docs: add guidance on object and flattened field types#2594
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andrewkroh wants to merge 1 commit intoelastic:mainfrom
Open
docs: add guidance on object and flattened field types#2594andrewkroh wants to merge 1 commit intoelastic:mainfrom
andrewkroh wants to merge 1 commit intoelastic:mainfrom
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Add documentation to schemas/README.md explaining when object and flattened field types are acceptable in ECS schema definitions, and when explicit leaf fields must be used instead. Add a review checkpoint to the RFC template requiring contributors to justify any use of object or flattened types without defined children.
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Summary
Add documentation clarifying when
objectandflattenedfield types areacceptable in ECS, and when explicit leaf fields must be used instead.
Motivation
The
entityfield set introduced 5 open object containers(
entity.attributes,entity.behavior,entity.lifecycle,entity.metrics,entity.raw) with zero defined children. This allowsintegrations to independently define subfields with conflicting types and
semantics, bypassing the coordination that ECS exists to provide.
The pattern is being replicated (see #2577), and the concern was raised
during review but there is no documented policy to point to.
What this establishes
An
objectwith no defined children should only be used for opaque,source-specific data with a homogeneous shape (like
labels). Aflattenedfield should be used when arbitrary keys would cause mapping explosion (like
HTTP headers). Neither is appropriate when the subfields carry semantic
meaning. In those cases, explicit leaf fields with specified types must be
defined in the schema.
The RFC template now prompts contributors to justify any use of
objectorflattenedwithout defined children.