engine: remove avoid and refrain-from directives

docs/M1Design.md

@@ -96,20 +96,19 @@ Accepted patterns:
 - "don't X"
 - "do not X"
 - "never X"
-- "avoid X"
-- "refrain from X"
 - "please don't X"
 
 Produces:
 
     POLICY_ADD(normalize(X))
 
-`"refrain from X"` is treated as a hard-negative directive and adds
-`normalize(X)` to `policies.prohibit`.
-
 For hard-negative directives, `normalize(X)` is applied to each policy
 payload item before storage.
 
+Soft preference phrases like `"avoid X"` and `"refrain from X"` are
+not hard directives in M1. They are treated as passthrough input and do
+not mutate authoritative state.
+
 #### 5.2 Hard Positive Directives
 
 Accepted patterns:
@@ -236,8 +235,8 @@ While pending exists, no other mutation may occur.
 
 #### Policies (additive)
 
-    avoid parallel octaves
-    avoid voice crossing
+    don't use parallel octaves
+    do not use voice crossing
 
 Adding duplicate policy is a no-op.
 Policies stored in sorted lexical order.

src/context_compiler/engine.py

@@ -71,8 +71,6 @@ class NegativeDirectiveRule:
     NegativeDirectiveRule(starter="don't ", kind="policy_add", strip_leading_use=True),
     NegativeDirectiveRule(starter="do not ", kind="policy_add", strip_leading_use=True),
     NegativeDirectiveRule(starter="never ", kind="policy_add", strip_leading_use=True),
-    NegativeDirectiveRule(starter="refrain from ", kind="policy_add", strip_leading_use=False),
-    NegativeDirectiveRule(starter="avoid ", kind="policy_add", strip_leading_use=False),
 )
 
 

tests/test_engine.py

@@ -26,13 +26,14 @@ def test_hard_negative_dont_use_stores_item_without_use_prefix() -> None:
     assert engine.state["policies"]["prohibit"] == ["docker"]
 
 
-def test_hard_negative_avoid_use_keeps_use_token() -> None:
+def test_avoid_is_passthrough_and_does_not_mutate_state() -> None:
     engine = create_engine()
+    before = engine.state
 
     decision = engine.step("avoid use docker")
 
-    assert decision["kind"] == "update"
-    assert engine.state["policies"]["prohibit"] == ["use docker"]
+    assert decision["kind"] == "passthrough"
+    assert engine.state == before
 
 
 def test_correction_replaces_most_recent_exclusive_fact() -> None:
@@ -57,9 +58,9 @@ def test_correction_without_prior_exclusive_fact_requires_clarification() -> Non
 def test_policy_additions_are_sorted_unique_and_removal_is_noop_when_absent() -> None:
     engine = create_engine()
 
-    engine.step("avoid voice crossing")
-    engine.step("avoid the parallel octaves")
-    decision = engine.step("avoid voice crossing")
+    engine.step("don't use voice crossing")
+    engine.step("never the parallel octaves")
+    decision = engine.step("do not voice crossing")
 
     assert decision["kind"] == "update"
     assert engine.state["policies"]["prohibit"] == ["parallel octaves", "voice crossing"]
@@ -103,7 +104,7 @@ def test_correction_does_not_bypass_pending_clarification() -> None:
     assert decision1["kind"] == "clarify"
 
     # attempt correction while pending
-    decision2 = engine.step("actually avoid docker")
+    decision2 = engine.step("actually don't use docker")
 
     assert decision2["kind"] == "clarify"
     assert engine.state == {
@@ -169,7 +170,7 @@ def test_reset_commands() -> None:
     engine = create_engine()
 
     engine.step("use Nord Stage 4")
-    engine.step("avoid parallel octaves")
+    engine.step("don't use parallel octaves")
 
     decision1 = engine.step("reset policies")
     assert decision1["kind"] == "update"
@@ -180,7 +181,7 @@ def test_reset_commands() -> None:
     }
 
     engine.step("use Nord Stage 4")
-    engine.step("avoid parallel octaves")
+    engine.step("don't use parallel octaves")
 
     decision_constraints = engine.step("clear constraints")
     assert decision_constraints["kind"] == "update"
@@ -191,7 +192,7 @@ def test_reset_commands() -> None:
     }
 
     engine.step("use Nord Stage 4")
-    engine.step("avoid parallel octaves")
+    engine.step("don't use parallel octaves")
 
     decision2 = engine.step("clear state")
     assert decision2["kind"] == "update"
@@ -318,13 +319,14 @@ def test_unicode_apostrophe_negative_directive_with_please() -> None:
     assert engine.state["policies"]["prohibit"] == ["docker"]
 
 
-def test_refrain_from_does_not_strip_use_prefix() -> None:
+def test_refrain_from_is_passthrough_and_does_not_mutate_state() -> None:
     engine = create_engine()
+    before = engine.state
 
     decision = engine.step("refrain from use docker")
 
-    assert decision["kind"] == "update"
-    assert engine.state["policies"]["prohibit"] == ["use docker"]
+    assert decision["kind"] == "passthrough"
+    assert engine.state == before
 
 
 def test_hard_negative_dont_without_apostrophe_updates_policy() -> None:

tests/test_properties.py

@@ -27,10 +27,10 @@ def test_determinism_same_input_sequence_same_state(inputs: list[str]) -> None:
 def test_policy_addition_is_idempotent(item: str) -> None:
     engine = create_engine()
 
-    engine.step(f"avoid {item}")
+    engine.step(f"don't use {item}")
     once = list(engine.state["policies"]["prohibit"])
 
-    engine.step(f"avoid {item}")
+    engine.step(f"don't use {item}")
     twice = list(engine.state["policies"]["prohibit"])
 
     assert twice == once
@@ -59,7 +59,7 @@ def test_policy_persists_across_passthrough_turns(item: str, turns: list[str]) -
     normalized_item = _split_items(item)
     assume(len(normalized_item) == 1)
 
-    decision = engine.step(f"avoid {item}")
+    decision = engine.step(f"don't use {item}")
     expected = normalized_item[0]
     assert decision["kind"] == "update"
     assert engine.state["policies"]["prohibit"] == [expected]
@@ -116,12 +116,26 @@ def test_safety_near_miss_inputs_do_not_mutate_state(text: str) -> None:
 def test_hyphenated_and_token_not_split(token: str) -> None:
     engine = create_engine()
 
-    decision = engine.step(f"avoid {token}")
+    decision = engine.step(f"don't use {token}")
 
     assert decision["kind"] == "update"
     assert engine.state["policies"]["prohibit"] == [token]
 
 
+@given(st.text(min_size=1, max_size=40))
+def test_soft_negative_phrases_do_not_mutate_state(text: str) -> None:
+    engine = create_engine()
+    before = engine.state
+
+    decision_avoid = engine.step(f"avoid {text}")
+    assert decision_avoid["kind"] == "passthrough"
+    assert engine.state == before
+
+    decision_refrain = engine.step(f"refrain from {text}")
+    assert decision_refrain["kind"] == "passthrough"
+    assert engine.state == before
+
+
 @given(st.from_regex(r"[A-Za-z0-9][A-Za-z0-9 ]{0,20}", fullmatch=True))
 def test_please_use_is_not_a_supported_positive_directive(value: str) -> None:
     assume("," not in value)

tests/test_repl.py

@@ -32,7 +32,7 @@ def test_repl_clarify_flow() -> None:
 
 
 def test_repl_state_persists_across_turns() -> None:
-    decisions = _run_session("avoid docker\nallow docker\nquit\n")
+    decisions = _run_session("don't use docker\nallow docker\nquit\n")
 
     assert len(decisions) == 2
     assert decisions[0]["kind"] == "update"