JSII Breaks on non SPDX License

[henrysachs]

Describe the bug

Hi there,

I was trying to set a custom License in my package.json like this: https://docs.npmjs.com/cli/v9/configuring-npm/package-json#license

Expected Behavior

The best for me would be to set non-SPDX licenses like "LicenseRef-MyCoolLicense" as spdx describes here: https://spdx.github.io/spdx-spec/v2-draft/SPDX-license-expressions/

Current Behavior

[ERROR] Invalid license identifier "SEE LICENSE IN LICENSE", see valid license identifiers at https://spdx.org/licenses/

Reproduction Steps

create a cdk construct library via projen
set the license like

project.package.addField('license', 'SEE LICENSE IN LICENSE');

run the build command

Possible Solution

No response

Additional Information/Context

No response

SDK version used

5.4.0

Environment details (OS name and version, etc.)

MacOs 15.3

Kind Regards

Henry

[iliapolo]

Hi @henrysachs, thanks for reporting this.

As a workaround (albeit somewhat nasty), you can do:

project.package.addField('license', 'UNLICENSED');

See https://github.com/aws/jsii-compiler/blob/main/src/project-info.ts#L470C15-L472

To get past jsii compilation, and then rewrite the license field to SEE LICENSE IN LICENSE after complication succeeds.
Looks like we are missing non SPDX license handling.

[henrysachs]

Hi @henrysachs, thanks for reporting this.

As a workaround (albeit somewhat nasty), you can do:

project.package.addField('license', 'UNLICENSED');

See https://github.com/aws/jsii-compiler/blob/main/src/project-info.ts#L470C15-L472

To get past jsii compilation, and then rewrite the license field to SEE LICENSE IN LICENSE after complication succeeds. Looks like we are missing non SPDX license handling.

Would it be okay to contribute code to also check if the license string starts with LicenseRef implying that its a non spdx license?

[iliapolo]

@henrysachs mm just to double check though, does SPDX say the LicenceRef can refer to a non SPDX license? I'm not super versed in it but the format (LicenseRef-[idString]) can also be interpeted as a ref to user defined, but still SPDX, license?

[henrysachs]

@iliapolo as I understood it LicenseRef is only used for nonspdx licenses. But maybe I read that spdx document wrong

[henrysachs]

I would read

a user defined license reference denoted by the LicenseRef-[idString]

As "non spdx"

I think user defined means not defined by spdx in this context