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Hypergraph Values

Documentation status: reference — see Maturity and evidence.

Scalar values complement conceptual identities and relations. They should not replace a relation when that relation has meaning of its own.

Three forms to distinguish

  • scalar value;
  • instance reference;
  • conceptual relation.

The choice affects identity, nullability, comparison, persistence, and querying.

Rule

If information needs roles, provenance, temporality, or identity of its own, modeling it as a relation is generally more robust than using a simple field.