Type Templates

Type Templates are reusable JSON Schema definitions that serve as standardized data type specifications for configuration values. They provide a way to define and enforce consistent data types and validation rules across the entire configuration management system.

Purpose and Benefits

Type Templates enable:

• Reusability: Define complex data types once and use them across multiple configurations
• Consistency: Standardized type definitions across all configurations in your organization
• Validation: Built-in JSON Schema validation prevents invalid data entry
• UI Generation: Automatic form generation based on type definitions
• Maintainability: Centralized type definitions make schema updates easier

Built-in Type Templates

Superposition comes with several predefined type templates:

{
  "Number": { "type": "integer" },
  "Decimal": { "type": "number" },
  "Boolean": { "type": "boolean" },
  "Enum": { "type": "string", "enum": ["android", "ios"] },
  "Pattern": { "type": "string", "pattern": ".*" }
}

Creating Custom Type Templates

You can create custom type templates for complex data validation requirements:

Email Template:

{
  "type": "string",
  "format": "email",
  "pattern": "^[a-zA-Z0-9._%+-]+@[a-zA-Z0-9.-]+\\.[a-zA-Z]{2,}$"
}

Geographic Coordinate Template:

{
  "type": "object",
  "properties": {
    "latitude": {
      "type": "number",
      "minimum": -90,
      "maximum": 90
    },
    "longitude": {
      "type": "number", 
      "minimum": -180,
      "maximum": 180
    }
  },
  "required": ["latitude", "longitude"]
}

Currency Amount Template:

{
  "type": "object",
  "properties": {
    "amount": {
      "type": "number",
      "minimum": 0
    },
    "currency": {
      "type": "string",
      "enum": ["USD", "EUR", "INR", "GBP"]
    }
  },
  "required": ["amount", "currency"]
}

Usage in Configuration

Type templates are used when defining:

1. Default Configurations: Specify the data type and validation rules for configuration keys
2. Dimension Schemas: Define the allowed values and validation for dimension attributes
3. Override Validation: Ensure override values conform to the expected data types

Example Usage in Default Config:

[default-config]
per_km_rate = { "value" = 20.0, "schema" = { "$ref": "#/types/Decimal" } }
user_location = { "value" = {"lat": 0.0, "lng": 0.0}, "schema" = { "$ref": "#/types/GeographicCoordinate" } }

Type Template Management

Type templates support full lifecycle management:

• Creation: Define new type templates with JSON Schema validation
• Versioning: Track changes with audit trail (created_by, last_modified_by, change_reason)
• Updates: Modify existing templates with automatic validation
• Dependencies: Templates can reference other templates for composition
• Deletion: Remove unused templates with dependency checking