vast-xml

npm install vast-xml

Create a VAST object:

var VAST = require('vast-xml');

var vast = new VAST();
var ad = vast.attachAd({ 
      id : 1
    , structure : 'inline'
    , sequence : 99
    , Error: 'http://error.err'
    , AdTitle : 'Common name of the ad'
    , AdSystem : { name: 'Test Ad Server', version : '1.0' }
  });

Ad extensions

var VAST = require('vast-xml');

var vast = new VAST();
var ad = vast.attachAd({ 
      id : 1
    , structure : 'inline'
    , sequence : 99
    , Error: 'http://error.err'
    , Extensions: ['<xml>data</xml>'] // accepts an array or string of XML, warning: XML is not validated by this library!
    , AdTitle : 'Common name of the ad'
    , AdSystem : { name: 'Test Ad Server', version : '1.0' }
  });

Attach Impression tracking URLs

ad.attachImpression({
      id: "23"
    , url: "http://impression.com"
  });
ad.attachImpression({
      id: "sample-server"
    , url: "http://sample-impression.com"
  });

Attach Linear creatives

var creative = ad.attachCreative('Linear', {
    AdParameters : '<xml></xml>'
  , Duration : '00:00:30'
});
creative.attachMediaFile('http://domain.com/file.ext', {
    type: "video/mp4"
  , bitrate: "320"
  , minBitrate: "320"
  , maxBitrate: "320"
  , width: "640"
  , height: "360"
  , scalable: "true"
  , maintainAspectRatio: "true"
  , codec: ""
  , apiFramework: "VPAID"
});
creative.attachTrackingEvent('creativeView', 'http://creativeview.com');
creative.attachVideoClick('ClickThrough', 'http://click-through.com');

Skippable Linear Creatives

Create skippable linear creative by adding a skipoffset attribute when attaching creative. Attach skip and/or progress tracking events. See below:

var creative = ad.attachCreative('Linear', {
    AdParameters : '<xml></xml>'
  , skipoffset: '00:00:05'
  , Duration : '00:00:30'
});
// ...
creative.attachTrackingEvent('skip', 'http://skipevent.com');
creative.attachTrackingEvent('progress', 'http://zing-zang.com', '00:00:15.000');

Attach Icons to Linear creatives

var icon = creative.attachIcon({ 
    program : 'foo'
  , height : 250
  , width : 300
  , xPosition : 'left'
  , yPosition : 'top'
  , apiFramework : 'VPAID'
  , offset : '01:05:09'
  , duration : '00:00:00'
});
icon.attachResource('StaticResource', 'http://domain.com/file.gif', 'image/gif');
icon.attachClick('IconClickThrough', 'http://icon-click-through.com');
icon.attachTrackingEvent('IconViewTracking', 'http://icon-view-tracking.com');

Attach Non-Linear creatives

var creative = ad.attachCreative('NonLinear', {
    id : 99
  , width : 90
  , height: 10
  , expandedWidth : 90
  , expandedHeight : 45
  , scalable : false
  , maintainAspectRatio : false
  , minSuggestedDuration : '00:00:00'
  , apiFramework : 'VPAID'
});

Attach Companion Ad creatives

var creative = ad.attachCreative('CompanionAd', { width : 300 , height : 250 })
    .attachResource('StaticResource', 'http://companionad.com/image.jpg', 'image/jpeg')
    .attachTrackingEvent('creativeView', 'http://companionad.com/creativeView')
;

Generate XML

vast.xml({ pretty : true, indent : '  ', newline : '\n' });

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<VAST version="3.0">
  <Ad id="1" sequence="99">
    <InLine>
      <AdSystem version="1.0">Test Ad Server</AdSystem>
      <AdTitle>Common name of the ad</AdTitle>
      <Description/>
      <Survey/>
      <Error><![CDATA[http://error.err]]></Error>
      <Impression id="23">http://impression.com</Impression>
      <Impression id="sample-server">http://sample-impression.com</Impression>
      <Creatives>
        <Creative>
          <Linear>
            <Duration>00:00:00</Duration>
            <TrackingEvents>
              <Tracking event="creativeView">http://creativeview.com</Tracking>
            </TrackingEvents>
            <VideoClicks>
              <ClickThrough id="">http://click-through.com</ClickThrough>
            </VideoClicks>
            <MediaFiles>
              <MediaFile id="" delivery="progressive" type="video/mp4" bitrate="320" minBitrate="320" maxBitrate="320" width="640" height="360" scalable="true" maintainAspectRatio="true" codec="" apiFramework="">http://domain.com/file.ext</MediaFile>
            </MediaFiles>
          </Linear>
        </Creative>
        <Creative>
          <CompanionAds>
            <Companion width="300" height="250">
              <StaticResource creativeType="image/jpeg">http://companionad.com/image.jpg</StaticResource>
              <TrackingEvents>
                <Tracking event="creativeView">http://companionad.com/creativeView</Tracking>
              </TrackingEvents>
            </Companion>
          </CompanionAds>
        </Creative>
      </Creatives>
    </InLine>
  </Ad>
</VAST>

VAST with no ads

var VAST = require('vast-xml');

var vast = new VAST({VASTErrorURI: 'http://adserver.com/noad.gif'});
vast.xml({ pretty : true, indent : '  ', newline : '\n' });

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<VAST version="3.0">
  <Error>
    <![CDATA[http://adserver.com/noad.gif]>
  </Error>
</VAST>

Validating

npm test validates the test builds. The validation is done against the VAST .xsd file, made available by the IAB.

Currently included in the test suite are:

1. linear ad
   • with companion
   • with icon
2. non-linear ad
   • with companion
3. wrapper ad

The VAST spec is, well vast, and contains a lot of different corner cases.

Pull requests, feedback and collaboration in fully rounding-out this module is more than welcome.

Misc

xmllint is a good tool for validating XML. As a helper, this repo contains the VAST .xsd and to validate a VAST file, follow:

$ xmllint --noout --schema ./test/files/vast3_draft.xsd /path/to/the/vast.xml