semantic-conventions/semantic_conventions/syntax.md

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# Semantic Convention YAML Language
First, the syntax with a pseudo [EBNF](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Extended_Backus-Naur_form) grammar is presented.
Then, the semantic of each field is described.
## Syntax
All attributes are lower case.
```bnf
groups ::= semconv
| semconv groups
semconv ::= id brief [note] [prefix] [extends] [span_kind] attributes [constraints]
id ::= string
brief ::= string
note ::= string
prefix ::= string
# extends MUST point to an existing semconv id
extends ::= string
span_kind ::= "client"
| "server"
| "producer"
| "consumer"
| "internal"
attributes ::= (id type brief examples | ref [brief] [examples]) [required] [note]
# ref MUST point to an existing attribute id
ref ::= id
type ::= "string"
| "number"
| "boolean"
| "string[]"
| "number[]"
| "boolean[]"
| enum
enum ::= [allow_custom_values] members
allow_custom_values := boolean
members ::= member {member}
member ::= id value [brief] [note]
required ::= "always"
| "conditional" <condition>
examples ::= <example_value> {<example_value>}
constraints ::= constraint {constraint}
constraint ::= any_of
| include
any_of ::= id {id}
include ::= id
```
## Semantics
### Groups
Groups contain the list of semantic conventions and it is the root node of each yaml file.
### Semantic Convention
The field `semconv` represents a semantic convention and it is made by:
- `id`, string that uniquely identifies the semantic convention.
- `brief`, string, a brief description of the semantic convention.
- `note`, optional string, a more elaborate description of the semantic convention.
It defaults to an empty string.
- `prefix`, optional string, prefix for the attributes for this semantic convention.
It defaults to an empty string.
- `extends`, optional string, reference another semantic convention `id`.
It inherits the prefix, constraints, and all attributes defined in the specified semantic convention.
- `span_kind`, optional enum, specifies the kind of the span.
- `attributes`, list of attributes that belong to the semantic convention.
- `constraints`, optional list, additional constraints (See later). It defaults to an empty list.
### Attributes
An attribute is defined by:
- `id`, string that uniquely identifies the attribute.
- `type`, either a string literal denoting the type or an enum definition (See later).
The accepted strings literals are:
* "string": String attributes.
* "number": Numeric attributes.
* "boolean": Boolean attributes.
* "string[]": Array of strings attributes.
* "number[]": Array of numbers attributes.
* "boolean[]": Array of booleans attributes.
- `ref`, optional string, reference an existing attribute, see later.
- `required`, optional, specifies if the attribute is mandatory.
Can be "always", or "conditional". When omitted, the attribute is not required.
When set to "conditional",the string provided as `<condition>` MUST specify
the conditions under which the attribute is required.
- `brief`, string, brief description of the attribute.
- `note`, optional string, additional notes to the attribute. It defaults to an empty string.
- `examples`, sequence/dictionary of example values for the attribute.
They are optional for boolean and enum attributes.
Example values must be of the same type of the attribute.
If only a single example is provided, it can directly be reported without encapsulating it into a sequence/dictionary.
Examples for setting the `examples` field:
A single example value for a string attribute. All the following three representations are equivalent:
```yaml
examples: 'this is a single string'
```
or
```yaml
examples: ['this is a single string']
```
or
```yaml
examples:
- 'this is a single string'
```
Attention, the following will throw a type mismatch error because a string type as example value is expected and not an array of string:
```yaml
examples:
- ['this is an error']
examples: [['this is an error']]
```
Multiple example values for a string attribute:
```yaml
examples: ['this is a single string', 'this is another one']
```
or
```yaml
examples:
- 'this is a single string'
- 'this is another one'
```
A single example value for an array of strings attribute:
```yaml
examples: ['first element of first array', 'second element of first array']
```
or
```yaml
examples:
- ['first element of first array', 'second element of first array']
```
Attention, the following will throw a type mismatch error because an array of strings as type for the example values is expected and not a string:
```yaml
examples: 'this is an error'
```
Multiple example values for an array of string attribute:
```yaml
examples: [ ['first element of first array', 'second element of first array'], ['first element of second array', 'second element of second array'] ]
```
or
```yaml
examples:
- ['first element of first array', 'second element of first array']
- ['first element of second array', 'second element of second array']
```
### Ref
`ref` MUST have an id of an existing attribute. When it is set, `id` and `type` MUST not be present.
`ref` is useful for specifying that an existing attribute of another semantic convention is part of
the current semantic convention and inherit its `brief`, `note`, and `example` values. However, if these
fields are present in the current attribute definition, they override the inherited values.
### Type
An attribute type can either be a string, number, boolean, array of strings, array of numbers,
array of booleans, or an enumeration. If it is an enumeration, additional fields are required:
- `allow_custom_values`, optional boolean, set to false to not accept values
other than the specified members. It defaults to `true`.
- `members`, list of enum entries.
An enum entry has the following fields:
- `id`, string that uniquely identifies the enum entry.
- `value`, string, number, or boolean, value of the enum entry.
- `brief`, optional string, brief description of the enum entry value. It defaults to the value of `id`.
- `note`, optional string, longer description. It defaults to an empty string.
### Constraints
Allow to define additional requirements on the semantic convention.
Currently, it supports `any_of` and `include`.
#### Any Of
`any_of` accepts a list of sequences. Each sequence contains a list of attribute ids that are required.
`any_of` enforces that all attributes of at least one of the sequences are set.
#### Include
`include` accepts a semantic conventions `id`. It includes as part of this semantic convention all constraints
and required attributes that are not already defined in the current semantic convention.