From d5f544d14dc274e3fecc4a8998452a81f90f396a Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001
From: Eric Rakestraw <eric@rakestraw.us>
Date: Wed, 7 Oct 2026 16:49:56 +0000
Subject: [PATCH] Treat nil diagnostic writers as no-output entries

---
 docs/roadmap/remediation.md |  3 +++
 execute.go                  | 11 +++++++----
 execute_external_test.go    | 36 ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
 3 files changed, 46 insertions(+), 4 deletions(-)

diff --git a/docs/roadmap/remediation.md b/docs/roadmap/remediation.md
index f8d336b..6033fc5 100644
--- a/docs/roadmap/remediation.md
+++ b/docs/roadmap/remediation.md
@@ -63,6 +63,9 @@ architecture. The issues below affect behavior within the implemented structure.
 - R-06 complete: zero outcomes normalize to success/0 and empty delivery state
   normalizes to none without altering explicit domain outcomes.
 
+- R-07 complete: nil diagnostic writers are no-output entries, do not count as
+  delivery attempts, and cannot suppress cause presentation.
+
 ## Findings and priority
 
 P1 means a supported invocation is blocked or its report content is corrupted.
diff --git a/execute.go b/execute.go
index 54edd2b..c645bec 100644
--- a/execute.go
+++ b/execute.go
@@ -111,11 +111,12 @@ func (a *App) present(outcome Outcome, path []string, streams Streams) Outcome {
 	if len(diagnostics) == 0 {
 		return outcome
 	}
+	delivered := false
 	for _, diagnostic := range diagnostics {
 		if diagnostic.Write == nil {
-			outcome = deliveryFailure(outcome, errors.New("diagnostic has no writer"))
-			return outcome
+			continue
 		}
+		delivered = true
 		writer := &checkedWriter{writer: streams.Err}
 		writeErr := diagnostic.Write(writer)
 		if writer.failure != nil {
@@ -129,7 +130,9 @@ func (a *App) present(outcome Outcome, path []string, streams Streams) Outcome {
 			return deliveryFailure(outcome, writeErr)
 		}
 	}
-	outcome.DiagnosticDelivery = DeliveryComplete
+	if delivered {
+		outcome.DiagnosticDelivery = DeliveryComplete
+	}
 	return outcome
 }
 
@@ -148,7 +151,7 @@ func (a *App) usageLine(path []string) string {
 
 func hasErrorDiagnostic(diagnostics []Diagnostic) bool {
 	for _, diagnostic := range diagnostics {
-		if diagnostic.Severity == configkit.SeverityError {
+		if diagnostic.Write != nil && diagnostic.Severity == configkit.SeverityError {
 			return true
 		}
 	}
diff --git a/execute_external_test.go b/execute_external_test.go
index 06ac243..878bfd9 100644
--- a/execute_external_test.go
+++ b/execute_external_test.go
@@ -469,3 +469,39 @@ func TestExecuteNormalizesOutcomeDefaultsAndPreservesDomainValues(t *testing.T)
 		}
 	}
 }
+
+func TestNilDiagnosticWritersHaveNoOutputAndDoNotHideCauses(t *testing.T) {
+	cause := errors.New("operation failed")
+	for _, base := range []commandkit.Outcome{commandkit.Success(), commandkit.Domain("needs action", 2, nil), commandkit.Failure(cause)} {
+		base.Diagnostics = []commandkit.Diagnostic{{}, {Severity: configkit.SeverityWarning}, {Severity: configkit.SeverityError}}
+		command, err := commandkit.NewCommand(commandkit.CommandSpec[struct{}]{Name: "run", Run: func(commandkit.Invocation, struct{}) commandkit.Outcome { return base }})
+		if err != nil {
+			t.Fatal(err)
+		}
+		app, err := commandkit.New(commandkit.Identity{Name: "example"}, command)
+		if err != nil {
+			t.Fatal(err)
+		}
+		var diagnostics bytes.Buffer
+		result := app.Execute(context.Background(), []string{"run"}, commandkit.Streams{Err: &diagnostics})
+		want := commandkit.DeliveryNone
+		if base.Cause != nil {
+			want = commandkit.DeliveryComplete
+		}
+		if result.Kind != base.Kind || result.Status != base.Status || result.Domain != base.Domain || result.Cause != base.Cause || result.DeliveryError != nil || result.DiagnosticDelivery != want {
+			t.Fatalf("result=%#v base=%#v", result, base)
+		}
+		if base.Cause == nil && diagnostics.Len() != 0 {
+			t.Fatalf("unexpected output=%q", diagnostics.String())
+		}
+		if base.Cause != nil && strings.Count(diagnostics.String(), cause.Error()) != 1 {
+			t.Fatalf("cause output=%q", diagnostics.String())
+		}
+		if base.Cause != nil {
+			result = app.Execute(context.Background(), []string{"run"}, commandkit.Streams{Err: failingWriter{io.ErrClosedPipe}})
+			if !errors.Is(result.Cause, cause) || !errors.Is(result.DeliveryError, io.ErrClosedPipe) || result.DiagnosticDelivery != commandkit.DeliveryIncomplete {
+				t.Fatalf("failed delivery=%#v", result)
+			}
+		}
+	}
+}