TypeScript JSON-Array Validator

Question

For my latest app I wanted to be able to code the front-end first, without having to do super extensive documentation and without forgetting my data types later on while coding the back-end. I thus tried to make some kind of JSON Validator that expects something and outputs true or false depending on the input fed to it. (Meaning that I can define my data structures that way)

What I have works, but I'm not sure if that was the right way to go. Any comments?

export class ArrayValidator {

/**
 * Array-Template Syntax:
 * {
 *      "layer_type": "object"|"array"|"value",
        (if array):
        "items": -1,
        "item": {"layer_type": ...}
        (end if array)
        (if value)
        "value": 'regexp'
        (end if value)
        (if object)
        "properties": [
            {
                "name": "string",
                "null_allowed": true|false,
                "value": {"layer_type": etc ...}
            },
            {...}
        ]
        (end if object)
 *  }
**/
public static testUpon(arrayToTest, arrayTemplate) : boolean {
    if(arrayTemplate.layer_type == "object"){
        for(let prop of arrayTemplate.properties){
            if(arrayToTest[prop.name] == null && prop.nullAllowed == 'false'){
                console.log("[ArrayValidator][Error]Nonexistent property: " + prop.name);
                return false;
            }
            if(arrayToTest[prop.name] != null && !ArrayValidator.testUpon(arrayToTest[prop.name], prop.value)) return false;
        }
    }else if(arrayTemplate.layer_type == "array"){
        if(arrayTemplate.items!=-1 && arrayToTest.length != arrayTemplate.items){
            console.log("[ArrayValidator][Error]Array of wrong length.");
            return false;
        }
        for(let item of arrayToTest){
            if(!ArrayValidator.testUpon(item, arrayTemplate.item)) return false;
        }
    }else if(arrayTemplate.layer_type == "value"){
        let regexp = new RegExp(arrayTemplate.value);
        let res = regexp.test(arrayToTest);
        if(!res) console.log("[ArrayValidator][Error]Value Regexp doesn't match. [Regexp: " + arrayTemplate.value + ", Value: " + arrayToTest + "]");
        return res;
    }
    return true;
}

public static test(){
    let template = JSON.parse('{"layer_type": "object", "properties": [{"name": "obj", "nullAllowed": "false", "value": {"layer_type": "object", "properties": []}}, {"name": "embed", "nullAllowed": "false", "value": {"layer_type": "array", "items": -1, "item":{"layer_type": "value", "value": "(.+?)"}}}, {"name": "testVal", "nullAllowed": "false", "value": {"layer_type": "value", "value": "^[A-Za-z]+$"}}]}');
    let test = JSON.parse('{"testVal": "Hello", "embed": ["test", "another test", 24], "obj": {}}');
    console.log("Output: " + ArrayValidator.testUpon(test, template));
}
}

Answer 1

In other words, you're trying to validate that the parsed JSON matches the data structure you're expecting :)

I recommend creating a JSON Schema, updating it as you develop your front-end, and using a Schema Validator library to validate that the object you're creating is consistent with the schema.

This way, the schema will serve both as API documentation and as your test.