Establish the engineering roadmap, governance, and execution backlog

.github/ISSUE_TEMPLATE/engineering-work.yml

@@ -0,0 +1,49 @@
+name: Engineering work item
+description: Define an evidence-backed, owned and reviewable engineering outcome.
+title: "[CLI] "
+body:
+  - type: markdown
+    attributes:
+      value: |
+        Keep CE integration in SDK and application policy/workflows in Client.
+        Do not report fixture, source or AOT publication evidence as live-host qualification.
+  - type: textarea
+    id: outcome
+    attributes:
+      label: Outcome and owner
+      description: State the problem, owning layer, desired behavior and explicit exclusions.
+    validations:
+      required: true
+  - type: textarea
+    id: evidence
+    attributes:
+      label: Source and current behavior
+      description: Include pinned file/commit links and distinguish observations from hypotheses.
+    validations:
+      required: true
+  - type: textarea
+    id: scope
+    attributes:
+      label: Requirements and risks
+      description: Include ownership, target/lifecycle, cancellation, partial effects and compatibility.
+    validations:
+      required: true
+  - type: textarea
+    id: acceptance
+    attributes:
+      label: Acceptance criteria and validation
+      description: Specify executable checks, commands, fixtures and live gates; mark unexecuted tests.
+    validations:
+      required: true
+  - type: textarea
+    id: dependencies
+    attributes:
+      label: Parent, blockers and required artifacts
+      description: Link issues and exact containing SDK artifacts; also set native GitHub relationships.
+    validations:
+      required: true
+  - type: textarea
+    id: delivery
+    attributes:
+      label: Proposed branch, PR scope and documentation
+      description: Use a focused PR; do not auto-close upstream work or create an epic-sized change.

.github/ISSUE_TEMPLATE/epic.yml

@@ -0,0 +1,49 @@
+name: Engineering epic
+description: Define an evidence-backed, owned and reviewable engineering outcome.
+title: "[CLI] "
+body:
+  - type: markdown
+    attributes:
+      value: |
+        Keep CE integration in SDK and application policy/workflows in Client.
+        Do not report fixture, source or AOT publication evidence as live-host qualification.
+  - type: textarea
+    id: outcome
+    attributes:
+      label: Outcome and owner
+      description: State the problem, owning layer, desired behavior and explicit exclusions.
+    validations:
+      required: true
+  - type: textarea
+    id: evidence
+    attributes:
+      label: Source and current behavior
+      description: Include pinned file/commit links and distinguish observations from hypotheses.
+    validations:
+      required: true
+  - type: textarea
+    id: scope
+    attributes:
+      label: Requirements and risks
+      description: Include ownership, target/lifecycle, cancellation, partial effects and compatibility.
+    validations:
+      required: true
+  - type: textarea
+    id: acceptance
+    attributes:
+      label: Acceptance criteria and validation
+      description: Specify executable checks, commands, fixtures and live gates; mark unexecuted tests.
+    validations:
+      required: true
+  - type: textarea
+    id: dependencies
+    attributes:
+      label: Parent, blockers and required artifacts
+      description: Link issues and exact containing SDK artifacts; also set native GitHub relationships.
+    validations:
+      required: true
+  - type: textarea
+    id: delivery
+    attributes:
+      label: Proposed branch, PR scope and documentation
+      description: Use a focused PR; do not auto-close upstream work or create an epic-sized change.

.github/ISSUE_TEMPLATE/research.yml

@@ -0,0 +1,49 @@
+name: Research and qualification
+description: Define an evidence-backed, owned and reviewable engineering outcome.
+title: "[CLI] "
+body:
+  - type: markdown
+    attributes:
+      value: |
+        Keep CE integration in SDK and application policy/workflows in Client.
+        Do not report fixture, source or AOT publication evidence as live-host qualification.
+  - type: textarea
+    id: outcome
+    attributes:
+      label: Outcome and owner
+      description: State the problem, owning layer, desired behavior and explicit exclusions.
+    validations:
+      required: true
+  - type: textarea
+    id: evidence
+    attributes:
+      label: Source and current behavior
+      description: Include pinned file/commit links and distinguish observations from hypotheses.
+    validations:
+      required: true
+  - type: textarea
+    id: scope
+    attributes:
+      label: Requirements and risks
+      description: Include ownership, target/lifecycle, cancellation, partial effects and compatibility.
+    validations:
+      required: true
+  - type: textarea
+    id: acceptance
+    attributes:
+      label: Acceptance criteria and validation
+      description: Specify executable checks, commands, fixtures and live gates; mark unexecuted tests.
+    validations:
+      required: true
+  - type: textarea
+    id: dependencies
+    attributes:
+      label: Parent, blockers and required artifacts
+      description: Link issues and exact containing SDK artifacts; also set native GitHub relationships.
+    validations:
+      required: true
+  - type: textarea
+    id: delivery
+    attributes:
+      label: Proposed branch, PR scope and documentation
+      description: Use a focused PR; do not auto-close upstream work or create an epic-sized change.

.github/PULL_REQUEST_TEMPLATE.md

@@ -0,0 +1,33 @@
+## Outcome and linked issue
+
+Closes <!-- link only the issue actually completed by this PR -->
+
+## Scope and architectural ownership
+
+Describe resulting behavior, affected contracts, and exclusions. SDK owns CE integration; Client owns workflows and policy.
+
+## Dependencies and containing artifacts
+
+Link upstream prerequisites without closing them. Identify the SDK package containing every consumed primitive.
+
+## Validation actually performed
+
+| Check | Command / profile | Actual result | Evidence |
+|---|---|---|---|
+| Unit / fixture | | Not executed | |
+| Packed consumer | | Not executed | |
+| Live host | | Not executed | |
+| AOT publication | | Not executed | |
+
+## Compatibility, lifetime and partial effects
+
+Explain public API or behavior changes, ownership, target switches, cleanup, cancellation and migration.
+
+## Documentation and review checklist
+
+- [ ] Scope is focused; existing repository style and contribution rules are preserved.
+- [ ] Relevant regression evidence is attached; pending gates remain explicit.
+- [ ] No raw state/owner escapes the normal Client boundary.
+- [ ] Capability and artifact claims match actual results.
+- [ ] Documentation and release impact are recorded.
+- [ ] No automatic merge, release, protection change or unsupported capability activation is requested.

.github/workflows/ci.yml

@@ -37,6 +37,12 @@ jobs:
             **/packages.lock.json
             Directory.Packages.props
 
+      - name: Validate engineering backlog and validator tests
+        run: |
+          python --version
+          python eng/Validate-EngineeringManifest.py
+          python -m unittest discover -s eng/tests -v
+
       - name: Restore locked dependency graph
         run: dotnet restore CheatEngine.Client.slnx --locked-mode
 

.github/workflows/main-ci.yml

@@ -11,6 +11,8 @@ on:
       - 'Directory.Build.targets'
       - 'Directory.Packages.props'
       - 'README.md'
+      - 'ROADMAP.md'
+      - 'docs/**'
       - 'eng/**'
       - 'global.json'
       - 'libs/**'

.github/workflows/pull-request-ci.yml

@@ -11,6 +11,8 @@ on:
       - 'Directory.Build.targets'
       - 'Directory.Packages.props'
       - 'README.md'
+      - 'ROADMAP.md'
+      - 'docs/**'
       - 'eng/**'
       - 'global.json'
       - 'libs/**'

ROADMAP.md

@@ -0,0 +1,99 @@
+# CheatEngine.Client Roadmap
+
+**Planning baseline: September 21, 2026.** This is an outcome-based plan, not a delivery-date commitment. The initial preparation attempt was denied GitHub writes; the later operator-authorized deployment is recorded in [the engineering evidence receipt](docs/engineering/EVIDENCE_AND_LIMITS.md). The roadmap still does not imply product implementation, package publication, or live-host qualification.
+
+## Operating boundary
+
+SDK owns CE integration; Client owns developer-facing workflows. Independent reliability fixes need not wait for all SDK research. Source merged, package shipped, fixture passed and host qualified are separate gates.
+
+## Milestones
+
+| Phase | Outcome | Exit evidence |
+|---|---|---|
+| CLI-M0 | Governance and capability truth | Public status separates implementation, artifact, host qualification and policy. |
+| CLI-M1 | Reliability and activation integrity | No-target, retained-codec and construction-rollback tests match production semantics. |
+| CLI-M2 | SDK boundary adoption | Built-in integration delegates to shipped SDK contracts with preserved outcomes. |
+| CLI-M3 | Modules and public API boundaries | Generated public contracts contain no raw state/owner escape; activation/module lifetime tested. |
+| CLI-M4 | Workflow and fluent correctness | Cardinality, partial effects, budgets and fluent names are truthful and documented. |
+| CLI-M5 | Evidence-gated advanced workflows | Only workflows with target/ownership/cleanup evidence are enabled. |
+| CLI-M6 | Packaging and developer readiness | Clean consumer/template/deployment/live results independently recorded. |
+
+## Epics and implementable work
+
+### CLI-E01 — Governance and capability truth
+Maintain the developer-facing support model and evidence-linked execution plan.
+
+| Work item | Priority | Prerequisites |
+|---|---|---|
+| [CLI-001](docs/engineering/work-items/CLI-001.md) — Reconcile Client audit evidence with source and consumed packages | P1 | Refinement and evidence; no declared issue blocker |
+| [CLI-002](docs/engineering/work-items/CLI-002.md) — Separate capability implementation, host evidence, and policy | P1 | CLI-001 |
+| [CLI-003](docs/engineering/work-items/CLI-003.md) — Adopt Client governance, roadmap, and issue-to-PR workflow | P1 | Refinement and evidence; no declared issue blocker |
+
+### CLI-E02 — Immediate reliability corrections
+Repair classified failures, retained contexts, and partial activation cleanup independently of broad SDK expansion.
+
+| Work item | Priority | Prerequisites |
+|---|---|---|
+| [CLI-004](docs/engineering/work-items/CLI-004.md) — Align expected process failures with production dispatcher semantics | P1 | Refinement and evidence; no declared issue blocker |
+| [CLI-005](docs/engineering/work-items/CLI-005.md) — Expire memory-codec contexts after each invocation | P1 | Refinement and evidence; no declared issue blocker |
+| [CLI-006](docs/engineering/work-items/CLI-006.md) — Complete all activation rollback stages and preserve original errors | P1 | Refinement and evidence; no declared issue blocker |
+
+### CLI-E03 — SDK contract adoption
+Replace duplicated built-in CE interpretation with the actual containing SDK artifacts.
+
+| Work item | Priority | Prerequisites |
+|---|---|---|
+| [CLI-007](docs/engineering/work-items/CLI-007.md) — Replace built-in CE Lua declarations with SDK semantic operations | P1 | SDK-008, SDK-023 |
+| [CLI-008](docs/engineering/work-items/CLI-008.md) — Preserve SDK failure provenance and partial effect information | P1 | SDK-007, SDK-023 |
+| [CLI-009](docs/engineering/work-items/CLI-009.md) — Bind Client workflows to authoritative SDK target identity | P1 | SDK-010, SDK-011, SDK-023 |
+
+### CLI-E04 — Modules, public boundaries, and activation composition
+Keep application extensibility safe without leaking raw SDK state or duplicating registration mechanisms.
+
+| Work item | Priority | Prerequisites |
+|---|---|---|
+| [CLI-010](docs/engineering/work-items/CLI-010.md) — Use SDK registration leases for generated Lua modules | P1 | SDK-009, SDK-022, SDK-023, CLI-006 |
+| [CLI-011](docs/engineering/work-items/CLI-011.md) — Enforce recursive public and generated API type boundaries | P1 | Refinement and evidence; no declared issue blocker |
+| [CLI-012](docs/engineering/work-items/CLI-012.md) — Specify activation-local DI and multi-plugin composition | P2 | CLI-006, SDK-005 |
+
+### CLI-E05 — Memory, scan, and table workflows
+Preserve cardinality, partial effects, limits and target consistency across friendly APIs.
+
+| Work item | Priority | Prerequisites |
+|---|---|---|
+| [CLI-013](docs/engineering/work-items/CLI-013.md) — Make AOB cardinality and result budgets truthful | P1 | SDK-014, SDK-023, CLI-008, CLI-009 |
+| [CLI-014](docs/engineering/work-items/CLI-014.md) — Report memory batch effects and cancellation milestones | P1 | SDK-013, CLI-008, CLI-009, CLI-005 |
+| [CLI-015](docs/engineering/work-items/CLI-015.md) — Adopt typed record and symbol commands with safe workflow policy | P1 | SDK-021, SDK-023, CLI-008, CLI-009 |
+
+### CLI-E06 — Qualified advanced workflow adoption
+Enable scan, allocation, patch and event workflows only after their specific lower-layer gates.
+
+| Work item | Priority | Prerequisites |
+|---|---|---|
+| [CLI-016](docs/engineering/work-items/CLI-016.md) — Adopt qualified SDK value-scan sessions | P2 | SDK-015, SDK-023, CLI-009, CLI-002 |
+| [CLI-017](docs/engineering/work-items/CLI-017.md) — Adopt target-bound allocation and patch leases | P1 | SDK-011, SDK-017, SDK-023, CLI-009, CLI-008 |
+| [CLI-018](docs/engineering/work-items/CLI-018.md) — Define gated debugger and subscription workflow adapters | P2 | SDK-018, SDK-019, CLI-019, CLI-009 |
+
+### CLI-E07 — Developer experience and bounded observation
+Define coherent lifetime, reader, completion and discoverability policies.
+
+| Work item | Priority | Prerequisites |
+|---|---|---|
+| [CLI-019](docs/engineering/work-items/CLI-019.md) — Bound event consumers and specify stream completion | P2 | Refinement and evidence; no declared issue blocker |
+| [CLI-020](docs/engineering/work-items/CLI-020.md) — Standardize fluent terminals and supported workflow examples | P2 | CLI-002, CLI-013 |
+| [CLI-021](docs/engineering/work-items/CLI-021.md) — Unify stale-client and local-process operation semantics | P2 | Refinement and evidence; no declared issue blocker |
+
+### CLI-E08 — Package, deployment, and release readiness
+Validate actual packages, external consumers, deployment sets and measured end-to-end behavior.
+
+| Work item | Priority | Prerequisites |
+|---|---|---|
+| [CLI-022](docs/engineering/work-items/CLI-022.md) — Validate minimum SDK artifacts and public compatibility | P1 | SDK-023, CLI-007, CLI-010, CLI-011 |
+| [CLI-023](docs/engineering/work-items/CLI-023.md) — Verify coherent deployment sets and external plugin inheritance | P2 | CLI-022 |
+| [CLI-024](docs/engineering/work-items/CLI-024.md) — Publish end-to-end qualification and performance budgets | P2 | CLI-022, CLI-023, SDK-024 |
+
+## Execution notes
+
+A phase is an outcome grouping, not a global lock. A research task can proceed while an unrelated reliability fix ships. The graph specifies technical prerequisites; it does not estimate capacity. Before Client adoption, identify a package containing every required SDK primitive even when a prior SDK minimum-contract release is already complete.
+
+Create a branch only when a leaf is ready. Keep SDK and Client PRs separate; publish the containing SDK artifact before declaring dependent Client behavior supported. Parent issue closure is never inferred from a single child PR.

docs/adr/0004-capability-matrix.md

@@ -6,8 +6,18 @@
 ## Context
 
 An interface alone does not establish that a Cheat Engine operation is safe to create, use, dispose, or repeat across
-plugin activation. In particular, SDK 1.0.0 does not expose the ownership factory required for the Client to create and
-adopt `MemScan` and `FoundList` instances without inventing an unverified handle-lifetime contract.
+plugin activation. Source and package evidence must also be kept separate. The reviewed SDK source baseline
+`aa3fcc3cdf629468e69d0c68817183d44a719894` contains
+`CheatEngine.SDK.Engine.Scanning.Values.MemoryScanSessions.TryCreate`, whereas the released `CheatEngine.SDK` 1.0.0
+package consumed by Client does not expose that factory. The Client therefore cannot adopt `MemScan` and `FoundList`
+instances from the released package without inventing an unverified handle-lifetime contract.
+
+| Evidence object | `MemoryScanSessions.TryCreate` | Client consequence |
+|---|---|---|
+| SDK source `aa3fcc3cdf629468e69d0c68817183d44a719894` | Present | A later SDK artifact may make an adoption path possible; source presence alone does not enable Client. |
+| Released NuGet `CheatEngine.SDK` 1.0.0 | Absent | `IValueScanner` remains capability-gated. |
+
+The required Cheat Engine 7.7 x64 ownership and lifecycle qualification remains separate from both observations.
 
 ## Decision and why