writeonce/docs/stories/language-runtime-database/01-principles-doc.md

2 KiB

Iteration 1 — the principles doc

Format: product/story-iteration-template. Part of Story — one language, one runtime, one database, one binary.

Goals

  • The repo gains docs/00-principles.md: one page stating the twelve writeonce principles — the doctrine every later iteration links back to instead of re-arguing.
  • The twelve: one binary is the whole system; zero dependencies (kernel primitives only); memory safety without a GC tax (MVS ownership, opt-in @gc, per-shard collection); no inheritance ever; thread-per-core shards with ownership moves; the runtime never stops (blue-green slots, embedded source); RAM authoritative + WAL durable; samples force the grammar; Linux is the target; capabilities are typed builtins (no FFI); plain diagnostics are the product; the runtime is a recipe box.

Acceptance Criteria

  • What to achieve?
    • Given a new contributor opening docs/,
    • when they read docs/00-principles.md,
    • then each principle is a short statement plus a one-line why plus a link to the spec or doc that enforces it, and no principle contradicts a locked spec decision.
  • What to achieve?
    • Given CLAUDE.md's "Where to read next" list,
    • when the iteration lands,
    • then it contains one pointer line to the principles doc and nothing else about it changed.

Out Of Scope

  • Rewriting or relocating existing doctrine text in specs/plans — the doc links, it does not duplicate.
  • Any .wo example content (iterations 2+ own code-adjacent artifacts).

Info

  • docs/ numbering starts at 01-problem.md; the 00- slot is free and reads as "start here".
  • Spec governing this slice: docs/superpowers/specs/2026-08-07-logwatcher-sample-and-principles-design.md §3.

Proposed Solution

  • Author the page with the twelve principles in the order listed in the governing spec; verify every link resolves; add the CLAUDE.md pointer line; record the commit draft in .dev/commit.md.