Context Object Specification (COS)

Version: 0.2
Chapter: 300 — Pipeline
Status: Normative — Runtime Profile
Category: Pipeline Model

1. Purpose

This chapter defines the Pipeline Model of the Context Object Specification (COS).

The Pipeline defines how a raw user selection is progressively enriched into a Context Object.

The Pipeline is the runtime mechanism responsible for transforming user attention into structured contextual information.

2. Definition

A Pipeline is a controlled process that transforms an initial Selection and source content into a Context Object.

Formally:

Selection + Source Content
            |
            ▼
Context Enrichment Pipeline
            |
            ▼
Context Object

3. Conceptual Role

The Pipeline connects the two fundamental layers of COS:

Input Layer

Defined by:

• Selection
• Source Content

Output Layer

Defined by:

• Context Object

The Pipeline itself does not define the meaning of the data.

It defines the process through which usable context is constructed.

4. Pipeline Model

A Pipeline operates on a mutable execution state called ContextState.

Each stage receives the current ContextState and produces an enriched ContextState.

Conceptually:

C(n+1) = Stage(n)(C(n))

Where:

• C(n) represents the current ContextState
• Stage(n) represents an enrichment operation
• C(n+1) represents the enriched state

5. ContextState

ContextState is the runtime representation of a Context Object during Pipeline execution.

It may contain:

• incomplete information
• intermediate enrichment results
• execution metadata
• stage results

ContextState is mutable only inside a single Pipeline execution.

A ContextState version becomes a finalized Context Object when it is emitted to Consumers.

After emission, a Context Object MUST be treated as immutable. Later enrichment MUST produce a new ContextState version and a new emitted Context Object version.

6. Pipeline Input

A Pipeline MUST start with:

interface PipelineInput {
  selection: Selection;
  source: SourceContext;
}

The Pipeline MUST NOT start from:

• raw text only
• isolated metadata
• AI-generated content

The initial state MUST preserve the original user selection.

7. Pipeline Output

A successfully completed Pipeline produces:

interface PipelineOutput {
  contextObject: ContextObject;
}

The resulting Context Object MUST conform to the Core Model defined in Part II.

8. Enrichment Principle

Pipeline execution follows the Incremental Enrichment Principle defined in Chapter 140.

Each stage:

MUST:

• add information
• refine existing information
• preserve existing meaning

MUST NOT:

• replace the original Selection
• invalidate source references
• overwrite unrelated enrichment results

9. Pipeline Architecture

COS v0.2 defines a lean context construction pipeline.

The Pipeline consists of two conceptual execution zones:

Selection
    |
Source
    |
Context Segments
    |
Relations
    |
Context Object

10. Structural Pipeline

The Pipeline is responsible for deterministic context construction.

Characteristics:

• fast execution
• deterministic output
• no AI dependency

Typical responsibilities:

• locating selection source
• extracting covered context segments
• preserving selected text within each segment
• attaching deterministic relations

11. Optional Enrichment

Implementations MAY perform optional enrichment after the lean Context Object has been produced.

Characteristics:

• semantic labeling beyond deterministic segment type
• product-specific recommendations
• debug metadata
• integrity checks

Optional enrichment MUST NOT be required for Consumers to understand the core Context Object.

12. Asynchronous Execution

Pipeline stages MAY execute asynchronously.

Asynchronous stages MUST:

• preserve ContextState integrity
• report execution status
• avoid corrupting previous enrichment results

A delayed or failed stage MUST NOT invalidate the entire Context Object.

13. Partial Completion

A Pipeline MAY produce a partially enriched Context Object.

Example:

source             ✓
selection          ✓
context.segments   ✓
context.relations  ✗
extensions.debug   ✗

The resulting Context Object remains valid if required core components are available.

14. Deterministic Execution

Pipeline execution SHOULD be deterministic.

Given:

• identical Selection
• identical source content
• identical Pipeline configuration

The resulting Context Object SHOULD be equivalent.

Non-deterministic stages MUST expose additional metadata.

15. Pipeline Isolation

A Pipeline execution represents an isolated enrichment process.

Each execution SHOULD maintain:

• independent ContextState
• independent stage results
• independent execution metadata

Pipeline executions MUST NOT implicitly modify each other.

16. Extension Support

Pipeline MAY support additional stages through Extension mechanisms.

Extensions:

• MAY introduce new enrichment capabilities
• MUST NOT modify existing stage semantics
• MUST NOT bypass Core Model rules

17. Relationship to Other Components

User Interaction
      |
      ▼
Selection
      |
      ▼
Pipeline
      |
      ▼
Context Object
      |
      ▼
Consumer

Pipeline is the runtime bridge between user attention and contextual understanding.

18. Summary

The Pipeline defines the execution model of COS.

It transforms Selection and Document context into a Context Object through controlled, incremental enrichment.

The Pipeline is intentionally independent from AI providers, frameworks, and implementations.

AI capabilities are treated as optional enrichment stages rather than the foundation of the protocol.