Glossary

Page Maps

graph LR
  family["Reproducible Research"]
  program["Deep Dive DVC"]
  section["Data Identity Content Addressing"]
  page["Glossary"]
  capstone["Capstone evidence"]

  family --> program --> section --> page
  page -.applies in.-> capstone

flowchart LR
  orient["Orient on the page map"] --> read["Read the main claim and examples"]
  read --> inspect["Inspect the related code, proof, or capstone surface"]
  inspect --> verify["Run or review the verification path"]
  verify --> apply["Apply the idea back to the module and capstone"]

This glossary keeps the language of Module 02 stable.

The goal is practical clarity: when you keep identity, location, storage, and trust layers distinct, DVC stops feeling mystical and starts feeling inspectable.

Terms

Term	Meaning in this module
locator	A path or name that tells you where something is expected to be found, without being a durable identity by itself.
data identity	The claim that the system is talking about the same exact content rather than only the same path or filename.
content addressing	Identifying tracked data by its content rather than by its location.
pointer file	A small DVC-tracked file such as a .dvc file that records a reference to tracked content identity.
local cache	DVC's local content store that makes recorded identity operationally restorable on the machine.
remote durability	Off-machine storage that makes tracked content recoverable after local loss.
workspace projection	The current visible file in the working tree that reflects tracked content but is not the full identity story by itself.
recorded execution state	The DVC-tracked record of what the pipeline actually ran, typically represented by dvc.lock.
published release state	The smaller downstream-facing release boundary, such as publish/v1/, that is meant for review and trust by others.
state move	A command effect that changes which layer holds tracked content, such as push to remote or checkout to workspace.
recovery route	The commands and evidence that prove tracked content can be restored after loss.
authority layer	The layer that is authoritative for a specific question, such as workspace visibility, recorded execution, remote durability, or downstream trust.

How to use these terms

If Module 02 starts feeling fuzzy, ask which term has blurred:

• are we talking about a locator or an identity?
• is this the workspace projection or the recorded execution state?
• is the question about remote durability or published release trust?
• did a command move content between layers, or are we only describing a visible file?

Those questions usually turn confusion back into a reviewable DVC story.