Doldskrift

Machine-native visual information.
A platform for encoding structured data into a visual writing system built for deterministic machine reconstruction.

Swedish etymology: dold (hidden / concealed) + skrift (writing / script)
→ “hidden writing” / “concealed script” · Maskinskriven betydelse — inte hemlighet.
_{Machine-written meaning — not secrecy. Hidden ≠ encrypted.}

Open and Neural are not encryption. Visual illegibility and learned grammars are not confidentiality. Protected is AEAD + Gate authorization when it ships — glyphs encode ciphertext. Today: refuse stubs only. Until then: encrypt with established cryptography first, then optionally represent the result with Open-mode Doldskrift.

Product

Doldskrift is an independent open-source platform for machine-native visual information: protocol, glyphs, recognition, Lab CLI, demos, and documentation — one architecture with three profiles.

It is designed for agents, tooling, and research workflows that need a stable visual carrier: encode structured information, render it as machine glyphs, transmit or display the artifact, then reconstruct the original bytes with deterministic fidelity (Open) or a declared reader path (Neural).

dold guide           # in-CLI onboarding
dold about           # etymology + profiles
dold museum          # protocol archaeology

Why it exists

Humans and machines do not share the same reading stack. Doldskrift treats the visual plane as a first-class information channel for machines: geometry, protocol framing, and reconstruction — not Latin text decoration, and not a substitute for cryptography.

The official logo is glyph DSK_PROJECT_MARK (U+E1F0) — a real machine glyph, not ornament.

Architecture: Open · Neural · Protected

DOLDSKRIFT
┌──────────────────────────────────────┐
│ Semantic Layer                       │  structured machine information
├──────────────────────────────────────┤
│ Protocol Layer                       │  frames, streams, schemas, sessions
├──────────────────────────────────────┤
│ Visual Layer                         │  glyphs, alphabets, rendering
├──────────────────────────────────────┤
│ Recognition Layer                    │  detection, vision, reconstruction
└──────────────────────────────────────┘

Name	Role
DSK	Protocol (DSK/1 stable, DSK/2 experimental, DSK/3 Neural + Protected)
LSG	Latent Structure Grammar (Neural intermediate)
DSK-R	Neural readers (DeterministicBaseline / Mock today)
Gate	Authorized runtime for Protected objects
MGE	Machine Glyph Engine
DVE	Doldskrift Vision Engine
Forge	Alphabet / glyph optimization
Lens	Flagship visual demonstration
Lab	Developer tooling (`dold`)

Profiles

Profile	What it is	Shipping status
Open	Deterministic codec + glyphs (DSK/1–2). Visual concealment, not secrecy.	Yes (prototype)
Neural	Learned LSG + compatible reader (DSK/3). Fail closed on unknown grammar. Not encryption.	Foundation stubs + DeterministicBaseline
Protected	AEAD ciphertext + Gate authorization. Glyphs encode ciphertext.	Refuse stubs only — no AEAD yet

DATA → DSK → MGE → VISUAL MEDIUM → DVE → DSK → DATA

Demo: humans vs agents

Reader	Experience
Humans	Structured abstract marks — geometry, not Latin
Agents	Deterministic decode: symbols → bytes → original data

Specimen

Input:

Deploy worker seven.

Decode recovers the exact original string.

Modes:

Install

From crates.io (recommended)

cargo install doldskrift-cli
dold doctor

Library (Cargo.toml):

[dependencies]
doldskrift = "0.5"

Related crates: doldskrift, doldskrift-font, doldskrift-vision, doldskrift-cli, doldskrift-bindings.

API docs: docs.rs/doldskrift.

From source

git clone https://github.com/theworker02/doldskrift.git
cd doldskrift
cargo install --path crates/doldskrift-cli
dold doctor

MSRV: Rust 1.75+.

Quick start

dold guide                  # product orientation
dold doctor                 # install health + constants sync
dold self-test              # encode/decode/validate + protected refuse
dold demo -o ./dold-demo    # .dsk + postcard + mark pack
dold commands               # curated catalog (alias: topics)
dold version --verbose

echo "Hello from Doldskrift" | dold encode > message.dsk   # alias: dold e
dold pipeline --text "Hello from Doldskrift" -o message.dsk
dold validate message.dsk
dold inspect --json message.dsk
dold decode message.dsk     # alias: dold d

dold convert --from text --to postcard --text "Deploy worker seven." -o card.svg
dold convert --from postcard --to dsk -i card.svg -o card.dsk

dold logo --out assets/brand/logo-mark.svg
dold config init

# Shell completions (optional)
dold completion powershell > _dold.ps1

# Agent-friendly errors
$env:DOLD_JSON_ERRORS = "1"   # PowerShell → stderr doldskrift.error/1

End-to-end paths

Open: encode → validate → .dsk / MGE specimen → Lens or Surfaces → decode
Neural: dold neural encode → render (SVG carrier) → reconstruct (DeterministicBaseline)
Protected: encode --mode protected → inspect shows Readable: No → decode / open refuse (AEAD not shipping)

Interactive demos — static GitHub Pages (no separate hosted web app):

Live site: https://theworker02.github.io/doldskrift/

npm install
npm run site:preview   # build site/dist + local static preview

Lab CLI highlights

The dold binary is the Lab surface for developers and agents.

Area	Commands
Onboarding	`guide`, `about`, `museum`, `demo`, `commands` / `topics`
Codec	`encode` / `e`, `decode` / `d`, `pipeline`, `validate`, `fmt`, `inspect`, `convert`
Health	`doctor`, `self-test`, `version --verbose`, `schema`, `completion`
Surfaces	`postcard`, `ambient`, `seal`, `radio`, `mesh`, `kaleidoscope`, `timeline`, …
Neural	`neural`, `dataset`, `reader`, `evaluate`
Brand / funding	`logo`, `brand`, `funding`

Unexpected Open surfaces still obey the honesty model (Open ≠ encryption; hashes ≠ signatures). Gallery: Surfaces. Full list: dold surfaces list / dold guide surfaces.

Command	What it does
`dold` (no args)	Tiny braille / project-mark fingerprint
`dold radio exchange "ping"`	Two-agent visual packet
`dold echo` / `--verify`	Self-describing document + SHA-256 glyph strip
`dold ambient` / `--decode`	Constellation SVG Open channel
`dold postcard` / `--read`	Machine postcard
`dold convert`	Bridge text/dsk ↔ postcard/ambient/seal
`dold render --tty`	Braille / block art without a browser

Libraries

Rust (published on crates.io as 0.5.0):

[dependencies]
doldskrift = "0.5"

use doldskrift::{encode, decode, Mode};

let opaque = encode("Hello, agent!").unwrap();
assert_eq!(decode(&opaque).unwrap(), "Hello, agent!");
let _ = Mode::Encoded;

JavaScript — primary SDK @doldskrift/core; thin @doldskrift/web / @doldskrift/react adapters; generated WASM (doldskrift-bindings). Rust owns the protocol truth. npm packages are versioned in-repo and are not the crates.io release channel.

Documentation & links

Resource	Link
GitHub repository	theworker02/doldskrift
GitHub Releases	Releases
GitHub Pages	theworker02.github.io/doldskrift
Docs portal	`docs/`
CLI reference	`docs/reference/cli.md`
Architecture	`ARCHITECTURE.md`
Roadmap	`ROADMAP.md`
Security	`SECURITY.md`
Brand kit	`docs/brand.md`
Changelog	`CHANGELOG.md`
crates.io	doldskrift
docs.rs	doldskrift
Funding	thanks.dev/u/gh/theworker02

Lens / Surfaces / Neural demos: Lens · Surfaces · Neural

Repository layout

crates/          # Rust workspace (core, cli, vision, font, bindings)
packages/        # @doldskrift/core (+ thin web/react) · WASM bindings
site/            # GitHub Pages demos
docs/            # Product + protocol + neural docs map
spec/            # Normative DSK/1 + protocol-constants.json
training/        # Python experiments only (not a second protocol)

Status (honest)

Component	Maturity
DSK/1 codec + `.dsk`	Stable prototype
DSK/2 semantics	Experimental
DSK/3 Neural (LSG + readers)	Foundation stubs (ADR-0007)
DSK/3 Protected + Gate	Design + refuse stubs (ADR-0006)
MGE glyph engine	Candidate (evolving)
DVE vision	Experimental
WASM / CLI / Lens	Beta / shipping on Pages

Open-mode visual illegibility is not a security boundary. See SECURITY.md.

Support / Funding

thanks.dev: https://thanks.dev/u/gh/theworker02
GitHub funding file: .github/FUNDING.yml
Site: Funding page
CLI: dold funding · dold funding --json

Bugs and documentation issues: SUPPORT.md. Commercial collaboration: Partners.

Contributors

Curated project contributors (not GitHub's automatic commit graph):

Name	Role
theworker02	Creator and maintainer

Bots such as Dependabot are not listed as project contributors. Full note: CONTRIBUTORS.md.

Contributing

See CONTRIBUTING.md and CODE_OF_CONDUCT.md.

Issues and pull requests are welcome for protocol clarity, Lab DX, documentation honesty, and Open-mode reliability. Please keep Neural and Protected claims aligned with what actually ships.

License

Licensed under either of:

MIT license (LICENSE-MIT or http://opensource.org/licenses/MIT)
Apache License, Version 2.0 (LICENSE-APACHE or http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0)

at your option. See LICENSE.

Navigation Menu

Uh oh!

Repository files navigation

Doldskrift

Product

Why it exists

Architecture: Open · Neural · Protected

Profiles

Demo: humans vs agents

Specimen

Install

From crates.io (recommended)

From source

Quick start

End-to-end paths

Lab CLI highlights

Libraries

Documentation & links

Repository layout

Status (honest)

Support / Funding

Contributors

Contributing

License

About

Releases

Sponsor this project

Packages

Contributors

Languages

Name		Name	Last commit message	Last commit date
.cargo		.cargo
.cursor/rules		.cursor/rules
.github		.github
assets/brand		assets/brand
crates		crates
deps		deps
docs		docs
examples		examples
fonts		fonts
fuzz		fuzz
packages		packages
research		research
site		site
spec		spec
tools		tools
training		training
.gitignore		.gitignore
ACCESSIBILITY.md		ACCESSIBILITY.md
ARCHITECTURE.md		ARCHITECTURE.md
CHANGELOG.md		CHANGELOG.md
CODE_OF_CONDUCT.md		CODE_OF_CONDUCT.md
CONTRIBUTING.md		CONTRIBUTING.md
CONTRIBUTORS.md		CONTRIBUTORS.md
Cargo.lock		Cargo.lock
Cargo.toml		Cargo.toml
GOVERNANCE.md		GOVERNANCE.md
LICENSE		LICENSE
LICENSE-APACHE		LICENSE-APACHE
LICENSE-MIT		LICENSE-MIT
Makefile		Makefile
README.md		README.md
ROADMAP.md		ROADMAP.md
SECURITY.md		SECURITY.md
SUPPORT.md		SUPPORT.md
TRADEMARKS.md		TRADEMARKS.md
deny.toml		deny.toml
justfile		justfile
package-lock.json		package-lock.json
package.json		package.json
rust-toolchain.toml		rust-toolchain.toml

Uh oh!

Latest commit

History

Folders and files

Repository files navigation

Doldskrift

Product

Why it exists

Architecture: Open · Neural · Protected

Profiles

Demo: humans vs agents

Specimen

Install

From crates.io (recommended)

From source

Quick start

End-to-end paths

Lab CLI highlights

Libraries

Documentation & links

Repository layout

Status (honest)

Support / Funding

Contributors

Contributing

License

About

Topics

Resources

Code of conduct

Contributing

Security policy

Stars

Watchers

Forks

Releases

Sponsor this project

Packages

Contributors

Languages