# Aborist tickets — index

Aborist uses a flat `ticket-NNNNNN-<slug>.md` convention for actionable
proposals: defects with a known root cause, design proposals awaiting
go/no-go, or scoped enhancements queued for future implementation.

## Convention

- **Filename:** `docs/ticket-NNNNNN-<slug>.md`. The ID is a six-digit
  zero-padded integer; the slug is hyphen-lowercase and short enough
  to stay readable on a 100-column terminal.
- **Numbering:** monotonic, never reused. Pick the next free integer
  greater than every existing ticket. The current next ID is on the
  `Next ID` line below; bump it when you open a ticket and commit
  the bump in the same commit as the new ticket file.
- **Header:** every ticket starts with
  ```
  # Ticket #NNNNNN — <short title>

  **Status:** open · awaiting go/no-go      (or "in progress", "closed")
  **Opened:** YYYY-MM-DD
  **Scope:** <one-liner — what this ticket is for>
  **Audience:** <who reads this>
  **Hard constraint:** <invariants this ticket commits to NOT break>
  ```
- **Body:** problem statement, design choices with trade-offs,
  recommendation, implementation sketch, scope boundaries, status.
  See `ticket-000001-retrieval-keywords-audit-gap.md` for a worked
  template.
- **Closure:** when a ticket lands, flip Status to `closed · landed in
  commit <sha>` and leave the file in place. Do not delete tickets;
  they are the design log.

## Distinction from other docs

`docs/` also contains architecture references and bench journey notes
that are NOT tickets — they describe state of the world rather than
proposing change. Examples that stay un-numbered:

- `cti-architecture.md` (architecture reference)
- `mesh.md`, `mesh-deploy.md` (architecture + ops reference)
- `naming-deferral.md` (naming convention reference)
- `qa-modes-bench-2026-04-30.md` (point-in-time bench journal)
- `verifier-semantic-gap-design.md`,
  `self-reference-thought-chains-design.md` (older design docs that
  pre-date the ticket convention; leave as-is unless retroactively
  promoting one to a ticket adds value)
- `concept-relations-design.md` (architecture reference for the
  per-shard `concept_relations` synonym/rivalry layer + the 1.6%
  storage-tax rationale; landed 2026-05-01)

If a doc proposes change AND awaits a decision AND has scoped
implementation cost, it's a ticket. Otherwise it's reference.

## Index

Newest first. Update on every open/close.

| ID       | Title                                          | Status                | Opened     | Directive |
|----------|------------------------------------------------|-----------------------|------------|-----------|
| #000005  | Label ladder migration (POINTER-LINKED → …)    | closed · 2026-05-02   | 2026-05-01 | D7        |
| #000004  | Directive coverage in bench summary            | closed · `acd1f9c`    | 2026-05-01 | D8        |
| #000003  | Anchor-class warrant generalization (Module H+)| closed · 2026-05-02   | 2026-05-01 | D6        |
| #000002  | Reference-Frame Polarity Contract (Module L)   | closed · 2026-05-02   | 2026-05-01 | D3        |
| #000001  | Retrieval-keywords audit gap                   | closed · 2026-05-02   | 2026-05-01 | D4        |

## Next ID

`000006`
