{"schema":"https://ver.cy/schemas/card/1.0.0","id":"vr.tr.offset","code":"thing-q1156822","url":"https://ver.cy/models/thing/q1156822/","name":"offset","alternateNames":["end of file","numerical place","beginning of file"],"kind":"thing","status":"published","version":"0.2.0-wave.4","language":"en","classifiers":{"family":"Thing Registry","category":"Cross-cutting context","entryKind":"thing","plane":"XCT","domain":["XCT.TME"],"industry":[],"navPath":"","tags":[],"facets":{}},"whatItIs":"An offset is an integer indicating the displacement from the beginning of an array or data structure to a given element or point, expressed in the units used by that structure.","purpose":"Let an agent explain integer offsets within arrays and data structures, describe their units and interpretation from reference sources, and distinguish offsets from absolute addresses and boundary markers.","scope":{"in":[],"out":[],"boundaries":[]},"distinguishingFeatures":["An offset is an integer displacement.","The reference point is the beginning of an array or data structure.","Its units depend on the data structure.","Its interpretation depends on the structure's conventions."],"structure":{"bundles":[{"id":"understand","name":"Understand","description":"What an offset is.","layers":[{"id":"definition","name":"Definition","description":"Definition.","findings":[{"id":"definition-finding","name":"Definition","description":"Definition.","questions":[{"text":"What is an offset, and how does it differ from an absolute position?","kind":"definition"},{"text":"Which context is meant, computing or measurement?","kind":"boundary"}]}]},{"id":"file","name":"File","description":"File offsets.","findings":[{"id":"file-finding","name":"File","description":"File.","questions":[{"text":"What are the beginning-of-file and end-of-file offsets?","kind":"definition"},{"text":"Which entry fits the specific use?","kind":"action"}]}]}]},{"id":"computing","name":"Computing","description":"Computing.","layers":[{"id":"memory","name":"Memory","description":"Address offsets.","findings":[{"id":"memory-finding","name":"Memory","description":"Memory.","questions":[{"text":"How are offsets used to address memory and files?","kind":"provenance"},{"text":"Which references are standard?","kind":"provenance"}]}]},{"id":"indexing","name":"Indexing","description":"Indexing.","findings":[{"id":"indexing-finding","name":"Indexing","description":"Indexing.","questions":[{"text":"How do offsets index positions in data?","kind":"provenance"},{"text":"How is an offset measured?","kind":"measurement"}]}]}]},{"id":"measurement","name":"Measurement","description":"Measurement.","layers":[{"id":"displacement","name":"Displacement","description":"Displacement.","findings":[{"id":"displacement-finding","name":"Displacement","description":"Displacement.","questions":[{"text":"How does offset express a displacement between values?","kind":"provenance"},{"text":"Which sources are cited?","kind":"provenance"}]}]},{"id":"reference","name":"Reference","description":"Reference point.","findings":[{"id":"reference-finding","name":"Reference","description":"Reference.","questions":[{"text":"Why must an offset state its reference point?","kind":"provenance"},{"text":"Is the reference clear?","kind":"boundary"}]}]}]},{"id":"context","name":"Context","description":"Context.","layers":[{"id":"errors","name":"Errors","description":"Common errors.","findings":[{"id":"errors-finding","name":"Errors","description":"Errors.","questions":[{"text":"What errors arise from misusing offsets?","kind":"provenance"},{"text":"Is the context correctly identified?","kind":"boundary"}]}]},{"id":"related","name":"Related","description":"Related ideas.","findings":[{"id":"related-finding","name":"Related","description":"Related.","questions":[{"text":"How does offset relate to distance and displacement?","kind":"provenance"},{"text":"Which entry fits the related idea?","kind":"action"}]}]}]}]},"agentConduct":{"may":["Compute and explain integer offsets from the beginning of arrays or data structures.","Check offsets against bounds before reading or writing data."],"mustNot":["Write data at an unchecked offset that can corrupt files or memory.","Confuse offsets with absolute positions.","Treat offset arithmetic as validated without testing boundary cases.","Use offset manipulation to access data outside the permitted range."],"requiresHuman":["Changing offsets in shared files, firmware or databases requires human authorization."]},"ethics":{"considerations":["Offset errors cause crashes, data loss and security holes.","Systems people depend on can fail silently from such errors."],"affectedParties":["Users of the system","Data owners","Developers"]},"owners":{"steward":"Nobody: a concept; owners of each system answer for their data.","roles":[],"masterSystems":[]},"relations":[{"target":"Q126017","type":"parent","note":"registry parent class"},{"target":"distance","type":"related","note":"in registry terms"},{"target":"absolute position","type":"related"},{"target":"computing","type":"related"},{"target":"displacement","type":"related"}],"interaction":{"identity":{"applicability":"required","items":["Vercy registry: vr.tr.offset","Wikidata: Q1156822 (https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1156822)"]},"properties":{"applicability":"not-applicable","items":["kind: distance or displacement note","reference: a chosen starting point note","registry parent: distance note"]},"recognition":{"applicability":"optional","items":["An offset identifies a displacement from the beginning of an array or data structure.","An offset is represented by an integer in the structure's specified units.","An absolute address identifies a location directly, whereas an offset expresses displacement from the structure's beginning.","Not a visible object; a number expressing a distance from a reference."]},"capabilities":{"applicability":"required","items":["explain the notion","relay computing and measurement uses","distinguish file-related uses","steer to the right context"]},"hazards":{"applicability":"required","items":["Mixing contexts","Confusing offset with absolute position","Off-by-one errors in file offsets"]},"interfaces":{"applicability":"required","items":["Computing conventions"]},"context":{"applicability":"required","items":["Expressing a displacement from a reference point.","file offset","address offset","value offset"]}},"sources":[{"title":"Wikidata item Q1156822: offset","url":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1156822","note":"identity and sense of the item"},{"title":"Wikipedia: Offset (computer science)","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Offset_%28computer_science%29","note":"general description of the item"}],"openQuestions":["Should file offsets be a separate entry?","How should the reference point be specified?","How should the context be signposted?"],"resources":{"spec":"/models/things/publications/thing-q1156822/spec.json"},"provenance":{"origin":"thing registry research (pass 2)","builtFrom":["models/things/publications/thing-q1156822/spec.json"],"providers":["Claude"],"researchStatus":"unreviewed","generatedAt":"2026-09-14T03:33:12Z","builder":"tools/build_cards.py@1.0.0"},"completeness":{"sections":{"classifiers":"filled","whatItIs":"filled","purpose":"filled","distinguishingFeatures":"filled","structure":"filled","agentConduct":"filled","ethics":"filled","owners":"filled","relations":"filled","interaction.identity":"filled","interaction.properties":"not-applicable","interaction.recognition":"filled","interaction.capabilities":"filled","interaction.hazards":"filled","interaction.interfaces":"filled","interaction.context":"filled","sources":"filled"},"notes":{"_gate":"Published through the thing publication gate 1.0 on 2026-10-07T10:10:25+00:00: completeness 1.00; sense: Wikidata description; 2 live sources; review by codex: pass","interaction.properties":"Plane XCT: no invented physical properties."},"score":1.0}}