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Your PDS gives data a home. Apps give you ways to use it: write a note, plan a trip, or organize a collection. For an app to work with data, it needs to understand how that data is arranged. That’s what a schema describes.

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A description that stays with the data

A note might have a title and some text. A task might have a name, a due date, and a mark saying whether it’s done. A schema describes those parts so apps know what to expect. Basic keeps that description alongside the data in your PDS. It doesn’t exist only inside the app that created it.

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More than one way to use your information

Two compatible apps could show the same tasks differently: one as a checklist, another as a calendar. With your permission, both can work with the same underlying information. This doesn’t mean every app automatically understands every kind of data. Apps still need to support its structure and have your approval to use it. The aim is to let apps offer different experiences without each needing a separate copy of your life. Ready to make something? Head to Build.