spec structure
  }),
  catalog: s.object({
    components: s.map({
      props: s.zod(),
      description: s.string(),
    }),
  }),
}), {
  promptTemplate: myPromptTemplate, // Optional custom AI prompt
});

Creating a Catalog

import { defineCatalog } from "@json-render/core";
import { schema } from "./schema";
import { z } from "zod";

export const catalog = defineCatalog(schema, {
  components: {
    Button: {
      props: z.object({
        label: z.string(),
        variant: z.enum(["primary", "secondary"]).nullable(),
      }),
      description: "Clickable button component",
    },
  },
});

Generating AI Prompts

const systemPrompt = catalog.prompt(); // Uses schema's promptTemplate
const systemPrompt = catalog.prompt({ customRules: ["Rule 1", "Rule 2"] });

SpecStream Utilities

For streaming AI responses (JSONL patches):

import { createSpecStreamCompiler } from "@json-render/core";

const compiler = createSpecStreamCompiler<MySpec>();

// Process streaming chunks
const { result, newPatches } = compiler.push(chunk);

// Get final result
const finalSpec = compiler.getResult();

Dynamic Prop Expressions

Any prop value can be a dynamic expression resolved at render time:

• { "$state": "/state/key" } - reads a value from the state model (one-way read)
• { "$bindState": "/path" } - two-way binding: reads from state and enables write-back. Use on the natural value prop (value, checked, pressed, etc.) of form components.
• { "$bindItem": "field" } - two-way binding to a repeat item field. Use inside repeat scopes.
• { "$cond": <condition>, "$then": <value>, "$else": <value> } - evaluates a visibility condition and picks a branch
• { "$template": "Hello, ${/user/name}!" } - interpolates ${/path} references with state values
• { "$computed": "fnName", "args": { "key": <expression> } } - calls a registered function with resolved args

$cond uses the same syntax as visibility conditions ($state, eq, neq, not, arrays for AND). $then and $else can themselves be expressions (recursive).

Components do not use a statePath prop for two-way binding. Instead, use { "$bindState": "/path" } on the natural value prop (e.g. value, checked, pressed).

{
  "color": {
    "$cond": { "$state": "/activeTab", "eq": "home" },
    "$then": "#007AFF",
    "$else": "#8E8E93"
  },
  "label": { "$template": "Welcome, ${/user/name}!" },
  "fullName": {
    "$computed": "fullName",
    "args": {
      "first": { "$state": "/form/firstName" },
      "last": { "$state": "/form/lastName" }
    }
  }
}

import { resolvePropValue, resolveElementProps } from "@json-render/core";

const resolved = resolveElementProps(element.props, { stateModel: myState });

State Watchers

Elements can declare a watch field (top-level, sibling of type/props/children) to trigger actions when state values change:

{
  "type": "Select",
  "props": { "value": { "$bindState": "/form/country" }, "options": ["US", "Canada"] },
  "watch": {
    "/form/country": { "action": "loadCities", "params": { "country": { "$state": "/form/country" } } }
  },
  "children": []
}

Watchers only fire on value changes, not on initial render.

Validation

Built-in validation functions: required, email, url, numeric, minLength, maxLength, min, max, pattern, matches, equalTo, lessThan, greaterThan, requiredIf.

Cross-field validation uses $state expressions in args:

import { check } from "@json-render/core";

check.required("Field is required");
check.matches("/form/password", "Passwords must match");
check.lessThan("/form/endDate", "Must be before end date");
check.greaterThan("/form/startDate", "Must be after start date");
check.requiredIf("/form/enableNotifications", "Required when enabled");

User Prompt Builder

Build structured user prompts with optional spec refinement and state context:

import { buildUserPrompt } from "@json-render/core";

// Fresh generation
buildUserPrompt({ prompt: "create a todo app" });

// Refinement with edit modes (default: patch-only)
buildUserPrompt({ prompt: "add a toggle", currentSpec: spec, editModes: ["patch", "merge"] });

// With runtime state
buildUserPrompt({ prompt: "show data", state: { todos: [] } });

Available edit modes: "patch" (RFC 6902 JSON Patch), "merge" (RFC 7396 Merge Patch), "diff" (unified diff).

Spec Validation

Validate spec structure and auto-fix common issues:

import { validateSpec, autoFixSpec } from "@json-render/core";

const { valid, issues } = validateSpec(spec);
const fixed = autoFixSpec(spec);

Visibility Conditions

Control element visibility with state-based conditions. VisibilityContext is { stateModel: StateModel }.

import { visibility } from "@json-render/core";

// Syntax
{ "$state": "/path" }                    // truthiness
{ "$state": "/path", "not": true }      // falsy
{ "$state": "/path", "eq": value }      // equality
[ cond1, cond2 ]                         // implicit AND

// Helpers
visibility.when("/path")                 // { $state: "/path" }
visibility.unless("/path")               // { $state: "/path", not: true }
visibility.eq("/path", val)              // { $state: "/path", eq: val }
visibility.and(cond1, cond2)             // { $and: [cond1, cond2] }
visibility.or(cond1, cond2)              // { $or: [cond1, cond2] }
visibility.always                        // true
visibility.never                         // false

Built-in Actions in Schema

Schemas can declare builtInActions -- actions that are always available at runtime and auto-injected into prompts:

const schema = defineSchema(builder, {
  builtInActions: [
    { name: "setState", description: "Update a value in the state model" },
  ],
});

These appear in prompts as [built-in] and don't require handlers in defineRegistry.

StateStore

The StateStore interface allows external state management libraries (Redux, Zustand, XState, etc.) to be plugged into json-render renderers. The createStateStore factory creates a simple in-memory implementation:

import { createStateStore, type StateStore } from "@json-render/core";

const store = createStateStore({ count: 0 });

store.get("/count");         // 0
store.set("/count", 1);      // updates and notifies subscribers
store.update({ "/a": 1, "/b": 2 }); // batch update

store.subscribe(() => {
  console.log(store.getSnapshot()); // { count: 1 }
});

The StateStore interface: get(path), set(path, value), update(updates), getSnapshot(), subscribe(listener).

Key Exports

Export	Purpose
defineSchema	Create a new schema
defineCatalog	Create a catalog from schema
createStateStore	Create a framework-agnostic in-memory StateStore
resolvePropValue	Resolve a single prop expression against data
resolveElementProps	Resolve all prop expressions in an element
buildUserPrompt	Build user prompts with refinement and state context
buildEditUserPrompt	Build user prompt for editing existing specs
buildEditInstructions	Generate prompt section for available edit modes
isNonEmptySpec	Check if spec has root and at least one element
deepMergeSpec	RFC 7396 deep merge (null deletes, arrays replace, objects recurse)
diffToPatches	Generate RFC 6902 JSON Patch operations from object diff
EditMode	Type: "patch" | "merge" | "diff"
validateSpec	Validate spec structure
autoFixSpec	Auto-fix common spec issues
createSpecStreamCompiler	Stream JSONL patches into spec
createJsonRenderTransform	TransformStream separating text from JSONL in mixed streams
parseSpecStreamLine	Parse single JSONL line
applySpecStreamPatch	Apply patch to object
StateStore	Interface for plugging in external state management
ComputedFunction	Function signature for $computed expressions
check	TypeScript helpers for creating validation checks
BuiltInAction	Type for built-in action definitions (name + description)
ActionBinding	Action binding type (includes preventDefault field)