---
id: LANG-1
family: GR-LANG
level: core
profiles: [runtime]
posture: normative-target
added: "1.0"
changed: "1.0"
source: https://flowdrop.io/spec/rules/gr-lang/lang-1
specification: FlowDrop Workflow Specification 1.0-draft
licence: CC BY 4.0
---

# LANG-1 — Extraction engines query the context; transformation engines bind it

*GR-LANG (Part I) · level: core · profiles: runtime · added in 1.0*

The engines an author can choose split into two families, and the split decides what the surrounding data means to the expression they write.

## The rule

> **Normative.** This is the rule.
>
> 1. An extraction engine treats the evaluation context as data to be queried by a path.
>
> 2. A transformation engine treats the same context as a map of variables the expression may reference by name.

## Related rules

- Referenced by: LANG-4

---

Rule identifiers are permanent and are never renumbered. This specification carries
no implementation status: each implementation publishes its own standing against
these rules. Licensed CC BY 4.0.