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pyJSON Schema Loader and JSON Editor

Note: this tool is in development and everything including the README and the documentation is "under construction"!

This is the repository for the pyJSON Schema Loader and JSON Editor - a JSON schema based JSON Editor and Validator. Additional information can be found in the documentation

About

This is the pyJSON Schema Loader and JSON Editor - a JSON Schema based editor capable of creating a well structured, metadata containing document based on a data schema. With pyJSON, one can create, edit, validate and save JSON documents. Furthermore, a simple search function helps keeping track of filesystem-based repositories filled with metadata.

For a JSON schema creating software that is capable of being integrated in network workflow structures, please have a look at the ADAMANT web tool (Publication in F1000Research).

Quick start

Pyinstaller builds

Release builds created with Pyinstaller can be found on the releases page. In order to use these builds, extract the contents from the packed archive and run the executable file inside it.

Working with the source code

You can also run pyJSON from its code base:

  • Make sure python with version 3.10 or newer is installed and operational.
  • Clone this repository.
  • In a terminal, navigate to the cloned repository.
  • (Recommended) Create a new virtual environment. Check your python distribution for details.
  • Run pip install -r requirements.txt and wait for the command to finish.
  • Execute python ./pyJSON.py

Requirements

In short, pyJSON requires Python 3.10 or newer, PySide6 bindings for Qt6, the regex, the future and the jsonschema package. Furthermore, the PyInstaller package is needed to freeze the environment and distribute it along an executable for the platform of choice. Additional packages are needed for building the documentation. A virtual environment is highly advised. Head over to the installation section of the documentation for more details.

Features

Reading, validating and writing JSON files

The pyJSON Schema Loader and JSON Editor is capable of opening and saving JSON files. It supports editing the values and, given the proper schema, provides a title and description for each key-value-pair. Every operation shall be validated against the schema in the future to prevent falsely entered information.

Working with schemas

A JSON schema can be used to validate information stored in JSON files. The tool uses this fact to generate JSON barebone files from schemas. Additional schemas can be added via Files -> Add Schema... and selected via the combobox for the currently selected schema. Defaults for the current schema can be stored and loaded.

Organising schemas on a file system

pyJSON can index directories for a search functionality based on the validation against a schema and on keywords entered into a blank schema. Search results open in a separate window and can be opened in pyJSON, another editing software or in the file system viewer (currently only on Microsoft Windows).

Technical information

Current support of JSON schema keywords

pyJSON extracts the sturcture and additional information from a JSON schema recursively in order to create or enrich a table-like representation of the currently opened JSON document. Currently, pyJSON can create a JSON compliant to its schema or validate input utilising the following common keywords of JSON schema:

field type implemented keywords note
String title, description, enum, default
Number title, description, default
Integer title, description, default
Boolean title, description, default
Array title, description
Object title, description, type, required

Note that a JSON document always gets fully validated against the selected schema utilising the jsonschema package, regardless of the currently supported keywords of pyJSON. This can currently lead to the JSON still being invalid, despite no interception occured when invalid information was entered. The amount of supported keywords will be extended in the future.

Structure of the tool

pyJSON features an extensive structure of files and directories. Below, you find an explanation of important files, some being created during runtime:

Repository Directory
├── Default                  Storage for templates and defaults created by pyJSON.
├── Indexes                  Storage for search indexes.
|   └── pyJSON_S_index.json  The main index file containing pairs of indexes and the path to the corresponding directory.
├── Logs                     Log directory. Gets created when the first log is written.
├── Modules                  Directory of the source code for modules of pyJSON.
├── Schemas                  The storage for the schemas.
|   └── default.json         The default schema, which doubles as a small test case.
├── Tests                    Directory containing PyTest classes for automated testing.
├── UserInterfaces           Original and converted UI files. 
    ...
...
├── pyJSON.py                The main python file of pyJSON.
├── pyJSON_conf.json         The config file of pyJSON.
...

Grant information

The work was funded by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) under the grant mark 16QK03A and by "Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG)" - Projektnummer 454848899. The responsibility for the content of this repository lies with the authors.