ALP Specification — Versioning

Version: 80.0.0 Status: Stable

1. Versioning Structure

mermaid

flowchart LR
    MAJOR[MAJOR] -->|Breaking changes| v4[4.0.0]
    MINOR[MINOR] -->|New features| v3x[3.x.0]
    PATCH[PATCH] -->|Bug fixes| v3x0[3.0.x]

    MAJOR -->|Example| ex1[1.0.0 → 2.0.0]
    MINOR -->|Example| ex2[0.1.0 → 0.2.0]
    PATCH -->|Example| ex3[0.1.0 → 0.1.1]

2. Format Version

Every .alp file SHOULD declare the ALP specification version it conforms to:

!alp-version: 80.0.0

If omitted, parsers SHOULD assume the latest version they support.

2. Version Numbering

ALP follows Semantic Versioning (semver):

MAJOR.MINOR.PATCH

Component	Meaning	Example
MAJOR	Breaking changes to syntax or semantics	`1.0.0` → `2.0.0`
MINOR	New features, backward-compatible	`0.1.0` → `0.2.0`
PATCH	Bug fixes, clarifications	`0.1.0` → `0.1.1`

3. Semantic Versioning Guarantees (2.x+)

Starting with v3.0.0, ALP adheres strictly to Semantic Versioning (MAJOR.MINOR.PATCH). This provides strong guarantees to parser implementers and agent developers:

PATCH (3.0.x): Bug fixes, typo corrections in documentation, and clarifications that do not change protocol behavior.
MINOR (3.x.0): New backwards-compatible features (e.g., adding a new optional field to a core object).
MAJOR (4.0.0): Breaking changes to the grammar or core object schemas.

3.1 Backward Compatibility

Within the same MAJOR version (3.x):

New object types MAY be added (parsers SHOULD ignore unknown types gracefully)
New properties MAY be added to existing objects (with defaults)
Existing properties MUST NOT be removed or renamed
Existing syntax MUST NOT change meaning

3.2 Forward Compatibility

Parsers SHOULD handle unknown elements gracefully:

Unknown block types (@unknown) → Warning, skip the block
Unknown properties → Warning, ignore the property
Unknown directives → Warning, ignore the directive
Unknown enum values → Error (enum values are strict)

3.3 Breaking Changes (MAJOR version)

A MAJOR version increment indicates:

Removed syntax elements
Changed semantics of existing elements
Renamed properties or types
Changed parsing rules

Migration guides MUST be provided for MAJOR version changes.

4. Version Negotiation

When a parser encounters a file with a higher version than it supports:

Scenario	Behavior
Same MAJOR, higher MINOR	Parse with warnings for unknown elements
Same MAJOR, higher PATCH	Parse normally
Higher MAJOR	Error: "This file requires ALP v3.x, but this parser supports v2.x"
No version declared	Parse with latest supported version

5. Object Versioning

Individual protocol objects can have their own version:

@feature
  id: feat-auth
  version: 2.0.0    // This feature spec has been revised twice

Object versions are for tracking changes to the object's definition, NOT the ALP format version. They follow the same semver convention.

6. Deprecation Policy

To guarantee that agent parsers do not break unexpectedly, ALP enforces a strict major-version deprecation policy:

A feature or field MAY be marked as deprecated in any MINOR release (e.g., 3.1.0).
A deprecated feature MUST remain fully valid and supported by parsers for the remainder of that major version lifecycle.
A deprecated feature MAY only be fully removed in the next MAJOR release (e.g., 4.0.0).

When a feature is deprecated in a new version, use the !deprecated directive:

alp

@task
  id: task-old-login
  !deprecated: "Replaced by task-new-login in v3.1.0"

Deprecated elements:

MUST still be parseable for the remainder of the MAJOR version
SHOULD produce a warning when parsed
MUST include a migration note via the !deprecated directive

7. Version History

| Version | Date | Changes | ||---|---| | 38.0.0 | 2026-07-23 | v38 Cognitive/Collaborative Era. Adds V8–V11 modules across SDKs: TypeScript SDK exports event_mesh, swarm_marketplace, macro, collaboration, memory_mesh; Python SDK ships same modules under alp_sdk. Parser adds MeshEvent, SwarmMarketplace, MacroEngine, CollaborationEngine, MemoryMeshEngine; matching test suites in parser/tests/*.test.ts (8–13 cases each). MCP server adds 5 tools: expand_macro, store_memory, query_memory, mesh_stats, negotiate. CI/docs bumped to Node 24. Fixes parser/CJS Buffer shim boundary and corrupted parser/dist artifacts. Documentation updated: mcp-server.md, guide/sdk.md, cli-tools.md, and this version table. Spec docs brought current through v38. |

| 37.0.0 | 2026-07-23 | v37 Cross-Federation Trust & Policy Hardening. Policy engine gains PolicyVersioning, PolicySuggestion, and PolicySuggest for time-window + enforcement-aware suggestions (docs-site/src/spec/03-protocol-objects.md). Predictive policy introduced: AnomalyScore, BaselineProfile, and PredictivePolicyEngine learn baselines from the event store and attach anomaly metadata to decisions (parser/src/predictive-policy.ts, sdk/python/alp_sdk/predictive_policy.py). MCP enforcement audit trail validates policy_id, timestamp, actor, and decision fields (mcp-server/src/policy-audit.ts; 4 new audit test cases). parser/tests/policy-v7.test.ts and sdk/python/tests/test_policy_v7.py added. Full Python suite: 587 pass, 3 pre-existing registry startup flakes. |

| 36.0.0 | 2026-07-23 | v36 Observability, Provenance, Cross-Project Workspace Parity. Python SDK gains observ (runtime JSONL log + state store), provenance (trace store, audit ledger, trace signer, ZK-style policy proof), and extended workspace loader with cross-project references and supergraph cycle validation. TypeScript @autonomous-lifecycle-protocol-alp/parser adds ObservabilityIntegration wiring cli/src/runtime.ts emit hooks into the same durable formats. New docs-site/src/releases.md entry updated; MCP server query_trace, verify_bundle, and runtime-log ingestor stubs added. Full Python suite: 584 pass. |

| 35.0.0 | 2026-07-23 | v35 Cost Governance & Distributed Runtime Parity. Python SDK adds cost_budget (CostBudget, ModelSelectionRouter), cost_optimizer (CostEstimator, CostOptimizer, AutoScaleRecommendation), and metering (MeteringLog with rate limiter + analytics). TypeScript parser/CLI gains matching engine interfaces and metering event types. Registry/install protocol supports direct signed-install from hosted integrity (alp registry install --url --verify). Full Python suite: 580 pass. |

| 34.0.0 | 2026-07-23 | v34 Collaboration, Migration & Workspace Hardening. Python SDK adds collaboration (TeamComposer, Negotiator, ReputationStore) and migration (MigrationEngine with dry-run + rollback checkpoints). Workspace loader gains WorkspaceExamples validation and cached project fetches. Parser adds CollaborationEngine and migration runtime. MCP server tool surface expanded with list_agents, negotiate, and replay_events stubs. Full Python suite: 575 pass. |

| 10.0.0 | 2026-07-20 | Locked Grammar 3.0.0 (V6 — The Governance Era). The formal grammar is bumped to 3.0.0: removed @type_definition (deprecated in v8, removed in v9) and added V5 governance objects (@policy, @timeline, @contract, @vault) as first-class block types. Also promoted @type to explicit block status (previously only identifier). repo, swarm, and package are now explicit. All parser/SDK version-negotiation references updated from 2.x to 3.x. Migration guide: docs-site/MIGRATION-v10.md. | | 9.0.0 | 2026-07-20 | v9 Breaking Changes: (1) Removed deprecated @type_definition alias — @type is now the sole custom-type declaration (spec/11 §2.5). (2) [!] (blocked) and [?] (human gate) status markers MUST carry a free-text reason; unannotated markers are a hard SyntaxError (promoted from v8 deprecation warning, spec/03 §4). | | 8.4.0 | 2026-07-20 | Encrypted Secrets Vault (Production-Grade Era, V5). Introduces @vault (spec/03 §31 / spec/19): secrets sealed at rest with an age-style X25519 envelope + AES-256-GCM, recipient-scoped so only the matching private key unseals. recipients double as the registry trust root (spec/14 §4.2). New Vault engine in parser/src/vault.ts (Node built-in crypto) and sdk/python/alp_sdk/vault.py (optional cryptography dep, zero-dep fallback). set/get/list/rotate/audit APIs; parser/tests/vault.test.ts (8 cases) and sdk/python/tests/test_vault.py (8 cases, skip without cryptography) cover seal/unseal, no-plaintext-on-disk, unauthorized rejection, multi-recipient, rotation, and audit trail. Also fixed pre-existing missing signing imports in registry.py (2 registry test errors). Full Python suite: 179 pass. | | 8.3.0 | 2026-07-20 | @contract Runtime Boundary Validation (Production-Grade Era, V5). Introduces declarative @contract objects (spec/03 §29) defining least-privilege boundaries between two entities (agents/tasks/repos) with requires pre-conditions, allows/denies lists (glob .* deny patterns), and on_violation modes (deny/warn/log). Enforced by ContractEngine.check(contractId, context) at handoff points (task transfer, repo write, MCP tool call). New parser/src/contract.ts and sdk/python/alp_sdk/contract.py mirror the TS engine; parser/tests/contract.test.ts (9 cases) and sdk/python/tests/test_contracts.py (9 cases) cover allow/deny, numeric & nested requires, unknown contracts, warn mode, and glob denial. Full Python suite: 171 pass. | | 8.2.0 | 2026-07-20 | @timeline Scheduling Engine (Production-Grade Era, V5). Introduces native ALP scheduling without an external cron daemon: a declarative @timeline object (spec/03 §27) with standard 5-field cron expressions and one-shot ISO 8601 at triggers, evaluated by TimelineEngine.evaluate(now) returning TimelineResult[]. New parser/src/schedule.ts and sdk/python/alp_sdk/schedule.py mirror the TS engine; parser/tests/schedule.test.ts (6 cases) and sdk/python/tests/test_schedule.py (6 cases) cover cron matching, one-shot firing, disabled timelines, and listing. CLI alp schedule (spec/17) supports list/next/enable/disable/--at modes. Full Python suite: 162 pass. | | 8.1.0 | 2026-07-20 | @policy v2 (Production-Grade Era, V5). The Python alp_sdk and TS PolicyEngine gain three extensions: (1) allow_during time-windows — actions outside every declared UTC window are denied (time-scoped least-privilege). (2) require_approval — matching actions escalate to a human-in-the-loop approval gate instead of auto-blocking. (3) proposal blocks — signed, auditable action proposals verified against a trust root with MCP-enforcement audit trail. New evaluate_proposal / evaluateProposal APIs; tests/test_policy_v2.py (6 cases) and parser/tests/policy.test.ts (v8.1.0 block, 3 cases) cover windows, approval, and proposal verification. CLI alp policy gains --proposal <id> and --trust <pem> flags. Full Python suite: 156 pass. | | 8.0.0 | 2026-07-19 | The Production-Grade Era (V5) — three breaking changes: (1) Plugin model collapsed to a single @type declaration (spec/11 §2.5); @type_definition retained as a deprecated alias for one major, removed in v9. (2) !assert is now fail-closed (spec/16 §4): a false or unparseable !assert raises DirectiveError, and unknown directives raise a hard SyntaxError instead of being silently ignored. (3) [!] (blocked) and [?] (human gate) status markers MUST carry a free-text reason (spec/03 §4); unannotated markers emit a deprecation warning in v8 and become a hard error in v9. Migration guide: docs-site/MIGRATION-v8.md. PluginResolver/PluginResolver register @type canonically; all sub-packages bumped to 8.0.0. | | 7.2.0 | 2026-07-19 | Policy Federation (spec/03 §25, V4 Pillar). The Python alp_sdk gains a policy_federation module layering multi-source governance over the atomic PolicyEngine: PolicyFederation aggregates PolicySources (local project, every member project via from_workspace, and hosted-registry namespaces via add_registry_policies) into one effective decision where deny_*/strict from ANY source wins (union of denials) while enforcement: warn only reports. Adds FederatedDecision (reasons/policies/per-source) and audit_trail for the V4 MCP-enforcement audit record. tests/test_policy_federation.py (12 cases) cover single/multi-source aggregation, registry namespaces, warn-vs-strict, neutral sources, and deny-only mode; full Python suite: 150 pass. | | 7.1.0 | 2026-07-19 | Observability Parity (spec/05 §4, V3 Pillars 4/5). The Python alp_sdk gains an observ module mirroring the TypeScript runtime primitives: RuntimeLog (append-only JSONL event stream at .alp/.runtime/log.jsonl, mirroring cli/src/runtime.ts, best-effort/never-raises, typed RUNTIME_EVENT_TYPES) and StateStore (durable dependency-free snapshot at .alp/.runtime/state.db.json, ingest with timestamp+type+task_id+status de-duplication, save/size, analytics() reusing analytics.compute_analytics). Gives the Python SDK the same event-emission and durable-analytics surface as alp serve/alp evolve. tests/test_observ.py (11 cases) cover logging, reading (malformed-line skip), ingest/de-dup, persistence, and the runtime-log→state-store pipeline; full Python suite: 138 pass. | | 7.0.0 | 2026-07-19 | Unified Execution Engine (spec/05). The Python alp_sdk gains an engine module implementing all four spec/05 engines with ALPEL-driven evaluation: LoopEngine (7-stage iterative cycle, checkpoint-per-iteration, event emitter on, getState/getLastCheckpoint — mirrors TS parser/loop.ts), WorkflowEngine (sequential steps, ALPEL condition skip, failure strategies stop/skip/rollback/retry with RetryStrategy backoff fixed/linear/exponential), ContextEngine (8-step resolve algorithm with minimal/normal/full scope gating), and VerificationEngine (policy-guarded @verify gates, required/check entries, VerificationReport). tests/test_engines.py (25 cases) cover every engine; full Python suite: 127 pass. | | 6.9.0 | 2026-07-19 | Compliance v2 (spec/16). The Python alp_sdk gains a directive-aware reader (!assert raises DirectiveError, !if excludes the following top-level object via a throwaway currentObjectSkipped body), a new DirectiveError, and a compliance harness (run_suite / HarnessResult / main) mirroring alp test-harness: it runs tests/compliance/{valid,invalid} fixtures through AlpParser.parse_and_validate and asserts correct categorization (valid MUST parse, invalid MUST raise). tests/test_compliance.py covers assert/if directives and the harness; bundled 08-directives.alp exercises !assert/!if. Full Python suite: 120 pass. | | 6.8.0 | 2026-07-19 | Plugin Registry Protocol Parity (spec/14). The alp_sdk RegistryClient gains registry-alias parsing (parse_registry_alias for @ns/name@range, §2) and Strict Singleton dependency resolution (§6): resolve_dependency_graph / RegistryClient.resolve_dependencies walk transitive dependencies, intersect each package's version ranges via real [min,max) bound math, and pin exactly one version per package — raising VersionConflictError when two ranges have no intersection (e.g. ^1.0.0 vs ^2.0.0). New VersionConflictError export; tests/test_registry_deps.py (10 cases) cover alias parsing, transitive resolution, compatible-range intersection, and conflict detection. Builds on the existing §3 API, §4.1 routing, §4.2 auth, §4.3 trust-root, and §5 HTTPS support already in registry.py. | | 6.7.0 | 2026-07-19 | Workspace Model Parity (spec/13). The alp_sdk package gains a WorkspaceLoader mirroring @autonomous-lifecycle-protocol-alp/parser's ExternalResolver: walk-up discovery of .alp/workspace.alp (§3.2), loading of member projects via local path / Git url (cached in .alp/.cache/projects, pinned to commit) / glob, resolution of qualified -> project::object and fully-qualified -> ws::project::object references (§4, §9), and a cross-project dependency supergraph with cycle validation (§5.2). Enforces fatal errors for missing member project.alp, duplicate project IDs, and unknown project qualifiers. New WorkspaceError / ProjectEntry / CrossProjectReference exports; tests/test_workspace.py (12 cases) cover discovery, namespacing, reference resolution, supergraph edges, and cycle/error cases. | | 6.6.0 | 2026-07-19 | ALPEL Engine Parity (spec/12). The alp_sdk package gains a full ALP Expression Language evaluator mirroring @autonomous-lifecycle-protocol-alp/parser's alpel.ts: sandboxed tokenizer + Pratt parser supporting primitives, dot/bracket property access, comparison/logical/math operators, in, built-ins (length, toUpper, toLower, startsWith, size, isEmpty, contains, hasStatus), and ${ } string interpolation via interpolate. New AlpelError + build_context/evaluate/evaluate_bool/interpolate exports, with tests/test_alpel.py (29 cases) covering every spec/12 operator and the spec's own conditional/interpolation examples. | | 6.5.0 | 2026-07-19 | Plugin System (spec/11). !import of local .alp files resolved relative to the .alp/ root with circular-import detection and path-traversal guards; @plugin / @type_definition register custom object types; custom block markers parse and validate against their declared properties (required-field errors, unknown-property warnings). Remote HTTPS imports add caching + !integrity SHA-256 verification (§3.2–3.4); registry alias @ns/name@version imports resolve via the Plugin Registry Protocol (§3.5). PluginResolver + RemoteFetcher added to @autonomous-lifecycle-protocol-alp/parser and alp_sdk (parity). | | 6.4.0 | 2026-07-19 | Python Engine Parity. The alp_sdk package exposes AlpGraph, MemoryStore, and PolicyEngine mirroring the TypeScript @autonomous-lifecycle-protocol-alp/parser engines, with tests/test_engines.py covering DAG build/cycle/topological-sort, persistent memory, and policy evaluation (deny-beats-allow, enforcement: warn). | | 6.0.0 | 2026-07-18 | Integrations & CI hardening (v6). Added the missing integrations/github/alp-validate.yml PR workflow that builds the CLI from source and runs alp validate on every PR/push, failing the check on any schema-invalid .alp file or dependency-graph cycle. Drop-in GitHub Actions templates (alp-sync, alp-pr-context, alp-report) now document the correct CLI install path (build-from-source until @autonomous-lifecycle-protocol-alp/cli is published to npm) instead of assuming a global install; removed a duplicate log line in alp-sync.yml. Agent instruction docs (integrations/claude-code/instructions.md, integrations/cursor/.cursorrules) are refreshed to the V5 surface — current-era section headers plus registry trust/verification (alp keys trust add, alp registry verify [--url]) guidance. | | 5.0.0 | 2026-07-18 | SDK hardening & cross-SDK parity (v5). The Python SDK's AlpReader is brought into strict parity with the TypeScript @autonomous-lifecycle-protocol-alp/parser reader.ts: it now rejects tab indentation, validates odd/unexpected indentation levels with IndentationError, requires lowercase @[a-z_]+ block markers, and normalizes !directive properties — raising the same SyntaxError/IndentationError hierarchy as the TS parser. New AlpParser (with parse + parse_and_validate) and error module (AlpError/SyntaxError/IndentationError/ValidationError) mirror the TS API. A shared conformance test suite asserts the example workspace parses and validates identically across both SDKs. | | 4.5.0 | 2026-07-18 | Remote package verification (v4.5). alp registry verify <name>[@version] --url <host> now audits a hosted package's signature against the trust root without downloading the entry, using the declared integrity as the canonical entry hash. Verification logic is extracted into a shared static RegistryStore.verifyVersionSignature(name, version, info, trustRoots?, explicitTrustPem?) reused by both local verifyPackage and remote verifyRemote, so remote and local checks enforce identical rules. RegistryClient.install is refactored to use the same helper for its signature policy. Python SDK gains parity: verify_version_signature + RegistryClient.verify_remote mirror the TS helpers, and the SDK install is refactored onto the shared verifier. | | 4.4.0 | 2026-07-18 | Server-side signature enforcement + audit (v4.4). A hosted registry (alp serve --registry) whose .alprc declares a trust root for a namespace now rejects PUT uploads that are unsigned or signed by an untrusted key for that namespace, so a compromised publish token cannot inject untrusted packages (spec/14 §4.3). New alp registry verify <name>[@version] audits a stored version's signature against the local trust roots without installing. RegistryStore gains trustRoots + isTrusted + verifyPackage. Builds on 4.3.0 trust roots. | | 4.3.0 | 2026-07-18 | Persistent signature trust roots (.alprc trustedKeys, spec/14 §4.3). Consumers pin a maintainer's public-key fingerprint or inline PEM per namespace (@ns) or globally (*) so signed installs are verified automatically and unsigned / wrong-key packages for that namespace are rejected — without passing --key each time. New alp keys trust add <ns|*> <fingerprint|file> and alp keys trust list manage the trust root; Python SDK gains RegistryClient.resolve_trust_entry / is_trusted parity. Builds on 4.2.0 signing. | | 4.2.0 | 2026-07-18 | Registry trust hardening via package signing. New alp keys generate / alp keys fingerprint commands and Ed25519 detached signing (cli/src/signing.ts); published versions carry a public-key fingerprint + base64 signature, verified against a trust root (.alprc trustedKeys or --key). Signing is OPTIONAL and backward compatible: unsigned packages install normally, signed packages are verified only when a trust root is configured, and a bad signature is rejected. | | 4.1.0 | 2026-07-18 | Registry hardening. Per-namespace bearer tokens (--registry-token "ns=token,...") gate private namespace reads, downloads, and the marketplace; publish-time auth via PUT /api/registry/-/<ns>/<name> (manifest + files inline) required the namespace token, with path-traversal and namespace-mismatch rejection. alp publish --url and alp registry publish --url can now publish remotely; Python SDK RegistryClient.publish parity. | | 4.0.0 | 2026-07-17 | The Federation Era. Completed all five V4 pillars: Remote & Networked Swarms (@swarm, alp swarm, alp serve --registry coordinator federation, alp run --swarm), Cross-Repository Orchestration (@repo, ExternalResolver, alp repo), the Hosted Registry & Marketplace (alp registry serve/publish/list/search/install, /api/registry/*, semver range resolution, registry.lock.json, sha256 integrity verification), Policy & Permission Governance (@policy, Policy Engine, alp policy, MCP enforcement + audit trail), and the Persistent State Store (alp serve --db, /api/analytics). | | 3.1.0 | 2026-07-17 | The Observability Release. Completed V3 Pillars 4 & 5: alp serve (live State Server dashboard over HTTP + SSE, structured runtime event log) and alp evolve (failure telemetry + auto-proposed @rule safety checks). | | 3.0.0 | 2026-07-15 | The Swarm Era. Concurrent multi-agent execution (alp run --concurrent, LockManager), sub-agent delegation (alp_delegate, alp_decompose), and Human-in-the-Loop handoffs ([?] status, alp checkpoint --ask-human). | | 2.0.0 | 2025-07-15 | Final Release Candidate. Formal grammar locked. Strict semantic versioning and deprecation policies established. | | 1.4.0 | 2025-07-15 | Dynamic object generation (@macro) and real-time multi-agent concurrency (file locking) | | 1.3.0 | 2025-07-15 | Cross-Workspace References (-> ws::proj::obj) and automatic project discovery (glob) | | 1.2.0 | 2025-07-15 | Workspace-level State, Workflows, and Checkpoints | | 1.1.0 | 2025-07-15 | Remote Workspaces — member projects fetched dynamically via Git (url, branch, commit) | | 1.0.0 | 2025-07-15 | Stable release, formal grammar (W3C EBNF), compliance test suite | | 0.6.0 | 2025-07-15 | Plugin Registry Protocol (@namespace/plugin@version), plugin dependencies, and resolution strategy | | 0.5.0 | 2025-07-15 | Multi-Project Workspaces (@workspace), shared agents, and qualified cross-project references (-> project-id::object-id) | | 0.4.0 | 2025-07-15 | Remote Plugin Imports — !import now supports https:// URLs, with local caching (.alp/.cache/) and optional !integrity hash verification | | 0.3.0 | 2025-07-15 | Added Conditional Logic, !if, !assert, and ALPEL Expressions | | 0.2.0 | 2025-07-15 | Added Plugin System, Custom Object Types (@plugin, @type_definition), and !import directive | | 0.1.0 | 2025-07-14 | Initial specification — core syntax, all 17 objects, lifecycle, engines, memory, agents |

8. Future Versions Roadmap

The roadmap below records delivered eras and looks ahead. Released versions are authoritative in the table in §7; this section captures intent.

| Era | Versions | Delivered | |---|---| | V2 — Execution Engine | 2.0.0 | Context bundles, topological execution | | V3 — Multi-Agent Orchestration | 3.0.0–3.1.0 | Concurrent swarms, live state server, self-evolving protocol | | V4 — The Federation Era | 4.0.0–4.5.0 | Networked swarms, cross-repo @repo, hosted registry, package signing & trust roots | | V5 — Production-Grade Era | 7.0.0–10.0.0 | Unified Python engine, policy federation, observability parity, v8/v9 hardening, and v10 locked grammar 3.0.0: canonical @type, fail-closed !assert, @policy v2 (time-windows / approvals / signed proposals), @timeline scheduling, @contract boundary validation, encrypted @vault secrets, removed @type_definition alias, mandatory [!]/[?] reasons, formalized V5 governance objects in grammar | | V6 — The Governance Era | 34.0.0–35.0.0 | Cost governance, budget/router/optimizer, metering analytics | | V7 — The Cognitive Era | 36.0.0–37.0.0 | Observability/provenance parity, runtime JSONL + trace store, policy versioning, predictive anomaly scoring | | V8 — The Collaboration Era | 38.0.0–38.x | Event mesh, swarm marketplace, macro expansion, collaboration/negotiation/reputation, memory mesh |

Forward-looking (post-10.0.0)

| Version | Planned Features | |---| | 10.x | Grammar refinements, new governance primitives, distributed enforcement optimizations | | 11.0.0 | Complete event-mesh & swarm-marketplace primitives, auto-negotiation, memory-mesh federation | | 12.0.0 | Candidate for the next specification major — next-era feature set TBD |

ALP Specification — Versioning ​

1. Versioning Structure ​

2. Format Version ​

2. Version Numbering ​

3. Semantic Versioning Guarantees (2.x+) ​

3.1 Backward Compatibility ​

3.2 Forward Compatibility ​

3.3 Breaking Changes (MAJOR version) ​

4. Version Negotiation ​

5. Object Versioning ​

6. Deprecation Policy ​

7. Version History ​

8. Future Versions Roadmap ​

Forward-looking (post-10.0.0) ​