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# TopData Rebuild Handoff - 2026-04-02
## Current State
This handoff captures the first implementation milestone of the topdata rebuild.
The migration direction is:
- Python `2dabuilder` in `sow-dev` remains authoritative
- `sow-toolkit` now owns the new topdata command surface
- `sow-module` is the new long-term source home for migrated topdata content
- wiki generation, wiki deploy, and tophak packaging are still deferred
## Implemented In This Milestone
### New `sow-toolkit` commands
- `validate-topdata`
- `build-topdata`
- `compare-topdata`
Current behavior:
- `validate-topdata` validates the new `topdata/` source root in `sow-module`
- `build-topdata` currently uses the Python builder as a reference backend and writes outputs into `build/topdata/`
- `compare-topdata` rebuilds fresh reference output from Python and compares it against `build/topdata/`
This is an intentional bridge: it preserves current production behavior while the deeper merge/build rules are audited and ported.
### New `sow-module` layout
Recommended migration root now exists:
```text
topdata/
data/
tlk/
base_dialog.json
```
Generated outputs are expected under:
```text
build/topdata/
2da/
tlk/
```
### Canonical compatibility validation
The new validator already recognizes the current family of authoring shapes:
- dataset `base.json` with `columns` + `rows`
- lockfiles as object maps of key -> numeric id
- module files using `entries`
- module files using `overrides`
- plain row files using `rows`
- TLK files with `entries`
It is intentionally permissive for now:
- legacy parseable shapes can still load
- warnings are used where a file is parseable but not canonical yet
- this keeps migration practical while still nudging toward a formal schema
## Important Rules Captured So Far
These behaviors are considered core and must be preserved in the eventual native compiler:
- base fallback from `base.json`
- TLK fallback from `base_dialog.json` / TLK base data
- snippet files and grouped files both being valid
- grouped dataset families and plain tables both being valid
- lockfile-backed IDs
- ID allocation when a key has no existing lock entry
- “only override what we intentionally touch”
- deterministic output and deterministic compare behavior
## What Is Still Deferred
- native Go merge/build parity for current Python rules
- shorthand expansion porting
- dataset-specific rule porting
- local wiki generation
- wiki deploy
- tophak packaging
- canonical normalize/export command
## Suggested Next Steps
1. Audit the current Python rules dataset-by-dataset, especially:
- `classes`
- `feat`
- `itemprops`
- TLK merge behavior
2. Capture representative parity fixtures from the Python builder.
3. Replace the reference-backed `build-topdata` bridge with native Go build logic one dataset family at a time.
4. Add a normalize/migrate command once the canonical JSON contract is nailed down.
5. Only migrate wiki generation after compiler parity is stable.
## Related UX State
Separate from topdata, the content repos already have:
- auto-installing `sow-toolkit` wrappers
- Linux/macOS shell wrappers
- Windows PowerShell and `.cmd` wrappers
- simplified `START-HERE.md` docs in `sow-module` and `sow-assets`
Windows still needs a real smoke test from an actual Windows machine.