fieldtest: triage-harvest milestone evidence (8 working, 2 bugs, 2 friction, 1 gap)

Consumer-perspective milestone fieldtest over the seven shipped items: ganged
authoring end to end (#61), consumer-blueprint render (#28), param-bearing
scaffold starter (#183), outside-project refusal (#218), default stops (#217),
gate-free plateau walkforward (#215), --trace honesty (#168) — all working.

Red half: aura reproduce DIVERGES 0/N on a dissolved-sweep (campaign-minted)
family and PANICS (main.rs:1123, non-empty OOS window) on a WalkForward
family — the C18/C1 reproduce promise breaks exactly on campaign-pipeline
families, invisible to per-cycle fieldtests. Both routed to debug this run.
Friction/gap findings filed as forward issues.

Fixture corpus: from-scratch ganged mid-channel op-script + built blueprint,
throwaway project, verbatim transcript. Report spec (git-ignored working
file): docs/specs/fieldtest-triage-harvest-milestone.md

refs #61

fieldtests/milestone-triage-harvest/TRANSCRIPT.txt

@@ -0,0 +1,146 @@
+Milestone fieldtest — Triage harvest 2026-07 (surface honesty & authoring ergonomics)
+Binary under test: ./target/debug/aura, built from HEAD 29bf601 via `cargo build --workspace`.
+Data: real GER40, 2025 window --from 1735689600000 --to 1767225599000.
+Project: throwaway_proj/ scaffolded by `aura new` (cdylib `cargo build`'t once).
+Public interface only: README, authoring-guide, glossary, design INDEX, --help, examples/*.json.
+
+================================================================================
+TASK 1 — author a ganged strategy from scratch (#61, #28)
+================================================================================
+
+Op-script authored: triage_1_ganged_midchannel.ops.json
+  A mid-channel breakout: bias = price - (RollingMax(N)+RollingMin(N))/2, with the
+  two Donchian window lengths ganged into ONE public knob `channel_length`.
+  mid.factor bound 0.5, bias.scale bound 1.0 → the gang is the sole open axis.
+
+First attempt (feed grouped near the sources, referencing dev before it was added):
+  $ aura graph build < triage_1_ganged_midchannel.ops.json
+  aura: op 3 (feed): unknown node identifier "dev"     [exit 1]
+  -> CLEAN diagnostic: names the op index (3) AND the missing identifier ("dev").
+     My authoring-order mistake; reordered so all `add`s precede the `feed`.
+
+Second attempt (all nodes declared first):
+  $ aura graph build < triage_1_ganged_midchannel.ops.json > triage_1_ganged_midchannel.bp.json   [exit 0]
+
+  $ aura graph introspect --params triage_1_ganged_midchannel.bp.json
+  channel_length:I64                    <- ONE axis (two lengths collapsed)
+
+  $ aura sweep triage_1_ganged_midchannel.bp.json --list-axes
+  graph.channel_length:I64              <- ONE wrapped axis
+
+  blueprint carries the relation:
+  "gangs":[{"name":"channel_length","kind":"I64",
+            "members":[{"node":0,"pos":0,"name":"length"},{"node":1,"pos":0,"name":"length"}]}]
+
+  $ aura graph triage_1_ganged_midchannel.bp.json > render.html   [exit 0]
+  Embedded model carries: "gangs":[{"name":"channel_length","kind":"I64",
+                                    "members":[[0,0,"length"],[1,0,"length"]]}]
+  Embedded viewer JS annotates the ganged node:
+     const label = txt(n, k) + (gang ? `<font color="#9399b2"> (gang: ${gang.name})</font>` ...
+  -> render shows the node labelled "(gang: channel_length)". WORKING.
+
+================================================================================
+TASK 2 — project bootstrap + tunable starter (#183, #218)
+================================================================================
+
+  $ aura new throwaway_proj
+  created project `throwaway_proj` (namespace `throwaway_proj`)      [exit 0]
+  files: Aura.toml, Cargo.toml, CLAUDE.md, .gitignore, src/lib.rs, blueprints/signal.json
+
+#183 — scaffolded starter node carries a tunable param (WORKING):
+  src/lib.rs: `throwaway_proj::Scale` declares
+     params: vec![ParamSpec { name: "factor".into(), kind: ScalarKind::F64 }]
+     builder closure |p| Box::new(Scale::new(p[0].f64()))
+     doc comment: "One-input scalar gain: emits `input * factor`."
+  blueprints/signal.json binds it: {"type":"throwaway_proj::Scale","bound":[{"pos":0,"name":"factor",...,"value":{"F64":1.0}}]}
+  -> a copyable, self-documenting parameterized template.
+  NOTE: the enumerated public docs (authoring-guide) teach the three DATA artifacts
+  (op-script/process/campaign); Rust NODE authoring (the ParamSpec pattern) is taught
+  only by the scaffolded node itself + docs/project-layout.md (referenced by the
+  project's CLAUDE.md, not in the guide). See spec finding.
+
+#218 — dissolved verb OUTSIDE any project refuses cleanly (WORKING):
+  cwd = clean empty dir (no Aura.toml up-tree)
+  $ aura sweep <ganged.bp.json> --real GER40 --from ... --to ... --axis graph.channel_length=10,20
+  aura: sweep needs a project: strategies resolve against the project store and vocabulary
+        (no Aura.toml found up from /.../noproj)                     [exit 1]
+  cwd after: still empty — NO runs/ store written. WORKING.
+
+================================================================================
+TASK 3 — sweep + walkforward the ganged blueprint end to end (#61, #215, #217)
+================================================================================
+
+Inside throwaway_proj/, blueprint copied to blueprints/ganged_midchannel.json.
+
+Sweep over the single gang axis, default stops (WORKING):
+  $ aura sweep blueprints/ganged_midchannel.json --real GER40 --from ... --to ... \
+        --axis graph.channel_length=10,20,40 --name triage_gang_sweep     [exit 0]
+  3 members; params per member = [graph.channel_length, stop_length=3, stop_k=2.0]
+  (default stops applied without --stop-length/--stop-k — #217).
+
+Walkforward, --select plateau (bare form the task names) (SURFACE MISMATCH):
+  $ aura walkforward ... --select plateau ...
+  aura: Usage: ... [--select <argmax|plateau:mean|plateau:worst>] ...   [exit 2]
+  -> bare `plateau` refused; usage error DOES list the valid forms. friction/spec_gap.
+
+Walkforward, --select plateau:mean, NO gate preceding, default stops (#215 WORKING):
+  $ aura walkforward blueprints/ganged_midchannel.json --real GER40 --from ... --to ... \
+        --axis graph.channel_length=10,20,40 --select plateau:mean --name triage_gang_wf   [exit 0]
+  ACCEPTED. 9 OOS windows; each `selection` block: "mode":"PlateauMean",
+  neighbourhood_score + n_neighbours reported. Stitched OOS verdict + param_stability.
+  -> plateau selection without a preceding gate is legal (decision-4 relaxation). WORKING.
+
+Families persist + list (WORKING):
+  $ aura runs families
+  {"family_id":"753e2fd5-0-GER40-w0-r0-s0-0","kind":"Sweep","members":3}
+  {"family_id":"de77bc72-0-GER40-w0-r0-s0-0","kind":"Sweep","members":3}       (WF internal IS-refit sweep)
+  {"family_id":"de77bc72-0-GER40-w0-r0-s1-0","kind":"WalkForward","members":9}
+
+reproduce — BUG A (DIVERGED, systematic):
+  $ aura reproduce 753e2fd5-0-GER40-w0-r0-s0-0
+  753e2fd5-...  member graph.channel_length=10 ... reproduced: DIVERGED
+  753e2fd5-...  member graph.channel_length=20 ... reproduced: DIVERGED
+  753e2fd5-...  member graph.channel_length=40 ... reproduced: DIVERGED
+  reproduced 0/3 members bit-identically                              [exit 1]
+  (stable across two runs; the WF-internal sweep family de77bc72-...-s0-0 also 0/3 DIVERGED)
+  README: "aura reproduce <family-id> ... check it is bit-identical (the C18/C1 determinism guarantee)."
+  Localization: a FRESH identical sweep reproduces the persisted metrics BIT-FOR-BIT
+    fresh expectancy_r: 0.009163633325930131 / 0.009069046610003514 / 0.009568962981603747
+    persisted        : 0.009163633325930131 / 0.009069046610003514 / 0.009568962981603747
+  => the run is deterministic (C1 holds); `aura reproduce`'s re-derivation path
+     diverges from how the dissolved-sweep (campaign-generated) family was persisted.
+
+reproduce — BUG B (PANIC on a WalkForward family):
+  $ aura reproduce de77bc72-0-GER40-w0-r0-s1-0
+  thread 'main' panicked at crates/aura-cli/src/main.rs:1123:39: non-empty OOS window   [exit 101]
+  (missing-id path by contrast is clean: `aura reproduce no-such-family-id`
+   -> "aura: no such family 'no-such-family-id'"  exit 1)
+
+================================================================================
+TASK 4 — surface honesty spot-checks (#168, #28)
+================================================================================
+
+#168 — --trace refuses honestly (WORKING):
+  $ aura sweep <bp> --real GER40 --axis graph.channel_length=10 --trace mytrace
+  aura: --trace is not yet available on sweep; see #224          [exit 2]
+  $ aura walkforward <bp> ... --trace mytrace
+  aura: --trace is not yet available on walkforward; see #224    [exit 2]
+  -> honest forward-pointer, not a silent no-op. WORKING.
+
+#28 — bad blueprint arg to `aura graph` is a usage fault, not a silent sample (WORKING):
+  $ aura graph does_not_exist.json
+  aura: Usage: aura graph [<blueprint.json>] [build|introspect|register];
+        does_not_exist.json is not a readable .json blueprint     [exit 2, 0 bytes stdout]
+  $ aura graph notabp.txt
+  aura: ... notabp.txt is not a readable .json blueprint          [exit 2, 0 bytes stdout]
+  $ aura graph                    (no arg)
+  -> renders the built-in sample HTML                             [exit 0, ~1.43MB]
+
+  #28-adjacent friction — op-script (valid JSON, wrong schema) rendered:
+  $ aura graph triage_1_ganged_midchannel.ops.json
+  aura: ...ops.json: blueprint document is not valid JSON:
+        invalid type: map, expected u32 at line 2 column 2        [exit 2, 0 bytes stdout]
+  -> exit 2 correct (no silent sample), BUT the file IS valid JSON; the message
+     "not valid JSON" misdescribes a schema mismatch. And the render positional does
+     NOT shape-discriminate an op-script array the way sibling introspect verbs do
+     (--params/--content-id/--identity-id/register accept EITHER shape; render does not).

fieldtests/milestone-triage-harvest/throwaway_proj/.gitignore

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+/target
+Cargo.lock
+/runs

fieldtests/milestone-triage-harvest/throwaway_proj/Aura.toml

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+# Static project context only (C17); paths only.
+[paths]
+runs = "runs"
+# data = "/path/to/archive"  # the recorded-data root; defaults to the built-in path

fieldtests/milestone-triage-harvest/throwaway_proj/CLAUDE.md

@@ -0,0 +1,10 @@
+# throwaway_proj — an aura research project
+
+This crate is an aura project: a cdylib of node/strategy blueprints the
+`aura` host loads during research (see the engine's docs/project-layout.md).
+
+- Build: `cargo build` (the next `aura` invocation loads the fresh dylib)
+- Run:   `aura run blueprints/signal.json` (from anywhere inside this dir)
+- Nodes live in `src/`; each is registered in `vocabulary()`/`type_ids()`
+  under the `throwaway_proj::` namespace prefix.
+- Topology is data (`blueprints/*.json`), node logic is Rust.

fieldtests/milestone-triage-harvest/throwaway_proj/Cargo.toml

@@ -0,0 +1,14 @@
+[package]
+name = "throwaway_proj"
+version = "0.1.0"
+edition = "2024"
+publish = false
+
+[lib]
+crate-type = ["cdylib"]
+
+[dependencies]
+aura-core = { path = "/home/brummel/dev/aura/crates/aura-core" }
+
+# Standalone workspace root: never a member of an enclosing workspace.
+[workspace]

fieldtests/milestone-triage-harvest/throwaway_proj/blueprints/ganged_midchannel.json

@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+{"format_version":1,"blueprint":{"name":"graph","nodes":[{"primitive":{"type":"RollingMax","name":"channel_hi"}},{"primitive":{"type":"RollingMin","name":"channel_lo"}},{"primitive":{"type":"Add","name":"sum"}},{"primitive":{"type":"Scale","name":"mid","bound":[{"pos":0,"name":"factor","kind":"F64","value":{"F64":0.5}}]}},{"primitive":{"type":"Sub","name":"dev"}},{"primitive":{"type":"Bias","name":"bias","bound":[{"pos":0,"name":"scale","kind":"F64","value":{"F64":1.0}}]}}],"edges":[{"from":0,"to":2,"slot":0,"from_field":0},{"from":1,"to":2,"slot":1,"from_field":0},{"from":2,"to":3,"slot":0,"from_field":0},{"from":3,"to":4,"slot":1,"from_field":0},{"from":4,"to":5,"slot":0,"from_field":0}],"input_roles":[{"name":"price","targets":[{"node":0,"slot":0},{"node":1,"slot":0},{"node":4,"slot":0}],"source":"F64"}],"output":[{"node":5,"field":0,"name":"bias"}],"gangs":[{"name":"channel_length","kind":"I64","members":[{"node":0,"pos":0,"name":"length"},{"node":1,"pos":0,"name":"length"}]}]}}

fieldtests/milestone-triage-harvest/throwaway_proj/blueprints/signal.json

@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+{"format_version":1,"blueprint":{"name":"throwaway_proj_signal","nodes":[{"primitive":{"type":"SMA","name":"fast","bound":[{"pos":0,"name":"length","kind":"I64","value":{"I64":2}}]}},{"primitive":{"type":"SMA","name":"slow","bound":[{"pos":0,"name":"length","kind":"I64","value":{"I64":4}}]}},{"primitive":{"type":"Sub"}},{"primitive":{"type":"Bias","name":"bias","bound":[{"pos":0,"name":"scale","kind":"F64","value":{"F64":0.5}}]}},{"primitive":{"type":"throwaway_proj::Scale","bound":[{"pos":0,"name":"factor","kind":"F64","value":{"F64":1.0}}]}}],"edges":[{"from":0,"to":2,"slot":0,"from_field":0},{"from":1,"to":2,"slot":1,"from_field":0},{"from":2,"to":3,"slot":0,"from_field":0},{"from":3,"to":4,"slot":0,"from_field":0}],"input_roles":[{"name":"price","targets":[{"node":0,"slot":0},{"node":1,"slot":0}],"source":"F64"}],"output":[{"node":4,"field":0,"name":"bias"}]}}

fieldtests/milestone-triage-harvest/throwaway_proj/src/lib.rs

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+//! throwaway_proj — an aura research project: node logic + the exported vocabulary.
+//!
+//! Every node type this crate provides is registered in `vocabulary()` /
+//! `type_ids()` under the `throwaway_proj::` namespace prefix; the `aura` host loads
+//! this cdylib per invocation and merges it with the std vocabulary.
+
+use aura_core::{
+    Cell, Ctx, FieldSpec, Firing, Node, NodeSchema, ParamSpec, PortSpec, PrimitiveBuilder,
+    ScalarKind,
+};
+
+/// One-input scalar gain: emits `input * factor`. Emits `None` until its
+/// input has a value (warm-up filter, C8).
+pub struct Scale {
+    factor: f64,
+    out: [Cell; 1],
+}
+
+impl Scale {
+    pub fn new(factor: f64) -> Self {
+        Self { factor, out: [Cell::from_f64(0.0)] }
+    }
+    pub fn builder() -> PrimitiveBuilder {
+        PrimitiveBuilder::new(
+            "throwaway_proj::Scale",
+            NodeSchema {
+                inputs: vec![PortSpec {
+                    kind: ScalarKind::F64,
+                    firing: Firing::Any,
+                    name: "value".into(),
+                }],
+                output: vec![FieldSpec { name: "value".into(), kind: ScalarKind::F64 }],
+                params: vec![ParamSpec { name: "factor".into(), kind: ScalarKind::F64 }],
+            },
+            |p| Box::new(Scale::new(p[0].f64())),
+        )
+    }
+}
+
+impl Node for Scale {
+    fn lookbacks(&self) -> Vec<usize> {
+        vec![1]
+    }
+    fn eval(&mut self, ctx: Ctx<'_>) -> Option<&[Cell]> {
+        let w = ctx.f64_in(0);
+        if w.is_empty() {
+            return None;
+        }
+        self.out[0] = Cell::from_f64(w[0] * self.factor);
+        Some(&self.out)
+    }
+    fn label(&self) -> String {
+        format!("throwaway_proj::Scale({})", self.factor)
+    }
+}
+
+fn vocabulary(type_id: &str) -> Option<PrimitiveBuilder> {
+    match type_id {
+        "throwaway_proj::Scale" => Some(Scale::builder()),
+        _ => None,
+    }
+}
+
+fn type_ids() -> &'static [&'static str] {
+    &["throwaway_proj::Scale"]
+}
+
+aura_core::aura_project! {
+    namespace: "throwaway_proj",
+    vocabulary: vocabulary,
+    type_ids: type_ids,
+}

fieldtests/milestone-triage-harvest/triage_1_ganged_midchannel.bp.json

@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+{"format_version":1,"blueprint":{"name":"graph","nodes":[{"primitive":{"type":"RollingMax","name":"channel_hi"}},{"primitive":{"type":"RollingMin","name":"channel_lo"}},{"primitive":{"type":"Add","name":"sum"}},{"primitive":{"type":"Scale","name":"mid","bound":[{"pos":0,"name":"factor","kind":"F64","value":{"F64":0.5}}]}},{"primitive":{"type":"Sub","name":"dev"}},{"primitive":{"type":"Bias","name":"bias","bound":[{"pos":0,"name":"scale","kind":"F64","value":{"F64":1.0}}]}}],"edges":[{"from":0,"to":2,"slot":0,"from_field":0},{"from":1,"to":2,"slot":1,"from_field":0},{"from":2,"to":3,"slot":0,"from_field":0},{"from":3,"to":4,"slot":1,"from_field":0},{"from":4,"to":5,"slot":0,"from_field":0}],"input_roles":[{"name":"price","targets":[{"node":0,"slot":0},{"node":1,"slot":0},{"node":4,"slot":0}],"source":"F64"}],"output":[{"node":5,"field":0,"name":"bias"}],"gangs":[{"name":"channel_length","kind":"I64","members":[{"node":0,"pos":0,"name":"length"},{"node":1,"pos":0,"name":"length"}]}]}}

fieldtests/milestone-triage-harvest/triage_1_ganged_midchannel.ops.json

@@ -0,0 +1,17 @@
+[
+  {"op": "source", "role": "price", "kind": "F64"},
+  {"op": "add", "type": "RollingMax", "name": "channel_hi"},
+  {"op": "add", "type": "RollingMin", "name": "channel_lo"},
+  {"op": "add", "type": "Add", "name": "sum"},
+  {"op": "add", "type": "Scale", "name": "mid", "bind": {"factor": {"F64": 0.5}}},
+  {"op": "add", "type": "Sub", "name": "dev"},
+  {"op": "add", "type": "Bias", "name": "bias", "bind": {"scale": {"F64": 1.0}}},
+  {"op": "feed", "role": "price", "into": ["channel_hi.series", "channel_lo.series", "dev.lhs"]},
+  {"op": "connect", "from": "channel_hi.value", "to": "sum.lhs"},
+  {"op": "connect", "from": "channel_lo.value", "to": "sum.rhs"},
+  {"op": "connect", "from": "sum.value", "to": "mid.signal"},
+  {"op": "connect", "from": "mid.value", "to": "dev.rhs"},
+  {"op": "connect", "from": "dev.value", "to": "bias.signal"},
+  {"op": "expose", "from": "bias.bias", "as": "bias"},
+  {"op": "gang", "as": "channel_length", "into": ["channel_hi.length", "channel_lo.length"]}
+]