aethero_protocol/docs/asl_overview.md

# ASL (Aethero Syntax Language) Overview

## Introduction

ASL (Aethero Syntax Language) is a specialized markup language designed for the AetheroOS Protocol. It provides a standardized way to embed metadata, state information, and contextual details within agent communications and system operations.

## Core Concepts

### 1. Tag Structure
```
{tag_name: value, context: additional_info}
```

Example:
```
{mental_state: 'focused', certainty_level: 0.85, aeth_mem_link: 'aeth_mem_0123'}
```

### 2. Primary Tag Types

#### State Tags
- `mental_state`: Agent's cognitive state
- `emotion_tone`: Emotional context
- `certainty_level`: Confidence metric (0.0-1.0)

#### Memory Tags
- `aeth_mem_link`: Reference to memory storage
- `context_id`: Conversation context identifier
- `timestamp`: ISO-8601 formatted time

#### Process Tags
- `stage`: Current pipeline stage
- `agent_role`: Active agent identifier
- `task_status`: Execution status

### 3. Tag Validation Rules

1. **Format Requirements**
   - Tags must be JSON-parseable
   - Values must be properly typed
   - Required fields must be present

2. **Context Rules**
   - Stage transitions must be sequential
   - Memory links must be valid
   - Timestamps must be properly formatted

3. **Value Constraints**
   - Certainty levels: 0.0 to 1.0
   - States: predefined enumeration
   - IDs: valid UUID format

## Usage Examples

### 1. Agent State Tracking
```
{
    mental_state: 'analytical',
    certainty_level: 0.92,
    timestamp: '2025-05-28T14:32:00Z'
}
```

### 2. Memory Reference
```
{
    aeth_mem_link: 'aeth_mem_0123',
    context_id: 'conv_456',
    access_level: 'restricted'
}
```

### 3. Process Flow
```
{
    stage: 'analysis',
    agent_role: 'AnalystAgent',
    task_status: 'in_progress'
}
```

## Implementation Guidelines

### 1. Tag Processing
```python
def process_asl_tags(content: str) -> Dict:
    """
    Extract and validate ASL tags from content
    """
    tags = extract_tags(content)
    return validate_tags(tags)
```

### 2. Validation
```python
def validate_tags(tags: List[Dict]) -> bool:
    """
    Validate ASL tag structure and content
    """
    for tag in tags:
        if not validate_tag_structure(tag):
            return False
    return True
```

### 3. Context Management
```python
def manage_tag_context(tags: List[Dict], context: Dict) -> Dict:
    """
    Manage and update tag context
    """
    updated_context = context.copy()
    for tag in tags:
        updated_context.update(process_tag_context(tag))
    return updated_context
```

## Best Practices

1. **Tag Clarity**
   - Use descriptive tag names
   - Include sufficient context
   - Maintain consistent formatting

2. **Performance**
   - Minimize tag overhead
   - Batch related tags
   - Cache frequent lookups

3. **Security**
   - Validate all inputs
   - Sanitize tag content
   - Respect access levels

## Integration Examples

### 1. Agent Communication
```python
async def send_agent_message(content: str, context: Dict):
    tags = generate_asl_tags(context)
    message = format_with_tags(content, tags)
    await send_message(message)
```

### 2. Memory Storage
```python
def store_with_tags(content: str, tags: List[Dict]):
    validated_tags = validate_tags(tags)
    if validated_tags:
        store_content(content, validated_tags)
```

### 3. Pipeline Processing
```python
async def process_stage(content: str, stage: str):
    stage_tags = generate_stage_tags(stage)
    processed_content = await process_with_tags(content, stage_tags)
    return processed_content
```

## Future Development

1. **Extended Tag Types**
   - Behavioral analysis tags
   - Performance metric tags
   - Security context tags

2. **Enhanced Validation**
   - Deep context validation
   - Cross-reference checking
   - Pattern recognition

3. **Integration Features**
   - External system tags
   - Custom tag definitions
   - Dynamic tag processing

## Version History

- v1.0 (2025-05-28): Initial release
- v1.1 (2025-06-15): Added extended tag types
- v1.2 (2025-07-01): Enhanced validation rules

## References

1. AetheroOS Protocol Specification
2. Agent Communication Standards
3. Memory Management Documentation