Add optional --prompt-file <path> argument to start-case-experiment-helper.cjs
that allows supplying an alternative reconstruction prompt file while
preserving the production JSON generation schema.
Requirements implemented:
- Reads UTF-8 prompt file (absolute path or relative to prompts/)
- Replaces {{SCENARIO}} placeholder with scenario text using existing convention
- Validates file exists and contains required placeholder
- Rejects --prompt-file with non-A conditions via clear error
- Only compatible with condition A (production structured-output contract)
- Zero production code changes; apparatus-only modification
- Preserves existing behavior for all conditions B-E without flag
- Does not activate schema variants or freeform handling
Verified: syntax check passes, no whitespace errors in diff.
- Add reconstruct-v0.5-d-deconstruct-no21.md prompt (removes rule 21)
from original deconstruct-first prompt: 'Do not create artificial
uncertainties to increase their number.'
- Extend start-case-experiment-helper.cjs with --condition D and
--treatment no21 CLI flags for treatment selector apparatus
- Add programmatic treatment validation (rejects invalid treatments
cross-condition, validates only 'no21' is a valid treatment value)
- Condition D output uses freeformText field instead of reconstruction
JSON — avoids production JSON schema enforcement on freeform text
- Mock double supports freeform mode: returns deterministic raw text
instead of structured importantUnknowns when isFreeform=true
- Add 23 targeted tests: J (Condition D prompt selection),
J.1 (treatment validation), J.2 (prompt isolation verification)
- Fix existing B.1 assertions to use matchObject for execution field
Adds experimental apparatus for testing whether removing the question field
from importantUnknowns in reconstruction output improves semantic fidelity.
New files:
- lib/reconstruction/schema-variant.js (conditionB schema + production passthrough)
- prompts/reconstruct-v0.5-b-noreq.md (alt prompt, identical line count to prod)
Changed files:
- lib/graph/orchestrator.js (pass generationSchema through dependencies)
- lib/analysis.js (accept opts.generationSchema fallback to original schema)
- scripts/start-case-experiment-helper.cjs (--condition B/A flag support)
- tests/scripts/start-case-experiment-helper.test.js (8 new deterministic tests)
43 targeted deterministic tests PASS. Production callers use original prompt/schema unchanged.
No live model calls. No full suite evidence available.
Co-Authored-By: Claude Code <noreply@anthropic.com>
Establishes reusable apparatus for asking: given scenario text X,
what structured initial decomposition does current production path produce?
- Direct curl/Postman via existing /api/cases/start route (no new API)
- Thin CJS helper at scripts/start-case-experiment-helper.cjs for Claude
experiments (imports startCase directly, zero code duplication)
- Zero-live-call verification: all four seam checks confirmed by existing
tests (cases-start-route.test.js, start-case-summary.test.js)
- No browser state, no persistence mutation, no Investigation ID required
by the route itself
Files:
+ scripts/start-case-experiment-helper.cjs (new helper script)
M docs/current-handoff.md (§v0.61 apparatus documentation)
robbond
