Answers
The four standings
A standing is the one word an answer carries for how far it can be relied on. There are four, one
meaning each. A refusal is verdict: refused, with a code and a place; it is not a fifth standing.
| Token | Means | In a sentence | In the book's voice |
|---|---|---|---|
| established | the kernel accepted the claim at its scope, over the admitted program and data; a known "No" is established, and so is a received fact's having been received | "Yes.", "No." | established |
| bounded | a quantity or count lies within stated bounds, or a collection's membership is only partly resolved | "from 1100 to unbounded", "from 3 to 4", a list with unresolved members | bounded |
| pending | the basis admits both answers: a need unmet, a row still arriving, a read unfinished, a sentence unread | "not yet" | can't tell yet |
| crossed | two incompatible answers, both kept, neither demoted | "Conflicted" | crossed |
Reading an answer
An answer is relative to its admitted document, data and declarations. An established received fact says that the record received it; it does not establish the fact's truth outside the record.
A positive answer can retain an open condition: the document may leave another reason unstated. Its basis names that condition. A read still in progress is different: a relevant row may still arrive, so the answer is pending and names the read it waits on.
A known No is an established answer at its stated basis. A refusal has a code and place, and no standing token. It is not a business No or a fifth standing.
A displayed digest is a content identity. The short text form is not the complete receipt bytes and is not itself a proof that the input facts are true.