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Glossary

Term definitions used throughout the KeyCard docs and spec.

  • Claims — Object(s) used by a builder to create a Policy Definition (e.g. a JWT, or { ownerOf: number[] }).
  • Action — a string that indicates the user wants to do something to a subject (e.g. Create, Read, Update, Delete, MarkDone, Archive, ...).
  • Subject — the value the user wants to do something with (e.g. ToDoItem, Project, ...).
  • PolicyBuilder — takes in claims and produces a Policy or PolicyDefinition.
  • Rule — an allowed or denied tuple of effect, action, subject, and conditions.
  • PolicyDefinition (PolicyDef) — a text-based (JSON-encodable) encoding of what permissions a user is allowed or denied.
  • Policy — an object used to perform checks against.
  • Building a Policy — using a PolicyBuilder to create a PolicyDefinition.
  • Constructing a Policy — reading a PolicyDefinition and converting it into a Policy.
  • Evaluating a Policy — performing a check (an action and a subject) against a Policy.

See Introduction for how these fit together, and Policy Definition / Condition Operators for the detailed formats.