Download the default meta-model

Perform the following steps to download the default meta-model to the local file system:

  1. Log in to your AEM Forms instance.
  2. Navigate to the Forms > Forms & Documents > Meta Model folder.
  3. Select the global.schema.json file and tap Download. A download dialog box appears. Select the Download asset(s) as binary files option. Tap Download. An archive is downloaded.

Understanding the meta-model

A meta-model refers to a JSON schema file that contains entities. All entities in the JSON schema file include a name and an id. Each entity can include multiple properties. The entities and its properties can vary based on the domain. You can augment a schema file with keywords and field configurations to map schema properties to adaptive form components.

"Event": {
      "id": "Eventid",
      "allOf": [
        {
          "$ref": "#Entity"
        },
        {
          "properties": {
            "startDate": {
              "type": "string",
              "format": "date",
              "description": "Specify the start date and time of the event in ISO 8601 date format."
            },
            "endDate": {
              "type": "string",
              "format": "date",
              "description": "Specify the end date and time of the event in ISO 8601 date format."
            },
            "location": {
              "$ref": "#PostalAddress",
              "description": "Specify the location of the event."
            }
          }
        }
      ]
    }

In this example, Event represents the name of an entity with a value for id as Eventid. The Event entity includes multiple properties:

  • startDate
  • endDate
  • location

The allOf construct in the meta-model enables inheritance among entities.

Each property can further include:

Meta-model properties

Based on the keywords referenced using aem:affKeyword, the conversion service performs a search operation on the source form fields. The conversion service applies the JSON schema properties and additional properties to the fields that meet the search criteria.

In this example, the conversion service searches for the phone, telephone, mobile phone, work phone, home phone, telephone number, telephone no, and phone number keywords in the source form. Based on the fields that include these keywords, the conversion service applies the type, pattern, and aem:afProperties to the adaptive form fields after conversion.