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LABFILE Header

The LABFILE key is the fixed entry point for every specification-compliant file. It pins the schema version and signals validators that the document uses the Labfile contract.

Field Reference

Field Type Required Allowed Values Constraints Example
LABFILE string ✅ "1.0" Must be the first key in the document. "1.0"

Purpose

  • Identify the document as a Labfile artifact.
  • Lock the schema version so tooling knows which rules to apply.
  • Anchor provenance and attestation metadata to a constant root value for hashing.

Requirements

  • LABFILE: "1.0" must appear on the first non-comment line of the YAML file.
  • The value is a quoted string; unquoted 1.0 or alternate schema numbers are invalid.
  • Any mismatch triggers validation code S101 and fatal error E001.

Validation Signals

Code Description Trigger
S101 File must begin with LABFILE: "1.0" Header missing, misplaced, or incorrectly spelled.
E001 Invalid LABFILE version Header present but not equal to "1.0".

Example

LABFILE: "1.0"

Best Practices

  • Avoid blank lines, BOM markers, or comments before the header to preserve canonical hashing.
  • When future schema versions are released, the validator will reject older tooling until it advertises support.
  • Editors should template the header to prevent accidental typos during authoring.

Additional Reading