Glossary

Term	Meaning
Application API	Stable surface for apps: compile, where/flatten, Compiler, markers, exceptions.
Plugin API	Stable extension surface: SQLRulesPlugin, TranslatorRegistry, PLUGIN_API_VERSION, pattern_text.
Internal API	IR builders and helpers that may change without notice.
IR	Intermediate representation of a model’s fields and constraints (ModelIR, FieldIR, Constraint).
PatternSpec	Structured IR value for pattern constraints (flags + text). Use pattern_text() in translators.
Marker	Annotated metadata object (ConstraintMarker) for dialect operators such as JsonContains.
Translator	Function that turns a Constraint + column + context into a SQLAlchemy expression.
Registry	TranslatorRegistry mapping operators (and optionally types) to translators.
Plugin	Object with name, api_version, and register(registry) that installs translators.
Compiler	Reusable compiler with plugins, conflict policy, cache, and optional dialect hint.
compile_model / bind	Two-phase API: build IR once, bind to a table (or alias) later.
on_unsupported	Policy for unknown operators: raise, warn, or ignore. Does not apply to unsupported types.
on_conflict	Policy when registering over an existing operator: raise, replace, or ignore.
dialect	Optional string hint for translators—not automatic engine detection.
Rules dict	dict[str, list[ColumnElement[bool]]] keyed by Python field names.

See also API, IR_CONTRACT, and INTERNAL_API.