diff --git a/gen/constrain.go b/gen/constrain.go
index 21e4522..0e7c265 100644
--- a/gen/constrain.go
+++ b/gen/constrain.go
@@ -24,8 +24,10 @@ import (
 )
 
 // coerceScalar converts a raw annotation/tag string to the schema's scalar
-// type, so `example:"5"` on an int field emits 5, not "5". Unparseable
-// values stay strings.
+// type, so `example:"5"` on an int field emits 5, not "5". On array schemas
+// the value is comma-separated per swag semantics (`example:"a,b"` on a
+// []string field emits ["a", "b"]), each item coerced to the item type.
+// Unparseable values stay strings.
 func coerceScalar(v string, s *Schema) any {
 	switch primaryType(s) {
 	case "integer":
@@ -40,6 +42,17 @@ func coerceScalar(v string, s *Schema) any {
 		if b, err := strconv.ParseBool(v); err == nil {
 			return b
 		}
+	case "array":
+		item := s.Items
+		if item == nil {
+			item = &Schema{}
+		}
+		parts := strings.Split(v, ",")
+		arr := make([]any, 0, len(parts))
+		for _, p := range parts {
+			arr = append(arr, coerceScalar(strings.TrimSpace(p), item))
+		}
+		return arr
 	}
 	return v
 }
diff --git a/gen/gen_test.go b/gen/gen_test.go
index 48a3110..9b7ed2e 100644
--- a/gen/gen_test.go
+++ b/gen/gen_test.go
@@ -225,20 +225,18 @@ func TestEmbeddedStructPromotion(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 
 	// Named non-struct type (type Labels []*Account) resolves inline; the
-	// pointer element makes items nullable via anyOf ($ref allows no siblings).
+	// pointer element is a Go implementation detail, so items stay a plain
+	// non-nullable $ref (a JSON null element is never valid input).
 	labels := acct.Properties["labels"]
 	if labels == nil || !slices.Contains(labels.Type, "array") {
 		t.Fatalf("labels should inline the named slice type as array, got %+v", labels)
 	}
 	items := labels.Items
-	if items == nil || len(items.AnyOf) != 2 {
-		t.Fatalf("pointer items should be anyOf[$ref, null], got %+v", items)
+	if items == nil || len(items.AnyOf) != 0 {
+		t.Fatalf("pointer items should be a plain non-nullable ref, got %+v", items)
 	}
-	if items.AnyOf[0].Ref != "#/components/schemas/testdata.Account" {
-		t.Errorf("anyOf[0] should ref Account, got %+v", items.AnyOf[0])
-	}
-	if !slices.Contains(items.AnyOf[1].Type, "null") {
-		t.Errorf("anyOf[1] should be null, got %+v", items.AnyOf[1])
+	if items.Ref != "#/components/schemas/testdata.Account" {
+		t.Errorf("items should ref Account, got %+v", items)
 	}
 }
 
@@ -334,6 +332,35 @@ func TestEscapedTagsUnexportedDiveRequired(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 }
 
+func TestRequiredPointerNotNullable(t *testing.T) {
+	api, err := gen.Parse([]string{"../testdata"})
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+	acct := api.Schemas["testdata.Account"]
+	for _, want := range []string{"contact", "parent"} {
+		if !slices.Contains(acct.Required, want) {
+			t.Errorf("%s should be required, got %v", want, acct.Required)
+		}
+	}
+
+	// A required *string rejects null at validation time: plain string type.
+	contact := acct.Properties["contact"]
+	if !slices.Contains(contact.Type, "string") || slices.Contains(contact.Type, "null") {
+		t.Errorf("required *string must not be nullable: %+v", contact)
+	}
+
+	// A required pointer-to-struct drops the anyOf null branch but keeps the
+	// field metadata applied to the wrapper (here, the doc comment).
+	parent := acct.Properties["parent"]
+	if len(parent.AnyOf) != 1 || parent.AnyOf[0].Ref != "#/components/schemas/testdata.Account" {
+		t.Errorf("required pointer ref should keep only the ref branch: %+v", parent)
+	}
+	if !strings.Contains(parent.Description, "doc survives") {
+		t.Errorf("wrapper description lost: %+v", parent)
+	}
+}
+
 func TestQuotedDescriptionWithParens(t *testing.T) {
 	api, err := gen.Parse([]string{"../testdata"})
 	if err != nil {
diff --git a/gen/internal_test.go b/gen/internal_test.go
index 85eca14..398322e 100644
--- a/gen/internal_test.go
+++ b/gen/internal_test.go
@@ -93,6 +93,27 @@ func TestCoerceScalarTable(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 }
 
+func TestCoerceScalarArrayTable(t *testing.T) {
+	strArr := &Schema{Type: []string{"array"}, Items: &Schema{Type: []string{"string"}}}
+	intArr := &Schema{Type: []string{"array"}, Items: &Schema{Type: []string{"integer"}}}
+	cases := []struct {
+		schema *Schema
+		want   any
+		in     string
+	}{
+		{strArr, []any{"a", "b"}, "a,b"},
+		{strArr, []any{"a"}, "a"},                                  // single item, no comma
+		{intArr, []any{int64(1), int64(2)}, "1, 2"},                // items trimmed and coerced
+		{intArr, []any{int64(1), "2x"}, "1,2x"},                    // unparseable item stays string
+		{&Schema{Type: []string{"array"}}, []any{"a", "b"}, "a,b"}, // nil Items: items stay strings
+	}
+	for _, c := range cases {
+		if got := coerceScalar(c.in, c.schema); !reflect.DeepEqual(got, c.want) {
+			t.Errorf("coerceScalar(%q, %v) = %#v, want %#v", c.in, c.schema, got, c.want)
+		}
+	}
+}
+
 func TestApplyValidationRulesTable(t *testing.T) {
 	str := &Schema{Type: []string{"string"}}
 	applyValidationRules(str, "min=3,max=10,len=4")
@@ -304,6 +325,35 @@ func TestMakeNullableTable(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 }
 
+func TestStripNullableTable(t *testing.T) {
+	if stripNullable(nil) != nil {
+		t.Error("nil should stay nil")
+	}
+	prim := stripNullable(&Schema{Type: []string{"string", "null"}})
+	if !reflect.DeepEqual(prim.Type, []string{"string"}) {
+		t.Errorf("primitive: %+v", prim)
+	}
+	bare := stripNullable(makeNullable(&Schema{Ref: "#/components/schemas/X"}))
+	if bare.Ref != "#/components/schemas/X" || len(bare.AnyOf) != 0 {
+		t.Errorf("bare wrapper should collapse to the inner ref: %+v", bare)
+	}
+	rich := makeNullable(&Schema{Ref: "#/components/schemas/X"})
+	rich.Description = "doc"
+	got := stripNullable(rich)
+	if got.Description != "doc" || len(got.AnyOf) != 1 || got.AnyOf[0].Ref == "" {
+		t.Errorf("wrapper metadata should survive minus the null branch: %+v", got)
+	}
+}
+
+func TestArrayItemsMultiPointerNotNullable(t *testing.T) {
+	for _, tok := range []string{"[]*int", "[]**int", "[]***int"} {
+		s := (&resolver{}).schemaForToken(tok, refCtx{})
+		if s.Items == nil || !reflect.DeepEqual(s.Items.Type, []string{"integer"}) {
+			t.Errorf("%s items should be plain integer: %+v", tok, s.Items)
+		}
+	}
+}
+
 func TestExprToTokenTable(t *testing.T) {
 	d := ast.NewIdent("D")
 	cases := []struct {
diff --git a/gen/schema.go b/gen/schema.go
index 62679a9..8f6abc7 100644
--- a/gen/schema.go
+++ b/gen/schema.go
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@ package gen
 import (
 	"go/ast"
 	"maps"
+	"reflect"
 	"regexp"
 	"slices"
 	"strconv"
@@ -53,7 +54,9 @@ func (r *resolver) schemaForToken(tok string, ctx refCtx) *Schema {
 	case tok == "interface{}" || tok == "any":
 		return &Schema{} // empty schema matches anything
 	case strings.HasPrefix(tok, "[]"):
-		return &Schema{Type: []string{"array"}, Items: r.schemaForToken(tok[2:], ctx)}
+		// Pointer elements ([]*T) are a Go implementation detail; a JSON null
+		// element is never valid input, so items are emitted non-nullable.
+		return &Schema{Type: []string{"array"}, Items: r.schemaForToken(strings.TrimLeft(tok[2:], "*"), ctx)}
 	case strings.HasPrefix(tok, "*"):
 		return makeNullable(r.schemaForToken(tok[1:], ctx))
 	case strings.HasPrefix(tok, "map["):
@@ -323,6 +326,9 @@ func (r *resolver) addField(schema *Schema, field *ast.Field, ctx refCtx, subst
 	// can be mandatory while the response marshaler omits empty values
 	if hasTag(tag, "validate", "required") || hasTag(tag, "binding", "required") {
 		schema.Required = append(schema.Required, name)
+		// A required pointer field rejects JSON null at validation time,
+		// so drop the null branch the pointer type added.
+		schema.Properties[name] = stripNullable(fieldSchema)
 	}
 }
 
@@ -624,6 +630,32 @@ func exprToToken(e ast.Expr) string {
 	}
 }
 
+// stripNullable undoes makeNullable for schemas where JSON null is not
+// actually accepted (e.g. required pointer fields).
+func stripNullable(s *Schema) *Schema {
+	if s == nil {
+		return nil
+	}
+	if len(s.AnyOf) == 2 && isPureNull(s.AnyOf[1]) {
+		if reflect.DeepEqual(s, &Schema{AnyOf: s.AnyOf}) {
+			return s.AnyOf[0] // bare wrapper: collapse to the inner schema
+		}
+		// Field metadata (description, example, ...) lives on the wrapper;
+		// keep it and drop only the null branch.
+		s.AnyOf = s.AnyOf[:1]
+		return s
+	}
+	s.Type = slices.DeleteFunc(s.Type, func(t string) bool { return t == "null" })
+	return s
+}
+
+// isPureNull reports whether s is exactly the `{type: "null"}` schema that
+// makeNullable produces.
+func isPureNull(s *Schema) bool {
+	return s != nil && len(s.Type) == 1 && s.Type[0] == "null" &&
+		s.Ref == "" && len(s.Properties) == 0 && len(s.AnyOf) == 0
+}
+
 func makeNullable(s *Schema) *Schema {
 	if s == nil {
 		return &Schema{Type: []string{"null"}}
diff --git a/gen/yaml.go b/gen/yaml.go
index 44fc01e..f0872f3 100644
--- a/gen/yaml.go
+++ b/gen/yaml.go
@@ -31,6 +31,9 @@ import (
 // so the output is always valid YAML.
 func (api *API) EmitYAML(opt EmitOptions) ([]byte, error) {
 	var b strings.Builder
+	// Document start marker, so the output survives yamlfmt-style formatters
+	// (include_document_start) without churn on regeneration.
+	b.WriteString("---\n")
 	writeYAMLMap(&b, api.Emit(opt), 0, false)
 	return []byte(b.String()), nil
 }
@@ -52,7 +55,7 @@ func writeYAMLValue(b *strings.Builder, v any, indent int) {
 			return
 		}
 		b.WriteByte('\n')
-		writeYAMLSeq(b, t, indent)
+		writeYAMLSeq(b, t, indent, false)
 	default:
 		b.WriteByte(' ')
 		b.WriteString(yamlScalar(t))
@@ -73,9 +76,13 @@ func writeYAMLMap(b *strings.Builder, m map[string]any, indent int, inline bool)
 	}
 }
 
-func writeYAMLSeq(b *strings.Builder, s []any, indent int) {
-	for _, v := range s {
-		b.WriteString(strings.Repeat("  ", indent))
+// writeYAMLSeq writes a sequence's items at the given indent. When inline is
+// true the first item continues the current line (after an outer dash).
+func writeYAMLSeq(b *strings.Builder, s []any, indent int, inline bool) {
+	for i, v := range s {
+		if !inline || i > 0 {
+			b.WriteString(strings.Repeat("  ", indent))
+		}
 		b.WriteByte('-')
 		if m, ok := v.(map[string]any); ok && len(m) > 0 {
 			// compact form: first key shares the dash's line
@@ -83,6 +90,12 @@ func writeYAMLSeq(b *strings.Builder, s []any, indent int) {
 			writeYAMLMap(b, m, indent+1, true)
 			continue
 		}
+		if l, ok := v.([]any); ok && len(l) > 0 {
+			// compact form: nested sequence's first dash shares this line
+			b.WriteByte(' ')
+			writeYAMLSeq(b, l, indent+1, true)
+			continue
+		}
 		writeYAMLValue(b, v, indent+1)
 	}
 }
diff --git a/testdata/sample.go b/testdata/sample.go
index e7cff57..13c2e65 100644
--- a/testdata/sample.go
+++ b/testdata/sample.go
@@ -70,7 +70,11 @@ type Account struct {
 	// Code is required even though json omits it when empty (swag semantics).
 	Code string `json:"code,omitempty" validate:"required"`
 	// Hosts: validator dive scopes min=8 to each element, not the array.
-	Hosts  []string `json:"hosts" binding:"min=1,dive,min=8"`
+	Hosts []string `json:"hosts" binding:"min=1,dive,min=8"`
+	// Contact is a required pointer: validation rejects null, so no null type.
+	Contact *string `json:"contact" validate:"required"`
+	// Parent account, required: the null branch is dropped, this doc survives.
+	Parent *Account `json:"parent" validate:"required"`
 	hidden string   // unexported: never marshaled, must not appear
 }