Slate v2 Release Readiness Decision

Current Verdict

Not release-ready.

The repo has moved past the package-runtime blocker phase. The active owner is final claim-width closure for the absolute architecture plan.

Readiness Gates

The migration cannot claim RC readiness until all of these are true:

1. tranche 1 root/tooling/docs lane is stable
2. tranche 2 React 19.2 + Next + TypeScript 6 compatibility lane is stable and behavior-preserving
3. package recovery finishes in declared order
4. every draft file has an explicit disposition
5. surviving drift is either:
   • engine-forced, or
   • clear current value
6. all other drift is named post RC

Current Blockers

• final integration, build, typecheck, lint, and perf gates need a same-turn closeout run for the active plan
• the editing epoch destructive proof is green for focused generated and persistent-profile rows, but the full bun test:integration-local closure sweep still needs to run in the final slice
• release docs must keep the exact claim width from absolute-architecture-release-claim.md
• native mobile proof stays scoped to the current automated claim
• the huge-document middle-shell caveat stays explicit
• RC ledger closure and completion-check closure are pending

Current Claim Width

The live claim is only this:

• the migration program is active
• tranche order is locked
• drift discipline is locked
• absolute architecture doctrine is live:
  • Slate model and operations stay the collaboration truth
  • editor.read and editor.update are the public lifecycle
  • transaction-owned primitive editor methods are the mutation power API
  • EditorCommit is the local runtime truth for history, React, DOM repair, and proof
  • extensions compose through named editor, state, and tx groups
  • rewrite is allowed when retrofit shape blocks the better API or proof
• tranche 1 Bun/tooling/docs ownership is green
• tranche 2 React 19.2.5 + Next 16.2.4 + TypeScript 6.0.3 compatibility is green
• packages/slate is materially farther along:
  • package-local tests/build/typecheck/lint are green
  • query / operations / snapshot / legacy fixture owners are live
  • accessor / transaction boundary is recovered
  • stale public field pressure is cut from primary docs/examples/tests: editor.children, editor.selection, editor.marks, and editor.operations are not primary read paths
  • Transforms.* is not the primary mutation story
  • direct editor.apply and editor.onChange are not extension points
  • commit subscribers and extension groups own those jobs
  • range refs, bookmarks, normalization, transforms, surface, clipboard, and extension owner files are live
  • the core benchmark package exists and runs
  • the broad write-path catastrophe has been cut down sharply
  • the remaining slate perf story is now bounded residual deltas, not a catastrophic regression class
  • standalone snapshot-contract.ts is not included in that package-closeout claim by default and should not be cited as green unless rerun directly
  • core perf regression coverage is complete but selective:
    • current-only family owners are landed
    • current-vs-legacy compare coverage exists for the kept blocker lanes
    • it is not exhaustive compare coverage for every exported helper family
• packages/slate-history is now materially farther along too:
  • package-local test/build/typecheck/lint are green
  • direct kept-row proof exists in history-contract.ts
  • batching / save / merge / stack-write / commit-order proof exists in integrity-contract.ts
  • the live history compare owner exists again: bench:history:compare:local
  • current history perf still trails legacy, but in a bounded class rather than a blocker-shaped regression
• packages/slate-hyperscript is now materially farther along too:
  • package-local test/build/typecheck/lint are green
  • fixture parsing and cursor/selection construction are still owned by index.spec.ts
  • draft smoke behavior is now directly owned by smoke-contract.ts
  • the public creation surface remains preserved:
    • createHyperscript
    • createEditor
    • createText
    • jsx
• packages/slate-dom is now materially farther along:
  • direct kept-row proof exists in:
    • bridge.ts
    • clipboard-boundary.ts
  • package build/typecheck/lint are green
  • packages/slate-react is now materially farther along:
  • focused runtime proof owners are green across provider/hooks, ReactEditor, primitives, editable behavior, projections/annotations/widgets, app-owned customization, large-document runtime, and with-react
  • required v2-only examples are real and green
  • kept north-star perf lanes are command-backed:
    • bench:react:rerender-breadth:local
    • bench:react:huge-document-overlays:local
    • bench:react:huge-document:legacy-compare:local
  • the data-model-first / React-perfect huge-doc runtime lane is closed: direct DOM sync has capability guards, custom render/projection/IME fallbacks are proved, shell activation is separate from selection, shell-backed fragment paste is safe, generated cursor/caret gauntlets are replayable, and slate-dom / slate-react build/typecheck are green
  • the editing epoch destructive lane is materially closed for the focused regression family:
    • repeated word-delete is model-owned and epoch-traced
    • plain text paste over selected range runs inside editor.update
    • generated destructive paste/word-delete gauntlets are replayable and shrinkable
    • persistent-profile soak emits release-proof artifacts
    • focused Chromium, Firefox, WebKit, and mobile-project rows are green
  • native mobile transport claim width is scoped: Playwright mobile viewport and semantic handles are not raw Android/iOS native keyboard or clipboard proof; Appium descriptors are direct-device candidates only when the device gate runs
  • the same-path huge-document example is not a parity blocker: it is explicitly cut as a legacy chunking playground; v2 huge-doc truth is owned by large-document-runtime and the 5000-block benchmark gate
  • the same-path custom-placeholder, paste-html, richtext, editable-voids, and images rows are recovered: their current browser proof is green for the supported placeholder, formatting, rich editing, editable void, and prompt/delete contracts
  • end-state gates are green:
    • bun run test
    • bun run test:integration-local

Tranches 3 through 6 are now settled enough to stop being the main blocker.

No blanket RC claim beyond that narrower package/runtime truth is live yet.

Parity alone is not enough.

The live program must also preserve the v2 reason to exist:

• read/update lifecycle with primitive-method DX
• best React runtime locality
• explicit decoration / annotation / widget architecture
• better large-document posture than legacy
• generated browser gauntlets for cursor/caret claims

The next mainline blocker is:

• final same-turn integration/build/type/lint/perf closure on top of the verified public API, kernel, generated gauntlet, mobile-scope, and perf owners

not:

• pretending DOM / React package recovery is still the blocker
• broad package rewrite by default
• rewrite-avoidance by default
• compacted-away v2 architecture truth