Glossary¶

A¶

Automatic Digital Provenance (ADP)¶

The emergent provenance graph produced from Maps, Navigators, Backpacks, Papyrus validation, and IR Routes. ADP tracks all immutable, planning-time resources and semantics. Cargo is explicitly excluded from ADP.

B¶

Backpack¶

An immutable, externally provided resource required during planning. Backpacks are fully known at planning time, versioned or hashed, read-only, and included in ADP. They must not be created or modified at runtime.

Backends (Execution Environments)¶

External systems that execute the backend-native files produced by a Guide. Backends own all runtime behavior, resource provisioning, and secret management. OriGen responsibility ends at the Execution Boundary.

C¶

Cargo¶

Data produced or modified at runtime. Cargo is mutable, ephemeral, backend-owned, and not part of determinism or ADP. Cargo edges form the runtime dataflow graph and are distinct from Backpacks.

Compass¶

OriGen’s deterministic planner. Consumes a Map and its Navigators, validates against Papyrus, resolves Backpacks, and produces a fully typed IR Route. Performs pure planning only, with no execution or environment discovery.

Conformance¶

The requirement that Guides, Navigators, Papyrus dialects, Dictionaries, and Extensions adhere to the IR specification and determinism model. Necessary for backend interoperability and ecosystem stability.

D¶

Determinism¶

Guarantee that IR Routes and backend-native outputs are identical for identical inputs. Determinism applies only to planning and file emission, not to runtime execution or external system behavior.

Dialect (Papyrus Dialect)¶

See Papyrus.

Dictionary¶

A vendor-authored vocabulary that maps Papyrus and IR semantics into backend-native constructs. Dictionaries evolve independently of OriGen core and must declare compatibility with specific Papyrus versions. They allow vendors to extend backend behavior without implementing their own Guide.

E¶

Execution Boundary¶

The point where OriGen stops. After generating backend-native files, OriGen performs no execution, validation, or environment interaction. All runtime concerns belong to the backend.

Extension (Papyrus Extension)¶

A vendor-authored, namespaced semantic augmentation to a Papyrus dialect. Extensions do not modify core semantics, are safe to ignore by unsupported backends, and may be promoted into Papyrus through RFC.

G¶

Guide¶

The translator that converts IR Routes into backend-native configuration using backend Dictionaries. Guides do not execute workflows or define backend behavior. They reflect Papyrus, IR, Navigator constraints, and vendor Extensions.

I¶

IR (Intermediate Representation)¶

A fully typed, deterministic, backend-independent representation of Workflow Intent. Routes contain no backend-specific fields and form the provenance graph for ADP.

M¶

Map¶

A declarative expression of Workflow Intent. Contains Steps, dependencies, arguments, Backpack references, and optional Extensions. Does not express execution mechanics or backend-specific behavior.

N¶

Navigator¶

A pinned, immutable specification of how Steps are realized with a particular toolchain. Defines behavior templates, required Backpacks, and Step-to-Papyrus mappings. Cannot define new Papyrus types or alter core semantics.

P¶

Papyrus¶

The semantic substrate that defines workflow meaning. A Papyrus dialect specifies Step types, retry semantics, isolation rules, Cargo behavior, workspace semantics, and determinism constraints. Not user-editable; evolution occurs through RFC and versioning.

Papyri¶

The complete family of Papyrus dialects.

R¶

Retry Semantics¶

Dialect-defined rules for retrying Steps. Part of Papyrus; cannot be altered by Maps, Navigators, or Guides.

Route (IR Route)¶

The output of the Compass: a fully validated, typed, deterministic representation of Workflow Intent. Backend-agnostic and stable across toolchains and environments.

U¶

Upstream Drift¶

Any mutation of tools, defaults, images, or external environments that would normally destabilize workflow reproducibility. OriGen neutralizes upstream drift through pinned toolchains and pure planning.

W¶

Workflow Intent¶

The high-level description of what a workflow should accomplish. Encoded in a Map; validated through Papyrus; realized through a Route.