Roadmap

This is the public roadmap for Walden. It distinguishes committed open source work from exploratory and enterprise-only work.

Current Release: v0.10.x

The open source core today includes:

• Deterministic CLI with all core commands
• Content-fingerprint freshness chain: tamper detection and provable approval binding on every spec document, with document schema versioning (walden_schema_version: v1alpha1) and preserved x- frontmatter extensions
• Versioned JSON output contract (v0beta1), honored on success and error paths alike
• AI skill embedded in the binary (walden skill install|status|show) for Claude Code, Codex, Copilot, and OpenCode, with drift detection against the embedded copy
• One-liner installer consuming checksum-verified release binaries
• Self-update from GitHub releases (walden update) with fail-closed verification, rollback, and skill re-sync
• Execution evidence ledger: task completions bound to spec fingerprints and a code identity, derived states, walden verify re-verification with a purity contract and run-start identity anchoring, per-step proof timeouts, expect_exit/expect_output assertions, and execution profiles with declared environment probes
• Aggregate release gate (walden release check): one deterministic releasability verdict per repository — chain freshness, full-spec validation, decision-marker lint, evidence states, clean-worktree policy — judging only, executing nothing; pending work blocks by default, with recorded waivers (--allow-pending --reason), completion classes, and a certified commit in every verdict
• Brownfield adoption lane (walden adopt): read-only classification plan, fingerprint backfill for recorded approvals, bulk re-proving with an honest verified/failed partition
• Retirement convention (.walden/RETIRED.md) and the walden-history companion skill for sourced chronicles over committed spec history
• Documentation pack (quickstart, lifecycle, workflow, adoption, CI, and full CLI/JSON/format references)
• Example project with shell-safe verification, validated in CI as a compatibility fixture
• Repository bootstrap and feature scaffolding templates (generated CI pinned to the generating version)
• Apache-2.0 license

Near-Term (Open Source)

These improvements are planned for the open source core:

• CLI polish — improved error messages, help text, and edge case handling.
• JSON contract stabilization — now at v0beta1; move toward a stable v1 schema as the contract matures.
• Skill refinement — tighter CLI delegation, fewer redundant instructions, better example conversations.
• Additional examples — backend service demo, multi-feature workflow example.
• Scoped code identity — narrowing the identity a proof binds from the whole tree to the slice it depends on, so unrelated changes stop staling a feature's evidence at portfolio scale.
• Multi-root identity — code identity spanning multiple repositories, unblocking cross-repo proofs and multi-repo certification.
• Rework provenance — recording the origin of post-approval rework to close the loop between shipped specs and what they missed.

Medium-Term (Enterprise, Exploratory)

These capabilities are under design but not committed:

• GitHub App (read-only) — listen to repository events and project spec state into GitHub Issues and Projects.
• GitHub App (read-write) — automate review gate transitions based on PR approvals and writeback frontmatter updates.
• Governance pack — organization-level repository templates, reusable workflows, and ruleset defaults.

Long-Term (Enterprise, Target State)

These represent the full platform vision:

• Multi-repo sync — coordinated workflow state across an organization.
• Org dashboards — centralized metrics for delivery health, stale specs, and progress.
• Assignment automation — rule-based task assignment integrated with GitHub team membership.
• Pilot and rollout model — structured adoption path for large organizations.

What Is Not Planned

• Replacing human review with automated approval
• Building a proprietary workflow engine separate from the open source CLI
• Vendor lock-in to any specific AI provider

Versioning

The open source CLI follows semantic versioning. The JSON output contract is at v0beta1 and remains pre-stable until the CLI stabilizes at v1.0.0, at which point it will bump to v1 with a documented migration guide. Breaking CLI changes are documented in the changelog.