# Project Terminology

A glossary of key terms and concepts for this project.

## Core Concepts

### Abstract Syntax Tree

**Definition:** A tree representation of the abstract syntactic structure of source code or markup, where each node represents a construct occurring in the source.

**Synonyms:** AST, Parse Tree

**Related Terms:** Parser, Token, Node

**Example:**
```markdown
# Heading
Paragraph text
```

The AST representation would include nodes for heading (level 1) and paragraph elements.

### Schema Validation

**Definition:** The process of verifying that a document's structure conforms to a predefined schema specification.

**Synonyms:** Structural Validation, Schema Conformance

**Related Terms:** JSON Schema, Validator, Metaschema

**Use Cases:**
- Ensuring documentation completeness
- Enforcing content standards
- Automated quality checks

## Document Types

### Manpage

**Definition:** A manual page document following Unix/Linux documentation conventions, typically including sections like SYNOPSIS, DESCRIPTION, and OPTIONS.

**Format:** Markdown with specific heading structure

**Related Terms:** Documentation, Manual, Help Text

### Blueprint

**Definition:** A template specification that combines schemas, content instructions, and data templates for generating documents.

**Components:**
- Schema references
- Content model
- Data schema
- Generation rules

## Process Terms

### Schema Refinement

**Definition:** The process of transforming a rigid, auto-generated schema into a flexible, classification-aware schema with content guidance.

**Steps:**
1. Analyze existing schema for rigidity
2. Loosen exact constraints to ranges
3. Add classification metadata
4. Include content instructions

**Tools:** `markitect schema-analyze`, `markitect schema-refine`

## Quality Attributes

### Classification Levels

**Definition:** A hierarchical system for categorizing document elements based on their importance and requirements.

**Levels:**
- **Required**: Must be present (validation fails if missing)
- **Recommended**: Should be present (warning if missing)
- **Optional**: May be present (no impact)
- **Discouraged**: Should not be present (warning if present)
- **Improper**: Must not be present (validation fails if present)

## Deprecated Terms

### Rigid Schema

**Status:** DEPRECATED - Use "Unrefined Schema" instead

**Definition:** A schema with exact count constraints that make it unusable as a pattern.

**Migration:** Use schema refinement tools to convert to flexible schemas.