diff --git a/example_test.go b/example_test.go
index 542f902..34b74aa 100644
--- a/example_test.go
+++ b/example_test.go
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@ package vegagoja_test
 
 import (
 	"context"
+	"fmt"
 	"log"
 	"os"
 
@@ -22,6 +23,259 @@ func Example() {
 	// Output:
 }
 
+func Example_compile() {
+	vega := vegagoja.New()
+	s, err := vega.Compile(candlestickSpec)
+	if err != nil {
+		log.Fatal(err)
+	}
+	fmt.Println(s)
+	// Output:
+	// {
+	//   "$schema": "https://vega.github.io/schema/vega/v5.json",
+	//   "description": "A candlestick chart inspired by an example in Protovis (http://mbostock.github.io/protovis/ex/candlestick.html)",
+	//   "background": "white",
+	//   "padding": 5,
+	//   "width": 400,
+	//   "height": 200,
+	//   "style": "cell",
+	//   "data": [
+	//     {
+	//       "name": "source_0",
+	//       "url": "data/ohlc.json",
+	//       "format": {
+	//         "type": "json",
+	//         "parse": {
+	//           "date": "date"
+	//         }
+	//       }
+	//     },
+	//     {
+	//       "name": "data_0",
+	//       "source": "source_0",
+	//       "transform": [
+	//         {
+	//           "type": "filter",
+	//           "expr": "(isDate(datum[\"date\"]) || (isValid(datum[\"date\"]) && isFinite(+datum[\"date\"]))) && isValid(datum[\"low\"]) && isFinite(+datum[\"low\"])"
+	//         }
+	//       ]
+	//     },
+	//     {
+	//       "name": "data_1",
+	//       "source": "source_0",
+	//       "transform": [
+	//         {
+	//           "type": "filter",
+	//           "expr": "(isDate(datum[\"date\"]) || (isValid(datum[\"date\"]) && isFinite(+datum[\"date\"]))) && isValid(datum[\"open\"]) && isFinite(+datum[\"open\"])"
+	//         }
+	//       ]
+	//     }
+	//   ],
+	//   "marks": [
+	//     {
+	//       "name": "layer_0_marks",
+	//       "type": "rule",
+	//       "style": [
+	//         "rule"
+	//       ],
+	//       "from": {
+	//         "data": "data_0"
+	//       },
+	//       "encode": {
+	//         "update": {
+	//           "stroke": [
+	//             {
+	//               "test": "datum.open < datum.close",
+	//               "value": "#06982d"
+	//             },
+	//             {
+	//               "value": "#ae1325"
+	//             }
+	//           ],
+	//           "description": {
+	//             "signal": "\"Date in 2009: \" + (timeFormat(datum[\"date\"], '%m/%d')) + \"; low: \" + (format(datum[\"low\"], \"\")) + \"; high: \" + (format(datum[\"high\"], \"\"))"
+	//           },
+	//           "x": {
+	//             "scale": "x",
+	//             "field": "date"
+	//           },
+	//           "y": {
+	//             "scale": "y",
+	//             "field": "low"
+	//           },
+	//           "y2": {
+	//             "scale": "y",
+	//             "field": "high"
+	//           }
+	//         }
+	//       }
+	//     },
+	//     {
+	//       "name": "layer_1_marks",
+	//       "type": "rect",
+	//       "style": [
+	//         "bar"
+	//       ],
+	//       "from": {
+	//         "data": "data_1"
+	//       },
+	//       "encode": {
+	//         "update": {
+	//           "fill": [
+	//             {
+	//               "test": "datum.open < datum.close",
+	//               "value": "#06982d"
+	//             },
+	//             {
+	//               "value": "#ae1325"
+	//             }
+	//           ],
+	//           "ariaRoleDescription": {
+	//             "value": "bar"
+	//           },
+	//           "description": {
+	//             "signal": "\"Date in 2009: \" + (timeFormat(datum[\"date\"], '%m/%d')) + \"; open: \" + (format(datum[\"open\"], \"\")) + \"; close: \" + (format(datum[\"close\"], \"\"))"
+	//           },
+	//           "xc": {
+	//             "scale": "x",
+	//             "field": "date"
+	//           },
+	//           "width": {
+	//             "value": 5
+	//           },
+	//           "y": {
+	//             "scale": "y",
+	//             "field": "open"
+	//           },
+	//           "y2": {
+	//             "scale": "y",
+	//             "field": "close"
+	//           }
+	//         }
+	//       }
+	//     }
+	//   ],
+	//   "scales": [
+	//     {
+	//       "name": "x",
+	//       "type": "time",
+	//       "domain": {
+	//         "fields": [
+	//           {
+	//             "data": "data_0",
+	//             "field": "date"
+	//           },
+	//           {
+	//             "data": "data_1",
+	//             "field": "date"
+	//           }
+	//         ]
+	//       },
+	//       "range": [
+	//         0,
+	//         {
+	//           "signal": "width"
+	//         }
+	//       ],
+	//       "padding": 5
+	//     },
+	//     {
+	//       "name": "y",
+	//       "type": "linear",
+	//       "domain": {
+	//         "fields": [
+	//           {
+	//             "data": "data_0",
+	//             "field": "low"
+	//           },
+	//           {
+	//             "data": "data_0",
+	//             "field": "high"
+	//           },
+	//           {
+	//             "data": "data_1",
+	//             "field": "open"
+	//           },
+	//           {
+	//             "data": "data_1",
+	//             "field": "close"
+	//           }
+	//         ]
+	//       },
+	//       "range": [
+	//         {
+	//           "signal": "height"
+	//         },
+	//         0
+	//       ],
+	//       "zero": false,
+	//       "nice": true
+	//     }
+	//   ],
+	//   "axes": [
+	//     {
+	//       "scale": "x",
+	//       "orient": "bottom",
+	//       "gridScale": "y",
+	//       "grid": true,
+	//       "tickCount": {
+	//         "signal": "ceil(width/40)"
+	//       },
+	//       "domain": false,
+	//       "labels": false,
+	//       "aria": false,
+	//       "maxExtent": 0,
+	//       "minExtent": 0,
+	//       "ticks": false,
+	//       "zindex": 0
+	//     },
+	//     {
+	//       "scale": "y",
+	//       "orient": "left",
+	//       "gridScale": "x",
+	//       "grid": true,
+	//       "tickCount": {
+	//         "signal": "ceil(height/40)"
+	//       },
+	//       "domain": false,
+	//       "labels": false,
+	//       "aria": false,
+	//       "maxExtent": 0,
+	//       "minExtent": 0,
+	//       "ticks": false,
+	//       "zindex": 0
+	//     },
+	//     {
+	//       "scale": "x",
+	//       "orient": "bottom",
+	//       "grid": false,
+	//       "title": "Date in 2009",
+	//       "format": "%m/%d",
+	//       "labelAngle": 315,
+	//       "labelAlign": "right",
+	//       "labelBaseline": "top",
+	//       "labelFlush": true,
+	//       "labelOverlap": true,
+	//       "tickCount": {
+	//         "signal": "ceil(width/40)"
+	//       },
+	//       "zindex": 0
+	//     },
+	//     {
+	//       "scale": "y",
+	//       "orient": "left",
+	//       "grid": false,
+	//       "title": "Price",
+	//       "labelOverlap": true,
+	//       "tickCount": {
+	//         "signal": "ceil(height/40)"
+	//       },
+	//       "zindex": 0
+	//     }
+	//   ]
+	// }
+}
+
 func Example_withCSV() {
 	vega := vegagoja.New(
 		vegagoja.WithCSVString(co2Data),
@@ -37,164 +291,48 @@ func Example_withCSV() {
 }
 
 const candlestickSpec = `{
-  "$schema": "https://vega.github.io/schema/vega/v5.json",
-  "description": "A candlestick chart inspired by an example in Protovis (http://mbostock.github.io/protovis/ex/candlestick.html)",
-  "background": "white",
-  "padding": 5,
+  "$schema": "https://vega.github.io/schema/vega-lite/v5.json",
   "width": 400,
-  "height": 200,
-  "style": "cell",
-  "data": [
-    {
-      "name": "source_0",
-      "url": "data/ohlc.json",
-      "format": {"type": "json", "parse": {"date": "date"}}
-    },
-    {
-      "name": "data_0",
-      "source": "source_0",
-      "transform": [
-        {
-          "type": "filter",
-          "expr": "(isDate(datum[\"date\"]) || (isValid(datum[\"date\"]) && isFinite(+datum[\"date\"]))) && isValid(datum[\"low\"]) && isFinite(+datum[\"low\"])"
-        }
-      ]
-    },
-    {
-      "name": "data_1",
-      "source": "source_0",
-      "transform": [
-        {
-          "type": "filter",
-          "expr": "(isDate(datum[\"date\"]) || (isValid(datum[\"date\"]) && isFinite(+datum[\"date\"]))) && isValid(datum[\"open\"]) && isFinite(+datum[\"open\"])"
-        }
-      ]
-    }
-  ],
-  "marks": [
-    {
-      "name": "layer_0_marks",
-      "type": "rule",
-      "style": ["rule"],
-      "from": {"data": "data_0"},
-      "encode": {
-        "update": {
-          "stroke": [
-            {"test": "datum.open < datum.close", "value": "#06982d"},
-            {"value": "#ae1325"}
-          ],
-          "description": {
-            "signal": "\"Date in 2009: \" + (timeFormat(datum[\"date\"], '%m/%d')) + \"; low: \" + (format(datum[\"low\"], \"\")) + \"; high: \" + (format(datum[\"high\"], \"\"))"
-          },
-          "x": {"scale": "x", "field": "date"},
-          "y": {"scale": "y", "field": "low"},
-          "y2": {"scale": "y", "field": "high"}
-        }
+  "description": "A candlestick chart inspired by an example in Protovis (http://mbostock.github.io/protovis/ex/candlestick.html)",
+  "data": {"url": "data/ohlc.json"},
+  "encoding": {
+    "x": {
+      "field": "date",
+      "type": "temporal",
+      "title": "Date in 2009",
+      "axis": {
+        "format": "%m/%d",
+        "labelAngle": -45,
+        "title": "Date in 2009"
       }
     },
-    {
-      "name": "layer_1_marks",
-      "type": "rect",
-      "style": ["bar"],
-      "from": {"data": "data_1"},
-      "encode": {
-        "update": {
-          "fill": [
-            {"test": "datum.open < datum.close", "value": "#06982d"},
-            {"value": "#ae1325"}
-          ],
-          "ariaRoleDescription": {"value": "bar"},
-          "description": {
-            "signal": "\"Date in 2009: \" + (timeFormat(datum[\"date\"], '%m/%d')) + \"; open: \" + (format(datum[\"open\"], \"\")) + \"; close: \" + (format(datum[\"close\"], \"\"))"
-          },
-          "xc": {"scale": "x", "field": "date"},
-          "width": {"value": 5},
-          "y": {"scale": "y", "field": "open"},
-          "y2": {"scale": "y", "field": "close"}
-        }
-      }
-    }
-  ],
-  "scales": [
-    {
-      "name": "x",
-      "type": "time",
-      "domain": {
-        "fields": [
-          {"data": "data_0", "field": "date"},
-          {"data": "data_1", "field": "date"}
-        ]
-      },
-      "range": [0, {"signal": "width"}],
-      "padding": 5
+    "y": {
+      "type": "quantitative",
+      "scale": {"zero": false},
+      "axis": {"title": "Price"}
     },
-    {
-      "name": "y",
-      "type": "linear",
-      "domain": {
-        "fields": [
-          {"data": "data_0", "field": "low"},
-          {"data": "data_0", "field": "high"},
-          {"data": "data_1", "field": "open"},
-          {"data": "data_1", "field": "close"}
-        ]
+    "color": {
+      "condition": {
+        "test": "datum.open < datum.close",
+        "value": "#06982d"
       },
-      "range": [{"signal": "height"}, 0],
-      "zero": false,
-      "nice": true
+      "value": "#ae1325"
     }
-  ],
-  "axes": [
+  },
+  "layer": [
     {
-      "scale": "x",
-      "orient": "bottom",
-      "gridScale": "y",
-      "grid": true,
-      "tickCount": {"signal": "ceil(width/40)"},
-      "domain": false,
-      "labels": false,
-      "aria": false,
-      "maxExtent": 0,
-      "minExtent": 0,
-      "ticks": false,
-      "zindex": 0
-    },
-    {
-      "scale": "y",
-      "orient": "left",
-      "gridScale": "x",
-      "grid": true,
-      "tickCount": {"signal": "ceil(height/40)"},
-      "domain": false,
-      "labels": false,
-      "aria": false,
-      "maxExtent": 0,
-      "minExtent": 0,
-      "ticks": false,
-      "zindex": 0
-    },
-    {
-      "scale": "x",
-      "orient": "bottom",
-      "grid": false,
-      "title": "Date in 2009",
-      "format": "%m/%d",
-      "labelAngle": 315,
-      "labelAlign": "right",
-      "labelBaseline": "top",
-      "labelFlush": true,
-      "labelOverlap": true,
-      "tickCount": {"signal": "ceil(width/40)"},
-      "zindex": 0
+      "mark": "rule",
+      "encoding": {
+        "y": {"field": "low"},
+        "y2": {"field": "high"}
+      }
     },
     {
-      "scale": "y",
-      "orient": "left",
-      "grid": false,
-      "title": "Price",
-      "labelOverlap": true,
-      "tickCount": {"signal": "ceil(height/40)"},
-      "zindex": 0
+      "mark": "bar",
+      "encoding": {
+        "y": {"field": "open"},
+        "y2": {"field": "close"}
+      }
     }
   ]
 }`
diff --git a/vegagoja.go b/vegagoja.go
index f81a1e6..35a9947 100644
--- a/vegagoja.go
+++ b/vegagoja.go
@@ -27,15 +27,16 @@ type renderFunc func(logger func([]string), spec string, data interface{}, cb fu
 // Wraps a goja runtime vm, and uses embedded javascript to render the Vega
 // visualizations.
 type Vega struct {
-	r          *goja.Runtime
-	vegaVer    func() string
-	liteVer    func() string
-	vegaRender renderFunc
-	liteRender renderFunc
-	logger     func(...interface{})
-	sources    fs.FS
-	once       sync.Once
-	err        error
+	r           *goja.Runtime
+	vegaVer     func() string
+	liteVer     func() string
+	vegaRender  renderFunc
+	liteRender  renderFunc
+	liteCompile func(string) (string, error)
+	logger      func(...interface{})
+	sources     fs.FS
+	once        sync.Once
+	err         error
 }
 
 // New creates a new vega instance.
@@ -87,6 +88,10 @@ func (vm *Vega) init() error {
 			vm.err = fmt.Errorf("unable to bind vega_render func: %w", err)
 			return
 		}
+		if err := r.ExportTo(r.Get("vega_lite_compile"), &vm.liteCompile); err != nil {
+			vm.err = fmt.Errorf("unable to bind vega_lite_compile func: %w", err)
+			return
+		}
 		if err := r.ExportTo(r.Get("vega_lite_render"), &vm.liteRender); err != nil {
 			vm.err = fmt.Errorf("unable to bind vega_lite_render func: %w", err)
 			return
@@ -106,6 +111,14 @@ func (vm *Vega) Version() (string, string, error) {
 	return vegaVer, liteVer, nil
 }
 
+// Compile compiles a vega lite specification to a vega specification.
+func (vm *Vega) Compile(spec string) (string, error) {
+	if err := vm.init(); err != nil {
+		return "", err
+	}
+	return vm.liteCompile(spec)
+}
+
 // Render renders the spec with the specified data.
 func (vm *Vega) Render(ctx context.Context, spec string) (res string, err error) {
 	if err = vm.init(); err != nil {
diff --git a/vegagoja.js b/vegagoja.js
index ac14c81..cc618ea 100644
--- a/vegagoja.js
+++ b/vegagoja.js
@@ -1,13 +1,5 @@
-function vega_version() {
-  return vega.version;
-}
-
-function vega_lite_version() {
-  return vegaLite.version;
-}
-
-function vega_render(logf, spec, loadf, cb) {
-  const logger = {
+function logger(logf) {
+  return {
     level(_) {},
     error() {
       logf(["ERROR", ...arguments]);
@@ -22,6 +14,17 @@ function vega_render(logf, spec, loadf, cb) {
       logf(["DEBUG", ...arguments]);
     },
   };
+}
+
+function vega_version() {
+  return vega.version;
+}
+
+function vega_lite_version() {
+  return vegaLite.version;
+}
+
+function vega_render(logf, spec, loadf, cb) {
   const loader = {
     load(name, res) {
       if (res.response != "json" && res.response != "text") {
@@ -52,11 +55,12 @@ function vega_render(logf, spec, loadf, cb) {
     var runtime = vega.parse(s);
     var view = new vega.View(runtime, {
       loader: loader,
-      logger: logger,
+      logger: logger(logf),
       logLevel: vega.Debug,
     });
     view.toSVG().then(cb);
   } catch (e) {
+    logf(["RENDER ERROR"], e);
     throw e;
   } finally {
     if (view) {
@@ -65,15 +69,22 @@ function vega_render(logf, spec, loadf, cb) {
   }
 }
 
+function vega_lite_compile(logf, spec) {
+  const s = vegaLite.compile(JSON.parse(spec), {
+    logger: logger(logf),
+  }).spec;
+  return JSON.stringify(s, null, 2);
+}
+
 function vega_lite_render(logf, spec, loadf, cb) {
   var s = "";
   try {
-    var v = JSON.parse(spec);
-    s = vegaLite.compile(v).spec;
+    s = vegaLite.compile(JSON.parse(spec), {
+      logger: logger(logf),
+    }).spec;
   } catch (e) {
     logf(["COMPILE ERROR", e]);
     throw e;
   }
-  logf(["COMPILED", JSON.stringify(s, null, 2)]);
   return vega_render(logf, s, loadf, cb);
 }
diff --git a/vegagoja_test.go b/vegagoja_test.go
index 66eec89..b6aa43c 100644
--- a/vegagoja_test.go
+++ b/vegagoja_test.go
@@ -88,7 +88,9 @@ func testRender(t *testing.T, ctx context.Context, testName, name string, timeou
 	case err != nil:
 		t.Fatalf("expected no error, got: %v", err)
 	}
-	t.Logf("---\n%s\n---", s)
+	if os.Getenv("VERBOSE") != "" {
+		t.Logf("---\n%s\n---", s)
+	}
 	t.Logf("duration: %s", total)
 	if err := os.WriteFile(name+".svg", []byte(s), 0o644); err != nil {
 		t.Fatalf("expected no error, got: %v", err)
@@ -105,6 +107,9 @@ func contains(v []string, s string) bool {
 }
 
 var broken = []string{
+	"compiled/point_href",
+	"compiled/scatter_image",
+	"lite/geo_circle",
 	"lite/point_href",
 	"lite/scatter_image",
 	"vega/contour-plot",