- Define keyword with:
- Schema compilation context
- Validation time variables
- Ajv utilities
- Reporting errors in custom keywords
- Short-circuit validation
Validation function will be called during data validation and it will be passed:
- schema
- data
- parent schema
- current data path
- parent data object
- the property name in the parent data object
- the root data
The access to the parent data object and the current property name allow to create keywords that modify the validated data (modifying
option MUST be used in keyword definition in this case).
The function should return validation result as boolean. It can return an array of validation errors via .errors
property of itself (otherwise a standard error will be used).
This way to define keywords is useful for:
- testing your keywords before converting them to compiled/inlined keywords
- defining keywords that do not depend on the schema value (e.g., when the value is always
true
). In this case you can add optionschema: false
to the keyword definition and the schemas won't be passed to the validation function, it will only receive the same 4 parameters as compiled validation function (see the next section). - defining keywords where the schema is a value used in some expression.
- defining keywords that support $data reference - in this case validation function is required, either as the only option or in addition to compile, macro or inline function (see below).
Please note: In cases when validation flow is different depending on the schema and you have to use if
s, this way to define keywords will have worse performance than compiled keyword returning different validation functions depending on the schema.
Example. constant
keyword (a synonym for draft-06 keyword const
, it is equivalent to enum
keyword with one item):
ajv.addKeyword('constant', {
validate: function (schema, data) {
return typeof schema == 'object' && schema !== null
? deepEqual(schema, data)
: schema === data;
},
errors: false
});
var schema = {
"constant": 2
};
var validate = ajv.compile(schema);
console.log(validate(2)); // true
console.log(validate(3)); // false
var schema = {
"constant": {
"foo": "bar"
}
};
var validate = ajv.compile(schema);
console.log(validate({foo: 'bar'})); // true
console.log(validate({foo: 'baz'})); // false
const
keyword is already available in Ajv.
Please note: If the keyword does not define custom errors (see Reporting errors in custom keywords) pass errors: false
in its definition; it will make generated code more efficient.
To add asynchronous keyword pass async: true
in its definition.
Compilation function will be called during schema compilation. It will be passed schema, parent schema and schema compilation context and it should return a validation function. This validation function will be passed during validation:
- data
- current data path
- parent data object
- the property name in the parent data object
- the root data
The access to the parent data object and the current property name allow to create keywords that modify the validated data (modifying
option MUST be used).
The function should return validation result as boolean. It can return an array of validation errors via .errors
property of itself (otherwise a standard error will be used).
In some cases it is the best approach to define keywords, but it has the performance cost of an extra function call during validation. If keyword logic can be expressed via some other JSON Schema then macro
keyword definition is more efficient (see below).
All custom keywords types can have an optional metaSchema
property in their definitions. It is a schema against which the value of keyword will be validated during schema compilation.
Custom keyword can also have an optional dependencies
property in their definitions - it is a list of required keywords in a containing (parent) schema.
Example. range
and exclusiveRange
keywords using compiled schema:
ajv.addKeyword('range', {
type: 'number',
compile: function (sch, parentSchema) {
var min = sch[0];
var max = sch[1];
return parentSchema.exclusiveRange === true
? function (data) { return data > min && data < max; }
: function (data) { return data >= min && data <= max; }
},
errors: false,
metaSchema: {
type: 'array',
items: [
{ type: 'number' },
{ type: 'number' }
],
additionalItems: false
}
});
var schema = {
"range": [2, 4],
"exclusiveRange": true
};
var validate = ajv.compile(schema);
console.log(validate(2.01)); // true
console.log(validate(3.99)); // true
console.log(validate(2)); // false
console.log(validate(4)); // false
See note on custom errors and asynchronous keywords in the previous section.
"Macro" function is called during schema compilation. It is passed schema, parent schema and schema compilation context and it should return another schema that will be applied to the data in addition to the original schema.
It is the most efficient approach (in cases when the keyword logic can be expressed with another JSON Schema) because it is usually easy to implement and there is no extra function call during validation.
In addition to the errors from the expanded schema macro keyword will add its own error in case validation fails.
Example. range
and exclusiveRange
keywords from the previous example defined with macro:
ajv.addKeyword('range', {
type: 'number',
macro: function (schema, parentSchema) {
return {
minimum: schema[0],
maximum: schema[1],
exclusiveMinimum: !!parentSchema.exclusiveRange,
exclusiveMaximum: !!parentSchema.exclusiveRange
};
},
metaSchema: {
type: 'array',
items: [
{ type: 'number' },
{ type: 'number' }
],
additionalItems: false
}
});
Example. contains
keyword from version 5 proposals that requires that the array has at least one item matching schema (see https://github.com/json-schema/json-schema/wiki/contains-(v5-proposal)):
var schema = {
"contains": {
"type": "number",
"minimum": 4,
"exclusiveMinimum": true
}
};
var validate = ajv.addKeyword('contains', {
type: 'array',
macro: function (schema) {
return {
"not": {
"items": {
"not": schema
}
}
};
}
})
.compile(schema);
console.log(validate([1,2,3])); // false
console.log(validate([2,3,4])); // false
console.log(validate([3,4,5])); // true, number 5 matches schema inside "contains"
contains
keyword is already available in Ajv with option v5: true
.
See the example of defining recursive macro keyword deepProperties
in the test.
Inline compilation function is called during schema compilation. It is passed four parameters: it
(the current schema compilation context), keyword
(added in v3.0 to allow defining multiple keywords with a single function), schema
and parentSchema
and it should return the code (as a string) that will be inlined in the code of compiled schema. This code can be either an expression that evaluates to the validation result (boolean) or a set of statements that assigns the validation result to a variable.
While it can be more challenging to define keywords with "inline" functions, it has several advantages:
- the best performance
- the precise control over validation process
- access to the parent data and the path to the currently validated data
- access to Ajv utilities via
it.util
Example even
keyword:
var schema = { "even": true };
var validate = ajv.addKeyword('even', {
type: 'number',
inline: function (it, keyword, schema) {
var op = schema ? '===' : '!==';
return 'data' + (it.dataLevel || '') + ' % 2 ' + op + ' 0';
},
metaSchema: { type: 'boolean' }
})
.compile(schema);
console.log(validate(2)); // true
console.log(validate(3)); // false
'data' + (it.dataLevel || '')
in the example above is the reference to the currently validated data. Also note that schema
(keyword schema) is the same as it.schema.even
, so schema is not strictly necessary here - it is passed for convenience.
Example range
keyword defined using doT template:
// {% raw %}
var doT = require('dot');
var inlineRangeTemplate = doT.compile("\
{{ \
var $data = 'data' + (it.dataLevel || '') \
, $min = it.schema.range[0] \
, $max = it.schema.range[1] \
, $gt = it.schema.exclusiveRange ? '>' : '>=' \
, $lt = it.schema.exclusiveRange ? '<' : '<='; \
}} \
var valid{{=it.level}} = {{=$data}} {{=$gt}} {{=$min}} && {{=$data}} {{=$lt}} {{=$max}}; \
");
ajv.addKeyword('range', {
type: 'number',
inline: inlineRangeTemplate,
statements: true,
metaSchema: {
type: 'array',
items: [
{ type: 'number' },
{ type: 'number' }
],
additionalItems: false
}
});
// {% endraw %}
'valid' + it.level
in the example above is the expected name of the variable that should be set to the validation result.
Property statements
in the keyword definition should be set to true
if the validation code sets the variable instead of evaluating to the validation result.
The main challenge of defining inline keywords is that you have to write both the code that will execute during schema compilation (compile-time) and the code that will execute during data validation (validation-time - this code can be generated either using strings concatenation or using templates, see the examples below).
Ajv uses doT templates to generate the code of validation functions that makes it easier to separate compile-time and validation-time code because of the different syntax used in templates and in the code. Ajv also uses different variable names for compile-time and validation-time variables to make it easier to differentiate - compile-time variable names start with $ character.
Also you have to bear in mind that while compile-time variables exist in the scope of the function you wrote to compile the keyword, so they are isolated, validation-time variables share the scope with all the variables in the scope of a single validation function. So if your keyword has subschemas you have to append the schema level (it.level
) to the variable names.
See schema compilation context for more information on which properties and utilities from the schema compilation context you can use.
The first parameter passed to inline keyword compilation function (and the 3rd parameter passed to compile and macro keyword functions) is it
, the schema compilation context. All the properties and functions documented here are safe to use in your keywords, they won't be renamed or change their meaning without major version change.
it
object has the following properties:
- level - the level of the current schema,
0
on the top level,1
in subschemas (e.g. schemas inproperties
oranyOf
keyword). The value of this property should be appended to the validation-time variables you use in the generated code. - dataLevel - the level of the currently validated data. It can be used to access both the property names and the data on all levels from the top. See Validation time variables.
- schema - current level schema. The value of your keyword is
it.schema[keyword]
. This value is also passed as the 3rd parameter to the inline compilation function and the current level schema as the 4th parameter. - schemaPath - the validation time expression that evaluates to the property name of the current schema.
- baseId - the current schema base URI that should be used as the base for resolving URIs in references ($ref).
- async - truthy if the current schema is asynchronous.
- opts - Ajv instance option. You should not be changing them.
- formats - all formats available in Ajv instance, including the custom ones.
- compositeRule - boolean indicating that the current schema is inside the compound keyword where failing some rule doesn't mean validation failure (
anyOf
,oneOf
,not
,if
inswitch
). This flag is used to determine whether you can return validation result immediately after any error in case the optionallErrors
is not `true. You only need to do it if you have many steps in your keywords and potentially can define multiple errors. - validate - the function you need to use to compile subschemas in your keywords (see the implementation of
switch
keyword for example). - util - Ajv utilities you can use in your inline compilation functions.
- self - Ajv instance.
There is a number of variables and expressions you can use in the generated (validation-time) code of your keywords.
'data' + (it.dataLevel || '')
- the variable name for the data at the current level.'data' + ((it.dataLevel-1)||'')
- parent data ifit.dataLevel > 0
.'rootData'
- the root data.it.dataPathArr[it.dataLevel]
- the name of the property in the parent object that points to the current data ifit.dataLevel > 0
.'validate.schema'
- top level schema of the current validation function at validation-time.'validate.schema' + it.schemaPath
- current level schema available at validation time (the same schema at compile time isit.schema
).'validate.schema' + it.schemaPath + '.' + keyword
- the value of your custom keyword at validation-time. Keyword is passed as the second parameter to the inline compilation function to allow using the same function to compile multiple keywords.'valid' + it.level
- the variable that you have to declare and to assign the validation result to if your keyword returns statements rather than expression (statements: true
).'errors'
- the number of encountered errors. See Reporting errors in custom keywords.'vErrors'
- the array with errors collected so far. See Reporting errors in custom keywords.
There are sevral useful functions you can use in your inline keywords. These functions are available as properties of it.util
object:
Clone or extend the object. If one object is passed, it is cloned. If two objects are passed, the second object is extended with the properties of the first.
Converts the array of strings to the object where each string becomes the key with the value of true
.
it.util.toHash(['a', 'b', 'c']) // { a: true, b: true, c: true }
Performs deep equality comparison. This function is used in keywords enum
, constant
, uniqueItems
and can be used in custom keywords.
Converts the string that is the key/index to access the property/item to the JavaScript syntax to access the property (either "." notation or "[...]" notation).
it.util.getProperty('a') // ".a"
it.util.getProperty('1') // "['1']"
it.util.getProperty("a'b") // "['a\\'b']"
it.util.getProperty(1) // "[1]"
Determines whether the passed schema has rules that should be validated. This function should be used before calling it.validate
to compile subschemas.
it.util.schemaHasRules(schema, it.RULES.all) // true or false
Escapes single quotes in the string, so it can be inserted in the generated code inside the string constant with the single quotes.
Converts the string to the JavaScript string constant in single quotes (using the escaped string).
it.util.toQuotedString("a'b") // "'a\\'b'"
Returns the validation-time expression to safely access data based on the passed relative json pointer (See examples).
it.util.getData('2/test/1', it.dataLevel, it.dataPathArr)
// The result depends on the current level
// if it.dataLevel is 3 the result is "data1 && data1.test && data1.test[1]"
Converts the property name to the JSON-Pointer fragment.
Converts JSON-Pointer fragment to the property name.
Converts the property name to the JSON-Pointer fragment that can be used in URI.
Converts the JSON-Pointer fragment from URI to the property name.
All custom keywords but macro keywords can optionally create custom error messages.
Synchronous validating and compiled keywords should define errors by assigning them to .errors
property of the validation function. Asynchronous keywords can return promise that rejects with new Ajv.ValidationError(errors)
, where errors
is an array of custom validation errors (if you don't want to define custom errors in asynchronous keyword, its validation function can return the promise that resolves with false
).
Inline custom keyword should increase error counter errors
and add error to vErrors
array (it can be null). This can be done for both synchronous and asynchronous keywords. See example range keyword.
When inline keyword performs validation Ajv checks whether it created errors by comparing errors count before and after validation. To skip this check add option errors
(can be "full"
, true
or false
) to keyword definition:
ajv.addKeyword('range', {
type: 'number',
inline: inlineRangeTemplate,
statements: true,
errors: true // keyword should create custom errors when validation fails
// errors: 'full' // created errors should have dataPath already set
// errors: false // keyword never creates errors, Ajv will add a default error
});
Each error object should at least have properties keyword
, message
and params
, other properties will be added.
Inlined keywords can optionally define dataPath
and schemaPath
properties in error objects, that will be assigned by Ajv unless errors
option of the keyword is "full"
.
If custom keyword doesn't create errors, the default error will be created in case the keyword fails validation (see Validation errors).
In some cases inline keyword can terminate validation and return the result as soon as it encounters the error. It is only practical if the keyword you define has many criteria to validate and you want it to be able to fail fast. You only need to do it if your keyword defines errors itself, otherwise Ajv will return when it creates the default error (if the conditions below are met).
Two conditions should be checked before keyword can return the result:
- option
allErrors
should not be used (!it.opts.allErrors
should be true). - the current schema should not be inside composite rule (e.g.
not
oranyOf
), when failing some keyword does not mean failing the validation (!it.compositeRule
should be true).
If these conditions are met your keyword can immediately return result. In case the current schema is synchronous (it.async
is not true
) you can add this to keyword's generated code when it encounters error err
:
if (vErrors === null) vErrors = [err];
else vErrors.push(err);
validate.errors = vErrors;
return false;
In case the current schema is asynchronous (it.async is truthy) to return result you need:
if (vErrors === null) vErrors = [err];
else vErrors.push(err);
throw new ValidationError(vErrors); // ValidationError is in the scope
In case allErrors
option is used the keyword should continue validation after it encounters an error trying to find as many errors as possible.
If allErrors
option is not used but it.compositeRule
is truthy the keyword may short-circuit its own validation but it should not return the final validation result.