[aaltshuler]

Proposes an additive alternative to #1202 and #1213: scalar bindings, nested read relations, and file-local named-read reuse within the existing GQ query structure. Existing queries retain their syntax, effects, result contracts, and ranking behavior.

The retrieval design distinguishes filtering a fixed candidate window from selecting the best qualifying results across the full eligible population. An uncapped squared_l2 scorer composes with ordinary filtering, ordering, and a final limit. The RFC specifies numerical/null behavior, exact stopping, explicit cut boundaries, shared resource limits, and scoped ranking metadata. Its acceptance fixture returns ten qualifying documents where filtering an exact nearest-100 window returns none.

Includes compatibility gates, test ownership, staged rollout, and source inspection against the current Lance 13 / DataFusion 54 base. Registers the RFC as a draft; this PR implements no language or runtime changes and claims no executable syntax or performance proof.

Validation:

• Documentation checker: passed (453 Markdown files).
• AGENTS/documentation index check: passed.
• Spelling and staged whitespace checks: passed.
• Independent design review of retrieval semantics and compatibility with current main completed; numerical failure preservation and root ranking metadata incorporated.

No Rust tests were run because this is a design-document-only change. New syntax and implementation acceptance tests remain explicit RFC gates.

[ragnorc]

Thank you for this. The maintainer accepted compositional closure on 2026-11-03, and the single GQ 3 RFC, #1302, now carries it: three value kinds, one binder (let), relation expressions drawn with from, and a composed core. Where this draft and the RFC differ, the RFC's Alternatives table names the row: let … in and positional tuples against from with columns by name; squared_l2 beside nearest against l2 and nearest as two operators for two contracts; no reserved forms and no break against one break of seven machine-applied spellings. Your 100-and-11 fixture is in the before-and-after corpus, and the root-versus-producer ranking metadata and the numerical contract are taken. Leaving this open for your reply; it can close once you have read the RFC.