Jev glossary
Core Concepts
Atomic question
A question that asks one specific, well-scoped thing, the kind of judgment a knowledgeable person makes in a few seconds.
- Category
- Core Concepts
- Also known as
- —
- Reading time
- 1 min
- Related terms
- 4
- Directory entries
- 2
- Docs
- docs.typesafe.ai
- Added
- 2026-09-24
Definition
The docs call this probably the most important concept in the guide. Atomic questions expose each judgment so you can inspect, tune, and combine them in code, instead of hiding several decisions behind one broad answer.
"Does this message convey urgency?" is atomic. "Analyze this message and determine the best course of action" is not. It needs slow reasoning and is a signal to decompose.
Tagspracticesdesign
Related terms
Definitions that connect to this one.
DecompositionBreaking a broad judgment into one question per factor, then combining the answers with weights and rules you control in code.Core ConceptsQuestionA named judgment for Jev to make about the state, defined by an ID, a type, instructions, and criteria for the typed primitives.Core ConceptsSystem Two taskWork that needs extended, multi-step reasoning; the docs treat it as a signal to decompose rather than a job for Jev.Core ConceptsComposite scoringBreak a judgment into atomic Score questions, normalize each, and combine them with weights you control in code.Patterns
From the Jev directory
Directory entries that go deeper on this term.
Design AI-powered software by keeping code in control and giving System One narrow, structured decisions to make.
Jev Practices & PatternsDocs#official#patterns#architecture
Official
The three TypeSafe question types, the typed answers they return, how to choose between them, and how to ask several in a single call.
Jev Practices & PatternsDocs#official#primitives#choice
Official
From the Jev AI model community
Posts from builders shipping with Jev right now.