Fields
A field is an indented name value line inside a record’s block. Known
fields have defined meanings; unknown but well-formed fields are preserved (and
warned about under strict mode).
A field line
<name> <value...>
The name is the first token; the rest is the value, classified into a number, range, ref, list, time, text, etc. A line whose first token is a known field name is always a field; an unknown lowercase identifier followed only by value-shaped tokens is treated as a field too.
Known fields
| Field | Attaches to | Value | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|
kind | focus | symbol | the focus’s kind |
quantity | focus | <number> <unit> | a typed measure |
confidence | stance | number / range / ? | credence in the target |
weight | link | 0..1 | evidential strength |
probability | link (leads-to) | 0..1 | outcome likelihood |
note | stance | text | rationale (always on the stance) |
because | stance | ref | the supporting reason |
answers | stance | ref | the question this settles |
until | stance | <ref> [status] | desugars to a blocks link |
about | question | id-list | what the question concerns |
expects | question | symbol | the kind of answer wanted |
status | question / link | symbol | open, answered, … |
source | any | text / uri: | provenance of the record |
observed-at | any | time | when observed |
asserted-at | any | time | when asserted |
valid-during | any | start..end | the span it holds over |
A few more are recognized so they parse cleanly as fields: noted-by,
noticed-by, suspected-by, chosen-by, blocked-by, undercut-by.
Reference fields
Four fields hold a reference to another record and are resolved: because,
answers, blocked-by, undercut-by. If the referenced id doesn’t exist, you
get a warning. (References in these fields also count for the
orphan check — a focus reached only via a because is not an
orphan.)
Provenance basis
quantity, confidence, weight, and probability may carry a trailing
basis keyword — measured, estimated, or assumed:
confidence 0.9 assumed
quantity 30 GB measured
See Numbers, units, provenance.
Profile-only fields
Inside a profile record, four list-valued fields declare custom vocabulary:
kinds, relations, fields, postures. They’re only meaningful there — see
Profiles.
Inherited fields
Inside a scope, four fields cascade to members that don’t set their
own: asserted-at, observed-at, source, valid-during. This lets a scope
stamp a whole investigation with one date and source.