---
title: Standardization
sidebar_position: 2
description: Learn about the OpenBB Platform, an open-source solution built by the community. Understand its use via Python interface and REST API, and acquaint yourself with how to build a custom extension or contribute directly to the platform
keywords:
- OpenBB Platform
- Open source
- Python interface
- REST API
- Data integration
- Data standardization
- OpenBB extensions
- openbb-core
- Python package
- High-Level Architecture
- Custom extension
- Contribution
---

import HeadTitle from '@site/src/components/General/HeadTitle.tsx';

<HeadTitle title="Standardization - Development | OpenBB Platform Docs" />

## What Is The Standardization Framework?

The Standardization Framework is a set of tools and guidelines that enable the user to query and obtain data in a consistent way across multiple providers.

Each provider data model should inherit from an already defined [standard](https://docs.openbb.co/platform/data_models) model. All standard models are created and maintained by the OpenBB team.

If a standard model needs to be created, please open a pull request and detail its use.

Standardizing provider query parameters and response data enhances the user experience by overcoming things like:

- Consistent query parameters across all data sources for a function, or type of function.
- Output data that has conformed types, is validated, and will be JSON serializable.
  - `NaN`, `NaT`, `"None"`, empty strings, are always returned as `NoneType` (null).
- Transparently defined schemas for the data and query parameters.
- Outputs from multiple sources are comparable with each other and easily interchanged.

The standard models are all defined in the `/OpenBBTerminal/openbb_platform/core/openbb_core/provider/standard_models/` [directory](https://github.com/OpenBB-finance/OpenBBTerminal/tree/main/openbb_platform/core/openbb_core/provider/standard_models).

### What Is A Standard Model?

Every standard model consists of two classes, with each being a Pydantic model.

- [`QueryParams`](https://raw.githubusercontent.com/OpenBB-finance/OpenBBTerminal/main/openbb_platform/core/openbb_core/provider/abstract/query_params.py)
- [`Data`](https://raw.githubusercontent.com/OpenBB-finance/OpenBBTerminal/main/openbb_platform/core/openbb_core/provider/abstract/data.py)

Any parameter or field can be assigned a custom `field_validator`, or the entire model can be passed through a `model_validator` on creation.

### Caveats

The standardization framework is a very powerful tool, but it has some caveats that you should be aware of:

- We standardize fields and parameters that are shared between multiple providers.
  - In some cases, it can be undesirable to define common items in the standard model. In this event, we still want consistent names and descriptions.
- When mapping the column names from a provider-specific model to the standard model, the CamelCase to snake_case conversion is done automatically. If the column names are not the same, you'll need to manually map them.
  - e.g., `__alias_dict__ = {"o": "open"}`
- The standard models are created and maintained by the OpenBB team. If you want to add or modify a field within a standard model, you'll need to open a PR to the OpenBB Platform.