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Question

How small can a filter syntax be while still feeling like a real language rather than a form?

Hypothesis

A five-keyword grammar could cover most everyday filtering needs.

What it is

A miniature query language for filtering lists — status:building year:2025 stack:react — parsed entirely client-side.

Try it

Type a query using field:value pairs and see matching results filter live, with unrecognized fields flagged inline.

Result

Five keywords covered nearly every real filtering request tested against it; a sixth kept getting requested for free-text search, which was added separately.

What I learned

A small grammar is worth protecting — but not at the cost of the one feature everyone keeps asking for.