hyperpolymath · hyperpolymath · Sep 21, 2026 · Sep 21, 2026
@@ -140,7 +140,7 @@ jobs:
           exit 1
 
   # Runs the validator from THIS ref, not the pinned published action, so a
-  # change to validate-a2ml.sh is exercised by the same commit that makes it.
+  # change to validate-deed.sh is exercised by the same commit that makes it.
   # Asserts on the discovery COUNT as well as the exit code: the defect this
   # guards (the scan glob matching only '*.a2ml') produced a green exit 0 by
   # opening no .deed files at all, so exit status alone cannot detect it.

@@ -42,10 +42,10 @@ upstream pins.
 [source,sh]
 ----
 # governance: whole repo, strict, ignoring fixtures and members
-INPUT_PATH=. INPUT_STRICT=true INPUT_PATHS_IGNORE=$'conformance/\nmembers/' ../a2ml/a2ml-validate-action/validate-a2ml.sh
+INPUT_PATH=. INPUT_STRICT=true INPUT_PATHS_IGNORE=$'conformance/\nmembers/' ../a2ml/a2ml-validate-action/validate-deed.sh
 # conformance positive (zero errors) and negative (every case errors)
-INPUT_PATH=conformance/valid INPUT_STRICT=true ../a2ml/a2ml-validate-action/validate-a2ml.sh
-INPUT_PATH=conformance/invalid INPUT_STRICT=true ../a2ml/a2ml-validate-action/validate-a2ml.sh
+INPUT_PATH=conformance/valid INPUT_STRICT=true ../a2ml/a2ml-validate-action/validate-deed.sh
+INPUT_PATH=conformance/invalid INPUT_STRICT=true ../a2ml/a2ml-validate-action/validate-deed.sh
 ----
 
 The invalid conformance command is expected to fail.
@@ -49,7 +49,7 @@ missing-license case will self-pass.
 [source,sh]
 ----
 # positive: zero errors
-INPUT_PATH=conformance/valid   INPUT_STRICT=true  <validate-a2ml.sh>
+INPUT_PATH=conformance/valid   INPUT_STRICT=true  <validate-deed.sh>
 # negative: every case errors
-INPUT_PATH=conformance/invalid INPUT_STRICT=true  <validate-a2ml.sh>
+INPUT_PATH=conformance/invalid INPUT_STRICT=true  <validate-deed.sh>
 ----
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
 # SPDX-FileCopyrightText: © 2026 Jonathan D.A. Jewell (hyperpolymath)
 # SPDX-License-Identifier: MPL-2.0
 #
-# Behavioural test for .deed support in validate-action/validate-a2ml.sh.
+# Behavioural test for .deed support in validate-action/validate-deed.sh.
 #
 # This exists because the gap it guards was invisible to every source-level
 # survey. The discovery glob matched only '*.a2ml', so .deed files were never
@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@
 set -uo pipefail
 
 HERE="$(cd "$(dirname "${BASH_SOURCE[0]}")" && pwd)"
-VALIDATOR="${HERE}/../validate-action/validate-a2ml.sh"
+VALIDATOR="${HERE}/../validate-action/validate-deed.sh"
 FAILURES=0
 
 # Report a passing assertion using the test script's standard output format.

@@ -54,7 +54,7 @@ the format.
   frontmatter surface of `0-AI-MANIFEST.a2ml` (894 files, 100% conformant). Its
   disposition under DEED is an *open question* for the owner — it is
   deliberately not stamped.
-* The existing `.a2ml` validator (`validate-action/validate-a2ml.sh`) and the
+* The existing `.a2ml` validator (`validate-action/validate-deed.sh`) and the
   positive fixtures in `conformance/valid/` are historical v1 inputs, explicitly
   non-DEED. No migration is required to make that distinction accurate.
 

@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@ enforce A2ML compliance.
 a2ml-validate-action/
 ├── action.yml            # GitHub Action metadata and entry point
 ├── src/
-│   └── validate-a2ml.sh  # Validation script (delegates to shell logic)
+│   └── validate-deed.sh  # Validation script (delegates to shell logic)
 ├── examples/             # Example workflows using this action
 ├── docs/                 # Usage documentation
 └── container/            # Containerfile for CI
@@ -22,7 +22,7 @@ a2ml-validate-action/
 === Data Flow
 
 ....
-[GitHub workflow trigger] ──► [action.yml] ──► [validate-a2ml.sh]
+[GitHub workflow trigger] ──► [action.yml] ──► [validate-deed.sh]
                                                        │
                                             [scan repo for .a2ml files]
                                                        │

@@ -1,15 +1,17 @@
 # SPDX-License-Identifier: MPL-2.0
 # Copyright (c) 2026 Jonathan D.A. Jewell (hyperpolymath) <j.d.a.jewell@open.ac.uk>
 #
-# action.yml — Validate A2ML Manifests GitHub Action
-# Scans repository for .a2ml and .deed files and validates structure, required
-# fields, SPDX headers, and attestation blocks.
+# action.yml — Validate DEED Manifests GitHub Action
+# Scans the repository for .deed (DEED grammar) and legacy .a2ml manifests and
+# validates structure, required fields, SPDX headers, and attestation blocks.
+# a2ml is retired (owner ruling R-H3, standards #836/#837): DEED is the grammar.
 
-name: 'Validate A2ML Manifests'
+name: 'Validate DEED Manifests'
 description: >-
-  Scan and validate .a2ml and .deed manifest files in your repository.
-  Checks for required fields (agent-id / pedigree name / :canonical-name,
-  version / :schema-version), SPDX headers, and attestation block structure.
+  Scan and validate .deed (DEED grammar) and legacy .a2ml manifest files in
+  your repository. Checks for required fields (:schema-version, agent-id /
+  pedigree name / :canonical-name, version), SPDX headers, and attestation
+  block structure.
 author: 'Jonathan D.A. Jewell'
 
 branding:
@@ -51,7 +53,7 @@ inputs:
 
 outputs:
   files-scanned:
-    description: 'Number of .a2ml files scanned'
+    description: 'Number of .deed/.a2ml manifest files scanned'
     value: ${{ steps.validate.outputs.files_scanned }}
   errors:
     description: 'Number of validation errors found'
@@ -71,4 +73,4 @@ runs:
         INPUT_STRICT: ${{ inputs.strict }}
         INPUT_PATHS_IGNORE: ${{ inputs.paths-ignore }}
       run: |
-        "${GITHUB_ACTION_PATH}/validate-a2ml.sh"
+        "${GITHUB_ACTION_PATH}/validate-deed.sh"
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
 # SPDX-License-Identifier: MPL-2.0
 # Copyright (c) 2026 Jonathan D.A. Jewell (hyperpolymath) <j.d.a.jewell@open.ac.uk>
 #
-# validate-a2ml.sh — A2ML manifest validation script
+# validate-deed.sh — DEED manifest validation script
 #
 # Scans for .a2ml and .deed files and validates:
 #   1. Required fields: agent-id or pedigree name, version
@@ -217,7 +217,7 @@
    # from the enclosing directory + filename, not an in-file field. Sibling
    # files in the same directory (ECOSYSTEM.a2ml, STATE.a2ml) DO carry their
    # own $name/project and continue to be validated normally.
    case "$basename" in
        AGENTIC.a2ml|META.a2ml|NEUROSYM.a2ml|PLAYBOOK.a2ml|AI.a2ml)
            # AI.a2ml = free-text "AI Assistant Instructions" manifest, the same
            # doc type as 0-AI-MANIFEST.a2ml but with the bare name; identity is
@@ -270,7 +270,7 @@
    # ./-prefixed form that `find .` emits; spelling it out separately (as the
    # original three-branch test did) is redundant. Verified equivalent across
    # ./-prefixed, bare and absolute paths, and on the negative cases.
    case "$file" in
        */machine-readable/*|machine-readable/*|*/.machine_readable/*|.machine_readable/*)
            is_structural_identity=true
            ;;
@@ -330,8 +330,8 @@
        # Lines starting with [ should have a matching ]
        if [[ "$line" =~ ^\[ && ! "$line" =~ ^\[.+\] ]]; then
            # Exclude markdown-style links and multi-line values
            if [[ ! "$line" =~ ^\[.*\]\( && ! "$line" =~ ^\[TODO && ! "$line" =~ ^\[YOUR ]]; then
                report_issue "warning" "$file" "$line_num" \
                    "Possibly malformed section heading: unclosed bracket"
            fi
        fi
@@ -400,7 +400,7 @@

 # Exit with failure if errors were found
 if [[ $ERRORS -gt 0 ]]; then
    echo "::error::A2ML validation failed with ${ERRORS} error(s)"
    exit 1
 fi