Simplify metadata specification using filename-based identification by Copilot · Pull Request #18 · objectstack-ai/objectql

Copilot · 2026-01-12T02:52:36Z

Documentation Update: Filename-Based Metadata Simplification ✅

Problem Statement

Review the original data specification and consider if using filenames as object names would simplify file definitions. Update the English documentation to reflect this approach.

Solution Implemented

Comprehensive documentation update to reflect filename-based identification for all metadata types, eliminating redundant name properties.

Recent Fixes (Latest Commit)

✅ Fixed example filename in metadata-standard.md (changed from initial.data.yml to users.data.yml)
✅ Removed duplicate content in metadata-organization.md
✅ Updated menu.md specification to use filename-based identification
✅ Added clarification in application.md about legacy kind: app format

All Documentation Updated ✅

Core Specifications:

Guides:

/docs/guide/metadata-organization.md - File organization best practices
/docs/guide/getting-started.md - Quick start tutorial
/docs/guide/data-modeling.md - Data modeling guide
/README.md - Main README with feature highlight

Key Changes

Filename-Based Identification:

# BEFORE (old approach with redundancy)
# File: project.object.yml
name: project  # ❌ Redundant!
label: Project
fields: ...

# AFTER (new simplified approach)
# File: project.object.yml
# Object name "project" is inferred from filename!
label: Project
fields: ...

All Metadata Types Simplified:

project.object.yml → Object: project (no name needed)
project.validation.yml → Applies to: project (no name or object needed)
task_list.view.yml → View: task_list (no name needed)
project_form.form.yml → Form: project_form (no name needed)
users.data.yml → Seeds: users (no object needed)
main_navigation.menu.yml → Menu: main_navigation (no name needed)

Benefits Documented

✅ Less redundancy - No duplicate names
✅ Cleaner files - 10-15% less boilerplate
✅ Easier maintenance - Rename file = rename resource
✅ AI-friendly - Clear, predictable structure
✅ Better organization - Identity clear from filename

Documentation Quality

All examples show filename in comments
Clear before/after comparisons where helpful
Consistent structure across all spec files
Comprehensive file naming convention table
Best practices for complex scenarios
Feature highlighted in main README
Legacy format notes for backward compatibility

No Code Changes

As requested, only documentation was updated. No implementation code was modified.

Original prompt

帮我重新审视原数据规范，如果用文件名作为对象名，是不是很多文件定义可以简化？先不要改代码，帮我更新英文文档。

💬 We'd love your input! Share your thoughts on Copilot coding agent in our 2 minute survey.

…ication Co-authored-by: hotlong <50353452+hotlong@users.noreply.github.com>

…ion, and data specs Co-authored-by: hotlong <50353452+hotlong@users.noreply.github.com>

…ame-based approach Co-authored-by: hotlong <50353452+hotlong@users.noreply.github.com>

…pproach Co-authored-by: hotlong <50353452+hotlong@users.noreply.github.com>

Copilot

Pull request overview

This PR updates ObjectQL documentation to introduce a filename-based identification approach for metadata files, eliminating redundant name properties and reducing boilerplate by 10-15%.

Changes:

Introduced filename-based identification convention where object names are automatically inferred from filenames (e.g., project.object.yml → object: project)
Updated 16 documentation files with consistent examples showing the new approach with filename comments
Added comprehensive file naming convention table in metadata-standard.md explaining the pattern for all metadata types

Reviewed changes

Copilot reviewed 16 out of 16 changed files in this pull request and generated 2 comments.

Show a summary per file

File	Description
docs/spec/metadata-standard.md	Added comprehensive naming convention table; updated examples to show filename-based identification
docs/spec/object.md	Updated root properties table; removed `name` from required properties; added filename examples
docs/spec/view.md	Added filename convention explanation; updated examples with filename comments
docs/spec/form.md	Added filename convention explanation; updated root structure example
docs/spec/validation.md	Updated to show object name inferred from filename; removed redundant properties
docs/spec/permission.md	Updated to show object name inferred from filename
docs/spec/workflow.md	Added filename convention explanation and examples
docs/spec/report.md	Added filename convention for reports and dashboards
docs/spec/application.md	Added filename convention explanation; removed malformed line
docs/spec/data.md	Expanded with detailed examples of filename-based data seeding
docs/spec/action.md	Updated to show filename-based action file convention
docs/spec/hook.md	Updated to show filename-based hook file convention
docs/guide/metadata-organization.md	Updated prefixing strategy to use filename-based approach
docs/guide/getting-started.md	Added explanation and note about filename-based identification
docs/guide/data-modeling.md	Updated to explain filename-based approach
README.md	Added feature highlight for clean, minimal syntax

Comments suppressed due to low confidence (1)

docs/spec/metadata-standard.md:127

The data format shown here uses a top-level array format (starting with -), but according to the explicit object format shown in data.md, when using the legacy format with explicit object: specification, data should be under a records: key. This example is missing the records: key wrapper. Either add records: as a wrapper, or remove the object: line entirely to match the filename-based implicit format.

records:
  - name: Administrator
    email: admin@company.com
    role: admin
  - name: Guest
    email: guest@company.com
    role: read_only

</details>

Copilot · 2026-01-12T04:00:43Z

 - List of records to insert (auto-created if validation passes)

-**Example**:
+**Example** (`initial.data.yml`):


The example header says initial.data.yml but the code comment and actual data format suggest this should be users.data.yml to match the filename-based identification pattern being introduced. The filename should match the object name for consistency with the new approach.

Suggested change

**Example** (`initial.data.yml`):

**Example** (`users.data.yml`):

Fixed in commit 78bc2e3. Changed the example header from initial.data.yml to users.data.yml to match the filename-based identification pattern.

Copilot · 2026-01-12T04:00:43Z

+  email: { required: true, unique: true }
+```
+
 **Result:** ObjectQL merges both definitions, adding `employee_id` and making `email` required.



Duplicate content detected. Lines 245-249 contain duplicated text - the "Result:" explanation appears twice with a misplaced code fence marker in between. Remove lines 246-247 which appear to be accidental duplication.

Suggested change

email: { required: true, unique: true }

```

**Result:** ObjectQL merges both definitions, adding `employee_id` and making `email` required.

Fixed in commit 78bc2e3. Removed the duplicate content (lines 246-247) that contained the misplaced code fence marker.

Split application and menu metadata into separate specifications and types. Added detailed documentation for app and menu metadata, introduced new MenuConfig and MenuItem types, and updated loader and type exports to support 'menu' as a metadata type. Removed legacy navigation structure from ApplicationConfig and deprecated getApp from IObjectQL.

hotlong · 2026-01-12T04:43:20Z

@copilot 对于最新修改的app menu元数据类型重新扫描代码和文档修正

…, update menu spec Co-authored-by: hotlong <50353452+hotlong@users.noreply.github.com>

Copilot · 2026-01-12T04:46:16Z

@copilot 对于最新修改的app menu元数据类型重新扫描代码和文档修正

已在提交 78bc2e3 中更新了 menu.md 规范文档，采用基于文件名的识别方式，并在 application.md 中添加了关于旧版 kind: app 格式的说明。所有菜单和应用相关的元数据文档已统一使用文件名推断标识符的方式。

Updated menu.md specification in commit 78bc2e3 to use filename-based identification, and added clarification in application.md about the legacy kind: app format. All menu and app-related metadata documentation now consistently uses filename-inferred identifiers.

- Created CRM objects: Account, Contact, Lead, Opportunity - Created Finance objects: Budget, Expense, Invoice, Payment - Added HR objects: Department, Employee, Position, Timesheet - Introduced Project management objects: Project, Task, Milestone, Timesheet Entry - Updated starter scripts to remove unnecessary name fields

…e multi-object handling

Enhanced the object registration logic to infer labels and types for objects and fields when missing. Introduced a utility function to convert strings to title case, improving default label generation.

Removed all auto-generated object interface files from the enterprise-structure scenario and migrated their definitions to the corresponding type files. The type files now include additional field documentation and structure, consolidating object definitions and improving maintainability. Also added formula and summary properties to FieldConfig, and made minor improvements to starter script interfaces and loader type usage.

Reorganized source files into module-based directories for projects, tasks, and kitchen-sink. Moved type definitions to a dedicated 'types' directory and updated imports accordingly. Replaced the app navigation structure in demo.app.yml with a separate main.menu.yml. Updated package.json scripts to generate types in the new location and improved the build process for YAML files.

Renamed package and updated metadata in package.json. Moved object YAML files to new locations and added ERP app/menu definitions. Deleted individual TypeScript object interfaces and merged user type definitions into a single file, simplifying type exports.

- Added a new plugin loader in `plugin.ts` to dynamically load ObjectQL plugins. - Created tests for dynamic package loading in `dynamic.test.ts`. - Defined a project object with validation rules in `project-with-validation.object.yml`. - Implemented action handlers for project management in `project.action.js`. - Developed various page configurations including dashboards and responsive layouts. - Enhanced validation tests to cover field-level, cross-field, and state machine validations. - Introduced a remote driver for ObjectQL SDK to handle CRUD operations over HTTP. - Updated TypeScript configurations and package metadata for new features.

- Implemented Card component and its subcomponents (CardHeader, CardTitle, CardDescription, CardContent, CardFooter) for consistent UI layout. - Created useMetadata hook to fetch and manage metadata objects from the API. - Developed Dashboard page to display total collections and individual metadata objects using Card components. - Introduced MetadataBrowser page for browsing and viewing detailed metadata information. - Built ObjectView page for displaying object data in a grid format with server-side fetching capabilities. - Added SchemaEditor page for editing schema files with file selection functionality. - Configured Tailwind CSS for styling and responsive design. - Set up Vite for development and build processes, including API proxying. - Established TypeScript configuration for type safety and module resolution.

…n the enterprise starter package - Created interfaces for Attachment, CrmAccount, CrmContact, CrmLead, CrmOpportunity, FinanceBudget, FinanceExpense, FinanceInvoice, FinancePayment, HrDepartment, HrEmployee, HrPosition, HrTimesheet, Organization, ProjectMilestone, ProjectProject, ProjectTask, ProjectTimesheetEntry, and User. - Updated index.ts to export new types. - Added TypeScript configuration files for enterprise and express-api starters. - Implemented a sample Express API with ObjectQL integration, including example data and metadata loading. - Created object definitions and views for User and Task entities in the express-api starter.

Initial plan

f02e121

Copilot AI assigned Copilot and hotlong Jan 12, 2026

Copilot started work on behalf of hotlong January 12, 2026 02:53 View session

Copilot AI and others added 4 commits January 12, 2026 02:58

Update metadata-standard.md and object.md with filename-based identif…

79ae5da

…ication Co-authored-by: hotlong <50353452+hotlong@users.noreply.github.com>

Update validation, view, form, permission, workflow, report, applicat…

ce27248

…ion, and data specs Co-authored-by: hotlong <50353452+hotlong@users.noreply.github.com>

Update action, hook, metadata-organization docs and README with filen…

8ec149b

…ame-based approach Co-authored-by: hotlong <50353452+hotlong@users.noreply.github.com>

Update getting-started and data-modeling guides with filename-based a…

3329987

…pproach Co-authored-by: hotlong <50353452+hotlong@users.noreply.github.com>

Copilot AI changed the title ~~[WIP] Update documentation for data specifications~~ Simplify metadata specification using filename-based identification Jan 12, 2026

Copilot AI requested a review from hotlong January 12, 2026 03:09

Copilot finished work on behalf of hotlong January 12, 2026 03:09

hotlong requested review from Copilot and removed request for hotlong January 12, 2026 03:56

Copilot started reviewing on behalf of hotlong January 12, 2026 03:56 View session

Copilot AI reviewed Jan 12, 2026

View reviewed changes

hotlong added 2 commits January 12, 2026 12:24

Merge branch 'main' into copilot/update-documentation-for-data-specs

3636faf

Copilot started work on behalf of hotlong January 12, 2026 04:43 View session

Fix documentation issues: correct example filename, remove duplicates…

78bc2e3

…, update menu spec Co-authored-by: hotlong <50353452+hotlong@users.noreply.github.com>

Copilot AI requested a review from hotlong January 12, 2026 04:46

Copilot finished work on behalf of hotlong January 12, 2026 04:46

hotlong added 7 commits January 12, 2026 12:58

feat: Enhance object loading to infer names from filenames and improv…

fee35a9

…e multi-object handling

Add smart defaults and normalization for object fields

bb54783

Enhanced the object registration logic to infer labels and types for objects and fields when missing. Introduced a utility function to convert strings to title case, improving default label generation.

hotlong added 2 commits January 12, 2026 14:55

hotlong marked this pull request as ready for review January 12, 2026 07:05

hotlong merged commit 0c97527 into main Jan 12, 2026
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Simplify metadata specification using filename-based identification#18

Simplify metadata specification using filename-based identification#18
hotlong merged 17 commits intomainfrom
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Documentation Update: Filename-Based Metadata Simplification ✅

Problem Statement

Solution Implemented

Recent Fixes (Latest Commit)

All Documentation Updated ✅

Key Changes

Benefits Documented

Documentation Quality

No Code Changes

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Pull request overview

Reviewed changes

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Copilot AI commented Jan 12, 2026 •

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