Vocabulary

This a reference to all of the vocabulary used in System Initiative.

Asset

Anything that can be used on the canvas.

Arity

The number of arguments taken by a function. Most frequently used to specify how many edges can connect to a socket (either "one" or "many".)

Change Set

Change Sets represent a batch of changes to the components, assets, functions and actions in a workspace. When you want to propose a change in the real world, you first create a change set to do it. Nothing you do in a change set should alter the real world.

If you are familiar with version control systems like git, you can think of a change set as an automatically rebasing branch.

When a change set is merged to head, any other open change sets in the workspace are automatically rebased against HEAD - meaning the data within them will be updated to reflect the proposed changes to the model on HEAD.

Creating a Change Set

Creating a change set makes a new copy of the hypergraph based on the current data in HEAD. Learn how to create a change set in the getting started tutorial.

Applying a Change Set

When you apply a change set, all of the properties and code are merged to HEAD, and any actions enqueued. Learn how to apply a change set in the getting started tutorial.

Abandoning a Change Set

Abandoning a change set essentially deletes it, and all of its proposed changes, from the system.

Component

A component is the 'theoretical' half of a Model. It represents the configuration values you want something to have, while the Resource represents its real world values.

Credential

A credential is a type of component that stores secret data, and has authentication functions attached to it. They are used to provide access to cloud providers, etc.

Configuration Frame (down)

A "down" frame is one where the output sockets of the frame will automatically connect to any components placed within the frame.

Configuration Frame (up)

An "up" frame is one where the output sockets of the components within the frame will connect to the input sockets of the frame.

HEAD

HEAD is the change set that represents "the real world". It can only be altered by actions, refreshing resources, or applying change sets.

Hypergraph of functions

The hypergraph of functions, or hypergraph, is the data structure that powers System Initiative. It is a graph that represents all of the code, components, resources, and functions that are in a workspace. We call it a "hypergraph" because it is multi-dimensional through the use of change sets.

We know it's not an actual hypergraph. It's just less of a mouthful than 'multi-dimensional graph'.

Input Socket

A socket that feeds data into a component. Appears on the left side of components.

Model

A Model

When we refer to "a model", we mean a single Component/Resource pair.

The Model

When we refer to "the model", we're talking about all of the assets, functions, components, resources, etc. that make up your hypergraph.

Output Socket

A socket that feeds data out of a component. Appears on the right side of components.

Qualification

Qualifications are functions that are executed to ensure that the component can be applied successfully to the workspace. An example is the qualification function that checks if the Secret you have passed into your AWS Credential component are valid.

Resource

A resource is the data about the real-world thing represented by a component.

Secret

Secrets are encrypted data stored for a given type of credential. They are defined by a credential component.