Schema (schema)

Category: data | Form: | Symbol: Sc

Reusable JSON Schema definition — referenced by boards, validators, and automations

Holds a JSON Schema (Draft 2020-12) in spec.schema. Other elements reference it via {$ref: "data/schema/<slug>"} — e.g. a generic board’s spec.card_schema can reference a schema element so many boards share one card shape. Pure state holder — no custom ops in Phase 4c; consumers read spec.schema directly.

Guide

Reusable JSON Schema definition — referenced by boards, validators, and automations

What It Does

Schema is a data element that holds a single JSON Schema (Draft 2020-12) object in spec.schema. It is a pure state holder: it has no operations of its own and no flow ports. Its value comes from being referenced — other elements point at it via {$ref: "data/schema/<slug>"} wherever a card_schema or similar declaration accepts a $ref, so many consumers share one canonical object shape without duplicating it.

A generic board’s spec.card_schema, for example, can reference a schema element so that many boards share one card shape. Consumers read spec.schema directly through the $ref resolver in their own validators — the schema element does not run validation itself; it stores the contract that other elements validate against.

The element also carries a strict flag that sets the default validation strictness for consumers that do not explicitly override their own mode (such as a board’s card_schema_mode). Schema is managed entirely through the generic element lifecycle — create, get, update, delete — so there is no custom op surface to learn.

Element Definition

Field	Value
Type	schema
Category	data
Form	atom
Symbol	Sc
Icon	rule / #8B5CF6
Wirable	no (wirable: false)
Has data	no (has_data: false)
LLM role	data (priority 4)

Properties

Field	Type	Default	Description
schema	object	{}	The JSON Schema (Draft 2020-12) held by this element. Any valid JSON Schema object is accepted. Cross-element callers reference it via {$ref: "data/schema/<this-slug>"}. Rendered with the json-editor UI widget.
strict	boolean	true	Default strictness for consumers that don’t pass a mode. Boards that reference this schema without overriding card_schema_mode inherit strict/loose from this flag.

Ports

None. Schema is a pure data-atom with no flow ports.

Capabilities

Capability	Description
json-schema-storage	Holds a JSON Schema (Draft 2020-12) object in spec.schema; any valid JSON Schema is accepted.
shared-schema-ref	Boards and other elements reference this schema via {$ref: 'data/schema/<slug>'} so multiple consumers share one canonical card/object shape without duplication.
strict-mode-default	spec.strict controls the default validation strictness for consumers that do not explicitly override their own card_schema_mode.

Error Codes

None. No operations are defined, so there are no element-specific error codes beyond the universal lifecycle set.

States

provisioned (initial) → active → back to provisioned; error → provisioned.

Observability

One counter is emitted: data_schema_ref_resolve_count (labels: element_id, consumer_element_type) — incremented each time a consumer resolves a $ref to this schema. It’s the signal for which schemas are actually referenced and by which element types.

Operations

This element defines no custom operations (operations: {}). The generic element lifecycle — create, get, update, delete — covers everything needed to manage a schema. Consumers reach spec.schema directly through the $ref resolver in their own code rather than calling an op on this element.

Quick Start

Create a schema element

POST /api/{circle}/{project}/
Content-Type: application/json

{
  "element_type": "schema",
  "slug": "card-shape",
  "name": "Card Shape",
  "spec": {
    "schema": {
      "type": "object",
      "properties": {
        "title": { "type": "string" },
        "status": { "type": "string" }
      },
      "required": ["title"]
    },
    "strict": true
  }
}

Reference it from a consumer

A consumer that accepts a $ref (such as a board’s card_schema) points at the schema element by slug:

{
  "spec": {
    "card_schema": { "$ref": "data/schema/card-shape" }
  }
}

The consumer’s $ref resolver reads spec.schema from this element. If the consumer does not set its own strictness mode, it inherits strict from this schema element.

Update the schema

PUT /api/{circle}/{project}/card-shape/
Content-Type: application/json

{
  "spec": {
    "schema": { "type": "object", "properties": { "title": { "type": "string" } } }
  }
}

Common Mistakes

Setting schema to a non-object. spec.schema must be a non-null object — a JSON Schema, not a string, array, or primitive. The schema_is_object validation rule rejects a null value with: “schema must not be null — provide a valid JSON Schema (Draft 2020-12) object”.

Leaving schema as the empty default. A schema element created with spec.schema = {} constrains nothing — no $ref consumer will be validated against it. Populate the JSON Schema before wiring boards or validators. (This is a warning, not a hard error.)

Expecting the schema element to validate for you. This element only stores the schema. Validation happens in the consumer’s $ref resolver against spec.schema — the schema element has no ops and runs no validation on its own.

Capabilities

• json-schema-storage: Holds a JSON Schema (Draft 2020-12) object in spec.schema; any valid JSON Schema is accepted
• shared-schema-ref: Boards and other elements reference this schema via {$ref: ‘data/schema/’} so multiple consumers share one canonical card/object shape without duplication
• strict-mode-default: spec.strict controls the default validation strictness for consumers that do not explicitly override their own card_schema_mode

Properties

Property	Type	Default	Description
schema	object	{}	The JSON Schema (Draft 2020-12) held by this element. Any valid JSON Schema object is accepted. Cross-element callers reference this schema via {$ref: "data/schema/<this-slug>"} wherever a card_schema or similar declaration accepts a $ref.
strict	boolean	true	Default for consumers that don’t explicitly pass a mode. Boards that reference this schema but don’t override card_schema_mode inherit strict/loose from this flag.

Operations

activity

Get /ops/activity | Auth: Read

Get activity events for this element

Scope depends on element capabilities: individual elements query by element_id, project-form elements with activity-scope-members include member activities, circle-level elements with activity-scope-all query the entire circle. Gracefully returns empty list if activities table is missing (old circles).

attachments

Get /ops/attachments | Auth: Read

List all modifiers and resources attached to this element

Returns both modifiers (policy enforcement) and resources (data injection) with is_modifier flag to distinguish. Items in the generated MODIFIER_TYPES list are modifiers; everything else is a resource. Includes cascade_policy and version pin info.

batch_stats

Get /ops/batch_stats | Auth: Read

Get per-element statistics for all children of this element

Returns per-child stats plus an aggregate. Most meaningful on compound or manifest form elements (repositories, circles, projects); atoms have no children so the result is an empty children array with a zeroed aggregate. Uses efficient GROUP BY SQL. Weighted averages for eval scores.

compose

Post /ops/compose | Auth: Execute

Batch add and remove modifiers on this element in a single call

Declarative composition: add modifiers by ref path (slug or path@version) and remove by attachment ID, all in one atomic call on the target element. Each ‘add’ entry resolves the source element, validates topology, attaches with optional priority and cascade policy. Each ‘remove’ entry deletes the attachment row. Returns a summary of what was added and removed. Example: compose({ add: [{ref: “my-prompt”}, {ref: “rate-limit/api@v2”, priority: 50}], remove: [{attachment_id: “uuid”}] })

context

Get /ops/context | Auth: Read

Get connected elements (graph traversal)

Graph traversal showing all connected elements with their relationship type (contains, contained_by, references, referenced_by, attaches, etc.). Use ?depth=N to control traversal depth (default 1) and ?types=actor,data to filter by element types.

create

Post /ops/create | Auth: Write

Create child element

POST to the parent path — element_type goes in the request body, NOT the URL. Both element_type and slug are required and must be non-empty. Name is derived from slug if omitted. Writes to both Git and PostgreSQL. All elements are stored flat under the circle — no intermediate library wrapper rows.

delete

Delete /ops/delete | Auth: Admin

Delete element (soft delete)

Soft delete — sets state to ‘deleted’ but retains the record. Cannot delete elements that have children (has_no_bond precondition) or active runs. Requires admin auth and confirmation.

disable

Post /ops/disable | Auth: Admin

Disable element (hides and prevents use)

Idempotent — safe to call on already-disabled elements. Optionally pass a reason string. Disabled elements cannot be invoked or executed. Inverse of enable.

enable

Post /ops/enable | Auth: Admin

Enable element (makes usable and visible)

Idempotent — safe to call on already-enabled elements. Transitions element to ready/enabled state. Cannot enable deleted elements. Inverse of disable.

export_bundle

Get /ops/export/bundle | Auth: Read

Export element as downloadable git bundle

On non-root-namespace elements, returns a binary git bundle. On root-namespace (circle) elements, dispatch hands off to the circle’s own export_bundle op, which returns a multi-element JSON envelope with one base64 bundle per child element — this is intentional, not an error.

get

Get /ops/get | Auth: Read

Get element details

Element is already resolved by the routing layer — this returns the cached element, not a fresh DB query. Use the path /api/{circle}/{slug} to address elements.

import_bundle

Post /ops/import/bundle | Auth: Write

Import git bundle into element

Accepts a base64-encoded git bundle in the JSON bundle_base64 field. Use overwrite=true to replace existing elements with same slug (default skips duplicates). Imported elements get new UUIDs. Returns counts of imported/skipped elements and any errors.

intention

Get /ops/intention | Auth: Read

Get element intention with full inheritance chain

Returns three levels: direct (this element’s intention), inherited (from category and root), and resolved (final merged intention). Useful for understanding an element’s purpose in context of its hierarchy.

promote

Post /ops/promote | Auth: Admin

Promote element configuration to a target environment

Only for manifest-form elements (projects). Environments advance: dev → demo → live. dev→demo requires member+ role, demo→live requires admin. Freezes member versions at promotion time (creates snapshot). Persists environment config to spec.environments.

readme

Get /ops/readme | Auth: Read

Get element README.md content

Reads README.md from the element’s git repository. Returns empty content (not an error) if no README exists. Always returns markdown format.

readme_update

Post /ops/readme_update | Auth: Write

Update element README.md content

Creates or overwrites README.md in the element’s git repo. Commits to the draft branch. Content must be provided as a markdown string.

remove-modifier

Post /ops/remove-modifier | Auth: Execute

Remove an attached modifier from this element by attachment ID

Removes a modifier/resource attachment by its row ID. The ID comes from the attachments or context API. This is the reverse of attach — called on the target element, not the source.

restore

Post /ops/restore | Auth: Admin

Restore element to a specific version

Automatically snapshots the current state before restoring (creates a ‘Before restore to vN’ version entry). Writes restored spec to git as .triform/spec.yaml. Git failures warn but don’t fail the operation — DB state is authoritative. Cannot restore deleted elements.

schema

Get /ops/schema | Auth: Read

Get element input/output schema (MCP tools/list compatible)

Returns type-level port schemas from the TypeRegistry — not instance-specific overrides. Includes direction (input/output), required flag, and JSON schema per port. Useful for understanding what data an element accepts and produces.

source

Get /ops/source | Auth: Read

Get any file’s content from the element’s git repository

Reads an arbitrary file from the element’s CAS-backed git tree by its relative path. Same store as readme, just generalized. Path safety: rejects .. traversal, leading /, and null bytes. Use this to view main.py for action elements, asset files for SPAs, etc. Returns empty content (not an error) if the file doesn’t exist.

source_branches

Get /ops/source/branches | Auth: Read

List Source branches for this element

Returns the standard draft/demo/live Source branches, their current commits, and promotion relationships. Use GET /api/{element_path}/ops/source/branches.

source_fixtures

Post /ops/source/fixtures | Auth: Write

Dry-run or apply approved Source seed fixtures

Scans .triform/fixtures/ manifests from the addressed data element Source repo. Defaults to dry_run=true and never imports live runtime data. Apply requires dry_run=false plus confirm=true and dispatches approved records through existing generated element ops.

source_promote

Post /ops/source/promote | Auth: Write

Promote Source branch forward

Promotes draft to demo or demo to live through the generated element op path. Direct Git pushes to demo/live are blocked by Source policy.

source_repair

Post /ops/source/repair | Auth: Write

Inspect or repair the element Source index

Runs Source repair through the element operation path. Defaults to dry_run=true; set dry_run=false only after reviewing a dry-run report.

source_status

Get /ops/source/status | Auth: Read

Get Source control status for this element

Returns the branch-aware clone URL, checkout commands, current draft commit, child source-link count, portable export summary, Source health, warnings, and auth hints for the addressed element. Use the element-first path: GET /api/{element_path}/ops/source/status.

source_validate

Post /ops/source/validate | Auth: Read

Validate Source branch contents

Validates a Source branch before accepting local Git workflow changes or promotion. Defaults to branch=draft and rejects runtime data, generated output, secret material, and unreadable CAS refs.

stats

Get /ops/stats | Auth: Read

Get aggregate statistics for this element

Health status is computed: error if errors_per_day > 5 or success_rate < 0.8, warning if errors_per_day > 0 or success_rate < 0.95. Firing alerts escalate health to error/warning. Default period is ‘day’. Returns runs_per_day, success_rate, avg_duration_ms, and more.

tree

Get /ops/tree | Auth: Read

Get the element’s position in the graph — ancestors, children, references, and subtree statistics

Uses per-circle ElementGraph cache for O(1) lookups. Returns ancestors (containment chain), children (direct), members (references), referenced_by (reverse refs), attachments, and subtree stats. Default depth is 3, max is 10. Pass ?include_metadata=true for name/state on each node.

update

Patch /ops/update | Auth: Write

Update element

Partial update — send only the fields you want to change. spec, name, and intention are all independently optional. spec MUST be a JSON object when present; deep-merged into the existing spec by default. Empty {"spec":{}} preserves existing spec content but still records a new version (no-op for content, not for version state). To clear/replace the entire spec wholesale send {"spec":{...},"deep":false}. List-typed spec fields use replace semantics (the patch list replaces the existing list, no array merging). Coordinates Git + DB writes. Slug cannot be changed after creation.

update_meta

Patch /ops/update_meta | Auth: Write

Update element metadata (lightweight merge — does NOT bump version or snapshot spec)

Shallow JSONB merge into element.meta. Top-level keys in the provided value replace existing meta values; other keys are preserved. Used for UI metadata like canvas positions, panel state, viewer preferences. Wire-shape op_name is update_meta (distinct from update) so SSE subscribers + the cache auto-invalidator can distinguish lightweight metadata changes from spec edits without inspecting the payload. The MutatingElementStore wrapper stamps this op_name on the lifecycle event emitted by update_element_meta storage calls.

version

Get /ops/version | Auth: Read

Get current version or full history

Returns current version by default. Pass ?history=true for full version history (up to ?limit=N, default 50). Versions are backed by the element_versions table. Every spec update creates a new version entry.