jsonos

JSON Operating System - A lightweight framework for building decentralized applications with JSON-LD

Features

• Linked Data Native - Built for JSON-LD from the ground up
• Zero Dependencies - Under 5KB gzipped
• Format Agnostic - Preserve + Layer pattern keeps original data intact
• Solid Ready - Works with Solid pods and any HTTP endpoint
• TypeScript Support - Full type definitions included

Installation

npm install jsonos

Or use directly in the browser:

<script type="module">
  import { JsonOS } from 'https://esm.sh/jsonos';
</script>

Getting Started

import { JsonOS } from 'jsonos';

// Initialize with your storage endpoint
const os = new JsonOS({
  storage: 'https://pod.example/data/'
});

// Read JSON-LD data
const todos = await os.read('/todos.json');
console.log(todos);

// Each item has a computed _view layer
todos.forEach(todo => {
  console.log(todo._view.title);      // Normalized title
  console.log(todo._view.completed);  // Boolean completion status
});

// Write data back
await os.write('/todos.json', todos);

API Reference

new JsonOS(options)

Create a new JsonOS instance.

Options:

• storage - Base URL for storage operations
• fetch - Custom fetch function (for authentication)
• prefixes - Additional prefix mappings for predicate expansion

os.read(path)

Read JSON-LD data from a path. Returns an array with view layer attached.

const data = await os.read('/tasks.json');
// Returns: [{ ...originalData, _view: { title, completed, ... }, _format: 'schema' }]

os.write(path, data)

Write JSON-LD data. Automatically strips view layer before saving.

await os.write('/tasks.json', tasks);

os.delete(path)

Delete a resource.

await os.delete('/tasks.json');

os.extractValue(item, ...predicates)

Extract a value from an item using multiple predicate attempts. Handles JSON-LD value objects and prefix expansion.

const title = os.extractValue(item, 'dc:title', 'dct:title', 'rdfs:label');

os.detectFormat(data)

Detect the format of JSON-LD data. Returns 'schema', 'wf', or 'unknown'.

os.clearCache()

Clear the internal read cache.

The Preserve + Layer Pattern

jsonos uses the “Preserve + Layer” pattern to handle different RDF formats:

// Original data is preserved
{
  "@id": "#task1",
  "@type": ["wf:Open", "wf:Task"],
  "dc:title": "Fix bug",
  "dct:created": "2024-01-15",

  // Computed view layer added
  _view: {
    title: "Fix bug",
    completed: false,
    created: "2024-01-15"
  },
  _format: "wf"
}

This allows you to:

1. Display any format consistently in your UI
2. Preserve all original properties
3. Write back without losing data

Format Support

Format	Detection	Read	Write
Schema.org (Task/Tracker)	✅	✅	✅
wf: Workflow Ontology	✅	✅	❌*
Unknown JSON-LD	✅	✅	✅

*wf: format is read-only to preserve original semantics

Using with Solid

import { JsonOS } from 'jsonos';
import { getDefaultSession } from '@inrupt/solid-client-authn-browser';

// After authentication
const session = getDefaultSession();

const os = new JsonOS({
  storage: session.info.webId.replace('/profile/card#me', '/'),
  fetch: session.fetch
});

// Now reads/writes are authenticated
const todos = await os.read('/public/todos.json');

Built-in Prefixes

jsonos expands these prefixes automatically:

Prefix	URI
dc:	http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/
dct:	http://purl.org/dc/terms/
rdfs:	http://www.w3.org/2000/01/rdf-schema#
schema:	http://schema.org/
wf:	http://www.w3.org/2005/01/wf/flow#
solid:	http://www.w3.org/ns/solid/terms#

Add custom prefixes:

const os = new JsonOS({
  prefixes: {
    'my:': 'https://example.org/vocab#'
  }
});

Examples

See the examples directory for complete working examples:

• Todo App - Basic CRUD operations
• Solid Integration - Authentication with Solid pods
• Format Detection - Reading different RDF formats

License

AGPL-3.0-or-later

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