manual page/ Reference

Distillation

sourceSource: suspec/docs/reference/distillation.mdModified: 2026-06-24

Sections: 5
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Distillation moves information into a smaller artifact.

Do not change its meaning while compressing it.

Preserve

Always preserve:

requirement id
strength word
actor
trigger
behavior
Verify with: binding
non-goals
open questions
scope limits
source references

Do not promote by accident

An observation does not become a requirement because it was copied into a spec.

Examples:

audit observation -> context, unless rewritten as a requirement
research finding -> evidence, not a decision
bug report -> diagnosis, not implementation scope
task note -> scratch, unless saved as a finding or spec amendment

Loss budget

Loss is allowed only when it is visible.

Record:

what was dropped
why it was dropped
where to find the source

Use Dropped from sources in specs when a source ask is intentionally excluded.

Safe compression

Safe:

remove repetition
replace prose with table rows
shorten examples without changing behavior
link to source instead of restating it

Unsafe:

remove verification
weaken must to should
merge two behaviors into one requirement
hide an open question
omit non-goals
change owner or source

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