# FRS *Functional Requirements Specification* # Functional Requirements Specification: markidocx ## 1. Definition This Functional Requirements Specification defines the externally observable behaviors and required functions of **markidocx**, a system for controlled **Markdown ↔ DOCX round-trip editing**. The FRS specifies what markidocx must do from the perspective of users, external systems, and exposed interfaces. It defines required functions for: * document build and export * document import and reconstitution * multi-file composition * template and style management * feature-level document processing * validation and drift reporting * local CLI usage * REST-based service interaction * MCP-based tool interaction * end-to-end regression execution This FRS is derived from the markidocx PRD and serves as the binding functional contract for implementation and acceptance. --- ## 2. Context markidocx is intended to support documentation workflows in which: * structured content is maintained in Markdown * editorial review is performed in Microsoft Word * document generation must be repeatable and inspectable * multiple stakeholders and systems interact with the same documentation assets The system acts as a functional bridge between: * canonical Markdown source documents * Word-based review artifacts * automated documentation pipelines * external tools and agents Functionally, the system must allow content to move between these contexts while preserving supported structure and surfacing any drift or ambiguity introduced during the process. --- ## 3. Core Concepts ### 3.1 System Function A system function is a user-visible or interface-visible capability the system provides, such as building a DOCX artifact, importing an edited document, or validating a template registration. ### 3.2 Externally Observable Behavior Externally observable behavior includes all results visible through the CLI, REST interface, MCP interface, output artifacts, reports, and return statuses. ### 3.3 Requirement Statement Each requirement in this document is written as a declarative, testable statement describing required system behavior. ### 3.4 Input–Output Relationship markidocx receives manifests, Markdown sources, templates, styles, DOCX files, and configuration inputs and produces artifacts, reports, validation outcomes, and structured metadata. ### 3.5 Traceability The requirements in this FRS are intended to trace back to the markidocx PRD and forward into implementation, interface contracts, and validation suites. --- ## 4. Scope and Non-Scope ### In Scope This FRS covers: * functional system behavior * user-facing and interface-facing commands and operations * supported document processing behavior * interface-level interactions through CLI, REST, and MCP * functional handling of templates, styles, manifests, and artifacts * conditions under which functions succeed, warn, or fail ### Out of Scope This FRS does not define: * internal architecture * code organization * algorithms or parser strategies * storage implementation * UI layout * deployment topology * performance or security design except where behaviorally relevant --- ## 5. System Overview markidocx shall provide a functional workflow in which a user or external system can: 1. define a document project using Markdown sources and a manifest 2. compose one or more Markdown files into a document model 3. export that document into DOCX using a selected template/style family 4. import an edited DOCX back into Markdown form 5. validate compatibility and structural integrity 6. detect and report drift between baseline and re-imported forms 7. manage template/style families 8. access the same capabilities locally, via service calls, or through MCP tools 9. run end-to-end tests using the latest stable markidocx documentation corpus --- ## 6. Functional Requirements Structure Requirements are grouped into the following domains: * FR-100 Project and manifest management * FR-200 Build and export * FR-300 Import and round-trip processing * FR-400 Multi-file document handling * FR-500 Feature level support * FR-600 Template and style management * FR-700 Validation and drift analysis * FR-800 CLI functions * FR-900 REST service functions * FR-1000 MCP functions * FR-1100 Test and regression functions * FR-1200 Error and warning behavior --- # 7. Functional Requirements ## 7.1 Project and Manifest Management ### FR-101 Project Manifest Recognition The system shall accept a project definition that identifies the document project, its source files, document type, feature level, and associated template/style selections. ### FR-102 Manifest Validation The system shall determine whether a provided project manifest is syntactically and functionally valid. ### FR-103 Missing Resource Detection The system shall report an error when a manifest references a source, asset, bibliography, template, or style that is not available. ### FR-104 Project Inspection The system shall provide a way to inspect the resolved project configuration, including source ordering, selected feature level, template selection, and derived document metadata. ### FR-105 Project Capability Disclosure The system shall expose the effective capabilities of a project as derived from the manifest and registered feature support. ### FR-106 Unsupported Manifest Configuration Detection The system shall reject or warn on manifest settings that are inconsistent with supported system behavior. --- ## 7.2 Build and Export ### FR-201 Build Invocation The system shall allow a user or external client to request document build/export for a defined project. ### FR-202 Markdown Composition The system shall compose the project’s declared Markdown sources into a buildable document representation. ### FR-203 DOCX Export The system shall generate a DOCX artifact from a valid project when DOCX output is requested. ### FR-204 Template Application The system shall apply the selected DOCX template family during DOCX generation. ### FR-205 Style Selection The system shall associate the selected style family with the generated output where relevant to the output mode. ### FR-206 Asset Inclusion The system shall include referenced images and other supported assets in the exported document where the asset is valid and resolvable. ### FR-207 Metadata Propagation The system shall propagate supported document metadata from project inputs into the generated document. ### FR-208 Build Result Reporting The system shall return a structured build result indicating success, warnings, or failure and identify generated artifacts. ### FR-209 Deterministic Build Result Disclosure The system shall provide build output metadata sufficient for later validation and comparison. --- ## 7.3 Import and Round-Trip Processing ### FR-301 DOCX Import Invocation The system shall allow a user or external client to submit a DOCX document for import into Markdown-compatible project form. ### FR-302 Project-Aware Import The system shall import DOCX content in the context of a specified project configuration when such context is provided. ### FR-303 Markdown Reconstitution The system shall produce Markdown output from the imported DOCX for supported constructs. ### FR-304 Structural Preservation The system shall preserve supported document structure during import within the bounds of the selected feature level. ### FR-305 Source Mapping Use When project source mapping is available, the system shall use it to associate imported content with original source boundaries. ### FR-306 Import Result Reporting The system shall report the result of an import operation, including generated outputs, warnings, and identified ambiguities. ### FR-307 Unsupported Construct Reporting The system shall explicitly report Word constructs that cannot be safely mapped into supported Markdown representation. ### FR-308 Re-import Equivalence Support The system shall support round-trip workflows in which exported DOCX documents can be re-imported into semantically equivalent Markdown representations, subject to supported feature classes and accepted normalization. --- ## 7.4 Multi-File Document Handling ### FR-401 Multi-File Source Declaration The system shall support projects consisting of multiple Markdown source files. ### FR-402 Ordered Composition The system shall preserve declared source ordering when composing a multi-file document. ### FR-403 Whole-Document Export The system shall support export of a multi-file project into a single reviewable document artifact. ### FR-404 Source-Origin Awareness The system shall maintain source-origin information sufficient to support round-trip handling of multi-file documents. ### FR-405 Source Redistribution The system shall support redistribution of imported content back into source-aligned outputs when source mapping information is available. ### FR-406 Fallback Import Form When source redistribution cannot be completed safely, the system shall provide a valid merged Markdown result and indicate the fallback condition. ### FR-407 Section Boundary Integrity Reporting The system shall report when imported edits cause ambiguity or breakage at tracked source or section boundaries. --- ## 7.5 Feature Level Support ## 7.5.1 LEVEL1 ### FR-501 Heading Support The system shall export and import heading structures and preserve supported heading hierarchy. ### FR-502 List Support The system shall export and import ordered and unordered lists and preserve list structure within supported cases. ### FR-503 Table Support The system shall export and import supported table structures. ### FR-504 Footnote Support The system shall export and import footnotes and preserve their association with referencing content. ### FR-505 Image Support The system shall export and import supported images and preserve image references and associated descriptive metadata where available. ### FR-506 Link Support The system shall export and import links and preserve supported link targets and visible text. ## 7.5.2 LEVEL3 ### FR-531 Cross-Reference Support The system shall support export and import workflows for supported cross references between labeled content elements. ### FR-532 Numbered Figure Support The system shall support export of figures with captions and numbering and preserve figure identity sufficiently for supported round-trip usage. ### FR-533 Automatic Diagram Support The system shall support diagrams derived from source declarations as part of document build/export workflows. ### FR-534 Diagram Intent Preservation The system shall preserve the connection between diagram source intent and rendered output within the managed workflow. ### FR-535 Bibliography Support The system shall support bibliography-aware document generation from structured citation inputs. ### FR-536 Citation Preservation The system shall preserve supported citation semantics during round-trip processing or report when ambiguity prevents safe preservation. ### FR-537 Feature-Level Compatibility Disclosure The system shall disclose whether a project, template family, or processing path supports LEVEL1 only or LEVEL3. --- ## 7.6 Template and Style Management ### FR-601 Built-In Family Availability The system shall provide three built-in document families named: * article * book * website ### FR-602 Family Metadata Disclosure The system shall provide discoverable metadata for each available template/style family. ### FR-603 Template Listing The system shall provide a way to list available template families. ### FR-604 Style Listing The system shall provide a way to list available style families. ### FR-605 Template Registration The system shall allow registration of an additional document template. ### FR-606 Style Registration The system shall allow registration of an additional style definition. ### FR-607 Paired Family Registration The system shall allow registration of an additional template/style family association. ### FR-608 Registration Validation The system shall validate a proposed registration and report whether it is acceptable. ### FR-609 Compatibility Declaration The system shall associate each template/style family with declared capability metadata, including applicable document types and feature-level support. ### FR-610 Family Resolution The system shall resolve a family reference in a project to the corresponding registered template/style resources. --- ## 7.7 Validation and Drift Analysis ### FR-701 Validation Invocation The system shall allow validation of a project without performing a full build or import. ### FR-702 Validation Scope The system shall validate manifest integrity, referenced resources, selected feature level, and template/style compatibility. ### FR-703 Build Preconditions Reporting The system shall report whether a project is functionally ready for build. ### FR-704 Drift Comparison The system shall allow comparison of baseline and imported Markdown representations. ### FR-705 Drift Classification The system shall classify detected differences into at least the following functional categories: * cosmetic * normalized * structural * unsupported or ambiguous * fatal ### FR-706 Structural Drift Detection The system shall identify structural changes affecting supported document semantics. ### FR-707 Cross-Reference Integrity Check The system shall detect and report broken or unresolved supported cross references. ### FR-708 Figure Integrity Check The system shall detect and report supported figure numbering or identity inconsistencies. ### FR-709 Bibliography Integrity Check The system shall detect and report unresolved bibliography or citation issues in supported workflows. ### FR-710 Validation Result Output The system shall produce validation and drift results in a machine-consumable form and a human-consumable form. --- ## 7.8 CLI Functions ### FR-801 Local CLI Availability The system shall provide a local command-line interface for core markidocx functions. ### FR-802 CLI Build Command The CLI shall provide a command to build/export a project. ### FR-803 CLI Import Command The CLI shall provide a command to import DOCX content into project-compatible Markdown outputs. ### FR-804 CLI Validate Command The CLI shall provide a command to validate a project. ### FR-805 CLI Diff Command The CLI shall provide a command to compare round-trip outputs or equivalent document states. ### FR-806 CLI Inspect Command The CLI shall provide a command to inspect resolved project information. ### FR-807 CLI Template Listing Command The CLI shall provide a command to list template families. ### FR-808 CLI Style Listing Command The CLI shall provide a command to list styles or style families. ### FR-809 CLI Registration Commands The CLI shall provide commands to register templates, styles, or families. ### FR-810 CLI Test Command The CLI shall provide a command to execute the defined test suite or end-to-end validation workflow. ### FR-811 CLI Exit Status Behavior The CLI shall return success, warning, or failure outcomes through distinguishable exit behavior and output. ### FR-812 CLI Structured Output The CLI shall support a structured output mode for machine consumption. --- ## 7.9 REST Service Functions ### FR-901 REST Service Availability The system shall provide a REST-accessible service exposing core markidocx functions. ### FR-902 REST Project Validation The service shall allow clients to submit a project for validation and receive a structured result. ### FR-903 REST Build The service shall allow clients to request document build/export and retrieve resulting artifacts and reports. ### FR-904 REST Import The service shall allow clients to submit DOCX content for import and receive generated Markdown-compatible outputs and reports. ### FR-905 REST Drift Comparison The service shall allow clients to request drift analysis between supplied or project-associated document states. ### FR-906 REST Template Listing The service shall provide an endpoint for listing available template families. ### FR-907 REST Style Listing The service shall provide an endpoint for listing available styles or style families. ### FR-908 REST Registration The service shall allow submission of additional template/style registrations and return validation results. ### FR-909 REST Capability Inspection The service shall provide a way to retrieve supported capability and feature-level information. ### FR-910 REST Health Disclosure The service shall provide a machine-readable health/status response. ### FR-911 REST Version Disclosure The service shall provide a machine-readable version response. ### FR-912 REST Structured Responses The service shall return structured responses that identify status, outputs, warnings, and errors. --- ## 7.10 MCP Functions ### FR-1001 MCP Availability The system shall provide an MCP-compatible interface exposing markidocx capabilities to agentic clients. ### FR-1002 MCP Template Discovery The MCP interface shall expose a tool or equivalent operation to list available template families. ### FR-1003 MCP Style Discovery The MCP interface shall expose a tool or equivalent operation to list available style families. ### FR-1004 MCP Project Validation The MCP interface shall expose a tool or equivalent operation to validate a project. ### FR-1005 MCP Project Inspection The MCP interface shall expose a tool or equivalent operation to inspect a project. ### FR-1006 MCP Build The MCP interface shall expose a tool or equivalent operation to build/export a project. ### FR-1007 MCP Import The MCP interface shall expose a tool or equivalent operation to import DOCX content. ### FR-1008 MCP Drift Comparison The MCP interface shall expose a tool or equivalent operation to compare round-trip states. ### FR-1009 MCP Test Execution The MCP interface shall expose a tool or equivalent operation to run end-to-end tests. ### FR-1010 MCP Version Disclosure The MCP interface shall expose a tool or equivalent operation to disclose system version information. ### FR-1011 MCP Resource Exposure The MCP interface shall expose relevant machine-consumable resources for manifests, capabilities, template metadata, style metadata, and current documentation corpus metadata. --- ## 7.11 Test and Regression Functions ### FR-1101 Stable Documentation Corpus The system shall maintain the latest stable markidocx documentation as a managed documentation project. ### FR-1102 Documentation-Based E2E Testing The system shall support execution of end-to-end validation using the latest stable markidocx documentation as the test corpus. ### FR-1103 Round-Trip Regression Execution The system shall support a test flow in which the documentation corpus is built, exported, imported, and compared. ### FR-1104 Template Coverage in E2E Testing The system shall support end-to-end testing against the built-in article, book, and website families where applicable. ### FR-1105 Feature-Level Coverage in E2E Testing The system shall support execution of tests covering LEVEL1 and LEVEL3 behavior as represented in the stable documentation corpus. ### FR-1106 Test Result Reporting The system shall provide a report identifying whether regression and end-to-end validation passed, warned, or failed. --- ## 7.12 Error and Warning Behavior ### FR-1201 Explicit Failure Reporting The system shall explicitly report functional failures rather than silently omitting failed operations. ### FR-1202 Explicit Warning Reporting The system shall explicitly report warnings when an operation completes with ambiguity, normalization, unsupported constructs, or partial degradation. ### FR-1203 Unsupported Construct Visibility The system shall surface unsupported or ambiguous constructs in import, export, validation, or diff results. ### FR-1204 Partial Result Disclosure When an operation produces partial results, the system shall indicate the partial nature of those results. ### FR-1205 Non-Silent Degradation The system shall not silently discard known document constructs that fall outside supported round-trip behavior. --- # 8. Functional Use Cases ## UC-01 Single-File Round-Trip A user provides a single Markdown project, builds DOCX, edits the DOCX, imports it back, and receives an updated Markdown result plus drift report. ## UC-02 Multi-File Review Workflow A user provides a multi-file project, exports one DOCX for review, imports the reviewed DOCX, and receives redistributed or merged Markdown outputs with section mapping status. ## UC-03 Template Switching A user builds the same content using article, book, and website families and receives corresponding output artifacts without changing the source content. ## UC-04 Validation Before Build A user validates a project and receives confirmation of readiness or a list of blocking issues. ## UC-05 External Automation An external system submits a project to the REST service for build, import, or comparison and receives structured results. ## UC-06 Agentic Interaction An MCP client discovers available templates, validates a project, triggers a build, and retrieves validation outcomes. ## UC-07 Product Self-Test A release process runs end-to-end tests against the latest stable markidocx documentation and records regression status. --- # 9. Functional Constraints ### FC-01 Supported Semantic Envelope The system shall only claim preservation for constructs within the declared supported feature levels and managed workflow boundaries. ### FC-02 Project-Scoped Operation Build, import, validation, and drift functions shall operate in relation to an explicit project context or explicitly supplied artifact set. ### FC-03 Family-Scoped Capability Template/style application shall be constrained by the declared capabilities of the selected family. ### FC-04 Fallback Disclosure Whenever the system falls back from source-aligned redistribution to merged or degraded output, it shall disclose that fallback. --- # 10. Acceptance-Oriented Functional Summary markidocx shall be considered functionally conformant to this FRS when it can, at minimum: 1. accept and validate a project manifest 2. compose single-file and multi-file Markdown documents 3. export DOCX using built-in document families 4. import edited DOCX back into Markdown-compatible outputs 5. support all declared LEVEL1 functions 6. support declared LEVEL3 functions for managed cases 7. detect and classify round-trip drift 8. expose core functions through CLI 9. expose core functions through REST 10. expose core functions through MCP 11. register additional templates and styles 12. run end-to-end tests using the latest stable markidocx documentation corpus --- # 11. Related Artifacts This FRS is expected to relate to: * PRD: markidocx * Non-Functional Requirements document * API/interface contracts * schema definitions for manifests and registrations * test specifications * acceptance criteria catalog * system design specification * architecture decision records --- # 12. Appendix: Suggested Requirement Trace Anchors A minimal traceability map should connect: * PRD product goals → FRS requirement groups * FRS requirement IDs → interface contracts * FRS requirement IDs → acceptance tests * FRS requirement IDs → regression scenarios Example trace anchors: * PRD Round-Trip Editing → FR-201 to FR-308 * PRD Multi-File Composition → FR-401 to FR-407 * PRD Built-In Families → FR-601 to FR-610 * PRD CLI/REST/MCP accessibility → FR-801 to FR-1011 * PRD E2E documentation corpus → FR-1101 to FR-1106 xxx