Migrating from Draft 03 to Draft 04

Introduction

The migration from Draft 3 to Draft 4 of JSON Schema introduces changes in how schemas are defined and validated. Draft 4, published on January 31, 2013, introduced new keywords and revised the behaviours of existing ones.

This guide will help you adapt your JSON Schemas to align with Draft 4 requirements, covering keyword changes, updates, and behavioural modifications.

Keyword changelog

Below is a summary table highlighting keyword changes between Draft 3 and Draft 4.

Keyword (Draft 3)	Keyword (Draft 4)	Specification	Keyword type	Behavior Details
`$schema`	`$schema`	Core	Identifier	Change in the dialect (Uses the latest Draft4 dialect)
`type`	`type`	Validation	Assertion	This change no longer accepts the `any` type, restricting instances to the seven core primitive types only.
`disallow`	removed	Validation	Applicator	The `disallow` keyword was removed, eliminating the ability to specify types or schemas that an instance must not match.
`required`	`required`	Validation	Assertion	The `required` keyword shifted from being a boolean within each property to a standalone keyword that takes an array of required property names outside of properties.
`divisibleBy`	`multipleOf`	Validation	Assertion	`divisibleBy` was renamed to `multipleOf`, with a stricter requirement that its value must be greater than 0.
`extends`	removed	Validation	Applicator	The `extends` keyword was removed; allOf was added as a new keyword to achieve similar functionality.
`format`	`format`	Validation	Annotation	-
`dependencies`	`dependencies`	Core	Assertion	The `dependencies` member values were changed to require an array, eliminating the use of single strings.
`ref` (legacy)	`ref` (legacy)	Core	Applicator	-
Not present	`allOf`	Core	Applicator	-
Not present	`anyOff`	Core	Applicator	-
Not present	`definitions`	Validation	Reserved Location	-
Not present	`maxProperties`	Validation	Assertion	-
Not present	`minProperties`	Validation	Assertion	-
Not present	`not`	Core	Applicator	-
Not present	`oneOf`	Core	Applicator	-

Note

Starting with Draft 4, schema identifiers that use an empty URI "" or a fragment-only URI "#" are no longer allowed.

In Draft 3, these identifiers were considered valid:

1id: ""
2id: "#"

However, this format is now prohibited from Draft 4 onwards.

Note

Before Draft 3, the JSON Schema only included the Core specification, which outlined the foundational elements for schema structure. With Draft 4, the specification expanded to incorporate Validation, establishing rules for data format, structure, and type requirements. This addition enabled schema authors to define and enforce validation constraints directly within their schemas, making it easier for implementers to ensure data integrity and compatibility as schemas evolved.

Tutorial

This tutorial walks you through key steps and considerations to help you successfully migrate your JSON schemas from Draft 3 to Draft 4.

Step 1: Review Core Changes

Start by familiarizing yourself with the updates in the Draft 4 Core schema specification. Note the revised type, properties, and $ref keywords, which might affect your schemas if you rely on polymorphic types or cross-schema references.

Step 2: Update Validation Keywords

Draft 4 has introduced new keywords such as required, dependencies, anyOf, allOf, and patternProperties. Review each of these additions, and update your schemas to use these keywords if relevant. For instance:

If you have properties that must always be present, use required to define these properties explicitly.
For schemas that contain nested dependencies, consider restructuring them using dependencies to improve schema maintainability.

Step 3: Refactor $ref Usage

References in Draft 4 ($ref) are more standardized, which enhances schema modularity and reusability. If your schema relies on definitions within or across schemas, make sure the $ref keyword is used consistently as per Draft 4’s enhanced JSON Reference guidelines.

Step 4: Validate Your Updated Schemas

Test your updated schemas using a JSON Schema validator compatible with Draft 4 (Another JSON Validator (AJV)). Pay particular attention to behaviours of type, properties, and new combinatory keywords (allOf, anyOf), as validation behaviour may differ from Draft 3.

Step 5: Test in Your Application Context

After the schema updates, integrate them into your application and test the end-to-end functionality. Ensure that the new schema definitions meet your data requirements and interact appropriately with application code, especially in cases involving complex validation rules and nested references.

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