StreamBase uses schemas to define permissible fields and data types for streams and tables. The schema defines the number of fields allowed in an event or table. For each field, the schema defines a name, its StreamBase data type, and its size.
A schema is required for every event processed in a StreamBase application, as well as for the data stored in query tables. However, you do not need to define a schema for every step. When events flow from one component to the next, the first component's schema is inherited by the downstream component to help process the event data — there is no need to explicitly redefine the schema. Multiple streams and schemas can flow through the application in this way.