A step marker whose key is off the grammar refuses the carrier

spec:carrier.step-keys.malformed-marker-refused

Example / Scenario · storyready floor ready

Packs: pack:adopter-speed-v1, pack:self-hosting-v1

Design: no design entries · no pinned declarations · no decisions

specs/carrier/step-keys.malformed-marker-refused.sdp.md

No open questions and no blocking questions; implementation binding none, verifier binding present, and expected-outcome oracle none.

Given

the {carrier: "Markdown"} carriers of a parent whose example space declares the Given steps {vocabulary: "[#cart-size] a customer has a cart with {items:number} line items"}
a child example of that parent whose Given steps read {example: "a customer has a cart with {items: 2} line items"}

When

the contracts are generated, the step lines are reworded by replacing {before: "a customer has a cart with"} with {after: "the cart holds"}, and the contracts are generated again

Then

the first extraction finding's message contains {extractMessage: "step key markers must be [#<lower-camel ASCII key>] followed by one space and text"}

Composing needs the script.

Intent

outcome: Execute the marker refusal on step text that opens with a marker whose key is not lower-camel ASCII.

Behavior

Examples

Given the {carrier: "Markdown"} carriers of a parent whose example space declares the Given steps {vocabulary: "[#cart-size] a customer has a cart with {items:number} line items"}
Given a child example of that parent whose Given steps read {example: "a customer has a cart with {items: 2} line items"}
When the contracts are generated, the step lines are reworded by replacing {before: "a customer has a cart with"} with {after: "the cart holds"}, and the contracts are generated again
Then the first extraction finding's message contains {extractMessage: "step key markers must be [#<lower-camel ASCII key>] followed by one space and text"}

Verification

Verifier bindings

test:protocol.step-keys.malformed-marker-refused · anchored · test anchor binding present · test/self-hosting-step-keys.test.ts:167

External run evidence from `test/self-hosting-step-keys.test.ts`

Test anchors: test:protocol.step-keys.conflicting-example-key-withheld, test:protocol.step-keys.gherkin-keyed-step-stays-bound, test:protocol.step-keys.key-equal-to-a-skeleton-withheld, test:protocol.step-keys.malformed-marker-refused, test:protocol.step-keys.renamed-key-breaks, test:protocol.step-keys.repeated-key-refused, test:protocol.step-keys.reworded-keyed-step-stays-bound, test:protocol.step-keys.reworded-unkeyed-step-breaks, test:protocol.step-keys.two-keys-on-one-step-refused, test:protocol.step-keys.typescript-keyed-step-imports-keyed. Specs verified by those bindings: spec:carrier.step-keys, spec:carrier.step-keys.conflicting-example-key-withheld, spec:carrier.step-keys.gherkin-keyed-step-stays-bound, spec:carrier.step-keys.key-equal-to-a-skeleton-withheld, spec:carrier.step-keys.malformed-marker-refused, spec:carrier.step-keys.renamed-key-breaks, spec:carrier.step-keys.repeated-key-refused, spec:carrier.step-keys.reworded-keyed-step-stays-bound, spec:carrier.step-keys.reworded-unkeyed-step-breaks, spec:carrier.step-keys.two-keys-on-one-step-refused, spec:carrier.step-keys.typescript-keyed-step-imports-keyed, spec:extraction.executable-contracts.

Run 1: external run evidence from vitest 4.1.10

Build: CI 391 · Branch: cursor/media-plan-and-articles-09b1 · Commit: 076cd4f1f85640d8236e5cca1bffffa68ab79a33 · Start: 2026-10-31T15:32:20.471Z · Stop: 2026-10-31T15:34:02.073Z

Name	Suite	Result	Duration
executes the bound example against a fresh world	An example marker that disagrees with its vocabulary withholds the contract (spec:carrier.step-keys.conflicting-example-key-withheld)	passed	22.63 ms
executes the bound example against a fresh world	A keyed Gherkin step keeps its binding across a rewording (spec:carrier.step-keys.gherkin-keyed-step-stays-bound)	passed	1217.15 ms
executes the bound example against a fresh world	A step key equal to another step's skeleton withholds the contract (spec:carrier.step-keys.key-equal-to-a-skeleton-withheld)	passed	28 ms
executes the bound example against a fresh world	A step marker whose key is off the grammar refuses the carrier (spec:carrier.step-keys.malformed-marker-refused)	passed	770.98 ms
executes the bound example against a fresh world	Renaming a step key breaks the binding (spec:carrier.step-keys.renamed-key-breaks)	passed	645.28 ms
executes the bound example against a fresh world	One key on two vocabulary steps refuses the carrier (spec:carrier.step-keys.repeated-key-refused)	passed	585.85 ms
executes the bound example against a fresh world	A keyed step reworded in its vocabulary and its example keeps its binding (spec:carrier.step-keys.reworded-keyed-step-stays-bound)	passed	671.38 ms
executes the bound example against a fresh world	The same rewording without a key breaks the binding (spec:carrier.step-keys.reworded-unkeyed-step-breaks)	passed	654.66 ms
executes the bound example against a fresh world	Two keys on one step refuse the carrier (spec:carrier.step-keys.two-keys-on-one-step-refused)	passed	726.16 ms
executes the bound example against a fresh world	A keyed TypeScript step keeps its key through import to Markdown (spec:carrier.step-keys.typescript-keyed-step-imports-keyed)	passed	666.12 ms

Design view

Requirement drawing

Satisfying or referencing units: no recorded binding.

Requirement drawing for spec:carrier.step-keys.malformed-marker-refused

The diagram as text

spec:carrier.step-keys.malformed-marker-refused: A step marker whose key is off the grammar refuses the carrier · declared Spec
spec:carrier.step-keys: An example step may carry a key that survives rewording · declared Spec
test:protocol.step-keys.malformed-marker-refused: test:protocol.step-keys.malformed-marker-refused · anchored test binding · binding present · test/self-hosting-step-keys.test.ts:167
spec:carrier.step-keys.malformed-marker-refused refines spec:carrier.step-keys · declared
spec:carrier.step-keys.malformed-marker-refused verifies spec:carrier.step-keys · declared
test:protocol.step-keys.malformed-marker-refused verifies spec:carrier.step-keys.malformed-marker-refused · anchored

Mermaid source

Copyable source; the Studio draws static SVG.

Preferred and chosen syntax: requirementDiagram; exact refines, satisfies and verifies, with claim words in nodes and per-edge comments.

Mermaid source for Requirement drawing for spec:carrier.step-keys.malformed-marker-refused

requirementDiagram
  requirement n0 {
    text: "A step marker whose key is off the grammar refuses the carrier · declared Spec · spec:carrier.step-keys.malformed-marker-refused"
  }
  element n1 {
    type: "test:protocol.step-keys.malformed-marker-refused · anchored test binding · binding present · test:protocol.step-keys.malformed-marker-refused"
  }
  requirement n2 {
    text: "An example step may carry a key that survives rewording · declared Spec · spec:carrier.step-keys"
  }
  %% claim: declared
  n0 - refines -> n2
  %% claim: declared
  n0 - verifies -> n2
  %% claim: anchored
  n1 - verifies -> n0

Decisions

No decision record named.

Runtime

No implementation neighborhood recorded.

Runtime observation: not tracked.

Evidence

Runtime observation: not tracked.

Build attestations: not tracked.

Deployments: not tracked.

Bills of materials: not tracked.

Impact

Relations of spec:carrier.step-keys.malformed-marker-refused

E2: verifies · declared

The diagram as text

spec:carrier.step-keys: An example step may carry a key that survives rewording
spec:carrier.step-keys.malformed-marker-refused: A step marker whose key is off the grammar refuses the carrier
spec:carrier.step-keys.malformed-marker-refused refines spec:carrier.step-keys · declared
spec:carrier.step-keys.malformed-marker-refused verifies spec:carrier.step-keys · declared

Mermaid source

Copyable source; the Studio draws static SVG.

Preferred syntax: flowchart. Chosen syntax: labelled flowchart, preserving exact relations, claims and folds.

Mermaid source for Relations of spec:carrier.step-keys.malformed-marker-refused

flowchart TB
  n0["An example step may carry a key that survives rewording · spec:carrier.step-keys"]
  n1["A step marker whose key is off the grammar refuses the carrier · spec:carrier.step-keys.malformed-marker-refused"]
  n1 -->|"refines · declared"| n0
  n1 -->|"verifies · declared"| n0

Rests on

refines · spec:carrier.step-keys · stated ready, floor ready

Rested on by

No Spec rests on this Spec.

Relations

Relation and direction	Other end	Claim	Reason	Exercised keys
refines · outgoing	An example step may carry a key that survives rewording `spec:carrier.step-keys` · resolves	declared	None	None
verifies · outgoing	An example step may carry a key that survives rewording `spec:carrier.step-keys` · resolves	declared	None	`markerRefusals`

Bindings

Implementation binding: none

Design reference: none

Verifier binding: present

test:protocol.step-keys.malformed-marker-refused · anchored · test/self-hosting-step-keys.test.ts:167 · test anchor

Expected-outcome oracle: none

Runtime observation: not tracked.

Run results: not recorded in the graph.

Findings

None.

Composing (0)

Composing needs the script.

Examples

Verifier bindings

External run evidence from test/self-hosting-step-keys.test.ts

Run 1: external run evidence from vitest 4.1.10

Requirement drawing

Decisions

Rests on

Rested on by

Relations

Bindings

Implementation binding: none

Design reference: none

Verifier binding: present

Expected-outcome oracle: none

Findings

External run evidence from `test/self-hosting-step-keys.test.ts`