DESIGN.md Changelog

Release history of @google/design.md, the official Apache-2.0 CLI and linter for the DESIGN.md format. Dates and changes are taken from the project's public GitHub releases. The format version is still alpha, so expect the spec and CLI to keep moving. New to the format? Start with what DESIGN.md is.

  1. v0.3.0current

    June 15, 2026

    Added

    • Unknown top-level key warnings: the linter now flags frontmatter keys it does not recognize (the unknown-key rule).
    • Nested token support. Colors, spacing, and rounded tokens can nest to arbitrary depth and are referenced with dot-separated paths (for example {colors.brand.primary}).

    Fixed

    • Nested token declarations, non-string YAML values (such as unit: 8), and boolean scalars in component properties no longer crash the linter.
    • lint --format markdown now renders the report correctly, and the Tailwind v4 export handles digit-prefixed token names.

    Docs

    • Added a PHILOSOPHY.md describing the intent behind the format.

  2. v0.2.0

    May 26, 2026

    Added

    • Tailwind CSS v4 export: --format css-tailwind emits a CSS @theme block using Tailwind v4 token namespaces.
    • CSS Color Module format support in the validator and linter.
    • The diff command now includes component-level changes that were previously skipped.

    Changed

    • Export formats renamed for clarity: css-tailwind (Tailwind v4 CSS), json-tailwind (Tailwind v3 JSON), with tailwind preserved as an alias for json-tailwind.

    Fixed

    • Orphaned-token false positives for paired tokens (such as on-primary) when a sibling token is in use.
    • Numeric component properties (like fontWeight: 600), 8-digit hex colors with alpha, and token references inside rounded and spacing now resolve correctly.

  3. v0.1.1

    April 21, 2026

    Docs

    • Documentation patch: corrected command references to the export command and documented Tailwind and DTCG export.

  4. v0.1.0

    April 21, 2026

    Added

    • Initial open-source release under Apache-2.0: the design-system linter (validates a DESIGN.md against the spec, catching unresolved references and invalid token values), a spec generator, and agent-first JSON output.