boxmaker/docs/plans/M5b/01-invalid-arguments-detail.md

M5b task 01: an invalid call is denied with its reason

Branch: m5b (run git switch m5b; git status --short must be empty, otherwise stop) Commit subject: bxcore, brokerd, loopd: an invalid-arguments denial says why

Goal

brokerd refuses a tool call whose arguments do not parse (invalid_arguments). Its parser explains why (ArgsError), but policy::decide throws the explanation away, so the model reads only a fixed sentence and has to guess. On the device (2026-09-25) it spent two calls finding that note takes no file. After this task the explanation reaches the model (M5b spec, section 4):

The model's call to memory	What it reads back
{"action":"note","file":"notes.md","text":"x"}, before	Denied: the arguments are not valid for this tool.
the same, after	Denied: the arguments are not valid for this tool: invalid argument shape: unknown field `file`, expected `text`.

Four parts:

1. bxcore: ToolResponse::Denied gains a field detail: Option<String>, written only when it is Some. A denial without a detail has exactly the bytes it had before, so every existing fixture stays valid. One new fixture has a detail.
2. brokerd: ArgsError gains detail(): its Display text on one line (each control character, and U+2028 and U+2029, becomes a space), cut to 300 characters. policy::Denial gains detail, set by decide for InvalidArguments only. The ledger passes the whole Denial on (Decided::Denied(Denial)), and broker.sock sends its detail.
3. loopd: a new denial_message(reason, detail) puts the detail after the sentence, before its full stop. Without a detail it is exactly today's sentence.
4. Unchanged: the audit record (DecisionRecord::Denied { reason } has no detail: the record holds the arguments already), TurnEvent::ToolDenied, and every text gatewayd and bxctl show the owner. Do not touch crates/gatewayd, crates/bxctl or crates/bxcore/src/audit.rs.

Every place ToolResponse::Denied appears

This is the complete list. Each one is covered by an edit below or by a given file.

Place	What happens there
crates/bxcore/src/wire.rs, the enum	gains detail (edit 1)
crates/brokerd/src/broker.rs, handle, step 3a	sends the Denial's detail (edit B1)
crates/brokerd/src/broker.rs, pending, Verdict::Denied and Err(reason)	detail: None: an approval's denial has no detail (edits B2, B3)
crates/brokerd/src/ledger/answer.rs, finish	a pattern with ..; no change
crates/loopd/src/turn.rs, run_call	reads detail and calls denial_message (edit T2)
crates/loopd/src/tools.rs, FakeTools::call	detail: None (edit L2)
crates/loopd/src/broker_port.rs	a pattern with ..; no change
tests in bxcore, brokerd, loopd	new versions are given; brokerd/tests/broker_sequence.rs uses .. and is not changed

Files

• Copy, from docs/plans/M5b/files/ (the same path under it):
  • new: crates/bxcore/tests/fixtures/wire/tool_response_denied_detail.json, crates/brokerd/tests/invalid_detail.rs
  • new versions of: crates/bxcore/tests/wire.rs, crates/bxcore/tests/strict.rs; crates/brokerd/tests/admin.rs, broker.rs, broker_pending.rs, courier.rs, ledger.rs, serve.rs; crates/loopd/tests/broker_port.rs, tools.rs, turn_broker.rs. Your broker.rs is the given broker.rs-task01: the given broker.rs is task 09's. Your serve.rs is the given serve.rs-task01: the given serve.rs is task 13's.
• Modify: crates/bxcore/src/wire.rs, crates/brokerd/src/args.rs, crates/brokerd/src/policy/mod.rs, crates/brokerd/src/ledger/mod.rs, crates/brokerd/src/broker.rs, crates/loopd/src/tools.rs, crates/loopd/src/turn.rs, docs/implementer-log.md

Facts you need

• serde: #[serde(default, skip_serializing_if = "Option::is_none")] on a field of a variant of this enum (internally tagged, deny_unknown_fields) does what it says: a missing detail reads as None, None is not written, and an unknown key is still refused. Checked against every fixture; strict.rs walks the new one too.
• char::is_control(self) -> bool is true for Unicode's control characters only: U+0000 to U+001F and U+007F to U+009F (tab, line feed, carriage return, escape and NEL among them). It is false for U+2028 (line separator) and U+2029 (paragraph separator), so detail names those two.
• The 300 is characters (chars()), not bytes, so a cut never splits a character.
• str::strip_suffix(&self, '.') -> Option<&str>; Option::as_deref(&self) -> Option<&str> for an Option<String>.
• Denial { detail: Some(..), ..Denial::new(reason) } is Rust's struct update syntax: the other fields come from Denial::new.
• crates/brokerd/src/ledger/mod.rs already imports Denial and DenyReason; keep both.

The edits, exactly

Nothing else in these files changes. Each quoted "before" block occurs exactly once in its file.

crates/bxcore/src/wire.rs

1. In enum ToolResponse, the lines

    Denied {
        reason: DenyReason,
    },
}

become

    Denied {
        reason: DenyReason,
        /// Why the arguments were not valid, for `invalid_arguments` only. Written only when
        /// present, so a denial without one has the same bytes as before M5b.
        #[serde(default, skip_serializing_if = "Option::is_none")]
        detail: Option<String>,
    },
}

crates/brokerd/src/args.rs

A1. The lines

/// Maximum length, in bytes, of a URL.
pub const MAX_URL: usize = 2048;

become

/// Maximum length, in bytes, of a URL.
pub const MAX_URL: usize = 2048;
/// Maximum length, in characters, of the detail an invalid call is denied with.
pub const MAX_DETAIL: usize = 300;

A2. The line

impl std::error::Error for ArgsError {

becomes

impl ArgsError {
    /// The error as the model is shown it: the `Display` text on one line, each control character
    /// and each Unicode line or paragraph separator replaced by a space, cut to `MAX_DETAIL`
    /// characters. The text holds the model's own arguments, which may be long or hold newlines.
    pub fn detail(&self) -> String {
        self.to_string()
            .chars()
            .map(|c| {
                if c.is_control() || c == '\u{2028}' || c == '\u{2029}' {
                    ' '
                } else {
                    c
                }
            })
            .take(MAX_DETAIL)
            .collect()
    }
}

impl std::error::Error for ArgsError {

crates/brokerd/src/policy/mod.rs

P1. In struct Denial, the lines

    /// `Some` only for `DeniedByGrant`: the deny grant's file hash.
    pub grant_sha256: Option<Hash32>,
}

become

    /// `Some` only for `DeniedByGrant`: the deny grant's file hash.
    pub grant_sha256: Option<Hash32>,
    /// `Some` only for `InvalidArguments`: why, from `ArgsError::detail`. It goes to the model in
    /// the `ToolResponse`, never into the audit record, which holds the arguments already.
    pub detail: Option<String>,
}

P2. In Denial::new, the lines

            grant: None,
            grant_sha256: None,
        }

become

            grant: None,
            grant_sha256: None,
            detail: None,
        }

P3. In decide, the lines

    // 2. Malformed arguments are refused before matching, whatever the grants say.
    let Ok(args) = args::parse(tool, &request.arguments) else {
        return Outcome::Denied(Denial::new(DenyReason::InvalidArguments));
    };

become

    // 2. Malformed arguments are refused before matching, whatever the grants say, and the
    //    model is told why, so that it can correct the call.
    let args = match args::parse(tool, &request.arguments) {
        Ok(args) => args,
        Err(error) => {
            return Outcome::Denied(Denial {
                detail: Some(error.detail()),
                ..Denial::new(DenyReason::InvalidArguments)
            });
        }
    };

P4. In decide, the lines

        Mode::Deny => Outcome::Denied(Denial {
            reason: DenyReason::DeniedByGrant,
            grant: Some(winner.id.clone()),
            grant_sha256: Some(winner.grant_sha256),
        }),

become

        Mode::Deny => Outcome::Denied(Denial {
            reason: DenyReason::DeniedByGrant,
            grant: Some(winner.id.clone()),
            grant_sha256: Some(winner.grant_sha256),
            detail: None,
        }),

P5. In redecide, the lines

        Mode::Deny => Err(Denial {
            reason: DenyReason::DeniedByGrant,
            grant: Some(winner.id.clone()),
            grant_sha256: Some(winner.grant_sha256),
        }),

become

        Mode::Deny => Err(Denial {
            reason: DenyReason::DeniedByGrant,
            grant: Some(winner.id.clone()),
            grant_sha256: Some(winner.grant_sha256),
            detail: None,
        }),

crates/brokerd/src/ledger/mod.rs

D1. The lines

/// How a call was decided.
#[derive(Debug)]
pub enum Decided {

become

/// How a call was decided. A denial carries the policy's `Denial`, so an invalid call keeps its
/// detail on the way to the answer.
#[derive(Debug)]
pub enum Decided {

D2. At the end of enum Decided, the lines

    Denied(DenyReason),
}

become

    Denied(Denial),
}

D3. In Ledger::decide, the line

            None => return Decided::Denied(DenyReason::AuditUnavailable),

becomes

            None => return Decided::Denied(Denial::new(DenyReason::AuditUnavailable)),

D4. The line

                RecordPayload::Simple(reason) => Decided::Denied(reason),

becomes

                RecordPayload::Simple(reason) => Decided::Denied(Denial::new(reason)),

D5. The line

                RecordPayload::Denial(denial) => Decided::Denied(denial.reason),

becomes

                RecordPayload::Denial(denial) => Decided::Denied(denial),

D6. The line

            Err(()) => Decided::Denied(DenyReason::AuditUnavailable),

becomes

            Err(()) => Decided::Denied(Denial::new(DenyReason::AuditUnavailable)),

crates/brokerd/src/broker.rs

B1. In handle, the line

        Decided::Denied(reason) => Some(ToolResponse::Denied { reason }), // 3a. denied

becomes

        Decided::Denied(denial) => Some(ToolResponse::Denied {
            reason: denial.reason,
            detail: denial.detail,
        }), // 3a. denied

B2. In pending, the line

            Verdict::Denied(reason) => Some(ToolResponse::Denied { reason }),

becomes

            Verdict::Denied(reason) => Some(ToolResponse::Denied {
                reason,
                detail: None,
            }),

B3. At the end of pending, the line

        Err(reason) => Some(ToolResponse::Denied { reason }),

becomes

        Err(reason) => Some(ToolResponse::Denied {
            reason,
            detail: None,
        }),

crates/loopd/src/tools.rs

L1. The line

pub struct FakeTools {

becomes

/// What a denial reaches the model as: the reason's sentence, and the broker's detail, if it sent
/// one, after a colon (`Denied: the arguments are not valid for this tool: <detail>.`).
pub fn denial_message(reason: bxcore::DenyReason, detail: Option<&str>) -> String {
    let sentence = denial_text(reason);
    match detail {
        None => sentence.to_string(),
        Some(detail) => {
            let stem = sentence.strip_suffix('.').unwrap_or(sentence);
            format!("{stem}: {detail}.")
        }
    }
}

pub struct FakeTools {

denial_text itself does not change.

L2. In FakeTools::call, the lines

            _ => bxcore::ToolResponse::Denied {
                reason: bxcore::DenyReason::NoGrant,
            },

become

            _ => bxcore::ToolResponse::Denied {
                reason: bxcore::DenyReason::NoGrant,
                detail: None,
            },

crates/loopd/src/turn.rs

T1. The line

use crate::tools::{Registry, ToolPort, cap_result, denial_text, dispatch};

becomes

use crate::tools::{Registry, ToolPort, cap_result, denial_message, dispatch};

T2. In run_call, the lines

                ToolResponse::Denied { reason } => {
                    on_event(&TurnEvent::ToolDenied {
                        name: request.tool.clone(),
                        reason,
                    });
                    (denial_text(reason).to_string(), DataClass::Public, false)
                }

become

                ToolResponse::Denied { reason, detail } => {
                    on_event(&TurnEvent::ToolDenied {
                        name: request.tool.clone(),
                        reason,
                    });
                    (
                        denial_message(reason, detail.as_deref()),
                        DataClass::Public,
                        false,
                    )
                }

The event keeps only the reason: the owner's texts do not change.

Steps

• 1. Copy the given files. From the repository root, thirteen commands:

  cp docs/plans/M5b/files/crates/bxcore/tests/fixtures/wire/tool_response_denied_detail.json \
    crates/bxcore/tests/fixtures/wire/
  cp docs/plans/M5b/files/crates/bxcore/tests/wire.rs \
    crates/bxcore/tests/
  cp docs/plans/M5b/files/crates/bxcore/tests/strict.rs \
    crates/bxcore/tests/
  cp docs/plans/M5b/files/crates/brokerd/tests/invalid_detail.rs \
    crates/brokerd/tests/
  cp docs/plans/M5b/files/crates/brokerd/tests/admin.rs \
    crates/brokerd/tests/
  cp docs/plans/M5b/files/crates/brokerd/tests/broker.rs-task01 \
    crates/brokerd/tests/broker.rs
  cp docs/plans/M5b/files/crates/brokerd/tests/broker_pending.rs \
    crates/brokerd/tests/
  cp docs/plans/M5b/files/crates/brokerd/tests/courier.rs \
    crates/brokerd/tests/
  cp docs/plans/M5b/files/crates/brokerd/tests/ledger.rs \
    crates/brokerd/tests/
  cp docs/plans/M5b/files/crates/brokerd/tests/serve.rs-task01 \
    crates/brokerd/tests/serve.rs
  cp docs/plans/M5b/files/crates/loopd/tests/broker_port.rs \
    crates/loopd/tests/
  cp docs/plans/M5b/files/crates/loopd/tests/tools.rs \
    crates/loopd/tests/
  cp docs/plans/M5b/files/crates/loopd/tests/turn_broker.rs \
    crates/loopd/tests/
  

  Then git status --short lists 11 modified files and 2 new ones, all under crates/*/tests/.

• 2. See them fail.

  • cargo test -p bxcore --test strict: one test fails, envelopes_reject_unknown_keys_at_every_depth, with tool_response_denied_detail.json: fixture must decode.
  • cargo test -p bxcore --test wire: does not compile, with two errors E0559 (variant `bxcore::ToolResponse::Denied` has no field named `detail` ).
  • cargo build --tests --keep-going -p brokerd -p loopd: ten test targets do not compile: admin, broker, broker_pending, courier, invalid_detail, ledger and serve in brokerd; broker_port, tools and turn_broker in loopd. Every error is about a name this task adds: E0559 (no field named detail on ToolResponse::Denied), E0609 (no field detail on Denial), E0599 (no method named detail for ArgsError), E0432 (unresolved import MAX_DETAIL or denial_message), or E0308 (mismatched types, in ledger.rs, where Decided::Denied will hold a Denial).

• 3. bxcore. Make edit 1. cargo test -p bxcore: every suite passes.

• 4. brokerd. Make edits A1, A2, P1 to P5, D1 to D6, and B1 to B3. cargo test -p brokerd: every suite passes, among them the eight tests of invalid_detail.

• 5. loopd. Make edits L1, L2, T1 and T2. cargo test -p loopd: every suite passes.

• 6. Check. grep -rn "Decided::Denied(DenyReason" crates/ prints nothing, and git diff --stat -- crates/gatewayd crates/bxctl crates/bxcore/src/audit.rs prints nothing.

• 7. Run the gate. cargo fmt --all, then make gate, with a shell timeout of 600000 ms. Expected last line: gate: ok, with 956 tests: 944 before this task, plus 12 new ones (two in bxcore/tests/wire.rs, eight in brokerd/tests/invalid_detail.rs, one in loopd/tests/tools.rs, one in loopd/tests/turn_broker.rs).

• 8. Log and commit. git add crates/bxcore crates/brokerd crates/loopd docs/implementer-log.md Cargo.lock, then commit as AGENTS.md says. Cargo.lock does not change in this task; the git add is harmless.

Done when

• make gate prints gate: ok with 956 tests.
• grep -rn "Decided::Denied(DenyReason" crates/ prints nothing.

Stop and report if

• Any quoted "before" block is not in its file exactly as shown, or is there more than once.
• Step 2 shows a different result: another test failing in strict, or an error of another kind.
• After step 3, 4 or 5, a test fails. Do not change a test or a fixture.
• A test in gatewayd, bxctl, memoryd or toolkit fails in the gate: check once whether it fails without your change, then stop and report both results.
• The gate passes with a count other than 956.
• A comment in an edit does not fit the code under it. Quote it and stop.