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Standards are the core of the Standard System. Every piece of data you save, record, or log on your Standard System uses a Standard. For example, when you save a file on your Standard System, a built-in file Standard logs all files automatically so searches run faster. Think of a Standard as a database table definition — it sets the contract for how data should represent a real-world or conceptual object.

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Creating a Standard

When you create a Standard, save the file with the .stds extension. Each Standard lives in its own file, and the Standard’s name must match its file name exactly. A Standard always begins with the Standard name, followed by a colon, the Standard reference (an uppercase shorthand identifier), and a pair of curly brackets that contain the Standard’s constraints:
In this example:
  • vehicle is the Standard name (and the file name, vehicle.stds).
  • VHL is the Standard reference used throughout your system to refer to this Standard in shorthand.
  • Everything inside { } is a constraint — the columns, variables, or properties that define what a vehicle record holds.
Each Standard must have its own .stds file, and the file name must match the Standard name exactly. For instance, a Standard named vehicle must be saved as vehicle.stds.

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Enabling Change History

Prepend a Standard’s name with ! to enable change history for that Standard. When change history is on, your Standard System tracks every modification made to records in that table.

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Listing Standards

After you’ve created Standards, you can inspect them directly from the command line. Use stds or standards to list all Standards in your system. To view the details of a specific Standard, pass the Standard name (not the Standard reference) as an argument. Many web apps and client applications communicate with JSON. Append any standards command with json to view the output in JSON format.
When referencing a Standard in queries or other Standards, always use the Standard reference (e.g. VHL) rather than the full name. The full name is only required when listing or inspecting Standards from the command line.