ANF Validator

A VS Code extension that validates article.json files against the Apple News Format (ANF) specification.

Features

• JSON Schema validation — checks required fields (version, identifier, title, language, layout, components, componentTextStyles), field types, and ANF-specific patterns
• Cross-reference validation — detects dangling textStyle, layout, and style references in components that point to missing entries in root dictionaries
• Actionable diagnostics — every error appears in the VS Code Problems panel with a human-readable description and a fix suggestion
• Validates on open and save — diagnostics update automatically when you open or save an article.json file

Requirements

• VS Code 1.90 or later
• A workspace (folder) containing one or more article.json files

Usage

1. Open a folder containing an article.json in VS Code.
2. Open or save the file — the extension activates automatically.
3. Check the Problems panel (View → Problems) for validation errors.

ANF Schema Coverage

The bundled schema covers ANF 1.26.0 and validates:

Extension Settings

This extension has no configurable settings.

Known Issues

• The bundled ANF JSON Schema covers the most common fields and component types. Properties not explicitly listed are allowed (additionalProperties: true for components). If you encounter a false positive for a valid ANF property, please open an issue.
• Validation runs on open and save only — live typing does not trigger re-validation.

Release Notes

0.1.0 — Initial Release

• JSON Schema validation for ANF article.json files
• Cross-reference validation for textStyle, layout, and style refs
• Diagnostics in the VS Code Problems panel

Development

git clone https://github.com/whyisjake/anf-validator
cd anf-validator
npm install
npm run build   # one-shot build
npm run watch   # watch mode
npm test        # unit tests (Vitest)
npm run typecheck  # TypeScript type-check only

To launch the extension in a VS Code Extension Host for manual testing:

1. Open the project folder in VS Code
2. Press F5 (Run Extension)
3. In the new window, open a folder containing an article.json

License

MIT