Struct SymbolicTime 

pub struct SymbolicTime { /* private fields */ }

A symbolic time representation for use in logic-based, non-numeric, or event-driven causal systems.

SymbolicTime models time points that are defined in terms of symbolic relationships rather than purely numeric values. It wraps a SymbolicTimeUnit enum that encodes relations like "Before Event X", "After Event Y", or "Simultaneous with A and B", while also assigning a numeric i64 scalar value to make it compatible with systems that require Temporal<i64>.

The id field is a globally unique numeric identifier for disambiguation and integration with Identifiable graphs or context systems.

Fields

• id: Unique identifier for the symbolic time point
• time: A SymbolicTimeUnit enum variant representing the qualitative relation

Symbolic Semantics

Symbolic time allows reasoning over:

• Event ordering (before/after)
• Named time anchors (e.g., “init”, “decision”, “outcome”)
• Simultaneity of events

This makes it useful in:

• Symbolic causal graphs
• Event calculus and temporal logic
• Explainable AI and decision traces
• Formal methods and simulations

Examples

use deep_causality::{SymbolicTime, SymbolicTimeUnit};

let t1 = SymbolicTime::new(
    1,
    SymbolicTimeUnit::Named("DecisionPoint".into(), 42),
);

let t2 = SymbolicTime::new(
    2,
    SymbolicTimeUnit::Before("SensorReading".into(), -10),
);

println!("{}", t1); // Output: #1, Named(DecisionPoint) @ 42
println!("{}", t2); // Output: #2, Before(SensorReading) @ -10

Trait Compatibility

• Implements Identifiable using id
• Implements Temporal<i64> using the scalar inside the SymbolicTimeUnit
• Can be used in graphs, timelines, or symbolic propagation engines

Note

While the scalar time value (i64) enables numeric compatibility, its semantic interpretation must be context-dependent. Do not rely solely on numeric ordering when symbolic intent (e.g., Simultaneous) should override raw comparisons.

Implementations

impl SymbolicTime

pub fn new(id: u64, time: SymbolicTimeUnit) -> Self

pub fn time(&self) -> &SymbolicTimeUnit

Trait Implementations

impl Clone for SymbolicTime

fn clone(&self) -> SymbolicTime

Returns a duplicate of the value.

fn clone_from(&mut self, source: &Self)

Performs copy-assignment from source.

impl Debug for SymbolicTime

fn fmt(&self, f: &mut Formatter<'_>) -> Result

Formats the value using the given formatter.

impl Display for SymbolicTime

fn fmt(&self, f: &mut Formatter<'_>) -> Result

Formats the value using the given formatter.

impl Hash for SymbolicTime

fn hash<__H: Hasher>(&self, state: &mut __H)

Feeds this value into the given Hasher.

fn hash_slice<H>(data: &[Self], state: &mut H)

where H: Hasher, Self: Sized,

Feeds a slice of this type into the given Hasher.

impl Identifiable for SymbolicTime

fn id(&self) -> u64

impl PartialEq for SymbolicTime

fn eq(&self, other: &SymbolicTime) -> bool

Tests for self and other values to be equal, and is used by ==.

fn ne(&self, other: &Rhs) -> bool

Tests for !=. The default implementation is almost always sufficient, and should not be overridden without very good reason.

impl Temporal<i64> for SymbolicTime

fn time_scale(&self) -> TimeScale

Returns the unit scale of time (e.g. TimeScale::Milliseconds).

fn time_unit(&self) -> i64

Returns a reference to the numeric time unit (e.g. 0, 100, 32768).

impl Eq for SymbolicTime

impl StructuralPartialEq for SymbolicTime