Error converting IDL to anchor: unknown sub-element

The Anchor CLI IDL conversion command has been reported to fail when attempting to convert IDL in an existing Anchor project. This issue occurs when the “idl convert” command is run in a new, separate workspace or library.

Why the issue occurs

When the IDL conversion command is run in a new, isolated workspace or library, there is a possibility that the “anchor” CLI will not be able to detect the existing anchor project and its associated configurations. This is due to the way anchors manage their internal state and dependencies.

Solutions and workarounds

To resolve this issue, consider the following workarounds:

1.
Use --idl-in-project

Instead of running the IDL conversion command directly from a new workspace or library, try specifying “-idl-in-project” followed by the path to an existing anchored project.

Example:

anchor --idl-in-project /path/to/your-project --idl-out /path/to/out

Converts the IDL code of the specified project without creating a separate workspace or library.

2.
Create an anchored project with --idl-in-project

If you need to perform multiple IDL transformations on the same existing project, consider creating an anchored project with the anchor init command, and then running the IDL transformation commands on that project.

Example:

Create an anchor project
anchor init /path/ to your project

Change to the project directory
cd /path/to your project

Convert IDL code
idl convert -o /path/output.idl --idl-in-project /path/yourproject

This approach creates a new, separate workspace in the existing Anchor project.

3.
Use “anchor diffs” to automate dependency management

Another possible solution is to use “anchor dependencies” to automate dependency management between projects and their IDL code. This way you can be sure that the correct dependencies are included when converting IDL code.

To enable “anchor decomposition”, run:

anchor dependencies init --all --idl-in-project /path/to/your-project

This creates a new anchor project where the necessary dependencies are automatically managed.

Conclusion

Converting IDL code to an existing anchor project can be difficult, and the idl convert command may not work as expected. By using one of these workarounds or solutions, you should be able to resolve the issue and successfully modify the IDL code in the context of the existing Anchor project.

Use case examples

• Creating a new anchor project with multiple IDL transformers

• Automating dependency management between projects and their IDL code

By exploring these options, you can overcome common difficulties encountered when working with anchors and IDL transforms.

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