# PBS Specs

This directory contains the normative PBS specification set.

## Purpose

Specs define the official PBS language/frontend contract.

They exist to make behavior, constraints, and interfaces stable across implementations and reviews.

Cross-language acceptance rules are not defined here.
Those are maintained in `docs/general/specs`.

## Expected Format

The exact structure may vary by document, but a spec should usually contain:

1. Title
2. Status
3. Scope or Applies To
4. Purpose
5. Authority and Precedence
6. Normative Inputs
7. Core Rules
8. Non-Goals
9. Exit Criteria

Some specs may also include:

- already-settled inputs,
- initial section targets,
- `TODO` sections for tracked unresolved items,
- cross-references to adjacent specs.

## Writing Rules

- Write in normative language.
- Integrate only decisions that have already been closed.
- Keep debate history and exploratory alternatives out of the spec body.
- Preserve clear boundaries between adjacent specs.
- Use `TODO` only for explicitly tracked unresolved items, not as a substitute for agenda work.

## Upstream Rule

Specs should normally be fed by:

1. agendas that frame the open topic,
2. decisions that close the architectural question,
3. then spec integration.

If a spec edit would require guessing an unresolved design choice, the correct action is to stop and surface the missing decision first.

## Current Chapter Focus

The active PBS chapter focus is:

- `11. AST Specification.md`
- `12. Diagnostics Specification.md`
- `13. Lowering IRBackend Specification.md`