Syntax basics

This page describes the basic syntax used throughout sprig.

It is not a complete language reference. It is a guide to reading and writing prose comfortably.

Blocks

Sprig is built around blocks.

A block names something and optionally contains more information:

concept Greenhouse { }

Blocks always have:

• a type (concept)
• a name (Greenhouse)
• optional contents inside { }

Block contents

A block may contain:

• descriptive text
• nested blocks
• fields
• or nothing at all

For example:

concept Greenhouse {
  describe {
    A small greenhouse that exists across seasons.
  }
}

Whitespace and formatting are not significant. Sprig cares about meaning, not layout.

Identifiers

Identifiers name things.

They are written as plain words, without quotes:

concept TomatoPlant { }

Identifiers:

• are case-sensitive
• must be unique within their scope
• are resolved based on relationships, not file location

You’ll learn more about resolution and scoping later.

Strings and prose

Sprig supports two kinds of text, used for different purposes.

Prose blocks

Blocks like describe, note, and title contain free prose.

describe {
  A small basil plant with bright green leaves.
}

Prose:

• is not parsed
• is not interpreted
• may contain any text
• exists only to be read by humans

Sprig does not inspect or validate the contents of prose blocks.

Strings

Strings are used in places where sprig expects structured values.

status { 'experimental' }

Strings:

• are parsed
• are interpreted based on context
• must appear only where a string value is expected

Strings are not interchangeable with prose blocks.

Choosing between them

Use prose blocks when you are describing something.

Use strings when you are providing a value.

If sprig expects structure, use strings. If sprig expects meaning, use prose.

Fields

Fields attach simple information to a block.

They consist of a name and a value:

version { '0.1' }

Fields are not behavior. They are annotations.

Commas

Commas are optional.

Commas in prose are treated as visual separators only. You may include them for readability, or omit them entirely.

relationships {
  'become'
  'are produced by'
}

…is equivalent to…

relationships {
  'become',
  'are produced by',
}

Nesting

Blocks may be nested inside other blocks:

series Gardening {
  book Plants { }
}

Nesting expresses containment, not ownership. It is a convenience for organization.

The same relationship can be expressed without nesting using in, which is covered later.

Notes and titles

Sprig provides a small set of blocks that exist purely for humans.

They do not affect meaning, structure, or resolution.

Notes

The note block is used for comments.

concept TomatoPlant {
  note {
    This concept might be split later.
  }
}

Notes:

• are ignored by the compiler
• do not appear in projections unless explicitly included
• exist only to help authors think

Titles

The title block provides a human-friendly title when a name does not read well.

concept CountBasedEffects {
  title { 'Count-Based Effects' }
}

Titles:

• do not change identity
• do not affect naming or resolution
• exist to improve presentation in projections

Files

A sprig repository may contain many .prose files.

Files do not define scope. They exist only to help humans organize prose.

Sprig reads all prose files together as a single universe.

What syntax is not

Sprig syntax is intentionally limited.

It does not try to be:

• a general-purpose programming language
• an execution model
• a control-flow system
• a data serialization format

There are no expressions, conditions, or imperative steps.

Sprig can be used to describe configuration, structure, or systems that later drive behavior—but the syntax itself remains descriptive.

Sprig is about describing what exists, not specifying how it runs.

What comes next

Now that you can read sprig prose, the next step is understanding where meaning lives.

Every sprig repository begins by declaring a universe.
The universe establishes the semantic boundary within which all names are resolved.

That foundation is described in the universe overview.