lynx-a2ui

name	lynx-a2ui
description	Convert natural-language UI requests into A2UI v0.9 JSON protocol messages that an A2UI renderer can consume.

A2UI Generator

Use this skill when an agent must turn a natural-language request into A2UI protocol data for rendering. The output is data only: a JSON array of A2UI v0.9 messages.

Generation Workflow

1. Fetch the latest catalog from the URL in the Catalog Source section.
2. Read catalogId, component schemas, function schemas, required fields, enum values, and examples if the fetched catalog provides them.
3. Build the UI from the protocol rules, catalog schema, hard rules, and example patterns embedded in this skill.
4. Translate the user's intent into a data model and a flat component graph that validates against the latest fetched catalog.
5. Emit only the final JSON array of A2UI messages.

This skill is self-contained for third-party agent platforms. Do not rely on repository-local files.

Protocol Reference

A2UI is a JSON-based streaming UI protocol. The agent describes an interface by emitting declarative JSON messages. The renderer instantiates only trusted components from the active catalog. There is no arbitrary code: never emit JavaScript, HTML, CSS, event handlers, scripts, or executable snippets.

Design principles:

• Prompt-first: follow the in-context schema and examples exactly.
• Safe like data, expressive like code: emit trusted component data only.
• Structure/data separation: component messages define a flat UI graph; data model messages populate or update values used by dynamic bindings.
• Progressive rendering: each valid message may be rendered as it arrives. Prefer a useful minimal UI first, then add data or refinements.
• Transport-agnostic: A2UI messages may travel over SSE, REST, WebSocket, A2A, AG UI, MCP, or another host transport.

Envelope semantics:

• createSurface creates a surface. Once created, its surfaceId and catalogId are fixed. To change catalog or theme, delete and recreate the surface.
• updateDataModel sets values inside a surface's data model. It has shape { "surfaceId": string, "path"?: string, "value"?: any }. path defaults to /, and value may be any JSON value.
• updateComponents adds or replaces component definitions for a surface. It may reference data paths, but those paths should already be populated by an earlier updateDataModel message in the same response.
• deleteSurface removes a surface.

Output Contract

Return only a pretty-printed JSON array. Do not return Markdown, prose, XML, HTML, JavaScript, CSS, code fences, comments, or trailing commas.

Each array item must be a top-level object with "version": "v0.9" and exactly one of these message keys:

• "createSurface": create a new render surface.
• "updateDataModel": set JSON values used by bindings.
• "updateComponents": add or replace component definitions.
• "deleteSurface": remove an existing surface.

For a fresh UI response, emit messages in this order:

1. createSurface
2. updateDataModel for any initial values read through { "path": ... }
3. updateComponents containing a component with id "root"
4. optional additional updateDataModel or updateComponents messages

The first fresh updateComponents message should contain exactly one root component. Later updateComponents messages may replace or add more components as needed. Put each message object and component object on separate lines so the JSON remains easy to parse and validate.

Before finishing, check bracket balance: every component object closes once, every components array closes once, every message object closes once, and the outer array closes exactly once.

Catalog Source

Use surface id "main" unless the caller provides a different id. Before generating A2UI JSON, fetch the latest Lynx GenUI A2UI catalog from:

"https://unpkg.com/@lynx-js/genui/a2ui/dist/catalog.json"

Treat that fetched catalog as the authoritative, dynamic type definition for the generated UI. Do not rely on a stale component list remembered from this skill. The catalog has this top-level structure:

{
  "catalogId": "https://unpkg.com/@lynx-js/genui/a2ui/dist/catalog.json",
  "components": {},
  "functions": {}
}

Use the fetched catalogId value in createSurface.catalogId. Use only components listed under components, only functions listed under functions, and only props, required fields, enum values, dynamic value shapes, and action schemas allowed by that latest catalog. If the catalog cannot be fetched, ask for the catalog content or a reachable catalog URL before generating non-trivial UI.

If the user supplies a different catalog URL or catalog JSON, use that catalog instead of the default URL and keep createSurface.catalogId aligned with the active catalog.

Example Strategy

Examples improve accuracy, but they must be catalog-aware. Use examples this way:

• Prefer examples embedded in the fetched catalog if present.
• Use the embedded examples below as reusable patterns for a form with an action, a data-bound repeated view, a chart-like data view, and an action response patch.
• Validate embedded examples against the latest catalog before borrowing their structure. Discard or adapt any example that references missing components, missing props, changed required fields, changed enum values, or functions absent from the current catalog.
• Do not paste example JSON into the final answer unless it exactly satisfies the user's request and the latest catalog.
• If no example fits, generate from the fetched schemas directly.

Hard Rules

1. Output must be a JSON array of A2UI messages. No prose, Markdown, XML, code fences, comments, or trailing commas.
2. Each element must include "version": "v0.9".
3. Output pretty-printed JSON with 2-space indentation. Do not emit minified single-line JSON.
4. For a fresh non-action response, the first message must be createSurface. Use the fetched catalogId, and use surface id "main" unless the user specifies otherwise.
5. For { "path": ... } bindings, send updateDataModel before the first updateComponents message that reads those paths.
6. The first fresh updateComponents message must contain exactly one component with id "root".
7. Use property-based component discriminators: "component": "SomeComponent", not wrapper objects such as { "SomeComponent": { ... } }.
8. Children are referenced by id only. Never inline child components.
9. Child references must point to components present in the same response, or to components that already exist on the same surface during a patch.
10. Keep ids kebab-case and unique per surface, such as "root", "title-text", and "submit-button".
11. Do not invent components, props, functions, enum values, or action shapes outside the latest fetched catalog.
12. If a component has a layout weight prop, treat it as a small child layout ratio, not CSS font weight. Do not use typography values like 400, 500, 600, or 700 unless the latest catalog explicitly defines that meaning.
13. If the user asks for impossible, unsafe, or unsupported UI, return a concise explanatory A2UI surface using supported catalog components rather than prose.
14. If the latest user message starts with A2UI_USER_ACTION:, return a non-empty patch for the existing surface. Do not create a new surface unless the action explicitly asks to replace the whole UI.
15. For action responses, prefer the smallest valid patch: one updateDataModel for changed data, plus updateComponents only if visible structure needs to change.
16. For UI that should change after an interaction, keep the initial response in the pre-action state. Put confirmation, success, error, or result details in the action response.

Component Rules

• Components are flat objects in updateComponents.components; children are referenced by id strings, never nested inline.
• Every component has a unique kebab-case "id" and a catalog discriminator whose value is one of the keys in the fetched catalog's components object.
• The first visible component tree for a fresh UI must include "id": "root".
• If a component schema has children, provide the shape allowed by that schema. If it has a singular child reference, provide exactly one component id. If multiple visual children are needed, use a catalog component whose schema accepts multiple children.
• If a component schema requires an action, emit the action shape allowed by the fetched schema, with either an allowed event payload or a function call whose function name exists in functions.
• Do not invent components, props, functions, enum values, or layout fields that are not in the active catalog.
• For media-like components, follow the fetched schema for URL/source fields. If the host resolves image queries, use a short English search query instead of inventing CDN URLs.
• If the user asks for an unsupported or unsafe UI, still return A2UI JSON: render a concise explanatory surface using components available in the latest catalog instead of returning prose.

Data Binding

Use literal values for fixed text and simple static UI. Use data-model bindings when values need to be shared, editable, repeated, or updated after an action.

{ "someProp": "literal value" }
{ "someProp": { "path": "/data/path" } }

If a component reads { "path": "/..." }, send a preceding updateDataModel message that creates that value.

For repeated children, use the template shape from the fetched component schema. When the schema supports { "path": "...", "componentId": "..." }, the container points to an absolute array path, while template components use relative item paths.

The corresponding data must be an array of objects:

[
  { "label": "Alpha" },
  { "label": "Beta" }
]

Inside the template component tree, bind with { "path": "label" }. Do not use wildcard paths such as "/items/*/label" and do not use { "path": "." }. Choose the repeated-content component whose fetched schema and description best match the requested layout and scrolling behavior.

Action Responses

If the latest user input starts with A2UI_USER_ACTION:, update the existing surface instead of creating a new one. Return a non-empty JSON array with the smallest valid patch:

• Use updateDataModel when only data changed.
• Add updateComponents only when visible structure changed.
• Keep the same surfaceId unless the action explicitly replaces the UI.

Do not show success, confirmation, or post-action result states in the initial response before the user action occurs. Put those states in the action response. For UI that changes after an interaction, keep the initial response in the pre-action state and rely on the action response patch for confirmation, success, error, or result details.

Embedded Example Patterns

These examples are illustrative in-context patterns. Before reusing one, fetch the latest catalog and confirm every component, prop, enum value, and action shape still validates. Adapt the component names and props if the current catalog changed.

Form With Action

User: Generate a login card with email, password, and a submit button.

[
  {
    "version": "v0.9",
    "createSurface": {
      "surfaceId": "main",
      "catalogId": "https://unpkg.com/@lynx-js/genui/a2ui/dist/catalog.json"
    }
  },
  {
    "version": "v0.9",
    "updateDataModel": {
      "surfaceId": "main",
      "value": {
        "form": {
          "email": "",
          "password": ""
        }
      }
    }
  },
  {
    "version": "v0.9",
    "updateComponents": {
      "surfaceId": "main",
      "components": [
        {
          "id": "root",
          "component": "Card",
          "child": "form-column"
        },
        {
          "id": "form-column",
          "component": "Column",
          "children": [
            "title",
            "email",
            "password",
            "submit"
          ]
        },
        {
          "id": "title",
          "component": "Text",
          "text": "Sign in",
          "variant": "h2"
        },
        {
          "id": "email",
          "component": "TextField",
          "label": "Email",
          "value": {
            "path": "/form/email"
          }
        },
        {
          "id": "password",
          "component": "TextField",
          "label": "Password",
          "variant": "obscured",
          "value": {
            "path": "/form/password"
          }
        },
        {
          "id": "submit",
          "component": "Button",
          "variant": "primary",
          "child": "submit-label",
          "action": {
            "event": {
              "name": "submit_login",
              "context": {
                "email": {
                  "path": "/form/email"
                },
                "password": {
                  "path": "/form/password"
                }
              }
            }
          }
        },
        {
          "id": "submit-label",
          "component": "Text",
          "text": "Sign in"
        }
      ]
    }
  }
]

Data-Bound Repeated View

User: Show three trip ideas as a compact vertical group.

[
  {
    "version": "v0.9",
    "createSurface": {
      "surfaceId": "main",
      "catalogId": "https://unpkg.com/@lynx-js/genui/a2ui/dist/catalog.json"
    }
  },
  {
    "version": "v0.9",
    "updateDataModel": {
      "surfaceId": "main",
      "path": "/items",
      "value": [
        {
          "name": "Canal walk",
          "detail": "Morning coffee and quiet bridges"
        },
        {
          "name": "Museum loop",
          "detail": "Design exhibits plus lunch nearby"
        },
        {
          "name": "Sunset hill",
          "detail": "Short climb with skyline views"
        }
      ]
    }
  },
  {
    "version": "v0.9",
    "updateComponents": {
      "surfaceId": "main",
      "components": [
        {
          "id": "root",
          "component": "Column",
          "children": [
            "title",
            "trip-items"
          ]
        },
        {
          "id": "title",
          "component": "Text",
          "text": "Trip ideas",
          "variant": "h2"
        },
        {
          "id": "trip-items",
          "component": "Column",
          "children": {
            "path": "/items",
            "componentId": "trip-row"
          }
        },
        {
          "id": "trip-row",
          "component": "Row",
          "children": [
            "trip-icon",
            "trip-copy"
          ],
          "align": "center"
        },
        {
          "id": "trip-icon",
          "component": "Icon",
          "name": "location_on"
        },
        {
          "id": "trip-copy",
          "component": "Column",
          "children": [
            "trip-name",
            "trip-detail"
          ]
        },
        {
          "id": "trip-name",
          "component": "Text",
          "text": {
            "path": "name"
          },
          "variant": "h3"
        },
        {
          "id": "trip-detail",
          "component": "Text",
          "text": {
            "path": "detail"
          },
          "variant": "body"
        }
      ]
    }
  }
]

Chart-Like Data View

User: Show weekly active users as a line chart.

[
  {
    "version": "v0.9",
    "createSurface": {
      "surfaceId": "main",
      "catalogId": "https://unpkg.com/@lynx-js/genui/a2ui/dist/catalog.json"
    }
  },
  {
    "version": "v0.9",
    "updateDataModel": {
      "surfaceId": "main",
      "value": {
        "chart": {
          "labels": [
            "Mon",
            "Tue",
            "Wed",
            "Thu",
            "Fri"
          ],
          "series": [
            {
              "name": "Users",
              "values": [
                120,
                148,
                132,
                171,
                190
              ]
            }
          ]
        }
      }
    }
  },
  {
    "version": "v0.9",
    "updateComponents": {
      "surfaceId": "main",
      "components": [
        {
          "id": "root",
          "component": "Card",
          "child": "chart-column"
        },
        {
          "id": "chart-column",
          "component": "Column",
          "children": [
            "title",
            "chart"
          ]
        },
        {
          "id": "title",
          "component": "Text",
          "text": "Weekly active users",
          "variant": "h2"
        },
        {
          "id": "chart",
          "component": "LineChart",
          "labels": {
            "path": "/chart/labels"
          },
          "series": {
            "path": "/chart/series"
          },
          "xLabel": "Day",
          "yLabel": "Users",
          "showGrid": true,
          "showLegend": true
        }
      ]
    }
  }
]

Action Response Patch

User: A2UI_USER_ACTION: {"surfaceId":"main","action":{"name":"submit_login","context":{"email":"[e-mail]"}}}

[
  {
    "version": "v0.9",
    "updateDataModel": {
      "surfaceId": "main",
      "path": "/status",
      "value": {
        "kind": "success",
        "message": "Signed in as [e-mail]"
      }
    }
  },
  {
    "version": "v0.9",
    "updateComponents": {
      "surfaceId": "main",
      "components": [
        {
          "id": "root",
          "component": "Card",
          "child": "status-column"
        },
        {
          "id": "status-column",
          "component": "Column",
          "children": [
            "status-title",
            "status-message"
          ]
        },
        {
          "id": "status-title",
          "component": "Text",
          "text": "Success",
          "variant": "h2"
        },
        {
          "id": "status-message",
          "component": "Text",
          "text": {
            "path": "/status/message"
          }
        }
      ]
    }
  }
]

Validation Checklist

Before final output, verify:

• The first character is [ and the last character is ].
• Every message includes "version": "v0.9".
• A fresh response starts with createSurface.
• The first fresh updateComponents message contains root.
• Every child id reference exists in the same response.
• Bound paths have matching earlier data-model values.
• Repeated templates use object items and relative item fields.
• No component, prop, enum value, function, or action shape is outside the latest fetched catalog.
• The JSON parses without comments or trailing commas.