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Stamps ​

In aeppic, stamps serve as immutable markers that capture the state, history, and verification of a document as it progresses through workflows. Just as real-world stamps authenticate and validate documents, stamps in aeppic provide a digital equivalent, ensuring both workflow reliability and data authenticity.

Why Stamps Matter ​

Immutable Workflow Tracking ​

Stamps are permanent and tamper-proof, preserving the exact state of a document at a specific point in time. They ensure a clear record of approvals, transitions, and other workflow events.

Authenticity Verification ​

Stamps can include cryptographic hashes of the document’s content and version, enabling future verification that the stamp corresponds to:

  • The document itself.
  • The document as it existed at a specific version.

User and Session Authentication WIP ​

Stamps can be extended to include authentication data, such as session identifiers or cryptographic signatures. This ensures that:

  • The user applying the stamp has verified the document’s content.
  • The stamp reliably reflects the user’s interaction with the document at the time of stamping.

Scalability in Workflows ​

By associating stamps with workflow IDs and stamp types, you can track complex, multi-step processes without modifying the document itself. This allows for parallel workflows and fine-grained control over document state transitions. A document can also be part of multiple workflows (even of the same type) at the same time.

How Stamps Work in aeppic ​

Data Integrity ​

Each stamp contains cryptographic hashes of:

  • The document’s unique ID.
  • The document’s version-specific content.

This ensures that any alteration to the document can be detected, preserving the integrity of the workflow.

Session Awareness WIP ​

Stamps can incorporate session-specific data, linking the stamp to the user or process that created it. For example:

  • A user reading and approving a document can leave a stamp that cryptographically verifies they interacted with the document.

Workflow Metadata ​

Stamps include a Stamp Types which define the purpose of the stamp (e.g., “Approval,” “Verification”) and an optional workflow id. A workflow id is just a string, but can be a link to a workflow instance document.

If a documents is stamped the stamp is projected into the metadata of the documents (field stamps) which contains info about the stamp. Stamps with the same workflow id override each other in the document with the newest stamp overriding the older one from the same workflow.

Example: Stamping in Action - Approval Workflow ​

A user reads and approves a document as part of an internal workflow.

User Verification ​

The client calculates a cryptographic hash of the document and its content, ensuring the user has reviewed the exact version.

Stamp Creation ​

The system generates a stamp with:

  • The document’s ID and data hash.
  • The user’s session data WIP

Future Verification ​

Later, an auditor can:

  • Verify the stamp’s cryptographic hash against the document to confirm it was stamped correctly.
  • Trace the stamp to the user and session that created it, ensuring authenticity.

The Role of Stamps in aeppic ​

Workflow Reliability ​

Stamps allow documents to move through workflows without altering their core data. By preserving the history of approvals, transitions, and interactions, they provide a transparent and auditable process.

Data Authenticity ​

With cryptographic verification, stamps ensure that the content being stamped has been reviewed and confirmed by the appropriate party. This is especially valuable for sensitive data or regulated environments.

Real-World Parallels ​

Just like real-world stamps, aeppic’s stamps authenticate, validate, and record interactions, providing a trustworthy mechanism for managing workflows and verifying content.

Summary ​

Stamps in aeppic are a powerful tool for tracking and verifying workflows. By combining immutable records, cryptographic verification, and user authentication, they ensure:

  • Reliable workflows with complete histories of document state transitions.
  • Authenticity guarantees that link stamps to specific users, sessions, and document versions.
  • A scalable system for managing even the most complex processes.

Whether you’re automating approvals, verifying user interactions, or auditing a document’s history, stamps provide the foundation for a secure, transparent, and reliable system.