Re: [community-group] Proposal: JSON Schema $ref for aliases (breaking change) (#259)

> > if we adopt JSON Schema holistically, we can allow tokens to reference arbitrary parts of other tokens (or documents) in future.
> 
> Could you provide an example of what that looks like? JSON Schema exists to enforce a top-down, fixed _schema_ for something. You cannot store values in JSON Schema; it is only meant for validation of external files. My understanding is that “adopting JSON Schema holistically” would fundamentally change the DTCG spec from an interchange format to a format where people can validate files they’ve written themselves.

Hey, yes I am currently working on a proposal/alternative I'm happy to share when ready! Hopefully it'll be a bit more concrete with examples.

> 
> I think you may be missing some context here—the purpose of this spec reacts to something like Style Dictionary, where users can create token syntax adhoc, but from one design system to another tools and code isn’t as portable. The DTCG spec was created to create common, standard formats for design tokens in JSON that could be shared across systems. The goal is not to constrict what folks do, rather, just reduce reinventing the wheel.
> 

Unfortunately, from my perspective as a potential implementer of the spec - it's too proscriptive as written, rendering the tooling I envision impossible with the current draft. I fully recognise I'm an interloper here who hasn't been embedded in the full context of the efforts going on to write this standard, and I suspect I'm approaching it from a different angle than you and the current maintainers. 

> If I’m misunderstanding, perhaps a more concrete example would help—could you, say, recreate a color system from an open design system illustrating what you had in mind? I think providing more concrete code could really help clear some confusion here on both sides.

I do not want to derail the topic at hand too much, so I will create my own issue/discussion once I have some examples prepared.

> > There are no legitimate downstream consumers yet, this specification is not final. There is still time to make a clean break.
> 
> This isn’t true. There are many, many legitimate downstream consumers, including GitHub, Figma, The Guardian, and more. Pen Pot, Tokens Studio, Styled Dictionary, and Terrazzo are all tools that support the latest draft versions of the spec.

This is true. The spec is not final, so any current downstream consumers are using it at their own risk. Breaking changes are to be expected, and we cannot (should not!) let the existence of early adopters hobble development of the spec.


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Received on Monday, 15 September 2025 08:14:55 UTC