API Schema Guide
This page expands the legacy $apiSchema placeholder into a practical guidance page for the new docs site.
What $apiSchema represents
$apiSchema is the schema-oriented layer of the server-data model.
While $api and generated SDKs focus on calling backend operations, $apiSchema focuses on the API metadata itself.
That matters when frontend behavior needs to be driven by schema, not just by returned values.
Why schema access matters
In the Cabloy/Zova model, schema metadata can support higher-level frontend behavior such as:
- validation
- automatic form rendering
- automatic field behavior
- metadata-driven UI logic
This is one reason the server-data thread in Zova is more powerful than a plain request library.
How to think about $apiSchema
Use $apiSchema when the frontend needs to inspect what the backend contract says, not just call the backend endpoint.
That usually means the problem is shifting from “fetch data” to “use metadata to drive behavior.”
Read together with
Use this page together with:
Implementation checks for schema-driven UI changes
When asked to build dynamic forms, metadata-driven UI, or schema-aware validation, consider whether the right source is $apiSchema rather than hand-authored frontend-only field definitions.
That keeps the frontend closer to backend truth and reduces duplicate configuration.