Beagle SCM

JAB-001: divorce be from jab (rename jabc→jab); be runs no JS

be currently forks the JS runtime jabc as its LAST dispatch fallback — an unknown bareword be <name> runs <wt>/bin/<name>.js (be_run_extension, JS-025). This couples a native CLI to a JS loader and keeps a doomed script duplicate in beagle/bin/. Divorce them: rename the binary jabc→jab, make jab a standalone runner (jab [path] args) with its own upward be/-scan resolution, and strip ALL JS from be. Canonical scripts already live in the separate be/ submodule (beagle-ext). Method: Issues.

Input

Context

• beagle/beagle/BE.cli.c: be_run_extension (4552–4627) forks jabc (sibling-resolved) on <wt>/bin/<name>.js; ext_name/ext_tail capture (4913–4945); call site in the no-verb branch (~5123–5152).
• beagle/js/main.cpp: entry runs the first positional via JABCRunFile (global eval). beagle/js/require.cpp: CommonJS require with node-style resolution (.js//index.js), no be/-scan.
• Scripts duplicated: beagle/bin/*.js (doomed, deleted LATER) vs the journal-root be/ submodule (beagle-ext, complete: 8 verbs + lib/).

Goals

• Rename the runtime binary jabc→jab; be and jab fully divorced.
• jab [path] args: an explicit path (/abs, ./rel, ../up) runs the file directly; a bare name runs the require machine.
• Require machine: scan UP for ./be ../be ../../be …, in each try <be>/<name> then <be>/<name>.js; ceiling $HOME/be (under $HOME) else /be.
• be runs no JS: remove be_run_extension + plumbing + the JS-025 call site.

Constraints

• Rename is the binary / user-facing name only — internal JABC* C++ symbols stay.
• beagle/bin/ is NOT deleted here; tests repoint to the be/ submodule.
• Preserve direct-path global eval (CMake js/test/*.js use abs paths).
• Repro-first (CLAUDE.md §17); full JABC* + bejs ctest suites green.

WIP

Design decisions

• main.cpp branches on the path prefix; the bare case sets a global __mainSpec and runs __main(__mainSpec).
• require.cpp splits resolve() into explicit-path vs resolveBe() (upward be/-scan via io.cwd/io.getenv/io.stat); __main patches process.argv[1] to the resolved abspath so the be/*.js here idiom works.
• BE.cli.c: the no-verb branch drops the extension probe and falls through to be_diagnose_unknown (typo diagnostic) then bro.

TODOs

• New JAB topic board: todo/JAB/README.mkd + this ticket + [JAB] on todo/README.mkd.
• Rename jabc→jab: js/CMakeLists.txt targets+add_tests, main.cpp version string + process.argv[0] head.
• main.cpp [path] direct-vs-bare entry.
• require.cpp upward be/-scan + __main; extend js/test/require.js.
• Strip be_run_extension + ext_* capture + call site; beagle/INDEX.md.
• Tests: delete test/all/02-extension-dispatch; parity harnesses jabc→jab + bin/→../be/; new run-055.sh ctest JABCrequireBe.
• Docs: js/INDEX.md, js/README.md, js/API.md.

Blockers and bummers

• Parity harnesses live in the beagle submodule but be/ scripts are a SIBLING submodule ($_ROOT/../be) — cross-submodule path; guard if absent.

Outcome

• Landed 9c1528d5 (ff onto 707bbbbe): jabc→jab, jab [path] entry + upward be/-scan require, JS stripped from be, tests/docs repointed.
• Also repointed the be-bin-* parity harnesses (not in the Tests TODO, red otherwise); full suite green 399/399 (JABC* 29, bejs 29, be-bin 6).
• POSTCFLCT false-fired on test/js/post/conflict/run.sh (marker fixtures, not a real conflict) → --forced that one post.