From Vehicle to Velocity
In Part 1 (LSOV in plain words) we introduced List, Stratum, Object, Verb as a universal framing for automation. That was the vehicle: it organized automation into predictable layers with human‑readable naming. But a vehicle alone doesn’t move. In this second post, we turn the key — and describe how Stratum weight and execution order activate the system with clear, enforced flow.
From Naming to Movement
LSOV recap, very compact:
- List — your full population or system.
- Stratum — a numeric compartment (0+ to ∞).
- Object — a contained unit inside a stratum.
- Verb — the action that object performs.
Together, they become a triple key: [Stratum, Object, Verb] → [s, o, v]. Each automation behavior gets a vector triple, like [9, 1, 9] — 9th stratum (e.g., UI layer), 1st object (e.g., MainDashboard), 9th verb (e.g., redraw). Compare that to [0, 0, 0] — system stratum, core object (e.g., KernelWatchdog), root verb (e.g., monitor).
This model gives every unit in your system a sortable, numeric identity that’s easy to reason about — and more importantly, easy to order.
Execution Becomes a DAG
The [s, o, v] triple doubles as a DAG key. You can:
- Topologically sort actions by
[s, o, v]. - Build retry logic that honors dependencies.
- Trace execution from
[0, 0, 0]outward.
Flow is strictly outward — you don’t jump from [8, 1, 4] backward to [1, 0, 2]. The system prevents spaghetti logic by enforcing the arrow of dependency. It’s React‑style thinking for automation engines: instead of diffing the DOM, you diff DAG nodes and run only what needs to change based on prior events.
Why System = 0, Process = ∞
- System‑level objects (schedulers, daemons, metrics pollers) are foundational.
- Process‑level objects (dashboards, pipeline visualizers) depend on the system, not vice‑versa.
- Keeping system logic at zero ensures it never depends on higher abstractions.
- Unbounded growth upward accommodates features, UI logic, and experiments without muddying the core.
System → Process = [0+] → [∞]. Flow must respect the arrow.
Human‑Readable, Machine‑Safe
The triple [Stratum, Object, Verb] becomes the address, the sort key, and the dependency vector. It’s like versioned coordinates for your automation architecture. Instead of explaining where things live and what they do, just point to: [4, 2, 3] → “Process layer 4, 3rd action in the 2nd object”.
Real World Example
[9, 1, 7] // SaveButton.handleClick
[chain]
[5, 2, 1] // ValidationPipeline.validate()
[chain]
[2, 0, 4] // DatabaseWriter.commit()That’s LSOV in motion — flowing down the stack with each step assigned a directional [s, o, v] key. No backtracking. No guesswork.
What’s Next
- Drag‑and‑drop reorderable strata and objects.
- Locking based on
[s, o, v]constraints. - Interface animations driven by firing order.
- Reversible views (UI flips the model, execution remains strict).
TL;DR
- Every automation node gets a triple:
[Stratum, Object, Verb]. [0, 0, 0]is system core;[∞, ∞, ∞]is the UI frontier.- Execution flows only outward, sorted by
[s, o, v]. - System = reliable; Process = flexible.
- You now have a map and a motor.