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v3.1 specification: minor clarifications, markup improvements #4998

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b180dfd
Markdown improvements for the Style Values table
karenetheridge Sep 25, 2025
8e7b005
be explicit that this table shows ALL valid combinations
karenetheridge Sep 15, 2025
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16 changes: 8 additions & 8 deletions src/oas.md
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Expand Up @@ -1192,17 +1192,17 @@ Using `content` with a `text/plain` media type is RECOMMENDED for `in: "cookie"`

##### Style Values

In order to support common ways of serializing simple parameters, a set of `style` values are defined.
In order to support common ways of serializing simple parameters, a set of `style` values are defined. Combinations not represented in this table are not permitted.
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That adds a MUST NOT requirement, which we cannot do in a patch release.

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This requirement already existed; it is not adding a new one. It was just not mentioned here.

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Where is it mentioned?

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It's the table itself here that sets out the permitted combinations of styles and in. But this is the way it's been since at least 3.0, and the schemas also set out these restrictions (see the "styles-for-path", "styles-for-header" etc definitions) -- so I believe the very strong intent is that no other combinations are permitted.

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The 3.2 spec contains this language and the same table of combinations of styles and in, and we did not change any aspect of this spec (other than adding in: querystring and style: cookie) in 3.2; the schemas are also identical between 3.1 and 3.2. If the restriction had been new in 3.2, it would have been a breaking change, which we do not do in minor releases.

So this is just a clarification, not a change.


| `style` | [`type`](#data-types) | `in` | Comments |
| ---- | ---- | ---- | ---- |
| matrix | `primitive`, `array`, `object` | `path` | Path-style parameters defined by [RFC6570](https://tools.ietf.org/html/rfc6570#section-3.2.7) |
| label | `primitive`, `array`, `object` | `path` | Label style parameters defined by [RFC6570](https://tools.ietf.org/html/rfc6570#section-3.2.5) |
| simple | `primitive`, `array`, `object` | `path`, `header` | Simple style parameters defined by [RFC6570](https://tools.ietf.org/html/rfc6570#section-3.2.2). This option replaces `collectionFormat` with a `csv` value from OpenAPI 2.0. |
| form | `primitive`, `array`, `object` | `query`, `cookie` | Form style parameters defined by [RFC6570](https://tools.ietf.org/html/rfc6570#section-3.2.8). This option replaces `collectionFormat` with a `csv` (when `explode` is false) or `multi` (when `explode` is true) value from OpenAPI 2.0. |
| spaceDelimited | `array`, `object` | `query` | Space separated array values or object properties and values. This option replaces `collectionFormat` equal to `ssv` from OpenAPI 2.0. |
| pipeDelimited | `array`, `object` | `query` | Pipe separated array values or object properties and values. This option replaces `collectionFormat` equal to `pipes` from OpenAPI 2.0. |
| deepObject | `object` | `query` | Allows objects with scalar properties to be represented using form parameters. The representation of array or object properties is not defined. |
| `matrix` | primitive, `array`, `object` | `path` | Path-style parameters defined by [RFC6570](https://tools.ietf.org/html/rfc6570#section-3.2.7) |
| `label` | primitive, `array`, `object` | `path` | Label style parameters defined by [RFC6570](https://tools.ietf.org/html/rfc6570#section-3.2.5) |
| `simple` | primitive, `array`, `object` | `path`, `header` | Simple style parameters defined by [RFC6570](https://tools.ietf.org/html/rfc6570#section-3.2.2). This option replaces `collectionFormat` with a `csv` value from OpenAPI 2.0. |
| `form` | primitive, `array`, `object` | `query`, `cookie` | Form style parameters defined by [RFC6570](https://tools.ietf.org/html/rfc6570#section-3.2.8). This option replaces `collectionFormat` with a `csv` (when `explode` is false) or `multi` (when `explode` is true) value from OpenAPI 2.0. |
| `spaceDelimited` | `array`, `object` | `query` | Space separated array values or object properties and values. This option replaces `collectionFormat` equal to `ssv` from OpenAPI 2.0. |
| `pipeDelimited` | `array`, `object` | `query` | Pipe separated array values or object properties and values. This option replaces `collectionFormat` equal to `pipes` from OpenAPI 2.0. |
| `deepObject` | `object` | `query` | Allows objects with scalar properties to be represented using form parameters. The representation of array or object properties is not defined. |

##### URL Percent-Encoding

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