Core Concepts

How the Alap expression language works — from simple tag queries to protocol filters and result refiners.

Page	What it covers
Expressions	Tags, operators (`+` `\|` `-`), parentheses, commas — the tutorial
Expression Spec	Formal grammar, operator semantics, machine-friendly worked examples
Macros	Named queries with `@`, nesting, the bare `@`, Markdown escape hatch
Search Patterns	Regex search with `/pattern/`, field codes, age/sort/limit options
Protocols	Dimensional queries (`:time:30d:`, `:location:radius:args:`), handler contract, source chains
Refiners	Set-level shaping (`sort`, `limit:N`, `shuffle`), inline refiners, pagination
Styling	CSS custom properties, `::part()` selectors, dark mode, transitions, effects

Try it Live Alap links — click any to see a menu:
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Reading order

Start with Expressions — everything else builds on it. Macros is a natural follow-up. The rest can be read in any order as you need them.