Internet Object Document

The two-part structure of an Internet Object document — header and data.

Internet Object is a document-oriented format built on a clear separation between a header and data. This mirrors how HTTP and MIME keep headers apart from the message body: the header describes the payload, and the data carries it.

The header is optional and, when present, holds schemas and definitions. The data section begins with the --- separator. That separator is the boundary between the two parts: when a header is present, --- is required to mark where it ends and the data begins.

Document shapes

A document can take one of a few shapes depending on whether it carries a header, data, or both.

Full document

A document with both a header and a data section is a full document. The header declares the schema; the data conforms to it.

name, age: int, address: {street, city, state}, active
---
John Doe, 25, {Bond Street, New York, NY}, T

Data-only document

When the schema is not needed — or is already known to the recipient — a document can carry data alone. With a single object, the leading --- is optional:

---
John Doe, 25, {Bond Street, New York, NY}, T

A collection of records can be written without a separator at all; each record begins with ~:

~ John Doe, 25, {Bond Street, New York, NY}
~ Jane Doe, 48, {Malibu Point 10880, Malibu, CA}

Header-only document

Sometimes a request yields no rows — for example, a query that returns result metadata but an empty result set. The header carries the metadata, and the --- separator marks an empty data section:

~ recordCount: 0
~ pageSize: 10
~ currentPage: 1
~ nextPage: N
~ prevPage: N
---

Document with multiple sections

A single document can hold multiple data sections, letting related datasets travel together. Each section starts with its own --- separator and names the schema it uses:

~ $address: {street, city, state, zip}
~ $person: {firstName, lastName, age, gender}
--- $person
~ John, Doe, 25, M
~ Jane, Doe, 22, F
--- $address
~ Bond Street, New York, NY, 500001
~ George Street, New York, NY, 500002

See Also

• Header — schemas, definitions, and metadata

• Data Sections — separators, objects, and collections

• Document-Oriented Nature — why the split exists