A Layered System for Accountable Note Generation

This system is designed to run note-generation jobs in a way that makes their execution observable, their results durable, and their outputs integrated into a canonical knowledge store.

It separates content generation from operational responsibility. Scripts that generate notes remain simple and portable, while execution, monitoring, synchronization, and reporting are handled by shared system components.

The system produces not just notes, but accountable artifacts.

Design goals

The system is built around a small set of explicit goals:

  • Generators should be runnable in isolation, without framework dependencies
  • Execution should leave behind a complete and inspectable record
  • Failures should be explicit, machine-detectable, and diagnosable
  • Outputs should be promoted into a single, versioned source of truth
  • Reporting should be derived from recorded history, not assumptions

These goals drive a layered architecture.

Producers: domain-focused content generation

Producers are scripts whose sole responsibility is to generate domain artifacts such as Markdown notes or summaries.

They:

  • Accept inputs
  • Generate content
  • Write files
  • Exit

Producers are intentionally unconcerned with logging, monitoring, scheduling, or publication. They are portable by design and can be executed independently of the system.

Implemented by

  • leaf-template.sh

The leaf template defines the minimal contract for a producer while keeping all operational concerns external.

Runtime: accountable execution (authority layer)

The runtime layer provides a standardized execution environment for producers and acts as the authority for all runtime actions.

Its responsibilities include:

  • Normalizing the execution environment
  • Bootstrapping structured logging
  • Capturing stdout and stderr
  • Enforcing exit-code contracts
  • Defining clear execution boundaries
  • Authorizing and sequencing post-execution actions

The runtime does not generate domain content. Its purpose is to turn execution into a verifiable, bounded event with a clearly defined lifecycle.

The runtime is the only layer that knows when execution has begun, when it has ended, and whether subsequent actions—such as publication—are permitted.

Implemented by

  • wrap.sh

Once a producer is run through the runtime, its execution can be trusted, audited, and reasoned about.

Observability: recording what happened

The observability layer captures the results of execution as structured, durable records.

It provides:

  • Consistent log formats
  • Predictable log placement
  • Capture of all execution output
  • Stable “latest” pointers
  • Machine-readable execution history

This layer records what actually happened, not what was expected to happen. It is strictly descriptive, not interpretive.

Implemented by

  • log.sh
  • log-capture.sh
  • log-format.sh
  • log-sync.sh

Together, these components ensure that every execution leaves behind a complete and inspectable trail.

Publication and syncing: artifact promotion (authority delegated by runtime)

The publication layer is responsible for promoting selected artifacts into the system’s canonical knowledge store.

This may include:

  • Generated notes
  • Execution summaries
  • Transformed logs
  • Status snapshots

Publication is not an independent activity. It occurs only when authorized by the runtime, at the close of a completed execution.

Within that boundary, the publication layer is responsible for:

  • Selecting which artifacts are promoted
  • Materializing durable, versioned outputs
  • Synchronizing artifacts into their final destinations

Implemented by

  • wrap.sh (as the runtime authority)
  • commit.sh (as a publication helper)

The authority to publish belongs to the runtime; the mechanics of publishing are delegated to helpers.

Reporting: interpretation without execution

The reporting layer consumes recorded execution data to produce human-readable summaries of system state.

It may answer questions such as:

  • Which jobs ran successfully
  • Which failed
  • Which are stale or missing
  • What the system’s current health looks like

Reporting does not execute jobs, schedule work, or infer state. It operates solely on recorded history.

Implemented by

  • script-status-report.sh
  • sync-latest-logs-to-vault.sh

Summary

This system treats note generation as a pipeline with clearly separated responsibilities:

  • Producers generate content (leaf-template.sh)
  • Runtime defines execution boundaries and authorizes side effects (wrap.sh)
  • Observability records what occurred (log.sh, log-capture.sh, log-format.sh, log-sync.sh)
  • Publication promotes durable artifacts under runtime authority (wrap.sh, commit.sh)
  • Reporting interprets recorded history (script-status-report.sh, sync-latest-logs-to-vault.sh)

By separating content generation from execution, monitoring, synchronization, and reporting, the system remains flexible at the edges while providing strong guarantees at the core.

The result is not just generated notes, but a trustworthy record of how and when they came to exist.

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