lutaml-model 0.7.7 → 0.8.15

data/docs/_pages/collections.adoc

@@ -0,0 +1,1670 @@
+---
+title: Collections
+nav_order: 7
+---
+
+= Collections
+:toc:
+:toclevels: 3
+
+
+
+[[collection-definition]]
+== General
+
+Collections are used to represent a contained group of multiple instances of models.
+
+Typically, a collection represents an "Array" or a "Set" in information modeling
+and programming languages. In LutaML, a collection represents an array of model
+instances.
+
+Models in a collection may be:
+
+* constrained to be of a single kind;
+
+* constrained to be of multiple kinds sharing common characteristics;
+
+* unbounded of any kind.
+
+LutaML Model provides the `Lutaml::Model::Collection` class for defining
+collections of model instances.
+
+=== Configuration
+
+==== All formats
+
+The `instances` directive defined at the `Collection` class level is used to
+define the collection attribute and the model type of the collection elements.
+
+Syntax:
+
+[source,ruby]
+----
+class MyCollection < Lutaml::Model::Collection
+  instances {attribute}, {ModelType}
+end
+----
+
+Where,
+
+`attribute`:: The name of the attribute that contains the collection.
+`ModelType`:: The model type of the collection elements.
+
+
+==== Mapping instances: key-value formats only
+
+The `map_instances` directive is only used in the `key_value` block.
+
+Syntax:
+
+[source,ruby]
+----
+class MyCollection < Lutaml::Model::Collection
+  instances {attribute}, ModelType
+
+  key_value do
+    map_instances to: {attribute}
+  end
+end
+----
+
+Where,
+
+`attribute`:: The name of the attribute that contains model instances.
+
+This directive maps individual array elements to the defined `instances`
+attribute. These are the items considered part of the Collection and reflected
+as Enumerable elements.
+
+
+==== Mapping instances: XML only
+
+In the `xml` block, the `map_element`, `map_attribute` directives are used instead.
+
+These directives map individual array elements to the defined `instances`
+attribute. These are the items considered part of the Collection and reflected
+as Enumerable elements.
+
+Syntax for an element collection:
+
+[source,ruby]
+----
+class MyCollection < Lutaml::Model::Collection
+  instances {attribute}, ModelType
+
+  xml do
+    map_element "element-name", to: {attribute}
+  end
+end
+----
+
+Where,
+
+`element-name`:: The name of the XML element of each model instance.
+
+
+Syntax for an attribute collection:
+
+[source,ruby]
+----
+class MyCollection < Lutaml::Model::Collection
+  instances {attribute}, ModelType
+  xml do
+    map_attribute "attribute-name", to: {attribute}
+  end
+end
+----
+
+Where,
+
+`attribute-name`:: The name of the XML attribute that contains all model instances.
+
+
+==== XML attribute collections with delimited values
+
+Lutaml::Model supports handling collections realized as XML attributes.
+
+This feature allows you to serialize and deserialize multiple values stored in a
+single XML attribute, separated by a delimiter.
+
+There are two approaches for handling delimited attribute values:
+
+* Using the `delimiter:` option: provides simple splitting and joining with a fixed delimiter;
+
+* Using the `as_list:` option: provides custom import and export logic.
+
+The **`delimiter` option** is a straightforward way to handle
+attribute values that are delimited strings. It is ideal for simple cases where
+you need basic string splitting and joining with a fixed delimiter. It
+automatically splits the string during import and joins
+the array during export.
+
+[source,ruby]
+----
+class TitleDelimiterCollection < Lutaml::Model::Collection
+  instances :items, :string
+
+  xml do
+    element "titles"
+    map_attribute "title", to: :items, delimiter: "; " <1>
+  end
+end
+----
+<1> The delimiter used to split and join the string values.
+
+
+The **`as_list` option** provides full control over how values are split during
+import and joined during export. This is useful when you need custom parsing
+logic. This allows for more complex transformations beyond simple splitting and
+joining that is achieved through using delimiters.
+
+[source,ruby]
+----
+class TitleCollection < Lutaml::Model::Collection
+  instances :items, :string
+
+  xml do
+    element "titles"
+    map_attribute "title", to: :items, as_list: {
+      import: ->(str) { str.split("; ") }, <1>
+      export: ->(arr) { arr.join("; ") }, <2>
+    }
+  end
+end
+----
+<1> Custom logic to split the string into an array during import.
+<2> Custom logic to join the array into a string during export.
+
+.Applying the `delimiter` and `as_list` options for XML attribute collections
+[example]
+====
+Both approaches work with the same XML format:
+
+[source,xml]
+----
+<titles title="Title One; Title Two; Title Three"/>
+----
+
+[source,ruby]
+----
+# Both collections work identically for basic use cases
+collection = TitleCollection.from_xml(xml)
+collection.items # => ["Title One", "Title Two", "Title Three"]
+collection.to_xml # => '<titles title="Title One; Title Two; Title Three"/>'
+
+# Same result with delimiter option
+delimiter_collection = TitleDelimiterCollection.from_xml(xml)
+delimiter_collection.items # => ["Title One", "Title Two", "Title Three"]
+delimiter_collection.to_xml # => '<titles title="Title One; Title Two; Title Three"/>'
+----
+====
+
+
+=== Collection types
+
+A LutaML collections is used for a number of scenarios:
+
+* Root collections (for key-value formats)
+* Named collections
+* Keyed collections (for key-value formats)
+* Attribute collections
+* Nested collections
+// * Polymorphic collections
+// * Polymorphic attribute collections
+
+
+=== Root collections (key-value formats only)
+
+==== General
+
+TODO: This case needs to be fixed for JSON.
+
+A root collection is a collection that is not contained within a parent
+collection.
+
+Root collections only apply to key-value serialization formats.
+The XML format does not support root collections.
+
+NOTE: The https://www.w3.org/TR/xml11/[XML standard] mandates the existence
+of a non-repeated "root element" in an XML document. This means that a valid XML
+document must have a root element, and all elements in an XML document must
+exist within the root. This is why an XML document cannot be a "root collection".
+
+NOTE: A root collection cannot be represented using a non-collection model.
+
+Root collections store multiple instances of the same model type at the root
+level. In other words, these are model instances that do not have a defined
+container at the level of the LutaML Model.
+
+There are two kinds of root collections depending on the type of the instance
+value:
+
+"Root value collection":: the value is a "primitive type"
+
+"Root object collection":: the value is a "model instance"
+
+Regardless of the type of root collection, the instance in a collection is
+always a LutaML model instance.
+
+
+==== Root value collections
+
+A root value collection is a collection that directly contains values of a
+primitive type.
+
+.Simple root collection with each instance being a value
+[example]
+====
+[source,yaml]
+----
+---
+- Item One
+- Item Two
+- Item Three
+----
+
+[source,json]
+----
+[
+  "Item One",
+  "Item Two",
+  "Item Three"
+]
+----
+====
+
+
+Syntax:
+
+[source,ruby]
+----
+class MyCollection < Lutaml::Model::Collection
+  instances :items, ModelType
+end
+
+class ModelType < Lutaml::Model::Serializable
+  attribute :name, :string
+end
+----
+
+.Handling a root collection where each instance is a value
+[example]
+====
+Code:
+
+[source,ruby]
+----
+class Title < Lutaml::Model::Serializable
+  attribute :content, :string
+end
+
+class TitleCollection < Lutaml::Model::Collection
+  instances :titles, Title
+
+  key_value do
+    map_instances to: :titles
+  end
+end
+----
+
+Data:
+
+[source,yaml]
+----
+---
+- Title One
+- Title Two
+- Title Three
+----
+
+[source,json]
+----
+[
+  "Title One",
+  "Title Two",
+  "Title Three"
+]
+----
+
+Usage:
+
+[source,ruby]
+----
+titles = TitleCollection.from_yaml(yaml_data)
+titles.count
+# => 3
+titles.first.content
+# => "Title One"
+----
+====
+
+
+==== Root object collections
+
+A root object collection is a collection that directly contains model instances,
+each containing at least one serialized attribute.
+
+.Simple root collection in YAML with each instance being a models with an attribute `name`
+[example]
+====
+[source,yaml]
+----
+---
+- name: Item One
+- name: Item Two
+- name: Item Three
+----
+
+[source,json]
+----
+[
+  {"name": "Item One"},
+  {"name": "Item Two"},
+  {"name": "Item Three"}
+]
+----
+====
+
+
+.Handling a root collection where each instance is defined by a model with attributes
+[example]
+====
+Code:
+
+[source,ruby]
+----
+class Title < Lutaml::Model::Serializable
+  attribute :content, :string
+end
+
+class TitleCollection < Lutaml::Model::Collection
+  instances :titles, Title
+
+  key_value do
+    map_instances to: :titles
+  end
+end
+----
+
+Data:
+
+[source,yaml]
+----
+---
+- content: Title One
+- content: Title Two
+- content: Title Three
+----
+
+[source,json]
+----
+[
+  {"content": "Title One"},
+  {"content": "Title Two"},
+  {"content": "Title Three"}
+]
+----
+
+Usage:
+
+[source,ruby]
+----
+titles = TitleCollection.from_yaml(yaml_data)
+titles.count
+# => 3
+titles.first.content
+# => "Title One"
+----
+====
+
+
+=== Named collections
+
+==== General
+
+Named collections are collections wrapped inside a name or a key. The "name" of
+the collection serves as the container root of its contained model instances.
+
+The named collection setup applies to XML and key-value serialization formats.
+
+In a named collection setup, the collection is defined as a
+Lutaml::Model::Collection class, and each instance is defined as a
+Lutaml::Model::Serializable class.
+
+There are two kinds of named collections depending on the type of the instance
+value:
+
+"Named value collection":: the value is a "primitive type"
+
+"Named object collection":: the value is a "model instance"
+
+Regardless of the name of root collection, the instance in a collection is
+always a LutaML model instance.
+
+
+==== Named value collections
+
+A named value collection is a collection that contains values of a
+primitive type.
+
+.Named value collection in XML with models each containing an element with content
+[source,xml]
+----
+<names>
+  <name>Item One</name>
+  <name>Item Two</name>
+  <name>Item Three</name>
+</names>
+----
+
+.Named value collection in YAML with models each containing a value
+[source,yaml]
+----
+---
+names:
+- Item One
+- Item Two
+- Item Three
+----
+
+Syntax:
+
+[source,ruby]
+----
+class MyCollection < Lutaml::Model::Collection
+  instances :items, ModelType
+
+  xml do
+    element "name-of-xml-container-element"
+  end
+
+  key_value do
+    key "name-of-key-value-wrapper-key"
+  end
+end
+
+class ModelType < Lutaml::Model::Serializable
+  attribute :name, :string
+end
+----
+
+In the `key_value` block:
+
+- `key "key-name"` sets the wrapper key for the collection in key-value formats (JSON, YAML, TOML).
+  The serialized output wraps all instances under this key (e.g., `{"titles": [...]}`).
+- Without a `key` call (the default), instances are serialized directly at the top level
+  (e.g., `["Item One", "Item Two"]`).
+
+NOTE: Key-value formats use `key` to set the wrapper key name, and `element` for XML element names.
+
+A named collection can alternatively be implemented as a non-collection model
+("Model class with an attribute") that contains the collection of instances. In
+this case, the attribute will be an Array object, which does not contain
+additional attributes and methods.
+
+.Handling a named collection with instance elements directly containing values
+[example]
+====
+[source,ruby]
+----
+class Title < Lutaml::Model::Serializable
+  attribute :title, :string
+
+  xml do
+    element "title"
+    map_content to: :title
+  end
+end
+
+class DirectTitleCollection < Lutaml::Model::Collection
+  instances :items, Title
+
+  xml do
+    element "titles"
+    map_element "title", to: :items
+  end
+
+  key_value do
+    map_instances to: :items
+  end
+end
+----
+
+[source,xml]
+----
+<titles>
+  <title>Title One</title>
+  <title>Title Two</title>
+  <title>Title Three</title>
+</titles>
+----
+
+[source,yaml]
+----
+---
+titles:
+- Title One
+- Title Two
+- Title Three
+----
+
+[source,json]
+----
+{
+  "titles": [
+    "Title One",
+    "Title Two",
+    "Title Three"
+  ]
+}
+----
+
+[source,ruby]
+----
+titles = DirectTitleCollection.from_yaml(yaml_data)
+titles.count
+# => 3
+titles.first.title
+# => "Title One"
+titles.last.title
+# => "Title Three"
+----
+====
+
+
+==== Named object collections
+
+A named object collection is a collection that contains model instances,
+each containing at least one serialized attribute.
+
+NOTE: A named object collection can alternatively be implemented as a
+non-collection model ("Model class with an attribute") that contains the
+collection of instances. In this case, the attribute will be an Array object,
+which does not contain additional attributes and methods.
+
+
+.Named object collection in XML with instances each containing an element with a model attribute
+[source,xml]
+----
+<names>
+  <name><content>Item One</content></name>
+  <name><content>Item Two</content></name>
+  <name><content>Item Three</content></name>
+</names>
+----
+
+.Named object collection in YAML with instances each containing a model attribute
+[source,yaml]
+----
+---
+names:
+- name: Item One
+- name: Item Two
+- name: Item Three
+----
+
+
+.Named object collection with each instance containing at least one model attribute
+[example]
+====
+Data:
+
+[source,xml]
+----
+<titles>
+  <title><content>Title One</content></title>
+  <title><content>Title Two</content></title>
+  <title><content>Title Three</content></title>
+</titles>
+----
+
+[source,yaml]
+----
+---
+titles:
+- title: Title One
+- title: Title Two
+- title: Title Three
+----
+
+[source,json]
+----
+{
+  "titles": [
+    {"title": "Title One"},
+    {"title": "Title Two"},
+    {"title": "Title Three"}
+  ]
+}
+----
+
+Code:
+
+[source,ruby]
+----
+class Title < Lutaml::Model::Serializable
+  attribute :title, :string
+
+  xml do
+    element "title"
+    map_element "content", to: :title
+  end
+
+  key_value do
+    map "title", to: :title
+  end
+end
+
+class TitleCollection < Lutaml::Model::Collection
+  instances :items, Title
+
+  xml do
+    element "titles"
+    map_element 'title', to: :items
+  end
+
+  key_value do
+    key "titles"
+    map_instances to: :items
+  end
+end
+----
+
+Usage:
+
+[source,ruby]
+----
+titles = TitleCollection.from_yaml(yaml_data)
+titles.count
+# => 3
+titles.first.title
+# => "Title One"
+titles.last.title
+# => "Title Three"
+----
+====
+
+
+=== Attribute collection class
+
+A model attribute that is a collection can be contained within a custom
+collection class.
+
+A custom collection class can be defined to provide custom behavior for the
+collection inside a non-collection model, with attributes using
+`collection: true`.
+
+Syntax:
+
+[source,ruby]
+----
+class MyModel < Lutaml::Model::Serializable
+  attribute {model-attribute}, ModelType, collection: MyCollection
+end
+
+class MyCollection < Lutaml::Model::Collection
+  instances {instance-name}, ModelType
+
+  # Custom behavior for the collection
+  def custom_method
+    # Custom logic here
+  end
+end
+----
+
+.Using a custom collection class for custom collection behavior
+[example]
+====
+Data:
+
+[source,xml]
+----
+<titles>
+  <title>Title One</title>
+  <title>Title Two</title>
+  <title>Title Three</title>
+</titles>
+----
+
+[source,yaml]
+----
+titles:
+- title: Title One
+- title: Title Two
+- title: Title Three
+----
+
+
+[source,ruby]
+----
+class StringParts < Lutaml::Model::Collection
+  instances :parts, :string
+
+  def to_s
+    parts.join(' -- ')
+  end
+end
+
+class BibliographicItem < Lutaml::Model::Serializable
+  attribute :title_parts, :string, collection: StringParts
+
+  xml do
+    element "titles"
+    map_element "title", to: :title_parts
+  end
+
+  key_value do
+    key "titles"
+    map_instances to: :title_parts
+  end
+
+  def render_title
+    title_parts.to_s
+  end
+end
+----
+
+[source,ruby]
+----
+> bib_item = BibliographicItem.from_xml(xml_data)
+> bib_item.title_parts
+> # StringParts:0x0000000104ac7240 @parts=["Title One", "Title Two", "Title Three"]
+> bib_item.render_title
+> # "Title One -- Title Two -- Title Three"
+----
+====
+
+
+=== Consolidation mapping
+
+Collections can consolidate flat sibling elements into structured group instances.
+See link:../_guides/consolidation-mapping[Consolidation Mapping] for the full guide.
+
+
+
+=== Nested collections
+
+TODO: This case needs to be fixed.
+
+Collections can be nested within other models and define their own serialization
+rules.
+
+Nested collections can be defined in the same way as root collections, but
+they are defined within the context of a parent model.
+
+[example]
+====
+Data:
+
+[source,xml]
+----
+<titles>
+  <title-group>
+    <artifact>
+      <content>Title One</content>
+    </artifact>
+    <artifact>
+      <content>Title Two</content>
+    </artifact>
+    <artifact>
+      <content>Title Three</content>
+    </artifact>
+  </title-group>
+</titles>
+----
+
+[source,yaml]
+----
+---
+titles:
+  title-group:
+    - artifact:
+        content: Title One
+    - artifact:
+        content: Title Two
+    - artifact:
+        content: Title Three
+----
+
+[source,ruby]
+----
+class Title < Lutaml::Model::Serializable
+  attribute :content, :string
+end
+
+class TitleCollection < Lutaml::Model::Collection
+  instances :items, Title
+
+  xml do
+    element "title-group"
+    map_element "artifact", to: :items
+  end
+end
+
+class BibItem < Lutaml::Model::Serializable
+  attribute :titles, TitleCollection
+
+  xml do
+    element "bibitem"
+    # This overrides the collection's root "title-group"
+    map_element "titles", to: :titles
+  end
+end
+----
+====
+
+
+=== Keyed collections (key-value serialization formats only)
+
+==== General
+
+In key-value serialization formats, a key can be used to uniquely identify each
+instance. This usage allows for enforcing uniqueness in the collection.
+
+A collection that contains keyed objects as its instances is commonly called a
+"keyed collection". A keyed object in a serialization format is an object
+identified with a unique key.
+
+NOTE: The concept of keyed collections does not typically apply to XML
+collections.
+
+There are two kinds of keyed collections depending on the type of the keyed
+value:
+
+"keyed value collection":: the value is a "primitive type"
+
+"keyed object collection":: the value is a "model instance"
+
+Regardless of the type of keyed collections, the instance in a collection is
+always a LutaML model instance.
+
+
+==== `map_key` method
+
+The `map_key` method specifies that the unique key is to be moved into an
+attribute belonging to the instance model.
+
+Syntax:
+
+[source,ruby]
+----
+key_value do
+  map_key to_instance: {instance-attribute-name}
+end
+----
+
+Where,
+
+`to_instance`:: Refers to the attribute name in the instance that contains the key.
+`{key_attribute}`:: The attribute name in the instance that contains the key.
+
+
+==== `map_value` method
+
+The `map_value` method specifies that the value (the object referenced by the
+unique key) is to be moved into an attribute belonging to the instance model.
+
+Syntax:
+
+[source,ruby]
+----
+key_value do
+  # basic pattern
+  map_value {operation}: [*argument]
+
+  # Mapping the value object to a full instance through `to_instance`
+  map_value to_instance: {instance-attribute-name}
+
+  # Mapping the value object to an attribute as_instance
+  map_value as_attribute: {instance-attribute-name}
+end
+----
+
+==== Keyed value collections
+
+A keyed value collection is a collection where the keyed item in the serialization
+format is a primitive type (e.g. string, integer, etc.).
+
+The instance item inside the collection is a model instance that contains both
+the serialized key and serialized value both as attributes inside the model.
+
+All three `map_key`, `map_value`, and `map_instances` methods need to be used to
+define how instances are mapped in a keyed value collection.
+
+.Creating a keyed value collection
+[example]
+====
+[source,ruby]
+----
+class AuthorAvailability < Lutaml::Model::Serializable
+  attribute :id, :string
+  attribute :available, :boolean
+end
+
+class AuthorCollection < Lutaml::Model::Collection
+  instances :authors, AuthorAvailability
+
+  key_value do
+    map_key to_instance: :id # This refers to 'authors[].id'
+    map_value as_attribute: :available # This refers to 'authors[].available'
+    map_instances to: :authors
+  end
+end
+----
+
+[source,yaml]
+----
+---
+author_01: true
+author_02: false
+author_03: true
+----
+
+[source,ruby]
+----
+authors = AuthorCollection.from_yaml(yaml_data)
+authors.first.id
+# => "author_01"
+authors.first.available
+# => true
+----
+====
+
+
+==== Keyed object collections
+
+A keyed object collection is a collection where the keyed item in the
+serialization format contains multiple attributes.
+
+The instance item inside the collection is a model instance that contains the
+serialized key as one attribute, and the serialized value attributes are all
+attributes inside the model.
+
+Both the `map_key` and `map_instances` are used to define how instances are
+mapped in a keyed object collection.
+
+.Creating a keyed object collection
+[example]
+====
+[source,ruby]
+----
+class Author < Lutaml::Model::Serializable
+  attribute :id, :string
+  attribute :name, :string
+end
+
+class AuthorCollection < Lutaml::Model::Collection
+  instances :authors, Author
+
+  key_value do
+    map_key to_instance: :id # This refers to 'authors[].id'
+    map_instances to: :authors
+  end
+end
+----
+
+[source,yaml]
+----
+---
+author_01:
+  name: Author One
+author_02:
+  name: Author Two
+author_03:
+  name: Author Three
+----
+
+[source,ruby]
+----
+authors = AuthorCollection.from_yaml(yaml_data)
+authors.first.id
+# => "author_01"
+authors.first.name
+# => "Author One"
+----
+====
+
+
+==== Nested keyed object collection
+
+A nested keyed object collection is a keyed collection that contain other keyed
+collections. This case is simply a more complex arrangement of the principles
+applied to keyed object collections.
+
+This pattern can extend to multiple levels of nesting, where each level contains
+a keyed object collection that can have its own key and value mappings.
+
+Depends on whether a custom collection class is needed, the following
+mechanisms are available:
+
+* When using a Lutaml::Model::Serializable class for a keyed collection,
+use the `child_mappings` option to map attributes.
+
+* When using a Lutaml::Model::Collection class for a keyed collection,
+there are two options:
+
+* use the `map_key`, `map_value`, and `map_instances` methods to map attributes;
+or
+
+* use the `root_mappings` option to map attributes.
+
+
+.Nested 2-layer keyed object collection
+[example]
+====
+This example provides a two-layer nested structure where:
+
+* The first layer keys pieces by type (`bowls`, `vases`).
+* The second layer keys glazes by finish name within each piece type.
+* Each glaze finish contains detailed attributes like temperature.
+
+[source,ruby]
+----
+# Third layer represents glaze finishes.
+class GlazeFinish < Lutaml::Model::Serializable
+  attribute :name, :string
+  attribute :temperature, :integer
+
+  key_value do
+    map "name", to: :name
+    map "temperature", to: :temperature
+  end
+end
+
+# Second layer represents ceramic pieces each with multiple finishes.
+class CeramicPiece < Lutaml::Model::Serializable
+  attribute :piece_type, :string
+  attribute :glazes, GlazeFinish, collection: true
+
+  key_value do
+    map "piece_type", to: :piece_type
+    map "glazes", to: :glazes, child_mappings: {
+      name: :key,
+      temperature: :temperature
+    }
+  end
+end
+
+# Uppermost layer represents the collection of ceramic pieces.
+class StudioInventory < Lutaml::Model::Collection
+  instances :pieces, CeramicPiece
+
+  key_value do
+    map to: :pieces, root_mappings: {
+      piece_type: :key,
+      glazes: :value,
+    }
+  end
+end
+----
+
+[source,yaml]
+----
+---
+bowls:
+  matte_finish:
+    name: Earth Matte
+    temperature: 1240
+  glossy_finish:
+    name: Ocean Blue
+    temperature: 1260
+  crackle_finish:
+    name: Antique Crackle
+    temperature: 1220
+vases:
+  metallic_finish:
+    name: Bronze Metallic
+    temperature: 1280
+  crystalline_finish:
+    name: Ice Crystal
+    temperature: 1300
+----
+
+[source,ruby]
+----
+inventory = StudioInventory.from_yaml(yaml_data)
+
+# Access nested data through the hierarchy
+puts inventory.pieces.bowls.matte_finish.name
+# => "Earth Matte"
+
+puts inventory.pieces.bowls.matte_finish.temperature
+# => 1240
+
+# Iterate through all pieces and their glazes
+inventory.pieces.each do |piece_type, piece|
+  puts "#{piece_type.capitalize}:"
+  piece.glazes.each do |glaze_name, glaze|
+    puts "  #{glaze_name}: #{glaze.name} (#{glaze.temperature}°C)"
+  end
+end
+----
+====
+
+
+
+
+=== Behavior
+
+==== Enumerable interface
+
+Collections implement the Ruby `Enumerable` interface, providing standard
+collection operations.
+
+Collections allow the following sample `Enumerable` methods:
+
+* `each` - Iterate over collection items
+* `map` - Transform collection items
+* `select` - Filter collection items
+* `find` - Find items matching criteria
+* `reduce` - Aggregate collection items
+
+.Usage of the collection Enumerable interface
+[example]
+====
+[source,ruby]
+----
+# Filter items
+filtered = collection.filter { |item| item.id == "1" }
+
+# Reject items
+rejected = collection.reject { |item| item.id == "1" }
+
+# Select items
+selected = collection.select { |item| item.id == "1" }
+
+# Map items
+mapped = collection.map { |item| item.name }
+
+# Count items
+count = collection.count
+----
+====
+
+
+// ==== Collection validation
+
+// Collections can define validation rules for their elements.
+
+// [example]
+// ====
+// [source,ruby]
+// ----
+// class PublicationCollection < Lutaml::Model::Collection
+//   instances(:publications, Publication) do
+//     validates :year, numericality: { greater_than: 1900 }
+
+//     validate :must_have_author
+
+//     def must_have_author(publications)
+//       publications.each do |publication|
+//         next unless publication.author.nil?
+//         errors.add(:author, "`#{publication.title}` must have an author")
+//       end
+//     end
+//   end
+// end
+// ----
+// ====
+
+==== Initialization
+
+Collections can be initialized with an array of items or through individual item
+addition.
+
+[example]
+====
+[source,ruby]
+----
+# Empty collection
+collection = ItemCollection.new
+
+# From an array of items
+collection = ItemCollection.new([item1, item2, item3])
+
+# From an array of hashes
+collection = ItemCollection.new([
+  { id: "1", name: "Item 1" },
+  { id: "2", name: "Item 2" }
+])
+
+# Adding items later
+collection << Item.new(id: "3", name: "Item 3")
+----
+====
+
+==== Collection mutation
+
+Collection attributes can be mutated after initialization using standard Ruby
+array methods or custom helper methods. These mutations are properly reflected
+during serialization.
+
+When a collection attribute is defined with a default value (e.g., `default: -> { [] }`),
+you can mutate it directly using Ruby's array methods such as `<<`, `push`,
+`concat`, etc., or through custom methods that add items to the collection.
+
+.Mutating collection attributes after initialization
+[example]
+====
+[source,ruby]
+----
+class TabStop < Lutaml::Model::Serializable
+  attribute :position, :integer
+  attribute :alignment, :string
+
+  xml do
+    element 'tab'
+    map_attribute 'pos', to: :position
+    map_attribute 'val', to: :alignment
+  end
+end
+
+class TabStopCollection < Lutaml::Model::Serializable
+  attribute :tabs, TabStop, collection: true, default: -> { [] }
+
+  xml do
+    element 'tabs'
+    map_element 'tab', to: :tabs
+  end
+
+  # Custom helper method for adding tabs
+  def add_tab(position, alignment)
+    tabs << TabStop.new(position: position, alignment: alignment)
+  end
+end
+
+# Create collection with default empty array
+collection = TabStopCollection.new
+
+# Mutate using << operator
+collection.tabs << TabStop.new(position: 1440, alignment: "center")
+
+# Mutate using custom method
+collection.add_tab(2880, "right")
+
+# Mutations are properly serialized
+puts collection.to_xml
+# <tabs>
+#   <tab pos="1440" val="center"/>
+#   <tab pos="2880" val="right"/>
+# </tabs>
+----
+====
+
+This behavior enables natural Ruby idioms for working with collections:
+
+* **Direct mutation**: Use `<<`, `push`, `pop`, `shift`, `unshift`, `concat`, etc.
+* **Custom methods**: Create domain-specific helper methods like `add_item`, `remove_item`
+* **No recreation needed**: No need to recreate parent objects to update collections
+
+NOTE: Empty collections initialized with default values are not serialized unless
+items are added. This preserves the expected behavior where default values are
+only rendered when explicitly requested with `render_default: true`.
+
+==== Ordering
+
+TODO: This case needs to be fixed.
+
+Collections that maintain a specific ordering of elements.
+
+Syntax:
+
+[source,ruby]
+----
+class MyCollection < Lutaml::Model::Collection
+  instances {instances-name}, ModelType
+  ordered by: {attribute-of-instance-or-proc}, order: {:asc | :desc}
+end
+----
+
+Where,
+
+`{instances-name}`:: name of the instances accessor within the collection
+`ModelType`:: The model type of the collection elements.
+
+`{attribute-of-instance-or-proc}`:: How model instances are to be ordered by. Values supported are:
+`{attribute-of-instance}`::: Attribute name of an instance to be ordered by.
+`{proc}`::: Proc that returns a value to order by (same as `sort_by`), given the instance as input.
+
+`order`::: Order direction of the value:
+`:asc`:::: Ascending order (default).
+`:desc`:::: Descending order.
+
+NOTE: When a proc is provided for ordering and `order: :desc` is specified, the collection is first sorted using the proc (as with Ruby's `sort_by`), and the resulting array is then reversed to achieve descending order.
+
+.Ordered collection applied to a root collection
+[example]
+====
+Data:
+
+[source,xml]
+----
+<items>
+  <item id="3" name="Item Three"/>
+  <item id="1" name="Item One"/>
+  <item id="2" name="Item Two"/>
+</items>
+----
+
+[source,yaml]
+----
+---
+- id: 3
+  name: Item Three
+- id: 1
+  name: Item One
+- id: 2
+  name: Item Two
+----
+
+[source,ruby]
+----
+class Item < Lutaml::Model::Serializable
+  attribute :id, :string
+  attribute :name, :string
+
+  xml do
+    map_attribute "id", to: :id
+    map_attribute "name", to: :name
+  end
+end
+
+class OrderedItemCollection < Lutaml::Model::Collection
+  instances :items, Item
+  ordered by: :id, order: :desc
+
+  xml do
+    element "items"
+    map_element "item", to: :items
+  end
+
+  key_value do
+    map_instances to: :items
+  end
+end
+----
+
+[source,ruby]
+----
+> collection = OrderedItemCollection.from_xml(xml_data)
+> collection.map(&:id)
+> # ["3", "2", "1"]
+
+> collection = OrderedItemCollection.from_yaml(yaml_data)
+> collection.map(&:id)
+> # ["3", "2", "1"]
+----
+====
+
+.Ordered collection with proc-based ordering
+[example]
+====
+[source,ruby]
+----
+class ProcOrderedItemCollection < Lutaml::Model::Collection
+  instances :items, Item
+  # Multi-level ordering: first by name length, then by name alphabetically
+  ordered by: ->(item) { [item.name.length, item.name] }, order: :asc
+
+  xml do
+    element "items"
+    map_element "item", to: :items
+  end
+end
+----
+
+[source,ruby]
+----
+> items_data = [
+>   { id: "1", name: "Zebra" },
+>   { id: "2", name: "Alpha" },
+>   { id: "3", name: "Beta" }
+> ]
+
+> complex_collection = ProcOrderedItemCollection.new(items_data)
+> complex_collection.map(&:name)
+> # ["Beta", "Alpha", "Zebra"] # Sorted by name length then alphabetically
+----
+====
+
+
+==== Indexed lookups
+
+Collections can be indexed for O(1) lookups by one or more attributes.
+This is particularly useful for large collections where repeated lookups
+by key would otherwise be O(n).
+
+===== Single index
+
+Use `index_by` with a single field for simple indexed lookups:
+
+[source,ruby]
+----
+class Person < Lutaml::Model::Serializable
+  attribute :id, :string
+  attribute :name, :string
+end
+
+class PersonCollection < Lutaml::Model::Collection
+  instances :people, Person
+  index_by :id
+end
+
+people = PersonCollection.new([
+  { id: '001', name: 'Alice' },
+  { id: '002', name: 'Bob' }
+])
+
+# O(1) lookup by id
+people.fetch('001')              # => #<Person id='001' name='Alice'>
+people.find_by(:id, '002')       # => #<Person id='002' name='Bob'>
+people.find_by(:id, 'missing')   # => nil
+----
+
+===== Multiple indexes
+
+Use `index_by` with multiple fields for lookups by different keys:
+
+[source,ruby]
+----
+class PersonCollection < Lutaml::Model::Collection
+  instances :people, Person
+  index_by :id, :email, :slug
+end
+
+# O(1) lookup by any indexed field
+people.find_by(:id, '001')
+people.find_by(:email, 'alice@example.com')
+people.find_by(:slug, 'alice-smith')
+----
+
+===== Named indexes with custom key extraction
+
+Use `index` with a name and proc for custom key extraction:
+
+[source,ruby]
+----
+class PersonCollection < Lutaml::Model::Collection
+  instances :people, Person
+  index_by :id
+  index :email, by: ->(person) { person.email.downcase }
+end
+
+# Lookup with normalized key (proc stores lowercase)
+people.find_by(:email, 'alice@example.com')  # => finds Alice
+----
+
+===== Combined with sorting
+
+Indexes work alongside sorting:
+
+[source,ruby]
+----
+class PersonCollection < Lutaml::Model::Collection
+  instances :people, Person
+  index_by :id
+  sort by: :name, order: :asc
+end
+
+# Collection is sorted by name, indexed by id
+people.fetch('001')
+----
+
+NOTE: The index is rebuilt after any mutation (`<<`, `push`, `[]=`).
+For best performance with large collections, batch mutations before lookups.
+
+
+==== Polymorphic collections
+
+Collections can contain instances of different model classes that share a common base class.
+
+The `polymorphic` option for `instances` allows you to specify which subclasses are accepted:
+
+[source,ruby]
+----
+class ReferenceSet < Lutaml::Model::Collection
+  # Accepts any subclass of Reference
+  instances :references, Reference, polymorphic: true
+end
+
+class ReferenceSet < Lutaml::Model::Collection
+  # Accepts only DocumentReference and AnchorReference
+  instances :references, Reference, polymorphic: [
+    DocumentReference,
+    AnchorReference,
+  ]
+end
+----
+
+==== Polymorphic collection mapping
+
+To serialize/deserialize polymorphic collections, use the `polymorphic` option in your mapping blocks. This allows you to specify how to differentiate subclasses in XML, YAML, or JSON.
+
+[source,ruby]
+----
+class ReferenceSet < Lutaml::Model::Collection
+  instances :references, Reference, polymorphic: [
+    DocumentReference,
+    AnchorReference,
+  ]
+
+  xml do
+    element "ReferenceSet"
+    map_instances to: :references, polymorphic: {
+      attribute: "_class",
+      class_map: {
+        "document-ref" => "DocumentReference",
+        "anchor-ref" => "AnchorReference",
+      },
+    }
+  end
+
+  key_value do
+    map_instances to: :references, polymorphic: {
+      attribute: "_class",
+      class_map: {
+        "Document" => "DocumentReference",
+        "Anchor" => "AnchorReference",
+      },
+    }
+  end
+end
+----
+
+This allows round-trip serialization like:
+
+[source,yaml]
+----
+---
+references:
+- _class: Document
+  name: The Tibetan Book of the Dead
+  document_id: book:tbtd
+- _class: Anchor
+  name: Chapter 1
+  anchor_id: book:tbtd:anchor-1
+----
+
+[source,xml]
+----
+<ReferenceSet>
+  <references reference-type="document-ref">
+    <name>The Tibetan Book of the Dead</name>
+    <document_id>book:tbtd</document_id>
+  </references>
+  <references reference-type="anchor-ref">
+    <name>Chapter 1</name>
+    <anchor_id>book:tbtd:anchor-1</anchor_id>
+  </references>
+</ReferenceSet>
+----
+
+==== Polymorphic mapping with subclass differentiator
+
+If you cannot modify the polymorphic superclass, define the differentiator attribute in each subclass, and use the `polymorphic` mapping option in the collection:
+
+[source,ruby]
+----
+class Reference < Lutaml::Model::Serializable
+  attribute :name, :string
+end
+
+class DocumentReference < Reference
+  attribute :_class, :string
+  attribute :document_id, :string
+
+  xml do
+    map_element "document_id", to: :document_id
+    map_attribute "reference-type", to: :_class
+  end
+
+  key_value do
+    map "document_id", to: :document_id
+    map "_class", to: :_class
+  end
+end
+
+class AnchorReference < Reference
+  attribute :_class, :string
+  attribute :anchor_id, :string
+
+  xml do
+    map_element "anchor_id", to: :anchor_id
+    map_attribute "reference-type", to: :_class
+  end
+
+  key_value do
+    map "anchor_id", to: :anchor_id
+    map "_class", to: :_class
+  end
+end
+
+class ReferenceSet < Lutaml::Model::Collection
+  instances :references, Reference, polymorphic: [
+    DocumentReference,
+    AnchorReference,
+  ]
+
+  xml do
+    element "ReferenceSet"
+    map_instances to: :references, polymorphic: {
+      attribute: "_class",
+      class_map: {
+        "document-ref" => "DocumentReference",
+        "anchor-ref" => "AnchorReference",
+      },
+    }
+  end
+
+  key_value do
+    map_instances to: :references, polymorphic: {
+      attribute: "_class",
+      class_map: {
+        "Document" => "DocumentReference",
+        "Anchor" => "AnchorReference",
+      },
+    }
+  end
+end
+----
+