Tag Vector Series: Table of Contents

• Tag Vector: Part 0: Introduction
• Tag Vector: Part 1: Tag Vector Convention
• Tag Vector: Part 2: History of the Tag Vector Convention
• Tag Vector: Part 3: Future of Tag Vector System

Tag Vector is a system to connect "tags" with vector arrows. The vector demonstrates the contextual relationship between tags. The tags are in relation to each other. The relationships between tags are relative to each other on inference levels. A tag in a vector has a higher ↑, lower ↓$, or the same inference level compared to other tags. ^[1].

The tag person has a higher inference level than name as name is an attribute of person.

const person_name = 'Elon Musk'
// person & name are connected as a 1 dimensional right-arrow vector: person->name
// person & name are tags

Inferred vectors can also run left <-

Is inference, vectors can also be in the left direction:

const name_person = 'Elon Musk'
// name is inferred to be downstream of person
// The vector is name<-person

Default Direction when tags are on the same inferential level

If two tags are on the same inferential level, such as person & company, the vector arrow will be -> by default.

const person_company = { name: 'SpaceX' }
// person->company

The default direction can also be <- (left). A <- default direction should be documented. Future tooling will include the default direction for code & text analysis.

// <- default
const company_company = { name: 'SpaceX' }
// company<-person

Overriding the Default Direction

The default direction can be overridden in code with a comment above or before the statement.

// <-
const company_company = { name: 'SpaceX' }
// company<-person

Tag Vectors with 3 or more tags

A tag vector composes of any number of tags. Apply the inference level rules to the first & last tag. In the following case:

const company_person_name = 'Elon Musk'
// inferred as company->person->name

Infer the company & name tags against each other. company has a higher inference level than name so the inferred direction is ->. Conversely:

const name_person_company = 'Elon Musk'
// inferred as name<-person<-company

is in the <- direction from inferring name having a lower inference level than company.

An ambiguous inference level follows the same rules above:

const person_registry_company = { name: 'SpaceX' }
// person->registry->company

or

// <- default
const company_registry_person = { name: 'SpaceX' }
// company<-registry<-person

multi-dimension tag vectors

Compose tag vectors into a multi-dimension tag vector.

const highest_net_worth__company_person_name = 'Elon Musk'
// highest->net->worth-->company->person->name

The multi-vector is composed to two vectors highest->net->worth & company->person->name with a -->. Note there are two underscores __ used to join the single underscore _ tag vectors.

Additional dimensions can be chained together:

const as_of_2023__highest_net_worth__company_person_name = 'Elon Musk'
// as->of->2023-->highest->net->worth-->company->person->name

The inference levels of the name vectors are compared, with the more abstract has a higher inference level than the concrete. In grammar, the predicate as->of->2023 has a higher inference level than the subject company->person->name.

Continuing with inference levels in grammar; an adjective, adverb, preposition, or conjunction as would be more abstract than a noun 2023.

Data Structure Shape

The Tag Vector Convention can encode the shape of the data structure.

Array

const company_person_name_a = [
     'Elon Musk',
     'Mark Zuckerberg',
]
// company->person->name->a(array)

Multi-dimensional Array

const company_a_person_name_aa = [
     ['Elon Musk', 'Zachary Kirkhorn'],
     ['Mark Zuckerberg', 'Susan Li'],
]
// company->a->person_name->aa
// A 2-dimensional array, company x person_name

Higher dimensions can also use a number to express the dimensionality.

const d1_a_d2_a2_d3_a3_d4_a4:number[][][][] =
  [ // d1
    [ // d2
      [ // d3
        [ // d4
          1
        ]
      ]
    ]
  ]

Record

const company_id_R_ceo_name:Record<string, string> = {
  'tesla': 'Elon Musk',
  'facebook': 'Mark Zuckerberg',
}

Map

const company_id_M_ceo_name:Map<string, string> = new Map([
  ['tesla', 'Elon Musk'],
  ['facebook', 'Mark Zuckerberg'],
])

[1]:

Unfortunately, there are no font ligatures for the up & down arrows so the utf-8 characters ↑ (0x2191) & ↓ (0x2193) are used.