> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://dms.dzaleka.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# validate

> Validate one or more DMS records against the JSON Schema and report errors and warnings.

## Synopsis

```bash theme={null}
dms validate FILE
dms validate --dir DIRECTORY
```

## Description

`dms validate` checks DMS JSON records against the official schema using the JSON Schema Draft 2020-12 validator. It reports:

* **Errors** — schema violations that make the record invalid (missing required fields, wrong types, disallowed enum values, etc.).
* **Warnings** — recommended fields that are absent (`creator`, `date`, `subject`, `location`, `rights`, `source`, `format`). Warnings do not affect the exit code.

Pass a single `FILE` to validate one record, or use `--dir` to validate every `.json` file found in a directory.

## Options

<ParamField path="FILE" type="path">
  Path to a single `.json` file to validate. Optional when `--dir` is used.
</ParamField>

<ParamField path="--dir" type="path">
  Directory containing `.json` files. All files are validated and a batch summary is printed at the end.
</ParamField>

## Exit codes

| Code | Meaning                                                                      |
| ---- | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| `0`  | All validated records are valid.                                             |
| `1`  | One or more records are invalid, or neither `FILE` nor `--dir` was provided. |

<Note>
  The non-zero exit code on failure makes `dms validate` safe to use in CI pipelines. Any invalid record will fail the pipeline step.
</Note>

## Terminal output

**Valid record:**

```text theme={null}
╭──────────────────────────────────────────────╮
│ ✓ VALID  records/poem_3f8a1c2b.json           │
╰──────────────────────────────────────────────╯
  ⚠ Recommended field 'Source' is not provided.
```

**Invalid record:**

```text theme={null}
╭──────────────────────────────────────────────╮
│ ✗ INVALID  records/broken.json               │
╰──────────────────────────────────────────────╯
 Field            Issue
 ─────────────────────────────────────────────
 Type             Invalid value 'photograph'. Allowed: story, photo, document, …
 Description      Required field 'Description' is missing.
```

**Batch summary (directory mode):**

```text theme={null}
╭──────────────────────────────╮
│ Batch Validation Summary     │
│                              │
│   Total files:  12           │
│   Valid:        11           │
│   Invalid:      1            │
╰──────────────────────────────╯
```

## Examples

<CodeGroup>
  ```bash Validate a single file theme={null}
  dms validate records/story_abc123.json
  ```

  ```bash Validate all records in a directory theme={null}
  dms validate --dir records/
  ```

  ```bash CI — fail the build on any invalid record theme={null}
  dms validate --dir records/ || exit 1
  ```

  ```bash Validate and capture exit code theme={null}
  dms validate records/poem.json
  echo "Exit code: $?"
  ```
</CodeGroup>

## Notes

<Tip>
  Add `dms validate --dir records/` as a pre-commit hook or CI step to catch schema violations before they are merged.
</Tip>

<Warning>
  `dms validate` only checks `.json` files. Files with other extensions in the directory are silently skipped.
</Warning>