What does selector.name mean?
A selector defines how a system finds or chooses something. The name property identifies that selector so it can be reused, displayed, logged, or referenced by another object. Read literally, selector.name means “the name of the selector.” The selection logic normally lives in other fields or in registered code.
Selectors appear in many forms. CSS selectors match elements. Database selectors match records. Infrastructure label selectors match resources. Product interfaces use selectors to choose assets, models, styles, or presets. Because the word is broad, a name should reveal the selector's purpose while the schema records its actual matching criteria.
Name, query, and strategy
A selector name should not be confused with the selector expression itself. The name is a label such as hero-shot-candidates; the query contains filters; and the strategy decides how matches are ranked or sampled. Separating these concerns lets a team update selection logic without forcing every consumer to use a new identifier.
When selection affects a reproducible workflow, record both the selector name and a version or snapshot of its rules. A friendly name alone cannot explain why an item was chosen after the underlying filters have changed.
Where selectors are used
Selection is a core operation in software, but each ecosystem defines its own semantics. Some selectors return every match; others rank candidates and return one. Some are deterministic; others use randomness or model scores. Good documentation states the scope, ordering, and empty-result behavior.
- UI and design systems: choosing elements, options, or reusable components.
- Data access: filtering records by fields, tags, or relationships.
- Infrastructure: matching resources by labels or capabilities.
- AI media: choosing models, assets, styles, voices, or candidate shots.
Common property patterns
These examples illustrate how the property may be nested. They are descriptive patterns, not fields guaranteed by every platform.
model.selector.namebalanced-video-modelNames a policy for choosing a generation model.
asset.selector.namecharacter-reference-imagesNames a reusable asset filter.
style.selector.namenoir-high-contrastNames a visual-style selection preset.
voice.selector.namenarrator-warm-neutralNames a voice candidate selection rule.
Selector names in creative tooling
A creative workflow repeatedly chooses among candidates: the right character reference for a shot, a model suited to the requested aspect ratio, a visual style for the sequence, or a voice for narration. A named selector makes that decision policy visible instead of burying it in interface state or application code.
This conceptual example shows a selector with explicit filters and ordering. It is not a published Filmgine API contract. A production system should also record the actual selected asset and the rule version for reproducibility.
{
"assetSelector": {
"name": "lead-character-reference",
"filters": { "character": "lead", "approved": true },
"orderBy": "updatedAt:desc",
"limit": 1
}
}Naming and implementation guidance
Name the intent of the selection, not a temporary result returned by it.
Store filters, ranking, and limits as explicit rules rather than hiding them in the name.
Define behavior when no candidates or several equally ranked candidates match.
Version selectors when reproducibility matters and selection logic can change.
Avoid ambiguous names such as default unless the scope and fallback behavior are documented.
Frequently asked questions
Is selector.name a CSS selector?
Not by itself. It may label a CSS-related selector, but many APIs use selector for data, resources, models, or assets.
Should selector.name contain the filter expression?
Usually no. Keep the readable name stable and store the machine-readable query or filters separately.
Why version a selector?
If its rules change, a version helps explain and reproduce earlier choices without forcing the friendly name to change.