FPF Reference

    A.6.B:6.4 — Dependency direction (no “upward” imports)

    Preface node heading:a-6-b-6-4-dependency-direction-no-upward-imports:9010

    What this page is

    This is generated FPF reference text from the specification preface or supporting sections. It helps interpret FPF; it is not FPF Reference product documentation.

    Methodology

    Use it to understand how the specification wants to be read, then return to a route, pattern, or work packet for active work. Cite generated IDs only when the wording changes the task decision.

    Content

    The square is intended to preserve layered modularity: semantics should not depend on governance text, and evidence semantics should not depend on duties.

    Normative rule (no upward dependencies).

    • L-* claims MUST NOT depend on or reference A-*, D-*, or E-* claims (except for purely informative notes explicitly marked informative).
    • A-* claims MUST NOT depend on or reference D-* claims. (A-* may reference L-* for defined terms or invariants.)
    • E-* claims MUST NOT depend on or reference D-* claims. (E-* may reference A-* for conditioning and L-* for metric or term meanings.)
    • D-* claims MAY reference L-*, A-*, and E-* claims when needed, and SHOULD do so by ID rather than restating content.

    Rationale (informative). This keeps foundational meaning stable (L), keeps runtime gates independent of governance prose (A), and keeps evidence semantics independent of enforcement policy (E). Governance (D) is the place where “who must do what, using which gates and which evidence” is assembled.

    Last Updated: 2026-06-17 — upstream FPF commit 646b0b9b (github.com/ailev/FPF)