v1.91.277.0 feat(preamble): office-hours stops copying the shared AskUserQuestion subsections (GSTA-96) (#3453)

* fix(preamble): completeness means complete coverage with minimal code (GSTA-96)

Co-authored-by: capy-ai[bot] <230910855+capy-ai[bot]@users.noreply.github.com>

* feat(preamble): tier 2+ skills load the shared preamble once per session (GSTA-96)

Every tier 2+ SKILL.md inlined the same ~23 KB preamble. It now renders once
per host into sections/preamble.md beside each tier 2+ SKILL.md; the SKILL.md
keeps a pointer that asks for the Read only when the file's id is not already
in context. Only sections byte-identical to the shared render move, so every
skill keeps exactly its pre-hoist paragraphs (verified across all 41 skills).

Parity caps for ten skills raised to their measured unions (owner-approved,
Garry 2026-10-25: "do it"); 63 size pins lowered and 26 deleted.

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* fix(paid-select): a generated sections/preamble.md takes its skill template's identity in the PR planner (GSTA-96)

screen-summary failed on #3434 with 'PR profile requires full validation' for nine
skills whose only paid coverage is periodic: their new sections/preamble.md had no
dependency identity, while the SKILL.md beside it inherits its template's.

Co-authored-by: capy-ai[bot] <230910855+capy-ai[bot]@users.noreply.github.com>

* test(section-manifest): the shared sections/preamble.md renders from the hoist resolver, not a section template (GSTA-96)

Co-authored-by: capy-ai[bot] <230910855+capy-ai[bot]@users.noreply.github.com>

* fix: pre-landing review fixes (CHANGELOG says 3 characters shorter; model-overlays guards the coverage half)

The completeness section shrank by 3 characters (5 bytes), matching the 89 pins lowered by 3. The default-copy test pinned only the minimal-code half; an expectMentions check now fails if the full-coverage or never-excuses-a-gap clause is dropped.

Co-authored-by: capy-ai[bot] <230910855+capy-ai[bot]@users.noreply.github.com>

* fix: pre-landing review fixes (model-overlays binds smaller diff to equal coverage)

The default-copy check now also fails if 'on equal coverage' is dropped from the smaller-diff rule (which would tell models to prefer the smaller diff unconditionally) or if the no-impossible-state-checks clause is removed.

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* docs: CHANGELOG lists the model-overlays coverage checks

The [Unreleased] Tests bullet now says the default-copy test checks both halves of the rule (full coverage of the requirement; smaller diff only at equal coverage; no impossible-state checks; never excuses a gap), matching 88e3cc0 and 44eacaf.

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* fix: plan-ceo-review and ETHOS say completeness means coverage, not more code

Co-authored-by: capy-ai[bot] <230910855+capy-ai[bot]@users.noreply.github.com>

* fix: pre-landing review fixes (CEO bullet bounds code by accepted scope; tests bind each completeness rule)

Co-authored-by: capy-ai[bot] <230910855+capy-ai[bot]@users.noreply.github.com>

* test: cover the shared-preamble hoist (ship Step 7)

Adds test/preamble-hoist.test.ts (tier 1 unchanged; tier 2+ SKILL.md plus
sections/preamble.md reproduces the pre-hoist preamble; pointer position and id)
and two gen-skill-docs-checks cases (one shared preamble per host, beside every
pointer and named by its id; preamble artifact kind).

Co-authored-by: capy-ai[bot] <230910855+capy-ai[bot]@users.noreply.github.com>

* fix: pre-landing review fixes (ship Step 9.4)

- setup: follow a symlinked sections/ dir in the carved-pointer status check
- touchfiles: select preamble-hoist.ts alongside every preamble.ts entry
- section-manifest: exempt sections/preamble.md only for skills whose SKILL.md
  carries the shared-preamble pointer
- skill-size-budget: growth ceiling measures SKILL.md plus its shared preamble
- host-conformance: tolerate a missing sections/ dir, as setup does
- skill-validation: read bin/gstack-skill-start directly
- skill-fixture: error messages and docblocks name the actual boundary
  (harness-version non-behavioral note updated)

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* fix: describe the size-budget growth check's startup measure (ship Step 9.4, pass 2)

The growth ceiling now measures SKILL.md plus the shared preamble, the same
measure as the shrink floor; the docblock said SKILL.md only.

Co-authored-by: capy-ai[bot] <230910855+capy-ai[bot]@users.noreply.github.com>

* docs: CHANGELOG says simplification.md quotes the old rule and CLAUDE.md restates the new one

Co-authored-by: capy-ai[bot] <230910855+capy-ai[bot]@users.noreply.github.com>

* docs: CHANGELOG lists the hoist tests and the growth-ceiling measure (ship Step 9.4)

Co-authored-by: capy-ai[bot] <230910855+capy-ai[bot]@users.noreply.github.com>

* test: cover the symlinked sections/ status check and the ETHOS house-rule quote (ship Step 7)

host-conformance: --status still finds a broken bare sections/ pointer when a
carved Claude skill's installed sections/ is a directory symlink (fails at the
pre-repair 0e5d11fd9). gen-skill-docs: the house rule review/specialists/
simplification.md quotes from ETHOS.md still appears in ETHOS.md.

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* docs: describe the shared preamble file (ship Step 14.5 docs audit)

Co-authored-by: capy-ai[bot] <230910855+capy-ai[bot]@users.noreply.github.com>

* fix: the shared-preamble skip needs the skill's own Read; digest and first-run intro say complete coverage, minimal code (GSTA-96)

The pointer skipped the shared file when any text carrying its id was in context, so a
page or file with that heading could stand in for the anti-spoofing rules (security,
red team and adversarial review, ship run 2). It now requires the skill's own earlier
Read. The digest's Boil the Ocean bullet and the first-run intro still said 'AI makes
completeness cheap, so do the complete thing' (docs audit blocker); both now carry
Garry's 'complete coverage, minimal code' (2026-10-25: '1/ yes fix this').

Co-authored-by: capy-ai[bot] <230910855+capy-ai[bot]@users.noreply.github.com>

* test: pin the shared-preamble provenance skip and the new Boil the Ocean wording (ship Step 7)

preamble-hoist: on every host, tier and render option the pointer allows the
skip only when the skill's own Read is in context. agents-digest and
gstack-skill-start: the digest bullet and the lake intro say complete
coverage, minimal code, never the retired phrasing. Each fails at 9af36d010.

Co-authored-by: capy-ai[bot] <230910855+capy-ai[bot]@users.noreply.github.com>

* fix: describe the provenance skip where the docs still described the id-only one (ship Step 9.4)

The preamble-hoist.ts docblock and ARCHITECTURE.md still said the shared
preamble is re-read only when its id is absent; since 2acf1a44a the pointer
requires the skill's own earlier Read of the file.

Co-authored-by: capy-ai[bot] <230910855+capy-ai[bot]@users.noreply.github.com>

* docs: CHANGELOG lists the provenance-pointer and Boil the Ocean wording tests (ship Step 13)

Co-authored-by: capy-ai[bot] <230910855+capy-ai[bot]@users.noreply.github.com>

* revert(digest): keep the agents digest at main's bytes; an unstamped head cannot change a release output (GSTA-96)

CI 'Check VERSION is not stale vs queue' classified #3434 as stamped because it touched
agents-digest/gstack-AGENTS.md (a release_outputs path), while regenerating only the
generator fails the digest freshness test. The first-run intro rewording stays.

Co-authored-by: capy-ai[bot] <230910855+capy-ai[bot]@users.noreply.github.com>

* feat(preamble): office-hours' Q<N> form is its own subsection, so it stops copying the shared AskUserQuestion subsections (GSTA-96)

Co-authored-by: capy-ai[bot] <230910855+capy-ai[bot]@users.noreply.github.com>

* test: pin the added-subsection note and readSkillEffective's changed-plus-added order (ship Step 7, GSTA-96)

Co-authored-by: capy-ai[bot] <230910855+capy-ai[bot]@users.noreply.github.com>

* docs: variantSubsections and readSkillEffective docblocks name added subsections; office-hours cap history ends 'Before: 1.2279' (ship Step 9.4)

Co-authored-by: capy-ai[bot] <230910855+capy-ai[bot]@users.noreply.github.com>

* docs: CHANGELOG says the Q<N> lead-in gained the Layout line text instead of claiming no wording changed (ship Step 11)

Co-authored-by: capy-ai[bot] <230910855+capy-ai[bot]@users.noreply.github.com>

* docs: CHANGELOG gives office-hours' measured SKILL.md drop, 6,333 bytes (ship Step 13)

Co-authored-by: capy-ai[bot] <230910855+capy-ai[bot]@users.noreply.github.com>

* test: CEO completeness posture check covers the accepted-scope bound

Co-authored-by: capy-ai[bot] <230910855+capy-ai[bot]@users.noreply.github.com>

* fix: CHANGELOG says plan-ceo-review grows about 110 characters and each skill loses 3 from the section (cherry-picked from #3425's 25eec73; the digest/lake-intro line is dropped because #3434 rewords the intro and its own bullet names the digest deferral)

Co-authored-by: capy-ai[bot] <230910855+capy-ai[bot]@users.noreply.github.com>

* test: voice judge reads the hoisted preamble; register ETHOS.md on its reader cases

Co-authored-by: capy-ai[bot] <230910855+capy-ai[bot]@users.noreply.github.com>

* test: refresh the claude ship golden the main merge took from main (ship Step 5 preflight)

The 1a4dcaf07 merge resolved test/fixtures/golden/claude-ship-SKILL.md to
main's pre-hoist bytes. The golden is a copy of ship/SKILL.md; regenerated
with bun scripts/gen-ship-goldens.ts (pregate regen: REGEN_STALE).

Co-authored-by: capy-ai[bot] <230910855+capy-ai[bot]@users.noreply.github.com>

* test: pr-dependencies' unplaceable-file example uses SECURITY.md now that ETHOS.md is mapped

6183ca8ae registered ETHOS.md on its reader cases in touchfiles-data.ts, so a
PR touching only ETHOS.md plans in pr mode and no longer restores the full gate.
The fail-closed test and the real-unknown label check now use SECURITY.md, which
is tracked and unmapped; the assertions are unchanged. CHANGELOG names the
third test file. (CI free shard 7 at 7c21720ac; remote pregate shard 6.)

Co-authored-by: capy-ai[bot] <230910855+capy-ai[bot]@users.noreply.github.com>

* test: host path-leak checks read the moved shared preamble too; name SHARED_PREAMBLE_FILE (ship review pass 2)

The external-host path-leak assertions in gen-skill-docs.test.ts (Codex,
Factory) and host-config.test.ts (Copilot, Antigravity) read SKILL.md
alone, so a Claude path that moved into sections/preamble.md with the
hoist went unchecked. They now read the skill's startup text through
readSkillStartup. workflow-judge-input and host-conformance use the
SHARED_PREAMBLE_FILE constant instead of a bare 'preamble.md' literal,
and preamble.ts's header describes the hoisted composition.

Co-authored-by: capy-ai[bot] <230910855+capy-ai[bot]@users.noreply.github.com>

* docs: CHANGELOG token savings name the per-skill skip and the autoplan follow-up (ship review pass 2)

The pointer's skip is bound to the skill's own copy of sections/preamble.md,
so "every later one saves about 5,800" holds per skill, not per session, and
/autoplan's skip list and the inline /office-hours loader do not yet skip the
pointer section. The entry now says so instead of claiming the full /autoplan
saving. Adding the skip entry grows size-pinned skills, so it is a follow-up.

Co-authored-by: capy-ai[bot] <230910855+capy-ai[bot]@users.noreply.github.com>

* test: corpus budget measures startup bytes; carve-safety counts shared preamble as uncarved (ship review pass 2)

skill-size-budget's growth ceiling and shrink floor already measured
SKILL.md plus sections/preamble.md, but the total-corpus check still summed
hoisted SKILL.md bytes against the pre-hoist baseline, hiding about 0.9 MB
of headroom. It now sums the same startup bytes (3,114,885 -> 2,590,484,
x0.832); the unreachable SKILL.md-missing fallback is gone.

auq-format-always-loaded's carve-safety guard treated any sections/ dir as
carved, so every skill with only the shared preamble ran it and its sanity
check passed on preamble.md. It now uses setup --status's rule: a section
other than the shared preamble. Those skills keep the per-skill checks.

Co-authored-by: capy-ai[bot] <230910855+capy-ai[bot]@users.noreply.github.com>

* test: remaining SKILL.md-only negatives read the shared preamble too (ship review pass 3)

The parameterized external-host path-leak smoke test, the two Codex
.claude path checks and both vestigial-handshake negatives read SKILL.md
alone, so text that moved into sections/preamble.md went unchecked. They
now read readSkillStartup. preamble.ts's header no longer says tier 1
renders through generatePreamble().

Co-authored-by: capy-ai[bot] <230910855+capy-ai[bot]@users.noreply.github.com>

* test: ratchet skeleton caps and eager context ceilings down after the hoist (ship review pass 3)

The hoist moved about 22 KB out of every tier 2+ SKILL.md, which left
each hoisted maxSkeletonBytes cap and each eagerPerInvocation ceiling
roughly 22 KB / 5-6K tokens slack. The 20 hoisted skeleton caps now sit at
the post-hoist skeleton plus their pre-hoist headroom, and 42 context-budget
ceilings take the recaptured (lower) values. Nothing was raised: the four
ceilings the recapture would have raised keep their old values.

Co-authored-by: capy-ai[bot] <230910855+capy-ai[bot]@users.noreply.github.com>

* fix: preamble-hoist's section splitter closes a fence only on a bare delimiter (ship Step 11)

Inside an open fence, a line such as "```bash" is content in CommonMark,
but splitSections treated it as the closing fence, so a later "## " line in
the same block could split a section mid-code-block and hoist half of it.
A closing delimiter now needs nothing but whitespace after it. Every host's
render is unchanged (gen-skill-docs --dry-run FRESH on all twelve hosts).

Co-authored-by: capy-ai[bot] <230910855+capy-ai[bot]@users.noreply.github.com>

* test: skill-startup.ts is a global, pinned harness file like skill-fixture.ts (ship review pass 3)

skill-fixture.ts is a global touchfile pinned in scripts/harness-version.json
because it reshapes the skill content most E2E suites read, and it now
builds that content through test/helpers/skill-startup.ts. That helper was
in neither list, so a later edit to it would change fixture inputs without
the harness-version guard and select only 27 keys. It is now global and
pinned, recorded non-behavioral (its fixtures are byte-identical to the
pre-hoist output). ARCHITECTURE.md and the CHANGELOG stop calling the
pointer id a content id: it hashes the shared text before host rewrites.

Co-authored-by: capy-ai[bot] <230910855+capy-ai[bot]@users.noreply.github.com>

* docs: CHANGELOG matches the merged skip lists and the baseline diff (ship review, run 4)

The headline still called the autoplan and inline /office-hours skip
entries a follow-up, but the main merge added them; it now says the loaded
skills skip their shared Read. The #3451 sentence is dropped, because that
fix shipped in v1.91.237.0 and is recorded there. The typecheck baseline
line says the TS2769 entry was re-keyed for the 'preamble' artifact kind
with its count unchanged, not fixed and lowered.

Co-authored-by: capy-ai[bot] <230910855+capy-ai[bot]@users.noreply.github.com>

* test: pin the pointer entry in the loader skip lists; drop a carve-safety tautology (ship review, run 4)

A new INVOKE_SKILL test checks that plan-ceo-review's inline /office-hours
skip list and autoplan's section skip list both name the shared-preamble
pointer heading, and that office-hours and the four plan reviews carry it.
The carve-safety "sanity" assertion repeated the predicate discoverSkills()
now uses to set sectionsDir, so it could never fail; it is removed.

Co-authored-by: capy-ai[bot] <230910855+capy-ai[bot]@users.noreply.github.com>

* fix: gstack-doctor finds the Codex model patch in the hoisted shared preamble (ship Step 11, run 4)

The doctor's patch row grepped only the Codex review SKILL.md for the
"Model-Specific Behavioral Patch (" heading. The hoist moves that section
into sections/preamble.md, so the required row (for ship, review, the plan
reviews, office-hours, investigate and more) would fail on every correct
post-hoist Codex install and block install.sh's "gstack: ok". It now checks
the SKILL.md and then its shared preamble and names the file it found. A
new doctor test covers a hoisted render.

preamble-hoist's variantSubsections also returns null when no subsection
differs, instead of emitting a replacing heading with no subsections.
Every host's render is unchanged.

Co-authored-by: capy-ai[bot] <230910855+capy-ai[bot]@users.noreply.github.com>

* test(docsync): fixtureDocs installs the generated sections/preamble.md (hunk taken from #3472)

A generated skill that loads the shared preamble names sections/preamble.md
as a required asset before skill start, and a spawned document-release child
blocks on its absence, so docsync-spawned stayed red on every #3434 screen.
fixtureDocs now copies that file when the generated skill has it.

This single hunk is taken unchanged from gstack#3472 (head 2e3f7ba1,
GSTA-107), which trains ahead of #3434, so the train merge sees identical
lines. Nothing else from #3472 is included.

Co-authored-by: capy-ai[bot] <230910855+capy-ai[bot]@users.noreply.github.com>

* docs: CHANGELOG notes the docsync fixture hunk taken from #3472

Co-authored-by: capy-ai[bot] <230910855+capy-ai[bot]@users.noreply.github.com>

* test: pin readSkillEffective's added-subsection change in harness-version.json as non-behavioral (CI quick-bun-default)

skill-startup.ts changed in this PR so readSkillEffective appends a variant's added ### subsections.
Its output is byte-identical to the pinned helper for every tier 2+ render without added
subsections (735 across all hosts) and for office-hours' pre-change SKILL.md, so no pass-rate
series resets. CHANGELOG Tests line updated.

Co-authored-by: capy-ai[bot] <230910855+capy-ai[bot]@users.noreply.github.com>

* docs: CHANGELOG and the office-hours cap note give the post-merge measure (6,328 bytes; union 160,952 -> 154,624) (ship Step 11, #3453)

The 6,333-byte drop and the 160,989 -> 154,653 union were measured at 5db328f2b, before main
was merged; against this PR's base b727a6d3c the numbers are 6,328 bytes and 160,952 -> 154,624.
The cap stays 1.1796.

Co-authored-by: capy-ai[bot] <230910855+capy-ai[bot]@users.noreply.github.com>

* docs: round the post-merge office-hours ratio correctly (154,624 / 131,110 = 1.1793) (ship review pass 2, #3453)

Co-authored-by: capy-ai[bot] <230910855+capy-ai[bot]@users.noreply.github.com>

* docs: CHANGELOG names the post-merge context-budget ratchet (captain hoisted)

Co-authored-by: capy-ai[bot] <230910855+capy-ai[bot]@users.noreply.github.com>

* docs(changelog): correct #3434's post-merge allowlist count and the two context-budget rows above main (GSTA-96, per GStack Minder)

Co-authored-by: capy-ai[bot] <230910855+capy-ai[bot]@users.noreply.github.com>

* docs(changelog): restate the corrections to #3434's post-merge bullets after its v1.91.265.0 merge (GSTA-96, per GStack Minder)

Co-authored-by: capy-ai[bot] <230910855+capy-ai[bot]@users.noreply.github.com>

* test(auq): planted skill fixtures resolve the shared preamble like an install (GSTA-96)

Co-authored-by: capy-ai[bot] <230910855+capy-ai[bot]@users.noreply.github.com>

* test(plan-format): mode menu delivers its question without output-harvesting wording (GSTA-96)

Co-authored-by: capy-ai[bot] <230910855+capy-ai[bot]@users.noreply.github.com>

* docs(changelog): record the v1.91.270.0 merge values (GSTA-96)

Co-authored-by: capy-ai[bot] <230910855+capy-ai[bot]@users.noreply.github.com>

* docs(changelog): office-hours context-budget ceiling after the v1.91.270.0 merge (GSTA-96)

Co-authored-by: capy-ai[bot] <230910855+capy-ai[bot]@users.noreply.github.com>

* test(auq): parallel-capture contract expects the planted skill with its sections path mapped (GSTA-96)

Co-authored-by: capy-ai[bot] <230910855+capy-ai[bot]@users.noreply.github.com>

* docs(changelog): correct the v1.91.270.0 recapture wording for hoisted rows (GSTA-96)

Co-authored-by: capy-ai[bot] <230910855+capy-ai[bot]@users.noreply.github.com>

* docs(changelog): record the v1.91.273.0 merge re-measurements (GSTA-96)

Co-authored-by: capy-ai[bot] <230910855+capy-ai[bot]@users.noreply.github.com>

* docs(changelog): restore the released entries the previous commit truncated (GSTA-96)

Co-authored-by: capy-ai[bot] <230910855+capy-ai[bot]@users.noreply.github.com>

* docs(changelog): end two sentences the prose gate flags (GSTA-96)

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---------

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scripts/harness-version.json

@@ -49,7 +49,7 @@
     "test/helpers/session-ledger.ts": {"blob":"a10bf28bf100f135b93c73818670dd147253cdd3","since":6,"nonBehavioral":"credential rejections are classed infra instead of assertion: no case's pass or fail changes; only failed trials whose provider rejected the run's key move class, so no rerun spends on a rejected key"},
     "test/helpers/session-runner.ts": {"blob":"cc65a66adafa9c053e3da3c6f17b5ac86c0eade7","since":6,"nonBehavioral":"Claude-host verdicts are unchanged: the Codex host (EVALS_HOST=codex, codex-host-runner) runs only when selected and records its own per-model series; the Codex runner refactor (execCodex extraction, onSpawn hook) keeps its events and verdicts and adds token cost accounting; host fields on the plan/report are absent for claude"},
     "test/helpers/skill-fixture.ts": {"blob":"8a654dae6b0a396d839b02179119ae3e3bb13f69","since":6,"nonBehavioral":"extractSkillBody and extractSkillSections follow the shared-preamble hoist (pointer plus sections/preamble.md); every fixture they build is byte-identical to the pre-hoist output (compared for 8 body and 4 section extractions), so no case's input or verdict changes; the /ship review then reworded only comments and two error messages, so no fixture byte changes"},
-    "test/helpers/skill-startup.ts": {"blob":"f2096462850a33e0913cad4cca2cf3c75eedb0e3","since":6,"nonBehavioral":"new in the shared-preamble hoist: skill-fixture.ts's extraction splices sections/preamble.md through readSharedSections and readSkillEffective, and every fixture it builds is byte-identical to the pre-hoist output (skill-fixture.ts's entry), so pinning it changes no case's input or verdict"},
+    "test/helpers/skill-startup.ts": {"blob":"a8d21e3817c3f35a1d06af325c92fde7d420e377","since":6,"nonBehavioral":"readSkillEffective also appends a variant's added ### subsections (office-hours' Open-ended questions); readSkillStartup, readSharedSections and readSkillEffective return bytes identical to the pinned helper for every tier 2+ render without added subsections (735 across all hosts) and for office-hours' SKILL.md before this PR, so office-hours' fixture input changes only because its prompt changed in this PR, not because the helper did"},
     "test/helpers/test-selection.ts": {"blob":"51655f89f66be7a5ec487e2abfe4744300ebd5f6","since":6},
     "test/helpers/touchfiles.ts": {"blob":"15f369056d41b9dc42dcd86f81f60c878074704c","since":6}
   }

scripts/resolvers/preamble-hoist.ts

@@ -64,17 +64,22 @@ const headingOf = (section: string) => section.split('\n', 1)[0]!;
 
 /**
  * A skill-specific variant of a shared section, cut down to the `### `
- * subsections that differ, when the two share their heading, intro and
- * subsection headings. Otherwise the whole section stays inline.
+ * subsections that differ plus any it adds after the shared ones, when it
+ * keeps the shared heading, intro and subsection headings in order.
+ * Otherwise the whole section stays inline.
  */
 function variantSubsections(own: string, shared: string): string | null {
   const ownParts = splitSections(own, '### ');
   const sharedParts = splitSections(shared, '### ');
-  if (ownParts.length < 2 || ownParts.length !== sharedParts.length || ownParts[0] !== sharedParts[0]) return null;
-  if (ownParts.some((part, i) => headingOf(part) !== headingOf(sharedParts[i]!))) return null;
-  const changed = ownParts.slice(1).filter((part, i) => part !== sharedParts[i + 1]);
-  if (changed.length === 0) return null;
-  return [`${headingOf(own)}\n\nOnly these subsections replace the shared ones; the rest of this section is shared.`, ...changed].join('\n\n');
+  if (ownParts.length < 2 || ownParts.length < sharedParts.length || ownParts[0] !== sharedParts[0]) return null;
+  if (sharedParts.some((part, i) => headingOf(part) !== headingOf(ownParts[i]!))) return null;
+  const changed = ownParts.slice(1, sharedParts.length).filter((part, i) => part !== sharedParts[i + 1]);
+  const added = ownParts.slice(sharedParts.length);
+  if (changed.length === 0 && added.length === 0) return null;
+  const note = added.length
+    ? 'Only these subsections replace the shared ones or, under a new heading, add to its end; the rest of this section is shared.'
+    : 'Only these subsections replace the shared ones; the rest of this section is shared.';
+  return [`${headingOf(own)}\n\n${note}`, ...changed, ...added].join('\n\n');
 }
 
 /** Where the installed SKILL.md finds its copy of the shared file. */

scripts/resolvers/preamble/generate-ask-user-format.ts

@@ -36,7 +36,7 @@ Tell these apart:
 2. **Completeness scores per choice** — explicit on EACH choice, per the Completeness rule in the Format section below; never drop the score.
 3. **The recommendation and why** — the \`Recommendation: <choice> because <reason>\` line plus the \`(recommended)\` marker on that choice.
 
-Layout: a \`D<N>\` title; an explicit reply line listing the offered selectors; the issue ELI10; the Recommendation line; ONE paragraph per choice with its \`(recommended)\` marker, \`Completeness: X/10\`, and 2-4 sentences of reasoning (never a bare bullet list); a closing \`Net:\` line. With \`QUESTION_TUNING: true\`, append the checked \`<gstack-qid:{question_id}>\` to the explicit reply line. Split chains / 5+ options: one prose block per per-option call, in order. Before an interactive prose question, finish the tool calls that do not depend on its answer; then send the complete brief as the turn's final message and STOP and wait for the typed answer.${openQuestions ? ' An open-ended question with no options list uses the `Q<N>` form below instead of a `D<N>` brief; a free-text reply answers the most recent unanswered `Q<N>`.' : ''} Do not publish an earlier copy during tool work or follow it with tools or a waiting message. In plan mode this satisfies end-of-turn like a tool call.
+Layout: a \`D<N>\` title; an explicit reply line listing the offered selectors; the issue ELI10; the Recommendation line; ONE paragraph per choice with its \`(recommended)\` marker, \`Completeness: X/10\`, and 2-4 sentences of reasoning (never a bare bullet list); a closing \`Net:\` line. With \`QUESTION_TUNING: true\`, append the checked \`<gstack-qid:{question_id}>\` to the explicit reply line. Split chains / 5+ options: one prose block per per-option call, in order. Before an interactive prose question, finish the tool calls that do not depend on its answer; then send the complete brief as the turn's final message and STOP and wait for the typed answer. Do not publish an earlier copy during tool work or follow it with tools or a waiting message. In plan mode this satisfies end-of-turn like a tool call.
 
 **Continuation — mapping a typed reply back to a brief.** Each brief carries a stable label (\`D<N>\`, or \`D<N>.k\` in a split chain) the user references (e.g. "3.2: B"). A bare letter maps to the most-recent UNANSWERED brief; if more than one is open (a split chain), do NOT guess — ask which \`D<N>.k\` it answers. Never apply a bare letter ambiguously across a chain.
 
@@ -45,18 +45,7 @@ Layout: a \`D<N>\` title; an explicit reply line listing the offered selectors;
 ### Format
 
 Every AskUserQuestion is a decision brief and must be sent as tool_use, not prose — unless the documented failure fallback above applies (interactive session + the call is unavailable/erroring), when the prose fallback is the correct output.
-${openQuestions ? `
-**Open-question prose form (\`Q<N>\`)** — for open-ended questions with no fixed option set (the Phase 2A/2B diagnostic questions) when you are in prose:
 
-\`\`\`text
-Q<N> — <question, verbatim>
-Why I'm asking: <1-2 sentences: stakes, what a weak answer would mean>
-What a strong answer sounds like: <the section's "push until you hear" line>
-Reply in your own words — I'll wait.
-\`\`\`
-
-Q-numbering starts at \`Q1\` per invocation, independent of D-numbering. Questions with discrete options always use \`D<N>\`.
-` : ''}
 \`\`\`
 D<N> — <one-line question title>
 Project/branch/task: <1 short grounding sentence using _BRANCH>
@@ -137,5 +126,18 @@ ${planReview ? `Before emitting a tool or prose decision brief, verify:
 - [ ] If you had 5+ options, you split (or batched into ≤4-groups) — did NOT drop any
 - [ ] If you split, you checked dependencies between options before firing the chain
 - [ ] If a per-option Hold fires, you stopped the chain immediately (didn't queue)`}
-`;
+${openQuestions ? `
+### Open-ended questions
+
+**Open-question prose form (\`Q<N>\`)** — for open-ended questions with no fixed option set (the Phase 2A/2B diagnostic questions) when you are in prose, use this form instead of a \`D<N>\` brief; a free-text reply answers the most recent unanswered \`Q<N>\`:
+
+\`\`\`text
+Q<N> — <question, verbatim>
+Why I'm asking: <1-2 sentences: stakes, what a weak answer would mean>
+What a strong answer sounds like: <the section's "push until you hear" line>
+Reply in your own words — I'll wait.
+\`\`\`
+
+Q-numbering starts at \`Q1\` per invocation, independent of D-numbering. Questions with discrete options always use \`D<N>\`.
+` : ''}`;
 }