Use an existing schema

To accept a structured input in a CWL tool, import its schema through SchemaDefRequirement and use the schema's named type in the input declaration.

Choose the schema and type

Find the type in the schema reference. The schema URLs are:

Import and declare the input

Merge the following entries into your tool's existing requirements and inputs. This fragment uses GeoJSON Feature; substitute the import URL and type name for another schema.

requirements:
  SchemaDefRequirement:
    types:
      - $import: https://raw.githubusercontent.com/eoap/schemas/main/geojson.yaml

inputs:
  feature:
    type: https://raw.githubusercontent.com/eoap/schemas/main/geojson.yaml#Feature

Use the same schema URL in the import and the type identifier, followed by # and the type name. Add command bindings and outputs as needed by your tool.

Validate and run

With cwltool installed, validate your complete tool and run it with an input document matching the selected record:

cwltool --validate tool.cwl
cwltool tool.cwl inputs.yaml

Use the worked examples as input-document templates. See custom types and their limits for the distinction between a CWL record and validation against an external standard.