/edit-rule

Edit Rule

Edits or removes a rule by index in an existing SYNAPSE domain file.

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Purpose

Modify the text of an existing rule or delete it entirely, re-numbering remaining rules to maintain a sequential index.

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Prerequisites

• `.synapse/manifest` exists
• Target domain exists in manifest AND as a file in `.synapse/`
• Target rule index exists in the domain file

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Parameters

| Parameter | Required | Description | |-----------|----------|-------------| | `domain-name` | Yes | Existing domain name (kebab-case) | | `index` | Yes | Rule index number to edit or remove | | `new-text` | No | New rule text (omit to delete the rule) |

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Steps

Step 1: Validate Domain Exists

1. Derive the domain key: `my-domain` -> `MY_DOMAIN` 2. Verify `{DOMAIN_KEY}_STATE` exists in `.synapse/manifest` 3. Verify `.synapse/{domain-name}` file exists on disk

Step 2: Find Target Rule

Read the domain file and find the line matching `{DOMAIN_KEY}_RULE_{index}=`.

If not found: `Error: Rule index {index} not found in domain "{domain-name}". Domain has rules 0-{max}.`

Step 3: Edit or Delete

**If new-text is provided (EDIT):**

• Replace the rule line with `{DOMAIN_KEY}_RULE_{index}={new-text}`
• Display: `Updated rule {index} in {domain-name}: {new-text}`

**If new-text is NOT provided (DELETE):**

• Remove the rule line from the file
• Re-number all remaining rules sequentially starting from 0
• Display: `Deleted rule {index} from {domain-name}. Re-numbered {count} remaining rules.`

Step 4: Re-Number After Deletion

When a rule is deleted, re-number all remaining rules to maintain a sequential index:

**Before:**

MY_DOMAIN_RULE_0=First rule
MY_DOMAIN_RULE_1=Second rule  <-- DELETED
MY_DOMAIN_RULE_2=Third rule

**After:**

MY_DOMAIN_RULE_0=First rule
MY_DOMAIN_RULE_1=Third rule

Algorithm: 1. Collect all rule values (preserving order, excluding deleted rule) 2. Rewrite all rules with sequential indices starting from 0 3. Preserve all non-rule lines (comments, blanks) in their original positions

Step 5: Validate

• Read back the domain file
• Verify rules are sequentially numbered (0, 1, 2, ... N) with no gaps
• Verify total rule count matches expected (original count minus 1 for delete)

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Validation

• [ ] Target rule exists before edit/delete
• [ ] After edit: rule text updated correctly
• [ ] After delete: remaining rules re-numbered sequentially (no gaps)
• [ ] Non-rule lines (comments, blanks) preserved
• [ ] Domain file remains parseable after modification

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Error Handling

| Error | Message | |-------|---------| | Domain not found | `Error: Domain "{name}" not found in manifest.` | | Domain file missing | `Error: Domain file ".synapse/{name}" not found on disk.` | | Index not found | `Error: Rule index {index} not found in domain "{name}". Domain has rules 0-{max}.` | | Negative index | `Error: Rule index must be a non-negative integer.` | | Edit with empty text | `Error: New rule text cannot be empty. To delete, omit the new text.` |

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*Edit Rule — SYNAPSE CRUD Command C4* *Source: SYNAPSE-HOOK-SKILL-COMMAND-ANALYSIS.md section 2.3*