E100
Call arity mismatch
Wrong number of arguments for a builtin call.
Check the callee name and expected argument count first.
Docs / Diagnostics
Read validator outcomes narrowly and correctly
This page explains how to distinguish accepted input, deterministic reject, and golden mismatch outcomes for the released Stage 1 validator line.
Use it to understand the current semantic diagnostic range, common operator mistakes, and the point at which a result should be escalated into a support report.
Accepted input
canon produces CANON:, canonical ASCII, HASH:, and the current _h value rendered as hex.
Rejected input
The validator returns a deterministic code, message, and usually a span. Syntax rejection and semantic rejection are not the same class.
Golden mismatch
The fixture expectation and actual validator result diverged. This is a conformance mismatch, not automatically a parser or platform failure.
Current semantic range
E100 through E107
These codes mean the input parsed far enough to hit the current shipped static semantics checks. Parser or lexer failures usually appear outside this range.
E101
Exact-decimal type mismatch
A strict exact-decimal comparison received the wrong type.
Check whether both comparison inputs are exact decimals.
E102
Builtin argument type mismatch
The call shape is valid, but one or more arguments have the wrong type.
Check the builtin and each argument type at the reported span.
E103
Match arm result type mismatch
Different match arms resolve to incompatible result types.
Check each arm output rather than only the scrutinee.
E104
Atomic or effect boundary violation
An atomic-only or effectful expression was used in the wrong context.
Check whether the operation belongs inside atomic{...} or a pure value position.
E105
Explicit barrier required
Exact comparison needs an explicit barrier conversion before the comparison happens.
Look for missing to_dec(...) before exact-decimal comparison.
E106
Pattern type mismatch
The pattern does not match the scrutinee type expected by the current validator.
Check the scrutinee type and the pattern kind at the reported span.
E107
Call target is not callable
The MVP rejected the call target itself.
Check whether the callee is actually a builtin or callable identifier.
Failure classes
Keep parser, semantic, and conformance failures separate
- parser or lexer failures are usually malformed source and often appear outside
E100toE107 - semantic rejection means the source parsed but hit a current shipped semantic rule
goldenmismatch means the expected fixture result did not match actual validator behavior- setup and path mistakes are still real problems, but they are operator issues rather than validator semantics changes
Common operator mistakes
Check the narrow path before escalating
- wrong input file path for
canon - wrong fixture path or wrong fixture corpus for
golden - reading a mismatch as proof of platform failure
- confusing malformed source with semantic rejection
- treating shipped demo fixtures and project-owned fixtures as interchangeable without intent
Escalation threshold
Report it when the result is reproducible and still unclear
- capture the exact command, exact file, and exact output
- include whether the issue happened in
canonorgolden - include the diagnostic code and span when present
- include the validator version or release tag if relevant
- state whether the input was shipped sample material or partner-owned material
Need escalation?
Route reproducible diagnostics and mismatch cases into support
The goal is not to explain away failures. The goal is to classify them correctly so support receives exact commands, exact inputs, exact outputs, and narrow issue framing.