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Glossary

TermMeaning
Architecture claimA reviewable statement in .shape about resources, components, effects, relations, or review context.
AttestationA documented reviewer decision that a governed source or bound review-surface change does not require a Shape or docs update. Common kinds include no_shape_change and docs_not_needed.
BindingA declaration that couples changed paths, such as requiring docs changes when Shape-affecting code changes. Enforced by shp check --changed-files.
Candidate effectAn effect candidate declaration that records machine-readable effect evidence (often from AST generation). Not a reviewed effects complete summary.
ComponentA named architectural boundary that owns resources, grants effects, and contains function summaries. Does not carry structural dependencies.
Complete effectsAn effect summary that claims to be exhaustive for a function (effects complete { ... }).
CoverageThe change-set check that governed source paths require a Shape update or current attestation (shp coverage / shp check --changed-files).
DiagnosticA checker message explaining why a model failed. Kind and rendered text order are deterministic.
Domain packA vendored Shape module under shape/vendor/ that contributes declarations to the checked model.
EffectA declared operation such as Append<AuditEvent> or HardDelete<AuditEvent>.
EvidenceA source reference that supports an effect claim.
Final forbidA trait or rule constraint that cannot be overridden by a component grant, rationale, memory, or reevaluation.
Governed pathA source path covered by an implementation block with change requirements.
HyperedgeA named structural link between two or more components or resources, declared as a relation.
HypercycleA cycle in the directed hypergraph, found by traversing relations according to their kind.
ImplementationA mapping from source paths to a component shape (conforms_to, optional on_change).
IncidenceThe vertex-to-hyperedge index that drives shp graph and hypercycle checks.
MemoryA typed design-memory declaration, usually for a refactor constraint.
RationaleA typed explanation for an intentional function, component, or resource shape.
ReevaluationA typed review record that can satisfy a guarded change.
Refactor constraintDesign context (RefactorConstraint) that makes a target refactor-sensitive.
RelationA top-level declaration describing a hyperedge with a kind, connects, optional roles, optional fingerprint expects, and optional summary.
Relation kindA label such as calls, callbacks, provides, or coordinated_call. Each kind declares arity and cycle traversal semantics.
ResourceA protected architectural target such as a table, stream, endpoint, bucket, or domain object.
Required descriptionA non-empty function description required by a function shape trait or explicit description required.
Shape updateA changed global .shape declaration that keeps the architecture model aligned with source changes.
Shape traitA function-, component-, or resource-level trait such as PreserveInline or RefactorSensitive that derives review obligations.
Source refA language-tagged path with an optional stable symbol, such as ts("src/audit/store.ts#appendEvent").
TraitA reusable set of allowed, required, or forbidden effect patterns, and optional require_context obligations.
Unknown effectsAn explicit marker (effects unknown) that a function’s effects are not known yet.