# Published JSON Output

This document defines the logical JSON bundle emitted by the production JSON
output encoder. The bundle’s physical destination, atomic publication, and
retention are operational concerns; see [Operations](../operations.md#output-bundles).
Output configuration, including chunk-map export, belongs in
[Configuration](../config.md#module-bindings-and-validators).

## Bundle Layout

All paths below are logical, relative, slash-separated bundle paths. The
encoder always emits the first four JSON files below and adds lane or chunk-map
files when their corresponding artifacts are available:

| Path | Purpose |
| --- | --- |
| `index.json` | Entry point that names the other published files and lane payloads. |
| `manifest.json` | Run provenance and result summaries. |
| `rejected.json` | Rejected pipeline outputs. |
| `warnings.json` | Accepted-output and run warnings. |
| `lanes/<safe-lane-id>.json` | One normalized artifact payload for each lane. |
| `chunk-map.json` | Optional accepted chunk map, when its export is enabled and available. |

JSON files are pretty-printed with a trailing newline. Lane payloads are
accepted only when their media type is `application/json`.

## `index.json`

`index.json` is the bundle’s discovery document. An approved run with no
normalized lanes has this valid minimal index:

```json
{
  "manifest_file": "manifest.json",
  "output_files": [],
  "rejected_file": "rejected.json",
  "warnings_file": "warnings.json"
}
```

| Field | Required | Meaning |
| --- | --- | --- |
| `manifest_file` | Yes | Always `manifest.json`. |
| `output_files` | Yes | Lane descriptors sorted by `lane_id`. |
| `rejected_file` | Yes | Always `rejected.json`. |
| `warnings_file` | Yes | Always `warnings.json`. |
| `chunk_map` | No | Descriptor for the pipeline-wide `chunk-map.json`; never a lane descriptor. |

Each lane descriptor has required `lane_id` and `file`. It may also include
`media_type`, `module_key`, `schema_id`, `schema_name`, and `schema_version`
when supplied by the normalized artifact. A `chunk_map` descriptor contains
`artifact_kind`, `file`, `media_type`, `schema_id`, `schema_name`, and
`schema_version`; its payload is defined by the
[Accepted Chunk Map contract](chunk-map.md).

The lane path is derived from its lane ID. Characters outside letters, digits,
periods, underscores, and hyphens become underscores; `..` sequences are
neutralized; leading and trailing periods and underscores are removed. A lane
that produces an empty name, or two lanes that produce the same path, makes
output encoding fail.

## Lane Payloads

Each `lanes/<safe-lane-id>.json` file is the codec-owned normalized JSON for
that lane. Consumers should use the index descriptor’s schema identity rather
than infer a lane schema from its name. The current D&D payload contracts are
[spells](dnd-spell-artifacts.md), [NPCs](dnd-npc-artifacts.md),
[NPC interactions](dnd-npc-interaction-artifacts.md),
[combat turns](dnd-combat-turn-artifacts.md),
[item events](dnd-item-event-artifacts.md), and
[scene descriptions](dnd-scene-description-artifacts.md).

## `manifest.json`

`manifest.json` is published provenance, not a copy of lane payloads or a
checkpoint store. Fields without a value may be omitted. Its top-level fields
group into the following externally observable summaries:

| Group | Fields |
| --- | --- |
| Run identity and result | `run_id`, `pipeline_id`, `pipeline_digest`, `schema_version`, `validation_status`, `started_at`, `completed_at` |
| Resolved components | `input_module`, `chunker`, `extractors`, `merger`, `normalizer`, `output_encoder`, `artifact_lanes`, `validator_chains`, `module_metadata` |
| Source and references | `source_digests`, `references` |
| Published result summaries | `normalized_outputs`, `rejected_outputs` |
| Execution summaries | `chunk_plan`, `checkpoint_decisions`, `llm_profiles`, `metadata` |

`references` records provenance such as the target, slot, origin, digest,
media type, size, and generated-artifact identity. It does not contain
reference content. `normalized_outputs` and `rejected_outputs` likewise
summarize results without embedding lane payload bytes. A chunk-plan summary is
provenance for the plan used by this run; cache records, debug artifacts, and
other operational state are not published as bundle files.

## Rejections And Warnings

`rejected.json` is always an object with a `rejected` array. Each entry has
required `stage` and `message`; `step_id`, `lane_id`, `module_key`, `chunk_id`,
`chunk_index`, `validator_name`, `reason_code`, `attempt_count`, and
`diagnostic_artifact_path` are present only when applicable.

`warnings.json` is always an object with a `warnings` array. Each warning has
`reason_code` and `message`; `scope` is optional. Both arrays are empty when
there is nothing to report.

## Compatibility

The index is the authoritative map from a logical lane to its published
payload. Consumers must tolerate omitted optional manifest and descriptor
fields, and should rely on the linked artifact contract for each lane’s JSON
shape. This contract describes the published logical bundle only; it does not
promise a filesystem layout or expose internal state formats.