Branch main Contract SurfaceDifference

Contract: Surfacedifference

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Field	Value
Branch	main
Source	specs/contracts/SurfaceDifference.schema.json
Commit	5b2aac39fcf8
Synced (UTC)	2026-05-31T11:22:29Z

Visual Context

Contract pages define the machine-checkable object shape that crosses a lifecycle boundary.

flowchart LR
  Producer["Lifecycle producer"] --> Contract["Contract schema"]
  Contract --> Example["Schema example"]
  Example --> Validator["Schema validator"]
  Contract --> Fixture["Conformance fixture output"]
  Fixture --> Gate["Base-design gate"]

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Reading Checklist

Question	Where to look
Which lifecycle boundary uses it?	Read description, required fields, and linked references.
What diagnostics are mandatory?	Inspect diagnostic reference fields and rule-reference links.
How is it validated?	Compare this schema with fixtures/schema_examples/ and conformance vectors.

---

JSON Payload

{
  "$schema": "http://json-schema.org/draft-07/schema#",
  "title": "SurfaceDifference",
  "description": "Evidence-only JSON surface difference record.",
  "type": "object",
  "properties": {
    "differenceID": {
      "type": "string"
    },
    "path": {
      "$ref": "JsonPointer.schema.json"
    },
    "differenceKind": {
      "type": "string",
      "enum": [
        "MISSING",
        "ADDED",
        "REMOVED",
        "REPLACED",
        "TYPE_CHANGED",
        "ARRAY_CHANGED"
      ]
    },
    "observedDocument": {
      "$ref": "JsonDocumentReference.schema.json"
    },
    "desiredDocument": {
      "$ref": "JsonDocumentReference.schema.json"
    },
    "diagnosticReference": {
      "$ref": "DiagnosticReference.schema.json"
    }
  },
  "required": [
    "differenceID",
    "path",
    "differenceKind",
    "observedDocument",
    "desiredDocument",
    "diagnosticReference"
  ],
  "additionalProperties": false
}