Semantic Contracts

Kind: constraint

Layer: Contracts Core

Record: architecture:semantic-contracts

Severity: mandatory

Scope: domain, API, data

Canonical: Ontology

A rule or precondition that each term and value at a boundary has one agreed meaning, beyond its type.

Listed in Architecture principles, after Schema Contract and before Preconditions.

Requires

• Ubiquitous Language
• Domain Model

Reinforces

• Semantic Consistency
• Correctness

Enables

• Reliable Integration

Conflicts with

• Ambiguous Naming

In tension with

• Cross-Domain Translation

Tensions

• Semantic Contracts / Cross-Domain Translation

Violated by

• Ambiguous Naming

Refactored by

• Name the Concept
• Split Bounded Context
• Anti-Corruption Layer

Severity

• mandatory

Category

• Contracts / Interfaces / Compatibility

Linked from

• Why it works
• Semantic operations
• Instruction patterns
• Domain Architecture
• Correctness / Determinism / Verification
• Schema / Canonical Data / Semantics
• Contracts / Interfaces / Compatibility
• Core Vocabulary
• Domain Architecture
• Severity levels
• The resolutions