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09_handoff_reentry.txt exists to solve a specific and recurring problem: sessions end, context is lost, and the next session must reconstruct where the work stood. 09 does this without pretending to be a source of project truth. It captures what happened, shows what changed, and puts you back into the specific conversation point where work stopped — all without overriding the authoritative signals held in 02, 03, 04, and 08. The key distinction is transit versus residence: material passes through 09, it does not live there.
What 09 is
09 is the layer of short continuity between sessions in Signal Rail. It does not hold canonical truth about the project. It exists to support complete handoff and fast re-entry without losing the thread of the work. A non-canonical handoff that still needs absorption is better than truth promoted too early into the wrong container.
09 output is non-canonical by default. 09 may summarize canonical state for continuity but may not override 02, 03, 04, or 08. Canonical updates must be routed separately.
Three functions
Session Snapshot
Captures what happened in the session before the chat closes — what was done, what remains open, what the next move is.
Delta View
Shows what truly changed from the previous session in files and canonicals — not a full summary, just the delta.
Re-entry Card
Puts you back into the specific conversation and the real point where the work stopped.
Continuity Support
May summarize active freeze or current live state only as re-entry support — not as authority.
Re-entry card
The re-entry card provides the minimum context needed to resume work at the exact point it paused:| Field | Purpose |
|---|---|
dominant session topic | The main thread of the session just completed |
second dominant topic, if present | Secondary thread, if relevant |
strong idea that emerged | An idea that surfaced during the session and should not be lost |
decisions discussed but not yet recorded | Choices made in conversation that need routing to 04 |
where work stopped before the pause | The specific point of interruption |
freeze / live summary | A brief summary of current freeze and live state for orientation |
next sensible move | The first concrete action for the next session |
Delta view
The delta view isolates what changed, making re-entry faster and reducing the risk of acting on stale information:| Field | What it captures |
|---|---|
files changed since the previous session | Which canonical or support files were modified |
new entries in 04 not yet absorbed | Decision log entries made in this session that haven’t been actioned elsewhere |
changed states in 05 | Latent entries whose state changed (e.g. new → to review, to absorb → exited) |
canonicals touched but not yet updated | Files that need updates based on session work but haven’t been written yet |
Session snapshot form
The snapshot form captures what happened before the session closes. Required fields (must always be present):| Field | What to write |
|---|---|
date | Date of the session |
what was done | Concrete description of work completed |
what remains open | Unresolved items from this session |
next move | First action for next session |
| Field | What to write |
|---|---|
blocker | Active blocker if present |
files modified | Files changed during the session |
active risk | Live risk visible at close |
The failure condition
09 has a clearly defined failure mode. It is being used wrong when:
- Decisions are being written in
09instead of04 - Live state is being updated in
09instead of03 09has become the place where things live instead of the place where things transit
09 accumulates project truth, it becomes a shadow canonical — one that lacks the authority and structural clarity of the actual files it is imitating. The result is a continuity layer that misleads re-entry instead of supporting it.
Non-canonical rule
09 may:
- Summarize
02,03,04, and08for continuity and re-entry - Preserve session-specific frame needed to re-enter the work cleanly
- Cite canonical IDs as continuity references
09 may not:
- Replace project identity (
01) - Override freeze (
02) - Substitute for live state (
03) - Stand in for the decision record (
04) - Override the technical map (
08) - Mint new canonical authority from cited IDs
The ENTRIES START/END zone
Session snapshots must be written inside:[TEMPLATE ONLY] is scaffolding only. It does not count as a live handoff snapshot. Required fields must always be present. Optional fields may be omitted. Do not add narrative outside the form.
Typical errors
Master Working (03)
The canonical live state — what 09 may summarize but may not override.
Decision Log (04)
Where decisions discussed in a session must be routed after they close.
Runtime Entry (00)
The restart path when re-entering after a session ends.
Routing & Promotion
How material from sessions gets routed into the right canonical file.