Add support for alternate syntax in JSON schema for plugins and markdown_extensions

[liblaf]

First of all, thank you for creating and maintaining Material for MkDocs - it's an excellent documentation tool!

I'd like to request adding support for the alternate syntax in the JSON schema for plugins and markdown_extensions. As documented in the MkDocs user guide, MkDocs supports alternative syntax for these configurations to enable Configuration Inheritance.

plugins:
  search: {}
  your_other_plugin:
    option1: value
    option2: other value

Currently, the JSON schema provided by Material for MkDocs doesn't include support for this alternate syntax. It would be helpful if the schema could be updated to validate both the standard and alternate syntax formats.

Thank you for considering this enhancement!

[niclasheinz]

Hi @liblaf

Please open an issue, click on Request a Chance and place your request there - GitHub Discussions is not the right place for feature requests 😄 . But please keep in mind that MkDocs Material is in a feature freeze due to fundamental work

[squidfunk]

@niclasheinz is right – the discussion board is not the right place for change requests.

We're currently not considering this change ourselves, due to the added complexity in brings. This change would make the schema completely unmaintainable, as I don't think it's possible to pull it off with a lot of duplication and additional levels of indirections. Please bear in mind that the schema is provided as a best effort.

Additionally, I'd consider the alternative syntax a crutch until MkDocs provides better options to deal with inheritance, which is the only reason the property syntax is necessary. Relevant upstream issues are here, albeit, sadly, not much has happened:

• Feature improvement request: support multiple inheritance mkdocs/mkdocs#2624
• Add !resolve YAML tag for sharing files across multiple projects mkdocs/mkdocs#3331