Fields: Core Structure

A field collects one value, or a list of values. In YAML its type names its field type. The type-specific keys differ, but every field shares the same frame: the core keys each artifact carries, plus a configuration block when the field sits inside a parent.

Field Configuration

A field placed inside a template or element carries a configuration block. Its settings depend on where the field sits, not on the field's own type. The most common is required.

- key: study-name
  type: text-field
  name: Study Name
  configuration:
    required: true

The settings fall into a few groups.

Requirement

required and recommended say how strongly a value is expected.

Key	Value	Presence	Meaning
required	boolean	optional	A value must be supplied. Default false.
recommended	boolean	optional	A value is encouraged but not enforced.

Repetition

By default a field collects one value. multiple makes it collect a list, and minItems and maxItems bound the length. Checkbox, multi-select list, and attribute-value fields are multi-valued by nature and do not use multiple.

Key	Value	Presence	Meaning
multiple	boolean	optional	The field accepts a list of values.
minItems	integer	optional	Minimum number of values, when multiple.
maxItems	integer	optional	Maximum number of values, when multiple.

Property Binding

propertyIri sets the property the field maps to when its value appears in an instance, giving the field a semantic identity beyond its name. It is the predicate the field's value takes in the RDF reading of an instance; see Mapping to RDF.

Key	Value	Presence	Meaning
propertyIri	IRI	optional	The property the field binds to in an instance.

Presentation

These affect how the field appears in this parent, not what it means. overrideLabel and overrideDescription replace the field's own name and description for this placement. hidden keeps the field out of the form, and continuePreviousLine sets it beside the previous field rather than on a new line.

Key	Value	Presence	Meaning
overrideLabel	string	optional	A display label for this field in this parent, replacing its name.
overrideDescription	string	optional	A display description for this field in this parent.
hidden	boolean	optional	The field is hidden in the form.
continuePreviousLine	boolean	optional	Lay the field out on the same line as the previous one.

Static fields additionally carry width and height here; see Static Fields.

Nested and Standalone Fields

A field written as a child of a template or element carries its parent-relative settings in configuration. A field written as a top-level definition has no parent, so the field-level settings that do not depend on a parent — hidden, continuePreviousLine, and the static-field width and height — appear directly among the field's keys instead. The parent-only settings (propertyIri, overrideLabel, overrideDescription, and the required/recommended/multiple bindings) do not apply to a standalone field.

Semantic Labels

Any field may carry semantic labels, independent of its type:

Key	Value	Presence	Meaning
prefLabel	string	optional	A preferred label for the field's meaning.
altLabels	sequence of strings	optional	Alternate labels.