sprig and prose
sprig is a small system for describing a world and exploring how systems respond to it.
prose is the language used to describe that world.
Most systems are easier to run than to understand. Code explains how; meaning drifts; understanding fades over time.
sprig exists to keep meaning close to the system — calmly.
A tiny universe
The easiest way to understand sprig is to look at a very small example.
universe Garden {
describe {
A small garden with a few plants.
}
concept Plant {
describe {
A living thing that grows over time.
}
dimension species {
describe {
Plants come in many different varieties.
}
}
species TomatoPlant { }
species BasilPlant { }
}
relationship hydrates and isHydratedBy { }
concept Watering {
describe {
Giving water to a plant.
}
relationships {
hydrates { Plant }
}
}
}This is a complete universe.
It describes what exists and how things relate.
Most systems begin this way — small, and gradually becoming clearer over time.
What sprig does
Sprig reads a universe and makes it visible.
You can:
- compile a universe into a manifest
- explore it through a local UI
- follow how concepts connect
The structure comes directly from what you described. There are no hidden rules.
The manifest
When you run sprig compile, a manifest is produced.
The manifest is a normalized view of the universe:
- every concept has a stable identity
- every relationship is resolved
- every connection is explicit
It is simple JSON.
Other systems can read it.
The shape of the system
Sprig and prose separate two concerns.
- Prose describes a world
- Sprig makes that world visible
This keeps the system small and flexible.
The world can change without changing how it is explored.
Philosophy
sprig follows a few simple ideas.
nouns over verbs systems are easier to understand as things and relationships
start small a useful universe can be very simple
describe, don’t control sprig records meaning without enforcing behavior
incremental adoption systems can participate without rewrites
calm by design the language stays small so the system stays understandable
What comes next
A universe describes what could be true.
In the next phase, systems can respond to it.
Using a small SDK, systems will be able to:
- read a universe
- generate simple receipts
- state what they know
The universe stays the same. Different systems respond to it.