Governance Documents

ProtoML is not limited to lightweight notes. It also supports more controlled documents with metadata, approvals, references, and lifecycle tracking.

Core governance metadata

@author
@version
@status
@record_id
@confidentiality
@effective_date
@valid_until
@review_date

Approval and signature structures

@signatures
=lead:Jane Doe,Project Lead,18.04.2026,Signed digitally

@approvals
=security:Security Review,approved,Jane Doe,18.04.2026,Reviewed and accepted

These let you separate reusable governance data from the final meeting or document narrative.

Embedding governance elements in the reader-facing document

@@signature=lead
@@approval=security
@@ref=meta:record_id

Detached signatures for governance files

protoparser sign pml "./governance/release-approval.pml" "./keys/alice-private.pem" "Alice" alice-main
protoparser verify pml "./governance/release-approval.pml" -trustRegistry="./authors-registry"

Detached file signatures complement the in-document governance blocks. They help prove the integrity and authorship of the whole .pml file without replacing semantic fields such as @signatures, @approvals, or review metadata.

Supporting sections

@references for source material or governing documents
@attachments for linked artifacts
@tasks for open remediation or follow-up actions

Why governance metadata matters

Once documents are reviewed, approved, versioned, or periodically revisited, their lifecycle becomes just as important as their prose. ProtoML's governance fields help keep that lifecycle explicit and machine-readable.

Recommended directory workflow

Standardize required metadata for the document class
Keep signatures and approvals in dedicated blocks
Use stable @record_id values
Run protoparser register "<dir>" statistics across the collection
Review overdue or incomplete documents using register output

Good use cases

Release approvals
Operational procedures
Compliance and audit records
Policy documents with periodic review requirements
Controlled onboarding or access review documents