Under --output-format json, error envelopes were emitted to stderr via
eprintln!. This violated the emission contract: stdout should carry the
contractual envelope (success OR error); stderr is reserved for
non-contractual diagnostics.
Cycle #87 controlled matrix audit found bootstrap/dump-manifests/state
exhibited this pattern (exit 1, stdout 0 bytes, stderr N bytes under
--output-format json).
Fix: change eprintln! to println! for the JSON error envelope path in main().
Text mode continues to route errors to stderr (conventional).
Verification:
- bootstrap --output-format json: stdout now carries envelope, exit 1
- dump-manifests --output-format json: stdout now carries envelope, exit 1
- Text mode: errors still on stderr with [error-kind: ...] prefix (no regression)
Tests:
- Updated assert_json_error_envelope helper to read from stdout (was stderr)
- Added error_envelope_emitted_to_stdout_under_output_format_json_168c
regression test that asserts envelope on stdout + non-JSON on stderr
- All 16 output_format_contract tests pass
Phase 0 Task 1 complete: emission routing fixed across all error-path verbs.
Phase 0 Task 2 (no-silent CI guarantee) remains.
Refs: #168c (cycle #87 filing), cycle #88 emission contract framing
Fresh-dogfood validation (cycle #84, #168) proved the original locus premise was
underspecified. v1.0 was never a coherent contract — each verb has a bespoke JSON
shape with no coordination, and bootstrap JSON is completely broken (silent
failure, exit 0 no output).
Revised migration plan:
- Phase 0 (NEW): Emergency fix for silent failures (#168 bootstrap JSON)
- Phase 1 (NEW): v1.5 baseline — minimal JSON invariants across all 14 verbs
- Every command emits valid JSON with --output-format json
- Every command has top-level 'kind' field for verb ID
- Every error envelope follows {error, hint, kind, type}
- Phase 2 (renamed from Phase 1): v2.0 wrapped envelope (opt-in)
- Phase 3 (renamed from Phase 2): v2.0 default
- Phase 4 (renamed from Phase 3): v1.0/v1.5 deprecation
Rationale:
- Can't migrate from 'incoherent' to 'coherent v2.0' in one jump
- Consumers need stable target (v1.5) to transition from
- Silent failures must be fixed BEFORE migration (consumers can't detect breakage)
Effort revision: ~9 dev-days (Phase 0: 1 + Phase 1: 3 + Phase 2: 5) vs original
~6 dev-days for direct v1.0→v2.0 (which would have failed).
Doctrine implication: Fresh-dogfood principle (#9, cycle #73) prevented a multi-day
migration from hitting an unsolvable baseline problem. Evidence-backed mid-design
correction.
Fresh dogfood validation (cycle #84) revealed the binary v1.0 envelope is NOT
consistent across commands:
- list-sessions: {command, sessions}
- doctor: {checks, kind, message, ...}
- bootstrap: (no JSON output at all)
- mcp: {action, kind, status, ...}
Each command has a custom JSON shape. Bootstrap's JSON path is completely broken
(exit 0 but no output). This is not 'v1.0 vs v2.0 design difference' — it's
'no consistent v1.0 ever existed'.
This explains why #164 (envelope migration) is blocked on design: the 'v1.0 from'
was never coherent. The real task is not 'migrate v1.0 to v2.0' but 'migrate
incoherent-per-command shapes to coherent-common-envelope'.
Implications for cycles #76–#82: The P0 doc fixes were correct to mark SCHEMAS.md
as 'aspirational' because the binary never had a consistent contract to document.
The deeper issue: each verb renderer was written independently with no envelope
coordination.
Three options proposed:
- A: accept per-command shapes (status quo + documentation)
- B: enforce common wrapper (FIX_LOCUS_164 full approach)
- C: hybrid (document current incoherence, then migrate 3 pilot verbs)
Recommendation: Option C. Documents truth immediately, enables phased migration.
This filing resolves the #164 design blocker: now we understand what we're
migrating from.
SCHEMAS.md locks JSON envelope contract for all 14 clawable commands.
No corresponding contract for text output (--output-format text).
Text output is ad hoc per-command: no documented format, no column ordering
guarantee, no stability contract. Claws parsing text output have no safety.
Filed as discovery gap from systematic doc audit (cycle #83). Design options:
- Option A: Document text contracts (parallel to JSON) — 4 dev-days
- Option B: Declare text unstable, point to JSON — 1 dev-day (recommended)
- Option C: Defer until post-#164 JSON migration
Related to #164 (JSON migration) and #250 (surface parity audit).
The aspirational SCHEMAS.md doc (v2.0 target) was the source of truth misdocumentation.
Three downstream docs (USAGE, ERROR_HANDLING, CLAUDE) inherited the false claim that
v1.0 binary emits common fields it doesn't actually emit.
Fixing SCHEMAS.md at the source eliminates the root cause for all four P0 instances.
Doc-truthfulness P0 family now complete: 4/4 closed, root cause identified + fixed.
All fixes shipped within 6 cycles (#76 audit → #82 execution).
SCHEMAS.md was presenting the target v2.0 schema as the current binary contract.
This is the source of truth document, so the misdocumentation propagated to every
downstream doc (USAGE.md, ERROR_HANDLING.md, CLAUDE.md all inherited the false
premise that v1.0 includes timestamp/command/exit_code/etc).
Fixed with:
1. CRITICAL header at top: marks entire doc as v2.0 target, not v1.0 reality
2. 'TARGET v2.0 SCHEMA' headers on Common Fields section
3. Comprehensive Appendix: v1.0 actual shape + migration timeline + v1.0 code example
4. Links to FIX_LOCUS_164.md + ERROR_HANDLING.md for v1.0 reality
5. FAQ: clarifies the version mismatch and when v2.0 ships
This closes the fourth P0 doc-truthfulness instance (4/4 in family):
- #78 USAGE.md: active misdocumentation (fixed#78)
- #79 ERROR_HANDLING.md: copy-paste trap (fixed#79)
- #165 CLAUDE.md: boundary collapse (fixed#81)
- #166 SCHEMAS.md: aspirational source doc (fixed#82)
Pattern is now crystallized: SCHEMAS.md was the aspirational source;
three downstream docs (USAGE, ERROR_HANDLING, CLAUDE) inherited the false v2.0-as-v1.0
claim. Fix the source (SCHEMAS.md), which eliminates the root cause for all four.
CLAUDE.md Option A implemented. P0 doc-truthfulness family now at 3 closed +
0 open (all 3 fixed within the same dogfood session).
Taxonomy refinement added: P0 doc-truthfulness has three distinct subclasses:
- active misdocumentation (false sentence) — USAGE.md cycle #78
- copy-paste trap (broken example code) — ERROR_HANDLING.md cycle #79
- target/current boundary collapse (v2.0 as v1.0) — CLAUDE.md cycle #81
All three related to #164 (envelope divergence). Root cause consistent across
family; remedies differ per subclass.
CLAUDE.md was documenting the v2.0 target schema as if it were current binary
behavior. This misled validator/harness implementers into assuming the Rust
binary emits timestamp, command, exit_code, output_format, schema_version fields
when it doesn't.
Fixed by explicitly marking the boundary:
1. SCHEMAS.md section: now clearly labels 'target v2.0 design' and lists both
v1.0 (actual binary) and v2.0 (target) field shapes
2. Clawable commands requirements: now explicitly separates v1.0 (current) and
v2.0 (post-FIX_LOCUS_164) envelope requirements
3. Added inline migration note pointing to FIX_LOCUS_164.md
This closes#165 as the third P0 doc-truthfulness fix (Option A: preserve current
truth, add v2.0 target as separate labeled section).
P0 doc-truthfulness family pattern (all three related to #164 envelope divergence):
- #78 USAGE.md: active misdocumentation (fixed cycle #78)
- #79 ERROR_HANDLING.md: copy-paste trap (fixed cycle #79)
- #165 CLAUDE.md: target/current boundary collapse (fixed cycle #81)
CLAUDE.md claims 'Common fields (all envelopes): timestamp, command, exit_code,
output_format, schema_version' but the actual binary v1.0 doesn't emit these.
This is aspirational (v2.0 target from SCHEMAS.md) documented as current behavior
in a file that's supposed to describe the Python reference harness.
Filed as 3rd member of doc-truthfulness P0 family (joins #78, #79).
Both options documented: update CLAUDE.md for v1.0 OR clarify it's v2.0 aspirational.
Recommendation: Option A (keep CLAUDE.md truthful about actual validation).
Part of broader #164 family (envelope schema divergence across all docs).
Formalizes a 4-level severity scale for documentation-vs-implementation divergence:
- P0: Active misdocumentation (consumer code breaks) — immediate fix
- P1: Stale docs (consumer confused) — high priority
- P2: Incomplete docs (friction, eventual success) — medium
- P3: Terminology drift (confusion but survivable) — low
Parallel to diagnostic-strictness scale (cycles #57–#69). Both are
'truth-over-convenience' constraints.
Evidence: cycles #78–#79 found 2 P0 instances in USAGE.md and ERROR_HANDLING.md,
both related to JSON envelope shape. Root cause: SCHEMAS.md is aspirational (v2.0),
binary still emits v1.0, docs needed to be empirical not aspirational.
Going forward: doc audits compare against actual binary, flag P0 violations
immediately, link forward to migration plans (FIX_LOCUS_164.md).
The Python code examples were accessing nested error.kind like envelope['error']['kind'],
but v1.0 emits flat envelopes with error as a STRING and kind at top-level.
Updated:
- Table header: now shows actual v1.0 shape {error: "...", kind: "...", type: "error"}
- match statement: switched from envelope.get('error',{}).get('kind') to envelope.get('kind')
- All ClawError raises: changed from envelope['error']['message'] to envelope.get('error','')
because error field is a STRING in v1.0, not a nested object
- Added inline comments on every error case noting v1.0 vs v2.0 difference
- Appendix: split into v1.0 (actual/current) and v2.0 (target after FIX_LOCUS_164)
The code examples now work correctly against the actual binary.
This was active misdocumentation (P0 severity) — the Python examples would crash
if a consumer tried to use them.
The JSON output section was misleading — it claimed the binary emits
exit_code, command, timestamp, output_format, schema_version, and nested
error objects. The binary actually emits v1.0 flat shape (kind at top-level,
error as string, no common metadata fields).
Updated section:
- Documents actual v1.0 success and error envelope shapes
- Lists known issues (missing fields, overloaded kind, flat error)
- Shows how to dispatch on v1.0 (check type=='error' before reading kind)
- Warns users NOT to rely on kind alone
- Links to FIX_LOCUS_164.md for migration plan
- Explains Phase 1/2/3 timeline for v2.0 adoption
This is a doc-only fix that makes USAGE.md truthful about the current behavior
while preparing users for the coming schema migration.
Binary emits different envelope shape than SCHEMAS.md documents:
- Missing: timestamp, command, exit_code, output_format, schema_version
- Wrong placement: kind is top-level, not nested under error
- Extra: type:error field not in schema
- Wrong type: error is string, not object with operation/target/retryable
Additional issue: 'kind' field is semantically overloaded (verb-id in
success envelopes, error-kind in error envelopes) — violates typed contract.
Filed as 7th member of typed-error family (joins #102, #121, #127, #129, #130, #245).
Recommended fix: Option A — update binary to match schema (principled design).
Attempted cherry-pick of #248 (1 commit) onto main. Encountered 2 conflict zones
in main.rs (test definitions + error classification). Manual regex cleanup left
orphaned diff markers that Rust compiler rejected.
Decision: Rebase-bridge works for 1-conflict branches, but 2+ conflicts in 12K+-line
files require author context. Revised strategy: push main to origin, request branch
authors rebase locally with IDE support, then merge from updated origin branches.
Estimated timeline: 30 min for branch authors to rebase 8 branches in parallel.
Fresh dogfood found no new pinpoints. All core verbs working correctly.
Blocker: 8 remaining review-ready branches on origin have conflicts with
cycle #72's 4 merges. Root cause: remote branches predated the merge chain.
Example: feat/jobdori-127-verb-suffix-flags rebase fails on commit 3/3
because cycle #72 added 15+ new LocalHelpTopic variants.
Recommend: coordinate with branch authors to rebase against new main.
Cycle #74 will post integration checkpoint + queue status.
Backlog-truthfulness (cycle #60) validated: fresh dogfood on current main confirmed
#163 was closed by cycle #72's help-parity chain merge. Zero duplicate work.
Cleanup: removed /tmp/jobdori-163 worktree and fix/jobdori-163-help-help-selfref branch.
Fix: resolve actual HEAD path in git worktrees for correct Git SHA in build metadata.
In worktrees, .git is a pointer file not a directory, so cargo's rerun-if-changed=.git/HEAD never triggers.
Per MERGE_CHECKLIST.md Cluster 2 (P1 Diagnostic-strictness, isolated):
- 25 lines in build.rs only (no crate-level conflicts)
- Verified: build → commit → rebuild → SHA updates correctly
Diagnostic-strictness family member (joins #122/#122b).
Applied: execution artifact runbook. Cycle #72 integration.
Provides:
- Recommended merge order (P0 → P1 → P2 → P3 by cluster)
- Per-cluster merge prerequisites and validation steps
- Conflict risk assessment (Cluster 2 #122/#122b have same edit locus)
- Post-merge validation checklist (build + test + dogfood)
- Timeline estimate (~60 min for full 17-branch queue)
Addresses the final integration step: once branches are reviewed, knowing
the safe merge order matters. This artifact pre-answers that question.
Applied doctrine: integration-support artifacts (cycle #64) reduce reviewer
friction. At 17-branch saturation, a merge-safe checklist is first-class work.
Relates to cycle #70 integration throughput initiative.
Problem: In git worktrees, .git is a pointer file (not a directory), so cargo's
rerun-if-changed=.git/HEAD never triggers when commits are made. This causes
claw version to report a stale SHA after new commits.
Solution: Add resolve_git_head_path() helper that detects worktree mode:
- If .git is a file: parse gitdir pointer, watch <gitdir>/HEAD
- If .git is a directory: watch .git/HEAD (regular repo)
This ensures build.rs invalidates on each commit, making version output truthful.
Verification: Binary built in worktree now reports correct SHA after commits
(before: stale, after: current HEAD).
Relates to ROADMAP #161 (filed cycle #65, implemented cycle #69).
Diagnostic-strictness family member.
Diff: 21 lines added (resolve_git_head_path + conditional rerun-if-changed).
Verbs with CLI-reserved positional-arg meanings (resume, compact, memory,
commit, pr, issue, bughunter) were falling through to Prompt dispatch
when invoked with args, causing users to see 'missing_credentials' errors
instead of guidance that the verb is a slash command.
#160 investigation revealed the underlying design question: which verbs
are 'promptable' (can start a prompt like 'explain this pattern') vs.
'reserved' (have specific CLI meaning like 'resume SESSION_ID')?
This fix implements the reserved-verb classification: at parse time,
intercept reserved verbs with trailing args and emit slash-command guidance
before falling through to Prompt. Promptable verbs (explain, bughunter, clear)
continue to route to Prompt as before.
Helper: is_reserved_semantic_verb() lists the reserved set.
All 181 tests pass (no regressions).
