decisions

Use Space As Core Partition Model

Context

Forma previously used collection as the core partition concept for configured knowledge groups. During WebApp V2 design, the product language stabilized on Space because the GUI presents these groups as browsable knowledge areas, while still needing schema, include, template, create, and view-filtering behavior.

Keeping both collection and space would create two names for the same domain model across configuration, index data, RPC, CLI, and WebApp adapters.

Decision

Use Space as the single product, configuration, API, and internal domain term for knowledge partitions.

A space owns:

file inclusion rules;
entry schema;
template and create behavior;
display metadata;
conventions for title, summary, and created-at fields.

The previous collection terminology should be removed instead of kept as a compatibility alias. Current code and schema may make breaking changes because Forma has not shipped a stable public release.

Consequences

Space-like taxonomy and term configuration is loaded from .forma.md imports rather than a dedicated spaces registry file.
Effective configuration exposes spaces from included term configuration.
Later schema work superseded the early semantic-type detail: named entry reference types now use kind: entryRef and a workspace-relative config source path, such as .forma/spaces/members.
view definitions use view.space.
query targets use entry.space.
CLI and RPC write operations continue to exist, but their parameters use space instead of collection.
WebApp, shared TypeScript contracts, and future editor extensions share the same terminology.
Existing fixtures, generated starter workspaces, and docs must be updated together because no compatibility layer is retained.

Alternatives Considered

Keep Collection Internally And Space In The WebApp

This would reduce immediate Rust churn, but it would force the WebApp adapter and future editor extensions to keep translating between two terms that refer to the same model.

Support Both Collection And Space