Objects
An object is a named resource whose definition describes the state it accepts—for example a counter, device reading, chart series, or any other stateful entity. You define the object once (type, retention, version history, metadata), then publish changing values against that name. Deliveries and policies refer to objects by name or pattern.
Use many objects when each stream needs its own contract—different apps, devices, metrics, or namespaces under the same owner. That keeps types and retention settings per stream and lets deliveries select only the names each client should see.
Object names are fully qualified and include the owner, for example quickstart:counter@YOUR_OWNER.
What a definition controls#
Creating or updating an object sets the stable contract for its state:
type
How values are encoded: JSON object, number, string, or Base64 binary.
ttl / validity
Lifetime of the object and related data, and how long a state remains considered valid.
versionDeep
How many past state versions to keep for history.
info
Optional metadata such as a human-readable name and description.
An update replaces the full definition. After the object exists, write values with Set state. Large or binary payloads can live in Value and be referenced from state.
When to use these endpoints#
- Define an object before publishing its first state
- Inspect or replace a definition when retention or type must change
- List objects with a glob-style pattern across a namespace
- List segments to browse one level of the name tree without loading every full name
- Delete an object you no longer need (related state history goes with it—confirm first)
For a first publish loop, see the JavaScript quickstart.