metabuilder/docs/archive/JSON_ONLY.md

Storybook JSON-Only System

Overview

Storybook has been fully converted to use JSON-only packages. All Lua-related code has been removed.

What Was Removed

Files Deleted

• /src/lua/ - Entire Lua execution directory
• /src/discovery/ - Lua-specific package discovery
• /src/mocks/lua-engine.ts - Lua engine mocks
• /src/types/fengari.d.ts - Lua type definitions
• /src/types/lua-types.ts - Lua type definitions
• /src/components/LuaPackageRenderer.tsx - Lua rendering component
• /src/stories/LuaPackages.stories.tsx - Lua package stories
• /src/stories/LuaCodeEditor.stories.tsx - Lua code editor stories

Code Changes

• /src/components/registry.tsx - Removed LuaScriptViewer component and Lua helper functions
• /.storybook/main.ts - Updated comments to reference JSON packages
• All LuaComponentProps renamed to ComponentProps

What Remains

Core JSON System

• /src/utils/packageDiscovery.ts - JSON package discovery
• /src/utils/jsonComponentRenderer.tsx - JSON component rendering
• /src/stories/AutoDiscovered.stories.tsx - Package browsers
• /src/stories/JSONComponents.stories.tsx - Interactive component viewer
• /src/components/registry.tsx - Component registry (JSON-compatible)

Package Format

All packages now use pure JSON:

packages/
  my_package/
    package.json          # Metadata (required)
    components/
      ui.json             # Components (optional)
    permissions/
      roles.json          # Permissions (optional)
    styles/
      index.json          # Styles (optional)

Benefits of JSON-Only Approach

1. Simpler - No Lua runtime, no compilation
2. Safer - No code execution, just data loading
3. Faster - Direct JSON parsing
4. Validated - All files reference JSON schemas
5. Type-safe - TypeScript types for all structures
6. Portable - Works anywhere JSON works

Available Stories

Navigate to these sections in Storybook:

• Packages/Auto-Discovered

  • Package Browser - View all packages
  • Components Browser - Browse all components
  • Permissions Browser - View all permissions

• Packages/JSON Components

  • Component Viewer - Interactive component tester
  • Nav Menu Sidebar - Example component

Component Rendering

JSON components are rendered using jsonComponentRenderer.tsx:

import { renderJsonComponent } from '../utils/jsonComponentRenderer'

// Load component from JSON
const component = await loadPackage('my_package')
  .then(pkg => pkg.components.find(c => c.id === 'my_component'))

// Render with props
const element = renderJsonComponent(component, {
  title: 'Hello',
  subtitle: 'World'
})

Schema Validation

All JSON files include schema references:

{
  "$schema": "https://metabuilder.dev/schemas/package-metadata.schema.json",
  "packageId": "my_package",
  ...
}

IDEs and validators can use these to provide:

• Autocomplete
• Validation
• Documentation
• Error checking

Next Steps

1. Remove any remaining Lua references in package files
2. Ensure all packages have proper package.json
3. Add schema references to all JSON files
4. Test package loading in Storybook
5. Extend JSON component renderer as needed

FAQ

Can I still run Lua code?

No. All Lua support has been removed from Storybook. Use JSON component definitions instead.

How do I convert Lua components to JSON?

1. Extract component structure from Lua
2. Map to JSON component schema
3. Use declarative template format
4. Add to components/ui.json

What about dynamic behavior?

JSON components support:

• Template expressions ({{props.value}})
• Conditional rendering
• Iteration over arrays
• Event handlers (via registry)

For complex logic, implement in TypeScript and reference from JSON.

Where are the schemas?

All schemas are in /schemas/package-schemas/ and served at runtime via /schemas/.

Support

For questions or issues:

1. Check the schema documentation in /schemas/
2. Review example packages in /schemas/package-schemas/examples/
3. Examine working packages in /packages/
4. Open an issue if needed