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Schemas

Schemas define the structure of data that Lix tracks. They enable semantic change tracking by telling Lix what constitutes a meaningful unit of change (an entity) and how to validate it.

What is a Schema?

A schema defines the structure and constraints of an entity type using JSON Schema with Lix-specific extensions (prefixed with x-lix-).

Example from the JSON plugin:

import type { LixSchemaDefinition } from "@lix-js/sdk";

export const JSONPointerValueSchema: LixSchemaDefinition = {
  "x-lix-key": "plugin_json_pointer_value", // Unique identifier
  "x-lix-version": "1.0", // Schema version
  "x-lix-primary-key": ["/path"], // Primary key
  type: "object",
  properties: {
    path: {
      type: "string",
      description: "RFC 6901 JSON Pointer (e.g., '/user/name')",
    },
    value: {
      description: "JSON value at the pointer path",
    },
  },
  required: ["path", "value"],
  additionalProperties: false,
};

Lix-Specific Fields:

  • x-lix-key: Globally unique schema identifier (snake_case)
  • x-lix-version: Version number for schema evolution
  • x-lix-primary-key: JSON Pointer(s) to properties that uniquely identify an entity

Standard JSON Schema Fields:

  • type, properties, required, additionalProperties, etc.

Additional Schema Features

Schemas can include additional constraints and features:

const MySchema: LixSchemaDefinition = {
  "x-lix-key": "my_entity",
  "x-lix-version": "1.0",
  "x-lix-primary-key": ["/id"],
  "x-lix-unique": [["/email"]], // Unique constraints
  "x-lix-foreign-keys": [
    // Relationships
    {
      properties: ["/user_id"],
      references: {
        schemaKey: "user",
        properties: ["/id"],
      },
    },
  ],
  type: "object",
  properties: {
    id: {
      type: "string",
      "x-lix-default": "lix_uuid_v7()", // Auto-generated ID
    },
    email: { type: "string" },
    user_id: { type: "string" },
    created_at: {
      type: "string",
      format: "date-time",
      "x-lix-default": "lix_now()", // Auto-generated timestamp
    },
  },
  required: ["id", "email"],
};

Available Fields:

  • x-lix-unique: Properties that must be unique across entities
  • x-lix-foreign-keys: Define relationships between entity types
  • x-lix-default: Auto-generated values using lix_uuid_v7(), lix_now(), etc.

Schemas provide validation (prevents corrupt data), interoperability (any tool can understand entity structure), and evolution (version and migrate data safely).

Entities

An entity is a meaningful unit of data tracked by Lix. Schemas define entity structure. Plugins detect entities in files.

Entity Examples by File Type

File TypeExample Entities
JSON/user/name, /theme, /items/0 (JSON Pointer paths)
CSV/ExcelA row, or an individual cell
MarkdownA paragraph, heading, list, or code block
Design FilesA component, frame, layer, text node, vector shape
3D ModelsA mesh, material, bone, or scene graph node

Example: JSON Entities

For this JSON file:

{
  "user": {
    "name": "John Doe",
    "age": 30
  },
  "theme": "dark"
}

The JSON plugin creates entities:

  • /user/name = "John Doe"
  • /user/age = 30
  • /theme = "dark"

When theme changes to "light", the plugin detects a change to the /theme entity. This change is validated against the schema, stored, and queryable.

How It Works

Plugin → Schema → Entity flow:

  1. User updates a file (e.g., changes theme to "light")
  2. Plugin parses the file and detects changes
  3. Schema validates the change structure
  4. Entity is updated in the database
  5. Change is queryable, mergeable, and part of history

This enables Lix to support any file format by defining schemas and plugins that understand the format's structure.

Next Steps

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