dld-audit

name	dld-audit
description	Scan for drift between decisions and code. Finds orphaned annotations, stale references, and undocumented changes.
compatibility	Requires bash and git. Scripts use BASH_SOURCE for path resolution.

/dld-audit — Audit Decision-Code Drift

You are scanning the codebase for drift between decision records and code annotations. This helps catch situations where code evolved but decisions weren't updated.

Script Paths

Shared scripts:

../dld-common/scripts/common.sh

Skill-specific scripts:

scripts/find-annotations.sh
scripts/find-missing-amends.sh
scripts/update-audit-state.sh

Prerequisites

Check that dld.config.yaml exists at the repo root. If not, tell the user to run /dld-init first and stop.

Audit Steps

1. Collect all annotations in code

Run the find-annotations script:

bash scripts/find-annotations.sh

This outputs lines in the format <file>:<line>:<DL-NNN>, one per annotation occurrence.

2. Collect all decision records

Read all DL-*.md files in the records subdirectory (decisions/records/). For each, note:

• The ID
• The status
• The code references listed in the frontmatter

3. Check for issues

Perform these drift checks:

a) Orphaned annotations

Annotations in code that reference non-existent decision IDs. These indicate decisions that were deleted or IDs that were mistyped.

b) Annotations referencing non-accepted decisions

Annotations referencing decisions with status deprecated or superseded. Code is still tied to a decision that's no longer active.

b2) Annotations referencing amended decisions

Annotations referencing decisions that have been amended by a newer decision (check all decisions for amends fields that reference this ID). This is informational, not an error — the original decision is still active, but the developer should be aware of the amendment. Surface these as notes, not issues.

c) Stale references in decisions

Decision records whose references list code paths that no longer exist in the repository. Use file existence checks.

d) Unreferenced code changes (if previous audit exists)

If decisions/.dld-state.yaml exists and has an audit.commit_hash, find files that:

1. Contain @decision annotations
2. Were modified since the last audit commit

First, verify the commit is reachable:

git cat-file -t <commit_hash> 2>/dev/null

If the commit is unreachable (e.g., after a rebase or shallow clone), skip this check and note it in the report:

Note: Previous audit commit <hash> is not reachable in current history. Skipping changed-file detection. This can happen after a rebase or shallow clone.

If the commit is reachable:

git diff --name-only <commit_hash>..HEAD

Cross-reference this list with annotated files. Files that changed but whose associated decisions weren't updated may indicate undocumented drift.

e) Missing amendment relationships

This check is mandatory — do not skip it. Run the find-missing-amends script to get initial candidates:

bash scripts/find-missing-amends.sh

This outputs lines in the format <source-id>:<referenced-id> — decisions whose body references another decision ID that isn't listed in their supersedes or amends fields. Not every candidate is a missing amendment — some are just informational references (e.g., "this is similar to DL-005").

By default the script only emits candidates whose source decision file changed since the last audit (recorded in .dld-state.yaml), so references the agent has already evaluated and judged informational don't keep resurfacing. To force a full rescan — useful for cold starts or manual deep audits — pass --all:

bash scripts/find-missing-amends.sh --all

For each candidate, read the source decision's body and evaluate whether the reference describes a partial modification of the referenced decision. Look for language like: "supersedes the X portions of", "changes the Y behavior from DL-Z", "replaces the approach in DL-Z for...", "modifies how DL-Z handles...". If so, flag it as a missing amendment.

f) Decisions without annotations

accepted decisions that have code references in their frontmatter but no corresponding @decision annotations found in the code. The references claim code is linked, but the annotations are missing.

4. Report findings

Present findings grouped by severity:

## Audit Report

### Issues Found

#### Orphaned Annotations
- `src/billing/vat.ts:42` references `DL-099` — decision does not exist

#### Stale References
- **DL-012** references `src/billing/old-vat.ts` — file does not exist

#### Deprecated/Superseded References
- `src/auth/login.ts:15` references `DL-003` (status: superseded by DL-012)

#### Amended Decisions (informational)
- `src/billing/vat.ts:42` references `DL-003` — amended by DL-012. Verify code aligns with the amendment.

#### Modified Annotated Files (since last audit)
- `src/billing/vat.ts` — modified, contains `@decision(DL-012)`. Review if decision needs updating.

### Summary
- **X** orphaned annotations
- **Y** stale references
- **Z** annotated files modified since last audit

### Suggested Remediation
- Fix orphaned annotation at `src/billing/vat.ts:42` — update to correct ID or remove
- Update DL-012 references — remove `src/billing/old-vat.ts`
- Review `src/billing/vat.ts` changes — consider `/dld-decide` if behavior changed

If no issues are found:

## Audit Report

No drift detected. All annotations reference valid, accepted decisions. All decision references point to existing code.

5. Update audit state

After the audit completes (regardless of findings):

bash scripts/update-audit-state.sh

6. Suggest next steps

Audit complete. N issue(s) found.

Next steps:

• Fix any orphaned or stale references identified above
• /dld-decide — record new decisions for undocumented changes
• /dld-snapshot — regenerate the spec projection
• /dld-status — view overall decision log state