Pattern Taxonomy — Classification System
Purpose: Read this file when assigning pattern dimensions, generating IDs, structuring METAPATTERNS.md, or deciding lifecycle state transitions.
Contents
- 4-dimension classification
- Pattern ID convention
METAPATTERNS.md full schema- Pattern lifecycle
How Lore classifies, names, and structures patterns in METAPATTERNS.md.
4-Dimension Classification
Every pattern is tagged along 4 orthogonal dimensions:
Dimension 1: Domain
| Domain Code |
Description |
Example Sources |
INFRA |
Infrastructure, deployment, CI/CD, containers |
Gear, Scaffold, Gear[gha], Mend |
APP |
Application logic, business rules, data models |
Builder, Schema, Gateway |
TEST |
Testing strategies, coverage, quality assurance |
Radar, Voyager, Siege |
DESIGN |
Architecture, patterns, code structure |
Atlas, Zen, Grove, Architect |
PROCESS |
Workflows, collaboration, decision making |
Nexus, Sherpa, Magi, Judge |
SECURITY |
Vulnerabilities, hardening, compliance |
Sentinel, Probe, Canon |
PERF |
Performance, optimization, capacity |
Bolt, Tuner, Beacon |
UX |
User experience, design, accessibility |
Palette, Flow, Prose, Echo |
META |
Ecosystem-level patterns, agent interactions |
Darwin, Architect, Lore |
Dimension 2: Type
| Type Code |
Description |
Example |
SUCCESS |
Proven approach that reliably works |
"Rolling restart resolves memory leaks in 90% of cases" |
FAILURE |
Known approach that doesn't work in context |
"Increasing timeout masks upstream issues" |
ANTI |
Common mistake to avoid |
"Alerting on causes instead of symptoms" |
TRADEOFF |
Decision with inherent tension |
"Consistency vs availability in distributed cache" |
HEURISTIC |
Rule of thumb, not absolute truth |
"If error rate > 2x baseline within 10min of deploy, rollback" |
Dimension 3: Confidence
| Level |
Code |
Evidence Count |
Trust Level |
| 1 |
ANECDOTE |
1 |
Low |
| 2 |
EMERGING |
2 |
Low-Medium |
| 3-5 |
PATTERN |
3-5 |
Medium |
| 6-10 |
ESTABLISHED |
6-10 |
High |
| 11+ |
FOUNDATIONAL |
11+ |
Very High |
Dimension 4: Scope
| Scope Code |
Description |
Propagation |
AGENT |
Relevant to a single agent's domain |
Direct to that agent |
CROSS |
Relevant across 2-5 agents |
Propagate to all relevant |
ECOSYSTEM |
Relevant to the entire ecosystem |
Broadcast to Architect/Darwin/Nexus |
Pattern ID Convention
[DOMAIN]-[TYPE]-[NNN]
Examples:
INFRA-SUCCESS-001: "Rolling restart resolves gradual memory leaks"
APP-ANTI-003: "Catching generic exceptions hides real errors"
PROCESS-HEURISTIC-012: "Chain length > 5 agents correlates with lower success rate"
META-TRADEOFF-002: "Agent specialization vs ecosystem complexity"
METAPATTERNS.md Full Schema
File Header
# METAPATTERNS — Ecosystem Knowledge Catalog
Last updated: [YYYY-MM-DD]
Total patterns: [N]
Confidence distribution: [N] Foundational / [N] Established / [N] Pattern / [N] Emerging / [N] Anecdote
---
Pattern Entry
## [PATTERN_ID]: [Title]
| Field | Value |
|-------|-------|
| **Domain** | [DOMAIN code] |
| **Type** | [TYPE code] |
| **Confidence** | [CONFIDENCE level] ([N] evidence) |
| **Scope** | [SCOPE code] |
| **Consumers** | [Agent1, Agent2, ...] |
| **Created** | [YYYY-MM-DD] |
| **Last validated** | [YYYY-MM-DD] |
| **Freshness** | [FRESH/CURRENT/AGING/STALE] |
**Pattern:** [Clear, actionable 1-3 sentence description]
**Evidence:**
1. [Agent] ([YYYY-MM-DD]): [What was observed, in what context]
2. [Agent] ([YYYY-MM-DD]): [What was observed, in what context]
3. [Agent] ([YYYY-MM-DD]): [What was observed, in what context]
**Implication:** [What consuming agents should do with this knowledge]
**Anti-pattern:** [What NOT to do, if applicable]
**Related:** [PATTERN_ID_1], [PATTERN_ID_2] (if any)
---
Index Section
At the end of METAPATTERNS.md, maintain an index:
## Index
### By Domain
- INFRA: [ID1], [ID2], ...
- APP: [ID3], [ID4], ...
### By Confidence (Highest First)
- FOUNDATIONAL: [ID1], [ID2], ...
- ESTABLISHED: [ID3], [ID4], ...
### By Freshness (Stalest First)
- STALE: [ID1], [ID2], ...
- AGING: [ID3], [ID4], ...
Pattern Lifecycle
CANDIDATE → REGISTERED → REINFORCED → PROMOTED → ... → AGING → ARCHIVED
↓ ↓
CONTESTED → RESOLVED / SPLIT / SUPERSEDED REMOVED
| State |
Trigger |
Action |
| CANDIDATE |
New insight extracted, not yet validated |
Hold for additional evidence |
| REGISTERED |
First evidence + context documented |
Added to METAPATTERNS.md as Anecdote |
| REINFORCED |
Additional evidence adds to existing |
Update evidence list + confidence |
| PROMOTED |
Confidence threshold crossed |
Update level label |
| CONTESTED |
Contradictory evidence found |
Document both sides, seek resolution |
| AGING |
No new evidence for 90+ days |
Flag for review |
| ARCHIVED |
Superseded or no longer applicable |
Move to archive section |
| REMOVED |
Evidence invalidated |
Delete from catalog |
