Separate stable document identity fields from flexible attributes
Document owner, creation time and type are buried beside optional tags in JSON, so every query reinvents their shape.
- Focused work estimate
- 1h 30m + prerequisites
- Priority in the scenario
- Medium
- Engineering practice
- Data modeling · Schema boundaries
Estimated field mix
- Database engineering70%
- System design30%
Field percentages are editorial estimates of the ticket's engineering focus. They total 100%; they are not measured time, proficiency scores, or ownership evidence.
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Project context
A fictional records portal stores every property in one JSON column. Queries disagree about missing values, and malformed records make ordinary filters fail.
Setup prerequisites
- Create synthetic document metadata with malformed and legacy versions.
- Use migrations and a local query API.
Preceding work
No earlier ticket is required. Complete the project setup above.
Acceptance criteria
- List stable required columns and bounded flexible attributes.
- Document ownership and nullability for each field.
- Reject storing lifecycle authority in arbitrary metadata.
Implementation constraints
- Use a small fictional record taxonomy.
Verification to include
- Map two document types to the proposed model.
- Classify an unknown authoritative status field as a schema decision rather than generic JSON.
Deliverables
- Relational/JSON field map
Rollout and recovery
Review the field map before migrations; keep unresolved authority fields out of metadata writes.
Value of the work
For the engineer: Practice relational/JSON boundaries, versioned validation and query semantics.
For the team: Review a data model that stays inspectable while allowing controlled variation.
Evidence boundaries
Outcome Evidence: Tests, patches, and runbooks are requested deliverables. They become Outcome Evidence only through a qualified Mission and immutable Evidence IDs.
Ownership Evidence: Independent adaptation must be observed under a declared verification policy and cite immutable Evidence IDs. Completing a planning ticket establishes no Ownership Evidence.