How to Use
When asked to validate a RUNE spec, run every check below and return a structured report.
Input: a .rune YAML file or a Markdown section following the RUNE pattern.
Validation Checklist
1. Structure Checks
Run these checks first. If any fail, the spec is invalid.
| # | Rule | Pass condition |
|---|---|---|
| S1 | Required fields present | SIGNATURE, INTENT, BEHAVIOR, and TESTS all exist |
| S2 | YAML meta header (YAML only) | meta.name and meta.language are present |
| S3 | RUNE header matches meta.name (YAML only) | RUNE: value equals meta.name |
| S4 | Markdown formatting (Markdown only) | Field names are bold (**SIGNATURE:**), code in backticks |
| S5 | Valid YAML syntax (YAML only) | File parses without YAML errors |
2. Content Checks
| # | Rule | Pass condition |
|---|---|---|
| C1 | SIGNATURE uses real language syntax | Not pseudocode. Uses the target language's actual function declaration syntax |
| C2 | INTENT is 1-3 sentences | No more than 3 sentences. No implementation details (no algorithms, regex, library names) |
| C3 | BEHAVIOR uses WHEN/THEN format | Every rule is a WHEN/THEN clause, with an optional OTHERWISE as the last rule |
| C4 | BEHAVIOR rules are ordered correctly | Validations first, business logic second, default (OTHERWISE) last |
| C5 | TESTS has at least 3 cases | Minimum: 1 happy path, 1 boundary, 1 error case |
| C6 | TESTS use correct format | Each test is function(input) == expected or function(input) raises ErrorType |
3. Consistency Checks
| # | Rule | Pass condition |
|---|---|---|
| X1 | Every BEHAVIOR rule has a test | Each WHEN/THEN clause maps to at least one test case |
| X2 | Every EDGE_CASE has a test | If EDGE_CASES is present, each entry maps to a test |
| X3 | CONSTRAINTS have BEHAVIOR rules | Each constraint that requires runtime validation has a corresponding WHEN/THEN rule |
| X4 | Error messages match | Error messages in BEHAVIOR match the messages expected in TESTS |
| X5 | SIGNATURE matches TESTS | Function name and parameter count in TESTS match SIGNATURE |
Output Format
Return the report in this format:
markdown
## RUNE Validation Report: `<function_name>`
### Structure
- [PASS] S1: Required fields present
- [PASS] S2: YAML meta header valid
- [FAIL] S3: RUNE header mismatch — RUNE says "validate_email" but meta.name is "email_validator"
### Content
- [PASS] C1: SIGNATURE uses real language syntax
- [WARN] C2: INTENT has 4 sentences (max 3 recommended)
- [PASS] C3: BEHAVIOR uses WHEN/THEN format
...
### Consistency
- [FAIL] X1: BEHAVIOR rule "WHEN code is empty THEN ..." has no corresponding test
- [PASS] X2: All EDGE_CASES have tests
...
### Summary
- **Status:** FAIL (2 errors, 1 warning)
- **Errors:** S3, X1
- **Warnings:** C2
- **Suggestions:**
- Rename RUNE header to match meta.name
- Add test: `validate_email('') == (False, "Email cannot be empty")`
- Consider shortening INTENT to 3 sentences
Severity Levels
- •FAIL — Spec violates a required rule. Must be fixed before implementation.
- •WARN — Spec is technically valid but has a quality issue. Should be fixed.
- •PASS — Rule satisfied.
Rules
- •Always run ALL checks, even if early checks fail
- •Report every issue found, not just the first one
- •For each FAIL or WARN, include a specific suggestion on how to fix it
- •If the spec is valid (all PASS), say so clearly
- •Do not modify the spec — only report findings