protocol-semantic-guard

name	protocol-semantic-guard
description	Semantic guard for protocol and instruction-set related code changes. Use when modifying wire protocols, command encodings, parser tables, tags, attributes, enumerations, media handling, imaging, or font download logic, especially when a repository has domain-specific semantic-maintenance skills.

Protocol Semantic Guard

Overview

Ensure code changes that affect protocol or instruction-set behavior stay aligned with the semantic docs in this repo or in any repository-local domain guard skill.

Quick start

1. Inspect the diff to see whether the change touches a protocol, instruction set, or wire-format parser/encoder.
2. If the repository has a matching semantic-maintenance skill for that protocol or instruction set, load it and follow it.
3. Map the change to operators/commands/attributes/data types/tags/IDs.
4. Confirm rules, enumerations, and sequencing in the authoritative docs for that domain.
5. If markdown tables are incomplete, open the relevant PDFs or source specifications.

Workflow: semantic confirmation

1) Identify scope

• Determine which files changed and which semantic layer they belong to.
• Determine whether the change affects parsing, encoding, validation, sequencing, or reporting.
• Determine whether the change crosses subsystem boundaries such as session/page, graphics state, imaging, fonts, streams, or wrapper protocols.

2) Map to operator(s)/attributes

• Extract operator, command, and attribute names from the diff.
• Find the relevant domain docs or tables for the affected instruction set.
• Record required/optional fields, data types, constraints, and side effects.

3) Validate enumerations and IDs

• Check IDs, tags, enums, and data types against the authoritative tables for the domain.
• Verify any aliasing or shared tags/IDs before changing parser or encoder logic.

4) Validate sequencing and embedded data

• Validate begin/read/end or open/close sequences where the protocol uses them.
• Enforce embedded data length rules, chunking rules, and framing constraints.
• Confirm required fields are present in the parser or encoder logic.

5) Conditional checks

• Media or page handling: consult the domain docs that govern layout, sheets, or job control.
• Fonts: consult the domain docs that govern glyphs, downloads, or font tables.
• Wrapper protocols: consult the wrapper or transport docs if the command stream is nested.
• Status or error codes: consult the domain's status-code reference.

6) Supplements (2.1 / 3.0)

• Check any supplement or revision docs for the same instruction set, but expect missing fields.
• Cross-check against supplement PDFs or source specs for authoritative details.

7) Record compliance

Provide a short Protocol Compliance Note in your response:

• Touched operators/commands/attributes
• Docs consulted (file paths)
• Constraints validated
• Open questions or spec gaps

Resources

• references to the current protocol docs or spec index
• any repository-local diff or semantic scan helper