Glossary
Key terms used throughout EddaCraft documentation. We use forge metaphors sparingly—each term has a plain definition alongside.
Core Concepts
Anvil
The EddaCraft tool for validating AI-generated code changes. Named for the blacksmith's anvil—the stable surface where raw material is shaped into something reliable.
Plain definition: A CLI and service that runs quality gates on code changes before they reach review.
APS (Anvil Plan Specification)
A deterministic, hash-stable format for defining development plans. The specification that Anvil validates against.
Plain definition: A structured document format (Markdown with frontmatter) that describes what should be built, enabling reproducible validation.
Kindling
A tool for capturing structured observations from development sessions. Named for the small material that catches fire first—observations that spark larger understanding.
Plain definition: A memory capture system that stores context from coding sessions in a structured, searchable format.
Plan Structure
Index
The root document of an APS plan. Lists all modules and provides project-level metadata.
Plain definition: The index.aps.md file that ties together all parts of a
plan.
Module
A cohesive unit of functionality within a plan. Contains related tasks.
Plain definition: A group of related tasks, typically mapping to a feature or component.
Task
A unit of authorised work. Defines an outcome and how to validate it.
Plain definition: A specific piece of work with clear success criteria and a validation command.
Step
A checkpoint within task execution. Observable state only—no implementation details.
Plain definition: A milestone that describes what should be true, not how to achieve it.
Validation
Gate
A quality check that code must pass before proceeding. Gates are deterministic and composable.
Plain definition: A validation rule (lint, test, coverage, policy) that blocks or allows changes.
Check
A single validation rule within a gate. Examples: ESLint check, coverage check, secret detection.
Plain definition: One specific test applied during gate validation.
Evidence
The immutable record of a validation run. Includes inputs, outputs, and provenance.
Plain definition: A timestamped, signed record proving what was validated and the result.
Memory (Kindling)
Capsule
A container for observations from a bounded context (typically a session or project).
Plain definition: A named collection of observations, stored together for retrieval.
Observation
A single piece of captured context. Has a kind, content, and provenance.
Plain definition: A structured note with metadata about where it came from.
Provenance
The origin and lineage of data. Who created it, when, from what source.
Plain definition: Metadata that traces data back to its source.
Architecture
Edda Stack
The complete EddaCraft architecture: Kindling (capture) → Ember (candidate) → Edda (curated).
Plain definition: The layered system for capturing, promoting, and curating development memory.
Ember
(Planned) Candidate memory awaiting promotion to curated status.
Plain definition: Observations that have been flagged as potentially valuable but not yet verified.
Edda
(Planned) Curated, verified knowledge extracted from observations.
Plain definition: The final layer of trusted, reusable knowledge.
Workflow
Session
A bounded period of development work, typically with a specific goal.
Plain definition: A time-boxed unit of work, from start to commit/abandon.
Run
A single execution of Anvil validation against a codebase.
Plain definition: One invocation of anvil run or equivalent.
Artefact
Any file or data produced during execution that may be referenced later.
Plain definition: Build outputs, reports, logs, or other generated files.
Integration
Adapter
A component that connects external tools to EddaCraft systems.
Plain definition: Code that translates between external formats and EddaCraft's internal formats.
MCP (Model Context Protocol)
A standard for providing context to AI models.
Plain definition: A protocol for tools to expose structured context to LLMs.