Refactor/74 buildtime rubric parsing

README.md

@@ -112,8 +112,6 @@ fun contentPipeline() = workflow("content-pipeline") {
         agent("reviewer") { role = "Content Reviewer"; model = Models.GEMINI_3_1_PRO }
     }
 
-    rubrics { rubric("content-quality", "content-quality.md") }
-
     state {
         input("topic", VarType.STRING)
         variable("draft", VarType.STRING, "the full written article text")
@@ -126,7 +124,7 @@ fun contentPipeline() = workflow("content-pipeline") {
             agent  = "writer"
             prompt = "Write a short article about {topic}. {recommendation}"
             writes("draft")
-            rubric = "content-quality"
+            rubric = "content-quality.md"
             onScore {
                 whenScore lessThan 70.0 goto "write"  // score too low – retry
             }

docs/developer-guide-core.md

@@ -182,7 +182,7 @@ map keyed by node ID. For `StandardNode`s with `writes` declared, it routes the
 - **Single write**: attempts to parse the response as JSON and extract the declared key; falls back to the full raw text if the key is absent or the output is not valid JSON.
 - **Multiple writes**: the response is parsed as JSON and each declared key is extracted into context.
 
-**`RubricPostProcessor`** — If a node has a `rubricId`, this processor evaluates the output against the rubric's
+**`RubricPostProcessor`** — If a node has a `Rubric`, this processor evaluates the output against the rubric's
 criteria using the `RubricEngine`. It stores the evaluation result in the state for use by `ScoreTransition` rules. If
 the evaluation fails and no explicit transition handles the low score, it can trigger an **auto-backtrack** to a prior
 step, enabling self-correcting loops. On auto-backtrack, sets `state.nodeRedirected = true` — downstream processors
@@ -710,15 +710,16 @@ The rubric engine evaluates output quality against defined criteria with score-b
 
 | Component                  | Description                                                                                                                                  |
 |----------------------------|----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
-| `RubricEngine`             | Orchestrates evaluation using repository and evaluator                                                                                       |
-| `RubricRepository`         | Stores rubric definitions (in-memory by default)                                                                                             |
+| `RubricEngine`             | Orchestrates evaluation using evaluator                                                                                                      |
 | `RubricEvaluator`          | Evaluates output against criteria                                                                                                            |
 | `ScoreExtractingEvaluator` | Reads the `score` engine variable from context; accumulates `recommendation` feedback for failing criteria into `_rubric_criterion_feedback` |
 | `Rubric`                   | Immutable definition with pass threshold and weighted criteria                                                                               |
 | `Criterion`                | Single evaluation dimension with weight and minimum score                                                                                    |
 
 ### How Evaluation Works
 
+Rubrics are parsed at build time and stored directly on the node as typed `Rubric` objects.
+
 `ScoreExtractingEvaluator` reads the `score` engine variable directly from the execution context. The score is extracted automatically by `OutputExtractionPostProcessor` whenever the node has a `ScoreTransition` — no JSON parsing is needed in the evaluator itself.
 
 If the score falls below a criterion's minimum and a `recommendation` engine variable is present in context, the text is appended to `_rubric_criterion_feedback`. `RubricPostProcessor` uses that list to assemble a combined backtrack context update for self-correcting loops.
@@ -861,7 +862,7 @@ Each injector fires when **either** of two conditions is met:
 
 ```mermaid
 flowchart LR
-    r(["RubricPromptInjector\n· rubricId != null"]) --> s(["ScoreVariableInjector\n· ScoreTransition or\nconsensus branch"])
+    r(["RubricPromptInjector\n· rubric != null"]) --> s(["ScoreVariableInjector\n· ScoreTransition or\nconsensus branch"])
     s --> a(["ApprovalVariableInjector\n· ApprovalTransition or\nconsensus branch"])
     a --> rec(["RecommendationVariable\nInjector\n· Score/Approval or\nconsensus branch"])
     rec --> w(["WritesVariableInjector\n· has writes()"])

docs/developer-guide-server.md

@@ -970,7 +970,6 @@ Every integration test extends `IntegrationTestBase`, which provides:
 | `pushAndExecuteWithMcp(workflow, ctx, endpoint)` | Executes with MCP-enabled tenant context                |
 | `registerStub(key, response)`                    | Programmatic stub registration by node ID or agent ID   |
 | `registerStub(scenario, key, response)`          | Scenario-specific stub registration                     |
-| `resolveRubricPath(resourceName)`                | Copies classpath rubric to temp file for `RubricParser` |
 
 #### Writing an Integration Test
 
@@ -1098,28 +1097,10 @@ Place workflow definitions in `src/test/resources/workflows/`. Use `model: "stub
 
 #### Rubric Testing
 
-Pre-register parsed rubrics so the executor skips filesystem path resolution:
-
-```java
-private Rubric parseAndRegisterRubric(String rubricId, String resourceName) {
-    String rubricPath = resolveRubricPath(resourceName);
-    Rubric parsed = RubricParser.parse(Path.of(rubricPath));
-
-    Rubric rubric = Rubric.builder()
-            .id(rubricId)
-            .name(parsed.getName())
-            .version(parsed.getVersion())
-            .type(parsed.getType())
-            .passThreshold(parsed.getPassThreshold())
-            .criteria(parsed.getCriteria())
-            .build();
-
-    hensuEnvironment.getRubricRepository().save(rubric);
-    return rubric;
-}
-```
-
-Place rubric markdown files in `src/test/resources/rubrics/`.
+Rubrics are parsed at build time and stored directly on workflow nodes. Workflow JSON fixtures
+include inline rubric content in the `"rubric"` field, which the deserializer parses into typed
+`Rubric` objects at load time. No separate registration step is needed — just call
+`loadWorkflow("fixture.json")` and the rubric is ready.
 
 #### Repository Tests (Testcontainers)
 

docs/dsl-reference.md

@@ -51,10 +51,6 @@ fun myWorkflow() = workflow("WorkflowName") {
         // Agent definitions
     }
 
-    rubrics {
-        // Rubric references (optional)
-    }
-
     config {
         // Execution settings (optional)
     }
@@ -78,7 +74,6 @@ fun myWorkflow() = workflow("WorkflowName") {
 |---------------|--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
 | `state { }`   | Optional typed state schema. When declared, enables load-time validation of `writes` and `{variable}` prompt references. |
 | `agents { }`  | Agent definitions (models, roles, temperatures)                                                                          |
-| `rubrics { }` | Rubric file references for quality evaluation                                                                            |
 | `config { }`  | Workflow execution settings                                                                                              |
 | `graph { }`   | Node graph (required)                                                                                                    |
 
@@ -155,7 +150,7 @@ Standard nodes execute an agent with a prompt and transition based on the result
 node("node-id") {
     agent = "agent-id"
     prompt = "Your prompt with {placeholders}"
-    rubric = "rubric-id"         // Optional
+    rubric = "rubric-id.md"      // Optional
     writes("param1", "param2")   // Optional — declare state variables this node produces
 
     review(ReviewMode.OPTIONAL)  // Optional
@@ -169,11 +164,11 @@ node("node-id") {
 
 #### Standard Node Properties
 
-| Property    | Type    | Required | Description                             |
-|-------------|---------|----------|-----------------------------------------|
-| `agent`     | String? | Yes      | ID of the agent to execute              |
-| `prompt`    | String? | Yes      | Prompt template or `.md` file reference |
-| `rubric`    | String? | No       | ID of rubric to evaluate output quality |
+| Property | Type    | Required | Description                                                    |
+|----------|---------|----------|----------------------------------------------------------------|
+| `agent`  | String? | Yes      | ID of the agent to execute                                     |
+| `prompt` | String? | Yes      | Inline prompt template or `.md` file reference from `prompts/` |
+| `rubric` | String? | No       | Inline rubric content or `.md` file reference from `rubrics/`  |
 
 #### Standard Node Functions
 
@@ -219,13 +214,13 @@ parallel("review-committee") {
 
 #### Branch Properties
 
-| Property   | Type          | Required | Description                                                                                                                                                                         |
-|------------|---------------|----------|-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
-| `agent`    | String        | Yes      | ID of the agent to execute                                                                                                                                                          |
-| `prompt`   | String?       | No       | Prompt template or `.md` file reference                                                                                                                                             |
-| `rubric`   | String?       | No       | ID of rubric for branch evaluation. When set, the rubric's pass/fail result determines the branch's consensus vote (APPROVE/REJECT), overriding text-based heuristics               |
-| `weight`   | Double        | No       | Vote weight for `WEIGHTED_VOTE` consensus strategy. Higher values give more influence to the branch score (default: 1.0)                                                            |
-| `yields()` | vararg String | No       | State variable names this branch produces as structured domain output. The agent's JSON response must include these fields; the engine extracts and merges them into workflow state |
+| Property   | Type          | Required | Description                                                                                                                                                                                      |
+|------------|---------------|----------|--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
+| `agent`    | String        | Yes      | ID of the agent to execute                                                                                                                                                                       |
+| `prompt`   | String?       | No       | Inline prompt template or `.md` file reference from `prompts/`                                                                                                                                   |
+| `rubric`   | String?       | No       | Inline rubric content or `.md` file reference from `rubrics/`. When set, the rubric's pass/fail result determines the branch's consensus vote (APPROVE/REJECT), overriding text-based heuristics |
+| `weight`   | Double        | No       | Vote weight for `WEIGHTED_VOTE` consensus strategy. Higher values give more influence to the branch score (default: 1.0)                                                                         |
+| `yields()` | vararg String | No       | State variable names this branch produces as structured domain output. The agent's JSON response must include these fields; the engine extracts and merges them into workflow state              |
 
 #### Rubric-Based Consensus
 
@@ -335,7 +330,7 @@ generic("validate-input") {
         "required" to true
     }
 
-    rubric = "validation-rubric"  // Optional
+    rubric = "validation-rubric.md"  // Optional
 
     onSuccess goto "process"
     onFailure retry 2 otherwise "error"
@@ -725,7 +720,7 @@ Because `recommendation` is an engine variable, you reference it as a `{placehol
 node("score-content") {
     agent = "reviewer"
     prompt = "Review the article: {article}\nOutput a score and feedback."
-    rubric = "content-quality"
+    rubric = "content-quality.md"
 
     onScore {
         whenScore greaterThanOrEqual 80.0 goto "publish"
@@ -746,24 +741,15 @@ node("revise") {
 ```
 
 ## Rubrics
+Rubrics define quality evaluation criteria for node outputs. Rubric files should be placed in the `rubrics/` directory of your working directory.
 
-Rubrics define quality evaluation criteria for node outputs.
-
-```kotlin
-rubrics {
-    rubric("quality-check", "quality.md")           // rubrics/quality.md
-    rubric("pr-review", "templates/pr.md")          // rubrics/templates/pr.md
-    rubric("docs") { file = "documentation.md" }    // Alternative syntax
-}
-```
-
-Reference rubrics in nodes:
+To use a rubric, specify the filename in the node's `rubric` property:
 
 ```kotlin
 node("review") {
     agent = "reviewer"
     prompt = "Review this code"
-    rubric = "quality-check"
+    rubric = "content-quality.md"  // References rubrics/content-quality.md
 
     onScore {
         whenScore greaterThanOrEqual 80.0 goto "approve"
@@ -1094,10 +1080,6 @@ fun contentPipeline() = workflow("ContentPipeline") {
         }
     }
 
-    rubrics {
-        rubric("content-quality", "content-quality.md")
-    }
-
     graph {
         start at "research"
 

docs/unified-architecture.md

@@ -760,7 +760,7 @@ CDI wiring, `WorkflowExecutor`, `TenantContext` — against in-memory repositori
 profile disables PostgreSQL, Flyway, and the scheduler (no Docker required).
 
 All integration tests extend `IntegrationTestBase`, which provides CDI injection, per-test
-state cleanup, and helpers (`registerStub`, `pushAndExecute`, `resolveRubricPath`).
+state cleanup, and helpers (`registerStub`, `pushAndExecute`).
 
 ### Repository Tests (Testcontainers PostgreSQL)
 

hensu-cli/src/main/java/io/hensu/cli/review/ReviewTerminal.java

@@ -190,20 +190,18 @@ private void displayHelp() {
     private ReviewDecision handleBacktrack(ReviewData data) {
         List<ReviewData.StepInfo> steps = data.historySteps();
 
-        if (steps == null || steps.size() <= 1) {
+        if (steps == null || steps.isEmpty()) {
             println(styles.warn("No previous steps available to backtrack to."));
             return null;
         }
 
-        List<ReviewData.StepInfo> validSteps = steps.subList(0, steps.size() - 1);
-
         println("");
         println(styles.boxTopWithLabel(styles.dim("backtrack target")));
         println("");
 
-        for (int i = validSteps.size() - 1; i >= 0; i--) {
-            ReviewData.StepInfo step = validSteps.get(i);
-            int displayNum = validSteps.size() - i;
+        for (int i = steps.size() - 1; i >= 0; i--) {
+            ReviewData.StepInfo step = steps.get(i);
+            int displayNum = steps.size() - i;
             boolean ok = "SUCCESS".equals(step.status());
             String status = styles.successOrError(ok ? "OK" : "FAIL", ok);
             println(String.format("  [%d] %s (%s)", displayNum, step.nodeId(), status));
@@ -217,12 +215,12 @@ private ReviewDecision handleBacktrack(ReviewData data) {
         try {
             int choice = Integer.parseInt(input);
             if (choice == 0) return null;
-            if (choice < 1 || choice > validSteps.size()) {
+            if (choice < 1 || choice > steps.size()) {
                 println(styles.error("Invalid choice. Please select a number from the list."));
                 return null;
             }
 
-            ReviewData.StepInfo targetStep = validSteps.get(validSteps.size() - choice);
+            ReviewData.StepInfo targetStep = steps.get(steps.size() - choice);
 
             print("Reason for backtracking (optional): ");
             String reason = readInput();

hensu-cli/src/main/java/io/hensu/cli/visualizer/TextVisualizationFormat.java

@@ -120,11 +120,14 @@ private String renderNode(Node node, String nodeId, String indent, AnsiStyles st
                                     "agent",
                                     styles.bold(standardNode.getAgentId())));
                 }
-                if (standardNode.getRubricId() != null) {
+                if (standardNode.getRubric() != null) {
                     sb.append(
                             String.format(
                                     "%s%s  %-9s %s%n",
-                                    indent, styles.boxMid(), "rubric", standardNode.getRubricId()));
+                                    indent,
+                                    styles.boxMid(),
+                                    "rubric",
+                                    standardNode.getRubric().getCriteria().size() + " criteria"));
                 }
                 if (standardNode.getReviewConfig() != null) {
                     sb.append(
@@ -271,11 +274,14 @@ private String renderNode(Node node, String nodeId, String indent, AnsiStyles st
                                     styles.accent(String.valueOf(genericNode.getConfig().size()))
                                             + " entries"));
                 }
-                if (genericNode.getRubricId() != null) {
+                if (genericNode.getRubric() != null) {
                     sb.append(
                             String.format(
                                     "%s%s  %-9s %s%n",
-                                    indent, styles.boxMid(), "rubric", genericNode.getRubricId()));
+                                    indent,
+                                    styles.boxMid(),
+                                    "rubric",
+                                    genericNode.getRubric().getCriteria().size() + " criteria"));
                 }
                 appendTransitions(sb, indent, genericNode.getTransitionRules(), styles);
             }