Document structure and syntax

An Edict authority has one named authority block containing declarations and one named policy block containing its rules. Braces delimit blocks. Newlines separate statements. Source files use the .edict extension.

Language version and document properties

language "edict-v1"
authority "service-payment" {
    intent = "custom"
    version = "1"
    title = "Service payment limit"
    description = "Permit one positive payment of at most 100."

    input request { amount: Number }

    policy "payment-limit" {
        allow if (request.amount > 0 and request.amount <= 100)
    }
}

The language header, when present, must precede the authority on its own line. Only edict-v1 is accepted. Omitting the header always selects v1. An unknown version is a compilation error.

Keeper requires intent and version as text properties. intent selects the command format and available native inputs. version identifies the document revision. It does not replace the OCI digest. title and description are optional text for readers.

Declarations and their scope

Use authority-level let for shared constants. Use policy-level let for values derived from that action's inputs. Functions take the data they need as parameters. Inputs, records, lists, and maps remain immutable.

Names

Names are case-sensitive. Identifiers use ASCII letters, digits, and the _ character, begin with a letter or _, and contain no spaces. recipient and Recipient are different names. Authority ids, policy ids and rule labels are quoted strings.

A field whose name is a keyword can use backticks in its declaration and access:

input request {
    `approver`: Text
}

Read it as request.`approver` . Backticks escape field names that follow the identifier syntax. Use a map and bracket lookup for arbitrary text keys such as "invoice-42".

Literals and records

Source number literals are decimal digits with an optional fractional part. Write 0.5, not .5. Source literals do not use exponent notation, hexadecimal notation, or digit separators. JSON requests may still contain exponent-form numbers.

Strings use double quotes. Escapes include \", \\, \n, \r, \t and \uXXXX. A newline inside a string must be escaped. Text comparisons are case-sensitive.

Use : to declare a field's type and = to assign a value or a default:

struct Recipient {
    country: Text
    active: Boolean = true
}

let recipient = {country = "AE", active = true}

Lines, comments, and formatting

Statements have no semicolons. Start a new declaration or rule on a new line. A // comment runs to the end of the line. Block comments are not supported.

let allowedCountries = [
    "AE",
    "GB"
]

// Give the total its own name when several rules need it.
let maximumTotal = 1000

Lists and call arguments can span lines within their brackets or parentheses. Use parentheses around a multiline Boolean expression after if, or use a when block with one condition per line. The expressions guide explains evaluation order and short circuit behavior.

Continue with Types and input schemas.