This page is proposed as a standard. Much of the material may appear redundant with the page on script parameters; but this content is suggesting conventions for names and behaviors for a larger, more general collection of functions with a broader range of applications. This page is also proposing recognition as a Standard, rather than as a Best Practice.
Name-value pairs are one of the most common fundamental data structures in computer programming. In FileMaker, they are commonly used for representing data structures outside of database schema — most commonly in script parameters, but also with other applications. This standard suggests only the names and behaviors of a collection of custom functions for handling name-value pairs; it does not prescribe particular implementations or a format for representing the data structure, though the recommended behavior of the functions will place certain constraints on the serialized format. Sample implementations of these functions are available in the FileMakerStandards.org GitHub repository.