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verify-meta

Validates that all MDX files in the content directory are properly listed in their corresponding _meta.js files for navigation.

Purpose

The verify-meta script ensures documentation structure integrity by:

  • Finding orphaned files: MDX files that exist but aren’t listed in navigation
  • Detecting missing references: Meta keys that don’t correspond to files or directories
  • Validating navigation structure: Ensures consistent documentation organization

Usage

# Run the verification
npm run verify-meta
 
# Include in comprehensive checks
npm run check

How It Works

File Discovery

  1. Finds all _meta.js files in the content directory tree
  2. Locates all .mdx files in the same locations
  3. Groups files by directory for validation

Meta File Parsing

  • Extracts object keys from const meta = { ... } declarations
  • Handles both quoted and unquoted keys: 'key': and key:
  • Supports complex values: Objects, strings, and nested structures
  • Ignores JavaScript comments: // commented: lines are filtered out
  • Filters configuration keys: Excludes title, theme, breadcrumb, etc.

Validation Logic

For each directory with MDX files:

  • ✅ Check file coverage: Every .mdx file should have a corresponding meta key
  • ✅ Check reference validity: Every meta key should reference a file or directory
  • ✅ Handle special cases: index.mdx maps to index key

Output Format

Success Cases

✓ shortcuts.mdx          # File properly listed
✓ project/ (directory)   # Directory reference

Error Cases

ERROR: changelog.mdx not listed in _meta.js (missing key: "changelog")

Warnings

WARNING: _meta.js has key "playground" but playground.mdx doesn't exist

Integration

Build Process

  • Pre-build validation: Runs via prebuild script (npm run verify-projects && npm run verify-meta) before deployment
  • Pre-commit hooks: Validates when **/_meta.js files change via lint-staged
  • Comprehensive checks: Part of npm run check command

Exit Codes

  • 0: All validations passed (warnings allowed)
  • 1: Errors found (missing file references)

Configuration

Excluded Configuration Keys

The script filters out common Nextra configuration keys:

const configKeys = ['title', 'theme', 'breadcrumb', 'type', 'display', 'collapsed', 'sidebar', 'navbar', 'footer', 'toc']

File Mapping

  • index.mdx → index key
  • other-file.mdx → other-file key
  • Directory references → folder name key

Common Issues

Missing Index Files

ERROR: index.mdx not listed in _meta.js (missing key: "index")

Solution: Add index: 'Title' to the _meta.js file

Orphaned Documentation

ERROR: getting-started.mdx not listed in _meta.js (missing key: "getting-started")

Solution: Add the file key to the meta object or remove the unused file

Hidden Files

For intentionally hidden files, add to meta with display configuration:

const meta = {
  playground: { title: 'Playground', display: 'hidden' }
}

Temporarily Disabling Navigation Entries

Comment out entries to temporarily remove them from validation:

const meta = {
  index: { title: 'Home' },
  // playground: { title: 'Playground' },  // Temporarily disabled
  docs: { title: 'Documentation' }
}

The script ignores commented lines, preventing false warnings.

Benefits

  • Prevents broken navigation: Catches missing file references before deployment
  • Maintains consistency: Ensures all documentation is accessible
  • Development workflow: Integrates with build and commit processes
  • Clear feedback: Provides actionable error messages and file locations
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