---
title: Relations and references
description: Directional record links, REL records and unresolved external targets.
url: https://docs.thegram.one/ko/reference/relations-guide/
lang: en
requested_lang: ko
fallback_from: https://docs.thegram.one/reference/relations-guide/
tier: current
status:
  component: .gram format / Gram Core
  deployment: n/a (format spec)
  applies_to_version: Latest
  status: GA
  last_verified: "2026-10-25"
  owner: thegram-one/thegram-format
  public_evidence:
    - https://thegram.one/gram-file/
  rationale: The public format page describes typed record relationships and cross-document links as part of .gram.
source: https://docs.thegram.one/sources/relations-guide.gram
date_published: "2026-10-12T13:11:21.855Z"
date_modified: "2026-10-12T23:17:37.948Z"
evidence:
  Canonical source SHA-256: a2f3070f1ef0d2d0236ff76a6b158a7b5b73415906644f319ea54855967f3051
  Selected revision: r4 · sha256:1dd79c3a40b0510e5645bf28ed220619c01b5744b7137d5d04a3d6e8298d362b
  Local renderer: configured local Thegram renderer · API thegram-web-render/1
  Core source: git+https://github.com/clab-one/thegram-format.git?rev=b16489e1d0d77d38f82d2f61776524737aa31557#b16489e1d0d77d38f82d2f61776524737aa31557
---

# Relations and references

<div class="gram-doc-anchor" id="e0-portal-reference-relations-guide"></div>

### Direction and predicates {#h0-2}

A short relation is written inside its source record as `predicate target`; the current record is the source and the target is the destination. Basic predicates are related, supports, contradicts, depends, implements, replaces, derives, blocks, enables and part-of. Replacing means the newer/source entity points to the older/target entity.

Shorthands `> target`, `! target` and `< target` mean related, contradicts and part-of. For example, `supports export-check` says this record supports export-check; it does not create a reverse edge.

### REL records {#h0-5}

Use a REL record when a relation itself needs identity, fields or provenance:

```text
@gram 2
doc evidence-links
t Evidence links
E export-check
t Export round-trip
REL export-support export-check supports archive-policy
confidence high
SRC verification
t Verification report
K archive-policy
t Keep a readable archive
```

REL shares the document's record-ID namespace. A short edge is identified by its source/predicate/target tuple; a REL record uses its own stable ID. Duplicate short edges are invalid.

### Target resolution {#h0-9}

A bare target names a record in this document. Use `document-id/entity-id` for a cross-document target. Local targets must resolve; external document references are preserved even when unresolved and are not fetched automatically. A URI field is a reference, not a graph target. Relationships express knowledge; they do not grant access or trigger actions.

## Source

<div class="gram-record" id="e0-format-language" data-record-type="source">

**Source:** .gram language specification

Reference: [https://github.com/clab-one/thegram-format/blob/main/spec/language.md](https://github.com/clab-one/thegram-format/blob/main/spec/language.md)

</div>

<div class="gram-record" id="e0-format-rich" data-record-type="source">

**Source:** Current rich document specification

Reference: [https://github.com/clab-one/thegram-format/blob/main/spec/rich-document.md](https://github.com/clab-one/thegram-format/blob/main/spec/rich-document.md)

</div>

<div class="gram-record" id="e0-format-history6" data-record-type="source">

**Source:** Current History/6 specification

Reference: [https://github.com/clab-one/thegram-format/blob/main/spec/source-history-render.md](https://github.com/clab-one/thegram-format/blob/main/spec/source-history-render.md)

</div>