Terminology
You should understand the following terms before reading further:
Term | Explanation | |
|---|---|---|
Instruction Definition | An Instruction Definition exists as an XML file before being imported into Tachyon, and typically describes a Question or an Action. This file contains all the information necessary to ask that Question or instigate that Action. | |
Instruction | An Instruction is an "instance" of when an Instruction Definition is used, created when that Instruction Definition is executed. For example, typing a question fragment into Tachyon Explorer technically shows a list of available Instruction Definitions. At the point that a specific question is selected and the user clicks "Ask this question", a new Instruction instance is created based on the Instruction Definition. You can think of Instruction Definitions as being like templates, and Instructions like things being created from that template. Instructions are transitory, in the sense that they have a finite lifetime. | |
Instruction Resource | An Instruction Resource is a file, such as a PowerShell script, which is embedded into the Instruction Definition. When a Tachyon Agent runs an Instruction based on this Instruction Definition, the Instruction Resource is available to be downloaded and used by the Agent. | |
Instruction Payload | The payload of an Instruction is a sequence of steps (expressed in the Tachyon Agent Language) which are sent to, and executed by, the Tachyon Agent when that Instruction is issued. | |
Product Pack | A Product Pack is the name given to a zip file which contains one or more (normally related) Instruction Definition XML files. Product Pack zip files can be imported directly into Tachyon Explorer, which will import all the contained Instruction Definitions. Product Pack structureProduct Pack zip files must contain "flat" set of XML files; in other words, the zip file should not contain any sub-folders. | |
Task Group | A Task Group is a hierarchical structure used to group together related Instruction Definitions, similar to folders on a file-system. Task Groups are displayed in the Tachyon Explorer "Tasks" page. | |
Digital Signature | A Digital Signature is a way of guaranteeing that a document (e.g. an XML file) was created by a specific author, and that the document has not been modified or tampered with since it was authored. | |