DCATUS-Validator

A Python tool for validating DCAT-US 1.1 (Data Catalog Vocabulary - United States) JSON files.

Overview

DCATUS-Validator is a command-line utility developed by NASA to ensure that data catalog files conform to the Project Open Data metadata format required for federal open data initiatives. The tool validates JSON files containing dataset metadata against the official GSA DCAT schema and provides detailed error reporting for non-compliant datasets.

Requirements

• Python 3.12 or higher
• Dependencies managed via uv (see pyproject.toml)

Installation

1. Clone the repository:

git clone https://github.com/nasa/DCATUS-Validator.git
cd DCATUS-Validator

2. Install dependencies using uv:

uv sync

Usage

Basic Usage

Validate a DCAT-US JSON file:

python validate.py path/to/your/data.json

Example

python validate.py test-json/dcat1-sample.json

Output

The validator provides console output showing:

• Number of datasets being validated
• Validation completion status

If validation errors are found:

• An invalid_datasets.json file is created with detailed error information
• Each invalid dataset includes:
  • Dataset title
  • List of specific validation errors with field paths

Test Data

The test-json/ directory contains sample dataset for testing:

• dcat1-sample.json - Basic valid dataset example

Related Resources

• DCAT-US Schema Documentation