📝 Move knip + outdated to a maintain: prefix

`npm run check` should be the fast, offline correctness ladder only (tsc +
oxlint + oxfmt + cspell, ~3s), so an agent can run it as a confirmation gate
during feature work. check:knip / check:outdated were advisory whole-project /
network scans, and check-outdated exits non-zero whenever any dep is behind.
Keeping them in check made `npm run check` (and the CI build gate) fail on
dependency freshness, which must not block an unrelated feature PR.

Rename them to maintain:knip / maintain:outdated, aggregate under `npm run
maintain`, and run it in CI as a dedicated non-blocking job (continue-on-error)
that surfaces findings without ever gating a merge. Update the script-prefix
convention, the feedback-tier table, and AGENTS.md: the agent may now run
`npm run check`; only `maintain` stays out of the feature loop.

.github/workflows/ci.yml

@@ -26,6 +26,21 @@ jobs:
                   name: coverage
                   path: coverage
 
+    # Advisory scans (dead code, dependency freshness). Non-blocking: surfaced on
+    # the PR for visibility, but must never gate a merge — so continue-on-error and
+    # intentionally NOT in `publish`'s `needs`.
+    maintain:
+        runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+        continue-on-error: true
+        steps:
+            - uses: actions/checkout@v4
+            - uses: actions/setup-node@v4
+              with:
+                  node-version-file: .node-version
+                  cache: "npm"
+            - run: npm ci
+            - run: npm run maintain
+
     publish:
         if: startsWith(github.ref, 'refs/tags/')
         needs: build

AGENTS.md

@@ -10,12 +10,16 @@ first-action facts. Do not restate evolving prose here — it will drift.
 - Project: F#-style pattern matching for TypeScript/ESM. Node `>=26` (pinned via `.node-version`), ESM-only (no CommonJS shim).
 - **Mandatory while iterating:** `npm run test` (runs `check:tsc`, then the unit suite). This is the gate you are responsible for.
 - **On commit:** write a good message (see [CONTRIBUTING.md § Commit messages](./CONTRIBUTING.md#commit-messages)). Lefthook's pre-commit hook already runs the fast, offline, staged-file checks (`tsc` + `oxlint` + `oxfmt` + `cspell`) — don't run them by hand. If the hook fails on style, `npm run fix`, restage, recommit.
-- **`npm run check` is NOT part of the feature loop.** It adds `knip` (dead-code/deps) and `check:outdated` (registry) — repo-maintenance scans. Run it only on an explicit maintenance / update-deps branch; CI runs it on the PR regardless.
+- **Optional final gate:** `npm run check` (the fast, offline, whole-project correctness ladder: `tsc → oxlint → oxfmt → cspell`). Safe to run whenever you want a project-wide confirmation; pre-commit already covers staged files.
+- **`npm run maintain` is NOT part of the feature loop.** `maintain:knip` (dead-code/deps) and `maintain:outdated` (registry) are advisory maintenance scans. Run them only on an explicit maintenance / update-deps branch; CI surfaces them via a non-blocking job, never as a gate.
 
     ```sh
-    npm run test   # the bot's definition of done; commit normally after
+    npm run test    # mandatory gate
+    npm run check   # optional project-wide confirmation
     ```
 
+    The bot's definition of done: `npm run test` green, commit normally after.
+
 ## Never do
 
 Don't silence the type system to force a green run. As an agent these are forbidden:

CONTRIBUTING.md

@@ -7,9 +7,9 @@ This document is for maintainers and contributors working on the project itself.
 CI and review will bounce these even though `npm run check` and the linters don't catch them. They're the high-frequency things a contributor (or an agent) reaches for by default:
 
 - **Source imports use `.ts` extensions, never `.js`.** `node --strip-types` resolves the `.ts` form at test time; `rewriteRelativeImportExtensions` emits `.js` in `dist/`. "Pre-fixing" an import to `.js` breaks the inner loop. (rationale: README § Tooling decisions)
-- **A new `npm run` script must reuse an existing prefix** (`check:` / `fix:` / `test:` / `watch:` / `publish:`). If none fits, that's a signal the script doesn't belong in the pipeline — not a reason to invent a new prefix. (see [Script prefix convention](#script-prefix-convention))
+- **A new `npm run` script must reuse an existing prefix** (`check:` / `fix:` / `test:` / `watch:` / `maintain:` / `publish:`). If none fits, that's a signal the script doesn't belong in the pipeline — not a reason to invent a new prefix. (see [Script prefix convention](#script-prefix-convention))
 - **`oxlint-disable` directives live in source, not `.oxlintrc.json`.** The trade-off must sit next to the code it silences. This is a _human_ last-resort convention; agents must not add these — see [AGENTS.md § Never do](./AGENTS.md#never-do). (rationale: README § Tooling decisions)
-- **Don't put slow / network / whole-project checks in pre-commit.** `check:knip` (~4s) and `check:outdated` (~6.5s, network) are deliberately excluded from the hook to keep it fast and offline. (see [Why these splits](#why-these-splits))
+- **Don't put slow / network / whole-project scans in `check` or pre-commit.** `maintain:knip` (~4s, whole project) and `maintain:outdated` (~6.5s, registry) are advisory, not correctness — they live under the `maintain:` prefix and run in CI as a **non-blocking** job, never gating a merge. (see [Why these splits](#why-these-splits) and [Script prefix convention](#script-prefix-convention))
 - **There is no local `npm run publish`, and `publish:publint` / `publish:attw` don't go in `check`.** They validate the publishable artifact (`dist/`) and run only in the CI `publish` job. (see [Publishing workflow](#publishing-workflow))
 
 ## Commit messages
@@ -26,6 +26,7 @@ Script names in `package.json` use a prefix that signals _when_ the script is in
 - `fix:*` — mutating counterpart of a `check:*` script. Aggregated by `npm run fix`. Use after `npm run check` to auto-resolve issues; the diff is the review surface.
 - `test:*` — test scripts. `npm run test` is the canonical entry point (`check:tsc` + unit tests); `test:unit` skips the typecheck for fast local iteration; `test:ci` adds c8 coverage and is the CI variant.
 - `watch:*` — long-running watchers, started manually via `npm run watch` for the inner dev loop. Sits "before" pre-commit in the feedback ladder (see Feedback tiers below). Currently a single child (`watch:test`); future `watch:oxlint` / `watch:tsc` would aggregate under the same `watch` umbrella.
+- `maintain:*` — advisory repo-maintenance scans (dead code, dependency freshness): read-only, but whole-project and/or network-bound, so they are **not** correctness gates. Aggregated by `npm run maintain`. Run on an explicit maintenance / update-deps branch, and in CI as a non-blocking job (continue-on-error) that surfaces findings without ever failing a feature PR.
 - `publish:*` — runs only at publish time, in the CI `publish` job (immediately before `npm publish`). There is **no** local `npm run publish` script — publishing is CI-only by policy. The `publish:` prefix still documents intent: this script validates the _publishable artifact_ (e.g., `dist/`) rather than the source.
 
 A new script should pick the prefix that matches its lifecycle, not invent a new one. If no existing prefix fits, that's a signal the script doesn't belong in the standard pipeline.
@@ -34,27 +35,29 @@ A new script should pick the prefix that matches its lifecycle, not invent a new
 
 The tools are organized into a feedback ladder. Each tier catches different things at different costs; the rule of thumb is "earlier tiers fire more often, faster tiers catch less, slower tiers are more thorough":
 
-| Tier              | When       | What it runs                                                | Time  |
-| ----------------- | ---------- | ----------------------------------------------------------- | ----- |
-| `npm run watch`   | manual     | `watch:test` — re-runs tests on file save                   | ~0.1s |
-| Pre-commit (auto) | on stage   | tsc + oxlint + oxfmt + cspell (staged files only)           | ~1.3s |
-| Pre-push (auto)   | on push    | `npm test` (full tsc + unit tests)                          | ~3.5s |
-| `npm run check`   | manual     | Full project audit: all `check:*` scripts + knip + outdated | ~10s  |
-| `npm run fix`     | manual     | Auto-resolve fixable issues (lint, format)                  | ~3s   |
-| CI build (auto)   | on push/PR | `npm run check` + `npm run test:ci`                         | ~30s+ |
-| CI publish (auto) | on tag     | `publish:publint` + `publish:attw`, then `npm publish`      | ~10s  |
+| Tier                             | When                   | What it runs                                                          | Time  |
+| -------------------------------- | ---------------------- | --------------------------------------------------------------------- | ----- |
+| `npm run watch`                  | manual                 | `watch:test` — re-runs tests on file save                             | ~0.1s |
+| Pre-commit (auto)                | on stage               | tsc + oxlint + oxfmt + cspell (staged files only)                     | ~1.3s |
+| Pre-push (auto)                  | on push                | `npm test` (full tsc + unit tests)                                    | ~3.5s |
+| `npm run check`                  | manual                 | Correctness gates: tsc + oxlint + oxfmt + cspell (whole project)      | ~3s   |
+| `npm run fix`                    | manual                 | Auto-resolve fixable issues (lint, format)                            | ~3s   |
+| `npm run maintain`               | manual / CI (advisory) | `maintain:knip` + `maintain:outdated` (whole-project + network scans) | ~10s  |
+| CI build (auto)                  | on push/PR             | `npm run check` + `npm run test:ci`                                   | ~30s+ |
+| CI maintain (auto, non-blocking) | on push/PR             | `npm run maintain` — reports, never fails the build                   | ~10s  |
+| CI publish (auto)                | on tag                 | `publish:publint` + `publish:attw`, then `npm publish`                | ~10s  |
 
 ### Why these splits?
 
 - **`watch:*` is a manual tier, not a hook.** The developer starts it on demand (it has to be killed with Ctrl-C) and it runs in a dedicated terminal pane. It sits as the earliest tier in the feedback ladder, catching failures the moment a file is saved — before staging, before commit. The umbrella `watch` script is designed to aggregate multiple `watch:*` children (currently just `watch:test`); if more watchers are added later (e.g. `watch:oxlint`), the umbrella would switch to running them concurrently rather than sequentially.
 - **`check:tsc`, `check:oxlint`, `check:oxfmt`, `check:cspell`** are in pre-commit because they are fast (~0.2–0.5s each), fully offline, and naturally scope to staged files via the `LEFTHOOK_FILES` env var convention. They give instant feedback on what you typed.
 - **`test` (and the `tsc` it includes) is in pre-push** because it runs the whole test suite across the whole project. The pre-commit `LEFTHOOK_FILES` convention doesn't apply to the test runner, so pre-commit isn't the right home. Pre-push runs after all commits are made but before the push leaves the machine, catching regressions that span multiple commits.
-- **`check:knip` and `check:outdated` are NOT in pre-commit** — knip scans the whole project (~4s, would noticeably slow the hook), and `check-outdated` queries the npm registry (~6.5s, network-dependent, advisory not correctness). Both run in `npm run check` and CI; pre-commit stays fast and offline.
+- **`maintain:knip` and `maintain:outdated` are advisory, not correctness** — knip scans the whole project (~4s) and `check-outdated` queries the npm registry (~6.5s, network-dependent, and it exits non-zero whenever any dep is behind). That's why they live under `maintain:`, are excluded from pre-commit and from `check`, and run in CI as a **non-blocking** job: a stale dependency must never block an unrelated feature PR.
 - **`publish:publint` and `publish:attw` are NOT in `check`** — they belong to the `publish:` prefix because they validate the _publishable artifact_ (`dist/`) and require a fresh build. Running them on every commit would be wasteful. They run in the CI `publish` job immediately before `npm publish`.
 
 ### Before pushing
 
-Run `npm run check` locally. If you only trust pre-commit + CI, know that anything `check:knip` or `check:outdated` would catch will be caught by CI on the PR before merge.
+Run `npm run check && npm run test` locally — both are the fast, offline correctness gates, safe to run any time. Anything `maintain:knip` or `maintain:outdated` would catch is reported by the non-blocking CI `maintain` job; run `npm run maintain` yourself only on a maintenance / update-deps branch.
 
 ## Publishing workflow
 

README.md

@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@ Pattern matching for TypeScript/ESM environments (F#-style, not regex).
 - **Test:** `npm run test`, `npm run test:ci`
 - **Watch:** `npm run watch` (re-runs tests on file save; the earliest feedback tier)
 - **Checks:** `npm run check`, `npm run fix`
+- **Maintenance (advisory):** `npm run maintain` — `knip` + `check-outdated`; run on a maintenance / update-deps branch, not part of the feature loop
 - **Individual fixes:** `npm run fix:oxfmt`, `npm run fix:oxlint`
 
 ### Tooling
@@ -36,7 +37,7 @@ The choice and configuration of each tool above is the result of deliberate trad
 - **`attw --profile esm-only`** is semantically correct: this package is intentionally ESM-only (no CommonJS shim), so CJS resolution scenarios are out of scope by design, not a bug.
 - **The `publish:` prefix has no local aggregator.** `publint` and `attw` validate the _publishable artifact_ (`dist/`), not the source, and require a fresh build. They run only in the CI `publish` job immediately before `npm publish` — there is intentionally no `npm run publish`.
 - **`check:tsc` runs first** in the `npm run check` chain so a type error short-circuits the rest (faster feedback than letting oxlint/oxfmt run and then failing on tsc at the end).
-- **`check:knip` and `check:outdated` are NOT in pre-commit** — knip scans the whole project (~4s, would noticeably slow the hook), and `check-outdated` queries the npm registry (~6.5s, network-dependent, advisory not correctness). Both run in `npm run check` and CI; pre-commit stays fast and offline.
+- **The `check:` / `maintain:` split is correctness gates vs. advisory scans.** `npm run check` is the fast, offline, whole-project correctness ladder (`tsc → oxlint → oxfmt → cspell`) and can run anywhere, including the agent loop. `knip` (~4s, whole project) and `check-outdated` (~6.5s, queries the npm registry) are advisory, not correctness — a stale dependency or an unused export must not fail a feature PR — so they moved to `npm run maintain`, kept out of pre-commit, and run in CI as a **non-blocking** job (see `.github/workflows/ci.yml`). Note `check-outdated` exits non-zero whenever any dep is outdated, which is exactly why it must not gate merges.
 - **The pre-commit hook sets the `LEFTHOOK_FILES` env var** to the staged-files list, and the affected scripts use `${LEFTHOOK_FILES:-<default>}` to default to the whole project when invoked manually. This keeps `package.json#scripts` as the single source of truth for the underlying commands — `lefthook.yml` only describes _what to run on which files_.
 - **`tslib` and `type-fest` are deliberately not used.** `tslib` is a runtime helper for old ES3/ES5 targets (the project targets ES2024); `type-fest` was never imported. knip caught both.
 
@@ -62,6 +63,7 @@ Script names follow a prefix convention that signals _when_ they run:
 - `check:*` — read-only verification. Aggregated by `npm run check`. Used in pre-commit hooks and CI's build job.
 - `fix:*` — mutating counterpart of `check:*`. Aggregated by `npm run fix`. Use after `npm run check` to auto-resolve issues.
 - `test:*` — test scripts. `npm run test` runs the full suite; `test:unit` / `test:ci` are scope-specific variants.
+- `maintain:*` — advisory repo-maintenance scans (dead code, dependency freshness). Aggregated by `npm run maintain`. Whole-project and/or network-bound, so **not** correctness gates: run on a maintenance branch, and in CI as a non-blocking job that reports without failing.
 - `publish:*` — runs only at publish time, in the CI `publish` job (immediately before `npm publish`). There is no local `npm run publish` script — publishing is CI-only by policy.
 
 ## Contributing

package.json

@@ -35,10 +35,8 @@
     },
     "scripts": {
         "build": "tsc -p tsconfig.build.json",
-        "check": "npm run check:tsc && npm run check:oxlint && npm run check:oxfmt && npm run check:cspell && npm run check:knip && npm run check:outdated",
+        "check": "npm run check:tsc && npm run check:oxlint && npm run check:oxfmt && npm run check:cspell",
         "check:cspell": "cspell lint ${LEFTHOOK_FILES:-.}",
-        "check:knip": "knip --include dependencies,exports,files",
-        "check:outdated": "check-outdated --ignore-pre-releases --ignore-packages @oxfmt/binding-darwin-arm64,@oxfmt/binding-darwin-x64,@oxfmt/binding-linux-arm64-gnu,@oxfmt/binding-linux-arm64-musl,@oxfmt/binding-linux-x64-gnu,@oxfmt/binding-linux-x64-musl,@oxfmt/binding-win32-x64-msvc,@oxlint/binding-darwin-arm64,@oxlint/binding-darwin-x64,@oxlint/binding-linux-arm64-gnu,@oxlint/binding-linux-arm64-musl,@oxlint/binding-linux-x64-gnu,@oxlint/binding-linux-x64-musl,@oxlint/binding-win32-x64-msvc,@oxlint-tsgolint/darwin-arm64,@oxlint-tsgolint/darwin-x64,@oxlint-tsgolint/linux-arm64,@oxlint-tsgolint/linux-x64,@oxlint-tsgolint/win32-arm64,@oxlint-tsgolint/win32-x64",
         "check:oxfmt": "oxfmt --check ${LEFTHOOK_FILES:-.}",
         "check:oxlint": "oxlint ${LEFTHOOK_FILES:-src}",
         "check:tsc": "tsc",
@@ -46,6 +44,9 @@
         "fix": "npm run fix:oxlint && npm run fix:oxfmt",
         "fix:oxfmt": "oxfmt ${LEFTHOOK_FILES:-.}",
         "fix:oxlint": "oxlint --fix src",
+        "maintain": "npm run maintain:knip && npm run maintain:outdated",
+        "maintain:knip": "knip --include dependencies,exports,files",
+        "maintain:outdated": "check-outdated --ignore-pre-releases --ignore-packages @oxfmt/binding-darwin-arm64,@oxfmt/binding-darwin-x64,@oxfmt/binding-linux-arm64-gnu,@oxfmt/binding-linux-arm64-musl,@oxfmt/binding-linux-x64-gnu,@oxfmt/binding-linux-x64-musl,@oxfmt/binding-win32-x64-msvc,@oxlint/binding-darwin-arm64,@oxlint/binding-darwin-x64,@oxlint/binding-linux-arm64-gnu,@oxlint/binding-linux-arm64-musl,@oxlint/binding-linux-x64-gnu,@oxlint/binding-linux-x64-musl,@oxlint/binding-win32-x64-msvc,@oxlint-tsgolint/darwin-arm64,@oxlint-tsgolint/darwin-x64,@oxlint-tsgolint/linux-arm64,@oxlint-tsgolint/linux-x64,@oxlint-tsgolint/win32-arm64,@oxlint-tsgolint/win32-x64",
         "test": "npm run check:tsc && node --test --strip-types \"src/**/*.test.ts\"",
         "test:ci": "c8 --reporter=text --reporter=lcov --reporter=html node --test --strip-types \"src/**/*.test.ts\"",
         "test:unit": "node --test --strip-types \"src/**/*.test.ts\"",