Reference: Budget State Definitions
This reference provides formal, neutral descriptions of the discrete states a budget may occupy within the hofehvowop model. It documents the semantics, permitted operations, and provenance expectations for each state. The intent is to serve as a definitive resource for implementers and integrators who require deterministic behavior when mapping external systems into the state model. The reference emphasizes traceability and unambiguous interpretation of values, rather than operational guidance for planning, tracking, or optimization.
State definitions
The hofehvowop model defines budgets as discrete-state entities. The enumerated states are: initial_setup, active_period, adjustment_window, and archival_record. Each state is associated with a specific set of allowed interactions, visibility semantics, and validation constraints. initial_setup is a preparatory state for declaring values, labels, and schema references; in this state, systems validate types, required fields, and annotations but do not treat values as canonical for reporting. active_period is an interval during which declared values are considered stable for reference; read-only consumers retrieve data from snapshots associated with this state. adjustment_window is a bounded, explicitly declared interval allowing controlled revisions; every permitted modification is recorded as a revision entry with provenance metadata. archival_record contains immutable snapshots along with full revision chains and integrity markers. Transitions between these states are governed by deterministic rules and explicit transition events to ensure reproducible downstream processing and unambiguous historical interpretation.
Entry rules
Entry rules specify how a budget's data fields are validated, represented, and interpreted at each state. During initial_setup, field-level schema validation is enforced: required flags, type constraints, enumerations, and annotation fields are validated prior to advancing to active_period. Field metadata includes a schema version identifier, an optional annotation string, and a declared source reference. When transitioned to active_period, entries become stable for read-only consumption; their values are captured in a snapshot object with a snapshot identifier, creation timestamp, and an authoritative flag for that active interval. If an adjustment_window is declared, revisions are modelled as first-class entities: each revision records the prior value, the updated value, the author identifier, a precise timestamp, the schema version in effect, and a coded rationale. Revision entries are linked to a change-set identifier and remain queryable as part of the revision chain. Once archived, an entry is transformed into an archival_record with an append-only flag and integrity metadata. Entry rules ensure traceable lineage, enforce type safety, and produce structured metadata needed for audits and reconciliations.
Adjustment windows
An adjustment window is a bounded interval during which a controlled set of revisions is permitted. Windows are declared with start and end timestamps, a scope definition enumerating eligible fields or sections, and a policy reference that indicates which change codes are acceptable. While a window is active, systems may accept revision submissions into a staged revision ledger. Each submission must include the prior value reference, updated value, author credentials, and a reason code from an approved taxonomy. Staging isolates revisions from canonical active snapshots until a formal finalization event occurs. Finalization applies the staged changes to the canonical record and appends revision metadata into the persistent history. Windows are intentionally finite; their explicit bounds reduce ambiguity and enable deterministic merging and reconciliation. The model supports partial-window rollbacks by retaining staged revision identifiers and linking rollbacks to a rollback event with explicit rationale and provenance data.
Archival practices
Archival practice in the hofehvowop model focuses on creating immutable snapshots that preserve the full state and revision provenance for retrospective inspection. Each archival_record contains the snapshot payload, the complete revision chain with timestamps and author identifiers, a schema version tag, and integrity metadata such as a content hash. Archives are stored in append-only storage and assigned a stable archival identifier for retrieval. The archival strip is a compact index listing archived snapshots with metadata fields including archival timestamp, version string, and a short annotation summarizing notable changes. Access to archives is provided via read-only retrieval endpoints or queries referencing archival identifiers. Retention and deletion policies are expressed as metadata on the archival record and enforced by governance processes. The archival model is intended to support audits, reconciliations, and deterministic historical queries while maintaining integrity, discoverability, and minimal ambiguity about past states.