fix(core/render-biblio): handle authors as string instead of array

src/core/render-biblio.js

@@ -240,10 +240,18 @@ function stringifyReference(ref) {
 
   output = ref.href ? `<a href="${ref.href}">${output}</a>. ` : `${output}. `;
 
-  if (ref.authors && ref.authors.length) {
-    output += ref.authors.join("; ");
-    if (ref.etAl) output += " et al";
-    if (!output.endsWith(".")) output += ". ";
+  if (ref.authors) {
+    if (!Array.isArray(ref.authors)) {
+      const msg = `The "authors" field in reference "${ref.id || ref.title}" must be an array.`;
+      const hint = `Use \`authors: [${JSON.stringify(ref.authors)}]\` instead of \`authors: ${JSON.stringify(ref.authors)}\`.`;
+      showError(msg, name, { hint });
+      ref.authors = [ref.authors];
+    }
+    if (ref.authors.length) {
+      output += ref.authors.join("; ");
+      if (ref.etAl) output += " et al";
+      if (!output.endsWith(".")) output += ". ";
+    }
   }
   if (ref.publisher) {
     output = `${output} ${endWithDot(ref.publisher)} `;

tests/spec/core/biblio-spec.js

@@ -310,6 +310,34 @@ describe("W3C — Bibliographic References", () => {
     expect(refs).toHaveSize(1);
     expect(refs[0].textContent).toBe("[dom]");
   });
+
+  it("handles authors as a string instead of array", async () => {
+    const body = `
+      <section id="conformance">
+        <p>[[StringAuthorRef]]</p>
+      </section>
+    `;
+    const localBiblio = {
+      StringAuthorRef: {
+        title: "String Author Test",
+        href: "https://example.com",
+        authors: "Jane Doe",
+      },
+    };
+    const ops = makeStandardOps({ localBiblio }, body);
+    const doc = await makeRSDoc(ops);
+
+    const ref = doc.querySelector("#bib-stringauthorref + dd");
+    expect(ref).toBeTruthy();
+    expect(ref.textContent).toContain("Jane Doe");
+
+    const errors = doc.respec.errors.filter(
+      e => e.plugin === "core/render-biblio" && e.message.includes('"authors"')
+    );
+    expect(errors).toHaveSize(1);
+    expect(errors[0].message).toContain("must be an array");
+    expect(errors[0].hint).toContain('authors: ["Jane Doe"]');
+  });
 });
 
 it("makes sure references section has expected localization text", async () => {