feat: add README tree drift check and wire into CI

what: create scripts/check-readme-tree.py that parses the ## Repo Layout tree from README.md, extracts file paths, and compares against git ls-files
why: the manually maintained repo tree in README silently drifts when files are added or removed; this check prevents that

- Parses ASCII tree format tracking directory depth via indentation
- Handles wildcard entries (*.md) by globbing the corresponding directory
- Flags files in the tree but not tracked (stale) and tracked but not in tree (omitted)
- Added scripts/check-version-consistency.py and scripts/check-readme-tree.py to README tree
- Wired check-readme-tree.py into CI and validate-ci.py required commands

Author: CodeSigils

.github/workflows/ci.yml

@@ -60,6 +60,9 @@ jobs:
       - name: Check version consistency
         run: python3 scripts/check-version-consistency.py
 
+      - name: Check README tree matches tracked files
+        run: python3 scripts/check-readme-tree.py
+
       - name: Validate CI policy
         run: python3 scripts/validate-ci.py
 

README.md

@@ -236,6 +236,8 @@ python-project-workflow/
 ├── scripts/                             # Repository maintenance and validation tools
 │   ├── payload-manifest.json             # Declares canonical files copied into the payload
 │   ├── sync-payload.sh                   # Synchronizes or checks the runtime payload mirror
+│   ├── check-version-consistency.py      # Validates version alignment across manifests and tags
+│   ├── check-readme-tree.py              # Ensures README repo-layout tree matches tracked files
 │   ├── test-validate-ci.py                # Regression tests for CI policy enforcement
 │   ├── test-sync-payload.py              # Regression tests for payload drift behavior
 │   ├── validate-ci.py                    # Enforces CI routing, required gates, toolchain policy, and action pins

scripts/check-readme-tree.py

@@ -0,0 +1,127 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env python3
+"""Check that the README repo-layout tree matches tracked files."""
+
+from __future__ import annotations
+
+import re
+import subprocess
+import sys
+from pathlib import Path
+
+
+ROOT = Path(__file__).resolve().parents[1]
+README = ROOT / "README.md"
+
+TREE_SECTION_RE = re.compile(
+    r"^## Repo Layout\n+```text\n(?P<tree>.*?)\n```",
+    re.MULTILINE | re.DOTALL,
+)
+
+# Tree entry: optional indent (groups of 4 chars: '│   ' or '    '), a branch
+# marker '├── ' or '└── ', the entry name, and an optional '# comment'.
+TREE_ENTRY_RE = re.compile(
+    r"^(?P<indent>(?:[│ ]   )*)(?P<branch>[├└]──[─ ])(?P<name>[^#\n]+?)(?:\s*#.*)?$"
+)
+
+
+def get_tracked_files() -> set[str]:
+    """Return the set of all tracked file paths, relative to repo root."""
+    try:
+        result = subprocess.run(
+            ["git", "ls-files"],
+            capture_output=True,
+            text=True,
+            check=True,
+            cwd=ROOT,
+        )
+    except (OSError, subprocess.CalledProcessError) as exc:
+        print(f"FAIL: could not list git files: {exc}", file=sys.stderr)
+        sys.exit(1)
+    return {line for line in result.stdout.splitlines() if line}
+
+
+def parse_tree_paths(tree_text: str) -> set[str]:
+    """Parse the ASCII tree and return the set of file paths declared.
+
+    Each indent level is exactly 4 characters ('│   ' or '    ').
+    Directory entries end with '/'; file entries are collected.
+    """
+    paths: set[str] = set()
+    dir_stack: list[str] = []
+
+    for line in tree_text.splitlines():
+        m = TREE_ENTRY_RE.match(line)
+        if not m:
+            continue
+
+        raw_indent = m.group("indent")
+        name = m.group("name").strip()
+
+        # One indent level is 4 chars — count them
+        depth = len(raw_indent) // 4
+
+        # Trim directory stack to current depth
+        while len(dir_stack) > depth:
+            dir_stack.pop()
+
+        if name.endswith("/"):
+            # Directory entry
+            dir_name = name.rstrip("/")
+            if len(dir_stack) <= depth:
+                dir_stack.append(dir_name)
+            else:
+                dir_stack[depth] = dir_name
+                dir_stack = dir_stack[: depth + 1]
+        else:
+            # File entry — skip wildcards like *.md
+            if "*" in name:
+                # Generate matching files from the filesystem
+                dir_path = "/".join(dir_stack) + ("/" if dir_stack else "")
+                match_path = ROOT / dir_path
+                if match_path.exists():
+                    for f in sorted(match_path.glob(name)):
+                        rel = f.relative_to(ROOT).as_posix()
+                        paths.add(rel)
+                continue
+            full_path = "/".join(dir_stack) + ("/" if dir_stack else "") + name
+            paths.add(full_path)
+
+    return paths
+
+
+def main() -> int:
+    if not README.exists():
+        print("FAIL: README.md not found", file=sys.stderr)
+        return 1
+
+    readme_text = README.read_text(encoding="utf-8")
+
+    m = TREE_SECTION_RE.search(readme_text)
+    if not m:
+        print("FAIL: could not find ## Repo Layout section with ```text tree in README", file=sys.stderr)
+        return 1
+
+    tracked = get_tracked_files()
+    declared = parse_tree_paths(m.group("tree"))
+
+    stale = declared - tracked
+    omitted = tracked - declared
+
+    if stale:
+        for f in sorted(stale):
+            print(f"STALE: {f}  (in README tree but not tracked)")
+    if omitted:
+        for f in sorted(omitted):
+            print(f"OMITTED: {f}  (tracked but not in README tree)")
+
+    if stale or omitted:
+        print()
+        print("FAIL: README repo-layout tree does not match tracked files", file=sys.stderr)
+        return 1
+
+    print("PASS: README repo-layout tree matches tracked files")
+    return 0
+
+
+if __name__ == "__main__":
+    raise SystemExit(main())

scripts/validate-ci.py

@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@
 REQUIRED_VALIDATE_COMMANDS = (
     "python3 .github/scripts/check-portability.py",
     "python3 scripts/check-version-consistency.py",
+    "python3 scripts/check-readme-tree.py",
     "python3 scripts/validate-ci.py",
     "python3 scripts/validate.py",
     "python3 scripts/test-validate-ci.py",