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Observer DX Backlog

This note captures the first wave of post-adoption DX feedback.

The important conclusion is that Observer does not currently need conceptual redesign.

It needs smoother first-path affordances.

Completed

  • Sharpen simple vs full suite surface diagnostics.
  • Add ctx-taking C helper macros so helper functions are not forced to depend on observer_test_ctx in direct scope.
  • Make selector-driven provider suite examples more prominent than exact-name memcopy examples.

Must Have Before Wider Rollout

  • Build a cross-provider conformance suite that every first-party provider library must pass.
  • Lock the provider protocol and canonical artifact compatibility policy in writing.
  • Improve workflow and action failure context with clearer producer, path, publication, and assertion diagnostics.
  • Add a doctor or lint command for common authoring mistakes and suspicious configurations.
  • Add a lint for exact-name items that only restate a matching selector-level expect exit = 0 suite.
  • Define and document a first-class golden maintenance workflow for regenerating and reviewing canonical artifacts.
  • Define a first-class product certification contract for products that require multiple local suites to pass together.

Next Layer

  • Add one standard bootstrap command or template flow for new provider projects.
  • Add an observer fmt command so large .obs suites and workflow scripts can be reformatted mechanically instead of being maintained by hand.
  • Reduce provider workflow ceremony in the common case without weakening the explicit artifact model.
  • Keep validating released surfaces on Linux and WSL2 so first-path onboarding, scaffolds, and everyday repo workflows do not quietly stay Mac-shaped.
  • Add a product certification CLI and canonical product report artifact that execute ordered stage runs from explicit per-stage working directories.
  • Add conformance fixtures for heterogeneous product certification, including unit plus workflow certification in separate local Observer areas.
  • Keep strengthening the most visible examples so the intended copy path stays selector-first and inventory-driven.

Notes

  • The workflow/artifact model is holding up well.
  • The provider boundary is holding up well.
  • The current rough edges are mostly discoverability, parser guidance, and helper ergonomics.
  • Linux and WSL2 now matter for the released path, not just Mac development.
  • The JavaScript shell-proxy scaffold had a real portability bug from a hardcoded Mac-style PATH; that was fixed by templating the current machine PATH into generated configs.
  • The repo-owned CMake dogfood path currently shows Linux golden drift, but CMake remains unreleased and should be treated as pre-release parity work rather than as a blocker for the released Linux surface.