fix: align protocol error semantics

Cargo.lock

@@ -270,9 +270,11 @@ name = "wip-protocol"
 version = "0.1.0"
 
 [[package]]
-name = "wip-rs"
+name = "wip-public-api-example"
 version = "0.1.0"
 dependencies = [
+ "wip-host",
+ "wip-interface",
  "wip-protocol",
 ]
 

Cargo.toml

@@ -1,17 +1,3 @@
 [workspace]
-members = [
-    ".",
-    "crates/wip-host",
-    "crates/wip-interface",
-    "crates/wip-interface-macros",
-    "crates/wip-protocol",
-]
+members = ["crates/*"]
 resolver = "3"
-
-[package]
-name = "wip-rs"
-version = "0.1.0"
-edition = "2024"
-
-[dependencies]
-wip-protocol = { path = "crates/wip-protocol" }

README.md

@@ -2,6 +2,82 @@
 
 Rust building blocks for the Web Interface Protocol (WIP).
 
+The repository is a resolver-3 virtual Cargo workspace whose packages all live
+under `crates/*`. It provides a transport-independent protocol model, a Rust
+interface-authoring facade, a request-scoped host runtime, and a private
+public-API conformance consumer. The repository root is not itself a package.
+HTTP and other transport bindings are intentionally outside the supported
+slice.
+
+## Crate graph and responsibilities
+
+```text
+wip-public-api-example (workspace-only executable, integration tests, doctest)
+├── wip-protocol              logical declarations, values, calls, and validation
+├── wip-interface             application DTO codecs and interface authoring facade
+│   ├── wip-protocol
+│   └── wip-interface-macros  proc-macro implementation detail
+└── wip-host                  descriptor registry, publication, and qualified dispatch
+    ├── wip-interface
+    └── wip-protocol
+```
+
+| Crate | Responsibility | Does not own |
+| --- | --- | --- |
+| `wip-protocol` | Transport-independent descriptors, object/call/result types, logical `Value`s, validation, and stable protocol error categories. | Application DTOs, implementations, persistence, or wire encoding. |
+| `wip-interface` | The public `WipType`/`interface` authoring API, Rust-to-protocol codecs, generated descriptors, and typed implementation dispatch. | Object publication, backend lifetime, or transport policy. |
+| `wip-interface-macros` | Procedural-macro expansion used by `wip-interface`. It is not an application dependency. | A supported direct user API. |
+| `wip-host` | Opaque interface registration, explicit object membership, validator checks, and interface-qualified dispatch against one host-owned instance. | Backend atomicity, global object lookup, or network serving. |
+| `wip-public-api-example` | An independently compiled consumer of only the three public crates. Its DTOs and traits are application-owned; its implementation and backend handle remain host-private. | Reusable library API or a production server. |
+
+The boundary is intentional: protocol types describe what can cross a
+transport; application DTOs opt into that model with `WipType`; a host-private
+implementation owns credentials, handles, and backend state; and a future
+transport maps its own routes/envelopes to `CallOperationRequest` and
+`CallOperationResponse` without placing transport-specific types in descriptors
+or application traits.
+
+## End-to-end example
+
+[`crates/wip-public-api-example/src/lib.rs`](crates/wip-public-api-example/src/lib.rs)
+is the complete public-API example and
+[`crates/wip-public-api-example/src/main.rs`](crates/wip-public-api-example/src/main.rs)
+runs it. It demonstrates all of the following:
+
+1. public application DTOs derived as `WipType` records, enums, and unions,
+   including canonical entry paths and schema-opaque JSON;
+2. two public traits declared with `#[wip::interface]`;
+3. a private host struct implementing both traits;
+4. explicit publication of both interfaces as an ordered set on one object;
+5. separate observation of opaque interface references, descriptors, and
+   descriptor validators;
+6. calls qualified by `target.path`, object validator, interface reference and
+   validator, operation, and schema-neutral `Value` arguments;
+7. validated result values decoded back to the typed application result;
+8. independent dispatch of the same `status` operation name on both interfaces;
+9. distinct domain rejection, host/backend failure, `PermissionDenied`, stale
+   validator recovery, interface membership, and lookup failure codes; and
+10. canonical failure precedence when several request fields are invalid.
+
+Run it inside the development shell:
+
+```console
+nix develop
+cargo run --package wip-public-api-example
+```
+
+The public-only conformance suite is in
+[`crates/wip-public-api-example/tests/end_to_end.rs`](crates/wip-public-api-example/tests/end_to_end.rs).
+It covers canonical object/descriptor shape, ordered interfaces,
+schema-neutral record/enum/union/entry/JSON values, fully qualified calls, and
+the distinct domain, host, authorization, validator-recovery, and interface
+failure classes. Exhaustive public type construction and matching make legacy
+ObjectId, descriptor `name`, and semantic `Value` variants compile-time
+regressions. Unit tests in the public crates additionally cover every host
+dispatch failure, `InvalidRequest` versus descriptor-bound `InvalidArguments`,
+invalid local responses, validators, same-named operations, and exhaustive
+per-interaction protocol error-code sets.
+
 ## Interface authoring
 
 Applications depend on `wip-interface`, normally imported as `wip`:
@@ -30,42 +106,69 @@ pub trait Messenger {
 ```
 
 The `interface` attribute and `WipType` derive are re-exported by the facade;
-users do not import `wip-interface-macros` directly. The generated
-`MessengerDefinition` constructs an `InterfaceDescriptor`, decodes named
-arguments, encodes results, validates both boundaries, and provides typed
-dispatch for any `T: Messenger`.
+users do not import `wip-interface-macros` or generated private support symbols.
+The generated `MessengerDefinition` constructs an `InterfaceDescriptor`,
+decodes named arguments, encodes results, validates both boundaries, and
+provides typed dispatch for any `T: Messenger`.
 
-### Type mapping
+### Supported Rust syntax
+
+A supported interface is a public, non-generic trait containing methods with:
+
+- exactly an immutable `&self` receiver;
+- simple named, owned parameters;
+- an explicit `wip::OperationResult<T>` return;
+- `()` only as the application return when no value is produced; and
+- direct `Option<T>` only for an omittable parameter.
+
+`WipType` derives support named-field structs, all-unit enums, and unions whose
+cases may be unit variants or variants containing exactly one unnamed payload.
+The macros reject private,
+generic, inherited, unsafe, auto, or associated-item traits; const, async,
+unsafe, extern, variadic, generic, default-bodied, or non-`&self` methods;
+borrowed/custom-lifetime values; tuple/unit/generic structs; Rust unions;
+named-field/multi-field enum variants; explicit discriminants; nested `Option`; and
+`Option` in returns, collections, entries, or union payloads. These diagnostics
+are compile-fail tested under `crates/wip-interface/tests/ui`.
+
+### Rust type mapping
 
 | Rust | Protocol |
 | --- | --- |
-| `()` as an operation result | no returned value |
+| `()` | unit / `Value::Unit` |
 | `bool` | boolean |
 | integer primitives | JavaScript-lossless integer |
 | `f32`, `f64` | finite number |
 | `String` | string |
 | `wip::Bytes` | bytes |
-| `wip::wip_protocol::JsonValue` | JSON |
-| `wip::Entry<K, V>` | entry |
+| `wip::JsonValue` | JSON interpreted over the schema-neutral `Value` tree |
+| `wip::Entry` | canonical absolute Worldspace path encoded as a string |
 | `Vec<T>` | list |
 | named-field `#[derive(wip::WipType)]` struct | named record |
-| all-unit `#[derive(wip::WipType)]` enum | named enum |
-| all-newtype `#[derive(wip::WipType)]` enum | named tagged union |
+| all-unit `#[derive(wip::WipType)]` enum | named enum encoded as a string |
+| mixed unit/newtype or all-newtype enum | named union encoded as a discriminator record |
 
-`Option<T>` is accepted only for a direct DTO field or operation parameter and
-means that the named value may be omitted. It is not protocol null. Domain
-failures are modeled in the application result (usually a derived union) and
-returned through `Ok`; `wip::HostError` is only for host/runtime failures.
+`Option<T>` means that a direct DTO field or operation parameter may be
+omitted; it is not protocol null. JSON null remains available inside
+`wip::JsonValue`.
+
+#### Migration from the pre-canonical value API
+
+The old generic `wip::Entry<K, V>` represented an application key/value pair
+and is no longer available. Use `wip::Entry::new("/canonical/path")` for a
+Worldspace entry path and place any associated application data in a record.
+`Entry` encodes as `Value::String` and validates the canonical absolute path.
+
+The semantic `Value::Json`, `Value::Entry`, `Value::Enum`, and `Value::Union`
+variants have also been removed. JSON recursively uses `Unit`, primitive,
+`List`, and `Record` values and rejects `Bytes`; enums use `String`; unions use
+a `Record` containing `$case` and, for payload-bearing cases, `value`. Unit
+operation results are represented explicitly as `Value::Unit`.
 
 Rust doc comments become descriptor metadata. For an operation, a `# Returns`
 section documents the return declaration; text before that section documents
 the operation itself.
 
-The supported interface slice is deliberately non-generic: public traits,
-`&self`, named parameters, and `OperationResult<T>`. Generic traits or methods,
-associated items, custom lifetimes, inheritance, default method bodies, and
-other receiver forms are rejected at their source spans.
-
 ## Host publication and dispatch
 
 Applications use `wip-host` to register generated definitions and explicitly
@@ -83,17 +186,61 @@ let protocol_object = published.protocol_object();
 `expose` compiles only when the object implements the generated definition's
 interface trait. Implementing a trait does not expose it automatically, empty
 interface sets are valid, insertion order is preserved, and duplicate
-references are rejected. Registry references are opaque; descriptor names and
-Rust type names are not used as wire identity.
+references are rejected. Registry references are opaque and remain outside the
+descriptor; generated descriptors contain neither those references nor Rust
+trait identity.
 
-Dispatch is qualified by interface reference and operation name. The host checks
-current object identity and validator policy, current interface membership,
-interface validator, descriptor operation, arguments, and result while retaining
-the selected object and registered artifact. Host-private fields and backend
-handles are never projected by `WipObject`.
+Dispatch is qualified by interface reference and operation name and targets a
+canonical Worldspace path. An `ObjectProvider` validates that path before
+resolution, maps malformed paths to `InvalidRequest`, then resolves a valid path
+exactly once inside `with_object`; the host checks the supplied object validator,
+current interface membership, interface validator, descriptor operation,
+operation-specific object-validator policy, arguments, and authorization in
+canonical precedence. Path and children remain provider resolution context and
+are never projected by `WipObject`; host-private fields and backend handles are
+also excluded.
+
+Application domain failures belong in a derived result union and are returned
+through `Ok`. `wip::HostError` is reserved for runtime/backend failures. A
+structurally malformed call is `InvalidRequest`; only argument values checked
+after the current Interface Descriptor is fixed are `InvalidArguments`. A Host
+must never return a wire `InvalidResult`: Clients keep invalid Object,
+Descriptor, operation-result, and error responses as local `InvalidResponse`
+failures, while unsupported descriptor formats remain local
+`UnsupportedDescriptorFormat` failures.
+
+For operation calls, `Internal` and `ResourceLimitExceeded` guarantee that the
+operation did not run or that its effects were rolled back.
+`OperationOutcomeUnknown` is the only protocol code that makes no such
+guarantee, so Clients must not automatically retry it. The current host API maps
+implementation failures and invalid post-execution results conservatively to
+`OperationOutcomeUnknown`.
 
 Providers remain responsible for backend atomicity. Enter a transaction, lock,
-stable-handle scope, or conditional-update primitive before constructing and
-dispatching the request-scoped `PublishedObject`, and retain it until dispatch
-returns. The runtime never validates one object and then resolves a second
-snapshot, but it cannot make an arbitrary external backend atomic by itself.
+stable-handle scope, or conditional-update primitive before invoking the
+`with_object` callback, and retain it until the callback returns. Mutable
+operations must make validator comparison and backend commit atomic and return a
+validator for the committed state. The runtime never validates one object and
+then resolves a second snapshot, but it cannot make an arbitrary external
+backend atomic by itself.
+
+## Validation
+
+Enter the dev shell and run the acceptance commands exactly:
+
+```console
+nix develop
+cargo fmt --all -- --check
+cargo check --workspace --all-targets
+cargo test --workspace --all-targets
+cargo test --workspace --doc
+cargo clippy --workspace --all-targets -- -D warnings
+RUSTDOCFLAGS='-D warnings' cargo doc --workspace --no-deps
+cargo run --package wip-public-api-example
+git diff --check
+```
+
+`cargo test --workspace --all-targets` includes the public-only conformance
+consumer, runtime failure tests, and `trybuild` compile-fail suites. The separate
+doctest, rustdoc, executable, and whitespace checks are all required acceptance
+steps.

crates/wip-host/src/lib.rs

@@ -3,35 +3,31 @@
 //! # Responsibility boundaries
 //!
 //! [`InterfaceRegistry::register`] validates and freezes a generated interface
-//! descriptor, assigns an opaque [`InterfaceRef`], and makes the same descriptor
-//! observation available to clients and dispatch. [`PublishedObject::expose`]
-//! explicitly combines a request-scoped Rust object with a registered interface;
-//! its [`InterfaceImplementation`] bound proves at compile time that the object
-//! implements that interface. Implementing a Rust trait alone never publishes it,
+//! descriptor, assigns an opaque [`InterfaceRef`], and leaves that reference
+//! outside the descriptor. [`PublishedObject::expose`] explicitly combines a
+//! request-scoped Rust object with a registered interface; its
+//! [`InterfaceImplementation`] bound proves at compile time that the object
+//! implements the interface. Implementing a Rust trait alone never publishes it,
 //! and a publication with no interfaces is valid.
 //!
-//! [`PublishedObject::dispatch`] selects by `(InterfaceRef, operation name)`,
-//! checks object and interface validators, current membership, the frozen
-//! descriptor, and then invokes the matching generated typed dispatcher on the
-//! same object instance. Arguments and results cross the protocol [`Value`]
-//! boundary only through generated validation and codecs. Rust fields that are
-//! not returned by [`WipObject`] are host-private and are never serialized by
-//! this crate.
+//! [`ObjectProvider::call_operation`] resolves `target.path` exactly once and
+//! keeps the resulting object, interface membership, descriptor, implementation,
+//! and backend target fixed within the provider's [`ObjectProvider::with_object`]
+//! callback. Dispatch is qualified by `(interface reference, operation name)`.
+//! The same frozen operation declaration validates both arguments and results.
 //!
-//! The call method is deliberately an execution boundary rather than a global
-//! object registry: a provider may resolve and publish an object per request and
-//! drop it afterward. The provider must enter any backend-specific transaction,
-//! lock, stable-handle scope, or conditional-update primitive *before* creating
-//! or dispatching the publication and retain it until dispatch returns. This
-//! crate keeps validator checks, descriptor and implementation selection, and
-//! invocation in one borrow of that publication; it does not claim that an
-//! arbitrary backend stays stable, and it never reopens a path or resolves a
-//! second implementation snapshot after validation.
+//! A provider is responsible for entering a backend transaction, lock,
+//! stable-handle scope, or conditional-update primitive before invoking the
+//! callback and retaining it until the callback returns. The runtime does not
+//! reopen the path or select another implementation after checking validators,
+//! but cannot make an arbitrary external backend atomic on its own. Mutable
+//! operations must make object-validator comparison and backend commit atomic;
+//! the validator returned after dispatch must describe the committed state.
 
 #![deny(missing_docs)]
 
 use std::any::TypeId;
-use std::collections::{HashMap, HashSet};
+use std::collections::{BTreeMap, HashMap, HashSet};
 use std::error::Error;
 use std::fmt::{self, Display, Formatter};
 use std::marker::PhantomData;
@@ -41,9 +37,13 @@ use std::sync::atomic::{AtomicU64, Ordering};
 use wip_interface::DispatchError;
 pub use wip_interface::{InterfaceDefinition, InterfaceImplementation};
 pub use wip_protocol;
+pub use wip_protocol::{
+    CallOperationRequest as CallRequest, CallOperationResponse as CallResult, InterfaceTarget,
+    Target,
+};
 use wip_protocol::{
-    InterfaceDescriptor, NamedValue, Object, ObjectId, OperationCall, OperationTarget,
-    ProtocolError, ProtocolErrorCategory, ValidationError, Value,
+    FetchInterfaceResponse, InterfaceDescriptor, Object, ProtocolError, ProtocolErrorCode,
+    ValidationError, Value,
 };
 
 /// Opaque bytes used as a conditional execution precondition.
@@ -76,22 +76,34 @@ impl InterfaceRef {
     }
 }
 
-/// An immutable observation returned for an opaque interface reference.
+/// One atomic observation of an interface reference, descriptor, and validator.
 #[derive(Debug, Clone, PartialEq)]
 pub struct InterfaceObservation {
     /// Opaque reference selected by published objects and operation calls.
     pub reference: InterfaceRef,
+    /// Canonical descriptor frozen when the interface was registered.
+    pub descriptor: InterfaceDescriptor,
     /// Optional validator. Its presence makes it a required call precondition.
     pub validator: Option<Validator>,
-    /// Validated descriptor frozen when the interface was registered.
-    pub descriptor: InterfaceDescriptor,
+}
+
+impl InterfaceObservation {
+    /// Converts this host observation to the canonical protocol response.
+    #[must_use]
+    pub fn protocol_response(&self) -> FetchInterfaceResponse {
+        FetchInterfaceResponse {
+            interface: self.reference.0.clone(),
+            descriptor: self.descriptor.clone(),
+            validator: self.validator.as_ref().map(|validator| validator.0.clone()),
+        }
+    }
 }
 
 #[derive(Debug)]
 struct InterfaceArtifact {
     reference: InterfaceRef,
-    validator: Option<Validator>,
     descriptor: InterfaceDescriptor,
+    validator: Option<Validator>,
 }
 
 /// A typed registration token for a generated interface definition.
@@ -122,12 +134,11 @@ impl<D> RegisteredInterface<D> {
 
 /// Registry of validated, immutable interface artifacts.
 ///
-/// This registry stores interface definitions, not object instances. Generated
-/// definitions are registered explicitly and receive process-local opaque
+/// Generated descriptors are never rewritten to contain their assigned
 /// references. A validator-free artifact is immutable for the lifetime of its
-/// reference; a validator-bearing artifact requires that exact validator on a
-/// call. Re-registering a definition is rejected instead of silently changing
-/// the descriptor associated with an existing reference.
+/// reference. A validator-bearing artifact requires that exact validator on a
+/// call. Re-registering a definition is rejected rather than silently changing
+/// the observation associated with an existing reference.
 #[derive(Debug)]
 pub struct InterfaceRegistry {
     namespace: u64,
@@ -157,12 +168,6 @@ impl InterfaceRegistry {
     }
 
     /// Registers and freezes one generated interface definition.
-    ///
-    /// `validator` should be present when the host intends the reference to
-    /// represent a versioned descriptor. Its presence makes the same value a
-    /// mandatory precondition for dispatch. Registration finalizes the
-    /// descriptor's protocol `name` to the assigned opaque reference so it
-    /// corresponds directly to [`Object::interfaces`].
     pub fn register<D>(
         &mut self,
         _definition: D,
@@ -176,7 +181,7 @@ impl InterfaceRegistry {
             return Err(RegistrationError::AlreadyRegistered);
         }
 
-        let mut descriptor = D::descriptor();
+        let descriptor = D::descriptor();
         descriptor
             .validate()
             .map_err(RegistrationError::InvalidDescriptor)?;
@@ -185,19 +190,14 @@ impl InterfaceRegistry {
             "wip-interface:{}:{}",
             self.namespace, self.next_reference
         ));
-        // The protocol model currently carries the interface identifier in the
-        // descriptor's `name` field. Finalize that identity to the same opaque
-        // reference placed on published objects; the generated Rust trait name
-        // is registration-local metadata, not wire identity.
-        descriptor.name = reference.0.clone();
         self.next_reference = self
             .next_reference
             .checked_add(1)
             .ok_or(RegistrationError::ReferenceSpaceExhausted)?;
         let artifact = Arc::new(InterfaceArtifact {
             reference: reference.clone(),
-            validator,
             descriptor,
+            validator,
         });
         self.definitions.insert(definition);
         self.artifacts.insert(reference, Arc::clone(&artifact));
@@ -208,17 +208,41 @@ impl InterfaceRegistry {
         })
     }
 
-    /// Observes the descriptor and optional validator for an opaque reference.
+    /// Resolves a transport-provided opaque reference string in this registry.
+    #[must_use]
+    pub fn resolve(&self, reference: &str) -> Option<InterfaceRef> {
+        let reference = InterfaceRef(reference.to_owned());
+        self.artifacts.contains_key(&reference).then_some(reference)
+    }
+
+    /// Observes a registered interface by its host-side reference.
     #[must_use]
     pub fn observe(&self, reference: &InterfaceRef) -> Option<InterfaceObservation> {
+        self.artifacts.get(reference).map(Self::observation)
+    }
+
+    /// Implements canonical `fetch_interface` semantics for an opaque reference.
+    ///
+    /// Unknown and currently unpublished references map to `InterfaceNotFound`,
+    /// not object membership errors or authorization failures.
+    pub fn fetch_interface(&self, reference: &str) -> Result<InterfaceObservation, ProtocolError> {
+        let reference = InterfaceRef(reference.to_owned());
         self.artifacts
-            .get(reference)
-            .map(|artifact| InterfaceObservation {
-                reference: artifact.reference.clone(),
-                validator: artifact.validator.clone(),
-                descriptor: artifact.descriptor.clone(),
+            .get(&reference)
+            .map(Self::observation)
+            .ok_or_else(|| ProtocolError {
+                code: ProtocolErrorCode::InterfaceNotFound,
+                message: "interface reference is not currently published".into(),
             })
     }
+
+    fn observation(artifact: &Arc<InterfaceArtifact>) -> InterfaceObservation {
+        InterfaceObservation {
+            reference: artifact.reference.clone(),
+            descriptor: artifact.descriptor.clone(),
+            validator: artifact.validator.clone(),
+        }
+    }
 }
 
 /// Failure while registering a generated interface definition.
@@ -260,24 +284,37 @@ impl Error for RegistrationError {
 /// Public metadata and conditional-execution policy for a host-private object.
 ///
 /// Only values returned by this trait are projected into protocol metadata.
-/// Backend handles, filesystem paths, credentials, and other private fields on
-/// the implementing type are neither inspected nor serialized.
+/// Paths, children, backend handles, credentials, and resolution state are not
+/// part of this API and therefore cannot be serialized into [`Object`].
 pub trait WipObject {
-    /// Returns the current logical identity of this object.
-    fn id(&self) -> ObjectId;
+    /// Returns the public path-segment name of this object.
+    fn name(&self) -> &str;
+
+    /// Returns a short public description, if one is available.
+    fn description(&self) -> Option<&str> {
+        None
+    }
+
+    /// Returns optional opaque identity within the client-facing Worldspace.
+    fn reference(&self) -> Option<&str> {
+        None
+    }
 
     /// Returns the current opaque object validator, if any.
     fn validator(&self) -> Option<&Validator> {
         None
     }
 
-    /// Whether a call must include the current object validator.
-    fn requires_validator(&self) -> bool {
+    /// Whether this specific qualified operation requires an object validator.
+    ///
+    /// This hook is evaluated only after membership, interface validators, and
+    /// operation existence have been checked, preserving canonical precedence.
+    fn requires_validator(&self, _interface: &InterfaceRef, _operation: &str) -> bool {
         false
     }
 }
 
-type DispatchFn<T> = fn(&T, &str, Vec<NamedValue>) -> Result<Option<Value>, DispatchError>;
+type DispatchFn<T> = fn(&T, &str, BTreeMap<String, Value>) -> Result<Value, DispatchError>;
 
 struct BoundInterface<T> {
     artifact: Arc<InterfaceArtifact>,
@@ -287,7 +324,8 @@ struct BoundInterface<T> {
 /// A host-private object instance combined with an explicit ordered interface set.
 ///
 /// The instance is owned by this value and can therefore be request-scoped. No
-/// global or pre-populated object registry is required.
+/// global object registry is required. Worldspace paths remain provider context
+/// and are deliberately absent from the publication.
 pub struct PublishedObject<T: WipObject> {
     implementation: T,
     interfaces: Vec<BoundInterface<T>>,
@@ -335,56 +373,46 @@ impl<T: WipObject> PublishedObject<T> {
         &self.implementation
     }
 
-    /// Builds the protocol object metadata with interface insertion order intact.
+    /// Builds canonical protocol object metadata in interface insertion order.
+    ///
+    /// The observation contains no path, children, descriptor, backend handle,
+    /// credential, or provider resolution state.
     #[must_use]
     pub fn protocol_object(&self) -> Object {
-        let object = Object {
-            id: self.implementation.id(),
+        Object {
+            name: self.implementation.name().to_owned(),
+            description: self.implementation.description().map(str::to_owned),
             interfaces: self
                 .interfaces
                 .iter()
                 .map(|bound| bound.artifact.reference.0.clone())
                 .collect(),
-        };
-        debug_assert!(object.validate().is_ok());
-        object
+            r#ref: self.implementation.reference().map(str::to_owned),
+            validator: self
+                .implementation
+                .validator()
+                .map(|validator| validator.0.clone()),
+        }
     }
 
-    /// Dispatches one qualified operation against this current publication.
-    ///
-    /// Preconditions are checked before generated operation code runs. The
-    /// selected artifact and function pointer are borrowed once and are not
-    /// resolved again after validator checks.
-    pub fn dispatch(&self, request: CallRequest) -> Result<CallResult, CallError> {
-        if request.object != self.implementation.id() {
+    fn dispatch_resolved(
+        &self,
+        request: CallRequest,
+        authorize: impl FnOnce(&T, &InterfaceRef, &str) -> bool,
+    ) -> Result<CallResult, CallError> {
+        let current_object_validator = self.implementation.validator();
+        if let Some(supplied) = request.target.validator.as_deref()
+            && current_object_validator.map(Validator::as_bytes) != Some(supplied)
+        {
             return Err(CallError::new(
-                CallErrorKind::ObjectNotFound,
-                "call target does not identify this published object",
+                CallErrorKind::ValidatorMismatch,
+                "object validator does not match current object state",
             ));
         }
 
-        let current_object_validator = self.implementation.validator();
-        match request.object_validator.as_ref() {
-            Some(supplied) if Some(supplied) != current_object_validator => {
-                return Err(CallError::new(
-                    CallErrorKind::ValidatorMismatch,
-                    "object validator does not match current object state",
-                ));
-            }
-            None if self.implementation.requires_validator() => {
-                return Err(CallError::new(
-                    CallErrorKind::ValidatorRequired,
-                    "this object requires a validator",
-                ));
-            }
-            _ => {}
-        }
-
-        let Some(bound) = self
-            .interfaces
-            .iter()
-            .find(|bound| bound.artifact.reference == request.interface.reference)
-        else {
+        let Some(bound) = self.interfaces.iter().find(|bound| {
+            bound.artifact.reference.as_str() == request.interface.reference.as_str()
+        }) else {
             return Err(CallError::new(
                 CallErrorKind::InterfaceMismatch,
                 "interface is not a member of the current object publication",
@@ -393,7 +421,7 @@ impl<T: WipObject> PublishedObject<T> {
 
         match (
             bound.artifact.validator.as_ref(),
-            request.interface.validator.as_ref(),
+            request.interface.validator.as_deref(),
         ) {
             (Some(_), None) => {
                 return Err(CallError::new(
@@ -401,7 +429,7 @@ impl<T: WipObject> PublishedObject<T> {
                     "registered interface requires a validator",
                 ));
             }
-            (expected, Some(actual)) if expected != Some(actual) => {
+            (expected, Some(actual)) if expected.map(Validator::as_bytes) != Some(actual) => {
                 return Err(CallError::new(
                     CallErrorKind::InterfaceValidatorMismatch,
                     "interface validator does not match the registered descriptor",
@@ -423,31 +451,49 @@ impl<T: WipObject> PublishedObject<T> {
             ));
         }
 
+        if request.target.validator.is_none()
+            && self
+                .implementation
+                .requires_validator(&bound.artifact.reference, &request.operation)
+        {
+            return Err(CallError::new(
+                CallErrorKind::ValidatorRequired,
+                "this operation requires an object validator",
+            ));
+        }
+
         bound
             .artifact
             .descriptor
-            .validate_call(&OperationCall {
-                target: OperationTarget {
-                    object: request.object.clone(),
-                    interface: bound.artifact.descriptor.name.clone(),
-                    operation: request.operation.clone(),
-                },
-                arguments: request.arguments.clone(),
-            })
+            .validate_arguments(&request.operation, &request.arguments)
             .map_err(|error| CallError::new(CallErrorKind::InvalidArguments, error.to_string()))?;
 
+        if !authorize(
+            &self.implementation,
+            &bound.artifact.reference,
+            &request.operation,
+        ) {
+            return Err(CallError::new(
+                CallErrorKind::PermissionDenied,
+                "operation is not permitted for this caller",
+            ));
+        }
+
         let value = (bound.dispatch)(&self.implementation, &request.operation, request.arguments)
             .map_err(CallError::from_dispatch)?;
 
         bound
             .artifact
             .descriptor
-            .validate_return(&request.operation, value.as_ref())
+            .validate_result(&request.operation, &value)
             .map_err(|error| CallError::new(CallErrorKind::InvalidResult, error.to_string()))?;
 
         Ok(CallResult {
-            value,
-            validator: self.implementation.validator().cloned(),
+            result: value,
+            validator: self
+                .implementation
+                .validator()
+                .map(|validator| validator.0.clone()),
         })
     }
 
@@ -458,6 +504,75 @@ impl<T: WipObject> PublishedObject<T> {
     }
 }
 
+/// A request-scoped Worldspace resolver and execution boundary.
+///
+/// `with_object` must resolve the current object at `path` exactly once and pass
+/// a publication that pins its current interface set, implementations, and
+/// backend target for the duration of `operation`. Implementations may hold a
+/// transaction or lock around the callback. Returning `None` means the path is
+/// not published to the caller. The borrowed publication cannot escape the
+/// callback, so the default call path cannot outlive that provider boundary.
+pub trait ObjectProvider {
+    /// Host-private object type produced by this provider.
+    type Object: WipObject;
+
+    /// Runs an operation against the single object snapshot resolved at `path`.
+    fn with_object<R>(
+        &self,
+        path: &str,
+        operation: impl FnOnce(&PublishedObject<Self::Object>) -> R,
+    ) -> Option<R>;
+
+    /// Decides whether a declared operation may execute for the current caller.
+    ///
+    /// The hook runs after all validators, membership, operation lookup, and
+    /// argument validation, but before implementation code. Returning `false`
+    /// exposes the operation while producing `PermissionDenied`.
+    fn authorize(
+        &self,
+        _path: &str,
+        _object: &Self::Object,
+        _interface: &InterfaceRef,
+        _operation: &str,
+    ) -> bool {
+        true
+    }
+
+    /// Fetches the canonical object projection currently published at `path`.
+    fn fetch(&self, path: &str) -> Result<Object, CallError> {
+        wip_protocol::validate_path(path)
+            .map_err(|error| CallError::new(CallErrorKind::InvalidRequest, error.to_string()))?;
+        self.with_object(path, PublishedObject::protocol_object)
+            .ok_or_else(|| CallError::new(CallErrorKind::NotFound, "target path is not published"))
+            .and_then(|object| {
+                object
+                    .validate_at_path(path)
+                    .map_err(|error| CallError::new(CallErrorKind::Internal, error.to_string()))?;
+                Ok(object)
+            })
+    }
+
+    /// Resolves and executes a canonical path-targeted operation request.
+    ///
+    /// Structural path validation precedes provider resolution. For a valid
+    /// request, failure checks follow the exact canonical precedence: path,
+    /// supplied object validator mismatch, membership, interface validator
+    /// requirement and mismatch, operation existence, object validator
+    /// requirement, arguments, then authorization. No failed precondition
+    /// invokes the provider callback or typed implementation.
+    fn call_operation(&self, request: CallRequest) -> Result<CallResult, CallError> {
+        wip_protocol::validate_path(&request.target.path)
+            .map_err(|error| CallError::new(CallErrorKind::InvalidRequest, error.to_string()))?;
+        let path = request.target.path.clone();
+        self.with_object(&path, |publication| {
+            publication.dispatch_resolved(request, |object, interface, operation| {
+                self.authorize(&path, object, interface, operation)
+            })
+        })
+        .ok_or_else(|| CallError::new(CallErrorKind::NotFound, "target path is not published"))?
+    }
+}
+
 /// Failure to construct an explicit object publication.
 #[derive(Debug, Clone, PartialEq, Eq)]
 pub enum PublicationError {
@@ -479,53 +594,24 @@ impl Display for PublicationError {
 
 impl Error for PublicationError {}
 
-/// Interface portion of a qualified operation target.
-#[derive(Debug, Clone, PartialEq, Eq)]
-pub struct InterfaceTarget {
-    /// Opaque reference selected from the current object's interface set.
-    pub reference: InterfaceRef,
-    /// Validator copied from the descriptor observation, when one was present.
-    pub validator: Option<Validator>,
-}
-
-/// One transport-independent request to a published object operation.
-#[derive(Debug, Clone, PartialEq)]
-pub struct CallRequest {
-    /// Current logical object identity.
-    pub object: ObjectId,
-    /// Optional current object-state precondition.
-    pub object_validator: Option<Validator>,
-    /// Qualified interface reference and descriptor precondition.
-    pub interface: InterfaceTarget,
-    /// Operation name within the selected interface descriptor.
-    pub operation: String,
-    /// Named protocol arguments.
-    pub arguments: Vec<NamedValue>,
-}
-
-/// Successful host dispatch result.
-#[derive(Debug, Clone, PartialEq)]
-pub struct CallResult {
-    /// Encoded application value, or `None` for a no-return operation.
-    pub value: Option<Value>,
-    /// Object validator observed after the implementation returned.
-    pub validator: Option<Validator>,
-}
-
 /// Stable host dispatch failure kind.
 #[derive(Debug, Clone, Copy, PartialEq, Eq)]
 pub enum CallErrorKind {
-    /// The call names a different or unavailable object.
-    ObjectNotFound,
+    /// The request is structurally invalid.
+    InvalidRequest,
+    /// The target path is not currently published.
+    NotFound,
     /// The selected interface is not exposed by the current object.
     InterfaceMismatch,
     /// The operation is absent from the selected descriptor.
     OperationNotFound,
     /// Supplied named values do not satisfy the operation declaration.
     InvalidArguments,
-    /// The encoded implementation result violates its declaration.
+    /// The Host constructed an invalid response before operation execution.
+    Internal,
+    /// The encoded implementation result violates its declaration after execution.
     InvalidResult,
-    /// This object requires a validator and the call omitted it.
+    /// This operation requires a validator and the call omitted it.
     ValidatorRequired,
     /// The supplied object validator is stale or belongs to another object.
     ValidatorMismatch,
@@ -533,6 +619,8 @@ pub enum CallErrorKind {
     InterfaceValidatorRequired,
     /// The supplied interface validator does not identify the current descriptor.
     InterfaceValidatorMismatch,
+    /// The operation is declared but not authorized for the caller.
+    PermissionDenied,
     /// The typed implementation reported a host/backend failure.
     Implementation,
 }
@@ -588,30 +676,31 @@ impl CallError {
         &self.message
     }
 
-    /// Maps this host failure to the existing protocol error taxonomy.
-    ///
-    /// Validator details remain available through [`CallError::kind`], while
-    /// the current protocol model represents conditional-request failures as
-    /// `InvalidRequest`. Result/codec and implementation failures are internal,
-    /// because exposing malformed host output as an application failure would
-    /// be unsafe.
+    /// Maps this host failure to the canonical protocol error taxonomy.
     #[must_use]
     pub fn protocol_error(&self) -> ProtocolError {
-        let category = match self.kind {
-            CallErrorKind::ObjectNotFound => ProtocolErrorCategory::ObjectNotFound,
-            CallErrorKind::InterfaceMismatch => ProtocolErrorCategory::InterfaceNotFound,
-            CallErrorKind::OperationNotFound => ProtocolErrorCategory::OperationNotFound,
-            CallErrorKind::InvalidArguments => ProtocolErrorCategory::InvalidArguments,
-            CallErrorKind::ValidatorRequired
-            | CallErrorKind::ValidatorMismatch
-            | CallErrorKind::InterfaceValidatorRequired
-            | CallErrorKind::InterfaceValidatorMismatch => ProtocolErrorCategory::InvalidRequest,
+        let code = match self.kind {
+            CallErrorKind::InvalidRequest => ProtocolErrorCode::InvalidRequest,
+            CallErrorKind::NotFound => ProtocolErrorCode::NotFound,
+            CallErrorKind::InterfaceMismatch => ProtocolErrorCode::InterfaceMismatch,
+            CallErrorKind::OperationNotFound => ProtocolErrorCode::OperationNotFound,
+            CallErrorKind::InvalidArguments => ProtocolErrorCode::InvalidArguments,
+            CallErrorKind::Internal => ProtocolErrorCode::Internal,
             CallErrorKind::InvalidResult | CallErrorKind::Implementation => {
-                ProtocolErrorCategory::Internal
+                ProtocolErrorCode::OperationOutcomeUnknown
             }
+            CallErrorKind::ValidatorRequired => ProtocolErrorCode::ValidatorRequired,
+            CallErrorKind::ValidatorMismatch => ProtocolErrorCode::ValidatorMismatch,
+            CallErrorKind::InterfaceValidatorRequired => {
+                ProtocolErrorCode::InterfaceValidatorRequired
+            }
+            CallErrorKind::InterfaceValidatorMismatch => {
+                ProtocolErrorCode::InterfaceValidatorMismatch
+            }
+            CallErrorKind::PermissionDenied => ProtocolErrorCode::PermissionDenied,
         };
         ProtocolError {
-            category,
+            code,
             message: self.message.clone(),
         }
     }

crates/wip-host/tests/host.rs

@@ -1,14 +1,15 @@
-use std::cell::{Cell, RefCell};
+use std::cell::Cell;
+use std::collections::BTreeMap;
+use std::rc::Rc;
 
 use wip_host::{
-    CallErrorKind, CallRequest, InterfaceRegistry, InterfaceTarget, PublishedObject, Validator,
-    WipObject,
+    CallError, CallErrorKind, CallRequest, InterfaceRef, InterfaceRegistry, InterfaceTarget,
+    ObjectProvider, PublishedObject, RegisteredInterface, Target, Validator, WipObject,
 };
 use wip_interface::{
-    CodecError, HostError, NamedValue, OperationResult, TypeDeclaration, TypeExpr, Value, WipType,
-    interface,
+    CodecError, HostError, OperationResult, TypeDeclaration, TypeExpr, Value, WipType, interface,
 };
-use wip_protocol::{ObjectId, ProtocolErrorCategory};
+use wip_protocol::ProtocolErrorCode;
 
 #[interface]
 pub trait Reader {
@@ -17,6 +18,9 @@ pub trait Reader {
 
     /// Adds two integers.
     fn add(&self, left: i64, right: i64) -> OperationResult<i64>;
+
+    /// Reports a backend failure.
+    fn fail(&self) -> OperationResult<String>;
 }
 
 #[interface]
@@ -57,31 +61,37 @@ impl WipType for BadValue {
 }
 
 struct Document {
-    id: String,
+    name: String,
+    description: Option<String>,
+    reference: Option<String>,
     validator: Option<Validator>,
     require_validator: bool,
-    calls: Cell<usize>,
-    private_backend_handle: RefCell<String>,
+    calls: Rc<Cell<usize>>,
+    private_backend_handle: String,
 }
 
 impl Document {
-    fn new(id: &str) -> Self {
+    fn open(name: &str, reference: Option<&str>, calls: Rc<Cell<usize>>) -> Self {
         Self {
-            id: id.into(),
+            name: name.into(),
+            description: Some("public document".into()),
+            reference: reference.map(str::to_owned),
             validator: None,
             require_validator: false,
-            calls: Cell::new(0),
-            private_backend_handle: RefCell::new("/private/backend/path".into()),
+            calls,
+            private_backend_handle: "/private/backend/path".into(),
         }
     }
 
-    fn strict(id: &str, validator: &[u8]) -> Self {
+    fn strict(name: &str, reference: &str, validator: &[u8], calls: Rc<Cell<usize>>) -> Self {
         Self {
-            id: id.into(),
+            name: name.into(),
+            description: Some("public document".into()),
+            reference: Some(reference.into()),
             validator: Some(Validator::new(validator)),
             require_validator: true,
-            calls: Cell::new(0),
-            private_backend_handle: RefCell::new("secret-handle".into()),
+            calls,
+            private_backend_handle: "secret-handle".into(),
         }
     }
 
@@ -91,15 +101,23 @@ impl Document {
 }
 
 impl WipObject for Document {
-    fn id(&self) -> ObjectId {
-        ObjectId(self.id.clone())
+    fn name(&self) -> &str {
+        &self.name
+    }
+
+    fn description(&self) -> Option<&str> {
+        self.description.as_deref()
+    }
+
+    fn reference(&self) -> Option<&str> {
+        self.reference.as_deref()
     }
 
     fn validator(&self) -> Option<&Validator> {
         self.validator.as_ref()
     }
 
-    fn requires_validator(&self) -> bool {
+    fn requires_validator(&self, _: &InterfaceRef, _: &str) -> bool {
         self.require_validator
     }
 }
@@ -114,6 +132,11 @@ impl Reader for Document {
         self.record_call();
         Ok(left + right)
     }
+
+    fn fail(&self) -> OperationResult<String> {
+        self.record_call();
+        Err(HostError::new("backend unavailable"))
+    }
 }
 
 impl Writer for Document {
@@ -137,361 +160,509 @@ impl Broken for Document {
     }
 }
 
+struct TestProvider {
+    reader: RegisteredInterface<ReaderDefinition>,
+    writer: RegisteredInterface<WriterDefinition>,
+    broken: RegisteredInterface<BrokenDefinition>,
+    calls: Rc<Cell<usize>>,
+    resolutions: Cell<usize>,
+    authorization_checks: Cell<usize>,
+    deny: Cell<bool>,
+    switched: Cell<bool>,
+}
+
+impl TestProvider {
+    fn new(
+        reader: RegisteredInterface<ReaderDefinition>,
+        writer: RegisteredInterface<WriterDefinition>,
+        broken: RegisteredInterface<BrokenDefinition>,
+    ) -> Self {
+        Self {
+            reader,
+            writer,
+            broken,
+            calls: Rc::new(Cell::new(0)),
+            resolutions: Cell::new(0),
+            authorization_checks: Cell::new(0),
+            deny: Cell::new(false),
+            switched: Cell::new(false),
+        }
+    }
+}
+
+impl ObjectProvider for TestProvider {
+    type Object = Document;
+
+    fn with_object<R>(
+        &self,
+        path: &str,
+        operation: impl FnOnce(&PublishedObject<Self::Object>) -> R,
+    ) -> Option<R> {
+        self.resolutions.set(self.resolutions.get() + 1);
+        let (document, interfaces) = match path {
+            "/document" => (
+                Document::strict(
+                    "document",
+                    "document-ref",
+                    b"object-v1",
+                    Rc::clone(&self.calls),
+                ),
+                2,
+            ),
+            "/open" => (
+                Document::open("open", Some("open-ref"), Rc::clone(&self.calls)),
+                2,
+            ),
+            "/left/document" | "/right/document" => (
+                Document::strict(
+                    "document",
+                    "shared-ref",
+                    b"shared-v1",
+                    Rc::clone(&self.calls),
+                ),
+                2,
+            ),
+            "/switch" => {
+                let switched = self.switched.replace(true);
+                let (reference, validator) = if switched {
+                    ("second-ref", b"second".as_slice())
+                } else {
+                    ("first-ref", b"first".as_slice())
+                };
+                (
+                    Document::strict("switch", reference, validator, Rc::clone(&self.calls)),
+                    2,
+                )
+            }
+            "/empty" => (Document::open("empty", None, Rc::clone(&self.calls)), 0),
+            "/invalid-object" => (
+                Document::open("wrong-name", None, Rc::clone(&self.calls)),
+                0,
+            ),
+            "/broken" => (
+                Document::open("broken", Some("broken-ref"), Rc::clone(&self.calls)),
+                3,
+            ),
+            _ => return None,
+        };
+
+        let publication = PublishedObject::new(document);
+        let publication = match interfaces {
+            0 => publication,
+            2 => publication
+                .expose(&self.writer)
+                .unwrap()
+                .expose(&self.reader)
+                .unwrap(),
+            3 => publication.expose(&self.broken).unwrap(),
+            _ => unreachable!(),
+        };
+        Some(operation(&publication))
+    }
+
+    fn authorize(&self, _: &str, _: &Document, _: &InterfaceRef, _: &str) -> bool {
+        self.authorization_checks
+            .set(self.authorization_checks.get() + 1);
+        !self.deny.get()
+    }
+}
+
+fn registry_and_provider() -> (
+    InterfaceRegistry,
+    TestProvider,
+    RegisteredInterface<HiddenDefinition>,
+) {
+    let mut registry = InterfaceRegistry::new();
+    let reader = registry
+        .register(ReaderDefinition, Some(Validator::new(b"schema-v1")))
+        .unwrap();
+    let writer = registry.register(WriterDefinition, None).unwrap();
+    let hidden = registry.register(HiddenDefinition, None).unwrap();
+    let broken = registry.register(BrokenDefinition, None).unwrap();
+    let provider = TestProvider::new(reader, writer, broken);
+    (registry, provider, hidden)
+}
+
 fn request(
-    object: &str,
+    path: &str,
     object_validator: Option<&[u8]>,
-    reference: &wip_host::InterfaceRef,
+    reference: &InterfaceRef,
     interface_validator: Option<&[u8]>,
     operation: &str,
-    arguments: Vec<NamedValue>,
+    arguments: BTreeMap<String, Value>,
 ) -> CallRequest {
     CallRequest {
-        object: ObjectId(object.into()),
-        object_validator: object_validator.map(Validator::new),
+        target: Target {
+            path: path.into(),
+            validator: object_validator.map(<[u8]>::to_vec),
+        },
         interface: InterfaceTarget {
-            reference: reference.clone(),
-            validator: interface_validator.map(Validator::new),
+            reference: reference.as_str().to_owned(),
+            validator: interface_validator.map(<[u8]>::to_vec),
         },
         operation: operation.into(),
         arguments,
     }
 }
 
-#[test]
-fn registry_exposes_opaque_validated_descriptor_observations() {
-    let mut registry = InterfaceRegistry::new();
-    let reader = registry.register(ReaderDefinition, None).unwrap();
-
-    assert_ne!(reader.reference().as_str(), "Reader");
-    let observation = registry.observe(reader.reference()).unwrap();
-    assert_eq!(observation.reference, *reader.reference());
-    assert_eq!(observation.descriptor.name, reader.reference().as_str());
-    assert_eq!(observation.validator, None);
-    observation.descriptor.validate().unwrap();
-
-    assert!(registry.register(ReaderDefinition, None).is_err());
-
-    let mut other_registry = InterfaceRegistry::new();
-    let other_reader = other_registry.register(ReaderDefinition, None).unwrap();
-    assert_ne!(reader.reference(), other_reader.reference());
+fn assert_failure(error: CallError, kind: CallErrorKind, code: ProtocolErrorCode) {
+    assert_eq!(error.kind(), kind);
+    assert_eq!(error.protocol_error().code, code);
 }
 
 #[test]
-fn publication_is_explicit_ordered_qualified_and_request_scoped() {
-    let mut registry = InterfaceRegistry::new();
-    let reader = registry.register(ReaderDefinition, None).unwrap();
-    let writer = registry.register(WriterDefinition, None).unwrap();
-    let _hidden = registry.register(HiddenDefinition, None).unwrap();
+fn registry_returns_atomic_canonical_observation_without_rewriting_descriptor() {
+    let (registry, provider, _) = registry_and_provider();
+    let reference = provider.reader.reference();
 
-    let publication = PublishedObject::new(Document::new("document-1"))
-        .expose(&writer)
-        .unwrap()
-        .expose(&reader)
-        .unwrap();
+    assert_ne!(reference.as_str(), "Reader");
+    let observation = registry.fetch_interface(reference.as_str()).unwrap();
+    assert_eq!(observation.reference, *reference);
+    assert_eq!(observation.descriptor, ReaderDefinition::descriptor());
+    assert_eq!(observation.validator, Some(Validator::new(b"schema-v1")));
+    let response = observation.protocol_response();
+    assert_eq!(response.interface, reference.as_str());
+    assert_eq!(response.descriptor, ReaderDefinition::descriptor());
+    assert_eq!(response.validator.as_deref(), Some(b"schema-v1".as_slice()));
+    response.descriptor.validate().unwrap();
 
-    let object = publication.protocol_object();
+    let error = registry.fetch_interface("unknown").unwrap_err();
+    assert_eq!(error.code, ProtocolErrorCode::InterfaceNotFound);
+}
+
+#[test]
+fn canonical_object_projection_supports_optional_metadata_and_ordered_sets() {
+    let (_, provider, _) = registry_and_provider();
+    let object = provider.fetch("/document").unwrap();
+
+    assert_eq!(object.name, "document");
+    assert_eq!(object.description.as_deref(), Some("public document"));
+    assert_eq!(object.r#ref.as_deref(), Some("document-ref"));
+    assert_eq!(object.validator.as_deref(), Some(b"object-v1".as_slice()));
     assert_eq!(
         object.interfaces,
         vec![
-            writer.reference().as_str().to_owned(),
-            reader.reference().as_str().to_owned()
+            provider.writer.reference().as_str().to_owned(),
+            provider.reader.reference().as_str().to_owned(),
         ]
     );
-    wip_protocol::InterfaceObservation {
-        object: object.clone(),
-        descriptors: vec![
-            registry.observe(writer.reference()).unwrap().descriptor,
-            registry.observe(reader.reference()).unwrap().descriptor,
-        ],
-    }
-    .validate()
-    .unwrap();
-    assert!(!format!("{object:?}").contains("private/backend/path"));
+    assert!(!format!("{object:?}").contains("secret-handle"));
+    assert!(!format!("{object:?}").contains("/document"));
 
-    let writer_result = publication
-        .dispatch(request(
-            "document-1",
-            None,
-            writer.reference(),
-            None,
-            "label",
-            vec![],
-        ))
-        .unwrap();
-    let reader_result = publication
-        .dispatch(request(
-            "document-1",
-            None,
-            reader.reference(),
-            None,
-            "label",
-            vec![],
-        ))
-        .unwrap();
-    assert_eq!(writer_result.value, Some(Value::String("writer".into())));
-    assert_eq!(reader_result.value, Some(Value::String("reader".into())));
-    assert_eq!(publication.implementation().calls.get(), 2);
+    let empty = provider.fetch("/empty").unwrap();
+    assert!(empty.interfaces.is_empty());
+    assert_eq!(empty.r#ref, None);
+    assert_eq!(empty.validator, None);
+}
+
+#[test]
+fn duplicate_exposure_is_rejected_and_private_state_is_not_projected() {
+    let (_, provider, _) = registry_and_provider();
+    let publication = PublishedObject::new(Document::open(
+        "duplicate",
+        None,
+        Rc::clone(&provider.calls),
+    ))
+    .expose(&provider.reader)
+    .unwrap();
     assert_eq!(
-        publication
-            .implementation()
-            .private_backend_handle
-            .borrow()
-            .as_str(),
+        publication.implementation().private_backend_handle,
         "/private/backend/path"
     );
-}
-
-#[test]
-fn implemented_but_unexposed_interface_is_not_a_member() {
-    let mut registry = InterfaceRegistry::new();
-    let reader = registry.register(ReaderDefinition, None).unwrap();
-    let hidden = registry.register(HiddenDefinition, None).unwrap();
-    let publication = PublishedObject::new(Document::new("document-2"))
-        .expose(&reader)
-        .unwrap();
-
-    let error = publication
-        .dispatch(request(
-            "document-2",
-            None,
-            hidden.reference(),
-            None,
-            "hidden",
-            vec![],
-        ))
-        .unwrap_err();
-    assert_eq!(error.kind(), CallErrorKind::InterfaceMismatch);
-    assert_eq!(
-        error.protocol_error().category,
-        ProtocolErrorCategory::InterfaceNotFound
-    );
-    assert_eq!(publication.implementation().calls.get(), 0);
-}
-
-#[test]
-fn zero_interface_objects_are_valid() {
-    let publication = PublishedObject::new(Document::new("empty"));
-    let object = publication.protocol_object();
-    assert_eq!(object.id, ObjectId("empty".into()));
-    assert!(object.interfaces.is_empty());
-    object.validate().unwrap();
-}
-
-#[test]
-fn duplicate_exposure_is_rejected_without_reordering() {
-    let mut registry = InterfaceRegistry::new();
-    let reader = registry.register(ReaderDefinition, None).unwrap();
-    let publication = PublishedObject::new(Document::new("duplicate"))
-        .expose(&reader)
-        .unwrap();
-    let error = match publication.expose(&reader) {
+    let error = match publication.expose(&provider.reader) {
         Ok(_) => panic!("duplicate exposure unexpectedly succeeded"),
         Err(error) => error,
     };
-    assert!(error.to_string().contains(reader.reference().as_str()));
-}
-
-#[test]
-fn operation_and_argument_failures_are_mapped_without_execution() {
-    let mut registry = InterfaceRegistry::new();
-    let reader = registry.register(ReaderDefinition, None).unwrap();
-    let publication = PublishedObject::new(Document::new("validation"))
-        .expose(&reader)
-        .unwrap();
-
-    let missing = publication
-        .dispatch(request(
-            "validation",
-            None,
-            reader.reference(),
-            None,
-            "missing",
-            vec![],
-        ))
-        .unwrap_err();
-    assert_eq!(missing.kind(), CallErrorKind::OperationNotFound);
-    assert_eq!(
-        missing.protocol_error().category,
-        ProtocolErrorCategory::OperationNotFound
+    assert!(
+        error
+            .to_string()
+            .contains(provider.reader.reference().as_str())
     );
-
-    let invalid = publication
-        .dispatch(request(
-            "validation",
-            None,
-            reader.reference(),
-            None,
-            "add",
-            vec![NamedValue {
-                name: "left".into(),
-                value: Value::String("wrong".into()),
-            }],
-        ))
-        .unwrap_err();
-    assert_eq!(invalid.kind(), CallErrorKind::InvalidArguments);
-    assert_eq!(
-        invalid.protocol_error().category,
-        ProtocolErrorCategory::InvalidArguments
-    );
-    assert_eq!(publication.implementation().calls.get(), 0);
 }
 
 #[test]
-fn invalid_implementation_result_is_internal_and_not_returned() {
-    let mut registry = InterfaceRegistry::new();
-    let broken = registry.register(BrokenDefinition, None).unwrap();
-    let publication = PublishedObject::new(Document::new("broken"))
-        .expose(&broken)
-        .unwrap();
+fn paths_are_resolution_context_not_object_identity() {
+    let (_, provider, _) = registry_and_provider();
 
-    let error = publication
-        .dispatch(request(
-            "broken",
-            None,
-            broken.reference(),
-            None,
-            "broken",
-            vec![],
-        ))
-        .unwrap_err();
-    assert_eq!(error.kind(), CallErrorKind::InvalidResult);
-    assert_eq!(
-        error.protocol_error().category,
-        ProtocolErrorCategory::Internal
-    );
-    assert_eq!(publication.implementation().calls.get(), 1);
+    let left = provider.fetch("/left/document").unwrap();
+    let right = provider.fetch("/right/document").unwrap();
+    assert_eq!(left, right);
+    assert_eq!(left.r#ref.as_deref(), Some("shared-ref"));
+
+    let first = provider.fetch("/switch").unwrap();
+    let second = provider.fetch("/switch").unwrap();
+    assert_ne!(first.r#ref, second.r#ref);
+    assert_ne!(first.validator, second.validator);
 }
 
 #[test]
-fn object_validator_missing_and_mismatch_are_distinct_and_prevent_execution() {
-    let mut registry = InterfaceRegistry::new();
-    let reader = registry.register(ReaderDefinition, None).unwrap();
-    let publication = PublishedObject::new(Document::strict("strict", b"object-v1"))
-        .expose(&reader)
-        .unwrap();
+fn path_dispatch_is_interface_qualified_and_resolves_once_per_call() {
+    let (_, provider, _) = registry_and_provider();
+    let before = provider.resolutions.get();
 
-    let missing = publication
-        .dispatch(request(
-            "strict",
+    let writer = provider
+        .call_operation(request(
+            "/open",
             None,
-            reader.reference(),
+            provider.writer.reference(),
             None,
             "label",
-            vec![],
-        ))
-        .unwrap_err();
-    assert_eq!(missing.kind(), CallErrorKind::ValidatorRequired);
-
-    let mismatch = publication
-        .dispatch(request(
-            "strict",
-            Some(b"stale"),
-            reader.reference(),
-            None,
-            "label",
-            vec![],
-        ))
-        .unwrap_err();
-    assert_eq!(mismatch.kind(), CallErrorKind::ValidatorMismatch);
-    assert_eq!(publication.implementation().calls.get(), 0);
-
-    let result = publication
-        .dispatch(request(
-            "strict",
-            Some(b"object-v1"),
-            reader.reference(),
-            None,
-            "label",
-            vec![],
+            BTreeMap::new(),
         ))
         .unwrap();
-    assert_eq!(result.validator, Some(Validator::new(b"object-v1")));
-    assert_eq!(publication.implementation().calls.get(), 1);
-}
-
-#[test]
-fn interface_validator_missing_and_mismatch_are_distinct_and_prevent_execution() {
-    let mut registry = InterfaceRegistry::new();
-    let writer = registry
-        .register(WriterDefinition, Some(Validator::new(b"schema-v1")))
-        .unwrap();
-    let publication = PublishedObject::new(Document::new("mutable-interface"))
-        .expose(&writer)
-        .unwrap();
-
-    let observation = registry.observe(writer.reference()).unwrap();
-    assert_eq!(observation.validator, Some(Validator::new(b"schema-v1")));
-
-    let missing = publication
-        .dispatch(request(
-            "mutable-interface",
+    let reader = provider
+        .call_operation(request(
+            "/open",
             None,
-            writer.reference(),
-            None,
-            "label",
-            vec![],
-        ))
-        .unwrap_err();
-    assert_eq!(missing.kind(), CallErrorKind::InterfaceValidatorRequired);
-
-    let mismatch = publication
-        .dispatch(request(
-            "mutable-interface",
-            None,
-            writer.reference(),
-            Some(b"schema-v0"),
-            "label",
-            vec![],
-        ))
-        .unwrap_err();
-    assert_eq!(mismatch.kind(), CallErrorKind::InterfaceValidatorMismatch);
-    assert_eq!(publication.implementation().calls.get(), 0);
-
-    let result = publication
-        .dispatch(request(
-            "mutable-interface",
-            None,
-            writer.reference(),
+            provider.reader.reference(),
             Some(b"schema-v1"),
             "label",
-            vec![],
+            BTreeMap::new(),
         ))
         .unwrap();
-    assert_eq!(result.value, Some(Value::String("writer".into())));
+
+    let strict = provider
+        .call_operation(request(
+            "/document",
+            Some(b"object-v1"),
+            provider.reader.reference(),
+            Some(b"schema-v1"),
+            "label",
+            BTreeMap::new(),
+        ))
+        .unwrap();
+
+    assert_eq!(writer.result, Value::String("writer".into()));
+    assert_eq!(reader.result, Value::String("reader".into()));
+    assert_eq!(strict.result, Value::String("reader".into()));
+    assert_eq!(strict.validator.as_deref(), Some(b"object-v1".as_slice()));
+    assert_eq!(provider.resolutions.get() - before, 3);
+    assert_eq!(provider.calls.get(), 3);
 }
 
 #[test]
-fn host_failures_map_to_internal_without_becoming_domain_values() {
-    #[interface]
-    pub trait Failing {
-        /// Always fails in the host implementation.
-        fn fail(&self) -> OperationResult<String>;
-    }
+fn call_failures_follow_canonical_precedence_without_execution() {
+    let (_, provider, hidden) = registry_and_provider();
 
-    impl Failing for Document {
-        fn fail(&self) -> OperationResult<String> {
-            Err(HostError::new("backend unavailable"))
-        }
+    let resolutions = provider.resolutions.get();
+    for invalid_path in [
+        "relative",
+        "/trailing/",
+        "/double//segment",
+        "/dot/./segment",
+        "/parent/../segment",
+    ] {
+        assert_failure(
+            provider
+                .call_operation(request(
+                    invalid_path,
+                    Some(b"stale"),
+                    hidden.reference(),
+                    Some(b"stale"),
+                    "missing",
+                    BTreeMap::new(),
+                ))
+                .unwrap_err(),
+            CallErrorKind::InvalidRequest,
+            ProtocolErrorCode::InvalidRequest,
+        );
     }
+    assert_eq!(provider.resolutions.get(), resolutions);
+    assert_failure(
+        provider.fetch("/invalid/").unwrap_err(),
+        CallErrorKind::InvalidRequest,
+        ProtocolErrorCode::InvalidRequest,
+    );
+    assert_eq!(provider.resolutions.get(), resolutions);
 
-    let mut registry = InterfaceRegistry::new();
-    let failing = registry.register(FailingDefinition, None).unwrap();
-    let publication = PublishedObject::new(Document::new("failure"))
-        .expose(&failing)
-        .unwrap();
-    let error = publication
-        .dispatch(request(
-            "failure",
-            None,
-            failing.reference(),
-            None,
-            "fail",
-            vec![],
-        ))
-        .unwrap_err();
-    assert_eq!(error.kind(), CallErrorKind::Implementation);
-    assert_eq!(
-        error.protocol_error().category,
-        ProtocolErrorCategory::Internal
+    assert_failure(
+        provider
+            .call_operation(request(
+                "/missing",
+                Some(b"stale"),
+                hidden.reference(),
+                Some(b"stale"),
+                "missing",
+                BTreeMap::new(),
+            ))
+            .unwrap_err(),
+        CallErrorKind::NotFound,
+        ProtocolErrorCode::NotFound,
+    );
+    assert_failure(
+        provider
+            .call_operation(request(
+                "/document",
+                Some(b"stale"),
+                hidden.reference(),
+                None,
+                "missing",
+                BTreeMap::new(),
+            ))
+            .unwrap_err(),
+        CallErrorKind::ValidatorMismatch,
+        ProtocolErrorCode::ValidatorMismatch,
+    );
+    assert_failure(
+        provider
+            .call_operation(request(
+                "/document",
+                Some(b"object-v1"),
+                hidden.reference(),
+                None,
+                "hidden",
+                BTreeMap::new(),
+            ))
+            .unwrap_err(),
+        CallErrorKind::InterfaceMismatch,
+        ProtocolErrorCode::InterfaceMismatch,
+    );
+    assert_failure(
+        provider
+            .call_operation(request(
+                "/document",
+                Some(b"object-v1"),
+                provider.reader.reference(),
+                None,
+                "missing",
+                BTreeMap::new(),
+            ))
+            .unwrap_err(),
+        CallErrorKind::InterfaceValidatorRequired,
+        ProtocolErrorCode::InterfaceValidatorRequired,
+    );
+    assert_failure(
+        provider
+            .call_operation(request(
+                "/document",
+                Some(b"object-v1"),
+                provider.reader.reference(),
+                Some(b"stale-schema"),
+                "missing",
+                BTreeMap::new(),
+            ))
+            .unwrap_err(),
+        CallErrorKind::InterfaceValidatorMismatch,
+        ProtocolErrorCode::InterfaceValidatorMismatch,
+    );
+    assert_failure(
+        provider
+            .call_operation(request(
+                "/document",
+                None,
+                provider.reader.reference(),
+                Some(b"schema-v1"),
+                "missing",
+                BTreeMap::new(),
+            ))
+            .unwrap_err(),
+        CallErrorKind::OperationNotFound,
+        ProtocolErrorCode::OperationNotFound,
+    );
+    assert_failure(
+        provider
+            .call_operation(request(
+                "/document",
+                None,
+                provider.reader.reference(),
+                Some(b"schema-v1"),
+                "add",
+                BTreeMap::new(),
+            ))
+            .unwrap_err(),
+        CallErrorKind::ValidatorRequired,
+        ProtocolErrorCode::ValidatorRequired,
+    );
+    assert_failure(
+        provider
+            .call_operation(request(
+                "/document",
+                Some(b"object-v1"),
+                provider.reader.reference(),
+                Some(b"schema-v1"),
+                "add",
+                BTreeMap::from([("left".into(), Value::String("wrong".into()))]),
+            ))
+            .unwrap_err(),
+        CallErrorKind::InvalidArguments,
+        ProtocolErrorCode::InvalidArguments,
+    );
+
+    provider.deny.set(true);
+    assert_failure(
+        provider
+            .call_operation(request(
+                "/document",
+                Some(b"object-v1"),
+                provider.reader.reference(),
+                Some(b"schema-v1"),
+                "label",
+                BTreeMap::new(),
+            ))
+            .unwrap_err(),
+        CallErrorKind::PermissionDenied,
+        ProtocolErrorCode::PermissionDenied,
+    );
+    assert_eq!(provider.authorization_checks.get(), 1);
+    assert_eq!(provider.calls.get(), 0);
+}
+
+#[test]
+fn immutable_interface_rejects_a_supplied_validator() {
+    let (_, provider, _) = registry_and_provider();
+    assert_failure(
+        provider
+            .call_operation(request(
+                "/open",
+                None,
+                provider.writer.reference(),
+                Some(b"unexpected"),
+                "label",
+                BTreeMap::new(),
+            ))
+            .unwrap_err(),
+        CallErrorKind::InterfaceValidatorMismatch,
+        ProtocolErrorCode::InterfaceValidatorMismatch,
+    );
+    assert_eq!(provider.calls.get(), 0);
+}
+
+#[test]
+fn invalid_host_responses_and_uncertain_operation_failures_use_canonical_codes() {
+    let (_, provider, _) = registry_and_provider();
+
+    assert_failure(
+        provider.fetch("/invalid-object").unwrap_err(),
+        CallErrorKind::Internal,
+        ProtocolErrorCode::Internal,
+    );
+
+    assert_failure(
+        provider
+            .call_operation(request(
+                "/broken",
+                None,
+                provider.broken.reference(),
+                None,
+                "broken",
+                BTreeMap::new(),
+            ))
+            .unwrap_err(),
+        CallErrorKind::InvalidResult,
+        ProtocolErrorCode::OperationOutcomeUnknown,
+    );
+    assert_failure(
+        provider
+            .call_operation(request(
+                "/open",
+                None,
+                provider.reader.reference(),
+                Some(b"schema-v1"),
+                "fail",
+                BTreeMap::new(),
+            ))
+            .unwrap_err(),
+        CallErrorKind::Implementation,
+        ProtocolErrorCode::OperationOutcomeUnknown,
     );
 }

crates/wip-host/tests/ui/unimplemented_interface.rs

@@ -1,6 +1,5 @@
 use wip_host::{InterfaceRegistry, PublishedObject, WipObject};
 use wip_interface::{OperationResult, interface};
-use wip_protocol::ObjectId;
 
 #[interface]
 pub trait Search {
@@ -10,8 +9,8 @@ pub trait Search {
 struct Object;
 
 impl WipObject for Object {
-    fn id(&self) -> ObjectId {
-        ObjectId("object".into())
+    fn name(&self) -> &str {
+        "object"
     }
 }
 

crates/wip-host/tests/ui/unimplemented_interface.stderr

@@ -1,27 +1,27 @@
 error[E0277]: the trait bound `Object: Search` is not satisfied
-  --> tests/ui/unimplemented_interface.rs:21:58
+  --> tests/ui/unimplemented_interface.rs:20:58
    |
-21 |     let _published = PublishedObject::new(Object).expose(&search).unwrap();
+20 |     let _published = PublishedObject::new(Object).expose(&search).unwrap();
    |                                                   ------ ^^^^^^^ unsatisfied trait bound
    |                                                   |
    |                                                   required by a bound introduced by this call
    |
 help: the trait `Search` is not implemented for `Object`
-  --> tests/ui/unimplemented_interface.rs:10:1
+  --> tests/ui/unimplemented_interface.rs:9:1
    |
-10 | struct Object;
+ 9 | struct Object;
    | ^^^^^^^^^^^^^
 help: this trait has no implementations, consider adding one
-  --> tests/ui/unimplemented_interface.rs:6:1
-   |
- 6 | pub trait Search {
-   | ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
-note: required for `SearchDefinition` to implement `InterfaceImplementation<Object>`
   --> tests/ui/unimplemented_interface.rs:5:1
    |
- 5 | #[interface]
+ 5 | pub trait Search {
+   | ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
+note: required for `SearchDefinition` to implement `InterfaceImplementation<Object>`
+  --> tests/ui/unimplemented_interface.rs:4:1
+   |
+ 4 | #[interface]
    | ^^^^^^^^^^^^
- 6 | pub trait Search {
+ 5 | pub trait Search {
    |           ^^^^^^
 note: required by a bound in `PublishedObject::<T>::expose`
   --> src/lib.rs

crates/wip-interface-macros/src/lib.rs

@@ -1,4 +1,10 @@
 //! Procedural macros backing the public `wip-interface` authoring facade.
+//!
+//! This is an implementation crate. Applications should depend on
+//! `wip-interface`, which re-exports both macros alongside the traits and types
+//! used by their generated code.
+
+#![deny(missing_docs)]
 
 use std::collections::HashSet;
 
@@ -162,9 +168,11 @@ fn expand_interface(attribute: TokenStream2, item: ItemTrait) -> syn::Result<Tok
                 #(#declaration_collectors)*
 
                 ::wip_interface::wip_protocol::InterfaceDescriptor {
-                    name: ::std::string::String::from(stringify!(#trait_ident)),
+                    format: ::std::string::String::from(
+                        ::wip_interface::wip_protocol::INTERFACE_FORMAT_V1,
+                    ),
                     documentation: #trait_doc,
-                    declarations,
+                    types: declarations,
                     operations: ::std::vec![#(#operation_declarations),*],
                 }
             }
@@ -174,9 +182,12 @@ fn expand_interface(attribute: TokenStream2, item: ItemTrait) -> syn::Result<Tok
             fn dispatch(
                 implementation: &T,
                 operation: &str,
-                arguments: ::std::vec::Vec<::wip_interface::wip_protocol::NamedValue>,
+                arguments: ::std::collections::BTreeMap<
+                    ::std::string::String,
+                    ::wip_interface::wip_protocol::Value,
+                >,
             ) -> ::std::result::Result<
-                ::std::option::Option<::wip_interface::wip_protocol::Value>,
+                ::wip_interface::wip_protocol::Value,
                 ::wip_interface::DispatchError,
             > {
                 let descriptor = Self::descriptor();
@@ -201,9 +212,12 @@ fn expand_interface(attribute: TokenStream2, item: ItemTrait) -> syn::Result<Tok
             pub fn dispatch<T: #trait_ident>(
                 implementation: &T,
                 operation: &str,
-                arguments: ::std::vec::Vec<::wip_interface::wip_protocol::NamedValue>,
+                arguments: ::std::collections::BTreeMap<
+                    ::std::string::String,
+                    ::wip_interface::wip_protocol::Value,
+                >,
             ) -> ::std::result::Result<
-                ::std::option::Option<::wip_interface::wip_protocol::Value>,
+                ::wip_interface::wip_protocol::Value,
                 ::wip_interface::DispatchError,
             > {
                 <Self as ::wip_interface::InterfaceImplementation<T>>::dispatch(
@@ -470,13 +484,18 @@ fn parse_operation_result(output: &ReturnType) -> syn::Result<Type> {
         _ => None,
     });
     let result = types.next().cloned();
-    if arguments.args.len() != 1 || result.is_none() || types.next().is_some() {
+    if arguments.args.len() != 1 || types.next().is_some() {
         return Err(Error::new_spanned(
             arguments,
             "`OperationResult` must have exactly one application result type",
         ));
     }
-    let result = result.expect("checked above");
+    let result = result.ok_or_else(|| {
+        Error::new_spanned(
+            arguments,
+            "`OperationResult` must have exactly one application result type",
+        )
+    })?;
     if direct_option(&result)?.is_some() || contains_option(&result) {
         return Err(Error::new_spanned(
             result,
@@ -490,8 +509,13 @@ fn argument_item(operation: &Operation) -> TokenStream2 {
     let arguments_ident = &operation.arguments_ident;
     let fields = operation.parameters.iter().map(|parameter| {
         let ident = &parameter.ident;
+        let name = &parameter.name;
         let ty = parameter_rust_type(parameter);
-        quote!(pub #ident: #ty)
+        let documentation = format!("Decoded `{name}` operation argument.");
+        quote!(
+            #[doc = #documentation]
+            pub #ident: #ty
+        )
     });
     let decoders = operation.parameters.iter().map(|parameter| {
         let ident = &parameter.ident;
@@ -507,12 +531,11 @@ fn argument_item(operation: &Operation) -> TokenStream2 {
     let encode_result = if operation.unit_result {
         quote! {
             let () = result;
-            ::std::result::Result::Ok(::std::option::Option::None)
+            ::std::result::Result::Ok(::wip_interface::wip_protocol::Value::Unit)
         }
     } else {
         quote! {
             <#result_ty as ::wip_interface::WipType>::encode(result)
-                .map(::std::option::Option::Some)
         }
     };
 
@@ -525,9 +548,12 @@ fn argument_item(operation: &Operation) -> TokenStream2 {
         impl #arguments_ident {
             /// Decodes named logical values into typed operation arguments.
             pub fn decode(
-                arguments: ::std::vec::Vec<::wip_interface::wip_protocol::NamedValue>,
+                arguments: ::std::collections::BTreeMap<
+                    ::std::string::String,
+                    ::wip_interface::wip_protocol::Value,
+                >,
             ) -> ::std::result::Result<Self, ::wip_interface::CodecError> {
-                let mut decoder = ::wip_interface::__private::RecordDecoder::new(arguments)?;
+                let mut decoder = ::wip_interface::__private::RecordDecoder::new(arguments);
                 let decoded = Self {
                     #(#decoders,)*
                 };
@@ -539,7 +565,7 @@ fn argument_item(operation: &Operation) -> TokenStream2 {
             pub fn encode_result(
                 result: #result_ty,
             ) -> ::std::result::Result<
-                ::std::option::Option<::wip_interface::wip_protocol::Value>,
+                ::wip_interface::wip_protocol::Value,
                 ::wip_interface::CodecError,
             > {
                 #encode_result
@@ -559,22 +585,18 @@ fn operation_declaration(operation: &Operation) -> TokenStream2 {
         quote! {
             ::wip_interface::wip_protocol::ParameterDeclaration {
                 name: ::std::string::String::from(#parameter_name),
+                required: !#optional,
                 documentation: #parameter_doc,
-                ty: <#ty as ::wip_interface::WipType>::type_expr(),
-                optional: #optional,
+                r#type: <#ty as ::wip_interface::WipType>::type_expr(),
             }
         }
     });
-    let returns = if operation.unit_result {
-        quote!(::std::option::Option::None)
-    } else {
-        let result_ty = &operation.result_ty;
-        let return_doc = documentation_tokens(operation.return_documentation.as_ref());
-        quote! {
-            ::std::option::Option::Some(::wip_interface::wip_protocol::ReturnDeclaration {
-                documentation: #return_doc,
-                ty: <#result_ty as ::wip_interface::WipType>::type_expr(),
-            })
+    let result_ty = &operation.result_ty;
+    let return_doc = documentation_tokens(operation.return_documentation.as_ref());
+    let returns = quote! {
+        ::wip_interface::wip_protocol::ReturnDeclaration {
+            documentation: #return_doc,
+            r#type: <#result_ty as ::wip_interface::WipType>::type_expr(),
         }
     };
 
@@ -630,7 +652,7 @@ fn dispatch_arm(operation: &Operation) -> TokenStream2 {
             let encoded = #arguments_ident::encode_result(result)
                 .map_err(::wip_interface::DispatchError::Encode)?;
             descriptor
-                .validate_return(#operation_name, encoded.as_ref())
+                .validate_result(#operation_name, &encoded)
                 .map_err(::wip_interface::DispatchError::InvalidResult)?;
             ::std::result::Result::Ok(encoded)
         }
@@ -698,7 +720,12 @@ fn derive_record(
     let mut parsed_fields = Vec::new();
     let mut names = HashSet::new();
     for field in fields {
-        let field_ident = field.ident.clone().expect("named fields have identifiers");
+        let Some(field_ident) = field.ident.clone() else {
+            return Err(Error::new_spanned(
+                field,
+                "`WipType` record fields must be named",
+            ));
+        };
         let name = source_name(&field_ident);
         if !names.insert(name.clone()) {
             return Err(Error::new(
@@ -726,9 +753,9 @@ fn derive_record(
         quote! {
             ::wip_interface::wip_protocol::FieldDeclaration {
                 name: ::std::string::String::from(#name),
+                required: !#optional,
                 documentation: #documentation,
-                ty: <#ty as ::wip_interface::WipType>::type_expr(),
-                optional: #optional,
+                r#type: <#ty as ::wip_interface::WipType>::type_expr(),
             }
         }
     });
@@ -744,18 +771,18 @@ fn derive_record(
         if field.optional {
             quote! {
                 if let ::std::option::Option::Some(value) = #field_ident {
-                    fields.push(::wip_interface::wip_protocol::NamedValue {
-                        name: ::std::string::String::from(#field_name),
-                        value: <#ty as ::wip_interface::WipType>::encode(value)?,
-                    });
+                    fields.insert(
+                        ::std::string::String::from(#field_name),
+                        <#ty as ::wip_interface::WipType>::encode(value)?,
+                    );
                 }
             }
         } else {
             quote! {
-                fields.push(::wip_interface::wip_protocol::NamedValue {
-                    name: ::std::string::String::from(#field_name),
-                    value: <#ty as ::wip_interface::WipType>::encode(#field_ident)?,
-                });
+                fields.insert(
+                    ::std::string::String::from(#field_name),
+                    <#ty as ::wip_interface::WipType>::encode(#field_ident)?,
+                );
             }
         }
     });
@@ -773,9 +800,9 @@ fn derive_record(
     Ok(quote! {
         impl ::wip_interface::WipType for #ident {
             fn type_expr() -> ::wip_interface::wip_protocol::TypeExpr {
-                ::wip_interface::wip_protocol::TypeExpr::Named(
-                    ::std::string::String::from(#type_name),
-                )
+                ::wip_interface::wip_protocol::TypeExpr::Named {
+                    name: ::std::string::String::from(#type_name),
+                }
             }
 
             fn collect_declarations(
@@ -783,13 +810,13 @@ fn derive_record(
                     ::wip_interface::wip_protocol::TypeDeclaration,
                 >,
             ) {
-                let declaration = ::wip_interface::wip_protocol::TypeDeclaration::Record(
-                    ::wip_interface::wip_protocol::RecordDeclaration {
-                        name: ::std::string::String::from(#type_name),
-                        documentation: #declaration_doc,
+                let declaration = ::wip_interface::wip_protocol::TypeDeclaration {
+                    name: ::std::string::String::from(#type_name),
+                    documentation: #declaration_doc,
+                    definition: ::wip_interface::wip_protocol::TypeExpr::Record {
                         fields: ::std::vec![#(#field_declarations),*],
                     },
-                );
+                };
                 if ::wip_interface::__private::register_declaration(declarations, declaration) {
                     #(#dependency_collectors)*
                 }
@@ -802,7 +829,7 @@ fn derive_record(
                 ::wip_interface::CodecError,
             > {
                 let Self { #(#destructured_fields),* } = self;
-                let mut fields = ::std::vec::Vec::new();
+                let mut fields = ::std::collections::BTreeMap::new();
                 #(#encoders)*
                 ::std::result::Result::Ok(
                     ::wip_interface::wip_protocol::Value::Record(fields),
@@ -814,7 +841,7 @@ fn derive_record(
             ) -> ::std::result::Result<Self, ::wip_interface::CodecError> {
                 match value {
                     ::wip_interface::wip_protocol::Value::Record(fields) => {
-                        let mut decoder = ::wip_interface::__private::RecordDecoder::new(fields)?;
+                        let mut decoder = ::wip_interface::__private::RecordDecoder::new(fields);
                         let decoded = Self {
                             #(#decoders,)*
                         };
@@ -849,14 +876,14 @@ fn derive_enum(
         .variants
         .iter()
         .all(|variant| matches!(variant.fields, Fields::Unit));
-    let all_payload = !data.variants.is_empty()
-        && data.variants.iter().all(|variant| {
-            matches!(&variant.fields, Fields::Unnamed(fields) if fields.unnamed.len() == 1)
-        });
+    let valid_union = data.variants.iter().all(|variant| {
+        matches!(variant.fields, Fields::Unit)
+            || matches!(&variant.fields, Fields::Unnamed(fields) if fields.unnamed.len() == 1)
+    });
 
     if all_unit {
         derive_unit_enum(ident, type_name, type_documentation, data)
-    } else if all_payload {
+    } else if valid_union {
         derive_union_enum(ident, type_name, type_documentation, data)
     } else {
         let span = data
@@ -869,7 +896,7 @@ fn derive_enum(
             .map_or_else(|| data.enum_token.span, Spanned::span);
         Err(Error::new(
             span,
-            "a `WipType` enum must contain either only unit variants or only single-field tuple variants; mixed and named-field variants are unsupported",
+            "a `WipType` enum must contain unit variants and/or single-field tuple variants; named-field and multi-field variants are unsupported",
         ))
     }
 }
@@ -885,7 +912,7 @@ fn derive_unit_enum(
         let name = source_name(&variant.ident);
         let documentation = documentation_tokens(documentation(&variant.attrs).as_ref());
         quote! {
-            ::wip_interface::wip_protocol::EnumVariantDeclaration {
+            ::wip_interface::wip_protocol::EnumCase {
                 name: ::std::string::String::from(#name),
                 documentation: #documentation,
             }
@@ -905,9 +932,9 @@ fn derive_unit_enum(
     Ok(quote! {
         impl ::wip_interface::WipType for #ident {
             fn type_expr() -> ::wip_interface::wip_protocol::TypeExpr {
-                ::wip_interface::wip_protocol::TypeExpr::Named(
-                    ::std::string::String::from(#type_name),
-                )
+                ::wip_interface::wip_protocol::TypeExpr::Named {
+                    name: ::std::string::String::from(#type_name),
+                }
             }
 
             fn collect_declarations(
@@ -915,13 +942,13 @@ fn derive_unit_enum(
                     ::wip_interface::wip_protocol::TypeDeclaration,
                 >,
             ) {
-                let declaration = ::wip_interface::wip_protocol::TypeDeclaration::Enum(
-                    ::wip_interface::wip_protocol::EnumDeclaration {
-                        name: ::std::string::String::from(#type_name),
-                        documentation: #declaration_doc,
-                        variants: ::std::vec![#(#declarations),*],
+                let declaration = ::wip_interface::wip_protocol::TypeDeclaration {
+                    name: ::std::string::String::from(#type_name),
+                    documentation: #declaration_doc,
+                    definition: ::wip_interface::wip_protocol::TypeExpr::Enum {
+                        cases: ::std::vec![#(#declarations),*],
                     },
-                );
+                };
                 let _ = ::wip_interface::__private::register_declaration(
                     declarations,
                     declaration,
@@ -938,7 +965,7 @@ fn derive_unit_enum(
                     #(#encoders,)*
                 };
                 ::std::result::Result::Ok(
-                    ::wip_interface::wip_protocol::Value::Enum(
+                    ::wip_interface::wip_protocol::Value::String(
                         ::std::string::String::from(variant),
                     ),
                 )
@@ -948,7 +975,7 @@ fn derive_unit_enum(
                 value: ::wip_interface::wip_protocol::Value,
             ) -> ::std::result::Result<Self, ::wip_interface::CodecError> {
                 match value {
-                    ::wip_interface::wip_protocol::Value::Enum(variant) => {
+                    ::wip_interface::wip_protocol::Value::String(variant) => {
                         match variant.as_str() {
                             #(#decoders,)*
                             _ => ::std::result::Result::Err(
@@ -977,30 +1004,36 @@ fn derive_union_enum(
     struct Variant<'a> {
         ident: &'a Ident,
         name: String,
-        ty: &'a Type,
+        payload: Option<&'a Type>,
         documentation: Option<Documentation>,
     }
 
     let mut variants = Vec::new();
     for variant in &data.variants {
-        let Fields::Unnamed(fields) = &variant.fields else {
-            unreachable!("enum shape was checked before union generation");
+        let payload = match &variant.fields {
+            Fields::Unit => None,
+            Fields::Unnamed(fields) if fields.unnamed.len() == 1 => {
+                let field = fields.unnamed.first().expect("length checked");
+                if direct_option(&field.ty)?.is_some() || contains_option(&field.ty) {
+                    return Err(Error::new_spanned(
+                        &field.ty,
+                        "`Option<T>` is only supported directly on DTO fields and operation parameters",
+                    ));
+                }
+                validate_value_type(&field.ty, "union case payload")?;
+                Some(&field.ty)
+            }
+            _ => {
+                return Err(Error::new_spanned(
+                    variant,
+                    "a `WipType` union case must be unit-like or contain exactly one unnamed payload",
+                ));
+            }
         };
-        let field = fields
-            .unnamed
-            .first()
-            .expect("union variants have one field");
-        if direct_option(&field.ty)?.is_some() || contains_option(&field.ty) {
-            return Err(Error::new_spanned(
-                &field.ty,
-                "`Option<T>` is only supported directly on DTO fields and operation parameters",
-            ));
-        }
-        validate_value_type(&field.ty, "union variant payload")?;
         variants.push(Variant {
             ident: &variant.ident,
             name: source_name(&variant.ident),
-            ty: &field.ty,
+            payload,
             documentation: documentation(&variant.attrs),
         });
     }
@@ -1009,50 +1042,95 @@ fn derive_union_enum(
     let declarations = variants.iter().map(|variant| {
         let name = &variant.name;
         let documentation = documentation_tokens(variant.documentation.as_ref());
-        let ty = variant.ty;
+        let payload = match variant.payload {
+            Some(ty) => quote! {
+                ::std::option::Option::Some(
+                    <#ty as ::wip_interface::WipType>::type_expr(),
+                )
+            },
+            None => quote!(::std::option::Option::None),
+        };
         quote! {
-            ::wip_interface::wip_protocol::UnionVariantDeclaration {
+            ::wip_interface::wip_protocol::UnionCase {
                 name: ::std::string::String::from(#name),
                 documentation: #documentation,
-                ty: <#ty as ::wip_interface::WipType>::type_expr(),
+                payload: #payload,
             }
         }
     });
-    let dependency_collectors = variants.iter().map(|variant| {
-        let ty = variant.ty;
-        quote!(<#ty as ::wip_interface::WipType>::collect_declarations(declarations);)
+    let dependency_collectors = variants.iter().filter_map(|variant| {
+        variant.payload.map(
+            |ty| quote!(<#ty as ::wip_interface::WipType>::collect_declarations(declarations);),
+        )
     });
     let encoders = variants.iter().map(|variant| {
         let variant_ident = variant.ident;
         let name = &variant.name;
-        let ty = variant.ty;
-        quote! {
-            Self::#variant_ident(value) => {
-                ::wip_interface::wip_protocol::Value::Union {
-                    variant: ::std::string::String::from(#name),
-                    value: ::std::boxed::Box::new(
+        match variant.payload {
+            Some(ty) => quote! {
+                Self::#variant_ident(value) => {
+                    let mut fields = ::std::collections::BTreeMap::new();
+                    fields.insert(
+                        ::std::string::String::from(
+                            ::wip_interface::wip_protocol::UNION_CASE_FIELD,
+                        ),
+                        ::wip_interface::wip_protocol::Value::String(
+                            ::std::string::String::from(#name),
+                        ),
+                    );
+                    fields.insert(
+                        ::std::string::String::from(
+                            ::wip_interface::wip_protocol::UNION_VALUE_FIELD,
+                        ),
                         <#ty as ::wip_interface::WipType>::encode(value)?,
-                    ),
+                    );
+                    ::wip_interface::wip_protocol::Value::Record(fields)
                 }
-            }
+            },
+            None => quote! {
+                Self::#variant_ident => {
+                    let mut fields = ::std::collections::BTreeMap::new();
+                    fields.insert(
+                        ::std::string::String::from(
+                            ::wip_interface::wip_protocol::UNION_CASE_FIELD,
+                        ),
+                        ::wip_interface::wip_protocol::Value::String(
+                            ::std::string::String::from(#name),
+                        ),
+                    );
+                    ::wip_interface::wip_protocol::Value::Record(fields)
+                }
+            },
         }
     });
     let decoders = variants.iter().map(|variant| {
         let variant_ident = variant.ident;
         let name = &variant.name;
-        let ty = variant.ty;
-        quote! {
-            #name => <#ty as ::wip_interface::WipType>::decode(*value)
-                .map(Self::#variant_ident)
+        match variant.payload {
+            Some(ty) => quote! {
+                #name => {
+                    let value = decoder.required::<#ty>(
+                        ::wip_interface::wip_protocol::UNION_VALUE_FIELD,
+                    )?;
+                    decoder.finish()?;
+                    ::std::result::Result::Ok(Self::#variant_ident(value))
+                }
+            },
+            None => quote! {
+                #name => {
+                    decoder.finish()?;
+                    ::std::result::Result::Ok(Self::#variant_ident)
+                }
+            },
         }
     });
 
     Ok(quote! {
         impl ::wip_interface::WipType for #ident {
             fn type_expr() -> ::wip_interface::wip_protocol::TypeExpr {
-                ::wip_interface::wip_protocol::TypeExpr::Named(
-                    ::std::string::String::from(#type_name),
-                )
+                ::wip_interface::wip_protocol::TypeExpr::Named {
+                    name: ::std::string::String::from(#type_name),
+                }
             }
 
             fn collect_declarations(
@@ -1060,13 +1138,13 @@ fn derive_union_enum(
                     ::wip_interface::wip_protocol::TypeDeclaration,
                 >,
             ) {
-                let declaration = ::wip_interface::wip_protocol::TypeDeclaration::Union(
-                    ::wip_interface::wip_protocol::UnionDeclaration {
-                        name: ::std::string::String::from(#type_name),
-                        documentation: #declaration_doc,
-                        variants: ::std::vec![#(#declarations),*],
+                let declaration = ::wip_interface::wip_protocol::TypeDeclaration {
+                    name: ::std::string::String::from(#type_name),
+                    documentation: #declaration_doc,
+                    definition: ::wip_interface::wip_protocol::TypeExpr::Union {
+                        cases: ::std::vec![#(#declarations),*],
                     },
-                );
+                };
                 if ::wip_interface::__private::register_declaration(declarations, declaration) {
                     #(#dependency_collectors)*
                 }
@@ -1088,26 +1166,30 @@ fn derive_union_enum(
                 value: ::wip_interface::wip_protocol::Value,
             ) -> ::std::result::Result<Self, ::wip_interface::CodecError> {
                 match value {
-                    ::wip_interface::wip_protocol::Value::Union { variant, value } => {
-                        match variant.as_str() {
+                    ::wip_interface::wip_protocol::Value::Record(fields) => {
+                        let mut decoder =
+                            ::wip_interface::__private::RecordDecoder::new(fields);
+                        let case = decoder.required::<::std::string::String>(
+                            ::wip_interface::wip_protocol::UNION_CASE_FIELD,
+                        )?;
+                        match case.as_str() {
                             #(#decoders,)*
                             _ => ::std::result::Result::Err(
                                 ::wip_interface::__private::decode_unknown_variant(
                                     #type_name,
-                                    variant,
+                                    case,
                                 ),
                             ),
                         }
                     }
                     actual => ::std::result::Result::Err(
-                        ::wip_interface::__private::decode_type_mismatch("union", actual),
+                        ::wip_interface::__private::decode_type_mismatch("union record", actual),
                     ),
                 }
             }
         }
     })
 }
-
 fn optional_type(ty: &Type, context: &str) -> syn::Result<(bool, Type)> {
     if let Some(inner) = direct_option(ty)? {
         if contains_option(&inner) {

crates/wip-interface/src/lib.rs

@@ -30,37 +30,63 @@
 //!
 //! | Rust type | Protocol type/value |
 //! | --- | --- |
-//! | `()` as an operation result | no return declaration / no value |
+//! | `()` | `Unit` |
 //! | `bool` | `Boolean` |
 //! | signed and unsigned integer primitives | JavaScript-lossless `Integer` |
 //! | `f32`, `f64` | finite `Number` |
 //! | `String` | `String` |
 //! | [`Bytes`] | `Bytes` |
-//! | [`wip_protocol::JsonValue`] | `Json` |
-//! | [`Entry<K, V>`] | `Entry<K, V>` |
+//! | [`JsonValue`] | schema-neutral `Json` value tree |
+//! | [`Entry`] | canonical absolute Worldspace path (`Entry`) |
 //! | `Vec<T>` | `List<T>` |
 //! | a named-field struct deriving [`WipType`] | named record |
 //! | an all-unit enum deriving [`WipType`] | named enum |
-//! | an all-newtype enum deriving [`WipType`] | named tagged union |
+//! | an enum mixing unit and single-payload cases deriving [`WipType`] | named union |
 //!
 //! `Option<T>` is supported only directly as a record field or operation
 //! parameter. It means omission, not a null value. A domain failure belongs in
 //! an application return enum/union and is returned as `Ok(value)`.
 //! [`HostError`] is reserved for host/runtime failure, so the required
 //! [`OperationResult`] convention keeps those two failure classes distinct.
+//!
+//! # Migration to canonical values
+//!
+//! Earlier releases exposed `Entry<K, V>` and semantic `Value::Json`,
+//! `Value::Entry`, `Value::Enum`, and `Value::Union` variants. Those forms are
+//! intentionally gone: [`Entry`] is now one validated absolute Worldspace path,
+//! while JSON, enum, and union meaning comes only from the descriptor. Codecs
+//! exchange only raw [`Value`] strings, records, lists, and primitives. Unit
+//! operation results now cross the boundary as [`Value::Unit`] rather than an
+//! absent value.
+//!
+//! # Supported interface syntax
+//!
+//! An interface is a public, non-generic trait whose operations use exactly
+//! `&self`, simple named owned parameters, and an explicit
+//! `OperationResult<T>`. `WipType` derives support named-field structs,
+//! all-unit enums as protocol enums, and enums made from any mix of unit and
+//! single-payload cases as protocol unions.
+//!
+//! The macros reject trait inheritance and associated items; const, async,
+//! unsafe, extern, variadic, generic, default-bodied, or non-`&self` methods;
+//! borrowed values and custom lifetimes; tuple, unit, or generic structs;
+//! unsupported named-field or multi-field enum variants; explicit discriminants; Rust unions;
+//! and `Option` anywhere except a direct DTO field or operation parameter.
+//! Unsupported inputs produce source-located compile errors rather than
+//! generating a partial interface.
 
 #![deny(missing_docs)]
 
+use std::collections::BTreeMap;
 use std::error::Error;
 use std::fmt::{self, Display, Formatter};
 
 pub use wip_interface_macros::{WipType, interface};
 pub use wip_protocol;
 pub use wip_protocol::{
-    Documentation, EnumDeclaration, EnumVariantDeclaration, FieldDeclaration, InterfaceDescriptor,
-    JsonMember, JsonValue, MAX_SAFE_INTEGER, MIN_SAFE_INTEGER, NamedValue, OperationDeclaration,
-    ParameterDeclaration, RecordDeclaration, ReturnDeclaration, TypeDeclaration, TypeExpr,
-    UnionDeclaration, UnionVariantDeclaration, ValidationError, Value,
+    Documentation, EnumCase, FieldDeclaration, InterfaceDescriptor, MAX_SAFE_INTEGER,
+    MIN_SAFE_INTEGER, OperationDeclaration, ParameterDeclaration, ReturnDeclaration,
+    TypeDeclaration, TypeExpr, UnionCase, ValidationError, Value,
 };
 
 /// Converts one Rust application type to and from its protocol representation.
@@ -103,8 +129,8 @@ pub trait InterfaceImplementation<T>: InterfaceDefinition {
     fn dispatch(
         implementation: &T,
         operation: &str,
-        arguments: Vec<NamedValue>,
-    ) -> Result<Option<Value>, DispatchError>;
+        arguments: BTreeMap<String, Value>,
+    ) -> Result<Value, DispatchError>;
 }
 
 /// Result convention required for generated interface operations.
@@ -266,13 +292,101 @@ impl From<Bytes> for Vec<u8> {
     }
 }
 
-/// A typed protocol key/value entry.
-#[derive(Debug, Clone, PartialEq, Eq)]
-pub struct Entry<K, V> {
-    /// Entry key.
-    pub key: K,
-    /// Entry value.
-    pub value: V,
+/// A canonical absolute path to an entry in the current Worldspace.
+///
+/// This replaces the pre-canonical `Entry<K, V>` key/value pair. Construct an
+/// entry from a path such as `/articles/1`; application data associated with
+/// that entry belongs in an ordinary record alongside this value.
+#[derive(Debug, Clone, PartialEq, Eq, PartialOrd, Ord, Hash)]
+pub struct Entry(String);
+
+impl Entry {
+    /// Validates and creates an entry path.
+    pub fn new(path: impl Into<String>) -> Result<Self, CodecError> {
+        let path = path.into();
+        validate_entry_path(&path)?;
+        Ok(Self(path))
+    }
+
+    /// Returns the canonical absolute Worldspace path.
+    #[must_use]
+    pub fn as_str(&self) -> &str {
+        &self.0
+    }
+
+    /// Consumes the entry and returns its path.
+    #[must_use]
+    pub fn into_string(self) -> String {
+        self.0
+    }
+}
+
+impl TryFrom<String> for Entry {
+    type Error = CodecError;
+
+    fn try_from(path: String) -> Result<Self, Self::Error> {
+        Self::new(path)
+    }
+}
+
+impl std::str::FromStr for Entry {
+    type Err = CodecError;
+
+    fn from_str(path: &str) -> Result<Self, Self::Err> {
+        Self::new(path)
+    }
+}
+
+/// One member in a [`JsonValue::Object`].
+#[derive(Debug, Clone, PartialEq)]
+pub struct JsonMember {
+    /// Member name.
+    pub name: String,
+    /// Member value.
+    pub value: JsonValue,
+}
+
+/// JSON data represented independently of any application schema.
+///
+/// Its codec uses the ordinary schema-neutral [`Value`] variants. JSON null is
+/// [`Value::Unit`], arrays are [`Value::List`], and objects are
+/// [`Value::Record`]. Protocol bytes have no JSON representation and decoding
+/// a tree containing [`Value::Bytes`] is rejected.
+#[derive(Debug, Clone, PartialEq)]
+pub enum JsonValue {
+    /// JSON null.
+    Null,
+    /// A JSON boolean.
+    Boolean(bool),
+    /// An interoperable integral JSON number.
+    Integer(i64),
+    /// A finite non-integral JSON number.
+    Number(f64),
+    /// A JSON string.
+    String(String),
+    /// A JSON array.
+    Array(Vec<JsonValue>),
+    /// A JSON object. Duplicate member names are rejected while encoding.
+    Object(Vec<JsonMember>),
+}
+
+impl WipType for () {
+    fn type_expr() -> TypeExpr {
+        TypeExpr::Unit
+    }
+
+    fn collect_declarations(_: &mut Vec<TypeDeclaration>) {}
+
+    fn encode(self) -> Result<Value, CodecError> {
+        Ok(Value::Unit)
+    }
+
+    fn decode(value: Value) -> Result<Self, CodecError> {
+        match value {
+            Value::Unit => Ok(()),
+            other => Err(CodecError::expected("unit", &other)),
+        }
+    }
 }
 
 impl WipType for bool {
@@ -441,52 +555,87 @@ impl WipType for JsonValue {
     fn collect_declarations(_: &mut Vec<TypeDeclaration>) {}
 
     fn encode(self) -> Result<Value, CodecError> {
-        validate_json(&self)?;
-        Ok(Value::Json(self))
+        encode_json(self)
     }
 
     fn decode(value: Value) -> Result<Self, CodecError> {
-        match value {
-            Value::Json(value) => {
-                validate_json(&value)?;
-                Ok(value)
+        decode_json(value)
+    }
+}
+
+fn encode_json(value: JsonValue) -> Result<Value, CodecError> {
+    match value {
+        JsonValue::Null => Ok(Value::Unit),
+        JsonValue::Boolean(value) => Ok(Value::Boolean(value)),
+        JsonValue::Integer(value) => {
+            ensure_safe_integer(value)?;
+            Ok(Value::Integer(value))
+        }
+        JsonValue::Number(value) => {
+            ensure_finite(value)?;
+            Ok(Value::Number(value))
+        }
+        JsonValue::String(value) => Ok(Value::String(value)),
+        JsonValue::Array(values) => values
+            .into_iter()
+            .enumerate()
+            .map(|(index, value)| encode_json(value).map_err(|error| error.at(index.to_string())))
+            .collect::<Result<Vec<_>, _>>()
+            .map(Value::List),
+        JsonValue::Object(members) => {
+            let mut fields = BTreeMap::new();
+            for member in members {
+                let name = member.name;
+                let value = encode_json(member.value).map_err(|error| error.at(name.clone()))?;
+                if fields.insert(name.clone(), value).is_some() {
+                    return Err(CodecError::new(format!("duplicate JSON member `{name}`")).at(name));
+                }
             }
-            other => Err(CodecError::expected("json", &other)),
+            Ok(Value::Record(fields))
         }
     }
 }
 
-fn validate_json(value: &JsonValue) -> Result<(), CodecError> {
+fn decode_json(value: Value) -> Result<JsonValue, CodecError> {
     match value {
-        JsonValue::Integer(value) => ensure_safe_integer(*value),
-        JsonValue::Number(value) => ensure_finite(*value),
-        JsonValue::Array(values) => {
-            for (index, value) in values.iter().enumerate() {
-                validate_json(value).map_err(|error| error.at(index.to_string()))?;
-            }
-            Ok(())
+        Value::Unit => Ok(JsonValue::Null),
+        Value::Boolean(value) => Ok(JsonValue::Boolean(value)),
+        Value::Integer(value) => {
+            ensure_safe_integer(value)?;
+            Ok(JsonValue::Integer(value))
         }
-        JsonValue::Object(members) => {
-            let mut names = std::collections::HashSet::new();
-            for member in members {
-                if !names.insert(member.name.as_str()) {
-                    return Err(CodecError::new(format!(
-                        "duplicate JSON member `{}`",
-                        member.name
-                    ))
-                    .at(member.name.clone()));
-                }
-                validate_json(&member.value).map_err(|error| error.at(member.name.clone()))?;
-            }
-            Ok(())
+        Value::Number(value) => {
+            ensure_finite(value)?;
+            Ok(JsonValue::Number(value))
         }
-        JsonValue::Null | JsonValue::Boolean(_) | JsonValue::String(_) => Ok(()),
+        Value::String(value) => Ok(JsonValue::String(value)),
+        Value::Bytes(_) => Err(CodecError::new("bytes are not valid inside JSON")),
+        Value::List(values) => values
+            .into_iter()
+            .enumerate()
+            .map(|(index, value)| decode_json(value).map_err(|error| error.at(index.to_string())))
+            .collect::<Result<Vec<_>, _>>()
+            .map(JsonValue::Array),
+        Value::Record(fields) => fields
+            .into_iter()
+            .map(|(name, value)| {
+                decode_json(value)
+                    .map(|value| JsonMember {
+                        name: name.clone(),
+                        value,
+                    })
+                    .map_err(|error| error.at(name))
+            })
+            .collect::<Result<Vec<_>, _>>()
+            .map(JsonValue::Object),
     }
 }
 
 impl<T: WipType> WipType for Vec<T> {
     fn type_expr() -> TypeExpr {
-        TypeExpr::List(Box::new(T::type_expr()))
+        TypeExpr::List {
+            items: Box::new(T::type_expr()),
+        }
     }
 
     fn collect_declarations(declarations: &mut Vec<TypeDeclaration>) {
@@ -513,37 +662,31 @@ impl<T: WipType> WipType for Vec<T> {
     }
 }
 
-impl<K: WipType, V: WipType> WipType for Entry<K, V> {
+impl WipType for Entry {
     fn type_expr() -> TypeExpr {
-        TypeExpr::Entry {
-            key: Box::new(K::type_expr()),
-            value: Box::new(V::type_expr()),
-        }
+        TypeExpr::Entry
     }
 
-    fn collect_declarations(declarations: &mut Vec<TypeDeclaration>) {
-        K::collect_declarations(declarations);
-        V::collect_declarations(declarations);
-    }
+    fn collect_declarations(_: &mut Vec<TypeDeclaration>) {}
 
     fn encode(self) -> Result<Value, CodecError> {
-        Ok(Value::Entry {
-            key: Box::new(self.key.encode().map_err(|error| error.at("key"))?),
-            value: Box::new(self.value.encode().map_err(|error| error.at("value"))?),
-        })
+        validate_entry_path(&self.0)?;
+        Ok(Value::String(self.0))
     }
 
     fn decode(value: Value) -> Result<Self, CodecError> {
-        let Value::Entry { key, value } = value else {
-            return Err(CodecError::expected("entry", &value));
+        let Value::String(path) = value else {
+            return Err(CodecError::expected("entry path string", &value));
         };
-        Ok(Self {
-            key: K::decode(*key).map_err(|error| error.at("key"))?,
-            value: V::decode(*value).map_err(|error| error.at("value"))?,
-        })
+        Self::new(path)
     }
 }
 
+fn validate_entry_path(path: &str) -> Result<(), CodecError> {
+    wip_protocol::validate_path(path)
+        .map_err(|error| CodecError::new(format!("invalid canonical Worldspace path: {error}")))
+}
+
 /// Implementation details used by code emitted from the facade's macros.
 ///
 /// These APIs are public only because macro expansions execute in the
@@ -551,12 +694,9 @@ impl<K: WipType, V: WipType> WipType for Entry<K, V> {
 /// and are not intended for direct use.
 #[doc(hidden)]
 pub mod __private {
-    use std::collections::HashSet;
+    use std::collections::BTreeMap;
 
-    use wip_protocol::{
-        InterfaceDescriptor, NamedValue, ObjectId, OperationCall, OperationTarget, TypeDeclaration,
-        ValidationError, Value,
-    };
+    use wip_protocol::{InterfaceDescriptor, TypeDeclaration, ValidationError, Value};
 
     use crate::{CodecError, Documentation, WipType};
 
@@ -591,16 +731,9 @@ pub mod __private {
     pub fn validate_arguments(
         descriptor: &InterfaceDescriptor,
         operation: &str,
-        arguments: &[NamedValue],
+        arguments: &BTreeMap<String, Value>,
     ) -> Result<(), ValidationError> {
-        descriptor.validate_call(&OperationCall {
-            target: OperationTarget {
-                object: ObjectId("<typed-dispatch>".into()),
-                interface: descriptor.name.clone(),
-                operation: operation.into(),
-            },
-            arguments: arguments.to_vec(),
-        })
+        descriptor.validate_arguments(operation, arguments)
     }
 
     /// Builds a codec error for a generated structural mismatch.
@@ -618,22 +751,13 @@ pub mod __private {
 
     /// Decoder for a protocol record or operation's named argument collection.
     pub struct RecordDecoder {
-        fields: Vec<NamedValue>,
-        seen: HashSet<String>,
+        fields: BTreeMap<String, Value>,
     }
 
     impl RecordDecoder {
-        /// Starts decoding record fields or named operation arguments and
-        /// rejects duplicate names.
-        pub fn new(fields: Vec<NamedValue>) -> Result<Self, CodecError> {
-            let mut seen = HashSet::new();
-            for field in &fields {
-                if !seen.insert(field.name.clone()) {
-                    return Err(CodecError::new(format!("duplicate field `{}`", field.name))
-                        .at(field.name.clone()));
-                }
-            }
-            Ok(Self { fields, seen })
+        /// Starts decoding record fields or named operation arguments.
+        pub fn new(fields: BTreeMap<String, Value>) -> Self {
+            Self { fields }
         }
 
         /// Decodes a required field.
@@ -654,23 +778,15 @@ pub mod __private {
 
         /// Rejects any fields that were not consumed by generated code.
         pub fn finish(self) -> Result<(), CodecError> {
-            if let Some(field) = self.fields.first() {
-                Err(CodecError::new(format!("unknown field `{}`", field.name))
-                    .at(field.name.clone()))
+            if let Some(name) = self.fields.keys().next() {
+                Err(CodecError::new(format!("unknown field `{name}`")).at(name.clone()))
             } else {
                 Ok(())
             }
         }
 
         fn take(&mut self, name: &str) -> Option<Value> {
-            let index = self.fields.iter().position(|field| field.name == name)?;
-            Some(self.fields.remove(index).value)
-        }
-
-        /// Returns the set of names supplied to this decoder.
-        #[allow(dead_code)]
-        pub fn supplied_names(&self) -> &HashSet<String> {
-            &self.seen
+            self.fields.remove(name)
         }
     }
 }

crates/wip-interface/tests/codecs.rs

@@ -1,8 +1,7 @@
-use wip_interface::wip_protocol::{
-    EnumDeclaration, JsonMember, JsonValue, NamedValue, RecordDeclaration, TypeDeclaration,
-    TypeExpr, UnionDeclaration, Value,
-};
-use wip_interface::{Bytes, Entry, WipType};
+use std::collections::BTreeMap;
+
+use wip_interface::wip_protocol::{TypeExpr, UNION_CASE_FIELD, UNION_VALUE_FIELD, Value};
+use wip_interface::{Bytes, Entry, JsonMember, JsonValue, WipType};
 
 /// A request record.
 #[derive(Debug, Clone, PartialEq, WipType)]
@@ -11,8 +10,8 @@ struct Request {
     title: String,
     /// Optional priority.
     priority: Option<i32>,
-    /// Related entries.
-    related: Vec<Entry<String, bool>>,
+    /// Related Worldspace entries.
+    related: Vec<Entry>,
     /// Opaque bytes.
     body: Bytes,
     /// Arbitrary metadata.
@@ -38,33 +37,53 @@ struct Receipt {
 /// Application-level publication outcome.
 #[derive(Debug, Clone, PartialEq, WipType)]
 enum PublishOutcome {
+    /// Work has not completed and carries no payload.
+    Pending,
     /// Application success.
     Published(Receipt),
     /// Domain rejection, not a host failure.
     Rejected(String),
 }
 
+fn field<'a>(record: &'a BTreeMap<String, Value>, name: &str) -> &'a Value {
+    record
+        .get(name)
+        .unwrap_or_else(|| panic!("missing `{name}`"))
+}
+
 #[test]
-fn supported_values_round_trip() {
+fn primitive_unit_record_list_entry_and_json_values_round_trip() {
+    assert_eq!(().encode().unwrap(), Value::Unit);
+    assert_eq!(<()>::decode(Value::Unit).unwrap(), ());
+    assert_eq!(<()>::type_expr(), TypeExpr::Unit);
+
     let request = Request {
         title: "hello".into(),
         priority: None,
-        related: vec![Entry {
-            key: "/articles/1".into(),
-            value: true,
-        }],
+        related: vec![Entry::new("/articles/1").unwrap()],
         body: Bytes(vec![1, 2, 3]),
         metadata: JsonValue::Object(vec![JsonMember {
             name: "source".into(),
-            value: JsonValue::String("test".into()),
+            value: JsonValue::Array(vec![JsonValue::String("test".into()), JsonValue::Null]),
         }]),
     };
 
     let encoded = request.clone().encode().unwrap();
     let Value::Record(fields) = &encoded else {
-        panic!("record derive must encode a protocol record")
+        panic!("record derive must encode a raw protocol record")
     };
-    assert!(fields.iter().all(|field| field.name != "priority"));
+    assert!(!fields.contains_key("priority"));
+    assert_eq!(
+        field(fields, "related"),
+        &Value::List(vec![Value::String("/articles/1".into())])
+    );
+    assert_eq!(
+        field(fields, "metadata"),
+        &Value::Record(BTreeMap::from([(
+            "source".into(),
+            Value::List(vec![Value::String("test".into()), Value::Unit]),
+        )]))
+    );
     assert_eq!(Request::decode(encoded).unwrap(), request);
 
     let number = 42.5_f64;
@@ -77,92 +96,136 @@ fn supported_values_round_trip() {
         f32::decode(narrow_number.encode().unwrap()).unwrap(),
         narrow_number
     );
+}
 
+#[test]
+fn enums_are_strings_and_unions_are_discriminated_records() {
     for color in [Color::Red, Color::Blue] {
         let encoded = color.clone().encode().unwrap();
-        let decoded = Color::decode(encoded).unwrap();
-        assert_eq!(decoded, color);
+        assert!(matches!(encoded, Value::String(_)));
+        assert_eq!(Color::decode(encoded).unwrap(), color);
     }
 
+    let pending = PublishOutcome::Pending.encode().unwrap();
+    assert_eq!(
+        pending,
+        Value::Record(BTreeMap::from([(
+            UNION_CASE_FIELD.into(),
+            Value::String("Pending".into()),
+        )]))
+    );
+
+    let published = PublishOutcome::Published(Receipt { number: 7 })
+        .encode()
+        .unwrap();
+    let Value::Record(fields) = &published else {
+        panic!("union must encode as a record")
+    };
+    assert_eq!(
+        fields.get(UNION_CASE_FIELD),
+        Some(&Value::String("Published".into()))
+    );
+    assert!(matches!(
+        fields.get(UNION_VALUE_FIELD),
+        Some(Value::Record(_))
+    ));
+
     for outcome in [
+        PublishOutcome::Pending,
         PublishOutcome::Published(Receipt { number: 7 }),
         PublishOutcome::Rejected("policy".into()),
     ] {
         let encoded = outcome.clone().encode().unwrap();
-        let decoded = PublishOutcome::decode(encoded).unwrap();
-        assert_eq!(decoded, outcome);
+        assert_eq!(PublishOutcome::decode(encoded).unwrap(), outcome);
     }
 }
 
 #[test]
-fn derived_declarations_include_docs_optionality_and_dependencies() {
+fn derived_declarations_use_canonical_named_type_expressions() {
     let mut declarations = Vec::new();
     Request::collect_declarations(&mut declarations);
     Color::collect_declarations(&mut declarations);
     PublishOutcome::collect_declarations(&mut declarations);
 
-    let TypeDeclaration::Record(RecordDeclaration {
-        documentation,
-        fields,
-        ..
-    }) = &declarations[0]
-    else {
+    let request = declarations
+        .iter()
+        .find(|declaration| declaration.name == "Request")
+        .unwrap();
+    assert_eq!(
+        request.documentation.as_ref().unwrap().summary,
+        "A request record."
+    );
+    let TypeExpr::Record { fields } = &request.definition else {
         panic!("Request must be a record declaration")
     };
-    assert_eq!(documentation.as_ref().unwrap().summary, "A request record.");
     assert_eq!(
         fields[0].documentation.as_ref().unwrap().summary,
         "Required title."
     );
-    assert!(!fields[0].optional);
-    assert!(fields[1].optional);
-    assert_eq!(fields[1].ty, TypeExpr::Integer);
+    assert!(fields[0].required);
+    assert!(!fields[1].required);
+    assert_eq!(fields[1].r#type, TypeExpr::Integer);
     assert_eq!(
-        fields[2].ty,
-        TypeExpr::List(Box::new(TypeExpr::Entry {
-            key: Box::new(TypeExpr::String),
-            value: Box::new(TypeExpr::Boolean),
-        }))
+        fields[2].r#type,
+        TypeExpr::List {
+            items: Box::new(TypeExpr::Entry),
+        }
     );
 
     let color = declarations
         .iter()
-        .find(|declaration| declaration.name() == "Color")
+        .find(|declaration| declaration.name == "Color")
         .unwrap();
-    let TypeDeclaration::Enum(EnumDeclaration { variants, .. }) = color else {
+    let TypeExpr::Enum { cases } = &color.definition else {
         panic!("Color must be an enum declaration")
     };
     assert_eq!(
-        variants[0].documentation.as_ref().unwrap().summary,
+        cases[0].documentation.as_ref().unwrap().summary,
         "Warm red."
     );
 
     let outcome = declarations
         .iter()
-        .find(|declaration| declaration.name() == "PublishOutcome")
+        .find(|declaration| declaration.name == "PublishOutcome")
         .unwrap();
-    let TypeDeclaration::Union(UnionDeclaration { variants, .. }) = outcome else {
+    let TypeExpr::Union { cases } = &outcome.definition else {
         panic!("PublishOutcome must be a union declaration")
     };
-    assert_eq!(variants[0].ty, TypeExpr::Named("Receipt".into()));
+    assert_eq!(cases[0].payload, None);
+    assert_eq!(
+        cases[1].payload,
+        Some(TypeExpr::Named {
+            name: "Receipt".into(),
+        })
+    );
     assert!(
         declarations
             .iter()
-            .any(|declaration| declaration.name() == "Receipt")
+            .any(|declaration| declaration.name == "Receipt")
     );
 }
 
 #[test]
-fn codecs_reject_invalid_boundaries() {
+fn codecs_reject_invalid_boundaries_and_json_bytes() {
     assert!(i64::MAX.encode().is_err());
     assert!(f64::NAN.encode().is_err());
-    assert!(Request::decode(Value::Record(vec![])).is_err());
+    assert!(Request::decode(Value::Record(BTreeMap::new())).is_err());
     assert!(
-        Request::decode(Value::Record(vec![NamedValue {
-            name: "unknown".into(),
-            value: Value::String("value".into()),
-        }]))
+        Request::decode(Value::Record(BTreeMap::from([(
+            "unknown".into(),
+            Value::String("value".into()),
+        )])))
+        .is_err()
+    );
+    assert!(Color::decode(Value::String("Green".into())).is_err());
+    assert!(Entry::new("articles/1").is_err());
+    assert!(Entry::decode(Value::String("/articles/../1".into())).is_err());
+    assert!(JsonValue::decode(Value::Bytes(vec![1])).is_err());
+    assert!(
+        JsonValue::decode(Value::Record(BTreeMap::from([(
+            "nested".into(),
+            Value::List(vec![Value::Bytes(vec![1])]),
+        )])))
         .is_err()
     );
-    assert!(Color::decode(Value::Enum("Green".into())).is_err());
 }

crates/wip-interface/tests/interface.rs

@@ -1,4 +1,6 @@
-use wip_interface::wip_protocol::{NamedValue, TypeDeclaration, TypeExpr, Value};
+use std::collections::BTreeMap;
+
+use wip_interface::wip_protocol::{INTERFACE_FORMAT_V1, TypeExpr, Value};
 use wip_interface::{DispatchError, HostError, OperationResult, WipType, interface};
 
 /// Publication request.
@@ -36,7 +38,7 @@ pub trait Catalog {
         note: Option<String>,
     ) -> OperationResult<PublishOutcome>;
 
-    /// Checks connectivity without returning an application value.
+    /// Checks connectivity without returning application data.
     fn ping(&self) -> OperationResult<()>;
 
     /// Demonstrates a host/runtime failure.
@@ -88,36 +90,29 @@ impl Catalog for RejectingCatalog {
     }
 }
 
-fn named(name: &str, value: Value) -> NamedValue {
-    NamedValue {
-        name: name.into(),
-        value,
-    }
-}
-
-fn publish_arguments(with_note: bool) -> Vec<NamedValue> {
-    let mut arguments = vec![named(
-        "request",
+fn publish_arguments(with_note: bool) -> BTreeMap<String, Value> {
+    let mut arguments = BTreeMap::from([(
+        "request".into(),
         PublishRequest {
             title: "example".into(),
         }
         .encode()
         .unwrap(),
-    )];
+    )]);
     if with_note {
-        arguments.push(named("note", Value::String("audit".into())));
+        arguments.insert("note".into(), Value::String("audit".into()));
     }
     arguments
 }
 
 #[test]
-fn descriptor_is_generated_only_from_the_trait_declaration() {
+fn descriptor_is_canonical_and_generated_only_from_the_trait_declaration() {
     let first = CatalogDefinition::descriptor();
     let second = CatalogDefinition::descriptor();
     assert_eq!(first, second);
     first.validate().unwrap();
 
-    assert_eq!(first.name, "Catalog");
+    assert_eq!(first.format, INTERFACE_FORMAT_V1);
     assert_eq!(
         first.documentation.as_ref().unwrap().summary,
         "Catalog editing capability."
@@ -139,81 +134,82 @@ fn descriptor_is_generated_only_from_the_trait_declaration() {
             .summary,
         "Item to publish."
     );
-    assert!(!publish.parameters[0].optional);
-    assert!(publish.parameters[1].optional);
+    assert!(publish.parameters[0].required);
+    assert!(!publish.parameters[1].required);
     assert_eq!(
-        publish
-            .returns
-            .as_ref()
-            .unwrap()
-            .documentation
-            .as_ref()
-            .unwrap()
-            .summary,
+        publish.returns.documentation.as_ref().unwrap().summary,
         "The application publication outcome."
     );
     assert_eq!(
-        publish.returns.as_ref().unwrap().ty,
-        TypeExpr::Named("PublishOutcome".into())
+        publish.returns.r#type,
+        TypeExpr::Named {
+            name: "PublishOutcome".into(),
+        }
     );
-    assert!(first.operations[1].returns.is_none());
+    assert_eq!(first.operations[1].returns.r#type, TypeExpr::Unit);
     assert!(
         first
-            .declarations
+            .types
             .iter()
-            .any(|declaration| matches!(declaration, TypeDeclaration::Record(_)))
+            .any(|declaration| matches!(declaration.definition, TypeExpr::Record { .. }))
     );
     assert!(
         first
-            .declarations
+            .types
             .iter()
-            .any(|declaration| matches!(declaration, TypeDeclaration::Union(_)))
+            .any(|declaration| matches!(declaration.definition, TypeExpr::Union { .. }))
     );
 
-    // Both implementation types satisfy the same generated dispatch boundary;
-    // neither can affect the descriptor shape.
+    // Both implementation types satisfy one immutable generated definition;
+    // implementation selection cannot contribute fields to the descriptor.
     fn accepts_definition<T: Catalog>(_: &T) {}
     accepts_definition(&AcceptingCatalog);
     accepts_definition(&RejectingCatalog);
+    assert_eq!(CatalogDefinition::descriptor(), first);
 }
 
 #[test]
-fn generated_argument_decoder_and_result_encoder_round_trip() {
+fn generated_argument_decoder_and_result_encoder_use_raw_values() {
     let decoded = CatalogPublishArguments::decode(publish_arguments(false)).unwrap();
     assert_eq!(decoded.request.title, "example");
     assert_eq!(decoded.note, None);
 
-    let encoded = CatalogPublishArguments::encode_result(PublishOutcome::Rejected("domain".into()))
-        .unwrap()
-        .unwrap();
+    let encoded =
+        CatalogPublishArguments::encode_result(PublishOutcome::Rejected("domain".into())).unwrap();
     assert_eq!(
         PublishOutcome::decode(encoded).unwrap(),
         PublishOutcome::Rejected("domain".into())
     );
+    assert_eq!(
+        CatalogPingArguments::encode_result(()).unwrap(),
+        Value::Unit
+    );
 }
 
 #[test]
 fn typed_dispatch_validates_decodes_invokes_encodes_and_validates() {
-    let value = CatalogDefinition::dispatch(&AcceptingCatalog, "publish", publish_arguments(true))
-        .unwrap()
-        .unwrap();
+    let value =
+        CatalogDefinition::dispatch(&AcceptingCatalog, "publish", publish_arguments(true)).unwrap();
     assert_eq!(
         PublishOutcome::decode(value).unwrap(),
         PublishOutcome::Published(true)
     );
 
     assert_eq!(
-        CatalogDefinition::dispatch(&AcceptingCatalog, "ping", vec![]).unwrap(),
-        None
+        CatalogDefinition::dispatch(&AcceptingCatalog, "ping", BTreeMap::new()).unwrap(),
+        Value::Unit
     );
 
-    let invalid = CatalogDefinition::dispatch(&AcceptingCatalog, "publish", vec![]).unwrap_err();
+    let invalid =
+        CatalogDefinition::dispatch(&AcceptingCatalog, "publish", BTreeMap::new()).unwrap_err();
     assert!(matches!(invalid, DispatchError::InvalidArguments(_)));
 
-    let host = CatalogDefinition::dispatch(&AcceptingCatalog, "host_value", vec![]).unwrap_err();
+    let host =
+        CatalogDefinition::dispatch(&AcceptingCatalog, "host_value", BTreeMap::new()).unwrap_err();
     assert!(matches!(host, DispatchError::Host(error) if error.message() == "backend unavailable"));
 
-    let unknown = CatalogDefinition::dispatch(&AcceptingCatalog, "missing", vec![]).unwrap_err();
+    let unknown =
+        CatalogDefinition::dispatch(&AcceptingCatalog, "missing", BTreeMap::new()).unwrap_err();
     assert!(matches!(unknown, DispatchError::UnknownOperation(name) if name == "missing"));
 }
 
@@ -245,12 +241,12 @@ fn distinct_operation_names_always_generate_distinct_public_items() {
     assert_eq!(descriptor.operations[0].name, "item");
     assert_eq!(descriptor.operations[1].name, "item_");
 
-    let first = DistinctOperationsDefinition::dispatch(&DistinctImplementation, "item", vec![])
-        .unwrap()
-        .unwrap();
-    let second = DistinctOperationsDefinition::dispatch(&DistinctImplementation, "item_", vec![])
-        .unwrap()
-        .unwrap();
+    let first =
+        DistinctOperationsDefinition::dispatch(&DistinctImplementation, "item", BTreeMap::new())
+            .unwrap();
+    let second =
+        DistinctOperationsDefinition::dispatch(&DistinctImplementation, "item_", BTreeMap::new())
+            .unwrap();
     assert_eq!(first, Value::String("item".into()));
     assert_eq!(second, Value::String("item_".into()));
 }

crates/wip-interface/tests/ui/async_operation.rs

@@ -0,0 +1,8 @@
+use wip_interface::interface;
+
+#[interface]
+pub trait AsyncOperation {
+    async fn status(&self) -> wip_interface::OperationResult<String>;
+}
+
+fn main() {}

crates/wip-interface/tests/ui/async_operation.stderr

@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+error: async operations are not supported
+ --> tests/ui/async_operation.rs:5:5
+  |
+5 |     async fn status(&self) -> wip_interface::OperationResult<String>;
+  |     ^^^^^

crates/wip-interface/tests/ui/default_method.rs

@@ -0,0 +1,10 @@
+use wip_interface::interface;
+
+#[interface]
+pub trait DefaultMethod {
+    fn status(&self) -> wip_interface::OperationResult<String> {
+        Ok(String::new())
+    }
+}
+
+fn main() {}

crates/wip-interface/tests/ui/default_method.stderr

@@ -0,0 +1,8 @@
+error: WIP operation methods must not have a body
+ --> tests/ui/default_method.rs:5:64
+  |
+5 |       fn status(&self) -> wip_interface::OperationResult<String> {
+  |  ________________________________________________________________^
+6 | |         Ok(String::new())
+7 | |     }
+  | |_____^

crates/wip-interface/tests/ui/generic_dto.rs

@@ -0,0 +1,8 @@
+use wip_interface::WipType;
+
+#[derive(WipType)]
+struct GenericDto<T> {
+    value: T,
+}
+
+fn main() {}

crates/wip-interface/tests/ui/generic_dto.stderr

@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+error: generic DTOs are not supported by `WipType`
+ --> tests/ui/generic_dto.rs:4:18
+  |
+4 | struct GenericDto<T> {
+  |                  ^^^

crates/wip-interface/tests/ui/mixed_enum.rs

@@ -1,9 +1,9 @@
 use wip_interface::WipType;
 
 #[derive(WipType)]
-enum MixedEnum {
+enum UnsupportedEnum {
     Empty,
-    Payload(String),
+    Payload { value: String },
 }
 
 fn main() {}

crates/wip-interface/tests/ui/mixed_enum.stderr

@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
-error: a `WipType` enum must contain either only unit variants or only single-field tuple variants; mixed and named-field variants are unsupported
- --> tests/ui/mixed_enum.rs:4:1
+error: a `WipType` enum must contain unit variants and/or single-field tuple variants; named-field and multi-field variants are unsupported
+ --> tests/ui/mixed_enum.rs:6:5
   |
-4 | enum MixedEnum {
-  | ^^^^
+6 |     Payload { value: String },
+  |     ^^^^^^^

crates/wip-interface/tests/ui/nested_option.rs

@@ -0,0 +1,8 @@
+use wip_interface::WipType;
+
+#[derive(WipType)]
+struct NestedOption {
+    values: Vec<Option<String>>,
+}
+
+fn main() {}

crates/wip-interface/tests/ui/nested_option.stderr

@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+error: `Option<T>` must appear directly as the DTO field type
+ --> tests/ui/nested_option.rs:5:13
+  |
+5 |     values: Vec<Option<String>>,
+  |             ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

crates/wip-interface/tests/ui/unsupported_type.stderr

@@ -4,16 +4,11 @@ error[E0277]: the trait bound `(std::string::String, std::string::String): WipTy
 5 |     fn load(&self, pair: (String, String)) -> OperationResult<String>;
   |                          ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ the trait `WipType` is not implemented for `(std::string::String, std::string::String)`
   |
-  = help: the following other types implement trait `WipType`:
-            JsonValue
-            Vec<T>
-            bool
-            f32
-            f64
-            i128
-            i16
-            i32
-          and $N others
+help: the trait `WipType` is implemented for `()`
+ --> src/lib.rs
+  |
+  | impl WipType for () {
+  | ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
 
 error[E0277]: the trait bound `(std::string::String, std::string::String): WipType` is not satisfied
  --> tests/ui/unsupported_type.rs:5:26
@@ -24,16 +19,11 @@ error[E0277]: the trait bound `(std::string::String, std::string::String): WipTy
 5 |     fn load(&self, pair: (String, String)) -> OperationResult<String>;
   |                          ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ the trait `WipType` is not implemented for `(std::string::String, std::string::String)`
   |
-  = help: the following other types implement trait `WipType`:
-            JsonValue
-            Vec<T>
-            bool
-            f32
-            f64
-            i128
-            i16
-            i32
-          and $N others
+help: the trait `WipType` is implemented for `()`
+ --> src/lib.rs
+  |
+  | impl WipType for () {
+  | ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
 note: required by a bound in `wip_interface::__private::RecordDecoder::required`
  --> src/lib.rs
   |

crates/wip-protocol/src/error.rs

@@ -8,79 +8,65 @@ pub enum NameNamespace {
     TypeDeclaration,
     /// Operations in an interface descriptor.
     Operation,
-    /// Fields in a record declaration.
+    /// Fields in an inline or named record type.
     Field,
     /// Parameters in an operation declaration.
     Parameter,
-    /// Variants in an enum declaration.
-    EnumVariant,
-    /// Variants in a union declaration.
-    UnionVariant,
-    /// Fields supplied in a record value.
-    RecordValueField,
-    /// Arguments supplied in an operation call.
-    Argument,
-    /// Members in a logical JSON object.
-    JsonMember,
-    /// Descriptors in an interface observation.
-    InterfaceDescriptor,
+    /// Cases in an enum type.
+    EnumCase,
+    /// Cases in a union type.
+    UnionCase,
+    /// Child object names beneath one tree node.
+    ChildObject,
 }
 
-/// Structural kind of a logical protocol value.
+/// Structural kind of a schema-neutral logical value.
 #[derive(Debug, Clone, Copy, PartialEq, Eq)]
 pub enum ValueKind {
-    /// String value.
-    String,
+    /// Unit value.
+    Unit,
     /// Boolean value.
     Boolean,
     /// Integer value.
     Integer,
     /// Floating-point number value.
     Number,
+    /// String value.
+    String,
     /// Byte sequence.
     Bytes,
-    /// List value.
-    List,
-    /// Key/value entry.
-    Entry,
     /// Record value.
     Record,
-    /// Enum value.
-    Enum,
-    /// Tagged-union value.
-    Union,
-    /// Logical JSON value.
-    Json,
+    /// List value.
+    List,
 }
 
 /// A typed segment identifying a declaration or value location.
 #[derive(Debug, Clone, PartialEq, Eq)]
 pub enum PathSegment {
-    /// Interface descriptor.
-    Interface(String),
+    /// Descriptor root.
+    Descriptor,
     /// Named type declaration.
     Declaration(String),
     /// Operation declaration or call.
     Operation(String),
     /// Record field declaration or value.
     Field(String),
-    /// Operation parameter declaration or argument.
+    /// Operation parameter or argument.
     Parameter(String),
-    /// Enum or union variant.
-    Variant(String),
-    /// List or JSON array index.
+    /// Enum or union case.
+    Case(String),
+    /// List index.
     Index(usize),
-    /// Entry key.
-    EntryKey,
-    /// Entry value.
-    EntryValue,
     /// Operation return value.
     Return,
-    /// JSON object member.
-    JsonMember(String),
+    /// Object at a Worldspace path.
+    Object(String),
+    /// Child object in a tree response.
+    Child(String),
 }
 
-/// Machine-readable reason why protocol validation failed.
+/// Machine-readable reason why logical protocol validation failed.
 #[derive(Debug, Clone, PartialEq, Eq)]
 pub enum ValidationErrorKind {
     /// A name occurred more than once in one namespace.
@@ -117,11 +103,15 @@ pub enum ValidationErrorKind {
         /// Missing field name.
         name: String,
     },
-    /// An enum or union value selected an undeclared variant.
-    UnknownVariant {
-        /// Unknown variant name.
+    /// An enum or union selected an undeclared case.
+    UnknownCase {
+        /// Unknown case name.
         name: String,
     },
+    /// A payload-bearing union case omitted `value`.
+    MissingUnionPayload,
+    /// A payload-free union case supplied `value`.
+    UnexpectedUnionPayload,
     /// An operation call contains an undeclared argument.
     UnknownParameter {
         /// Unknown parameter name.
@@ -132,44 +122,66 @@ pub enum ValidationErrorKind {
         /// Missing parameter name.
         name: String,
     },
-    /// An integer is outside the JavaScript-lossless range.
+    /// An operation is not declared by the descriptor.
+    UnknownOperation {
+        /// Unknown operation name.
+        name: String,
+    },
+    /// An integer is outside the interoperable safe range.
     IntegerOutOfRange {
         /// Rejected integer.
         value: i64,
     },
     /// A numeric value is NaN or infinite.
     NonFiniteNumber,
+    /// A JSON-interpreted value tree contains protocol bytes.
+    BytesInJson,
+    /// An object name is not a valid root or non-root path segment.
+    InvalidObjectName {
+        /// Rejected object name.
+        name: String,
+    },
     /// An object's ordered interface set contains a duplicate.
     DuplicateInterface {
-        /// Duplicate interface name.
-        name: String,
+        /// Duplicate opaque interface reference.
+        reference: String,
     },
-    /// An observation omits a descriptor named by its object.
-    MissingInterfaceDescriptor {
-        /// Missing interface name.
-        name: String,
+    /// A string is not a canonical absolute Worldspace path.
+    InvalidPath {
+        /// Rejected path.
+        path: String,
     },
-    /// An observation contains a descriptor not named by its object.
-    UnexpectedInterfaceDescriptor {
-        /// Unexpected interface name.
-        name: String,
-    },
-    /// A call targets an interface other than the descriptor being used.
-    InterfaceMismatch {
-        /// Descriptor interface name.
+    /// An object name does not match the path where it was observed.
+    ObjectNameMismatch {
+        /// Name required by the observation path.
         expected: String,
-        /// Call target interface name.
+        /// Name supplied by the object.
         actual: String,
     },
-    /// An operation is not declared by the interface.
-    UnknownOperation {
-        /// Unknown operation name.
-        name: String,
+    /// Equivalent ref/validator observations disagree on object representation.
+    InconsistentObjectObservation {
+        /// Shared opaque object reference.
+        reference: String,
+    },
+    /// A `fetch_tree` request used a zero limit.
+    ZeroTreeLimit,
+    /// A tree response exceeds the requested maximum depth.
+    TreeDepthExceeded {
+        /// Requested maximum depth.
+        maximum: u32,
+    },
+    /// A tree response exceeds the requested maximum node count.
+    TreeLimitExceeded {
+        /// Requested maximum node count.
+        limit: u32,
+    },
+    /// A response refers to a different interface than its request.
+    InterfaceResponseMismatch {
+        /// Requested opaque reference.
+        expected: String,
+        /// Returned opaque reference.
+        actual: String,
     },
-    /// A no-return operation produced a value.
-    UnexpectedReturnValue,
-    /// An operation with a return declaration produced no value.
-    MissingReturnValue,
 }
 
 /// A validation failure with a typed path to the failing location.
@@ -211,30 +223,152 @@ impl Display for ValidationError {
 
 impl Error for ValidationError {}
 
-/// Stable category of an error returned by a protocol host runtime.
+/// One core interaction whose failure codes form a closed set.
 #[derive(Debug, Clone, Copy, PartialEq, Eq)]
-pub enum ProtocolErrorCategory {
-    /// The request is structurally invalid.
-    InvalidRequest,
-    /// The target object is not published.
-    ObjectNotFound,
-    /// The target interface is not implemented by the object.
-    InterfaceNotFound,
-    /// The target operation is not declared by the interface.
-    OperationNotFound,
-    /// Supplied operation arguments are invalid.
-    InvalidArguments,
-    /// The implementation rejected the call for a domain reason.
-    OperationFailed,
-    /// The host encountered an internal failure.
-    Internal,
+pub enum ProtocolInteraction {
+    /// Fetch one object by its Worldspace path.
+    Fetch,
+    /// Fetch a bounded tree of objects.
+    FetchTree,
+    /// Fetch one interface descriptor by its opaque reference.
+    FetchInterface,
+    /// Invoke one operation on a path-targeted object.
+    CallOperation,
 }
 
-/// Transport-independent protocol failure returned by a host runtime.
+/// Stable protocol failure code returned by a host.
+///
+/// This is the complete wire-level code set. A Client treats a malformed success
+/// or failure response, including a code disallowed for its interaction, as a
+/// Client-local `InvalidResponse`. An unsupported descriptor format is likewise
+/// a Client-local `UnsupportedDescriptorFormat`; neither condition is a code a
+/// Host can return.
+#[derive(Debug, Clone, Copy, PartialEq, Eq)]
+pub enum ProtocolErrorCode {
+    /// The request is structurally invalid before an operation descriptor is fixed.
+    InvalidRequest,
+    /// The target object is not published.
+    NotFound,
+    /// The interface reference is not currently published.
+    InterfaceNotFound,
+    /// The selected interface is not on the current object.
+    InterfaceMismatch,
+    /// The selected operation is not declared by the current interface.
+    OperationNotFound,
+    /// Supplied arguments do not match the fixed operation declaration.
+    InvalidArguments,
+    /// The operation requires an object validator and none was supplied.
+    ValidatorRequired,
+    /// The supplied object validator does not match current state.
+    ValidatorMismatch,
+    /// A mutable interface requires its validator and none was supplied.
+    InterfaceValidatorRequired,
+    /// The supplied interface validator does not match the descriptor.
+    InterfaceValidatorMismatch,
+    /// A published operation is not permitted for the caller.
+    PermissionDenied,
+    /// A bounded protocol resource limit was exceeded.
+    ///
+    /// For `call_operation`, the Host guarantees that the operation was not run
+    /// or that all of its effects were rolled back.
+    ResourceLimitExceeded,
+    /// The Host encountered an internal failure.
+    ///
+    /// For `call_operation`, the Host guarantees that the operation was not run
+    /// or that all of its effects were rolled back.
+    Internal,
+    /// The Host cannot guarantee that the operation was not run or rolled back.
+    ///
+    /// A Client must not automatically retry because the operation may have
+    /// committed effects even though no success response was available.
+    OperationOutcomeUnknown,
+}
+
+impl ProtocolErrorCode {
+    /// Every canonical wire-level error code.
+    pub const ALL: [Self; 14] = [
+        Self::InvalidRequest,
+        Self::NotFound,
+        Self::InterfaceNotFound,
+        Self::InterfaceMismatch,
+        Self::OperationNotFound,
+        Self::InvalidArguments,
+        Self::ValidatorRequired,
+        Self::ValidatorMismatch,
+        Self::InterfaceValidatorRequired,
+        Self::InterfaceValidatorMismatch,
+        Self::PermissionDenied,
+        Self::ResourceLimitExceeded,
+        Self::Internal,
+        Self::OperationOutcomeUnknown,
+    ];
+
+    /// Whether a Host may return this code for `interaction`.
+    ///
+    /// `false` identifies an invalid error response; it does not turn that
+    /// response into another wire-level protocol failure.
+    #[must_use]
+    pub const fn is_allowed_for(self, interaction: ProtocolInteraction) -> bool {
+        use ProtocolErrorCode::{
+            InterfaceMismatch, InterfaceNotFound, InterfaceValidatorMismatch,
+            InterfaceValidatorRequired, Internal, InvalidArguments, InvalidRequest, NotFound,
+            OperationNotFound, OperationOutcomeUnknown, PermissionDenied, ResourceLimitExceeded,
+            ValidatorMismatch, ValidatorRequired,
+        };
+        use ProtocolInteraction::{CallOperation, Fetch, FetchInterface, FetchTree};
+
+        match (interaction, self) {
+            (_, InvalidRequest | ResourceLimitExceeded | Internal) => true,
+            (Fetch | FetchTree, NotFound) => true,
+            (FetchInterface, InterfaceNotFound) => true,
+            (
+                CallOperation,
+                NotFound
+                | InterfaceMismatch
+                | OperationNotFound
+                | InvalidArguments
+                | ValidatorRequired
+                | ValidatorMismatch
+                | InterfaceValidatorRequired
+                | InterfaceValidatorMismatch
+                | PermissionDenied
+                | OperationOutcomeUnknown,
+            ) => true,
+            (
+                _,
+                NotFound
+                | InterfaceNotFound
+                | InterfaceMismatch
+                | OperationNotFound
+                | InvalidArguments
+                | ValidatorRequired
+                | ValidatorMismatch
+                | InterfaceValidatorRequired
+                | InterfaceValidatorMismatch
+                | PermissionDenied
+                | OperationOutcomeUnknown,
+            ) => false,
+        }
+    }
+}
+
+/// Transport-independent protocol failure.
 #[derive(Debug, Clone, PartialEq, Eq)]
 pub struct ProtocolError {
-    /// Stable programmatic category.
-    pub category: ProtocolErrorCategory,
-    /// Human-readable diagnostic. Consumers must not branch on this text.
+    /// Stable programmatic code. Consumers must branch on this field.
+    pub code: ProtocolErrorCode,
+    /// Bounded human-readable diagnostic. Consumers must not branch on it.
     pub message: String,
 }
+
+impl Display for ProtocolError {
+    fn fmt(&self, formatter: &mut Formatter<'_>) -> fmt::Result {
+        write!(
+            formatter,
+            "protocol failure ({:?}): {}",
+            self.code, self.message
+        )
+    }
+}
+
+impl Error for ProtocolError {}

crates/wip-protocol/src/lib.rs

@@ -1,9 +1,45 @@
-//! Transport-independent logical types for the Web Interface Protocol (WIP).
+//! Canonical transport-independent logical types for the Web Interface Protocol.
 //!
-//! This crate deliberately models interface declarations, published objects,
-//! operation calls, and operation results without assigning them HTTP routes,
-//! methods, headers, or JSON envelopes. A transport can encode these values,
-//! but the encoding is outside this crate's contract.
+//! This crate follows the Core Model and `3-protocol.md` without assigning HTTP
+//! routes, methods, headers, URL encodings, or JSON envelopes. The correspondence
+//! between canonical logical concepts and this crate is direct:
+//!
+//! | Canonical protocol concept | Rust API |
+//! | --- | --- |
+//! | Object projection and ordered interface set | [`Object`] |
+//! | Optional object identity / state precondition | `Object::ref` / [`Object::validator`] |
+//! | Interface Descriptor | [`InterfaceDescriptor`] |
+//! | Named declaration and all schema expressions | [`TypeDeclaration`] / [`TypeExpr`] |
+//! | Schema-neutral primitive/composite value | [`Value`] |
+//! | `fetch` | [`FetchRequest`] / [`FetchResponse`] |
+//! | `fetch_tree` | [`FetchTreeRequest`] / [`FetchTreeResponse`] |
+//! | `fetch_interface` | [`FetchInterfaceRequest`] / [`FetchInterfaceResponse`] |
+//! | Object and interface call preconditions | [`Target`] / [`InterfaceTarget`] |
+//! | `call_operation` | [`CallOperationRequest`] / [`CallOperationResponse`] |
+//! | Stable Host failure taxonomy | [`ProtocolErrorCode`] / [`ProtocolError`] |
+//! | Per-interaction allowed failure codes | [`ProtocolInteraction`] / [`ProtocolErrorCode::is_allowed_for`] |
+//!
+//! [`ProtocolErrorCode`] is a closed set of Host-returned wire failures. After a
+//! Client receives a response, an invalid Object, Descriptor, operation result,
+//! malformed error, or error code disallowed by [`ProtocolInteraction`] is a
+//! Client-local `InvalidResponse`, not another wire error. A descriptor whose
+//! `format` is not supported is a Client-local `UnsupportedDescriptorFormat`.
+//!
+//! For `call_operation`, [`ProtocolErrorCode::Internal`] and
+//! [`ProtocolErrorCode::ResourceLimitExceeded`] guarantee that the operation did
+//! not run or that all effects were rolled back. Only
+//! [`ProtocolErrorCode::OperationOutcomeUnknown`] means the Host cannot make that
+//! guarantee; Clients must not automatically retry it.
+//!
+//! Paths, object refs, interface refs, and validators remain separate concepts.
+//! They are represented by ordinary protocol strings/bytes in the corresponding
+//! fields. In particular, object refs are optional, operation targeting uses a
+//! path, and this crate defines no interaction that fetches an object by ref.
+//!
+//! [`Value`] contains only the canonical raw value kinds. A descriptor interprets
+//! enum values as strings, entries as canonical-path strings, and unions as
+//! records with a `$case` string plus an optional `value` payload. JSON uses the
+//! same value tree (`Unit` is JSON null) and rejects bytes.
 
 #![deny(missing_docs)]
 
@@ -12,19 +48,33 @@ mod model;
 mod validation;
 
 pub use error::{
-    NameNamespace, PathSegment, ProtocolError, ProtocolErrorCategory, ValidationError,
-    ValidationErrorKind, ValueKind,
+    NameNamespace, PathSegment, ProtocolError, ProtocolErrorCode, ProtocolInteraction,
+    ValidationError, ValidationErrorKind, ValueKind,
 };
 pub use model::{
-    Documentation, EnumDeclaration, EnumVariantDeclaration, FieldDeclaration, InterfaceDescriptor,
-    InterfaceObservation, JsonMember, JsonValue, NamedValue, Object, ObjectId, OperationCall,
-    OperationDeclaration, OperationOutcome, OperationResult, OperationTarget, ParameterDeclaration,
-    RecordDeclaration, ReturnDeclaration, TypeDeclaration, TypeExpr, UnionDeclaration,
-    UnionVariantDeclaration, Value,
+    CallOperationRequest, CallOperationResponse, Documentation, EnumCase, FetchInterfaceRequest,
+    FetchInterfaceResponse, FetchRequest, FetchResponse, FetchTreeRequest, FetchTreeResponse,
+    FieldDeclaration, InterfaceDescriptor, InterfaceTarget, Object, ObjectTreeNode,
+    OperationDeclaration, ParameterDeclaration, ProtocolResult, ReturnDeclaration, Target,
+    TypeDeclaration, TypeExpr, UnionCase, Value,
 };
 
-/// Largest integer that is exactly interoperable with a JavaScript `Number`.
+/// Validates a canonical absolute Worldspace path.
+pub fn validate_path(path: &str) -> Result<(), ValidationError> {
+    validation::validate_path(path)
+}
+
+/// Canonical format identifier for the first Interface Descriptor format.
+pub const INTERFACE_FORMAT_V1: &str = "wip-interface/1";
+
+/// Discriminator field used by a union's raw record value.
+pub const UNION_CASE_FIELD: &str = "$case";
+
+/// Optional payload field used by a union's raw record value.
+pub const UNION_VALUE_FIELD: &str = "value";
+
+/// Largest integer exactly interoperable with a JavaScript `Number`.
 pub const MAX_SAFE_INTEGER: i64 = 9_007_199_254_740_991;
 
-/// Smallest integer that is exactly interoperable with a JavaScript `Number`.
+/// Smallest integer exactly interoperable with a JavaScript `Number`.
 pub const MIN_SAFE_INTEGER: i64 = -MAX_SAFE_INTEGER;

crates/wip-protocol/src/model.rs

@@ -1,6 +1,8 @@
+use std::collections::BTreeMap;
+
 use crate::{ProtocolError, ValidationError};
 
-/// Human-readable documentation attached to a protocol declaration.
+/// Human-readable plain-text documentation attached to a protocol declaration.
 #[derive(Debug, Clone, PartialEq, Eq, Default)]
 pub struct Documentation {
     /// A short, self-contained description.
@@ -9,242 +11,194 @@ pub struct Documentation {
     pub details: Option<String>,
 }
 
-/// Stable logical identity of a published object.
-#[derive(Debug, Clone, PartialEq, Eq, PartialOrd, Ord, Hash)]
-pub struct ObjectId(pub String);
-
-/// A published object and the ordered set of interfaces it implements.
+/// The protocol projection currently published at one Worldspace path.
 ///
-/// The vector order is significant. Call [`Object::validate`] before
-/// publication to reject duplicate interface names.
+/// `name` is a path segment, `interfaces` is an ordered set of opaque interface
+/// references, `r#ref` is optional object identity, and `validator` is an
+/// independent optional observation precondition. In particular, neither the
+/// path nor `r#ref` is a mandatory object identifier.
 #[derive(Debug, Clone, PartialEq, Eq)]
 pub struct Object {
-    /// Logical object identity.
-    pub id: ObjectId,
-    /// Interface names in publication order.
+    /// Path-segment name. The root object's name is empty.
+    pub name: String,
+    /// Short public description of the object.
+    pub description: Option<String>,
+    /// Opaque interface references in host publication order.
     pub interfaces: Vec<String>,
-}
-
-/// A complete logical observation of an object and its interface descriptors.
-#[derive(Debug, Clone, PartialEq)]
-pub struct InterfaceObservation {
-    /// Observed object.
-    pub object: Object,
-    /// Descriptors corresponding to `object.interfaces`.
-    pub descriptors: Vec<InterfaceDescriptor>,
+    /// Optional opaque identity within one client-facing Worldspace.
+    pub r#ref: Option<String>,
+    /// Optional opaque validator for the object's observed state.
+    pub validator: Option<Vec<u8>>,
 }
 
 /// Transport-independent description of one interface.
-#[derive(Debug, Clone, PartialEq)]
+///
+/// Interface identity is supplied by interaction fields such as
+/// [`FetchInterfaceResponse::interface`], not embedded in the descriptor.
+#[derive(Debug, Clone, PartialEq, Eq)]
 pub struct InterfaceDescriptor {
-    /// Interface name.
-    pub name: String,
+    /// Descriptor format version understood by clients and hosts.
+    pub format: String,
     /// Optional interface documentation.
     pub documentation: Option<Documentation>,
-    /// Named type declarations local to this descriptor.
-    pub declarations: Vec<TypeDeclaration>,
+    /// Named declarations local to this descriptor.
+    pub types: Vec<TypeDeclaration>,
     /// Operations exposed by this interface.
     pub operations: Vec<OperationDeclaration>,
 }
 
-/// A named type declaration local to an interface descriptor.
-#[derive(Debug, Clone, PartialEq)]
-pub enum TypeDeclaration {
-    /// A record declaration.
-    Record(RecordDeclaration),
-    /// An enumeration declaration.
-    Enum(EnumDeclaration),
-    /// A tagged union declaration.
-    Union(UnionDeclaration),
-}
-
-impl TypeDeclaration {
-    /// Returns the descriptor-local declaration name.
-    #[must_use]
-    pub fn name(&self) -> &str {
-        match self {
-            Self::Record(declaration) => &declaration.name,
-            Self::Enum(declaration) => &declaration.name,
-            Self::Union(declaration) => &declaration.name,
-        }
-    }
-}
-
-/// Declaration of a record with named fields.
-#[derive(Debug, Clone, PartialEq)]
-pub struct RecordDeclaration {
+/// A descriptor-local named type declaration.
+#[derive(Debug, Clone, PartialEq, Eq)]
+pub struct TypeDeclaration {
     /// Descriptor-local type name.
     pub name: String,
-    /// Optional record documentation.
+    /// Optional type documentation.
     pub documentation: Option<Documentation>,
-    /// Fields in declaration order.
-    pub fields: Vec<FieldDeclaration>,
+    /// Definition associated with `name`.
+    pub definition: TypeExpr,
+}
+
+/// A type expression used by declarations, fields, parameters, and returns.
+///
+/// [`TypeExpr::Named`] references are resolved only within the containing
+/// descriptor. Recursive references, including recursion through lists,
+/// records, and unions, are invalid.
+#[derive(Debug, Clone, PartialEq, Eq)]
+pub enum TypeExpr {
+    /// A value carrying no data.
+    Unit,
+    /// A boolean.
+    Boolean,
+    /// A JavaScript-lossless signed integer.
+    Integer,
+    /// A finite IEEE-754 binary64 number.
+    Number,
+    /// A Unicode string.
+    String,
+    /// An opaque byte sequence.
+    Bytes,
+    /// A schema-opaque JSON-compatible value tree.
+    Json,
+    /// A canonical absolute Worldspace path represented by a string value.
+    Entry,
+    /// A descriptor-local named declaration.
+    Named {
+        /// Referenced declaration name.
+        name: String,
+    },
+    /// A record with named fields.
+    Record {
+        /// Fields in declaration order.
+        fields: Vec<FieldDeclaration>,
+    },
+    /// An ordered list.
+    List {
+        /// Type of every list item.
+        items: Box<TypeExpr>,
+    },
+    /// A closed set of payload-free cases represented by strings.
+    Enum {
+        /// Cases in declaration order.
+        cases: Vec<EnumCase>,
+    },
+    /// A discriminated union represented by a record.
+    Union {
+        /// Cases in declaration order.
+        cases: Vec<UnionCase>,
+    },
 }
 
 /// Declaration of a record field.
-#[derive(Debug, Clone, PartialEq)]
+#[derive(Debug, Clone, PartialEq, Eq)]
 pub struct FieldDeclaration {
     /// Field name.
     pub name: String,
+    /// Whether the field must be present.
+    pub required: bool,
     /// Optional field documentation.
     pub documentation: Option<Documentation>,
     /// Field value type.
-    pub ty: TypeExpr,
-    /// Whether the field may be omitted.
-    ///
-    /// Optionality represents absence, not a `null` value.
-    pub optional: bool,
+    pub r#type: TypeExpr,
 }
 
-/// Declaration of an enumeration.
+/// One payload-free enum case.
 #[derive(Debug, Clone, PartialEq, Eq)]
-pub struct EnumDeclaration {
-    /// Descriptor-local type name.
+pub struct EnumCase {
+    /// Case name.
     pub name: String,
-    /// Optional enum documentation.
+    /// Optional case documentation.
     pub documentation: Option<Documentation>,
-    /// Allowed variants in declaration order.
-    pub variants: Vec<EnumVariantDeclaration>,
 }
 
-/// Declaration of one enumeration variant.
+/// One union case with zero or one payload.
 #[derive(Debug, Clone, PartialEq, Eq)]
-pub struct EnumVariantDeclaration {
-    /// Variant name.
+pub struct UnionCase {
+    /// Case name.
     pub name: String,
-    /// Optional variant documentation.
+    /// Optional case documentation.
     pub documentation: Option<Documentation>,
-}
-
-/// Declaration of a tagged union.
-#[derive(Debug, Clone, PartialEq)]
-pub struct UnionDeclaration {
-    /// Descriptor-local type name.
-    pub name: String,
-    /// Optional union documentation.
-    pub documentation: Option<Documentation>,
-    /// Allowed tagged variants in declaration order.
-    pub variants: Vec<UnionVariantDeclaration>,
-}
-
-/// Declaration of one tagged-union variant.
-#[derive(Debug, Clone, PartialEq)]
-pub struct UnionVariantDeclaration {
-    /// Variant tag.
-    pub name: String,
-    /// Optional variant documentation.
-    pub documentation: Option<Documentation>,
-    /// Payload type.
-    pub ty: TypeExpr,
-}
-
-/// A type expression used by fields, parameters, returns, and union payloads.
-///
-/// `Named` references are resolved only within the containing descriptor.
-/// Optional values are represented by the containing field or parameter and
-/// therefore are intentionally not a type expression.
-#[derive(Debug, Clone, PartialEq)]
-pub enum TypeExpr {
-    /// A UTF-8 string.
-    String,
-    /// A boolean.
-    Boolean,
-    /// A JavaScript-lossless integer.
-    Integer,
-    /// A finite IEEE-754 double precision number.
-    Number,
-    /// An opaque byte sequence.
-    Bytes,
-    /// An ordered sequence of values.
-    List(Box<TypeExpr>),
-    /// A key/value entry.
-    Entry {
-        /// Entry key type.
-        key: Box<TypeExpr>,
-        /// Entry value type.
-        value: Box<TypeExpr>,
-    },
-    /// A logical JSON value.
-    Json,
-    /// A descriptor-local named declaration.
-    Named(String),
+    /// Optional payload type.
+    pub payload: Option<TypeExpr>,
 }
 
 /// Declaration of one interface operation.
-#[derive(Debug, Clone, PartialEq)]
+#[derive(Debug, Clone, PartialEq, Eq)]
 pub struct OperationDeclaration {
-    /// Operation name, unique within its interface.
+    /// Operation name, unique within its descriptor.
     pub name: String,
     /// Optional operation documentation.
     pub documentation: Option<Documentation>,
     /// Parameters in declaration order.
     pub parameters: Vec<ParameterDeclaration>,
-    /// Return declaration, or `None` for an operation with no return value.
-    pub returns: Option<ReturnDeclaration>,
+    /// Return declaration. No-data operations return [`TypeExpr::Unit`].
+    pub returns: ReturnDeclaration,
 }
 
 /// Declaration of one operation parameter.
-#[derive(Debug, Clone, PartialEq)]
+#[derive(Debug, Clone, PartialEq, Eq)]
 pub struct ParameterDeclaration {
     /// Parameter name.
     pub name: String,
+    /// Whether the parameter must be present.
+    pub required: bool,
     /// Optional parameter documentation.
     pub documentation: Option<Documentation>,
     /// Parameter value type.
-    pub ty: TypeExpr,
-    /// Whether the parameter may be omitted.
-    ///
-    /// Optionality represents absence, not a `null` value.
-    pub optional: bool,
+    pub r#type: TypeExpr,
 }
 
 /// Declaration of an operation return value.
-#[derive(Debug, Clone, PartialEq)]
+#[derive(Debug, Clone, PartialEq, Eq)]
 pub struct ReturnDeclaration {
     /// Optional return-value documentation.
     pub documentation: Option<Documentation>,
     /// Return value type.
-    pub ty: TypeExpr,
+    pub r#type: TypeExpr,
 }
 
-/// A logical protocol value.
+/// A schema-neutral logical protocol value.
 ///
-/// There is no general `Null` variant: optional record fields and operation
-/// parameters are omitted. JSON null remains available inside [`Value::Json`].
+/// Enum cases, union cases, entries, and JSON are interpretations imposed by a
+/// descriptor. They are deliberately not variants of this enum. Record key
+/// ordering is not protocol-significant.
 #[derive(Debug, Clone, PartialEq)]
 pub enum Value {
-    /// A UTF-8 string.
-    String(String),
+    /// A value carrying no data; it also represents JSON null under `Json`.
+    Unit,
     /// A boolean.
     Boolean(bool),
-    /// An integer, validated against the JavaScript safe integer range.
+    /// A JavaScript-lossless integer.
     Integer(i64),
-    /// A number, validated to be finite.
+    /// A finite IEEE-754 binary64 number.
     Number(f64),
+    /// A Unicode string.
+    String(String),
     /// An opaque byte sequence.
     Bytes(Vec<u8>),
+    /// String-keyed fields with order-insensitive semantics.
+    Record(BTreeMap<String, Value>),
     /// An ordered sequence.
     List(Vec<Value>),
-    /// A key/value entry.
-    Entry {
-        /// Entry key.
-        key: Box<Value>,
-        /// Entry value.
-        value: Box<Value>,
-    },
-    /// Record fields. Duplicate names are invalid.
-    Record(Vec<NamedValue>),
-    /// An enum variant name.
-    Enum(String),
-    /// A tagged-union value.
-    Union {
-        /// Selected variant tag.
-        variant: String,
-        /// Variant payload.
-        value: Box<Value>,
-    },
-    /// A logical JSON value.
-    Json(JsonValue),
 }
 
 impl Value {
@@ -252,132 +206,233 @@ impl Value {
     #[must_use]
     pub fn kind(&self) -> crate::ValueKind {
         match self {
-            Self::String(_) => crate::ValueKind::String,
+            Self::Unit => crate::ValueKind::Unit,
             Self::Boolean(_) => crate::ValueKind::Boolean,
             Self::Integer(_) => crate::ValueKind::Integer,
             Self::Number(_) => crate::ValueKind::Number,
+            Self::String(_) => crate::ValueKind::String,
             Self::Bytes(_) => crate::ValueKind::Bytes,
-            Self::List(_) => crate::ValueKind::List,
-            Self::Entry { .. } => crate::ValueKind::Entry,
             Self::Record(_) => crate::ValueKind::Record,
-            Self::Enum(_) => crate::ValueKind::Enum,
-            Self::Union { .. } => crate::ValueKind::Union,
-            Self::Json(_) => crate::ValueKind::Json,
+            Self::List(_) => crate::ValueKind::List,
         }
     }
 }
 
-/// A named value used by records and operation arguments.
-#[derive(Debug, Clone, PartialEq)]
-pub struct NamedValue {
-    /// Field or parameter name.
-    pub name: String,
-    /// Associated value.
-    pub value: Value,
-}
-
-/// A transport-independent JSON value.
-#[derive(Debug, Clone, PartialEq)]
-pub enum JsonValue {
-    /// JSON null.
-    Null,
-    /// JSON boolean.
-    Boolean(bool),
-    /// JSON integer, validated against the JavaScript safe integer range.
-    Integer(i64),
-    /// JSON number, validated to be finite.
-    Number(f64),
-    /// JSON string.
-    String(String),
-    /// JSON array.
-    Array(Vec<JsonValue>),
-    /// JSON object. Duplicate member names are invalid.
-    Object(Vec<JsonMember>),
-}
-
-/// A member of a logical JSON object.
-#[derive(Debug, Clone, PartialEq)]
-pub struct JsonMember {
-    /// Member name.
-    pub name: String,
-    /// Member value.
-    pub value: JsonValue,
-}
-
-/// Logical destination of an operation call.
+/// Request for the object currently published at one path.
 #[derive(Debug, Clone, PartialEq, Eq)]
-pub struct OperationTarget {
-    /// Target object.
-    pub object: ObjectId,
-    /// Target interface name.
+pub struct FetchRequest {
+    /// Canonical absolute Worldspace path.
+    pub path: String,
+}
+
+/// Successful `fetch` response.
+pub type FetchResponse = Object;
+
+/// Request for a bounded breadth-first object-tree observation.
+#[derive(Debug, Clone, PartialEq, Eq)]
+pub struct FetchTreeRequest {
+    /// Canonical absolute path of the tree root.
+    pub path: String,
+    /// Maximum depth, where the requested object has depth zero.
+    pub depth: u32,
+    /// Maximum total node count, including the root. Must be nonzero.
+    pub limit: u32,
+}
+
+/// One node in a tree observation.
+#[derive(Debug, Clone, PartialEq, Eq)]
+pub struct ObjectTreeNode {
+    /// Object observed at this tree position.
+    pub object: Object,
+    /// Direct children in host-defined traversal order.
+    pub children: Vec<ObjectTreeNode>,
+}
+
+/// Successful `fetch_tree` response.
+#[derive(Debug, Clone, PartialEq, Eq)]
+pub struct FetchTreeResponse {
+    /// Observed tree rooted at the requested path.
+    pub root: ObjectTreeNode,
+    /// Whether public indexable children were omitted by depth or limit.
+    pub truncated: bool,
+}
+
+/// Request for the current descriptor of one opaque interface reference.
+#[derive(Debug, Clone, PartialEq, Eq)]
+pub struct FetchInterfaceRequest {
+    /// Opaque interface reference obtained from an object.
     pub interface: String,
-    /// Target operation name.
+}
+
+/// Successful `fetch_interface` response.
+#[derive(Debug, Clone, PartialEq, Eq)]
+pub struct FetchInterfaceResponse {
+    /// Opaque interface reference corresponding to the request.
+    pub interface: String,
+    /// Current validated descriptor.
+    pub descriptor: InterfaceDescriptor,
+    /// Optional opaque validator for this descriptor observation.
+    pub validator: Option<Vec<u8>>,
+}
+
+/// Object portion of an operation target.
+#[derive(Debug, Clone, PartialEq, Eq)]
+pub struct Target {
+    /// Canonical absolute path of the target object.
+    pub path: String,
+    /// Optional validator copied from the object observation.
+    pub validator: Option<Vec<u8>>,
+}
+
+/// Interface portion of an operation target.
+#[derive(Debug, Clone, PartialEq, Eq)]
+pub struct InterfaceTarget {
+    /// Opaque interface reference selected from the object's interface set.
+    pub reference: String,
+    /// Optional validator copied from the interface observation.
+    pub validator: Option<Vec<u8>>,
+}
+
+/// Transport-independent request to execute one operation.
+#[derive(Debug, Clone, PartialEq)]
+pub struct CallOperationRequest {
+    /// Path and optional object-state precondition.
+    pub target: Target,
+    /// Interface reference and its independent optional precondition.
+    pub interface: InterfaceTarget,
+    /// Operation name within the selected descriptor.
     pub operation: String,
+    /// Named arguments; map iteration order has no protocol meaning.
+    pub arguments: BTreeMap<String, Value>,
 }
 
-/// A transport-independent operation call.
+/// Successful operation response.
 #[derive(Debug, Clone, PartialEq)]
-pub struct OperationCall {
-    /// Logical call target.
-    pub target: OperationTarget,
-    /// Named arguments. Optional arguments are represented by omission.
-    pub arguments: Vec<NamedValue>,
+pub struct CallOperationResponse {
+    /// Application result validated against the operation return declaration.
+    pub result: Value,
+    /// Optional validator for the object state observed after execution.
+    pub validator: Option<Vec<u8>>,
 }
 
-/// Successful or failed logical outcome of an operation.
-#[derive(Debug, Clone, PartialEq)]
-pub enum OperationOutcome {
-    /// Operation returned. `None` represents a declared no-return operation.
-    Returned(Option<Value>),
-    /// Operation failed with a protocol-level error.
-    Failed(ProtocolError),
-}
-
-/// A transport-independent operation result.
-#[derive(Debug, Clone, PartialEq)]
-pub struct OperationResult {
-    /// Target corresponding to the result.
-    pub target: OperationTarget,
-    /// Logical outcome.
-    pub outcome: OperationOutcome,
+/// Logical outcome of any core interaction.
+#[derive(Debug, Clone, PartialEq, Eq)]
+pub enum ProtocolResult<T> {
+    /// The interaction succeeded.
+    Success(T),
+    /// The interaction failed at the protocol boundary.
+    Failure(ProtocolError),
 }
 
 impl Object {
-    /// Validates ordered-set interface semantics.
+    /// Validates the object-independent name and ordered-interface-set rules.
     pub fn validate(&self) -> Result<(), ValidationError> {
         crate::validation::validate_object(self)
     }
-}
 
-impl InterfaceObservation {
-    /// Validates the object, descriptor structure, and their correspondence.
-    pub fn validate(&self) -> Result<(), ValidationError> {
-        crate::validation::validate_observation(self)
+    /// Validates this object as the response observed at `path`.
+    pub fn validate_at_path(&self, path: &str) -> Result<(), ValidationError> {
+        crate::validation::validate_object_at_path(self, path)
+    }
+
+    /// Validates equal representations for a shared ref and present validator.
+    pub fn validate_consistency_with(&self, other: &Self) -> Result<(), ValidationError> {
+        crate::validation::validate_object_consistency(self, other)
     }
 }
 
 impl InterfaceDescriptor {
-    /// Validates declaration structure, references, and absence of recursion.
+    /// Validates declaration structure, named references, and absence of cycles.
     pub fn validate(&self) -> Result<(), ValidationError> {
         crate::validation::validate_descriptor(self)
     }
 
-    /// Validates a value against a type expression in this descriptor.
-    pub fn validate_value(&self, ty: &TypeExpr, value: &Value) -> Result<(), ValidationError> {
-        crate::validation::validate_root_value(self, ty, value)
+    /// Validates a raw value against a type expression in this descriptor.
+    pub fn validate_value(&self, r#type: &TypeExpr, value: &Value) -> Result<(), ValidationError> {
+        crate::validation::validate_root_value(self, r#type, value)
     }
 
-    /// Validates a call target and arguments against this descriptor.
-    pub fn validate_call(&self, call: &OperationCall) -> Result<(), ValidationError> {
-        crate::validation::validate_call(self, call)
-    }
-
-    /// Validates an operation's returned value against this descriptor.
-    pub fn validate_return(
+    /// Validates named arguments for one declared operation.
+    pub fn validate_arguments(
         &self,
         operation: &str,
-        value: Option<&Value>,
+        arguments: &BTreeMap<String, Value>,
     ) -> Result<(), ValidationError> {
-        crate::validation::validate_return(self, operation, value)
+        crate::validation::validate_arguments(self, operation, arguments)
+    }
+
+    /// Validates one operation result against its return declaration.
+    pub fn validate_result(&self, operation: &str, result: &Value) -> Result<(), ValidationError> {
+        crate::validation::validate_result(self, operation, result)
+    }
+
+    /// Validates the path, operation, and arguments in a call request.
+    pub fn validate_call(&self, request: &CallOperationRequest) -> Result<(), ValidationError> {
+        crate::validation::validate_call(self, request)
+    }
+}
+
+impl FetchRequest {
+    /// Validates the request path.
+    pub fn validate(&self) -> Result<(), ValidationError> {
+        crate::validation::validate_path(&self.path)
+    }
+
+    /// Validates an object returned for this request.
+    ///
+    /// Failure means the Client received an invalid success response; it is not a
+    /// Host-returned [`crate::ProtocolErrorCode`].
+    pub fn validate_response(&self, response: &FetchResponse) -> Result<(), ValidationError> {
+        response.validate_at_path(&self.path)
+    }
+}
+
+impl FetchTreeRequest {
+    /// Validates the request path and nonzero node limit.
+    pub fn validate(&self) -> Result<(), ValidationError> {
+        crate::validation::validate_fetch_tree_request(self)
+    }
+}
+
+impl FetchTreeResponse {
+    /// Validates tree shape, names, depth, and node limit for `request`.
+    ///
+    /// Failure means the Client received an invalid success response; it is not a
+    /// Host-returned [`crate::ProtocolErrorCode`].
+    pub fn validate_for(&self, request: &FetchTreeRequest) -> Result<(), ValidationError> {
+        crate::validation::validate_fetch_tree_response(self, request)
+    }
+}
+
+impl FetchInterfaceResponse {
+    /// Validates request correspondence and descriptor semantics.
+    ///
+    /// Failure means the Client received an invalid success response; it is not a
+    /// Host-returned [`crate::ProtocolErrorCode`]. Descriptor format support is a
+    /// separate Client concern: an otherwise valid descriptor with an unsupported
+    /// `format` is a Client-local `UnsupportedDescriptorFormat`.
+    pub fn validate_for(&self, request: &FetchInterfaceRequest) -> Result<(), ValidationError> {
+        crate::validation::validate_fetch_interface_response(self, request)
+    }
+}
+
+impl CallOperationRequest {
+    /// Validates this call against the descriptor selected by `interface`.
+    pub fn validate_with(&self, descriptor: &InterfaceDescriptor) -> Result<(), ValidationError> {
+        descriptor.validate_call(self)
+    }
+}
+
+impl CallOperationResponse {
+    /// Validates this result against the named operation in `descriptor`.
+    ///
+    /// Failure means the Client received an invalid success response; it is not a
+    /// Host-returned [`crate::ProtocolErrorCode`].
+    pub fn validate_for(
+        &self,
+        descriptor: &InterfaceDescriptor,
+        operation: &str,
+    ) -> Result<(), ValidationError> {
+        descriptor.validate_result(operation, &self.result)
     }
 }

crates/wip-public-api-example/Cargo.toml

@@ -0,0 +1,12 @@
+[package]
+name = "wip-public-api-example"
+version = "0.1.0"
+edition = "2024"
+description = "Public-only end-to-end conformance consumer for the WIP Rust APIs"
+license = "MIT OR Apache-2.0"
+publish = false
+
+[dependencies]
+wip-host = { path = "../wip-host" }
+wip-interface = { path = "../wip-interface" }
+wip-protocol = { path = "../wip-protocol" }

crates/wip-public-api-example/src/lib.rs

@@ -0,0 +1,508 @@
+//! Public-only conformance consumer for the WIP Rust crates.
+//!
+//! # Architectural boundary
+//!
+//! This package is an ordinary application consumer. Its direct dependencies are
+//! the public `wip-protocol`, `wip-interface`, and `wip-host` crates; it neither
+//! imports workspace-private modules nor depends on `wip-interface-macros`.
+//! `wip-protocol` owns transport-independent DTOs and schema-neutral values,
+//! while this package owns its application DTOs and interface traits. The
+//! request-scoped implementation, backend handle, authorization policy, and
+//! publication wiring remain host-private. A transport binding would translate
+//! its own wire routes and envelopes to the protocol call DTOs; no HTTP type is
+//! part of an application trait or interface descriptor.
+//!
+//! # Breaking migration exercised here
+//!
+//! The canonical API targets operations by `target.path` rather than a mandatory
+//! object identifier. Object `ref` and object/interface validators are separate,
+//! optional observation fields. Interface references are opaque values observed
+//! separately from descriptors, and descriptors contain neither a Rust trait
+//! name nor an opaque-reference `name` field. Application records, enums,
+//! unions, entry paths, and JSON all encode through the schema-neutral [`Value`]
+//! variants: entries and enums are strings, unions are discriminator records,
+//! and JSON recursively uses ordinary records/lists/primitives. The former
+//! `Entry<K, V>` and semantic `Value::Entry`, `Value::Enum`, `Value::Union`, and
+//! `Value::Json` forms are intentionally unsupported.
+//!
+//! # Supported authoring subset
+//!
+//! Public, non-generic traits use immutable `&self` receivers, owned named
+//! parameters, and explicit `wip::OperationResult<T>` returns. Derived DTOs are
+//! named-field records, all-unit enums, or unions with unit and single-payload
+//! cases. A direct `Option<T>` means field/argument omission, never protocol
+//! null. See `wip-interface` for the complete rejected-syntax list.
+
+#![deny(missing_docs)]
+
+use std::collections::BTreeMap;
+use std::error::Error;
+use std::io;
+
+use wip_host::{
+    CallErrorKind, CallRequest, InterfaceRef, InterfaceRegistry, InterfaceTarget, ObjectProvider,
+    PublishedObject, RegisteredInterface, Target, Validator, WipObject,
+};
+use wip_interface as wip;
+use wip_interface::WipType;
+use wip_protocol::{ProtocolError, ProtocolErrorCode, Value};
+
+const OBJECT_PATH: &str = "/article-service";
+const OBJECT_VALIDATOR: &[u8] = b"object-v1";
+const CATALOG_VALIDATOR: &[u8] = b"catalog-v1";
+
+/// Publication visibility represented as a protocol enum string.
+#[derive(Debug, Clone, PartialEq, Eq, wip::WipType)]
+pub enum Visibility {
+    /// Visible to every authorized caller.
+    Public,
+    /// Visible only inside the application domain.
+    Private,
+}
+
+/// An application-owned request DTO mapped to a protocol record.
+#[derive(Debug, Clone, PartialEq, wip::WipType)]
+pub struct PublishRequest {
+    /// Title of the article to publish.
+    pub title: String,
+    /// Optional article body; omission is distinct from JSON null.
+    pub body: Option<String>,
+    /// Canonical Worldspace path to the source entry.
+    pub source: wip::Entry,
+    /// Application enum represented by a schema-neutral string.
+    pub visibility: Visibility,
+    /// Schema-opaque JSON represented by ordinary protocol values.
+    pub metadata: wip::JsonValue,
+}
+
+/// The application domain result of a publication attempt.
+#[derive(Debug, Clone, PartialEq, Eq, wip::WipType)]
+pub enum PublishOutcome {
+    /// Publication succeeded and returned its application identifier.
+    Published(String),
+    /// An application policy rejected the publication.
+    Rejected(String),
+}
+
+/// Article publication operations.
+#[wip::interface]
+pub trait Catalog {
+    /// Publishes an article or reports an application-domain rejection.
+    ///
+    /// # Returns
+    /// The typed application outcome.
+    fn publish(
+        &self,
+        /// Application publication request.
+        request: PublishRequest,
+    ) -> wip::OperationResult<PublishOutcome>;
+
+    /// Returns the catalog-qualified status.
+    fn status(&self) -> wip::OperationResult<String>;
+
+    /// Demonstrates a host/backend failure rather than a domain result.
+    fn backend_status(&self) -> wip::OperationResult<String>;
+
+    /// Demonstrates denial after every structural precondition succeeds.
+    fn restricted_status(&self) -> wip::OperationResult<String>;
+}
+
+/// Audit operations exposed by the same object.
+#[wip::interface]
+pub trait Audit {
+    /// Returns the audit-qualified status.
+    fn status(&self) -> wip::OperationResult<String>;
+}
+
+/// A registered but deliberately unexposed interface.
+#[wip::interface]
+pub trait Diagnostics {
+    /// Returns host-private diagnostics when explicitly exposed.
+    fn diagnostics(&self) -> wip::OperationResult<String>;
+}
+
+/// Observable outcomes from the complete public-API scenario.
+#[derive(Debug, Clone, PartialEq)]
+pub struct DemoReport {
+    /// Path-segment name from the canonical object projection.
+    pub object_name: String,
+    /// Optional object identity, distinct from the resolution path.
+    pub object_reference: Option<String>,
+    /// Optional object-state validator.
+    pub object_validator: Option<Vec<u8>>,
+    /// Opaque interface references published by the object, in exposure order.
+    pub published_interfaces: Vec<String>,
+    /// Opaque reference assigned to the catalog descriptor.
+    pub catalog_interface_reference: String,
+    /// Opaque reference assigned to the audit descriptor.
+    pub audit_interface_reference: String,
+    /// Descriptor format observed separately for the catalog reference.
+    pub catalog_descriptor_format: String,
+    /// Descriptor format observed separately for the audit reference.
+    pub audit_descriptor_format: String,
+    /// Typed successful application result decoded from a validated [`Value`].
+    pub published: PublishOutcome,
+    /// Typed application-domain rejection decoded from a validated [`Value`].
+    pub rejected: PublishOutcome,
+    /// Result of the catalog-qualified `status` operation.
+    pub catalog_status: String,
+    /// Result of the audit-qualified `status` operation.
+    pub audit_status: String,
+    /// Stable failure kind produced by the deliberate host/backend failure.
+    pub host_failure: CallErrorKind,
+    /// A protocol failure whose operation effects cannot be guaranteed absent.
+    pub protocol_failure: ProtocolError,
+    /// Authorization failure after a fully qualified valid request.
+    pub permission_failure: ProtocolErrorCode,
+    /// Recovery signal for a stale object validator.
+    pub validator_failure: ProtocolErrorCode,
+    /// Failure for a known but unexposed interface reference.
+    pub interface_mismatch: ProtocolErrorCode,
+    /// Failure for an unknown interface observation reference.
+    pub interface_not_found: ProtocolErrorCode,
+    /// First failure for a request with an invalid path and later invalid fields.
+    pub precedence_failure: ProtocolErrorCode,
+}
+
+/// Runs the complete end-to-end conformance example.
+///
+/// The provider resolves the current object from a Worldspace path for each
+/// call. Interface observations remain separate from object projection, and all
+/// successful calls carry independent object and interface validators.
+///
+/// # Errors
+///
+/// Returns an error if registration, observation, path resolution, dispatch, or
+/// application-value decoding fails unexpectedly.
+pub fn run() -> Result<DemoReport, Box<dyn Error>> {
+    let mut registry = InterfaceRegistry::new();
+    let catalog = registry.register(CatalogDefinition, Some(Validator::new(CATALOG_VALIDATOR)))?;
+    let audit = registry.register(AuditDefinition, None)?;
+    let diagnostics = registry.register(DiagnosticsDefinition, None)?;
+    let provider = ApplicationProvider {
+        catalog: catalog.clone(),
+        audit: audit.clone(),
+    };
+
+    let object = provider.fetch(OBJECT_PATH)?;
+    let catalog_observation = registry.fetch_interface(
+        object
+            .interfaces
+            .first()
+            .ok_or_else(|| io::Error::other("catalog interface was not published"))?,
+    )?;
+    let audit_observation = registry.fetch_interface(
+        object
+            .interfaces
+            .get(1)
+            .ok_or_else(|| io::Error::other("audit interface was not published"))?,
+    )?;
+
+    let published = dispatch_publish(
+        &provider,
+        catalog.reference(),
+        PublishRequest {
+            title: "Public APIs".into(),
+            body: Some("protocol values in, validated values out".into()),
+            source: wip::Entry::new("/drafts/public-apis")?,
+            visibility: Visibility::Public,
+            metadata: wip::JsonValue::Object(vec![wip::JsonMember {
+                name: "reviewed".into(),
+                value: wip::JsonValue::Boolean(true),
+            }]),
+        },
+    )?;
+    let rejected = dispatch_publish(
+        &provider,
+        catalog.reference(),
+        PublishRequest {
+            title: String::new(),
+            body: None,
+            source: wip::Entry::new("/drafts/untitled")?,
+            visibility: Visibility::Private,
+            metadata: wip::JsonValue::Null,
+        },
+    )?;
+    let catalog_status = dispatch_string(
+        &provider,
+        request(
+            OBJECT_PATH,
+            catalog.reference(),
+            Some(CATALOG_VALIDATOR),
+            "status",
+            BTreeMap::new(),
+        ),
+    )?;
+    let audit_status = dispatch_string(
+        &provider,
+        request(
+            OBJECT_PATH,
+            audit.reference(),
+            None,
+            "status",
+            BTreeMap::new(),
+        ),
+    )?;
+
+    let host_error = provider
+        .call_operation(request(
+            OBJECT_PATH,
+            catalog.reference(),
+            Some(CATALOG_VALIDATOR),
+            "backend_status",
+            BTreeMap::new(),
+        ))
+        .expect_err("backend_status must model a host failure");
+    ensure_kind(&host_error, CallErrorKind::Implementation)?;
+    let protocol_failure = host_error.protocol_error();
+
+    let permission_failure = provider
+        .call_operation(request(
+            OBJECT_PATH,
+            catalog.reference(),
+            Some(CATALOG_VALIDATOR),
+            "restricted_status",
+            BTreeMap::new(),
+        ))
+        .expect_err("restricted_status must be denied")
+        .protocol_error()
+        .code;
+
+    let validator_failure = provider
+        .call_operation(CallRequest {
+            target: Target {
+                path: OBJECT_PATH.into(),
+                validator: Some(b"stale-object".to_vec()),
+            },
+            interface: InterfaceTarget {
+                reference: diagnostics.reference().as_str().to_owned(),
+                validator: Some(b"stale-interface".to_vec()),
+            },
+            operation: "missing".into(),
+            arguments: BTreeMap::from([("unknown".into(), Value::Unit)]),
+        })
+        .expect_err("the stale object validator must fail first")
+        .protocol_error()
+        .code;
+
+    let interface_mismatch = provider
+        .call_operation(request(
+            OBJECT_PATH,
+            diagnostics.reference(),
+            None,
+            "diagnostics",
+            BTreeMap::new(),
+        ))
+        .expect_err("registered but unexposed interface must not dispatch")
+        .protocol_error()
+        .code;
+
+    let interface_not_found = registry
+        .fetch_interface("missing-interface")
+        .expect_err("unknown interface references must not resolve")
+        .code;
+
+    let precedence_failure = provider
+        .call_operation(CallRequest {
+            target: Target {
+                path: "relative/path".into(),
+                validator: Some(b"stale-object".to_vec()),
+            },
+            interface: InterfaceTarget {
+                reference: diagnostics.reference().as_str().to_owned(),
+                validator: Some(b"stale-interface".to_vec()),
+            },
+            operation: "missing".into(),
+            arguments: BTreeMap::from([("unknown".into(), Value::Unit)]),
+        })
+        .expect_err("invalid path must have canonical precedence")
+        .protocol_error()
+        .code;
+
+    Ok(DemoReport {
+        object_name: object.name,
+        object_reference: object.r#ref,
+        object_validator: object.validator,
+        published_interfaces: object.interfaces,
+        catalog_interface_reference: catalog.reference().as_str().to_owned(),
+        audit_interface_reference: audit.reference().as_str().to_owned(),
+        catalog_descriptor_format: catalog_observation.descriptor.format,
+        audit_descriptor_format: audit_observation.descriptor.format,
+        published,
+        rejected,
+        catalog_status,
+        audit_status,
+        host_failure: host_error.kind(),
+        protocol_failure,
+        permission_failure,
+        validator_failure,
+        interface_mismatch,
+        interface_not_found,
+        precedence_failure,
+    })
+}
+
+fn ensure_kind(error: &wip_host::CallError, expected: CallErrorKind) -> Result<(), io::Error> {
+    if error.kind() == expected {
+        Ok(())
+    } else {
+        Err(io::Error::other(format!(
+            "unexpected host failure kind: {:?}",
+            error.kind()
+        )))
+    }
+}
+
+fn dispatch_publish(
+    provider: &ApplicationProvider,
+    catalog: &InterfaceRef,
+    request_value: PublishRequest,
+) -> Result<PublishOutcome, Box<dyn Error>> {
+    let encoded_request = request_value.encode()?;
+    let result = provider.call_operation(request(
+        OBJECT_PATH,
+        catalog,
+        Some(CATALOG_VALIDATOR),
+        "publish",
+        BTreeMap::from([("request".into(), encoded_request)]),
+    ))?;
+    Ok(PublishOutcome::decode(result.result)?)
+}
+
+fn dispatch_string(
+    provider: &ApplicationProvider,
+    request: CallRequest,
+) -> Result<String, Box<dyn Error>> {
+    let result = provider.call_operation(request)?;
+    Ok(String::decode(result.result)?)
+}
+
+fn request(
+    path: &str,
+    interface: &InterfaceRef,
+    interface_validator: Option<&[u8]>,
+    operation: &str,
+    arguments: BTreeMap<String, Value>,
+) -> CallRequest {
+    CallRequest {
+        target: Target {
+            path: path.into(),
+            validator: Some(OBJECT_VALIDATOR.to_vec()),
+        },
+        interface: InterfaceTarget {
+            reference: interface.as_str().to_owned(),
+            validator: interface_validator.map(<[u8]>::to_vec),
+        },
+        operation: operation.into(),
+        arguments,
+    }
+}
+
+struct ApplicationProvider {
+    catalog: RegisteredInterface<CatalogDefinition>,
+    audit: RegisteredInterface<AuditDefinition>,
+}
+
+impl ObjectProvider for ApplicationProvider {
+    type Object = ApplicationService;
+
+    fn with_object<R>(
+        &self,
+        path: &str,
+        operation: impl FnOnce(&PublishedObject<Self::Object>) -> R,
+    ) -> Option<R> {
+        if path != OBJECT_PATH {
+            return None;
+        }
+        let publication = PublishedObject::new(ApplicationService::new())
+            .expose(&self.catalog)
+            .expect("ApplicationService implements Catalog")
+            .expose(&self.audit)
+            .expect("ApplicationService implements Audit");
+        Some(operation(&publication))
+    }
+
+    fn authorize(
+        &self,
+        _: &str,
+        _: &ApplicationService,
+        _: &InterfaceRef,
+        operation: &str,
+    ) -> bool {
+        operation != "restricted_status"
+    }
+}
+
+struct ApplicationService {
+    object_validator: Validator,
+    backend_connection: String,
+}
+
+impl ApplicationService {
+    fn new() -> Self {
+        Self {
+            object_validator: Validator::new(OBJECT_VALIDATOR),
+            backend_connection: "private://article-database".into(),
+        }
+    }
+}
+
+impl WipObject for ApplicationService {
+    fn name(&self) -> &str {
+        "article-service"
+    }
+
+    fn description(&self) -> Option<&str> {
+        Some("Article publication service")
+    }
+
+    fn reference(&self) -> Option<&str> {
+        Some("article-service-instance")
+    }
+
+    fn validator(&self) -> Option<&Validator> {
+        Some(&self.object_validator)
+    }
+
+    fn requires_validator(&self, _: &InterfaceRef, _: &str) -> bool {
+        true
+    }
+}
+
+impl Catalog for ApplicationService {
+    fn publish(&self, request: PublishRequest) -> wip::OperationResult<PublishOutcome> {
+        if request.title.trim().is_empty() {
+            Ok(PublishOutcome::Rejected("a title is required".into()))
+        } else {
+            Ok(PublishOutcome::Published("article-1".into()))
+        }
+    }
+
+    fn status(&self) -> wip::OperationResult<String> {
+        Ok("catalog-ready".into())
+    }
+
+    fn backend_status(&self) -> wip::OperationResult<String> {
+        if self.backend_connection.starts_with("private://") {
+            Err(wip::HostError::new("backend unavailable"))
+        } else {
+            Ok("backend-ready".into())
+        }
+    }
+
+    fn restricted_status(&self) -> wip::OperationResult<String> {
+        Ok("authorization hook should prevent this call".into())
+    }
+}
+
+impl Audit for ApplicationService {
+    fn status(&self) -> wip::OperationResult<String> {
+        Ok("audit-ready".into())
+    }
+}
+
+impl Diagnostics for ApplicationService {
+    fn diagnostics(&self) -> wip::OperationResult<String> {
+        Ok("host-private".into())
+    }
+}

crates/wip-public-api-example/src/main.rs

@@ -0,0 +1,14 @@
+use std::error::Error;
+
+fn main() -> Result<(), Box<dyn Error>> {
+    let report = wip_public_api_example::run()?;
+    println!(
+        "published {} interfaces; catalog={}, audit={}; domain={:?}; host={:?}",
+        report.published_interfaces.len(),
+        report.catalog_status,
+        report.audit_status,
+        report.rejected,
+        report.host_failure,
+    );
+    Ok(())
+}

crates/wip-public-api-example/tests/end_to_end.rs

@@ -0,0 +1,239 @@
+use std::collections::BTreeMap;
+
+use wip_host::CallErrorKind;
+use wip_interface::{Entry, JsonMember, JsonValue, WipType};
+use wip_protocol::{INTERFACE_FORMAT_V1, InterfaceDescriptor, Object, ProtocolErrorCode, Value};
+use wip_public_api_example::{CatalogDefinition, PublishOutcome, PublishRequest, Visibility, run};
+
+#[test]
+fn public_crates_support_the_complete_qualified_end_to_end_scenario() {
+    let report = run().unwrap();
+
+    assert_eq!(report.object_name, "article-service");
+    assert_eq!(
+        report.object_reference.as_deref(),
+        Some("article-service-instance")
+    );
+    assert_eq!(
+        report.object_validator.as_deref(),
+        Some(b"object-v1".as_slice())
+    );
+    assert_eq!(
+        report.published_interfaces,
+        [
+            report.catalog_interface_reference.clone(),
+            report.audit_interface_reference.clone(),
+        ],
+        "interfaces must retain explicit publication order"
+    );
+    assert_ne!(
+        report.catalog_interface_reference, report.audit_interface_reference,
+        "interfaces form an ordered set of distinct opaque references"
+    );
+    assert_eq!(report.catalog_descriptor_format, INTERFACE_FORMAT_V1);
+    assert_eq!(report.audit_descriptor_format, INTERFACE_FORMAT_V1);
+    assert_eq!(
+        report.published,
+        PublishOutcome::Published("article-1".into())
+    );
+    assert_eq!(
+        report.rejected,
+        PublishOutcome::Rejected("a title is required".into())
+    );
+    assert_eq!(report.catalog_status, "catalog-ready");
+    assert_eq!(report.audit_status, "audit-ready");
+}
+
+#[test]
+fn domain_host_permission_and_validator_failures_remain_distinct() {
+    let report = run().unwrap();
+
+    assert!(matches!(report.rejected, PublishOutcome::Rejected(_)));
+    assert_eq!(report.host_failure, CallErrorKind::Implementation);
+    assert_eq!(
+        report.protocol_failure.code,
+        ProtocolErrorCode::OperationOutcomeUnknown
+    );
+    assert_eq!(
+        report.permission_failure,
+        ProtocolErrorCode::PermissionDenied
+    );
+    assert_eq!(
+        report.validator_failure,
+        ProtocolErrorCode::ValidatorMismatch,
+        "validator recovery signals must not collapse to InvalidRequest"
+    );
+}
+
+#[test]
+fn interface_mismatch_is_not_interface_not_found() {
+    let report = run().unwrap();
+
+    assert_eq!(
+        report.interface_mismatch,
+        ProtocolErrorCode::InterfaceMismatch
+    );
+    assert_eq!(
+        report.interface_not_found,
+        ProtocolErrorCode::InterfaceNotFound
+    );
+    assert_ne!(report.interface_mismatch, report.interface_not_found);
+}
+
+#[test]
+fn invalid_path_keeps_canonical_failure_precedence() {
+    let report = run().unwrap();
+
+    assert_eq!(report.precedence_failure, ProtocolErrorCode::InvalidRequest);
+    assert_ne!(report.precedence_failure, report.validator_failure);
+    assert_ne!(report.precedence_failure, report.interface_mismatch);
+}
+
+#[test]
+fn object_fields_keep_path_context_and_optional_ref_separate() {
+    // Listing every field makes this test fail to compile if a mandatory
+    // ObjectId is reintroduced into the canonical object DTO.
+    let object = Object {
+        name: "article".into(),
+        description: None,
+        interfaces: vec!["catalog-ref".into(), "audit-ref".into()],
+        r#ref: None,
+        validator: None,
+    };
+
+    object.validate_at_path("/library/article").unwrap();
+    assert_eq!(object.name, "article");
+    assert_eq!(object.r#ref, None);
+    assert_eq!(object.interfaces, ["catalog-ref", "audit-ref"]);
+}
+
+#[test]
+fn interface_reference_is_observed_separately_from_descriptor_fields() {
+    // An exact destructuring pattern is compile-time coverage that the
+    // descriptor has no trait-name or opaque-reference `name` field.
+    let InterfaceDescriptor {
+        format,
+        documentation,
+        types,
+        operations,
+    } = CatalogDefinition::descriptor();
+
+    assert_eq!(format, INTERFACE_FORMAT_V1);
+    assert!(documentation.is_some());
+    assert!(!types.is_empty());
+    assert_eq!(
+        operations
+            .iter()
+            .map(|operation| operation.name.as_str())
+            .collect::<Vec<_>>(),
+        ["publish", "status", "backend_status", "restricted_status"]
+    );
+}
+
+#[test]
+fn application_record_enum_union_entry_and_json_use_schema_neutral_values() {
+    let request = PublishRequest {
+        title: "Canonical values".into(),
+        body: None,
+        source: Entry::new("/drafts/canonical-values").unwrap(),
+        visibility: Visibility::Public,
+        metadata: JsonValue::Object(vec![
+            JsonMember {
+                name: "tags".into(),
+                value: JsonValue::Array(vec![JsonValue::String("wip".into()), JsonValue::Null]),
+            },
+            JsonMember {
+                name: "ready".into(),
+                value: JsonValue::Boolean(true),
+            },
+        ]),
+    };
+
+    let encoded = request.encode().unwrap();
+    assert_schema_neutral(&encoded);
+    let Value::Record(fields) = encoded else {
+        panic!("derived DTO record must use Value::Record")
+    };
+    assert_eq!(
+        fields.get("title"),
+        Some(&Value::String("Canonical values".into()))
+    );
+    assert!(!fields.contains_key("body"));
+    assert_eq!(
+        fields.get("source"),
+        Some(&Value::String("/drafts/canonical-values".into()))
+    );
+    assert_eq!(
+        fields.get("visibility"),
+        Some(&Value::String("Public".into()))
+    );
+    assert_eq!(
+        fields.get("metadata"),
+        Some(&Value::Record(BTreeMap::from([
+            ("ready".into(), Value::Boolean(true)),
+            (
+                "tags".into(),
+                Value::List(vec![Value::String("wip".into()), Value::Unit])
+            ),
+        ])))
+    );
+
+    let outcome = PublishOutcome::Rejected("policy".into()).encode().unwrap();
+    assert_schema_neutral(&outcome);
+    assert_eq!(
+        outcome,
+        Value::Record(BTreeMap::from([
+            ("$case".into(), Value::String("Rejected".into())),
+            ("value".into(), Value::String("policy".into())),
+        ]))
+    );
+}
+
+#[test]
+fn entry_is_a_validated_canonical_absolute_path_string() {
+    let entry = Entry::new("/articles/one").unwrap();
+    assert_eq!(
+        entry.encode().unwrap(),
+        Value::String("/articles/one".into())
+    );
+
+    for invalid in [
+        "articles/one",
+        "/articles/",
+        "/articles//one",
+        "/articles/./one",
+        "/articles/../one",
+    ] {
+        assert!(
+            Entry::new(invalid).is_err(),
+            "accepted invalid path {invalid}"
+        );
+        assert!(
+            Entry::decode(Value::String(invalid.into())).is_err(),
+            "decoded invalid path {invalid}"
+        );
+    }
+}
+
+fn assert_schema_neutral(value: &Value) {
+    // This exhaustive match is a compile-time regression guard: reintroducing
+    // semantic Entry/Enum/Union/Json variants makes the consumer non-exhaustive.
+    match value {
+        Value::Unit
+        | Value::Boolean(_)
+        | Value::Integer(_)
+        | Value::Number(_)
+        | Value::String(_)
+        | Value::Bytes(_) => {}
+        Value::Record(fields) => {
+            for value in fields.values() {
+                assert_schema_neutral(value);
+            }
+        }
+        Value::List(values) => {
+            for value in values {
+                assert_schema_neutral(value);
+            }
+        }
+    }
+}

src/main.rs

@@ -1,3 +0,0 @@
-fn main() {
-    println!("Hello, world!");
-}