# Root Spine Files

> A rule or precondition that a governed root carries only its entry document and its accumulators at the root, and every other file sits in a concern folder.

Record: `architecture:root-spine-files`
Kind: constraint
Layer: [Structural Core](https://banes-lab.com/records/layer/structural-core.md)
Severity: mandatory
Scope: root
Canonical: https://banes-lab.com/ontology#architecture-root-spine-files

Listed in [Architecture principles](https://banes-lab.com/api/records/architecture.md), after [Case Dialect](https://banes-lab.com/records/architecture/case-dialect.md) and before [Idempotency](https://banes-lab.com/records/architecture/idempotency.md).

## Repair

- Refactored by: Move the File into Its Concern Folder
- Detected by: a loose file at a governed root
- Violated by: leaving a file at a root that is neither the entry document nor an accumulator
- Measured by: loose root files
- Enforced by: placement gate

## Requires

- [Governed Root](https://banes-lab.com/records/lexicon/governed-root.md)
- [Concern Folder](https://banes-lab.com/records/lexicon/concern-folder.md)

## Reinforces

- [Placement Predictability](https://banes-lab.com/records/lexicon/placement-predictability.md)

## Enables

- [Discoverability](https://banes-lab.com/records/lexicon/discoverability.md)

## Conflicts with

- [Free-Form Folder Level](https://banes-lab.com/records/lexicon/free-form-folder-level.md)

## Severity

- [mandatory](https://banes-lab.com/records/vocabulary/severity-mandatory.md)

## Category

- [Taxonomy / Classification / Naming](https://banes-lab.com/records/architecture-category/taxonomy-classification-naming.md)

## Linked from

- [Quality Attributes](https://banes-lab.com/ontology/lexicon/lexicon-category-quality-attributes.md)
- [Taxonomy / Classification / Naming](https://banes-lab.com/ontology/lexicon/lexicon-category-taxonomy-classification-naming.md)
- [Severity levels](https://banes-lab.com/ontology/schema/the-vocabulary-severity.md)

## Evidence in the code

- [isRootSpine](https://banes-lab.com/source/coordination/tools/core/validators/taxonomy.validator.ts.md)
- [checkPlacement](https://banes-lab.com/source/coordination/tools/core/validators/taxonomy.validator.ts.md)