Files
twenty/packages/twenty-shared/src/metadata
Paul RastoinandGitHub 88424611ec Refactor and standardize isSystem field and object (#17992)
# Introduction

## Centralize system field definitions
- Extract a single `PARTIAL_SYSTEM_FLAT_FIELD_METADATAS` constant as the
source of truth for all 8 system fields (`id`, `createdAt`, `updatedAt`,
`deletedAt`, `createdBy`, `updatedBy`, `position`, `searchVector`),
eliminating duplication across custom object and standard app field
builders
- Refactor `buildDefaultFlatFieldMetadatasForCustomObject` to use the
shared constant via a new `buildObjectSystemFlatFieldMetadatas` helper

## Mark system fields as `isSystem: true`
- Fields `id`, `createdAt`, `updatedAt`, `deletedAt`, `createdBy`,
`updatedBy`, `position`, `searchVector` are now properly flagged as
system fields across all standard objects and custom object creation
- Standard app field builders for all ~30 standard objects updated to
set `isSystem: true` on `createdAt`, `updatedAt`, `deletedAt`,
`createdBy`, `updatedBy`
- System-only standard objects (blocklist, calendar channels, message
threads, etc.) now also include `createdBy`, `updatedBy`, `position`,
`searchVector` field definitions that were previously missing

## Validate system fields on object creation
- New transversal validation (`crossEntityTransversalValidation`) runs
after all atomic entity validations in the build orchestrator, ensuring
all 8 system fields are present with correct `type` and `isSystem: true`
when an object is created
- New `buildUniversalFlatObjectFieldByNameAndJoinColumnMaps` utility to
resolve field names to universal identifiers for a given object
- New exception codes: `MISSING_SYSTEM_FIELD` and `INVALID_SYSTEM_FIELD`
on `ObjectMetadataExceptionCode`

## Protect system fields and objects from mutation
- Field validators now block update/delete of `isSystem` fields by
non-system callers (`FIELD_MUTATION_NOT_ALLOWED`)
- Object validators now block update/delete of `isSystem` objects by
non-system callers
- `POSITION` and `TS_VECTOR` field type validators replaced: instead of
rejecting creation outright, they now validate that the field is named
correctly (`position` / `searchVector`) and has `isSystem: true`

## Distinguish `isSystemBuild` from `isCallerTwentyStandardApp`
- New `isCallerTwentyStandardApp` utility checks whether the caller's
`applicationUniversalIdentifier` matches the twenty standard app
- Name-sync logic (`isFlatFieldMetadataNameSyncedWithLabel`,
`areFlatObjectMetadataNamesSyncedWithLabels`) refactored to use
`isCallerTwentyStandardApp` for custom suffix decisions, keeping
`isSystemBuild` for mutation permission checks
- `WorkspaceMigrationBuilderOptions` type updated to include
`applicationUniversalIdentifier`

## Adapt frontend filtering
- New `HIDDEN_SYSTEM_FIELD_NAMES` constant (`id`, `position`,
`searchVector`) and `isHiddenSystemField` utility to only hide truly
internal fields while keeping user-facing system fields (`createdAt`,
`updatedAt`, `deletedAt`, `createdBy`, `updatedBy`) visible in the UI
- ~20 frontend files updated to replace `!field.isSystem` checks with
`!isHiddenSystemField(field)` across record index, settings, data model,
charts, workflows, spreadsheet import, aggregations, and role
permissions

## Add 1.19 upgrade commands
- **`backfill-system-fields-is-system`**: Raw SQL command to set
`isSystem = true` on existing workspace fields matching system field
names, and fix `position` field type from `NUMBER` to `POSITION` for
`favorite`/`favoriteFolder` objects. Includes proper cache invalidation.
- **`add-missing-system-fields-to-standard-objects`**: Codegen'd
workspace migration to create missing `position`, `searchVector`,
`createdBy`, `updatedBy` fields on standard objects that didn't
previously have them. Runs via `WorkspaceMigrationRunnerService` in a
single transaction with idempotency check. **Known limitation**: assumes
all standard objects exist and are valid in the target workspace.

## Add `universalIdentifier` for system fields in standard object
constants
- `standard-object.constant.ts` updated to include `universalIdentifier`
for `createdBy`, `updatedBy`, `position`, and `searchVector` across all
standard objects
- `fieldManifestType.ts` updated to support the new field manifest shape

## System relation
Completely removed and backfilled all `isSystem` relation to be false
false
As we won't require an object to have any relation system fields

## Add integration tests
- New test suite `failing-sync-application-object-system-fields`
covering: missing system fields, wrong field types (`id` as TEXT,
`createdAt` as TEXT, `position` as TEXT), system field deletion
attempts, and system field update attempts
- New test utilities: `buildDefaultObjectManifest` (builds an object
manifest with all 8 system fields) and `setupApplicationForSync`
(centralizes application setup)
- Existing successful sync test updated to verify system fields are
created with correct properties

## Next step
Make the builder scope the compared entity to be the currently built app
+ nor twenty standard app
2026-02-19 10:13:50 +00:00
..