Glossary

Shape — the schema of a project: its node types, relationship types and their properties. Drawn in Shape mode; mirrored in the database.

Node type — a kind of thing (Concept, Verse). Has a colour, properties, a title property, and a Visual Priority.

Relationship type — a kind of connection, named in capitals (SUPPORTS). Connects one or more pairs of node types, each a connection, in a direction.

Two-way — a connection allowed in both directions between two types, drawn as one line with two arrowheads; for a type connected to itself, a mark that a link means the same either way.

Property — something a node or connection knows: Text, Number, Link, Boolean or Enum. Title: the property that names each node or connection. Mark: the boolean shown on the graph as a tick or cross. Embedded: a text property whose values are vectors for vector search. Default: the value given when none is.

Applied shape — the shape the database currently has; the drawn shape catches up as soon as it’s valid.

Identifier — the database name derived from a display name: FreeEnergyPrinciple, RELATES_TO, year_published.

Node, relationship — one thing and one connection in the graph; each has an id, a UUID.

Explore — bringing nodes onto the canvas; the canvas shows only what’s been explored. Expand: bring in a node’s neighbours. Fold / hide: take nodes off with what came out of them. Branch: what a node brought in.

Visual Priority — First, Normal or Ad Hoc: when a type’s nodes come in on expanding a neighbour.

Pinned — a node that stays where you dragged it.

Answer canvas — the search bar’s own canvas, showing an answer; separate from the explored canvas.

Lens — a canvas’s arrangement and filters: form, sort, direction, spacing, split, filter. Form: Rows, Rings, Spiral or Stacks. Lane / wedge / island / band: one category’s space in each form. Ruler: the sorted axis.

Query mode — Auto, Text to Cypher, Vector, Raw Cypher, Raw Text.

Scope — ::Type:property:: in Raw Text or Vector: where to search. Pill: what unscoped text searches.

Trail — the steps of an answer under the search bar.

Route — Auto’s decision: cypher, semantic, semantic then graph, graph then semantic.

Passage — a chunk of embedded text (about a paragraph) with its vector. Reconciler: what keeps passages in step with the graph.

Draft — what the AI builder proposes: new nodes, relationships and changes, waiting for review. Change: a removal or edit found by a read-only query. Turn: one message and its answer. Conversation: a series of turns, kept with the project.

Tag — @id in a note, pointing at a node or relationship. Hop: -> or <- in a tag, a step along connections.

Helper — syncretic-mcp, the MCP server inside the app bundle that AI apps start.

Lumen — the app’s theme: Porcelain (light) and Midnight (dark).