Inspecting non-canonical data

Strata deliberately separates inspection from canonical truth.

This allows tools to observe reality even when the data is malformed, non-canonical, or hostile, without silently fixing it.

What is non-canonical data?

Non-canonical data is any Strata Core Binary (.scb) that:

  • Uses valid tags but non-canonical ordering

  • Contains duplicate map keys

  • Preserves unexpected structure ordering

  • Was produced by a non-canonical encoder

  • Originated from untrusted or legacy systems

Non-canonical does not necessarily mean invalid.

Why inspection matters

Inspection exists so that:

  • Debugging is possible

  • Auditing is possible

  • Migration is possible

  • Security analysis is possible

  • Canonical violations are visible, not hidden

Strata refuses to "fix" data silently.

Decode vs Encode philosophy

Decoding answers: "What bytes did I actually receive?"

Encoding answers: "What bytes should exist?"

These are intentionally different questions.

Decoder behavior

The decoder:

  • Accepts structurally valid input

  • Preserves observed ordering where possible

  • Reports exact failure offsets

  • Does not reorder maps

  • Does not normalize values

  • Does not drop duplicate keys during decode

This allows inspection of wire-level reality.

Inspection workflow

Typical inspection flow:

  1. Receive raw .scb bytes

  2. Decode using decode

  3. Inspect decoded structure

  4. Decide what to do next

Possible next steps:

  • Reject

  • Re-encode canonically

  • Log and continue

  • Migrate

  • Audit

CLI inspection

To inspect non-canonical binary data:

This prints a structured, readable representation of the decoded value.

No re-encoding occurs.

Example: non-canonical map order

Binary input may encode map keys out of order.

Decoding preserves the observed structure.

Re-encoding the decoded value will produce canonical ordering, which may change bytes and hashes.

This is intentional.

Duplicate keys

During decoding:

  • Duplicate keys are preserved at decode time

  • Inspection tools may surface last-write behavior

  • No implicit error is thrown unless required by the spec

Encoding enforces canonical rules.

Hashing implications

Hashing must never be performed on non-canonical bytes if stability is required.

Rules:

  • Hash raw bytes only if you trust the producer

  • Hash values only after canonical encoding

  • Never assume decoded structure equals canonical structure

Security implications

Inspection without normalization prevents:

  • Hash confusion attacks

  • Canonical smuggling

  • Structure laundering

  • Silent data mutation

Strata treats visibility as a security feature.

What inspection is NOT

Inspection is not:

  • Validation

  • Canonicalization

  • Repair

  • Forgiveness

  • Schema enforcement

Those steps are explicit and opt-in.

Summary

Strata allows you to see broken reality clearly.

  • Decode to observe

  • Inspect to understand

  • Encode to enforce truth

  • Hash only canonical bytes

Nothing is hidden. Nothing is silently corrected. Reality comes first.

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