# EntryTrace Heuristic Review Cadence

EntryTrace heuristics must stay aligned with competitor techniques and new runtime behaviours. This cadence makes updates predictable and deterministic.

## Objectives
- Refresh shell/launcher heuristics quarterly using the latest gap analysis in `docs/benchmarks/scanner/scanning-gaps-stella-misses-from-competitors.md`.
- Re-run explain-trace fixtures to confirm deterministic outputs and document any newly unsupported constructs.
- Ensure operator-facing explainability stays in sync with emitted diagnostics and metrics.

## Cadence
- **Frequency:** Quarterly (Jan, Apr, Jul, Oct) or sooner when critical regressions are discovered.
- **Owners:** EntryTrace Guild with QA Guild pairing.
- **Inputs:** Gap benchmark doc, new runtime samples from support channels, and anonymised customer repros (when permitted).
- **Outputs:**
  - Updated heuristics/diagnostics in `StellaOps.Scanner.EntryTrace` with deterministic fixtures.
  - Changelog entry in `src/Scanner/__Libraries/StellaOps.Scanner.EntryTrace/TASKS.md`.
  - Sprint log updates under the active `SPRINT_0138_0001_0001_scanner_ruby_parity.md` when cadence items land.

## Workflow
1) **Collect & triage signals**
   - Parse new gaps from the benchmark doc; map each to an EntryTrace detector area (shell parser, interpreter tracer, PATH resolver).
   - Classify as _coverage gap_, _precision issue_, or _observability gap_.
2) **Fixture-first update**
   - Add/extend fixtures in `StellaOps.Scanner.EntryTrace.Tests/Fixtures` before modifying code.
   - Use deterministic serializers to keep fixture outputs byte-stable.
3) **Implement & validate**
   - Update analyzers/diagnostics; run `dotnet test src/Scanner/__Tests/StellaOps.Scanner.EntryTrace.Tests/StellaOps.Scanner.EntryTrace.Tests.csproj --nologo --verbosity minimal`.
   - Confirm metrics counters (`entrytrace_*`) and explain-trace text stay consistent.
4) **Record explainability**
   - Update explain-trace catalog (diagnostic enum descriptions) when new reasons are introduced.
   - Add operator notes to sprint log if remediation guidance changes.
5) **Publish**
   - Attach a brief summary to the sprint Execution Log and to `TASKS.md` with date + scope.

## Fail-safe & rollback
- Keep previous fixture baselines; if a heuristic widens too far, revert to prior fixture sets to restore determinism.
- Prefer additive diagnostics over behavioural regressions; when behaviour must change, document it in the sprint log and `TASKS.md`.

## Ownership transitions
- If the cadence cannot run on schedule, mark the relevant sprint task `BLOCKED` with the reason and hand off to the Project Manager to re-staff before the next window.