String JSON Templating Language

A tiny language that defines a simple, familiar interface to substitute JSON into strings.

What is this?

A tiny language that defines a simple, familiar interface to substitute JSON into strings. It is derived from the template literals of Javascript, as defined in the ECMAScript Programming Language Standard, Ninth Edition ECMA-262.

The terms "object" and "array" are from the conventions of Javascript and JSON.

What is it used for?

Specifying interfaces, runtime expression mapping, other forms of programmatically interacting with JSON and URIs.

Why?

• specifying interfaces
  • easily identify and describe the object and array parts of a template.
  • define computed links.
• runtime usage
  • a simple and restricted embedded template language.
• interopability between JSON, URIs specifications
  • its just JSON -- nothing new to learn.
  • familiar Javascript template syntax.

Usage

To use the Javascript client you can:

Install it:

npm install @etclabscore/string-json-template-language --save

Import it:

import compileTemplate from "@etclabscore/string-json-template-language";

Use it somewhere:

const parsedJson = JSON.parse('{ "foo": "bar" }');
const template = "${foo}";
const resultString = compileTemplate(parsedJson, template);
// => "bar"

How does it work?

for the given JSON:

{
  "query": {
    "number": 1,
    "salad": "potato"
  }
}

and the given template:

http://www.example.com/foo?number=${query.number}&salad=${query.salad}
                                    \__________/          \__________/
                                         |                     |
                                         |                     |
      For each key in given JSON, substitute it by key into the string.

result:

 http://www.example.com/foo?number=1&salad=potato

Accessing Array indicies

for the given JSON

{
  "query": {
    "numbers": [0, 1, 2, 3],
    "salads": ["caesar", "potato"]
  }
}

and the given template:

http://www.example.com/foo?number=${query.numbers[1]}&salad=${query.salads[1]}
                                     \_____________/          \_____________/
                                           |                         |
                                           |                         |
      For each key in given JSON, subtitute it by array index into the string.

result:

 http://www.example.com/foo?number=1&salad=potato

Grammar

Language Grammar defined in ABNF

grammar = *( [head] template-head identifier *["." path] *[array-left array-index array-right] template-tail [tail] )
path = *( ALPHA / "_" )
array-left = "["
array-right = "]"
array-index = *( DIGIT )
template-head = "\${"
template-tail = "}"
head = *( ALPHA /  DIGIT / special-characters )
tail = *( ALPHA / DIGIT / special-characters )
identifier = *( ALPHA / "_" )
special-characters =  *("-" / "_" / "~" / "." / ":" / "/" / "?" / "#" / "[" / "]" / "@" /  "!" /  "&" / "'" / "(" / ")" /  "*" / "+" / "," / ";" / "=")

Template literal

A template literal is represented within a URIs as a pair of curly braces starting with a $.

template-head = "${"
template-tail = "}"

The contents within the Template literal should be valid a key-value object mapping or array-index mapping for JSON.

grammar = *( [head] template-head identifier *["." path] *[array-left array-index array-right] template-tail [tail] )

Identifier

An identifier is a valid JSON key.

identifier = *( ALPHA / "_" )

Path

MUST be a valid nested JSON key that will be resolved with the Identifier

*["." path]

Array Index

MUST be a valid index of a JSON array are represented within square brackets and MUST be a valid number.

*[array-left array-index array-right]
array-left = "["
array-right = "]"
array-index = *( DIGIT )