Allow YAML structured help text in edge app settings

docs/EdgeApps.md

@@ -418,7 +418,7 @@ settings:
 
 #### Input field types
 
-Edge App settings support additional input field types beyond plain text and password. To render a specific input type in the UI, embed a small JSON descriptor inside the setting's `help_text` field. This JSON does not change the underlying storage type (which remains `string` or `secret`); it only instructs the UI how to render the input.
+Edge App settings support additional input field types beyond plain text and password. To render a specific input type in the UI, embed a small descriptor inside the setting's `help_text` field. The descriptor can be provided either as an inline JSON string or, more ergonomically, as native YAML mapping values (shown below). This metadata does not change the underlying storage type (which remains `string` or `secret`); it only instructs the UI how to render the input.
 
 - **Schema**: The JSON must include `schema_version` and a `properties` object.
 - **Common keys**:
@@ -438,14 +438,11 @@ settings:
     type: string
     title: Start Date Time
     optional: false
-    help_text: |
-      {
-        "schema_version": 1,
-        "properties": {
-          "help_text": "The start date and time of the event",
-          "type": "datetime"
-        }
-      }
+    help_text:
+      schema_version: 1
+      properties:
+        help_text: The start date and time of the event
+        type: datetime
 ```
 
 **Number input**
@@ -456,14 +453,11 @@ settings:
     type: string
     title: Attendee Count
     optional: false
-    help_text: |
-      {
-        "schema_version": 1,
-        "properties": {
-          "help_text": "The expected count of attendees",
-          "type": "number"
-        }
-      }
+    help_text:
+      schema_version: 1
+      properties:
+        help_text: The expected count of attendees
+        type: number
 ```
 
 **Select (dropdown) input**
@@ -475,19 +469,18 @@ settings:
     title: Select Role
     default_value: editor
     optional: false
-    help_text: |
-      {
-        "schema_version": 1,
-        "properties": {
-          "type": "select",
-          "help_text": "The role of the user",
-          "options": [
-            { "label": "Admin",  "value": "admin" },
-            { "label": "Editor", "value": "editor" },
-            { "label": "Viewer", "value": "viewer" }
-          ]
-        }
-      }
+    help_text:
+      schema_version: 1
+      properties:
+        type: select
+        help_text: The role of the user
+        options:
+          - label: Admin
+            value: admin
+          - label: Editor
+            value: editor
+          - label: Viewer
+            value: viewer
 ```
 
 **Boolean (switch) input**
@@ -499,14 +492,11 @@ settings:
     title: Subscribe
     default_value: "true" # or 'false'
     optional: false
-    help_text: |
-      {
-        "schema_version": 1,
-        "properties": {
-          "help_text": "Subscribe to updates",
-          "type": "boolean"
-        }
-      }
+    help_text:
+      schema_version: 1
+      properties:
+        help_text: Subscribe to updates
+        type: boolean
 ```
 
 **Text area input**
@@ -518,14 +508,11 @@ settings:
     title: Description
     default_value: Field description
     optional: false
-    help_text: |
-      {
-        "schema_version": 1,
-        "properties": {
-          "help_text": "The description of the event",
-          "type": "textarea"
-        }
-      }
+    help_text:
+      schema_version: 1
+      properties:
+        help_text: The description of the event
+        type: textarea
 ```
 
 **URL input**
@@ -536,14 +523,11 @@ settings:
     type: string
     title: Website URL
     optional: false
-    help_text: |
-      {
-        "schema_version": 1,
-        "properties": {
-          "help_text": "The URL of the website",
-          "type": "url"
-        }
-      }
+    help_text:
+      schema_version: 1
+      properties:
+        help_text: The URL of the website
+        type: url
 ```
 
 Notes:

src/api/edge_app/setting.rs

@@ -10,7 +10,6 @@ use strum_macros::{Display, EnumIter, EnumString};
 
 use crate::api::Api;
 use crate::commands;
-use crate::commands::serde_utils::{deserialize_string_field, serialize_non_empty_string_field};
 use crate::commands::{CommandError, EdgeAppSettings};
 
 #[derive(Clone, Debug, Default, PartialEq, Serialize, Deserialize)]
@@ -180,14 +179,51 @@ fn serialize_help_text<S>(value: &str, serializer: S) -> Result<S::Ok, S::Error>
 where
     S: serde::Serializer,
 {
-    serialize_non_empty_string_field("help_text", value, serializer)
+    if value.trim().is_empty() {
+        return Err(serde::ser::Error::custom(
+            "Field \"help_text\" cannot be empty",
+        ));
+    }
+
+    match serde_json::from_str::<Value>(value) {
+        Ok(json_value) if json_value.is_object() => json_value.serialize(serializer),
+        _ => serializer.serialize_str(value),
+    }
 }
 
 fn deserialize_help_text<'de, D>(deserializer: D) -> Result<String, D::Error>
 where
     D: serde::de::Deserializer<'de>,
 {
-    deserialize_string_field("help_text", true, deserializer)
+    #[derive(Deserialize)]
+    #[serde(untagged)]
+    enum HelpTextHelper {
+        Plain(String),
+        Structured(Value),
+    }
+
+    match HelpTextHelper::deserialize(deserializer)? {
+        HelpTextHelper::Plain(value) => {
+            if value.trim().is_empty() {
+                Err(serde::de::Error::custom(
+                    "Field \"help_text\" cannot be empty",
+                ))
+            } else {
+                Ok(value)
+            }
+        }
+        HelpTextHelper::Structured(value) => {
+            if !value.is_object() {
+                return Err(serde::de::Error::custom(
+                    "Field \"help_text\" must be either a string or an object",
+                ));
+            }
+
+            serde_json::to_string(&value).map_err(|err| {
+                serde::de::Error::custom(format!("Failed to serialize help_text: {err}"))
+            })
+        }
+    }
 }
 
 impl Setting {

src/commands/edge_app/manifest.rs

@@ -522,6 +522,130 @@ settings:
         assert!(result.unwrap_err().to_string().contains("help_text"));
     }
 
+    #[test]
+    fn test_manifest_allows_structured_help_text() {
+        let dir = tempdir().unwrap();
+        let file_path = write_to_tempfile(
+            &dir,
+            "screenly.yml",
+            r#"---
+syntax: manifest_v1
+settings:
+  select_field:
+    type: string
+    title: Select Role
+    default_value: editor
+    optional: false
+    help_text:
+      schema_version: 1
+      properties:
+        type: select
+        help_text: The role of the user
+        options:
+          - label: Admin
+            value: admin
+          - label: Editor
+            value: editor
+          - label: Viewer
+            value: viewer
+"#,
+        );
+
+        let manifest = EdgeAppManifest::new(&file_path).unwrap();
+
+        let actual: serde_json::Value =
+            serde_json::from_str(&manifest.settings[0].help_text).unwrap();
+        let expected = serde_json::json!({
+            "schema_version": 1,
+            "properties": {
+                "type": "select",
+                "help_text": "The role of the user",
+                "options": [
+                    {"label": "Admin", "value": "admin"},
+                    {"label": "Editor", "value": "editor"},
+                    {"label": "Viewer", "value": "viewer"},
+                ]
+            }
+        });
+
+        assert_eq!(actual, expected);
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn test_save_manifest_to_file_serializes_structured_help_text() {
+        let dir = tempdir().unwrap();
+        let file_path = dir.path().join("screenly.yml");
+        let mut manifest = create_test_manifest();
+        manifest.settings[0].help_text = serde_json::json!({
+            "schema_version": 1,
+            "properties": {
+                "type": "select",
+                "help_text": "The role of the user",
+                "options": [
+                    {"label": "Admin", "value": "admin"},
+                    {"label": "Editor", "value": "editor"},
+                    {"label": "Viewer", "value": "viewer"},
+                ]
+            }
+        })
+        .to_string();
+
+        EdgeAppManifest::save_to_file(&manifest, &file_path).unwrap();
+
+        let contents = fs::read_to_string(file_path).unwrap();
+        let yaml: serde_json::Value = serde_yaml::from_str(&contents).unwrap();
+        let help_text = &yaml["settings"]["username"]["help_text"];
+
+        let expected = serde_json::json!({
+            "schema_version": 1,
+            "properties": {
+                "type": "select",
+                "help_text": "The role of the user",
+                "options": [
+                    {"label": "Admin", "value": "admin"},
+                    {"label": "Editor", "value": "editor"},
+                    {"label": "Viewer", "value": "viewer"},
+                ]
+            }
+        });
+
+        assert_eq!(help_text, &expected);
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn test_manifest_round_trips_plain_help_text_as_string() {
+        let dir = tempdir().unwrap();
+        let file_path = write_to_tempfile(
+            &dir,
+            "screenly.yml",
+            r#"---
+syntax: manifest_v1
+settings:
+  username:
+    type: string
+    default_value: stranger
+    title: username title
+    optional: true
+    help_text: some help text
+"#,
+        );
+
+        let manifest = EdgeAppManifest::new(&file_path).unwrap();
+
+        assert_eq!(manifest.settings[0].help_text, "some help text");
+
+        let output_path = dir.path().join("roundtrip.yml");
+        EdgeAppManifest::save_to_file(&manifest, &output_path).unwrap();
+
+        let contents = fs::read_to_string(output_path).unwrap();
+        let yaml: serde_yaml::Value = serde_yaml::from_str(&contents).unwrap();
+
+        assert_eq!(
+            yaml["settings"]["username"]["help_text"],
+            serde_yaml::Value::String("some help text".to_string())
+        );
+    }
+
     #[test]
     fn test_serialize_deserialize_cycle_should_pass_on_valid_struct() {
         let manifest = create_test_manifest();

src/commands/serde_utils.rs

@@ -25,42 +25,6 @@ where
     }
 }
 
-pub fn serialize_non_empty_string_field<S>(
-    field_name: &'static str,
-    value: &str,
-    serializer: S,
-) -> Result<S::Ok, S::Error>
-where
-    S: serde::Serializer,
-{
-    if value.trim().is_empty() {
-        Err(serde::ser::Error::custom(format!(
-            "Field \"{field_name}\" cannot be empty"
-        )))
-    } else {
-        serializer.serialize_str(value)
-    }
-}
-
-pub fn deserialize_string_field<'de, D>(
-    field_name: &'static str,
-    error_on_empty: bool,
-    deserializer: D,
-) -> Result<String, D::Error>
-where
-    D: Deserializer<'de>,
-{
-    let s: String = String::deserialize(deserializer)?;
-
-    if s.trim().is_empty() && error_on_empty {
-        Err(serde::de::Error::custom(format!(
-            "Field \"{field_name}\" cannot be empty"
-        )))
-    } else {
-        Ok(s)
-    }
-}
-
 pub fn string_field_is_none_or_empty(opt: &Option<String>) -> bool {
     match opt.as_ref() {
         None => true,