FAILURE MAP
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FA-47571 / Delimited text / Open access

A blank leaf is converted into a group-only column · case 01

A structured table violates the declared record or column contract.

Verified by executionVariant 1 · 8 checks per implementationDownload source bundle ↓JSON ↗

ROOT CAUSE

A missing leaf is synthesized instead of reported as an invalid header.

VERIFIED REPAIR

Preserve the named invariant at the faulty decision: if not leaf: return None

Unsuccessful approach: A placeholder still invents schema absent from the input.

Case contract

Combine two tab-delimited header rows. Blank upper cells inherit the nearest upper label to their left; an initial blank upper label rejects. Lower labels never inherit and must be nonempty. Return unique dotted paths, preserving order. Widths must match.

Why this case matters

Delimited interchange needs explicit framing, schema and field semantics at ingestion and emission boundaries.

1 / The failure

Exit 1
"""Failure Map reference implementation. Python standard library only."""
import json
def _vary(value):
    if value == '@END': return 3 + 4*N
    if isinstance(value, str): return value.replace('@', 'cell' * N)
    if isinstance(value, list): return [_vary(x) for x in value]
    if isinstance(value, dict): return {_vary(k): _vary(v) for k,v in value.items()}
    return value
N = 1
observations = []
def solve(data):
    upper, lower = [x.split('\t') for x in data]
    if len(upper) != len(lower): return None
    paths, parent = [], None
    for top, leaf in zip(upper, lower):
        if top: parent = top
        if parent is None: return None
        if not leaf: leaf = parent
        path = parent + '.' + leaf
        if path in paths: return None
        paths.append(path)
    return paths
def check(label, actual, expected):
    observations.append({"check": label, "actual": actual, "expected": expected, "passed": actual == expected})
check('inherit', solve(_vary(['group\t\tother', '@\tb\tc'])), _vary(['group.@', 'group.b', 'other.c']))
check('initial blank', solve(_vary(['\tgroup', 'a\tb'])), _vary(None))
check('empty leaf', solve(_vary(['group\t', 'a\t'])), _vary(None))
check('duplicate path', solve(_vary(['group\t', 'a\ta'])), _vary(None))
check('unequal', solve(_vary(['group', 'a\tb'])), _vary(None))
check('same leaf new parent', solve(_vary(['x\ty', 'a\ta'])), _vary(['x.a', 'y.a']))
check('normal', solve(_vary(['@', 'a'])), _vary(['@.a']))
check('replace parent', solve(_vary(['x\ty\t', 'a\tb\tc'])), _vary(['x.a', 'y.b', 'y.c']))
print(json.dumps({"observations": observations, "passed": all(x["passed"] for x in observations)}, ensure_ascii=False))
raise SystemExit(0 if all(x["passed"] for x in observations) else 1)
Boundary fixtureActualExpectedOutcome
inherit['group.cell', 'group.b', 'other.c']['group.cell', 'group.b', 'other.c']Passed
initial blankNoneNonePassed
empty leaf['group.a', 'group.group']NoneFailed
duplicate pathNoneNonePassed
unequalNoneNonePassed
same leaf new parent['x.a', 'y.a']['x.a', 'y.a']Passed
normal['cell.a']['cell.a']Passed
replace parent['x.a', 'y.b', 'y.c']['x.a', 'y.b', 'y.c']Passed

SHA-256 / 528c992050542575886bb9c4b9210118a93dab3f46226bf2ac57a5ee67f980b4

2 / The unsuccessful fix

Exit 1
"""Failure Map reference implementation. Python standard library only."""
import json
def _vary(value):
    if value == '@END': return 3 + 4*N
    if isinstance(value, str): return value.replace('@', 'cell' * N)
    if isinstance(value, list): return [_vary(x) for x in value]
    if isinstance(value, dict): return {_vary(k): _vary(v) for k,v in value.items()}
    return value
N = 1
observations = []
def solve(data):
    upper, lower = [x.split('\t') for x in data]
    if len(upper) != len(lower): return None
    paths, parent = [], None
    for top, leaf in zip(upper, lower):
        if top: parent = top
        if parent is None: return None
        if not leaf: leaf = '_'
        path = parent + '.' + leaf
        if path in paths: return None
        paths.append(path)
    return paths
def check(label, actual, expected):
    observations.append({"check": label, "actual": actual, "expected": expected, "passed": actual == expected})
check('inherit', solve(_vary(['group\t\tother', '@\tb\tc'])), _vary(['group.@', 'group.b', 'other.c']))
check('initial blank', solve(_vary(['\tgroup', 'a\tb'])), _vary(None))
check('empty leaf', solve(_vary(['group\t', 'a\t'])), _vary(None))
check('duplicate path', solve(_vary(['group\t', 'a\ta'])), _vary(None))
check('unequal', solve(_vary(['group', 'a\tb'])), _vary(None))
check('same leaf new parent', solve(_vary(['x\ty', 'a\ta'])), _vary(['x.a', 'y.a']))
check('normal', solve(_vary(['@', 'a'])), _vary(['@.a']))
check('replace parent', solve(_vary(['x\ty\t', 'a\tb\tc'])), _vary(['x.a', 'y.b', 'y.c']))
print(json.dumps({"observations": observations, "passed": all(x["passed"] for x in observations)}, ensure_ascii=False))
raise SystemExit(0 if all(x["passed"] for x in observations) else 1)
Boundary fixtureActualExpectedOutcome
inherit['group.cell', 'group.b', 'other.c']['group.cell', 'group.b', 'other.c']Passed
initial blankNoneNonePassed
empty leaf['group.a', 'group._']NoneFailed
duplicate pathNoneNonePassed
unequalNoneNonePassed
same leaf new parent['x.a', 'y.a']['x.a', 'y.a']Passed
normal['cell.a']['cell.a']Passed
replace parent['x.a', 'y.b', 'y.c']['x.a', 'y.b', 'y.c']Passed

SHA-256 / 2a615a342d805fedeec3f1a819ec5afac7d1a7fad82ad000d53f675ea34de87c

3 / The verified repair

Exit 0
"""Failure Map reference implementation. Python standard library only."""
import json
def _vary(value):
    if value == '@END': return 3 + 4*N
    if isinstance(value, str): return value.replace('@', 'cell' * N)
    if isinstance(value, list): return [_vary(x) for x in value]
    if isinstance(value, dict): return {_vary(k): _vary(v) for k,v in value.items()}
    return value
N = 1
observations = []
def solve(data):
    upper, lower = [x.split('\t') for x in data]
    if len(upper) != len(lower): return None
    paths, parent = [], None
    for top, leaf in zip(upper, lower):
        if top: parent = top
        if parent is None: return None
        if not leaf: return None
        path = parent + '.' + leaf
        if path in paths: return None
        paths.append(path)
    return paths
def check(label, actual, expected):
    observations.append({"check": label, "actual": actual, "expected": expected, "passed": actual == expected})
check('inherit', solve(_vary(['group\t\tother', '@\tb\tc'])), _vary(['group.@', 'group.b', 'other.c']))
check('initial blank', solve(_vary(['\tgroup', 'a\tb'])), _vary(None))
check('empty leaf', solve(_vary(['group\t', 'a\t'])), _vary(None))
check('duplicate path', solve(_vary(['group\t', 'a\ta'])), _vary(None))
check('unequal', solve(_vary(['group', 'a\tb'])), _vary(None))
check('same leaf new parent', solve(_vary(['x\ty', 'a\ta'])), _vary(['x.a', 'y.a']))
check('normal', solve(_vary(['@', 'a'])), _vary(['@.a']))
check('replace parent', solve(_vary(['x\ty\t', 'a\tb\tc'])), _vary(['x.a', 'y.b', 'y.c']))
print(json.dumps({"observations": observations, "passed": all(x["passed"] for x in observations)}, ensure_ascii=False))
raise SystemExit(0 if all(x["passed"] for x in observations) else 1)
Boundary fixtureActualExpectedOutcome
inherit['group.cell', 'group.b', 'other.c']['group.cell', 'group.b', 'other.c']Passed
initial blankNoneNonePassed
empty leafNoneNonePassed
duplicate pathNoneNonePassed
unequalNoneNonePassed
same leaf new parent['x.a', 'y.a']['x.a', 'y.a']Passed
normal['cell.a']['cell.a']Passed
replace parent['x.a', 'y.b', 'y.c']['x.a', 'y.b', 'y.c']Passed

SHA-256 / 3e33918230925a1fdfa5cc3dfd690dac6b73bbe187db4611c042ce5ac892956c

Verification & scope

Deterministic bounded in-memory model. No claim of complete CSV or external format conformance. This reproducer isolates one failure mechanism. Results cover the supplied fixtures. Variants within a family share a test contract and should remain grouped when constructing evaluation splits. Related mechanisms with a shared evaluation_group must also remain together; these controlled models are not independent production incidents.

Observations recorded using Python 3.12.14 at 2026-09-29T14:44:42.815705+00:00.

Case digest / 0aaa661e1ffda180c9836b418b5740cdafbdb062826926cbe83d1b9477ae1bd9