Section Fields vs. Metafields

Retired Boards Appdev Store Design
1

We are the developers behind a popular metafields app. We’ve reviewed the available docs but can’t make heads or tails of how section fields impact the world of metafields as we know it.

Can anyone provide guidance and insights?

  • Are metafields for store design purposes now replaced by section fields?
  • Are there limitations with section fields that would make metafields a better long term solution than using section fields in the future? For example, import/export, integrations with other APIs and services, etc.
  • Will store admins be able to edit section fields on a per product basis within the admin using the content schema? Is there a vision for apps leveraging this functionality to extend it or is that entirely unnecessary?
  • As forward-thinking app developers in the metafield space, can we salvage our app and embrace section fields to work within it?
  • If metafield apps will still be relevant, how can we reimagine our role in data storage and theme design?
2 Likes
2

I do not see metafields going away or being replaced by sections entirely.

The json_string metafield can hold complex nested data structures while the the section block lacks this.

Metafields can be accessed globally while sections data is “scoped” to that section.

Indeed we are currently depending on metas to handle content and sections will fix that.

But there are still good use cases.