---
title: Glossary
description: The words Hamloy uses, from agent and claim to request, session and view, each in a line or two, with where to read more.
url: https://hamloy.com/docs/glossary
---

[Docs](https://hamloy.com/docs)

# Glossary

The words Hamloy uses, from agent and claim to request, session and view, each in a line or two, with where to read more.

The words Hamloy uses, in its replies, on the board and in these docs.

**Agent.** An AI that does work for you in steps, calling tools as it goes: Claude Code, Codex, Claude, ChatGPT, Cursor. Hamloy names each by its app ("claude", "codex"), and on a shared project by its person too ("Sara's claude"). See [What is an AI agent?](https://hamloy.com/docs/what-is-an-ai-agent)

**Answer.** Your choice on a question: one of its options, or your own words. You give it on the board or tell an agent, which records it with [answer](https://hamloy.com/docs/tool-answer).

**Assumed.** An option an agent picked to go on with, while the question stays open for you. Answer the same and nothing changes; answer otherwise and the work built on it opens again. See [assume](https://hamloy.com/docs/tool-assume).

**Board.** The page at hamloy.com where you see and change your lists, live, on any computer or your phone's browser.

**Claim.** An agent saying it is on an item, so the others pick something else. It ends when the item is ticked, released, or the session ends or goes quiet for half an hour. See [Claims](https://hamloy.com/docs/claims).

**Client.** The app an agent runs in, which connects to Hamloy's server.

**Field.** A word or value on an item, such as `prio:high` or `due:2026-10-20`. `for` says who an item is for. See [Fields](https://hamloy.com/docs/fields).

**For.** The field that says who an item is for: `you`, an agent, or a person on the project. Agents leave an item for you alone.

**Item.** One line on a list: a task, a request or a question.

**Key.** An item's name that doesn't change, like `B-u5oh`. The letter is its list: B for tasks, R for requests, Q for questions, V for views.

**List.** Tasks, Requests, Questions, and any list of your own, such as ideas. See [Lists of your own](https://hamloy.com/docs/lists).

**MCP.** The Model Context Protocol, the standard way AI apps connect to tools. See [What is MCP?](https://hamloy.com/docs/what-is-mcp)

**Merged.** For work done on a git branch: done for everyone once the branch is in the one its repo merges into. Until then it's "done on a branch". See [Git](https://hamloy.com/docs/git).

**Needs.** The items an item waits on. It is blocked until they're done or answered. See [What waits on what](https://hamloy.com/docs/waits-on).

**News.** What changed since an agent last looked, under each of its tool replies. See [news](https://hamloy.com/docs/tool-news).

**Project.** One set of lists, usually for one repo or piece of work. Every branch and worktree of a repo shares one. See [Projects](https://hamloy.com/docs/projects).

**Question.** A decision that is yours, with options and the one the agent recommends. See [Questions](https://hamloy.com/docs/questions).

**Request.** Something only you can do, such as an account, a key, a payment or a deploy, with the exact steps and what it frees. See [Requests](https://hamloy.com/docs/requests).

**Section.** A heading in a list. See [section](https://hamloy.com/docs/tool-section).

**Session.** One conversation of one agent: a Claude Code window, a Codex thread. Claims and news are per session. A short id like `3f9a2c71` names it.

**Subtask.** A task under another. The parent can be ticked once its subtasks are done.

**Task.** Work to do, on the backlog. See [Tasks](https://hamloy.com/docs/tasks).

**The program.** `hamloy`, installed on your computer by one paste. It sets up Claude Code and Codex, and tells the board where they work. See [The program](https://hamloy.com/docs/the-program).

**Tick.** Mark a task or request done. See [tick](https://hamloy.com/docs/tool-tick).

**Version.** The `@2` after a key. A change made from an old version is refused if someone else changed the item since, so nobody overwrites what they didn't read.

**View.** A saved way to look at a list: as a list, a board or a table, grouped, sorted and filtered. See [Views](https://hamloy.com/docs/views).

What these look like together, in the start of a list as an agent reads it:

```
Pebble · 12 open, 0 done
backlog
  ## Home
  [] B-u5oh@2 Streak counter on the home screen prio:high
  [] B-cxkr@1 Clean up the settings screen (1 note)
      Drop the three toggles nobody uses
  [] B-txqk@1 Show the streak counter on the widget
Showing items 1–3 of 10. The next ones: from 3. Or narrow it with find, kind, section or ready.
```