> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://docs.zongsoft.com/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://docs.zongsoft.com/documentation/en/references/glossary.md).

# Glossary

Find framework, data, messaging, model and delivery terminology and jump to explanations and usage scenarios.

Use this glossary to find the relevant guides. Each linked topic explains the background, examples, and limitations in detail.

## Applications and Plugins

| Term             | Meaning                                                                                                            | Further Reading                                                                         |
| ---------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| Host             | The process entry point that establishes the runtime environment and hosts plugins                                 | [Host Overview](/documentation/en/hosting/hosting.md)                                   |
| Content root     | A base location used to resolve application configuration and resources; distinguish it from the working directory | [basic concepts](/documentation/en/overview/concepts.md#host)                           |
| Plugin           | An extension unit made up of a manifest and runtime artifacts, not merely another name for a DLL                   | [Plugin Architecture](/documentation/en/overview/pluginization.md)                      |
| Plugin tree      | The runtime structure that organizes builtins and extension points by path                                         | [Plugin concept](/documentation/en/overview/concepts.md#plugin-tree)                    |
| Builtin          | An object created, exposed, or referenced through plugin metadata                                                  | [Builtins and Services](/documentation/en/framework/plugins/builtins-and-services.md)   |
| Module           | A logical boundary organizing business services and their context                                                  | [Modules and providers](/documentation/en/overview/concepts.md#module-service-provider) |
| Service provider | An object that supplies service instances by contract and name                                                     | [service resolution](/documentation/en/framework/core/services/locating.md)             |
| Site             | A scenario division within a deployment configuration, often used for Web composition                              | [Web Host](/documentation/en/hosting/web.md)                                            |

## Data

| Term                 | Meaning                                                                                                       | Further Reading                                                                        |
| -------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| Entity mapping       | Metadata describing the relationship between business entities and database tables, fields, and relationships | [Mapping Files](/documentation/en/framework/data/mapping.md)                           |
| Data schema (Schema) | A selection of members and navigation shapes to read or write                                                 | [Data Schemas](/documentation/en/framework/data/schema.md)                             |
| Navigation property  | A member representing a related object or collection                                                          | [data concept](/documentation/en/framework/data/concepts.md)                           |
| Condition            | A predicate structure that selects records                                                                    | [Conditions and Operands](/documentation/en/framework/data/conditions-and-operands.md) |
| Data accessor        | An object that performs data operations using names and mappings                                              | [data access](/documentation/en/framework/data/data-access.md)                         |
| Data service         | A layer that organizes authorization, business rules, and extensions around data operations                   | [Data Services](/documentation/en/framework/data/services.md)                          |
| Ambient transaction  | A transaction scope that propagates with the current execution context                                        | [Transactions and Consistency](/documentation/en/framework/data/transactions.md)       |
| Archive format       | File conventions for importing and exporting model data                                                       | [spreadsheets and templates](/documentation/en/framework/externals/documents.md)       |

## Messaging and Distributed Collaboration

| Term                 | Meaning                                                                                       | Further Reading                                                                    |
| -------------------- | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| Broker               | An intermediary service that accepts, routes, or stores messages                              | [Message Queues](/documentation/en/framework/messaging.md)                         |
| Acknowledgment (ACK) | A consumer’s report that a message has reached an agreed processing stage                     | [delivery concept](/documentation/en/framework/messaging/concepts.md)              |
| Idempotency          | Repeating the same business operation produces no additional side effects                     | [reliable delivery](/documentation/en/framework/messaging/reliability.md)          |
| Backpressure         | Limiting incoming work when downstream processing cannot keep up                              | [delivery concept](/documentation/en/framework/messaging/concepts.md)              |
| Pending              | The state of a message accepted by the broker but not yet fully acknowledged                  | [Message storage](/documentation/en/framework/messaging/reliability.md)            |
| Lease                | A mechanism that maintains a resource or lock state for a validity period                     | [Caching and collaboration](/documentation/en/framework/externals/caching.md)      |
| Fencing token        | A monotonically increasing token that lets a resource reject writes from expired lock holders | [Distributed Locks](/documentation/en/framework/core/services/distributed-lock.md) |

## AI Integration, Diagnostics and Delivery

| Term                     | Meaning                                                                                  | Further Reading                                                                           |
| ------------------------ | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| Assistant                | A named entry point for a set of model connections and service capabilities              | [AI Integration](/documentation/en/framework/intelligences.md)                            |
| Session                  | An object that manages multi-turn chat state and history                                 | [Sessions and Streaming Responses](/documentation/en/framework/intelligences/sessions.md) |
| Streaming response       | Incremental delivery of content before the full result is available                      | [Sessions and Streaming Responses](/documentation/en/framework/intelligences/sessions.md) |
| Telemetry                | Operational observation data such as logs, metrics, and traces                           | [Diagnostics](/documentation/en/framework/diagnostics.md)                                 |
| OTLP                     | The OpenTelemetry protocol for transferring telemetry data                               | [protocol integration](/documentation/en/framework/diagnostics/otlp.md)                   |
| Deployment manifest      | A description of how files are assembled into a runtime directory                        | [deployment format](/documentation/en/references/deploy-files.md)                         |
| Release manifest         | A description of an upgrade package’s identity, size, checksum, and executor             | [Automatic Upgrades](/documentation/en/framework/upgrading.md)                            |
| Full/incremental release | A full copy after cleanup / an upgrade that overwrites files in the existing directory   | [Upgrade type](/documentation/en/framework/upgrading.md)                                  |
| `.deployment`            | A handoff description passed from the in-process upgrader to the out-of-process deployer | [upgrade integration](/documentation/en/framework/upgrading/workflow.md)                  |


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