ADR-003: Length-Prefix Framing

Status

Accepted.

Context

Named pipes in byte mode do not preserve message boundaries on their own.

Decision

Prefix every JSON payload with a 4-byte length value.

Why this was chosen

• minimal overhead
• clear message boundaries
• simple partial-read handling
• works well for variable-size diagnostic payloads

Consequences

• readers must validate message size
• readers must loop until the full payload is received

For more detail, see IPC and Protocol.