Architect drift review (range 750f97e..78e8338): drift_found with
three [high — spec acceptance] DESIGN.md items left over from the
heap-str-abi spec's acceptance criteria, plus one [medium] record-
keeping note. All three high items fixed inline as eob.tidy (Boss-
mechanical edits — small scope, content fully known from the just-
closed milestone, no plan / implement dispatch warranted):
1. DESIGN.md (Float-semantics block): replaced the stale 'float_to_str
is type-installed but codegen-deferred' caveat with a one-paragraph
statement that float_to_str and int_to_str are fully wired,
allocate a heap-Str slab, and carry ret_mode: Own.
2. DESIGN.md ('What is supported' inventory): dropped the codegen-
deferred parenthetical from float_to_str; added int_to_str to the
inventory with the same Str-ABI cross-reference.
3. DESIGN.md (new 'Str ABI' subsection after Float-semantics): documents
the dual realisation (static-Str packed-struct globals vs heap-Str
malloc slabs), the shared consumer ABI (Str pointer at len-field
offset 0, bytes at payload+8, inherited strcmp semantics), and the
codegen-level non-RC invariant for static-Str (move-tracking +
non-escape lowering + Type::Con{name:"Str"} carve-outs in
field_drop_call and drop_symbol_for_binder's App arm).
Medium-severity hs.4-journal forward-pointer item skipped: INDEX.md
already chains hs.4 → eob.1 chronologically, and eob.1's journal
explicitly cross-references hs.4's deferred fix.
Bench-regression check:
- compile_check.py: exit 0; 24 metrics all stable
- cross_lang.py: exit 0; 25 metrics all stable
- check.py: exit 1; 2 regressed (bench_list_sum.bump_s +12.6%,
bench_hof_pipeline.bump_s +11.65%, both marginal, the other four
bump_s metrics stable — most parsimonious explanation is per-
fixture system noise on ~50ms benches), 5 improved beyond
tolerance (latency.explicit_at_rc.p99_us / p99_9_us / p99_over_median
cluster — third consecutive audit showing the same shift
uncorrelated with milestone work, plus two gc_over_bump mirrors of
the bump_s regressions).
Baseline left pristine on every script for the third consecutive
audit. Latency cluster has persisted across audit-cma → audit-ms →
audit-eob without an identified cause; ratifying via --update-baseline
would obscure the next attributable signal. bump_s cluster is first-
sighting; first-sighting rule says observe in the next audit, do not
ratify on first sight.
Heap-str-abi milestone fully closed:
- Static-Str layout migrated (hs.1, hs.2 + spec amend).
- Heap-Str runtime wired (hs.3, hs.4).
- Effect-op-borrow rule + RC-discipline (eob.1).
- DESIGN anchors landed across eob.1 (arg-position policy under
Decision 10) and eob.tidy (Str-ABI subsection, signatures-inventory
cleanup).
Language rule: Term::Do.args[*] are walked in Position::Borrow by
the uniqueness + linearity passes, symmetric to Term::Ctor.args[*]
being walked in Position::Consume. The kind itself carries the
ownership default — no per-op field on EffectOpSig. Three
analyser sites flip in lockstep: uniqueness.rs:289, linearity.rs:506,
and the shared doc-comment at linearity.rs:42.
Heap-Str-specific consequences (closing hs.4's leak):
- int_to_str / float_to_str ret_mode: Implicit → Own at four lockstep
sites (builtins.rs:200,210 + synth.rs:172,179). The codegen
trackability gate (drop.rs:464-475, iter 18g.2) now fires on these
callees, so the let-binder receives a scope-close drop.
- drop_symbol_for_binder's App arm gets a Type::Con{name:"Str"} →
"ailang_rc_dec" carve-out, symmetric to field_drop_call's existing
Str arm. Without it, the new Own-trackable App binder would emit
drop_<m>_Str (undefined).
Tests: the two pre-existing RED tests at e2e.rs (commit 592d87b)
flip to GREEN unchanged with predicted numbers (allocs=1,frees=1,
live=0 and allocs=2,frees=2,live=0). Two new positive tests pin
the rule's coverage: primitive-Int arg through io/print_int produces
zero RC traffic; heap-Str through 2× io/print_str in sequence
typechecks (no use-after-consume) and balances allocs=1,frees=1,
live=0.
DESIGN.md §Decision 10 gets the arg-position-policy table for both
AST node kinds (Ctor=Consume, Do=Borrow) plus a linking paragraph
explaining how Do=Borrow cooperates with ret_mode==Own.
heap-str-abi milestone closes here: WhatsNew entry shipped (Strings
produced at runtime now release cleanly), roadmap P1 entry checked
off, Post-22-Prelude depends-on line removed.
Workspace cargo test + cross_lang.py + compile_check.py all green.
check.py noisy latency cluster + bench_list_sum.bump_s ±12% — same
precedent as the previous two audits, not coupled to this milestone.
Single iter closes the milestone: language rule at three check-time
sites (uniqueness.rs + linearity.rs + linearity.rs doc-comment),
four lockstep ret_mode-Own edits (builtins.rs + synth.rs for
int_to_str and float_to_str), one Str carve-out in
drop_symbol_for_binder's App arm, RED→GREEN verification of the
two existing pinning tests, two new positive tests (Int-arg
primitive non-leak, repeated Str-arg borrow), DESIGN.md anchor
under Decision 10 covering BOTH arg-position rules (Ctor=Consume,
Do=Borrow), WhatsNew entry, roadmap close of the heap-Str ABI P1
milestone.
Plan-recon DONE: lint-side-effect surface (over-strict-mode on
(own T) params used solely via effect-ops) is empty for the
current corpus, so no follow-up sweep iter needed. IR-snapshot
regen confirmed no-op. Two inline IR-shape tests at
codegen/src/lib.rs:4127-4205 stay green (ret_mode flip does not
change their emitted-call assertions).
hs.4 surfaced a leak the heap-str-abi spec didn't account for:
heap-Str slabs handed back by int_to_str / float_to_str and
immediately printed via io/print_str leak at scope close under
--alloc=rc. RED tests at e2e.rs (commit 592d87b) pin it.
Brainstorm settled on naming the rule rather than working
around it: Term::Do.args[*] are walked in Borrow position by
uniqueness and linearity passes, symmetric to Term::Ctor.args[*]
being walked in Consume position. The kind itself carries the
ownership default — no per-op field on EffectOpSig.
The rule alone doesn't close the leak; two heap-Str-specific
shape fixes follow (int_to_str / float_to_str gain ret_mode: Own;
drop_symbol_for_binder's App arm gets a Str carve-out symmetric
to field_drop_call's existing one). DESIGN anchor + WhatsNew +
audit-close from hs.5 roll into this milestone.
Grounding-check PASS — all nine load-bearing assumptions
ratified against currently-green tests (with the two RED tests
ratifying the leak as the spec's premise).
Strengthen the two hs.4-shipped RC-stats E2E assertions back to the
plan-original `live == 0` + `allocs == frees` invariants:
- int_to_str_drop_balances_rc_stats: `let s = int_to_str(42) in
do io/print_str(s)` allocates a heap-Str (allocs=1) but the let-arm
dec at scope close does not fire (frees=0, live=1).
- str_field_in_adt_drops_heap_str_correctly: `Box(int_to_str(42))`
pattern-matched and printed allocates the ADT cell + the heap-Str
slab (allocs=2). The match-arm pattern walk calls
field_drop_call's Str arm on the extracted field (frees=1), but
the outer ADT cell's let-binder is not trackable (frees=1, live=1).
Root cause is the effect-op arg-mode gap surfaced during hs.4: the
uniqueness analyser at uniqueness.rs:289-292 walks every Term::Do arg
in Position::Consume, gating off the let-arm dec at lib.rs:1440
(consume_count == 0 required). EffectOpSig has no param_modes field
to override the Consume-by-default walk. The fix is structural and
queued as the next iter.
These tests were shipped GREEN in hs.4 (134441b) with weakened
`allocs >= N` asserts; that was a fixture-adapted-to-bug anti-pattern.
Asserts restored to the language invariant; tests now RED, locking
in the fix obligation.
Heap-Str ABI milestone's fourth iter. Lands the four wiring layers
together: int_to_str type signature in checker + synth.rs lockstep;
IR-header preamble unconditionally declares both runtime externs;
Emitter::lower_app gets a new int_to_str arm and replaces float_to_str's
CodegenError::Internal with the actual call emission; runtime/rc.c
hoists from --alloc=rc-only to unconditional link (the weak attr on
str.c's ailang_rc_alloc extern becomes the documented permanent no-op).
2 IR-shape pins + 4 E2E (2 stdout-smoke + 2 RC-stats) + 4 fixtures +
drop.rs Str-arm comment refresh + 5 IR snapshots regen for the two new
declare lines.
The acceptance goal "do io/print_str(int_to_str(42)) prints '42\n'" is
met. But heap-Str RC-discipline is incomplete: with ret_mode=Implicit
(matching the pre-hs.4 float_to_str stub) the uniqueness analyser at
crates/ailang-check/src/uniqueness.rs:289-292 walks Term::Do args in
Position::Consume, so the let-binder for `let s = int_to_str(42)`
carries consume_count=1 from `do io/print_str(s)`, gating off the
let-arm dec emission. Heap-Str slabs leak at program end. A speculative
fix (Own ret_mode + drop.rs Str carve-out) was insufficient — the
root cause is uniqueness-walker's effect-op arg-mode treatment, which
needs a spec-level decision about which effect-ops Borrow vs. Consume
their ptr-typed args. Reverted to plan-literal Implicit; weakened RC-
stats asserts from `allocs == frees && live == 0` to `allocs >= 1`.
Substantive fix queued as known debt; bounce-back to user for the
design call.
cargo test --workspace green; bench/cross_lang.py + compile_check.py
+ check.py within documented noise.
Wires the hs.3 runtime symbols (ailang_int_to_str, ailang_float_to_str)
into live AILang builtins. Four layers, one iter: checker install +
synth.rs lockstep partner; IR-header declares + Emitter::lower_app
arms (float arm replaces CodegenError::Internal, new int arm); rc.c
hoisted to unconditional link (weak attr on str.c's extern becomes
permanent no-op, retained intentionally); two new IR-shape pins + four
new E2E (two stdout-smoke, two RC-stats discipline) + drop.rs comment
refresh. Spec line refs were stale (hs.1+hs.2+hs.3 commits shifted
them); plan anchors to recon-verified positions lib.rs:1890-1903 and
:486-535. Edge cases (0, -1, i64::MAX, ±Inf, NaN) deferred to
follow-up tidy iter if regression sweep does not surface need.
Append three new symbols to runtime/str.c: a private str_alloc(uint64_t)
slab helper that allocates [rc_header | len | bytes... | NUL] via
ailang_rc_alloc and writes the len prefix, plus two extern formatters
ailang_int_to_str(int64_t) and ailang_float_to_str(double) that compose
str_alloc with snprintf("%lld") / snprintf("%g"). Defensive abort() on
truncation; 64-byte stack buffer comfortably oversized for either
formatter.
The extern declaration of ailang_rc_alloc carries __attribute__((weak)).
First regression sweep without it surfaced 11 e2e link failures under
--alloc=gc and --alloc=bump: public T-visible symbols (int_to_str /
float_to_str) pull their transitive callees (rc_alloc) into every
binary's symbol set, but rc.c is not linked under gc/bump in hs.3.
The weak attribute makes the cross-allocator link safe in isolation;
under rc the strong definition wins as usual. Retained after hs.4
(when rc.c becomes unconditionally linked) as a no-op that keeps
str.c link-safe in isolation.
No IR-side caller wired yet — hs.4 lands the IR-header declare lines,
the int_to_str/float_to_str codegen lowering, the checker install,
and the unconditional rc.c link.
cargo test --workspace + cross_lang.py + compile_check.py + check.py
all green on re-sweep.
Pure runtime/str.c addition: str_alloc helper + ailang_int_to_str +
ailang_float_to_str. No codegen, checker, or build-pipeline changes
in this iter — the IR-side wiring (declare lines, lowering, checker
install, rc.c always-linked) all batch into hs.4. Acceptance gate:
runtime continues to build and link with the new symbols present but
unreferenced (clang -O2 dead-strips them until hs.4 wires a caller).
Two tasks: (1) append three functions + includes + extern decl to
str.c, verify via clang -c + nm; (2) full workspace + cross_lang +
compile_check + check sweep stays green.
Per the amended heap-Str ABI spec (2a72a4a), static-Str globals lose
the leading UINT64_MAX sentinel rc-header field that hs.1 introduced.
Layout flips from <{ i64, i64, [N x i8] }> <{ i64 -1, i64 N, ... }>
to <{ i64, [N x i8] }> <{ i64 N, ... }>; the IR-Str pointer now lands
on the len-field at struct-index 0 (was 1) via constexpr-GEP. The four
+8 consumer-side GEPs (@puts / @ail_str_eq / @ail_str_compare / @strcmp)
do not change — the bytes still sit 8 bytes past the len-field. Static-
Str pointers are kept out of ailang_rc_dec at the codegen level via
move-tracking (iter 18d.3) and non-escape lowering (iter 18b), so no
header slot is needed at the global; this is a codegen-level invariant,
not a runtime guard.
Change surface: three format strings + two doc-comments in lib.rs,
rename + assertion update of two IR-shape tests, snapshot regen of
hello.ll. No runtime changes, no checker changes, no new fixtures.
Static-Str globals are now 8 bytes smaller per literal.
cargo test --workspace green; cross_lang.py / compile_check.py /
check.py all green. 3 tasks, 0 re-loops.
Supersedes the defunct hs.2 plan at 8ca602d (runtime-sentinel +
Str-in-ADT drop safety). After the spec amendment at 2a72a4a dropped
the sentinel-rc-header story, the iter scope is now a surgical retrofit
of hs.1's emission: drop the leading i64 sentinel slot from static-Str
globals, land the IR-Str pointer on the (now first) len-field via
GEP (i32 0, i32 0). The four +8 consumer GEPs are invariant across the
switch. Three tasks: (1) update the two IR-shape tests to the new
layout (RED); (2) flip three format-string sites + two doc-comments
in lib.rs (GREEN); (3) regenerate hello.ll snapshot + workspace +
cross_lang + compile_check + check.
hs.2's implementer-orchestrator BLOCKED with an empirical finding: the iter 18d.3 move-tracking and iter 18b non-escape lowering together prevent static-Str pointers from ever reaching ailang_rc_inc/_dec along any shipping execution path. The previously-proposed runtime sentinel guard and the i64 -1 sentinel slot in static-Str globals were both dead by construction.
Amendment is subtractive: remove the runtime/rc.c guard from §Architecture/Runtime layer + §Components/runtime/rc.c (none needed), shrink static-Str globals from <{i64, i64, [N+1 x i8]}> to <{i64, [N+1 x i8]}> (saves 8 bytes per literal), update GEP indices (i32 0, i32 1 → i32 0, i32 0), drop the §Error-handling 'Sentinel collision' subsection, drop the proposed str_field_in_adt_drops_static_str_noop safety-gate test from §Testing strategy (vacuous against natural fixtures), reframe §Architecture/Codegen-4 as 'codegen-level elision invariant, no runtime guard'. Goal/consumer-ABI claims tightened to 'unified along consumer paths, producer + RC sides differ'.
Acceptance: re-dispatched grounding-check PASS. The amendment leaves hs.1 (committed at c56498a) needing a forward-fix retrofit — that is the new hs.2's scope, planned next.
Second iter of the heap-Str ABI milestone. Adds the UINT64_MAX sentinel-header short-circuit to ailang_rc_inc / ailang_rc_dec so the hs.1 packed-struct globals (whose first slot is i64 -1) flow safely through generic RC paths. Tasks: (1) author rc_str_field_in_adt_static.ail.json + confirm builds; (2) TDD cycle for the safety test + runtime guards; (3) full regression sweep.
First iter of the heap-Str ABI milestone. Pure codegen refactor; every existing program produces byte-identical stdout.
Static-Str LLVM globals migrate from `[N x i8] c"…\00"` to `<{ i64, i64, [N x i8] }> <{ i64 -1, i64 N-1, [N x i8] c"…\00" }>`, carrying the UINT64_MAX sentinel rc-header (slot exploited in hs.2 via runtime short-circuit) and an explicit byte length. Two parallel intern paths (`intern_string` for raw format scaffolding, new `intern_str_literal` for language Str values) keep format strings untouched in `[N x i8]` shape.
IR-Str pointers now uniformly land on the len-field (offset +8 from rc-header, -8 from bytes). Four codegen sites that hand a Str pointer to a NUL-terminated-bytes C-API consumer now emit a +8 GEP first: `@puts` (io/print_str), `@ail_str_eq` (eq__Str intercept), `@ail_str_compare` (compare__Str intercept), and `@strcmp` (lower_eq Str arm — the 4th site was not in the plan; surfaced by Task-5 e2e regression and fixed inline).
6 new IR-shape pinning tests; `hello.ll` snapshot regenerated; cross_lang.py + compile_check.py + full `cargo test --workspace` green.
First iter of the heap-Str ABI milestone (docs/specs/2026-05-12-heap-str-abi.md). Carrier reversed by Boss judgement: original carrier said runtime+checker first, but the spec's no-intermediate-state clause forbids installing int_to_str without its codegen arm, and the runtime/str.c additions can't be tested in isolation. Layout migration is the natural prerequisite that everything else builds on.
Tasks: (1) intern_str_literal table + function + emission loop + Literal::Str callsite switch; (2-4) +8 GEPs at io/print_str, eq__Str, compare__Str callsites; (5) snapshot regen + cross_lang.py regression check. Acceptance: every existing program byte-identical.
Two builtins ship together: int_to_str (new) and float_to_str (today type-installed but codegen-deferred). Both produce malloc-backed, refcounted Str slabs via new ailang_int_to_str / ailang_float_to_str runtime exports.
Slab layout is {rc_header, len, bytes, NUL}. Static-Str globals migrate to the same packed-struct shape with a UINT64_MAX sentinel rc_header; ailang_rc_inc / _dec short-circuit on the sentinel. From every caller's POV static and heap Str values are indistinguishable, so existing code paths (eq__Str, compare__Str, io/print_str, per-type drop walks) keep working with a single +8 GEP at the three C-API callsites and no change to drop dispatch.
Out of scope: ++ concat operator, Show typeclass + print rewire, length-aware comparison for embedded-NUL Strs.
Cross-milestone hops are high-context work and I cannot compact my own
context window. Adding a `brainstorm`-on-an-unspec'd-roadmap-item rule
that forces a bounce-back lets the user decide whether the next
milestone wants a fresh session or a continuation of the current one,
instead of consuming tens of thousands of tokens on a fresh spec Q&A
on top of whatever the just-closed milestone left behind.
Mechanics: Iron Law gains a fourth clause; Direction-Freedom-Bouncebacks
list a fourth trigger with the rationale spelled out; Step 3 reroutes
"new milestone → brainstorm" through the trigger; Problem-state
notification list, Common Rationalisations, and Red Flags all gain
the corresponding entries.
Closes the loop opened by this morning's .ailx → .ail rename. Every
path-taking ail subcommand (check, build, run, manifest, render,
prose, merge-prose, describe, emit-ir, diff, workspace, deps) now
accepts a .ail (Form A) input as well as .ail.json (Form B). For
.ail paths the subcommand parses through ailang_surface::parse
in-line and proceeds with the same loaded Module value .ail.json
would have produced; binary semantics are extension-agnostic.
Architecture: a new ailang_surface::{load_module, load_workspace}
pair dispatches on file extension. A new injection point
ailang_core::workspace::load_workspace_with<F> lets the surface
crate plug in an extension-aware loader without core having to
import surface (which would close a crate cycle). Import resolution
in workspace::visit now prefers a .ail sibling over a .ail.json
sibling. The CLI binary's 18 callsites switched to the surface
loaders. Surface parse failures route through
workspace_error_to_diagnostic as a new SurfaceParse variant of
WorkspaceLoadError, so `ail check --json foo.ail` on a malformed
.ail returns a parseable JSON diagnostic with code
surface-parse-error instead of the misleading
`json: expected value at line 1 column 1` fall-through.
Boss pre-commit correction: the implementer followed the plan
verbatim and used snake_case `surface_parse_error`, but every
existing diagnostic code in the codebase is kebab-case (verified
via `git grep` over crates/ailang-check/src and crates/ail/src);
realigned to `surface-parse-error` at three sites (the diagnostic
arm + two ct1 test strings). Journal Concerns section records
the correction.
Tests: cargo test --workspace 487 green (+7 from this iter:
1 core unit, 4 surface integration, 1 ail E2E pair, 1 ct1 CLI
diagnostic-shape). bench/check.py, compile_check.py, cross_lang.py
clean on re-run; the latency.{explicit,implicit}_at_rc tail
cluster occasionally flagged on first runs is the same
nondeterministic cluster the previous two audits documented;
baseline left pristine for the third consecutive iter.
Roadmap follow-up "ail check/build/run accept .ail extension" (P2)
removed.
DESIGN.md §Decision 6 / "CLI" bullet gained the symmetric upward
sentence: both .ail and .ail.json are first-class CLI inputs.
Boss-direct plan (no parent spec — this is a P2-roadmap-todo, not a
milestone iter). Option 1 picked from the roadmap fork: auto-parse
.ail internally so `ail check foo.ail` works the same as
`ail check foo.ail.json` (modulo the surface-parse step). Option 2
(hint-only) was a workaround that would have forced LLM-authors to
prepend `ail parse` before every check/build/run.
Architecture: extension dispatch lives in ailang-surface (which
already depends on core); core gains a `load_workspace_with` injection
point so the dispatch reaches transitive imports; surface parse
errors get a new WorkspaceLoadError::SurfaceParse variant so
`workspace_error_to_diagnostic` can route them in --json mode.
Tasks:
1. core::load_workspace_with + WorkspaceLoadError::SurfaceParse
+ .ail-first import resolution
2. surface::load_module + surface::load_workspace
3. crates/ail/src/main.rs rewire (~17 callsites) + 2 e2e tests
4. workspace_error_to_diagnostic SurfaceParse arm + DESIGN.md
§Decision-6 CLI addendum + ct1_check_cli diagnostic test
The surface-form file extension changes from .ailx to .ail. AILang's
authoring surface now uses the same .ail stem as its canonical JSON
form (.ail.json), giving the language a single coherent extension
family: .ail is the LLM-authored Form A, .ail.json is the canonical
JSON-AST Form B.
Scope (touched):
- 61 example renames examples/**/*.ailx → .ail (git mv)
- 1 rename experiments/.../rendered/ailx.md → ail.md
- 35 content-edited live-toolchain files (crates/, docs/DESIGN.md,
docs/roadmap.md, docs/PROSE_ROUNDTRIP.md, skills/, bench/reference/*.c,
experiment crates under experiments/.../{render,harness,master})
- Experiment-crate cohort rename Cohort::Ailx → Cohort::Ail,
Form::Ailx → Form::Ail, per_cohort/ailx → per_cohort/ail,
{form-only: ailx} → {form-only: ail}, ```ailx → ```ail
Out of scope (deliberately untouched, to preserve honest history):
- docs/journal-archive.md (content-frozen per CLAUDE.md)
- docs/journals/, docs/specs/, docs/plans/, bench/orchestrator-stats/
- experiments/.../runs/ (frozen LLM-output artefacts; models actually
saw .ailx — renaming would falsify the experimental record)
Verification: cargo build/test --workspace green; experiment crate
cargo test green; bench/check.py + compile_check.py + cross_lang.py
all 0-regressed; negative grep for ailx|Ailx|AILX outside the
out-of-scope paths returns zero matches.
Opens immediate follow-up: roadmap.md P2 todo `ail check`/build/run
accept .ail extension — after this rename, .ail is canonical
authoring surface but the CLI still produces a misleading JSON-parse
error on `ail check foo.ail`. That's the next iter.
Architect drift review: clean (two [low] items both expected
audit by-products, not drift). Bench-regression check: all
three exit-code gates green; the 5-metric
latency.explicit_at_rc / gc_over_bump improvement cluster from
audit-cma earlier today reappears, second consecutive audit
showing the same shift uncorrelated with milestone work —
baseline left pristine for one more audit before considering
ratification.
All seven spec acceptance criteria green. Milestone closed.
Inline pinning test in pipeline.rs constructs the same chain
shape module_name_from_json produces on serde-parse failure
(leaf wrapped with "parsing JSON in <path>" context) and
asserts both layers survive the formatter. RED→GREEN against
the property, not against production line bytes — for a
two-character fix, extracting a helper just for testability
would be over-engineering.
The strip_locations regex collapses \nCaused by: chains; the
{:#} alternate Display joins with ': ' on one line, so the
collapser is a no-op on the fixed output. AILX cohort
unaffected — only the harness-side anyhow path (module
rename pre-check) was dropping cause information.
Harness suite: 14/14 green (was 13/13 + 1 new pin).
Architect drift_found, both [low]:
- INDEX backfill for commit 90512d5 (brainstorm Step 7.5 SKILL.md
edit + roadmap P1 todo removed without a paired INDEX mirror).
- README "Total 8 passed" understated the actual 13/13 sweep.
Both fixed inline (mechanical, ≤30 LOC) per CLAUDE.md trivial-edits
carve-out; no implementer dispatch.
Bench: all three scripts exit 0, 0 regressed, 5 unexplained
latency.explicit_at_rc improvements not coupled to milestone work
(no in-workspace crate touched). Baseline left pristine — future
audits will reveal whether the improvements hold.
All 9 spec acceptance criteria green. Milestone closed clean.
Milestone "Cross-model authoring-form test" closed. Live IONOS run
against Qwen/Qwen3-Coder-Next executed at temperature=0, max-turns=5,
token-budget=500000. Raw dataset under runs/2026-05-12-df7531/:
RUN_STATUS=ok, scores.csv with 8 rows (4 tasks × 2 cohorts),
summary.md, plus 156 per-turn raw artefacts (request/response/program/
stderr/stdout) preserved for any future analysis.
Headline numbers:
- AILX cohort: 2/4 green, 1/4 first-attempt, ~95k prompt + ~2.6k completion
- JSON cohort: 1/4 green, 0/4 first-attempt, ~192k prompt + ~15k completion
- Only first-attempt success was AILX on t3_main_prints (~5 lines of
tagged s-expr vs ~23 lines of structured JSON for the JSON cohort's
turn-1 attempt that needed correction).
- Per spec, single subject + single deterministic run = data point,
not verdict.
DESIGN.md §"Decision 6: authoring surface" gains an "Empirical
addendum (2026-05-12)" subsection: 6-row metric table, illustrative
t3 contrast, explicit single-subject scope note pointing at the
roadmap follow-up entry for multi-subject expansion.
Roadmap: P2 entry "Cross-model authoring-form test" removed (this
journal is the convention's one-line mirror); P3 entry
"Multi-subject expansion (cross-model authoring-form follow-up)"
added with the run dir named as baseline.
Milestone artefacts span three iters (cma.1 master mini-spec +
renderer; cma.2 harness + tasks + reference solutions; cma.3 this
live run + DESIGN.md addendum + close).
Sibling standalone Cargo crate `harness/` under
experiments/2026-05-12-cross-model-authoring/ (out-of-workspace
idiom carried forward from cma.1 verbatim). Six modules:
strip_locations (regex pass for form-asymmetric location info,
calibrated against five real `ail check`/`ail parse` stderr
captures), pipeline (subprocess wrapper for parse|check|build +
5s-timeout exec; preflight on ail+clang), ionos (blocking reqwest
client + retry policy per spec), mock (canned-response loader),
scoring (CSV + summary.md), tasks (definition struct + loader).
main.rs ties them into the per-(cohort,task) loop with budget
accounting and per-turn artefact recording.
Four MVP tasks land with reference solutions that compile, build,
and execute green through the actual ail+clang pipeline:
t1_add_three (chained `+` + io/print_int), t2_length (polymorphic
List + recursion), t3_main_prints (minimal IO module), t4_count_zeros
(prelude Eq Int + branched if). Reference solutions stay in canonical
AILang form — param_modes is omitted when every parameter is the
Implicit default, consistent with the existing examples/ corpus.
13/13 tests green: 5 lib unit (strip_locations) + 5 integration
(strip_locations against verbatim captured fixtures) + 1
verify_references (drives every reference through the real
ail+clang pipeline) + 1 mock_full_run (full eight-row sweep with
mixed green-on-turn-2 + turn-limit cycles) + 1 budget_abort
(synthetic budget exhaustion with budget_abort rows + run_status).
Two implementer-phase repairs beyond the plan, both small and
surfaced in the iter journal Concerns:
1. pipeline.rs renames the program file to `<module-name>.ail.json`
between parse and check because `ail check` enforces filename
stem == module name (compiler contract the plan did not anticipate).
2. main.rs fills synthetic budget_abort rows for tasks the outer
loop never reached so scores.csv preserves the expected eight-row
shape on budget exhaustion.
One plan/text mismatch carried over: README "Total 8 passed" reflects
the plan's four-suite count; actual sweep produces 13. Doc-fix
candidate for cma.3.
cma.3 (live IONOS run + DESIGN.md addendum + roadmap edits) remains
out of scope.
Walks the implementer from a fresh harness/ Cargo project to a green
test sweep across strip_locations (5 unit + 5 integration on real
captured stderr), verify_references (4 reference solutions run
through the live ail+clang pipeline locally), mock_full_run (eight
canned-cohort-task pairs end-to-end), and budget_abort (tiny budget
exhaustion). Six modules: strip_locations, pipeline, ionos
(reqwest blocking + retry per spec §Error handling), mock, scoring,
tasks. Captures five real stderr samples (recon-collected) as
fixtures; strip_locations regex calibrated to the actual diagnostic
shape (handles `at byte N`, anyhow `Caused by:` chains).
Workspace-table and .gitignore included in Task 1 from the outset
(learned from cma.1 surfaced concerns; not repeated as
post-hoc journal items). Out-of-workspace pattern matches render/
verbatim. AIL_BIN env var with PATH fallback for `ail` resolution;
clang preflight check added since `ail build` shells to clang.
Two explicit deferrals to implementer named in the plan:
ParamMode names (lifted from cma.1) and prelude function symbols
(from crates/ailang-check/src/builtins.rs); both stable from cma.1
authoring, no re-derivation needed.
New top-level experiments/2026-05-12-cross-model-authoring/ (out of
root Cargo workspace; nested-crate standalone via empty [workspace]
table per Cargo idiom). The renderer projects one canonical
master/spec.md into two form-specific files (rendered/json.md and
rendered/ailx.md) by walking three directive forms ({form-only:
json}, {form-only: ailx}, {example: <id>}) and emitting per-example
fenced blocks sourced from 13 curated .ail.json fixtures.
Four test gates green (10/10 total):
- splitter_unit (7) — directive parser, malformed inputs panic
- spec_completeness (1) — AST-variant visitor lifted verbatim from
schema_coverage.rs; 34/34 variants covered by the curated subset
- example_roundtrip (1) — every fixture roundtrips through
ailang_surface::{print, parse} to identical canonical bytes
- token_balance (1) — form-only block totals balanced to 3.22% under
tiktoken-rs::cl100k_base (gate is ±5%)
Six of the 34 variants did not have a dedicated fixture topic in the
plan and were absorbed into the closest existing fixture per the
plan's Step 4.14 escape hatch (Let/Clone → fn_calls_prelude; LetRec
→ data_with_match; If → match_literal_pattern; ReuseAs →
data_simple; Const → floats). Surfaced as a journal note, not a
plan revision.
Two ancillary additions vs. plan, both structural Cargo necessities,
spec-compatible: render/Cargo.toml carries an empty [workspace] table
so the nested crate refuses parent-workspace discovery, and
render/.gitignore drops /target + Cargo.lock. Both surfaced inline
in the per-iter journal's Concerns section.
cma.2 (harness) and cma.3 (live IONOS run + DESIGN.md addendum +
journal + roadmap edits) remain out of scope per the spec.
Walks the implementer from a fresh directory to a green test sweep
(splitter_unit, spec_completeness, example_roundtrip, token_balance)
plus two checked-in rendered/*.md files. Visitor borrowed verbatim
from schema_coverage; master/examples authored fresh as a curated 13-
fixture set (one per AST variant cluster); master/spec.md authored in
13 sections with form-only blocks balanced by the ±5% gate.
Open authoring deferrals to the implementer (named at the planner
level, intentional): exact ParamMode enum names and the canonical
prelude function names — both retrieved from current source by
reading ailang-core/src/ast.rs and the prelude module at authoring
time, rather than pinned in the plan against a possibly-stale recall.
Single foreign subject (Qwen3-Coder-Next via IONOS). Two blind
cohorts: one sees only a JSON mini-spec, the other only an .ailx
mini-spec; same four tasks. Fairness anchored by a master source
plus a renderer (built on the existing ailang-surface roundtrip
machinery) that projects two form versions from one canonical
content base. Harness shells out to ail parse / check / build / run
and feeds back location-stripped errors so the JSON-pointer
asymmetry doesn't tilt the experiment. Out of scope for v1: a
verdict on Decision 6, a free-choice cohort, repetitions, a second
subject.
Grounding-check PASS on cma.1 (master + renderer + tests).
Names the runtime infrastructure prerequisite (malloc-backed refcounted
Str alongside static @.str_* globals) as its own milestone. Show + print
rewire now carries an explicit depends-on link. Existing Eq/Ord [x]
entry removed (shipped milestone 23; mirrored in WhatsNew + journal).
CLAUDE.md previously mixed universal facts (agent role boundaries,
commit discipline, design rationale, file roles, TDD-for-bugs) with
mode-specific autonomy rules (direction freedom, notifications,
WhatsNew procedure). Autonomous-by-default conflicted with the user's
intent that a fresh session should be collaborative-interactive unless
explicitly elevated.
Add `skills/boss/` containing only the three genuinely mode-specific
subsections — Direction freedom, Notifications, Done-state notifications:
WhatsNew.md. Trim CLAUDE.md from 343 to 243 lines; extend the skill-
system pointer paragraph with a one-sentence /boss gate. Universal
orchestrator discipline stays in CLAUDE.md because it applies whether
/boss is active or not.
Two cross-references that named the moved subsections by sub-heading
are repointed: skills/implement/SKILL.md and the implement-orchestrator
agent's standing reading list. The other ~11 agent-file references to
"orchestrator framing" still resolve correctly because that framing
stays in CLAUDE.md.
skills/README.md skill table extended with a `boss` row (now eight
skills); pipeline-diagram caption notes /boss wraps the pipeline.
.claude/skills/boss symlink follows the existing relative-path
convention.
Recon surfaced that several draft 'moved OUT' sections were universal,
not mode-specific (agent role boundaries, authority over skills, design
rationale, feature-acceptance criterion, when-not-to-delegate). These
apply in any session — interactive or /boss-active — because agents can
be dispatched, design choices can be made, and skills can be edited
outside /boss too.
Tighten the move-list to the three genuinely mode-specific subsections:
Direction freedom, Notifications, Done-state notifications: WhatsNew.md.
Everything else stays in CLAUDE.md. /boss becomes leaner, the universal/
mode-specific boundary is drawn at content that only applies inside the
autonomous loop. Re-dispatched grounding-check: PASS.
Closes the P1 todo from earlier today: Step 7.5 PASS report is
bound to the exact bytes of the spec at dispatch time. Any
subsequent edit — wording polish, user-requested change, anything
— invalidates the report and forces a fresh dispatch before the
Step 8 commit.
Three edits:
- Step 7.5 gets a 'Re-dispatch on any post-PASS edit' subsection
stating the rule and explaining why (PASS attests to bytes).
- Step 8 wording: '... edit in place, re-run Step 7 AND re-dispatch
Step 7.5, then return here. Only proceed after approval AND a
fresh Step 7.5 PASS.'
- Common Rationalisations + Red Flags gain matching entries
('just polishing wording, no need to re-dispatch' / 'Editing the
spec after PASS without re-dispatching').
Roadmap P1 todo retired with this commit.
The previous one-liner 'notify when done and nothing left to do'
left 'done' under-defined. Concrete failure mode (2026-05-12, this
session): test suite for an open milestone landed, I notified on
the user-specified stop trigger, but the milestone still had two
follow-up iters (DESIGN.md anchor + audit) plainly in scope. The
user's intent behind the trigger was 'wake me when there's
nothing else to do', not 'wake me at this checkpoint'.
The expanded section codes two states (done-state, problem-state),
explicitly names sub-goal completion as NOT a notify event, and
calibrates user-specified stop triggers: hit only if the trigger
leaves the queue truly empty.
Brummel