Skip to content

Error messages reference

Common errors from wardline scan and other commands, organized by exit code.

Exit Code 2: Configuration Error

These errors prevent the scan from running. Fix the configuration before retrying.

Error Cause Fix
Manifest not found No wardline.yaml in the project root or --manifest path Create wardline.yaml — see Getting Started
Invalid manifest wardline.yaml fails JSON Schema validation Run wardline manifest validate for detailed errors
Registry mismatch Exception registry references rules/taint states not in current matrix Run wardline exception refresh to update stale entries, or pass --allow-registry-mismatch
Overlay policy error An overlay file violates governance constraints (e.g., overriding a locked rule) Check wardline.overlay.yaml against manifest governance policy
Resolved file stale wardline.resolved.json hash does not match current manifest Re-run wardline resolve to regenerate, or pass --allow-stale-resolved
Output file cannot be written -o path is not writable Check file permissions and directory existence

Exit Code 1: Findings Present

The scan completed but found violations.

Situation Meaning Fix
Unexcepted ERROR findings At least one finding has severity ERROR and no covering exception Fix the code (see Rule Reference), or grant an exception via wardline exception add
--max-unknown-raw-percent exceeded Too many UNKNOWN_RAW findings relative to files scanned Add module_tiers entries or decorators to reduce unknowns
--strict-governance with GOVERNANCE findings Governance findings treated as blocking Address governance concerns or remove --strict-governance

Exit Code 3: Internal Tool Error

The scanner itself failed. This is a bug.

Situation Action
TOOL-ERROR finding in output Report the issue with the SARIF output attached
Stack trace on stderr Report with --debug output

Common Warnings (Non-Blocking)

These appear in SARIF output but do not affect the exit code:

Warning Meaning Action
GOVERNANCE-STALE-EXCEPTION An exception's AST fingerprint no longer matches the code Run wardline fingerprint update then wardline exception refresh
GOVERNANCE-TAINT-DEGRADED File scanned with empty taint map (no decorators or manifest entries) Add module_tiers entry for the file's package
GOVERNANCE-MODULE-TIERS-BLANKET Module default covers >80% of functions with no decorator evidence Add decorators to key functions, or accept the blanket assignment
L3-LOW-RESOLUTION L3 call graph has >70% unresolved edges Add decorators to called functions, or accept lower-precision results
WARDLINE-UNRESOLVED-DECORATOR A @wardline.* decorator could not be matched to the registry Check the decorator name for typos; ensure wardline is installed

Coherence Check Errors

From wardline coherence:

Check Meaning Fix
Orphaned exception Exception references a function that no longer exists Remove the exception via wardline exception expire
Fingerprint drift Code changed but fingerprint baseline not updated Run wardline fingerprint update
Decorator/manifest conflict Function has both a taint decorator and a conflicting module_tiers entry Remove one — decorators take precedence over module_tiers

Further Reading