Does an error code produce a SHA-256 identity?

No. When validation fails, canonical JSON is not produced and no SHA-256 identity is derived.

Are SCL error codes deterministic?

Yes. Identical invalid bytes produce identical validation output across compliant implementations.

SCL Error Codes — Deterministic Validation Reference

Q: What are SCL error codes?

SCL error codes are deterministic validation outputs returned when invalid input prevents canonical JSON generation and SHA-256 identity derivation.

Definition

SCL is the deterministic, cryptographic identity protocol for AI run declarations.

This page is a reference of deterministic validation outputs returned when invalid input prevents canonicalized byte-level representations from producing canonical JSON and a SHA-256 identity.

Scope

This page lists error code categories associated with validation failure.

It does not redefine the specification and does not describe full protocol rules.

SCL enforces deterministic identity by rejecting invalid declarations before canonical JSON and SHA-256 identity are derived.

Validation Boundary

Canonical JSON is produced only for valid input
SHA-256 identity is derived exclusively from canonical JSON bytes
Invalid input does not produce canonical JSON
Invalid input does not produce a SHA-256 identity

Error Code Reference

E001 — Encoding and Forbidden Bytes

Invalid UTF-8 sequences
Carriage return bytes
Tab bytes
Forbidden byte-level representations rejected before canonicalized output

E101 — Invalid or Missing Header

Header does not match required format
Header not present at the beginning of the document

E102 — Invalid or Missing Handles Block

Handles block not present
Handles block incorrectly structured

E103 — Unclosed Handles Block

Handles block not properly terminated

E104 — Missing or Invalid `scl` Block

scl block not present
Trailing content after valid structure

E105 — Unclosed `scl` Block

scl block not properly terminated

E201 — Invalid Handle Definition

Handle identifier format invalid
Handle spacing or structure invalid

E202 — Invalid Tag Syntax

Tag formatting invalid
Missing quotes
Invalid separators
Trailing commas

E900 — Unclassified Validation Failure

Fallback error when no specific deterministic code applies

Deterministic Property

Identical invalid bytes produce identical validation output
Validation output occurs before canonical JSON generation
Validation output occurs before content is hashed using SHA-256

Processing Context

For valid input, SCL defines a deterministic process:

bytes → AST → canonical JSON → SHA-256

Error codes apply when processing does not reach canonical JSON.

Canonical Definition: SCL is the deterministic, cryptographic identity protocol for AI run declarations.