# Introduction
Closetwentyhq/core-team-issues#2641
Auto-provisioned field metadata used to get its `universalIdentifier`
from three unrelated sources: random `v4()` on the server when creating
custom objects, hardcoded values in `STANDARD_OBJECTS`, and an ad-hoc
`v5` derivation in the SDK manifest build. This PR unifies all of them
behind the shared `getFieldUniversalIdentifier` derivation:
```
universalIdentifier = f(applicationUniversalIdentifier, objectUniversalIdentifier, fieldName)
```
## Ownership model
The rollout is built on an explicit split of who owns a field's
universal identifier:
- **The 8 system fields** (`id`, `createdAt`, `updatedAt`, `deletedAt`,
`createdBy`, `updatedBy`, `position`, `searchVector`) are
**server-owned**. Their universal identifiers are always the
deterministic derivation, on **every** application (standard,
workspace-custom, installed). Clients cannot provide custom values: a
temporary check in `validateObjectMetadataSystemFieldsIntegrity` rejects
any non-derived system field identifier at migration build time. This
check stands in until system fields are generated exclusively server
side by the metadata side-effect engine and stripped from client inputs
— at which point it becomes structurally impossible to send one.
- **`name` is a default field, not a system field**: it is
auto-provisioned when absent (server side for custom objects, SDK side
for application objects) but authors can define their own. It is only
derived where it is guaranteed to be auto-provisioned. In particular,
standard objects keep their **historical hardcoded** `name` identifiers:
the standard app authors its `name` fields like any installed app would,
and moving those identifiers would break every installed application
referencing them (e.g. views on `opportunity.name`).
- **User-created and author-provided fields** keep random / explicit
identifiers, untouched.
## Server
- `validateObjectMetadataSystemFieldsIntegrity` now validates, on top of
the existing type/`isSystem` checks, that each system field's
`universalIdentifier` equals the deterministic derivation. Runs for
every object creation going through the migration orchestrator: app
sync, custom object creation, standard provisioning
- `build-default-flat-field-metadatas-for-custom-object.util.ts` derives
the system field identifiers (and the auto-provisioned `name`) with
`getFieldUniversalIdentifier` instead of `v4()`
-
`build-default-relation-flat-field-metadatas-for-custom-object.util.ts`
derives both the forward and the reverse default relation field
identifiers deterministically
- `generateMorphOrRelationFlatFieldMetadataPair` accepts optional
`sourceFieldUniversalIdentifier` / `targetFieldUniversalIdentifier` so
callers can inject deterministic values; user-created relations still
default to `v4()`
## twenty-shared
- `STANDARD_OBJECTS` system field identifiers (the 8) are now computed
at module load via `buildStandardObjectSystemFields`; `name` and every
other identifier keep their hardcoded values
- New snapshot test pinning **every** universal identifier of
`STANDARD_OBJECTS`: any identifier change now requires an explicit
snapshot update and should ship with a coordinated backfill
## SDK (breaking, pre-GA)
- `generateDefaultFieldUniversalIdentifier` delegates to
`getFieldUniversalIdentifier` and now requires
`applicationUniversalIdentifier`
- Reverse default relation field identifiers are derived from the
field's real coordinates (standard object UID + actual field name, e.g.
`targetRocket` on `attachment`) instead of the legacy custom-object UID
+ synthetic `${fieldName}Inverse` hash input. Field *names* are
unchanged
- The manifest build threads the application universal identifier
through default field injection (two-pass over object configs)
- `twenty dev:add` now resolves the application universal identifier
upfront and refuses to scaffold anything until `defineApplication`
declares one — no more `fill-later` placeholder for the app UID in
generated files
## Upgrade
A 2.19 **workspace command** backfills existing
`fieldMetadata.universalIdentifier` rows to the deterministic
derivation. Coverage follows the ownership model:
- **The 8 system fields**: taken over for **every application**,
whatever value they currently hold. This is both safe and required now
that sync rejects non-derived values — leaving a row unconverged would
make its application unsyncable
- **`name`**: workspace-custom app → always taken over
(server-generated, no author to clobber); installed applications → only
rows still carrying the legacy SDK derivation are recomputed,
author-provided identifiers are never touched; standard app → never
touched (hardcoded in `STANDARD_OBJECTS`)
- **Default relation fields**: workspace-custom app → forward fields on
custom objects and reverse fields on the standard relation objects;
installed applications → legacy-derivation probe only
All identifiers of a workspace are updated inside a single transaction,
then the command flushes the field-metadata-related workspace caches and
bumps the metadata version.
Stored `applicationRegistration.manifest` snapshots are intentionally
**not** rewritten: installs and upgrades always sync from the
`manifest.json` inside the resolved package (npm/tarball), the stored
column is only used for display/marketplace purposes.
## Breaking behavior for old packages (fail closed)
Packages built with an older SDK carry legacy system field identifiers
in their tarball `manifest.json`. Installing or upgrading such a package
now fails with an explicit `INVALID_SYSTEM_FIELD` validation error
("universal identifier is not deterministic") instead of silently
mismatching against the backfilled rows and triggering a destructive
delete+create. The remediation is to rebuild the package with the new
SDK; the backfill has already converged the installed rows, so the
rebuilt manifest syncs cleanly.
## Test plan
- [x] `twenty-sdk` unit tests (526 tests) and typecheck
- [x] `twenty-shared` unit tests (1635 tests) including the
`STANDARD_OBJECTS` snapshot; `name` identifiers verified byte-for-byte
identical to `main`
- [x] Lint and typecheck clean on all touched packages
- [x] Integration: create a custom object and verify system + default
relation field identifiers match the deterministic derivation
(`create-one-object-metadata-deterministic-field-universal-identifiers`,
13 assertions passing)
- [x] Integration: `failing-sync-application-object-system-fields`
extended with a non-derived system field identifier case; all
identifiers in the spec pinned deterministically so snapshots embedding
expected/actual values are stable across runs (verified with a double
run)
- [x] Integration: all application sync suites pass with the derived
system field identifiers now required by the
`buildDefaultObjectManifest` test helper (9 suites, 20 tests)
- [x] Full test-database reset: standard app provisioning and seeded
workspaces pass the new validation
- [x] SDK manifest build verified on the postcard example app: all
auto-generated default field identifiers match the derivation
- [ ] Run
`upgrade:2-19:backfill-deterministic-field-universal-identifiers`
(dry-run then real) on a seeded workspace and verify identifier
convergence with a rebuilt app manifest
Paul Rastoin
6c40c7b91a