The header section — schemas, definitions, variables, and metadata.
The header sits at the beginning of an Internet Object document and defines the schema and definitions for the data that follows. It carries the metadata, context, variables, and schema references needed to interpret the data consistently. By stating this information once, up front, the header keeps the data section compact and unambiguous.
A schema defines the structure and meaning of the data in a document. When the header contains only a schema — with no other definitions — that schema is the document's default schema. It describes the shape of the data while keeping the structure separate from the data itself, which makes the data more compact and easier to process.
name, age: int, address, isActive?, remark
---This header declares five members:
name — an untyped member, typically a string.
age: int — an explicitly typed member that must hold an integer.
address — an untyped member that may hold a string or a nested object.
isActive? — the ? suffix marks the member as optional; it may be omitted from the data.
remark — an untyped member, typically a free-text note.
Alongside the structure, the schema records type annotations and optionality, which sharpens validation and documents the data model in one place. For the full schema syntax, see the Internet Object schema.
Definitions are key-value pairs declared in the header to hold metadata, variables, reusable schemas, and other shared values. Each definition is written on its own line, prefixed with ~.
~ pageSize: 1
~ currentPage: 1
~ recordCount: 4
~ $address: {street, city, state}
~ $schema: {name, age, $address}
---Here the header mixes response metadata with schema definitions instead of using a default schema. The metadata records the page size (pageSize), the current page (currentPage), and the total record count (recordCount). It also defines a reusable address shape ($address) with the members street, city, and state, and a top-level schema ($schema) that references it. The $schema key is reserved: it names the default schema applied to the data section.
For the full treatment of metadata, value variables (@), and references ($) — including how they are resolved — see the Definitions chapter.
Data Sections — what follows the --- separator
Definitions — variables and schema references in depth
Internet Object Schema — the schema language
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