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111	111	=== The openMINDS schema template syntax ===
112	112
113	113	(% style="text-align: justify;" %)
114		-All openMINDS metadata models use a light-weighted schema template syntax for defining the expected metadata. The correspondingly formatted schema files use the extension: **##.schema.tpl.json##**.
	114	+All openMINDS metadata models are defined using a light-weighted schema template syntax. Although this schema template syntax is inspired by JSON-Schema, it outsources most schema technicalities to be handled in the openMINDS integration pipeline, making the openMINDS schemas more human-readable, especially for untrained eyes.
115	115
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117		-Although, as the file extension suggests, this openMINDS schema template syntax is inspired by JSON-Schema, it facilitates or even excludes technical aspects making the openMINDS schemas more human-readable, especially for untrained eyes. Behind the scenes, within the openMINDS integration pipeline (cf. below), this schema template syntax is then interpreted and flexibly translated to various formal metadata formats (e.g., JSON-Schema).
	117	+The few remaining customized technical properties which need additional interpretation or translation to a formal schema languages (e.g. JSON-Schema) have an underscore as prefix (e.g., **##"_type"##**). Within the openMINDS integration pipeline (cf. below), the schema template syntax is interpreted, extended and flexibly translated to various formal schema languages. All further specifications of the openMINDS schema template syntax are described below.
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119	119	(% style="text-align: justify;" %)
120		-Despite the simplification in comparison to JSON-Schema, the openMINDS schema templates are also, at the core, specially formatted JSON files using a particular syntax, meaning special key-value pairs that define the validation rules of a schema. Please find in the following a full documentation of the openMINDS schema template syntax and how it's key-value pairs need to be defined and interpreted.
	120	+All openMINDS schemas need to have the extension **##.schema.tpl.json##** and each schema is defined as a nested associative array (dictionary) with the following conceptual structure:
121	121
122		-(% style="text-align: justify;" %)
123		-Let's start by going through the syntax of a simple openMINDS schema, the contactInformation.schema.tpl.json:
124		-
125	125	{{code language="json"}}
126	126	{
127		- "_type": "https://openminds.ebrains.eu/core/ContactInformation",
128		- "required": [
129		- "email"
130		- ],
	124	+ "_type": "https://openminds.ebrains.eu/LABEL_OF_METADATA_MODEL/SCHEMA_NAME",
131	131	"properties": {
132		- "email": {
133		- "type": "string",
134		- "_formats": [
135		- "email"
136		- ],
137		- "_instruction": "Enter the email address of this person."
138		- }
139		- }
	126	+ "PROPERTY_NAME": {
	127	+ "type": "DATA_TYPE",
	128	+ "_instruction": "METADATA_ENTRY_INSTRUCTION"
	129	+ },
	130	+ "required": [
	131	+ "PROPERTY_NAME"
	132	+ ]
140	140	}
141	141	{{/code}}
142	142
143	143	(% style="text-align: justify;" %)
144		-The **##"_type"##** identifies the schema type or namespace for the particular schema. In **##"required"##** all property names have to be listed{{footnote}}A list is a data structure that is an ordered sequence of elements. Each element inside of a list is typically called an item. Lists are defined by having values between square brackets **##[ ]##**.{{/footnote}} that must be provided and filled out in a valid instance of this schema type (here, only the property **##"email"##** is required). Under **##"properties"##**, information about the expected value for each property defining the particular schema is given in a nested dictionary{{footnote}}A dictionary is a data structure that consists of an unordered collection of key:value pairs. Dictionaries are defined by having these key:value pairs between curly brackets **##{...}##**.{{/footnote}} (here, the only property is **##"email"##**). In this nested dictionary the **##"type"##** of the expected value should be specified (here, a value of type **##"string"##**{{footnote}}Strings are defined as characters between quotes **##"..."##**.{{/footnote}} is expected). For values of type **##"string"##** it is further possible to list the accepted formats of the **##"string"##** under **##"_formats"##** (here, the expected **##"string"##** value has to be an email).
	137	+**##"_type"##** defines the schema type (or namespace) with the depicted naming convention, where the label of the respective openMINDS metadata model (e.g., **##"core"##**) and the schema name (format: UpperCamelCase; e.g. **##"Person"##**) have to be specified. Obviously, the schema name should be meaningful and provide some insides into what metadata content the schema covers.
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	139	+(% style="text-align: justify;" %)
	140	+Under **##"properties"##** a nested associative array is defined, where each key defines the property name (format: lowerCamelCase; e.g. **##"givenName"##**). The corresponding value is again a nested associative array defining the expected data **##"type"##** (cf. below) and the **##"_instructions"##** for entering the correct metadata for the respective property.
	141	+
	142	+(% style="text-align: justify;" %)
	143	+Under **##"required"##** a list of property names can be provided that are obligatory to be present in a correctly instantiated metadata instance of the respective schema. If none of the properties are required, this key-value pair does not have to be specified.
	144	+
	145	+(% style="text-align: justify;" %)
	146	+Now, depending on the expected data type additional constraints can be made for the metadata entry of a respective property. Currently, the openMINDS schema template syntax supports the following data types: **##"string"##**, ##**"integer"##**, **##"float"##**, **##"boolean"##**, **##"array"##** and **##"object"##**.
	147	+
146	146	=== The openMINDS integration pipeline ===
147	147
148	148	(//**coming soon**//) If you'd like to learn more about the openMINDS integration pipeline, especially if you'd like to contribute to it, please get in touch with us (the openMINDS development team) via the issues on the openMINDS or openMINDS_generator GitHub or the support email: openminds@ebrains.eu