The Puzzle Model

Every Sigil is a piece of something greater. The puzzle model is the principle that shapes how Saelis represents composition: small, well-defined pieces that connect through explicit interfaces to form larger structures.

#Composition at a glance

Hover over the diagram, or use the Assemble control, to see three independent Sigils resolve into a single assembly.

#How pieces connect

In a physical puzzle, a piece's tabs and blanks determine where it fits. In Saelis, the equivalent is a reference: a declaration in one Sigil that it relates to another.

In the diagram, Sigil B references Sigil A, and Sigil C references Sigil B. None of them changes after publication. The connection exists because later pieces declare it, and an indexer that follows those declarations can reconstruct the whole.

{
  "p": "saelis",
  "v": 0,
  "meta": { "name": "Piece B" },
  "refs": [
    { "rel": "follows", "id": "0x3f…a1" }
  ],
  "body": {}
}

#Properties of the model

• Pieces are independent. Each Sigil is valid or invalid on its own merits. An assembly does not make an invalid piece valid.
• Connections are declared, not inferred. Two Sigils are related only if one explicitly references the other. Indexers do not guess relationships from metadata.
• Order matters. A reference can only point to a Sigil that already exists at an earlier position. This prevents cycles and keeps reconstruction deterministic.
• Structures grow. New pieces can attach to an existing structure at any time, by any author, unless a standard restricts who may contribute.

#What the diagram represents

The animation illustrates logical composition: how an indexer would interpret a set of related Sigils. It is not a depiction of deployed onchain functionality. No Saelis indexer or contract currently performs this reconstruction.

#Open questions

• The vocabulary of relation types, and whether standards may define their own.
• Whether a reference to an invalid Sigil invalidates the referencing Sigil or is simply unresolved.
• Whether a standard may restrict which accounts can attach pieces to a structure.
• Maximum reference count per Sigil.