Tonto
Language

Generalization Sets

Declare disjoint and complete generalization sets with short or block syntax.

Generalization sets group specializations under a general element. They can be marked disjoint, complete, both, or neither.

Short syntax

Use short syntax when the set is direct:

kind Person

phase Child specializes Person
phase Teenager specializes Person
phase Adult specializes Person

disjoint complete genset PersonLifePhases where Child, Teenager, Adult specializes Person

This declares that Child, Teenager, and Adult specialize Person as one complete and disjoint partition.

Block syntax

Use block syntax when you want a clearer multi-line form or a categorizer:

kind Person
type EnrollmentStatus

role Student specializes Person
role ActiveStudent specializes Student
role FormerStudent specializes Student

disjoint complete genset StudentStatus {
  general Student
  categorizer EnrollmentStatus
  specifics ActiveStudent, FormerStudent
}

The categorizer field is optional.

Generalizing relations

The grammar also allows generalization sets over class declarations or relations:

kind Person
kind Organization

@material relation Person [0..*] -- affiliatedWith -- [0..*] Organization
@material relation Person [0..*] -- employedBy -- [0..1] Organization specializes affiliatedWith
@material relation Person [0..*] -- studiesAt -- [0..1] Organization specializes affiliatedWith

disjoint genset MembershipRelations where employedBy, studiesAt specializes affiliatedWith

Use this only when relation specialization is part of the intended ontology.

Modeling guidance

  • Use disjoint when instances cannot be classified by more than one specific at the same time.
  • Use complete when the specifics cover all instances of the general in the model scope.
  • Name generalization sets after the partitioning criterion, such as PersonLifePhases.
  • Do not mark a set complete unless the domain really commits to exhaustive coverage.
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