Targets and Stable References

Loomle separates complete target identity from selectors inside that target. This mirrors how Unreal owns editor objects.

Asset-backed Targets

An exact StateTree Target uses its Asset Path and verified native Class:

omle = target {
  domain: state_tree,
  asset: "/Game/AI/ST_Omle.ST_Omle",
  type: "/Script/StateTreeModule.StateTree"
}

A Blueprint has both an Asset Path and a native Blueprint Guid. Its first discovery query may use the path alone:

door = target {
  domain: blueprint,
  asset: "/Game/BP_Door.BP_Door"
}

Later exact queries and every Patch use the returned id:

door = target {
  domain: blueprint,
  asset: "/Game/BP_Door.BP_Door",
  id: "11111111-1111-1111-1111-111111111111"
}

The path loads the asset; the Guid verifies that the resolved object is still the intended Blueprint. Every Target Guid field is canonical lowercase text with hyphens and must be non-zero, matching UE FGuid::IsValid().

Owner Chains

Contained UE objects are scoped by their native owner. A Graph Target therefore carries the identity of its owning Blueprint, but remains flat:

door = target {
  domain: blueprint,
  asset: "/Game/BP_Door.BP_Door",
  id: "11111111-1111-1111-1111-111111111111"
}

eventGraph = target {
  domain: graph,
  asset: "/Game/BP_Door.BP_Door",
  blueprintId: "11111111-1111-1111-1111-111111111111",
  id: "22222222-2222-2222-2222-222222222222"
}

A Target never contains another Target or an alias. The two bindings above are independent Targets for two different Domains, shown for comparison rather than as one request. Every Query or Patch declares exactly one of them.

Target-relative Stable References

Existing contained objects use native identity paths relative to one exact Target:

@node-guid
@node-guid/pin-guid
@variable-guid
@component-guid
@widget-guid
@state-guid
@transition-guid

When an id is local to a native owner, that owner identity precedes it:

@parameter-container-guid/property-guid
@function-graph-guid/local-variable-guid

The active Target’s Domain card defines the accepted identity paths.

An optional semantic tag may improve readability:

node @node-guid
pin @node-guid/pin-guid

The tag is erasable and cannot select an object kind or disambiguate a collision. @node-guid and node @node-guid identify the same object. If two native categories expose the same id in one Target identity environment, resolution reports an identity conflict.

Target Self and Result Scope

The active Target is addressed structurally, not through a fabricated StableRef:

query eventGraph
target

query functionGraph
references to target

query interfaceFunctionGraph
references to target.InterfaceGuid

The exact target read works across Domains. Target-self as a reference subject is narrower: bare target currently requires a callable Function or Macro Graph, while direct target.InterfaceGuid requires a valid Graph Interface declaration. Other Domain or Graph roles return capability.reference_unavailable.

When Result Text declares related Targets, an unqualified StableRef remains relative to the main Target. A foreign reference uses the related Target alias:

bp::@variable-guid

That foreign qualifier is result-side structure only. Request text may redundantly qualify a reference with its own active Target alias; the parser lowers that spelling to an ordinary unqualified StableRef and rejects foreign or unknown qualifiers. To follow a related Target, copy it into a new Target binding and use an unqualified StableRef relative to it.

Member Paths

Member paths select native fields or nested value surfaces:

set @widget-guid.Slot.Padding = "<native FMargin text>"
references to @variable-guid.SomeNativeMember in project

Only paths advertised by the exact schema are writable. Do not infer a member path from a display label.

Local Aliases

Aliases are readable handles inside one SAL Text:

print = { palette: "palette-entry-id" }
add print

They are not persisted session state. A later request binds its own target and uses returned stable identities.

Names Are for Discovery

Names and labels help search and navigation, but stable ids or exact paths carry identity. Query a current name to discover the current native identity, then use that Target-relative path for exact follow-up work.