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Orderly JSON

NOASSERTIONC

A human-readable textual format for describing JSON that compiles to JSONSchema.

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227 stars25 forks0 contributors

What is Orderly JSON?

Orderly is a textual schema language for describing and validating JSON data structures. It provides a human-readable format that compiles directly to JSONSchema, making it easier for developers to define complex data models without dealing with verbose JSONSchema syntax. The project includes a reference implementation that can parse Orderly schemas and convert them to standard JSONSchema.

Target Audience

Developers and data engineers who work extensively with JSON data and need a more maintainable way to define and validate data schemas.

Value Proposition

Orderly offers a cleaner, more intuitive syntax compared to raw JSONSchema while maintaining full compatibility, reducing cognitive load and improving schema maintainability.

Overview

The reference implementation of orderly: a schema language for JSON.

Use Cases

Best For

  • Creating readable JSON schemas for API documentation
  • Simplifying JSON data validation in development workflows
  • Generating JSONSchema from human-friendly definitions
  • Teaching JSON schema concepts with clearer syntax
  • Maintaining large JSON-based data models
  • Integrating schema validation in build pipelines

Not Ideal For

  • Projects requiring support for the latest JSONSchema drafts (e.g., 2020-12), as Orderly's last update was in 2009.
  • Teams needing active community support, regular updates, or integration with modern validation ecosystems.
  • Developers already heavily invested in JSONSchema tooling who prefer native syntax without an extra compilation step.

Pros & Cons

Pros

Human-Readable Syntax

Orderly uses a clean textual format that's easier to read and write than verbose JSONSchema, with a documented grammar in docs.md for clarity.

JSONSchema Compatibility

It compiles directly to standard JSONSchema, ensuring interoperability with existing validation tools, as highlighted in the key features.

Comprehensive Documentation

Provides detailed grammar and usage documentation, making it accessible for learning and implementation, as noted in the README.

Reference Implementation Included

Includes a fully functional parser that can cross-compile between Orderly and JSONSchema formats, demonstrated in the repository.

Cons

Outdated and Inactive

The project's last major update was in 2009, with no recent activity, indicating potential bugs and lack of modern feature support.

Limited Ecosystem

As a niche project from 2009, it lacks community contributions, plugins, and integrations compared to active JSONSchema alternatives.

Feature Gaps

May not support advanced JSONSchema features or drafts, and the reference implementation might be incomplete for complex validation scenarios.

Frequently Asked Questions

Quick Stats

Stars227
Forks25
Contributors0
Open Issues7
Last commit16 years ago
CreatedSince 2009

Tags

#developer-tools#data-modeling#json-schema#data-validation#json#parser

Links & Resources

Website

Included in

JSON1.5k
Auto-fetched 17 hours ago

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