Bracketwire

Bracketwire is a term used in computing and data visualization to describe a convention for representing nested data and relationships using bracketed groupings linked by a conceptual wire. In this approach, opening and closing brackets designate the boundaries of a group, while an explicit wire refers to the connections that relate elements inside and across groups. The result is a compact, semi-structured notation that can be read both by humans and by machines.

The term does not refer to a single formal standard but to a family of practices that emerged in the 2010s as developers sought more readable ways to express hierarchical data and dependencies. Various tools and documents adopt bracket-based notation, often with customizable bracket types and visual cues, resulting in multiple, interoperable implementations rather than one universal specification.

Bracketwire concepts appear in several domains. In programming, bracketwire-inspired parsers convert nested bracketed expressions into syntax trees or abstract representations, supporting languages with rich nested syntax. In data visualization and technical writing, bracketwire schemes help illustrate nested lists, function arguments, or organizational hierarchies, sometimes accompanied by line-like connectors that resemble wires to emphasize relationships.

Common technical features include support for multiple bracket pairs (for example, (), [], {}), escape handling, whitespace tolerance, and error reporting for mismatched brackets. Some implementations model the structure as a graph where nodes sit inside bracket regions and wires denote dependencies or data flow. Extensible designs allow custom pairing rules, serialization into JSON or XML, and export to diagram formats.

Bracket notation, syntax trees, and dependency graphs are related concepts. Bracketwire remains primarily a descriptive term for a family of notations and tools rather than a single product.