Configuration

Full registry-build config reference with a generic-first shape, collection docs, and legacy compatibility notes.

This page is the full config reference. The important framing is: for new non-UI consumers, start with collections. The older UI-shaped fields still work, but they are now a compatibility surface rather than the preferred starting point.

Minimal generic shape

import { defineConfig } from '@gentleduck/registry-build'
 
export default defineConfig({
  extends: ['./registry-build.base.ts'],
  collections: {},
  output: {
    dir: './dist',
  },
  performance: {},
  branding: {},
  extensions: [],
})

import { defineConfig } from '@gentleduck/registry-build'
 
export default defineConfig({
  extends: ['./registry-build.base.ts'],
  collections: {},
  output: {
    dir: './dist',
  },
  performance: {},
  branding: {},
  extensions: [],
})

If you are building a UI/docs registry, you can still use sources, registries, targetPaths, importMappings, componentIndex, colors, themes, and related fields. They remain supported through the compatibility layer.

Generic-first reference

collections

collections is the generic input surface for non-UI builds.

Each collection can provide:

Field	Type	Purpose
`data`	`unknown \| string`	Inline data or a file path to load
`metadata`	`Record<string, unknown>`	Arbitrary static metadata for extensions
`sources`	`Record<string, RegistryBuildSource>`	Named source trees related to the collection

collections: {
  packages: {
    data: './data/packages.json',
    metadata: {
      repoOrder: ['core', 'extra', 'community'],
    },
    sources: {
      pkgbuilds: {
        glob: '**/PKGBUILD',
        path: './pkgbuilds',
        referencePath: '/pkgbuilds',
      },
    },
  },
}

collections: {
  packages: {
    data: './data/packages.json',
    metadata: {
      repoOrder: ['core', 'extra', 'community'],
    },
    sources: {
      pkgbuilds: {
        glob: '**/PKGBUILD',
        path: './pkgbuilds',
        referencePath: '/pkgbuilds',
      },
    },
  },
}

Use collections when you are building a package index or repository catalog, when you want extensions to read arbitrary data without pretending it is a UI component registry, and when you want a small generic config with minimal domain assumptions.

output

output.dir is required after defaults and extends are resolved.

Field	Default
`dir`	required
`registryDir`	`public/r`
`componentIndexDir`	`__ui_registry__`
`componentIndexFile`	`index.tsx`
`componentsDir`	`components`
`colorsDir`	`colors`
`themesDir`	`themes`
`themesCssFile`	`themes.css`

output: {
  dir: './dist',
}

output: {
  dir: './dist',
}

Even in a generic build, the cache still lives under <output.dir>/.registry-build/ by default.

performance

Performance settings control incremental behavior.

Field	Default	Purpose
`cacheDir`	`.registry-build`	Cache directory under `output.dir`
`incremental`	`true`	Enable file-hash cache and phase reuse
`parallelism`	`min(cpuCount, 8)`	Bound concurrent discovery and generation work

performance: {
  cacheDir: '.registry-build',
  incremental: true,
  parallelism: 6,
}

performance: {
  cacheDir: '.registry-build',
  incremental: true,
  parallelism: 6,
}

extensions

Extensions are the primary mechanism for adding behavior to the builder. The runner is entirely extension-driven — all processing (index-build, components, colors, component-index, validation, banners) is performed by extensions.

For UI registries, either use uiRegistryPreset() to bundle the standard extensions, or register them individually for full control:

import {
  bannerExtension,
  colorsExtension,
  componentIndexExtension,
  componentsExtension,
  defineConfig,
  indexBuildExtension,
  validateExtension,
} from '@gentleduck/registry-build'
 
export default defineConfig({
  extensions: [
    bannerExtension({ name: 'My Registry' }),
    validateExtension(),
    indexBuildExtension(),
    componentsExtension(),
    componentIndexExtension({ framework: 'nextjs' }),
    colorsExtension(),
  ],
  output: { dir: './dist' },
  // ...
})

import {
  bannerExtension,
  colorsExtension,
  componentIndexExtension,
  componentsExtension,
  defineConfig,
  indexBuildExtension,
  validateExtension,
} from '@gentleduck/registry-build'
 
export default defineConfig({
  extensions: [
    bannerExtension({ name: 'My Registry' }),
    validateExtension(),
    indexBuildExtension(),
    componentsExtension(),
    componentIndexExtension({ framework: 'nextjs' }),
    colorsExtension(),
  ],
  output: { dir: './dist' },
  // ...
})

For custom builds, register your own extensions:

extensions: [
  archRepositoryExtension({
    collection: 'packages',
  }),
]

extensions: [
  archRepositoryExtension({
    collection: 'packages',
  }),
]

The recommended pattern is to keep static data in config, let extensions read collections and existing artifacts, and let extensions register outputs explicitly.

branding

branding is lightweight metadata for CLI- or extension-facing presentation.

Field	Type	Default
`name`	`string`	`'@gentleduck/registry-build'`
`font`	`string`	`'ANSI Shadow'`

branding: {
  name: 'Acme Registry',
  font: 'ANSI Shadow',
}

branding: {
  name: 'Acme Registry',
  font: 'ANSI Shadow',
}

Treat this as presentation metadata, not as core build logic.

extends and mergeRegistryBuildConfigs

Use extends for file-based composition and mergeRegistryBuildConfigs() for code-driven composition.

extends is path-aware. Collection data files resolve relative to the file that declared them, collection source paths resolve relative to the file that declared them, source paths and external data files from compatibility fields follow the same rule, and maps and arrays are merged where appropriate.

export default defineConfig({
  extends: ['./registry-build.base.ts', './registry-build.arch.ts'],
  output: {
    dir: './dist',
  },
})

export default defineConfig({
  extends: ['./registry-build.base.ts', './registry-build.arch.ts'],
  output: {
    dir: './dist',
  },
})

import { defineConfig, mergeRegistryBuildConfigs } from '@gentleduck/registry-build'
import { baseConfig } from './registry-build.base'
import { archConfig } from './registry-build.arch'
 
export default defineConfig(mergeRegistryBuildConfigs(baseConfig, archConfig))

import { defineConfig, mergeRegistryBuildConfigs } from '@gentleduck/registry-build'
import { baseConfig } from './registry-build.base'
import { archConfig } from './registry-build.arch'
 
export default defineConfig(mergeRegistryBuildConfigs(baseConfig, archConfig))

UI compatibility reference

These fields are still important for docs-style UI registries. They are supported today, but they should be understood as a compatibility layer on top of the emerging generic core.

sources

sources maps each UI registry item type to a source directory definition.

Field	Type	Purpose
`path`	`string`	Filesystem path relative to the config file
`packageName`	`string`	Package base used for generated import paths
`glob`	`string`	Discovery pattern, default `*/.{ts,tsx}`
`ignore`	`string[]`	Ignore globs for discovery, default `['/__test__/', '*/.test.', '/.spec.*']`
`indexStrategy`	`'item' \| 'file'`	Emit one index record per registry item or per discovered file
`referencePath`	`string`	Stable logical path stored in generated metadata

sources: {
  'registry:ui': {
    path: '../../packages/registry-ui/src',
    packageName: '@example/registry-ui',
    referencePath: '/registry-ui/src',
  },
  'registry:example': {
    path: '../../packages/registry-examples/src',
    indexStrategy: 'file',
    referencePath: '/registry-examples/src',
  },
}

sources: {
  'registry:ui': {
    path: '../../packages/registry-ui/src',
    packageName: '@example/registry-ui',
    referencePath: '/registry-ui/src',
  },
  'registry:example': {
    path: '../../packages/registry-examples/src',
    indexStrategy: 'file',
    referencePath: '/registry-examples/src',
  },
}

UI item types are validated as registry:${string}.

registries and registrySource

registries is the structured metadata that describes UI registry items. Categories are consumer-defined keys such as uis, examples, or blocks.

registrySource controls where those entries come from. Use 'inline' to read the registries object directly, or use a file path to load external JSON or TS data and merge it with inline entries.

registrySource: 'inline',
registries: {
  uis: [
    {
      name: 'button',
      root_folder: 'button',
      type: 'registry:ui',
    },
  ],
}

registrySource: 'inline',
registries: {
  uis: [
    {
      name: 'button',
      root_folder: 'button',
      type: 'registry:ui',
    },
  ],
}

Each entry can include metadata such as dependencies, registryDependencies, files, description, categories, tailwind, and cssVars.

importMappings and targetPaths

Use contentRewrites when copied source files need import rewriting. Use packageMappings when generated component indexes should import from a package path that differs from the source declaration.

Use targetPaths to tell generated item files where they should land in consumer projects.

importMappings: {
  contentRewrites: [
    {
      pattern: '@old/pkg',
      replacement: '@new/pkg',
    },
  ],
  packageMappings: {
    'registry:ui': '@example/registry-ui',
    'registry:example': '@example/registry-examples',
  },
},
targetPaths: {
  'registry:ui': 'components/ui',
  'registry:example': 'components',
}

importMappings: {
  contentRewrites: [
    {
      pattern: '@old/pkg',
      replacement: '@new/pkg',
    },
  ],
  packageMappings: {
    'registry:ui': '@example/registry-ui',
    'registry:example': '@example/registry-examples',
  },
},
targetPaths: {
  'registry:ui': 'components/ui',
  'registry:example': 'components',
}

componentIndex

This config shapes the generated component import index used by componentIndexExtension().

Field	Purpose
`framework`	Select built-in adapter: `nextjs`, `vite`, or `custom`
`header`	Override generated file header
`excludeTypes`	Skip registry item types from the component index
`ssr`	Framework-specific SSR hint
`generator`	Full custom generator function

componentIndex: {
  framework: 'nextjs',
  excludeTypes: ['registry:ui', 'registry:hook'],
  ssr: false,
}

componentIndex: {
  framework: 'nextjs',
  excludeTypes: ['registry:ui', 'registry:hook'],
  ssr: false,
}

If generator is set, it takes over file generation entirely.

colors, themes, and cssTemplates

These fields feed the colors/themes extension layer.

colors.data and themes.data can be inline objects or file paths when they are declared at the root config level.

themes also controls cssVarKeys, names, and defaultRadius.

cssTemplates lets consumers override the generated base CSS strings.

colors: {
  data: './data/colors.json',
},
themes: {
  data: './data/themes.json',
  names: ['zinc', 'stone'],
  cssVarKeys: ['background', 'foreground'],
  defaultRadius: '0.5rem',
},
cssTemplates: {
  baseStyles: '@tailwind base;\\n@tailwind components;\\n@tailwind utilities;',
  baseLayerRules: '@layer base { ... }',
}

colors: {
  data: './data/colors.json',
},
themes: {
  data: './data/themes.json',
  names: ['zinc', 'stone'],
  cssVarKeys: ['background', 'foreground'],
  defaultRadius: '0.5rem',
},
cssTemplates: {
  baseStyles: '@tailwind base;\\n@tailwind components;\\n@tailwind utilities;',
  baseLayerRules: '@layer base { ... }',
}

schema and stripVariables

schema.itemTypes declares the UI registry item type namespace you expect.

stripVariables removes named variables from copied source files before they are emitted into generated JSON payloads.

schema: {
  itemTypes: ['registry:ui', 'registry:example', 'registry:block'],
},
stripVariables: ['iframeHeight', 'description'],

schema: {
  itemTypes: ['registry:ui', 'registry:example', 'registry:block'],
},
stripVariables: ['iframeHeight', 'description'],

Rule of thumb

Start new package or repository indexes from collections.
Use compatibility fields only when you are deliberately building the UI/docs registry shape.
Put static values in config and computed behavior in extensions.
Keep extension output names explicit so the build summary stays readable.

Architecture Extensions

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