Format Model

Purpose

This page defines the cross-cutting format rules shared by all Domain Bundle artifacts.

File Anatomy

Every Domain Bundle artifact uses:

1. Opening ---
2. YAML frontmatter
3. Closing ---
4. Markdown body

Semantics:

1. Frontmatter is the machine-readable contract.
2. Markdown body is human and LLM guidance.

Design Principles

1. One file, two parts: YAML frontmatter plus Markdown body.
2. Bundle structure should support progressive disclosure.
3. Source references should support local first, remote later.
4. Substrate-definition artifacts should declare the leaf lamina only; parent laminae are inferred.
5. Modulator ownership belongs to lamina contracts and is inherited upward.

Pre-v1 Schema Policy

1. The schema may change quickly while the model is still being refined.
2. Once a standard is chosen, the reference pages should switch to that standard immediately.
3. Do not preserve compatibility aliases for superseded markdown key shapes unless explicitly required.

Naming Convention

All markdown config keys and identifiers in this format must use kebab-case.

Rules:

1. Use kebab-case for frontmatter keys, reference keys, and artifact identifiers.
2. Do not introduce new snake_case keys in markdown config files.
3. Do not preserve or add snake_case compatibility paths for markdown keys unless explicitly required.

Examples:

1. domain-id not domain_id
2. required-cortices not required_cortices
3. module-path not module_path

Exceptions:

1. Python import values and symbol values are not reformatted.
2. Free-form payloads inside metadata or downstream config payloads may use snake_case when required by external systems.

Progressive Disclosure Model

The intended loader flow is:

1. Read the root artifact frontmatter only.
2. Select candidate substrate-definition references through explicit root artifact lists.
3. Load only the selected substrate-definition artifacts.
4. Validate and compile launch inputs from the selected set.

This keeps parse cost and context small while still scaling to larger bundles.