Specification Overview

Structured Context Specification

SCS defines how to create, validate, version, and deploy structured context for AI systems. It’s the format that SCS plugins generate — you don’t need to write it by hand, but understanding the structure helps when working with complex projects.

Current Version: v0.3 (actively evolving)

Core concepts

Structured Context Documents (SCDs)

SCDs are YAML files containing structured context organized by tier:

Meta Tier (scd:meta:*): SCS specification language itself
Standards Tier (scd:standards:*): External compliance requirements
Project Tier (scd:project:*): Company/project-specific context

Bundles

Bundles are versioned packages of SCDs with:

Unique ID (bundle:<name>:<version>)
Type (meta, standards, domain, concern, project)
List of SCDs
Imports (dependency bundles)
Provenance (who, when, why)

Bundle types

Meta Bundle

What: Universal SCS vocabulary
Who: SCS (platform owner)
Cardinality: 1 per ecosystem
Example: bundle:meta:1.0.0

Standards Bundle

What: External regulatory requirements
Who: Standards bodies (CHAI, NIST, AICPA)
Cardinality: Many (one per standard)
Examples: bundle:hipaa:1.0.0, bundle:soc2:1.0.0

Domain Bundle

What: Company knowledge aggregator
Who: CTO/CIO
Cardinality: 1 per company
Imports: One or more concern bundles
Example: bundle:acme-health-corp:1.0.0

Concern Bundle

What: Functional area standards (leaf nodes)
Who: VPs/Directors (Architect, CISO, CMO, CDO)
Cardinality: Variable
Examples: bundle:acme-architecture:1.0.0, bundle:acme-security:1.0.0

Project Bundle

What: Individual initiative
Who: Product/Project Managers
Cardinality: Many (one per project)
Imports: Typically imports domain bundle
Example: bundle:prior-auth-app:1.0.0

Bundle hierarchy

Project Bundle (AI uses this)
  ↓ imports
Domain Bundle (Company aggregator)
  ↓ imports
Concern Bundles (Architecture, Security, Clinical)
  ↓ may import
Standards Bundles (HIPAA, SOC2, CHAI)
  ↓ imports
Meta Bundle (SCS foundation)

Validation

DRAFT phase: Loose validation. Validates YAML structure and bundle fields, but does not enforce required SCD content. Supports the full spectrum from minimal to fully-specified.

Version phase: Strict validation. All checks enforced before versioning. Immutable once published.

Import resolution

When a bundle is deployed, imports are resolved recursively:

Input: bundle:prior-auth:1.0.0

Output (resolved):
[
  "bundle:prior-auth:1.0.0",           # Project
  "bundle:acme-health-corp:1.0.0",     # Domain
  "bundle:acme-architecture:1.0.0",    # Concern
  "bundle:acme-security:1.0.0",        # Concern
  "bundle:hipaa:1.0.0",                # Standards
  "bundle:meta:1.0.0"                  # Meta
]

All SCDs from all bundles are combined and provided to AI systems.