Target Guide¶

Guide Maps¶

graph LR
  help["make help"] --> targets["Public targets"]
  targets --> inspect["manifest, registry, inspect"]
  targets --> run["demo, trace, tour"]
  targets --> verify["verify-report, confirm, proof"]

flowchart LR
  question["Pick the question you have"] --> target["Choose the smallest honest target"]
  target --> output["Inspect the output or saved bundle"]
  output --> owner["Name the owning file or boundary"]
  owner --> answer["Return to the course with a concrete answer"]

Use this guide when make help shows several commands but the right one is still not obvious. The goal is not target memorization. The goal is choosing the smallest honest route for the claim you need to check.

Start here when two commands feel too similar¶

Use this page after COMMAND_GUIDE.md, not before it.
Stay here when you are deciding between two plausible targets.
Leave once one distinction settles the choice.

Stable targets¶

Target	What it is for
`manifest`	inspect the observable plugin schema without execution
`plugin`	inspect one concrete plugin contract without invocation
`field`	inspect one concrete field contract without invocation
`action`	inspect one concrete action contract without invocation
`registry`	inspect the registered plugins without opening private internals
`signatures`	inspect generated constructor and action signatures without invocation
`demo`	invoke one realistic delivery action
`trace`	inspect one invocation together with configuration and action history
`inspect`	build the saved learner-facing inspection bundle
`tour`	build the saved walkthrough bundle
`verify-report`	build the saved executable verification report
`confirm`	run the strongest local confirmation route
`proof`	build the published learner-facing review route

Fast target selection¶

If the question is "what does the runtime publicly expose?"¶

Use:

make manifest
make plugin
make field
make action
make registry
make signatures

If the question is "what happens when one action is invoked?"¶

Use:

make demo
make trace

If the question is "what can I review later without rerunning commands?"¶

Use:

make inspect
make tour
make verify-report

If the question is "what is the strongest local proof?"¶

Use:

make confirm
make proof

The confusing pairs¶

Use this section when the problem is not "what commands exist?" but "which of these two is the honest next move?"

manifest versus registry manifest explains schema and action metadata; registry explains which plugins are currently registered.
manifest versus plugin manifest shows the whole exported group; plugin lets you inspect one concrete plugin contract in isolation.
plugin versus field plugin keeps fields and actions together; field isolates one descriptor-backed public contract.
field versus action field isolates descriptor-backed configuration; action isolates decorator-backed callable metadata.
registry versus signatures registry proves which plugins exist; signatures proves which generated call shapes they expose.
demo versus trace demo shows one result; trace shows result, configuration, and recorded action history together.
confirm versus proof confirm is the strongest local confirmation route; proof publishes the full learner-facing review route.

Default choices when unsure¶

Choose manifest before registry.
Choose field or action before plugin when one contract is the real pressure.
Choose trace before demo when metadata or history might matter.
Choose inspect before tour when the question is still mainly about ownership.
Choose confirm before proof when a human-facing published bundle is not required.

Best companion guides¶

Read these with the target guide:

PACKAGE_GUIDE.md
TEST_GUIDE.md
WALKTHROUGH_GUIDE.md
PROOF_GUIDE.md
BUNDLE_GUIDE.md
SCENARIO_SELECTION_GUIDE.md
SOURCE_GUIDE.md