self-describing

self-describing is the quality of information of not requiring contextual information to understand its intended meaning and therefore maximizing its interoperability.

self-describing is maximized when contextual information approximates to needed information.

self-describing is unachievable. It should not be understood in absolute terms, but as an spectrum with a platonic end that any information that aims to maximize its comprehension should aim for.

self-describing can be understood in semantic or synthetic computational terms. In both cases when self-describing is maximized so is its interoperability.

In semantic terms the more self-describing a meaning unit projection is, the more capacity to be understood has.

A meaning unit with high self-describing qualities is a self-describing semantic unit.

E: Many linear medium of communication, such as books require an “intro” to provide contextual information, so the book can be understood without having to read external information. In this case the book is somehow self-describing but it still requires that the subject reading it knows the meaning of all its word (is not providing its definitions)

In synthetic computational terms, self-describing qualities enables the maximization of its interoperability within different systems as it contains all the necessary information to be operational without requiring additional external information.

E: Code without dependencies is more self-describing than a code that requires external libraries.

E: The following are structures and concepts that could be considered self-describing to a high extend:

• book
• literal definition
• Literate programming
• Merkle tree
• blockchain
• Multiformats