Serdes YAML Edit

Serdes YAML Edit Skill

Golden Rule

Run both checkers after every edit. No exceptions. Do not batch multiple edits before validating.

clojure -M:run:ee --mode checker --checker structural --export /path/to/export-dir
clojure -M:run:ee --mode checker --checker cards --export /path/to/export-dir

If either checker fails, fix the issue before making further edits.

Portable References

Serdes YAML uses portable references instead of integer IDs. This is the most important concept for editing.

Database references

String name: "Sample Database"

Table references

Array of [database, schema, table]:

table_id:
- Sample Database
- PUBLIC
- ACCOUNTS

Field references

Array of [database, schema, table, field]:

id:
- Sample Database
- PUBLIC
- ACCOUNTS
- EMAIL

Field refs in queries

field_ref:
- field
- - Sample Database
  - PUBLIC
  - ACCOUNTS
  - EMAIL
- null

The outer array is [field, <field-path>, <options>]. The options are usually null.

Card references

Entity ID string (21 characters): "Qk5TgsNx4ubXIUtsQmT8G"

Source table in queries

dataset_query:
  database: Sample Database
  query:
    source-table:
    - Sample Database
    - PUBLIC
    - ACCOUNTS
  type: query

Safe Edits (low risk)

These rarely break validation:

• name - card/dashboard display name
• description - card/dashboard description
• display - visualization type (table, bar, line, pie, etc.)
• visualization_settings - chart configuration
• archived - true/false
• collection_id - move to a different collection (use entity_id of target collection, or null for root)

Structural Edits (must match schema)

These must use valid portable refs and will be caught by the cards checker if wrong:

• dataset_query - the query definition
• result_metadata - column metadata (must match the query's output columns)
• table_id - must reference a table that exists in the export
• database_id - must reference a database that exists in the export

Editing result_metadata

Each entry in result_metadata describes an output column. When changing a query's source table or fields, you must update result_metadata to match. Each field entry needs at minimum:

• name - column name (e.g., EMAIL)
• base_type - Metabase type (e.g., type/Text, type/Integer, type/DateTime)
• display_name - human-readable name
• field_ref - portable field reference
• id - portable field path
• table_id - portable table path
• source - usually fields

Common Operations

Rename a card

Change name: at the top level. Safe, no ref changes needed.

Change a card's source table

Update all of these consistently:

1. table_id - top-level
2. dataset_query.query.source-table - in the query
3. result_metadata - every field entry's id, field_ref, and table_id

Add a filter to a structured query

dataset_query:
  database: Sample Database
  query:
    source-table:
    - Sample Database
    - PUBLIC
    - ORDERS
    filter:
    - ">"
    - - field
      - - Sample Database
        - PUBLIC
        - ORDERS
        - TOTAL
      - null
    - 100
  type: query

Change visualization type

display: bar    # was: table

Valid types: table, bar, line, pie, scalar, row, area, combo, scatter, funnel, map, pivot, progress, gauge, waterfall

Looking Up Valid References

The export directory IS the reference catalog. When you need to find the correct name for a database, table, or field, look it up directly from the export.

List valid databases

ls databases/

Each entry is a database name (directory for serdes format, .yaml for concise format).

List valid tables for a database

ls databases/<db-name>/schemas/<schema>/tables/

Example: ls databases/Sample\ Database/schemas/PUBLIC/tables/ shows ACCOUNTS, ORDERS, PRODUCTS, etc.

List valid fields for a table

ls databases/<db-name>/schemas/<schema>/tables/<table>/fields/

Example: ls databases/Sample\ Database/schemas/PUBLIC/tables/PRODUCTS/fields/ shows CATEGORY.yaml, TITLE.yaml, PRICE.yaml, etc. The filename (minus .yaml) is the field name.

Find card entity IDs

Card filenames encode the entity ID: <entity-id>_<slug>.yaml. The entity ID is the part before the first underscore (21 characters).

Self-Healing Loop

When a checker reports errors, follow this loop:

1. Read the error message - it tells you what's wrong and often suggests the fix
2. Look up the correct value from the export directory (see "Looking Up Valid References" above)
3. Fix the YAML
4. Re-run both checkers
5. Repeat until clean

Do not guess at fixes. Always look up the correct value from the export.

Understanding Checker Errors

Structural checker errors

The structural checker validates YAML shape against Malli schemas. Common errors:

Missing required key with typo suggestion:

Missing required key 'name' - found 'nameee' which may be a typo

Fix: rename the typo'd key back to the correct name. The checker tells you what it expected and what it found.

Wrong type:

'archived' should be a boolean, got: "yes"

Fix: use true/false, not strings.

Unknown key:

Unknown key 'foobar' in card

Fix: remove the key, or check if it's a typo of a known key.

Cards checker errors

The cards checker validates that queries resolve against exported metadata. Error types:

UNRESOLVED REFERENCES:

UNRESOLVED REFERENCES:
  - field: Sample Database.PUBLIC.PRODUCTS.CATEGORYYY

The dotted path tells you exactly which reference failed. Look up the correct value:

• Last segment is the field name - check databases/.../tables/<table>/fields/
• Third segment is the table name - check databases/.../schemas/<schema>/tables/
• First segment is the database name - check databases/

ERROR (query construction failed):

ERROR: Error creating query from legacy query: Invalid output: ...

Usually means the query structure is malformed. This often follows unresolved references - fix the refs first, then re-check.

ERROR (nil name):

ERROR: Invalid output: {:name ["should be a string, got: nil"]}

The card is missing its name field (likely a structural issue that also affects the cards checker).

Exit codes

• Exit 0: all checks passed
• Exit 1: one or more failures

File Naming Convention

Card files: collections/<collection-path>/cards/<entity-id>_<slug>.yaml

The filename slug should match the card name (lowercase, underscored). If you rename a card, consider renaming the file to match, though import works on entity_id not filename.

What NOT to Edit

• entity_id - this is the identity of the object, changing it creates a new object on import
• serdes/meta - internal serdes metadata, leave it alone
• created_at - timestamp, no reason to change
• creator_id - email reference, leave it
• metabase_version - informational, leave it