Assurance fabric / System overview
One type registry for language, storage, and exchange
MerTekTypes defines the names and shapes used by Trident, MerDB, MerBuf, and tools. Logical types stay separate from their wire and storage forms.
Inside the system
Each plate preserves the internal layout, paths, boundaries, and highlighted decisions. Use the short label first, then follow the lines through the system.
one source · several consumers · no aliases
name, logical identity, wire form, accessor
declarations, signatures, schema strings
column rules and durable schema identity
typed bytes and decoded values
public meaning stays separate from storage mechanism
| Public type | Logical job | Wire form | Runtime accessor |
|---|---|---|---|
| guid | global identity | MB_U128 | text |
| f16 | low-precision scalar | MB_F16 | f64 |
| tensor | numeric tensor | MB_BUFFER | buffer |
| instant | UTC wall-clock moment | MB_INSTANT | instant |
| measure | dimensioned quantity | MB_MEASURE | object |
base · parameter · optional · array
i32required scalar
i32?optional scalar
i32[]dense array
i32?[]array with optional elements
decimal(4)exact decimal with a scale
measure<force>physical value with a fixed dimension
i32[]?refused because the suffix order is wrong
decimalrefused when the schema omits the scale
one vocabulary · several data domains
bool, i8 through u128, f16 through f64, and decimal(N).
instant, duration, and measure<dim> keep units and dimensions visible.
vec2, vec3, quat, matrices, bounds, complex values, and color.
guid, text, enum, buffer, stream, merbuf, and tensor.
append · implement · document · prove
Never renumber a durable type id. Reuse a retired slot only under its explicit storage contract.
Add the wire codec, schema rules, runtime value, accessors, and round trip that the type needs.
Move the Trident language reference, the MerDB schema reference, and this map with the code.
Prove every row, shape, wire, accessor, store path, and text parse surface from the registry itself.
Do not keep a silent alias or a fallback decoder. A retired spelling must fail by name.
Key parts
These are the main boundaries, inputs, outputs, and failure rules. The examples show a specific use of each part.
Each supported type has one approved name. The language, database, and encoded data all read from the same authority.
A readiness field declared as an instant or duration keeps that meaning in application logic, storage, and exchange.
The mission-facing type is kept separate from its compact stored form. The platform can preserve meaning while using an efficient representation.
A globally unique identifier remains a guid to the program even when its bytes use a shared wide-integer storage form.
Optional values, arrays, exact decimals, physical measures, vectors, time, and large-data references use declared shapes. Unsupported or malformed forms are refused.
A financial rate can use an exact decimal while a distance uses a measure with physical dimensions, preventing an accidental mix.
Uses
Pilot questions
Which program terms need one shared type
Where current interfaces lose units or precision
How new data shapes remain compatible with fielded software