does ai_context really nessary? Strengthen description and name to reduce reliance on ai_context
- Dominant language
- Python
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Description
`A good semantic should describe by itself. `
I'd like to discuss whether ai_context could eventually become optional by making our core metadata more self-descriptive.
### Current situation
ai_context is a pragmatic field today – it provides synonyms, custom instructions, and extra hints for AI tools. I understand its value, but I believe a well-designed semantic model should carry enough meaning in name and description alone.
### Suggestions for stronger naming & descriptions
_Naming conventions:_
- Use business terms (e.g., Revenue not TotalSalesAmount).
- Avoid abbreviations except common ones (e.g., ID).
- Be consistent: use _date suffixes, is_ prefixes for booleans.
- Name the business concept, not its implementation.
- Use singular for models, plural for datasets.
_Descriptions should cover:_
- Grain (what each row represents)
- Source
- Business definition / formula
- Differences from similar fields
- Edge cases or filters
- Synonyms/aliases (which alone can replace many uses of ai_context)
### Conclusion
If we invest in precise, structured descriptions and clear naming, we can significantly reduce the need for ai_context. I'd suggest we treat this as a long‑term goal – perhaps documenting best practices and eventually deprecating ai_context when the metadata is rich enough.
Contributor guide
Research direction
The issue names no files, tests, or entry points; start by reviewing the current semantic metadata model and the ai_context field. Compare the proposed naming and description guidance with existing metadata. Done requires an agreed scope for stronger metadata, documentation of the conventions, and a decision on whether ai_context should eventually be optional or deprecated.
Written by the indexing model from the issue text.
Assessment
- Domain
- data, documentation
- Issue type
- Feature
- Difficulty
- 5/5
- Estimated time
- Over a week
- Activity status
- Quiet
- Clarity
- Needs clarification
- Newbie friendliness
- 30/100