Glossary¶

For questions around the concepts and terminology specific to Solid, refer to https://solidproject.org/faqs.

ACL

An Access Control List is a Resource that controls users’ level of access ({ read: <boolean>, append: <boolean>, write: <boolean>, control: <boolean> }) to a Resource. For example, it can list rules like “https://jcaesar.solid.community/profile/card#me can read this Resource”, and “https://cleopatra.solid.community/profile/card#me can read this Resource and its children”. See also Access Modes, or read about how you can read and change it at Manage Access to Data (WAC).

Agent

A user. Agent typically refers to a person but could also refer to other users, e.g., applications, bots.

Access Modes

The types of access that have been granted: Read Access, Append Access, Write Access and/or Control Access.

Append Access

Access to add data to the applicable Resource.

Control Access

Access to view and manage who has access to the applicable Resource.

Applicable to the ACL authorization system.

Container

A special type of Resource that can contain other Resources or Containers, much like folders on your file system.

For example, given a Resource at https://cleopatra.solid.community/profile/card, both https://cleopatra.solid.community/profile/ and https://cleopatra.solid.community/ are Containers.

Default access

Rules defining Access Modes that apply not to the Container Resource directly, but are inherited by its children, their children if applicable, and so forth.

Fallback ACL

If a Resource does not have an explicit Resource ACL of its own, the Fallback ACL is the ACL of the Container closest to that Resource that does have its own explicit Resource ACL. Only the Default access rules in the Fallback ACL apply.

IRI

Internationalized Resource Identifier. An IRI is similar to standard web URI but allows for internationalized characters such as the umlaut Ä, or the Greek letter Δ. See also IRI Wikipedia page.

Pod

Storage location for your data. You manage the access to data stored in your Pod.

Resource

The data sent to you when you type a URL into a web browser.

Resource ACL

The ACL that applies to a given Resource. If none exists, the Fallback ACL applies.

Read Access

Access to view the contents of the applicable Resource.

SolidDataset

Set of Things that are stored in a specific Resource.

Thing

A data entity, e.g., a person. A Thing is associated with a set of data or properties about the Thing, e.g., name, date of birth, address, etc..

WebID

A URL that identifies a user or other Agent. The Resource found at the WebID can provide more information about this Agent, such as the location of their data.

Write Access

Access to add (i.e. append), update, and delete contents of Resource. Granting Write access automatically grants Append Access.