Versioning Purpose
Versioning governs change within an Attestor-owned canonical object while preserving its identity and history. It distinguishes revision of the same governed object from a substantive change that requires a new canonical object.
Attestor · Operational Versioning
Versioning
Versioning defines governed change, revision, supersession, historical preservation, and version identity for Attestor-owned objects.
Its central responsibility is to distinguish a new governed state of the same Attestation or Trust Statement from a change so substantive that Attestor must create a new canonical object.
Versioning principle: Revise the same object when its essential institutional meaning remains intact. Create a new canonical object when that meaning materially changes.
Object Identity
An Attestation keeps its ATT-YYYY-NNNN identity across permitted revisions. A Trust Statement keeps its TRST-YYYY-NNNN identity across permitted revisions. A version identifies a governed state of that object; it does not replace the canonical identifier.
Version Identity
Each preserved governed revision must be distinguishable from other revisions of the same canonical object. Production canonical objects now carry explicit version identity, including V1.0 for the first production Attestation and Trust Statement. Schemas govern the applicable machine representation without changing the distinction between canonical identity and version identity.
Revision
A revision may correct or clarify an existing object without changing its essential institutional meaning. Editorial corrections, metadata repair, reference repair, and other bounded changes may remain within the same canonical identity when the object's substantive assertion or conclusion is unchanged.
Material Change
A change is potentially identity-changing when it materially alters what the object asserts or concludes, its subject, controlling scope, evaluation basis in a way that changes the conclusion, or the institutional meaning represented by the object.
Supersession
When change exceeds the permitted bounds of revision, Attestor creates a new canonical object with a new identifier and explicitly relates it to the prior object through supersedes. The prior object remains historically resolvable.
Historical Preservation
No governed version may silently overwrite material history. Prior versions, change context, provenance, relationships, and the distinction between historical and current state must remain reconstructable where material.
Correction
Correction and versioning interact but are not identical. Correction describes why a governed change is made; versioning determines whether that change remains within the same canonical identity or requires a successor object.
Canonical Object vs. Version
Canonical identity and version identity operate at different levels. The canonical identifier answers which governed object is this? The version answers which governed state of that object is this?
Canonical Object → ATT-YYYY-NNNN or TRST-YYYY-NNNN
Version → Distinguishable governed state of that canonical object
Canonical Identifier → Stable across permitted revisions
Version Identity → Changes when a preserved revision is created
Version ≠ New Canonical Object
Version → Distinguishable governed state of that canonical object
Canonical Identifier → Stable across permitted revisions
Version Identity → Changes when a preserved revision is created
Version ≠ New Canonical Object
Revision Boundary
A change may remain within the same canonical identity when it preserves the object's essential meaning. The governing test is substantive rather than cosmetic and must be applied through the applicable Versioning, Validation, Methodology, and correction controls rather than inferred from formatting alone.
Generally compatible with same-object revision:
Editorial correction
Formatting repair
Non-substantive metadata correction
Broken or improved reference resolution
Clarification that does not broaden or alter meaning
Provenance detail added without changing the underlying basis
Administrative lifecycle metadata
Same meaning → Same canonical identity may be preserved
Editorial correction
Formatting repair
Non-substantive metadata correction
Broken or improved reference resolution
Clarification that does not broaden or alter meaning
Provenance detail added without changing the underlying basis
Administrative lifecycle metadata
Same meaning → Same canonical identity may be preserved
New-Object Boundary
A new canonical object is required when the change would cause the prior identifier to represent materially different institutional meaning. This protects stable identity and prevents versioning from being used to rewrite a governed assertion or conclusion in place.
Normally requires new canonical identity:
Materially different subject
Materially different assertion
Material expansion or contraction of controlling scope
Evaluation-basis change that materially changes the conclusion
Materially different Trust Statement conclusion
Change that would misrepresent what the prior object originally meant
Changed essential meaning → New canonical object → supersedes prior object
Materially different subject
Materially different assertion
Material expansion or contraction of controlling scope
Evaluation-basis change that materially changes the conclusion
Materially different Trust Statement conclusion
Change that would misrepresent what the prior object originally meant
Changed essential meaning → New canonical object → supersedes prior object
Attestation Versioning
An Attestation may be revised within the same ATT identity when corrections or clarifications do not materially change the governed assertion. If the assertion itself materially changes, Attestor should create a new Attestation rather than mutate the prior assertion under the same identifier.
ATT Object + Bounded Revision → Same ATT identity / new governed version
ATT Object + Material Assertion Change → New ATT identity
New ATT → supersedes → Prior ATT, where applicable
ATT Object + Material Assertion Change → New ATT identity
New ATT → supersedes → Prior ATT, where applicable
Trust Statement Versioning
A Trust Statement may be revised within the same TRST identity for bounded corrections that preserve its substantive conclusion and scope. A materially different conclusion must not be hidden as a routine version update; it requires a new Trust Statement.
TRST Object + Bounded Revision → Same TRST identity / new governed version
TRST Object + Material Conclusion Change → New TRST identity
New TRST → supersedes → Prior TRST, where applicable
A changed conclusion is a changed canonical statement.
TRST Object + Material Conclusion Change → New TRST identity
New TRST → supersedes → Prior TRST, where applicable
A changed conclusion is a changed canonical statement.
Evaluation Basis Changes
New evidence or a changed source state does not automatically create a new version or object. It first triggers governed review. If review leaves the substantive conclusion intact, Attestor may preserve the current object or issue a bounded revision as required. If the conclusion materially changes, a new Trust Statement is required.
Material New Input / Source Change → Review
Conclusion unchanged → Preserve or boundedly revise current TRST
Conclusion materially changed → New TRST
New TRST → supersedes → Prior TRST
Trigger ≠ Automatic version
Trigger ≠ Automatic supersession
Conclusion unchanged → Preserve or boundedly revise current TRST
Conclusion materially changed → New TRST
New TRST → supersedes → Prior TRST
Trigger ≠ Automatic version
Trigger ≠ Automatic supersession
Version History
Where a governed revision is preserved, Attestor must maintain enough version history to identify the sequence of states and understand material changes. Canonical production representations now exercise explicit version identity, while Schemas govern the applicable representation requirements.
Canonical Identifier
Version Identity
Prior Version Reference, where applicable
Change Time
Change Type / Reason, where material
Responsible Attestor Context
Provenance of Change
Material Change Summary
Lifecycle State
Current / Historical Distinction
Version Identity
Prior Version Reference, where applicable
Change Time
Change Type / Reason, where material
Responsible Attestor Context
Provenance of Change
Material Change Summary
Lifecycle State
Current / Historical Distinction
No Silent Overwrite
Attestor must not silently replace a governed version when the change is material to interpretation, provenance, evaluation, or institutional history. Public presentation may emphasize the current version, but historical governed states must remain distinguishable and resolvable according to later Publication rules.
Prior Governed Version → Preserved
New Governed Version → Explicitly distinguishable
Current Version → Identifiable
Material Change → Reviewable
Update ≠ Erasure
Current ≠ Only state that ever existed
New Governed Version → Explicitly distinguishable
Current Version → Identifiable
Material Change → Reviewable
Update ≠ Erasure
Current ≠ Only state that ever existed
Versioning and Lifecycle
Versioning and Lifecycle are complementary. Versioning governs states of the same canonical object; Lifecycle governs the object's institutional status. A new version does not automatically change lifecycle state, and a lifecycle transition does not necessarily require a new version unless the governed representation itself changes.
Version Identity → Which governed revision?
Lifecycle State → What is the object's institutional status?
New Version ≠ Automatic Lifecycle Transition
Lifecycle Transition ≠ Automatic New Canonical Object
Supersession → Connects new canonical object to prior object
Lifecycle State → What is the object's institutional status?
New Version ≠ Automatic Lifecycle Transition
Lifecycle Transition ≠ Automatic New Canonical Object
Supersession → Connects new canonical object to prior object
Versioning and Publication
Publication must identify which governed version is represented publicly. Publication of a newer version does not erase the existence of earlier governed versions. Exact rules for current-version presentation, historical access, and publication metadata belong to Publication architecture.
Canonical Object → May have multiple governed versions
Published Representation → Must resolve to governed version
Current Published Version → Distinguishable
Historical Versions → Preserved according to governance
Publication ≠ Version Identity
Published Representation → Must resolve to governed version
Current Published Version → Distinguishable
Historical Versions → Preserved according to governance
Publication ≠ Version Identity
First Production Versioning Demonstration
The first controlled production operation exercised version identity and the same-object materiality boundary for both ATT-2026-0001 and TRST-2026-0001. Each canonical object was created as V1.0. During the operation, early descriptive relationship serialization was corrected to structured relationship blocks with explicit relationship types and target identifiers.
ATT-2026-0001 → Canonical identity preserved → V1.0
TRST-2026-0001 → Canonical identity preserved → V1.0
Relationship serialization correction → Governed materiality review
Attestation assertion → Unchanged
Trust Statement conclusion → Unchanged
Scope / provenance / limitations → Unchanged
Historical representations → Preserved
New ATT required → No
New TRST required → No
New version required → No, for this bounded correction
Same-object versioning boundary → DEMONSTRATED IN PRODUCTION
TRST-2026-0001 → Canonical identity preserved → V1.0
Relationship serialization correction → Governed materiality review
Attestation assertion → Unchanged
Trust Statement conclusion → Unchanged
Scope / provenance / limitations → Unchanged
Historical representations → Preserved
New ATT required → No
New TRST required → No
New version required → No, for this bounded correction
Same-object versioning boundary → DEMONSTRATED IN PRODUCTION
The V1.0 determination was specific to this serialization-only correction. It does not establish that every correction may retain the same version. A material Attestation assertion change requires a new ATT; a material Trust Statement conclusion change requires a new TRST.
Production Versioning Boundary
The first operation demonstrated that correction reason and versioning consequence are separate governed questions. A defect can require correction without necessarily requiring a new version or canonical object. Conversely, a change that alters essential institutional meaning cannot be hidden as a routine correction or version update.
Correction Reason → Why change is required
Versioning Decision → How identity / version behaves
Serialization-only defect in first operation → Corrected within V1.0
Material ATT assertion change → New ATT
Material TRST conclusion change → New TRST
Successor replacing prior canonical object → supersedes relationship
Correction ≠ Versioning Decision
Changed Conclusion = Changed Canonical Statement
Versioning Decision → How identity / version behaves
Serialization-only defect in first operation → Corrected within V1.0
Material ATT assertion change → New ATT
Material TRST conclusion change → New TRST
Successor replacing prior canonical object → supersedes relationship
Correction ≠ Versioning Decision
Changed Conclusion = Changed Canonical Statement
What Versioning Does Not Establish
Versioning records governed change. It does not independently establish lifecycle status, publication, evaluation outcome, truth, validation, conformance, or authority.
New Version ≠ Active
New Version ≠ Published
New Version ≠ Supported
Higher Version ≠ More Authoritative
Latest Version ≠ Universal Truth
Version Identity ≠ Canonical Object Identity
New Version ≠ Published
New Version ≠ Supported
Higher Version ≠ More Authoritative
Latest Version ≠ Universal Truth
Version Identity ≠ Canonical Object Identity
Current Versioning Position
The Versioning architecture is established and has been exercised in production. The first controlled operation demonstrated explicit version identity, preservation of canonical identity through a bounded serialization correction, historical preservation, and a governed determination that the correction did not materially change the Attestation assertion or Trust Statement conclusion.
Versioning → Established and Production-Proven
Canonical object vs. version identity → Distinguished and exercised
Production version identity → V1.0 exercised
Same-object revision boundary → Demonstrated
New-object boundary → Established
Material Attestation assertion change → New ATT required
Material Trust Statement conclusion change → New TRST required
Correction reason / versioning decision → Distinguished and demonstrated
Historical preservation → Demonstrated
No silent overwrite → Demonstrated
Supersession → Established; not required by first production operation
Machine representation → Exercised through canonical production objects
Materiality → Governed; not reduced to a universal automatic test
Production proof → ESTABLISHED
Canonical object vs. version identity → Distinguished and exercised
Production version identity → V1.0 exercised
Same-object revision boundary → Demonstrated
New-object boundary → Established
Material Attestation assertion change → New ATT required
Material Trust Statement conclusion change → New TRST required
Correction reason / versioning decision → Distinguished and demonstrated
Historical preservation → Demonstrated
No silent overwrite → Demonstrated
Supersession → Established; not required by first production operation
Machine representation → Exercised through canonical production objects
Materiality → Governed; not reduced to a universal automatic test
Production proof → ESTABLISHED
Production proof establishes a real same-object versioning precedent without converting that precedent into a universal rule. Future changes must independently determine materiality, canonical identity consequences, version consequences, lifecycle effects, and any required supersession.
Back to Attestor →