Overview and lifecycle

Object types are created, enriched, secured, queried, and then consumed by application surfaces.

OpenFoundry current vs target

Dimension	OpenFoundry current	OpenFoundry target
Definition surface	CRUD-style backend routes in ontology-service	richer authoring UX with proposal, review, and branching
Schema model	object types plus attached properties and interfaces	fully managed semantic lifecycle with staged rollout
Runtime usage	consumed implicitly by objects, search, rules, and views	explicit platform-wide contract for apps, AI, maps, and workflows

Lifecycle stages

1. define an object type
2. add required and optional properties
3. attach interfaces and shared semantic building blocks
4. create or ingest objects of that type
5. expose the type to search, workflows, reports, and apps
6. evolve the type safely over time

Repository signals

• services/ontology-service/src/handlers/types.rs
• services/ontology-service/src/models/object_type.rs
• services/ontology-service/migrations/*

Why this matters

If object-type lifecycle is not explicit, applications drift toward source-specific schema coupling and the ontology stops acting like a platform contract.