add typed IPC command-schema framework (T-120)

Per D-74: commands register an argument schema beside their handler
instead of hand-validating args inline. DaemonDispatcher accumulates a
cmd->schema registry and, before invoking a handler, normalises the
argv-translator shape ({positional, flags}) into named args, coerces
types, and checks per-arg constraints (charset/pattern, leading-dash
rejection, numeric range, list caps). Violations return userError so no
handler sees malformed input. Schema adoption is opt-in per command —
unschema'd commands dispatch unchanged.

panel.resize adopts a schema (dropping the _ResizeArgs hand-lift from
T-119); git.checkout and git.push gain schemas that reject leading-dash
refs at the dispatcher and, via positional ordering, fix the C-client
CLI path — `clide git checkout <branch>` now reaches the handler, where
the positional token previously never mapped to `branch`. The T-104
validateGitRef + count/path caps stay in place as defense-in-depth
because the git client is reachable directly from the UI, not only
through the dispatcher.

Co-Authored-By: Claude <noreply@anthropic.com>

CHANGELOG.md

@@ -18,6 +18,10 @@ heading, and (b) bumping `pubspec.yaml` `version:` in the same commit.
 
 ### Added
 
+- Typed IPC command-schema framework (T-119/T-120, D-74) — commands
+  register an argument schema beside their handler; the dispatcher
+  normalises argv into named args, coerces types, and validates
+  (charset, leading-dash, ranges, caps) before the handler runs.
 - `clide panel resize <slot>` CLI verb (T-119) — set an absolute size
   with `--to` or nudge with `--by`; `editor` targets the split ratio.
   Completes user/Claude parity (D-6) with T-111's keyboard resize.

lib/src/daemon/dispatcher.dart

@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 import 'package:clide/clide.dart' show clideVersion;
+import 'package:clide/src/ipc/command_schema.dart';
 import 'package:clide/src/ipc/envelope.dart';
 import 'package:clide/src/ipc/schema_v1.dart';
 
@@ -12,13 +13,26 @@ class DaemonDispatcher {
 
   final Map<String, CommandHandler> _handlers = {};
 
-  void register(String cmd, CommandHandler handler) {
+  /// Per-command argument schemas (T-120 / D-74). Populated alongside
+  /// handlers by registrants. A command with no entry dispatches
+  /// unvalidated — schema adoption is opt-in per command.
+  final Map<String, CommandSchema> _schemas = {};
+
+  /// Register [handler] for [cmd]. Pass [schema] to have the dispatcher
+  /// normalise + validate `req.args` before the handler runs (D-74).
+  void register(String cmd, CommandHandler handler, {CommandSchema? schema}) {
     _handlers[cmd] = handler;
+    if (schema != null) {
+      _schemas[cmd] = schema;
+    } else {
+      _schemas.remove(cmd);
+    }
   }
 
   /// Remove all registered handlers except ping/version.
   void clear() {
     _handlers.removeWhere((k, _) => k != 'ping' && k != 'version');
+    _schemas.removeWhere((k, _) => k != 'ping' && k != 'version');
   }
 
   bool get isEmpty => _handlers.length <= 2; // only ping + version
@@ -36,7 +50,13 @@ class DaemonDispatcher {
         ),
       );
     }
-    return h(req);
+    final schema = _schemas[req.cmd];
+    if (schema == null) return h(req);
+    final result = schema.validate(schema.normalize(req.args));
+    if (!result.isOk) {
+      return schemaError(req.id, result.error!);
+    }
+    return h(IpcRequest(id: req.id, cmd: req.cmd, args: result.values!));
   }
 
   Future<IpcResponse> _ping(IpcRequest req) async => IpcResponse.ok(

lib/src/daemon/git_commands.dart

@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@ library;
 
 import '../git/client.dart';
 import '../git/operations.dart' show GitException;
+import '../ipc/command_schema.dart';
 import '../ipc/envelope.dart';
 import '../ipc/schema_v1.dart';
 import '../panes/event_sink.dart';
@@ -22,6 +23,30 @@ const int _gitLogMaxCount = 1000;
 /// arguments.
 const int _gitPathsMaxCount = 256;
 
+/// Schema for `git.checkout` (D-74). `positional[0]` → `branch`, so
+/// `clide git checkout <branch>` from the C client now reaches the
+/// handler; the leading-dash guard stops argv injection at the
+/// dispatcher (mirrors [validateGitRef], kept below as
+/// defense-in-depth since the git client is also UI-reachable).
+const CommandSchema _checkoutSchema = CommandSchema(
+  positional: ['branch'],
+  args: {
+    'branch': ArgSpec(required: true, rejectLeadingDash: true),
+  },
+);
+
+/// Schema for `git.push` (D-74). `clide git push <remote> <branch>`.
+/// Both refs optional (bare `git.push` is valid); leading-dash
+/// rejected on each.
+const CommandSchema _pushSchema = CommandSchema(
+  positional: ['remote', 'branch'],
+  args: {
+    'remote': ArgSpec(rejectLeadingDash: true),
+    'branch': ArgSpec(rejectLeadingDash: true),
+    'setUpstream': ArgSpec(type: ArgType.boolean),
+  },
+);
+
 void registerGitCommands(
   DaemonDispatcher d,
   GitClient git,
@@ -245,7 +270,7 @@ void registerGitCommands(
     } on GitException catch (e) {
       return _gitError(req.id, e);
     }
-  });
+  }, schema: _pushSchema);
 
   d.register('git.branches', (req) async {
     try {
@@ -279,7 +304,7 @@ void registerGitCommands(
     } on GitException catch (e) {
       return _gitError(req.id, e);
     }
-  });
+  }, schema: _checkoutSchema);
 }
 
 List<String> _pathList(Object? raw) {

lib/src/daemon/panel_commands.dart

@@ -13,6 +13,7 @@
 /// `lib/src/daemon/panel_resizer_kernel.dart`.
 library;
 
+import '../ipc/command_schema.dart';
 import '../ipc/envelope.dart';
 import '../ipc/schema_v1.dart';
 import 'dispatcher.dart';
@@ -47,29 +48,40 @@ abstract class PanelResizer {
 /// [PanelResizer.bumpEditorRatio] instead of [PanelResizer.setSlotSize].
 const String editorSplitSlot = 'editor';
 
+/// Schema for `panel.resize` (D-74). The dispatcher normalises the
+/// argv shape (`positional[0]` → `slot`, `--to/--by` flags) and
+/// coerces `to`/`by` to numbers before the handler runs. The
+/// "exactly one of to/by" rule is cross-argument semantics, so it
+/// stays in the handler.
+const CommandSchema _resizeSchema = CommandSchema(
+  positional: ['slot'],
+  args: {
+    'slot': ArgSpec(required: true),
+    'to': ArgSpec(type: ArgType.number),
+    'by': ArgSpec(type: ArgType.number),
+  },
+);
+
 void registerPanelCommands(DaemonDispatcher d, PanelResizer resizer) {
-  d.register('panel.resize', (req) => _resize(req, resizer));
+  d.register('panel.resize', (req) => _resize(req, resizer), schema: _resizeSchema);
 }
 
 Future<IpcResponse> _resize(IpcRequest req, PanelResizer r) async {
-  final view = _ResizeArgs.from(req.args);
-  if (view.slot == null || view.slot!.isEmpty) {
-    return _userErr(req.id, 'slot is required (e.g. "sidebar", "context", "$editorSplitSlot")');
-  }
-  if (!view.hasTo && !view.hasBy) {
+  // Args are schema-normalised + coerced by the dispatcher: `slot` is a
+  // non-empty string, `to`/`by` are num? when present.
+  final slot = req.args['slot'] as String;
+  final hasTo = req.args['to'] != null;
+  final hasBy = req.args['by'] != null;
+  if (!hasTo && !hasBy) {
     return _userErr(req.id, 'one of `to` (absolute) or `by` (delta) is required');
   }
-  if (view.hasTo && view.hasBy) {
+  if (hasTo && hasBy) {
     return _userErr(req.id, 'pass only one of `to` and `by`');
   }
-  final value = view.value;
-  if (value == null) {
-    return _userErr(req.id, '${view.hasTo ? "to" : "by"} must be numeric');
-  }
-  final slot = view.slot!;
+  final value = ((hasTo ? req.args['to'] : req.args['by']) as num).toDouble();
 
   if (slot == editorSplitSlot) {
-    if (view.hasTo) {
+    if (hasTo) {
       r.setEditorRatio(value);
     } else {
       r.bumpEditorRatio(value);
@@ -80,7 +92,7 @@ Future<IpcResponse> _resize(IpcRequest req, PanelResizer r) async {
     });
   }
 
-  final ok = view.hasTo ? r.setSlotSize(slot, value) : r.bumpSlotSize(slot, value);
+  final ok = hasTo ? r.setSlotSize(slot, value) : r.bumpSlotSize(slot, value);
   if (!ok) {
     return _notFound(req.id, 'no such slot: $slot');
   }
@@ -90,58 +102,6 @@ Future<IpcResponse> _resize(IpcRequest req, PanelResizer r) async {
   });
 }
 
-/// Tiny adapter that lifts `panel.resize` arguments out of either
-/// the direct call shape (`{slot: ..., to: ...}`) or the argv-
-/// translator shape (`{positional: [slot], flags: {to: '...'}}`).
-/// Until T-120 formalises a shared schema, individual commands carry
-/// the lift themselves.
-class _ResizeArgs {
-  _ResizeArgs._({
-    required this.slot,
-    required this.hasTo,
-    required this.hasBy,
-    required this.value,
-  });
-
-  final String? slot;
-  final bool hasTo;
-  final bool hasBy;
-  final double? value;
-
-  factory _ResizeArgs.from(Map<String, Object?> args) {
-    String? slot;
-    final rawSlot = args['slot'];
-    if (rawSlot is String) slot = rawSlot;
-    final positional = args['positional'];
-    if (slot == null && positional is List && positional.isNotEmpty) {
-      slot = positional.first.toString();
-    }
-    final flags = args['flags'];
-    final flagsMap = flags is Map ? flags : const <Object?, Object?>{};
-    final hasTo = args.containsKey('to') || flagsMap.containsKey('to');
-    final hasBy = args.containsKey('by') || flagsMap.containsKey('by');
-    final raw = args.containsKey('to')
-        ? args['to']
-        : args.containsKey('by')
-            ? args['by']
-            : flagsMap.containsKey('to')
-                ? flagsMap['to']
-                : flagsMap['by'];
-    return _ResizeArgs._(
-      slot: slot,
-      hasTo: hasTo,
-      hasBy: hasBy,
-      value: _coerceNum(raw),
-    );
-  }
-
-  static double? _coerceNum(Object? v) {
-    if (v is num) return v.toDouble();
-    if (v is String) return double.tryParse(v);
-    return null;
-  }
-}
-
 IpcResponse _userErr(String id, String message, {String? hint}) => IpcResponse.err(
       id: id,
       error: IpcError(

lib/src/ipc/command_schema.dart

@@ -0,0 +1,220 @@
+/// Typed argument schema for IPC commands (T-120, per D-74).
+///
+/// A [CommandSchema] declares the arguments a command accepts — their
+/// types, whether they're required, and per-argument constraints
+/// (charset/pattern, leading-dash rejection, numeric range, list
+/// caps). Schemas are registered alongside their handlers on the
+/// `DaemonDispatcher`; the dispatcher normalises + validates
+/// `req.args` against the registered schema *before* invoking the
+/// handler, so a command can never see malformed input and no handler
+/// has to hand-roll its own argument checks.
+///
+/// Two call shapes reach a command (see T-119): the direct shape
+/// (`{branch: "main"}`, from the in-process `DaemonClient` / UI) and
+/// the argv-translator shape (`{positional: [...], flags: {...}}`,
+/// from the C `clide` client). [CommandSchema.normalize] folds the
+/// argv shape into named arguments using the schema's positional
+/// ordering, so handlers only ever read flat named keys.
+///
+/// Flutter-free by construction — lives under `lib/src/ipc/` and
+/// imports nothing from the kernel. The constraint vocabulary is
+/// hand-rolled per the prefer-zero-deps guardrail.
+library;
+
+import 'envelope.dart';
+import 'schema_v1.dart';
+
+/// Coarse type of an argument value after coercion.
+enum ArgType { string, number, boolean, stringList }
+
+/// Constraints on a single argument.
+class ArgSpec {
+  const ArgSpec({
+    this.type = ArgType.string,
+    this.required = false,
+    this.pattern,
+    this.rejectLeadingDash = false,
+    this.min,
+    this.max,
+    this.maxItems,
+    this.allowed,
+  });
+
+  final ArgType type;
+  final bool required;
+
+  /// String only — the value must fully match this pattern.
+  final RegExp? pattern;
+
+  /// String / stringList — reject any value (or element) starting with
+  /// `-`. This is the argv-injection guard T-104 introduced for git
+  /// refs; the schema makes it declarative.
+  final bool rejectLeadingDash;
+
+  /// Number only — inclusive bounds.
+  final num? min;
+  final num? max;
+
+  /// stringList only — maximum element count.
+  final int? maxItems;
+
+  /// String only — closed set of accepted values.
+  final Set<String>? allowed;
+
+  /// Coerce [raw] to this spec's [type]. Returns the typed value, or a
+  /// [_CoerceError] when the raw value can't be represented as the
+  /// declared type. Flag values arrive as strings from the argv
+  /// translator, so numeric/boolean args parse from text here.
+  Object? _coerce(Object? raw, void Function(String) fail) {
+    switch (type) {
+      case ArgType.string:
+        if (raw is String) return raw;
+        fail('expected a string');
+        return null;
+      case ArgType.number:
+        if (raw is num) return raw;
+        if (raw is String) {
+          final n = num.tryParse(raw);
+          if (n != null) return n;
+        }
+        fail('expected a number');
+        return null;
+      case ArgType.boolean:
+        if (raw is bool) return raw;
+        if (raw == 'true') return true;
+        if (raw == 'false') return false;
+        fail('expected a boolean');
+        return null;
+      case ArgType.stringList:
+        if (raw is List) {
+          return raw.map((e) => '$e').toList();
+        }
+        if (raw is String) return [raw];
+        fail('expected a list');
+        return null;
+    }
+  }
+
+  /// Apply value constraints to an already-coerced [value]. Returns
+  /// null when valid, else a human-readable reason.
+  String? _check(Object? value) {
+    switch (type) {
+      case ArgType.string:
+        final s = value as String;
+        if (rejectLeadingDash && s.startsWith('-')) {
+          return 'must not start with "-"';
+        }
+        if (allowed != null && !allowed!.contains(s)) {
+          return 'must be one of ${allowed!.join(", ")}';
+        }
+        if (pattern != null && !pattern!.hasMatch(s)) {
+          return 'does not match ${pattern!.pattern}';
+        }
+        return null;
+      case ArgType.number:
+        final n = value as num;
+        if (min != null && n < min!) return 'must be >= $min';
+        if (max != null && n > max!) return 'must be <= $max';
+        return null;
+      case ArgType.boolean:
+        return null;
+      case ArgType.stringList:
+        final list = (value as List).cast<String>();
+        if (maxItems != null && list.length > maxItems!) {
+          return 'has ${list.length} items; cap is $maxItems';
+        }
+        if (rejectLeadingDash) {
+          for (final e in list) {
+            if (e.startsWith('-')) return 'element "$e" must not start with "-"';
+          }
+        }
+        return null;
+    }
+  }
+}
+
+/// The argument contract for one command.
+class CommandSchema {
+  const CommandSchema({this.positional = const [], this.args = const {}});
+
+  /// Names for positional argv tokens, in order. `positional[i]` in the
+  /// argv-translator shape maps to the argument named `positional[i]`.
+  final List<String> positional;
+
+  /// Argument name → spec. Includes the positional names.
+  final Map<String, ArgSpec> args;
+
+  /// Reserved keys the argv translator emits — never argument names.
+  static const _argvKeys = {'positional', 'flags', 'passthrough'};
+
+  /// Fold the argv-translator shape (`{positional, flags}`) into flat
+  /// named arguments using [positional] ordering. The direct call
+  /// shape (already flat named keys) is returned unchanged.
+  Map<String, Object?> normalize(Map<String, Object?> raw) {
+    final looksLikeArgv = raw.keys.any(_argvKeys.contains);
+    if (!looksLikeArgv) return raw;
+    final out = <String, Object?>{};
+    final pos = raw['positional'];
+    if (pos is List) {
+      for (var i = 0; i < pos.length && i < positional.length; i++) {
+        out[positional[i]] = pos[i];
+      }
+    }
+    final flags = raw['flags'];
+    if (flags is Map) {
+      for (final e in flags.entries) {
+        out['${e.key}'] = e.value;
+      }
+    }
+    if (raw.containsKey('passthrough')) out['passthrough'] = raw['passthrough'];
+    return out;
+  }
+
+  /// Validate [normalized] (post-[normalize]) against every declared
+  /// arg. Returns a [SchemaResult] carrying either the coerced argument
+  /// map (declared args replaced with their typed values; undeclared
+  /// keys preserved untouched) or the first violation message.
+  SchemaResult validate(Map<String, Object?> normalized) {
+    final out = Map<String, Object?>.from(normalized);
+    for (final entry in args.entries) {
+      final name = entry.key;
+      final spec = entry.value;
+      final present = normalized.containsKey(name) && normalized[name] != null;
+      if (!present) {
+        if (spec.required) return SchemaResult.err('$name is required');
+        continue;
+      }
+      String? coerceFailure;
+      final coerced = spec._coerce(normalized[name], (m) => coerceFailure = m);
+      if (coerceFailure != null) return SchemaResult.err('$name: $coerceFailure');
+      final reason = spec._check(coerced);
+      if (reason != null) return SchemaResult.err('$name $reason');
+      out[name] = coerced;
+    }
+    return SchemaResult.ok(out);
+  }
+}
+
+/// Outcome of [CommandSchema.validate].
+class SchemaResult {
+  const SchemaResult.ok(this.values) : error = null;
+  const SchemaResult.err(this.error) : values = null;
+
+  /// Coerced argument map on success; null on failure.
+  final Map<String, Object?>? values;
+
+  /// Violation message on failure; null on success.
+  final String? error;
+
+  bool get isOk => error == null;
+}
+
+/// Build the standard `userError` response for a schema violation.
+IpcResponse schemaError(String id, String message) => IpcResponse.err(
+      id: id,
+      error: IpcError(
+        code: IpcExitCode.userError,
+        kind: IpcErrorKind.userError,
+        message: message,
+      ),
+    );

test/daemon/git_commands_test.dart

@@ -252,6 +252,17 @@ void main() {
     expect(r.data['branch'], 'next');
   });
 
+  test('git.checkout via argv positional reaches the handler (D-74)', () async {
+    // `clide git checkout next` → {positional: ['next']}; the schema's
+    // positional ordering maps it to `branch` at the dispatcher.
+    await Process.run('git', ['branch', 'next'], workingDirectory: sandbox.path);
+    final r = await call('git.checkout', {
+      'positional': ['next'],
+    });
+    expect(r.ok, isTrue, reason: r.error?.message);
+    expect(r.data['branch'], 'next');
+  });
+
   test('git.checkout to an unknown branch surfaces a tool error', () async {
     final r = await call('git.checkout', {'branch': 'no-such-branch'});
     expect(r.ok, isFalse);

test/daemon/panel_commands_test.dart

@@ -55,7 +55,7 @@ void main() {
       final r = await call(const {'slot': 'sidebar', 'to': 'lots'});
       expect(r.ok, isFalse);
       expect(r.error!.kind, 'user_error');
-      expect(r.error!.message, contains('numeric'));
+      expect(r.error!.message, contains('number'));
     });
 
     test('rejects an unknown slot with not-found', () async {

test/ipc/command_schema_test.dart

@@ -0,0 +1,193 @@
+/// Tests for the typed command-schema framework (T-120 / D-74):
+/// argument coercion, per-constraint validation, the argv-shape
+/// normaliser, and the dispatcher-level validation hook.
+library;
+
+import 'package:clide/src/daemon/dispatcher.dart';
+import 'package:clide/src/ipc/command_schema.dart';
+import 'package:clide/src/ipc/envelope.dart';
+import 'package:clide/src/ipc/schema_v1.dart';
+import 'package:test/test.dart';
+
+void main() {
+  group('ArgSpec coercion + constraints', () {
+    SchemaResult run(ArgSpec spec, Object? value, {bool required = false}) {
+      final schema = CommandSchema(args: {'x': spec});
+      return schema.validate({'x': value});
+    }
+
+    test('string passes through; non-string rejected', () {
+      expect(run(const ArgSpec(), 'hi').isOk, isTrue);
+      final bad = run(const ArgSpec(), 42);
+      expect(bad.isOk, isFalse);
+      expect(bad.error, contains('expected a string'));
+    });
+
+    test('number coerces from a numeric string', () {
+      final r = run(const ArgSpec(type: ArgType.number), '3.5');
+      expect(r.isOk, isTrue);
+      expect(r.values!['x'], 3.5);
+    });
+
+    test('number rejects non-numeric text', () {
+      final r = run(const ArgSpec(type: ArgType.number), 'abc');
+      expect(r.isOk, isFalse);
+      expect(r.error, contains('expected a number'));
+    });
+
+    test('number honours min/max bounds', () {
+      expect(run(const ArgSpec(type: ArgType.number, min: 0, max: 1), 0.5).isOk, isTrue);
+      expect(run(const ArgSpec(type: ArgType.number, min: 0), -1).error, contains('>= 0'));
+      expect(run(const ArgSpec(type: ArgType.number, max: 1), 2).error, contains('<= 1'));
+    });
+
+    test('boolean coerces from "true"/"false" strings', () {
+      expect(run(const ArgSpec(type: ArgType.boolean), 'true').values!['x'], true);
+      expect(run(const ArgSpec(type: ArgType.boolean), 'false').values!['x'], false);
+      expect(run(const ArgSpec(type: ArgType.boolean), 'maybe').isOk, isFalse);
+    });
+
+    test('rejectLeadingDash blocks an argv-injection value', () {
+      final r = run(const ArgSpec(rejectLeadingDash: true), '--upload-pack=evil');
+      expect(r.isOk, isFalse);
+      expect(r.error, contains('must not start with "-"'));
+    });
+
+    test('allowed enforces a closed set', () {
+      final spec = ArgSpec(allowed: {'a', 'b'});
+      expect(run(spec, 'a').isOk, isTrue);
+      expect(run(spec, 'z').error, contains('one of'));
+    });
+
+    test('pattern must fully match', () {
+      final spec = ArgSpec(pattern: RegExp(r'^[0-9]+$'));
+      expect(run(spec, '123').isOk, isTrue);
+      expect(run(spec, '12a').error, contains('does not match'));
+    });
+
+    test('stringList coerces a scalar + caps element count', () {
+      final r = run(const ArgSpec(type: ArgType.stringList), 'solo');
+      expect(r.values!['x'], ['solo']);
+      final capped = run(const ArgSpec(type: ArgType.stringList, maxItems: 2), ['a', 'b', 'c']);
+      expect(capped.error, contains('cap is 2'));
+    });
+
+    test('stringList rejectLeadingDash inspects every element', () {
+      final r = run(const ArgSpec(type: ArgType.stringList, rejectLeadingDash: true), ['ok', '-bad']);
+      expect(r.isOk, isFalse);
+      expect(r.error, contains('-bad'));
+    });
+
+    test('stringList rejects a value that is neither list nor string', () {
+      final r = run(const ArgSpec(type: ArgType.stringList), 42);
+      expect(r.isOk, isFalse);
+      expect(r.error, contains('expected a list'));
+    });
+  });
+
+  group('required + unknown handling', () {
+    test('missing required arg fails', () {
+      final s = CommandSchema(args: {'name': const ArgSpec(required: true)});
+      final r = s.validate(const {});
+      expect(r.isOk, isFalse);
+      expect(r.error, contains('name is required'));
+    });
+
+    test('missing optional arg is fine', () {
+      final s = CommandSchema(args: {'name': const ArgSpec()});
+      expect(s.validate(const {}).isOk, isTrue);
+    });
+
+    test('undeclared keys are preserved untouched', () {
+      final s = CommandSchema(args: {'a': const ArgSpec()});
+      final r = s.validate(const {'a': 'x', 'extra': 99});
+      expect(r.isOk, isTrue);
+      expect(r.values!['extra'], 99);
+    });
+  });
+
+  group('normalize (argv shape → named args)', () {
+    const schema = CommandSchema(
+      positional: ['slot'],
+      args: {'slot': ArgSpec(), 'to': ArgSpec(type: ArgType.number)},
+    );
+
+    test('positional[i] maps to the i-th declared name', () {
+      final out = schema.normalize(const {
+        'positional': ['sidebar'],
+        'flags': {'to': '300'},
+      });
+      expect(out['slot'], 'sidebar');
+      expect(out['to'], '300');
+    });
+
+    test('passthrough is carried over', () {
+      final out = schema.normalize(const {
+        'positional': ['x'],
+        'passthrough': ['--', 'raw'],
+      });
+      expect(out['passthrough'], ['--', 'raw']);
+    });
+
+    test('direct (already-named) shape is returned unchanged', () {
+      final input = {'slot': 'context', 'to': 240};
+      expect(identical(schema.normalize(input), input), isTrue);
+    });
+
+    test('extra positionals beyond the declared names are dropped', () {
+      final out = schema.normalize(const {
+        'positional': ['a', 'b', 'c'],
+      });
+      expect(out['slot'], 'a');
+      expect(out.containsKey('b'), isFalse);
+    });
+  });
+
+  group('DaemonDispatcher schema gate', () {
+    test('validates + coerces before the handler runs', () async {
+      final d = DaemonDispatcher();
+      Object? seen;
+      d.register('demo.cmd', (req) async {
+        seen = req.args['n'];
+        return IpcResponse.ok(id: req.id, data: const {});
+      }, schema: const CommandSchema(args: {'n': ArgSpec(type: ArgType.number)}));
+
+      final r = await d.dispatch(IpcRequest(id: '1', cmd: 'demo.cmd', args: const {'n': '7'}));
+      expect(r.ok, isTrue);
+      expect(seen, 7); // coerced from the string "7"
+    });
+
+    test('rejects a violation with userError before the handler runs', () async {
+      final d = DaemonDispatcher();
+      var handlerRan = false;
+      d.register('demo.cmd', (req) async {
+        handlerRan = true;
+        return IpcResponse.ok(id: req.id, data: const {});
+      }, schema: const CommandSchema(args: {'ref': ArgSpec(rejectLeadingDash: true, required: true)}));
+
+      final r = await d.dispatch(IpcRequest(id: '1', cmd: 'demo.cmd', args: const {'ref': '-rf'}));
+      expect(r.ok, isFalse);
+      expect(r.error!.kind, IpcErrorKind.userError);
+      expect(handlerRan, isFalse);
+    });
+
+    test('a command with no schema dispatches unvalidated', () async {
+      final d = DaemonDispatcher();
+      d.register('demo.bare', (req) async {
+        return IpcResponse.ok(id: req.id, data: {'echo': req.args['anything']});
+      });
+      final r = await d.dispatch(IpcRequest(id: '1', cmd: 'demo.bare', args: const {'anything': '-not-checked'}));
+      expect(r.ok, isTrue);
+      expect(r.data['echo'], '-not-checked');
+    });
+
+    test('re-registering a command without a schema clears its old schema', () async {
+      final d = DaemonDispatcher();
+      handler(IpcRequest req) async => IpcResponse.ok(id: req.id, data: const {});
+      d.register('demo.cmd', handler, schema: const CommandSchema(args: {'r': ArgSpec(required: true)}));
+      d.register('demo.cmd', handler); // no schema this time
+      final r = await d.dispatch(IpcRequest(id: '1', cmd: 'demo.cmd', args: const {}));
+      expect(r.ok, isTrue); // required check no longer applies
+    });
+  });
+}