Ref-001: CADSL (Cognitive Artifact DSL) Language Specification

Type

Reference Documentation - Language Specification

Bounded Context

Cognitive Extension

Purpose

Defines the Cognitive Artifact Domain-Specific Language (CADSL), a declarative language for defining and constructing dynamic, interactive cognitive artifacts within SEA-Forge™. CADSL enables AI agents to generate and recommend artifacts in real-time to support knowledge work.

1. Introduction

The Cognitive Artifact DSL (CADSL) is a declarative language designed to be both human-readable and machine-interpretable. It provides a vocabulary of symbolic elements that can be combined to create cognitive artifacts ranging from simple checklists to complex interactive diagrams.

Design Goals

AI-Generative: Artifacts can be dynamically created by AI agents based on conversational context
Human-Editable: Users can modify artifacts through natural interactions
Platform-Agnostic: Rendering is separate from definition (CADSL → Renderer)
Semantically Rich: Elements carry meaning beyond visual presentation

2. Core Principles

2.1. Modularity and Composability

Artifacts are composed of a small set of fundamental, reusable elements. Complex artifacts emerge from simple combinations.

Example:

Section:
  children:
    - Heading
    - UnorderedList
    - Button

2.2. Declarative Syntax

The DSL defines what an artifact is, not how to render it. This separates the artifact’s structure and content from its visual presentation.

Benefit:

Same CADSL definition can render as:
- Web UI (Remix components)
- Mobile interface
- Voice interface
- PDF export

2.3. Dynamic and Interactive

Artifacts are not static. They can be:

Edited by the user
Updated in response to user interaction
Modified by external events (e.g., workflow state change)

State Management:

Each element has an id for referencing
State changes trigger re-rendering
Collaboration via shared state

2.4. Context-Aware

The generation and content of artifacts are informed by:

Conversational context: What the user is discussing
User needs: Current task or goal
Knowledge base: Semantic Core, Knowledge Graph
Historical data: Previous artifact usage, feedback

3. MECE Element Taxonomy

The CADSL is composed of a MECE (Mutually Exclusive and Collectively Exhaustive) set of symbolic elements organized into 10 categories:

3.1. Content Elements

Textual Content:

Element	Purpose	Example Use
`TextField`	Single-line text input	Name, title, short answer
`TextArea`	Multi-line text input	Description, notes, long-form content
`Label`	Descriptive text for elements	Form field labels
`Heading`	Main title or section heading	Artifact title
`Subheading`	Secondary title	Section headers
`Paragraph`	Block of text content	Explanatory text, instructions

Visual Content:

Element	Purpose	Example Use
`Image`	Picture or illustration	Screenshots, diagrams, photos
`Icon`	Symbolic representation	Status icons, action indicators
`Diagram`	Visual representation of concepts	Flowcharts, UML diagrams
`Chart`	Data visualization	Bar charts, pie charts, graphs

3.2. Structural Elements

Containers:

Element	Purpose	Example Use
`Section`	Divides content into parts	Logical grouping of related elements
`Panel`	Separate area within workspace	Sidebar, info panel
`Frame`	Isolated view or context	Embedded content, iframe-like
`Tab`	Navigable content area	Multi-view artifacts
`Canvas`	Area for creating/organizing	Freeform workspace, whiteboard

Lists and Grids:

Element	Purpose	Example Use
`OrderedList`	Sequenced items	Steps, ranked priorities
`UnorderedList`	Non-sequenced items	Feature lists, bullet points
`Table`	Structured data representation	Data grids, comparison tables

3.3. Interactive Elements

Input Controls:

Element	Purpose	Example Use
`Button`	Clickable action	Submit, Save, Next
`Checkbox`	Binary option	Task completion, feature toggles
`RadioButton`	Mutually exclusive selection	Single-choice questions
`Dropdown`	Selectable options from list	Category selection, filters
`Slider`	Adjustable value within range	Priority levels, percentages
`Toggle`	On/off state	Enable/disable features
`SelectionGroup`	Grouped selectable items	Multi-select checkboxes

Interactive Regions:

Element	Purpose	Example Use
`DragAndDropArea`	Region for moving items	Kanban boards, prioritization
`ClickableRegion`	Area responding to clicks	Hotspots, image maps
`ItemSelector`	Tool for choosing items	Date picker, color picker

3.4. Relational Elements

Connectors:

Element	Purpose	Example Use
`Line`	Indicates relationship or flow	Connecting concepts
`Arrow`	Indicates directionality	Process flows, dependencies

Links:

Element	Purpose	Example Use
`Hyperlink`	Reference to external/internal resource	URLs, cross-references
`Reference`	Citation or pointer to content	Footnotes, bibliography

3.5. Organizational Elements

Hierarchy Indicators:

Element	Purpose	Example Use
`Indentation`	Shows parent-child relationships	Nested lists, tree structures
`Nesting`	Elements within elements	Hierarchical data

Grouping Mechanisms:

Element	Purpose	Example Use
`Folder`	Organizes files or content	File explorers, content organization
`GroupBox`	Visually groups items	Related controls, logical sections

3.6. Annotation Elements

Notes and Comments:

Element	Purpose	Example Use
`StickyNote`	Small text note attached to content	Reminders, quick thoughts
`CommentBubble`	Annotation linked to specific part	Feedback, discussions

Highlighting and Marking:

Element	Purpose	Example Use
`Highlight`	Emphasizes text or areas	Important sections
`Underline`	Indicates importance or links	Key terms
`Flag`	Indicator for attention or action	Follow-up items, urgent tasks

3.7. Temporal Elements

Time Indicators:

Element	Purpose	Example Use
`Timeline`	Chronological representation of events	Project milestones, history
`Calendar`	Dates and scheduling	Meeting planner, deadlines
`Schedule`	Planned activities or tasks	Daily agenda, sprints
`ProgressBar`	Visualizes completion status	Task progress, loading states

3.8. Feedback Elements

Status Indicators:

Element	Purpose	Example Use
`Notification`	Alert for event or update	System messages
`Alert`	Urgent or important message	Errors, warnings
`Badge`	Counter or status symbol	Unread counts, labels
`ProgressIndicator`	Shows ongoing operation	Spinners, loading animations

3.9. Semantic Elements

Tags and Metadata:

Element	Purpose	Example Use
`Tag`	Descriptive label for searching/grouping	Keywords, categories
`CategoryLabel`	Defines content type	Content classification
`MetadataField`	Additional information about content	Author, date, version
`Legend`	Explanation for symbols or colors	Chart legends, diagram keys

3.10. Collaboration Elements

User Indicators:

Element	Purpose	Example Use
`Avatar`	Visual representation of user	User profiles, authorship
`PresenceIndicator`	Shows active participants	Real-time collaboration status

Shared Components:

Element	Purpose	Example Use
`SharedEditingArea`	Collaborative workspace	Co-editing documents
`UserComment`	Feedback from other users	Discussions, reviews

4. CADSL Syntax

4.1. YAML Representation

CADSL artifacts are typically represented in YAML for human readability:

artifact: <artifact-type>
metadata:
  id: <unique-id>
  name: <human-readable-name>
  ownerId: <user-id>
  isReadOnly: <boolean>
canvas:
  - type: <ElementType>
    id: <optional-element-id>
    properties:
      <key>: <value>

4.2. JSON Representation

For machine processing and storage, CADSL uses JSON format (see SDS-001 for schemas):

{
  "id": "artifact-123",
  "name": "Project Planner",
  "type": "ProjectPlanner",
  "canvas": [
    {
      "type": "Heading",
      "content": "My Project"
    },
    {
      "type": "Section",
      "children": []
    }
  ]
}

5. Example: Project Planner Artifact

5.1. CADSL Definition (YAML)

artifact: project-planner
metadata:
  id: prj-001
  name: "Project Plan: Launch New Feature"
  ownerId: user-456
  isReadOnly: false

canvas:
  - type: Heading
    content: "Project Plan: Launch New Feature"

  - type: Section
    id: objectives
    children:
      - type: Subheading
        content: "Objectives"
      - type: UnorderedList
        items:
          - "Increase user engagement by 15%"
          - "Improve feature discovery"

  - type: Section
    id: tasks
    children:
      - type: Subheading
        content: "Tasks"
      - type: OrderedList
        items:
          - type: Checkbox
            id: task-1
            label: "Design new UI mockups"
            checked: false
          - type: Checkbox
            id: task-2
            label: "Develop backend API"
            checked: false
          - type: Checkbox
            id: task-3
            label: "Implement frontend components"
            checked: false

  - type: Section
    id: timeline
    children:
      - type: Subheading
        content: "Timeline"
      - type: Calendar
        events:
          - date: "2025-11-15"
            label: "Design complete"
          - date: "2025-12-01"
            label: "Development complete"

5.2. Rendered Output (Conceptual)

The CADSL Runtime & Renderer (TypeScript/Node.js service) would interpret this definition and generate:

Web UI (Remix):

Interactive checklist with state management
Calendar component with event markers
Editable text fields
Real-time collaboration indicators

PDF Export:

Static representation with checkboxes
Calendar table view
Print-optimized layout

Voice Interface:

Read objectives aloud
Confirm task completion verbally
Announce upcoming deadlines

6. AI Agent Integration

6.1. Context-Aware Generation

AI agents analyze conversational context to generate appropriate artifacts:

Example Conversation:

User: "I need to plan the Q1 product launch"

AI Agent:
Extracts intent: Project planning
Queries Knowledge Graph for similar projects
Generates CADSL for ProjectPlanner artifact
Populates with context-aware defaults
Presents to user for refinement

6.2. Dynamic Modification

AI agents can modify artifacts in real-time:

User: "Add a task for user testing"

AI Agent:
1. Locates "tasks" section in CADSL
2. Inserts new Checkbox element
3. Updates artifact state
4. Triggers re-render

6.3. Recommendation Algorithm

The Recommendation Algorithm Service uses:

User history: Previous artifact preferences
Task type: Current activity (planning, analysis, design)
Artifact performance: User feedback on artifact usefulness
Semantic context: Domain concepts from Knowledge Graph

Output: Recommended artifact type + pre-populated content

7. Rendering Pipeline

7.1. CADSL → Frontend Components

CADSL Definition (YAML/JSON)
    ↓
CADSL Runtime Parser
    ↓
Abstract Artifact Model
    ↓
Remix Component Mapper
    ↓
React Components (Interactive UI)

7.2. Renderer Implementation

Technology Stack:

Parser: TypeScript/Node.js (CADSL Runtime service)
Frontend: Remix + React components
State Management: Remix loaders/actions for server state
Real-time: WebSockets for collaboration

Key Services (from ARCH-001):

Artifact Engine Service: Generates CADSL definitions
CADSL Runtime & Renderer: Parses and renders to UI
Context Analyzer Service: Provides context for generation

8. Extensibility

8.1. Custom Element Types

Teams can extend CADSL with domain-specific elements:

customElements:
  - type: KanbanBoard
    extends: Canvas
    properties:
      columns:
        - "To Do"
        - "In Progress"
        - "Done"
      cards: DragAndDropArea

8.2. Template Library

Pre-built artifact templates for common use cases:

ProjectPlanner: Tasks, timelines, objectives
MindMap: Hierarchical concept mapping
DecisionMatrix: Comparison tables with scoring
Checklist: Simple task lists
Roadmap: Timeline with milestones
DesignCritique: Annotations on images/diagrams

9. Validation and Quality

9.1. Schema Validation

All CADSL definitions must validate against JSON Schemas (see SDS-001):

CadslElement base schema
Element-specific schemas (TextField, Section, etc.)
CognitiveArtifact complete schema

9.2. Semantic Validation

Beyond syntax, artifacts are validated for:

Logical consistency: Checkbox inside OrderedList makes sense
Accessibility: All interactive elements have labels
Usability: Maximum nesting depth, readability

10. SEA-Forge™ Implementation Roadmap

Phase 1: Core Elements

Implement the 20 most-used elements:

Heading, Subheading, Paragraph
Section, Panel
TextField, TextArea
Checkbox, Button
OrderedList, UnorderedList

Phase 2: Interactive Elements

DragAndDropArea (Kanban boards)
Calendar, Timeline
Chart, Diagram

Phase 3: Collaboration

SharedEditingArea
UserComment, PresenceIndicator
Real-time sync via WebSockets

Phase 4: Advanced Rendering

PDF export
Mobile-optimized layouts
Voice interface adapters

SDS-001: Data Model Schemas - JSON schemas implementing CADSL elements
ANALYSIS-001: SEA™ Original Domain Analysis - Cognitive Extension domain
ARCH-001: SEA™ Container Diagram - CADSL Runtime & Renderer service
ADR-001: Core Principles - Platform philosophy

12. References

MECE Principle: Mutually Exclusive and Collectively Exhaustive categorization
Declarative Programming: Separation of “what” from “how”
DSL Design Patterns: Domain-Specific Language best practices

Status: This represents the CADSL language specification. Implementation in SEA-Forge™ should follow this design with adaptations for the 5-pillar architecture.