Guides

Page Maps

graph LR
  family["Python Programming"]
  program["Python Meta-Programming"]
  section["Guides"]
  page["Guides"]
  capstone["Capstone evidence"]

  family --> program --> section --> page
  page -.applies in.-> capstone

flowchart LR
  orient["Orient on the page map"] --> read["Read the main claim and examples"]
  read --> inspect["Inspect the related code, proof, or capstone surface"]
  inspect --> verify["Run or review the verification path"]
  verify --> apply["Apply the idea back to the module and capstone"]

This shelf exists for one specific problem: the course modules teach mechanisms, but independent learners also need help deciding how to move through the course, how to prove that a module has actually landed, and how to cross from lesson pages into the executable capstone without getting lost.

If you are studying alone, this shelf is not optional decoration. It is the layer that turns the course from "many advanced pages" into a guided program.

What this shelf is for

Use these guides when you need one of the following:

• a sane entry route instead of guessing where to begin
• a study contract strong enough to prevent shallow reading
• a module-by-module promise and exit bar
• a pressure-shaped route for review, debugging, or design work
• a claim-to-proof path that keeps evidence proportional to the question
• a bridge from course ideas into the capstone repository

Do not stay here longer than necessary. These pages should send you back to the modules, reference shelf, or capstone with a clearer next move.

Pick the page by need

If you need...	Start here	What you should get out of it
the best first route through the course	Start Here	an entry sequence that matches your background and pressure
the overall shape of the course	Course Guide	a mental model of the ten-module arc and support shelves
the discipline required to study this well	Learning Contract	rules for pacing, proof, and honest escalation
the promise of each module in plain language	Module Promise Map	what each module settles and what it does not settle yet
the exit bar before moving forward	Module Checkpoints	concrete statements you should be able to explain or prove
environment stability before running anything public	Platform Setup	the supported setup contract and setup failure triage
a route shaped by a real engineering pressure	Pressure Routes	the shortest honest reading path for the problem in front of you
the smallest proof route for a claim	Proof Ladder	which command to run first and why
the exact command and surface for one claim	Proof Matrix	one direct claim-to-evidence mapping

Recommended routes

If you are new to the course

1. Read Start Here.
2. Read Course Guide.
3. Read Learning Contract.
4. Read Module 00.
5. Begin the modules in order.

If you are returning after a break

1. Read Course Guide.
2. Read Module Promise Map.
3. Use Module Checkpoints to find the earliest weak boundary.
4. Resume from that module, not from where you wish you were.

If you entered from a work problem

1. Read Pressure Routes.
2. Use Proof Ladder or Proof Matrix.
3. Cross into the capstone only after the module-level question is clear.

When to leave this shelf

Leave as soon as you can answer one of these clearly:

• Which module should I study next?
• Which proof route is the smallest honest one?
• Which course question am I trying to answer in the capstone?
• Which lower-power mechanism must I rule out before escalating?

If you still cannot answer any of those, stay on this shelf and use the more specific page.

Cross into the capstone deliberately

Once you know the course question, use the capstone pages as the executable continuation:

Capstone need	Best page
understand the capstone’s purpose	Capstone Guide
map modules to repository surfaces	Capstone Map
take a bounded first pass through commands and files	Capstone Walkthrough
understand ownership boundaries	Capstone Architecture Guide
locate one owning file quickly	Capstone File Guide
choose a proof route inside the capstone	Capstone Proof Guide
review the repository structurally	Capstone Review Worksheet
place a change safely	Capstone Extension Guide

Good use of the guide shelf

• Open one guide to solve one concrete study problem.
• Move back to module lessons as soon as the route becomes clear.
• Use reference pages when the problem becomes a stable boundary or review standard.
• Use capstone pages only after you know what concept or claim you are trying to inspect.

Good stopping point

You can leave this index when you know:

• why you are in the guide shelf
• which specific guide solves your current problem
• where you will go next