Once you have started a discussion, setting also up the initial issue, you should know the argumentation elements allowed in the system. These are issues, alternatives, positions (pro and con) and constraints.

• Issues correspond to decisions to be made, or goals to be achieved. They are brought up by agents and are open to dispute. Issues consist of a set of alternatives. Issues can also be inside other issues in cases where some alternatives need to be grouped together.
• Alternatives correspond to potential choices or solutions of an issue.
• Positions Pro (supporting positions) are asserted in order to advocate the selection of a specific course of action (alternative). They may also refer to some other position in order to provide additional information in favour of it.
• Positions Con (counter-positions) are asserted in order to avert the agents' interest from the selection of a specific course of action. They may also refer to some other position in order to provide additional information against it.
• Constraints provide a qualitative way to weigh reasons for and against the selection of a certain course of action. They are tuples of the form [Position, Preference Relation, Position], where the preference relation can be ``>'' (more important than), ``='' (equally important to), or ``<'' (less important than).

A position always refers to a single other position or alternative, while an alternative or issue is always in a single issue. Constraints may refer to another constraint, a position, or an issue.

Alternatives, positions and constraints can be active or inactive, depending on their proof standards (see the Submitting argumentation elements section) and the argumentation underneath. Constraints can be consistent or inconsistent, depending on the other constraints of the same issue.

Active alternatives correspond to ``recommended'' choices, i.e., choices that are the strongest among the alternatives in their issue. Active positions are considered ``accepted'' due to the discussion underneath (e.g., strong supporting arguments, no counter-arguments), while inactive positions are considered ``rejected'' and are not taken into account. The mechanisms for the calculation of activation labels are described in .