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+# Python sys.monitoring Tracer API
+
+## Overview
+This document describes the user-facing Python API for the `codetracer` module built on top of `runtime_tracing` and `sys.monitoring`.  The API exposes a minimal surface for starting and stopping traces, managing trace sessions, and integrating tracing into scripts or test suites.
+
+## Module `codetracer`
+
+### Constants
+- `DEFAULT_FORMAT: str = "binary"`
+- `TRACE_BINARY: str = "binary"`
+- `TRACE_JSON: str = "json"`
+
+### Session Management
+- Start a global trace; returns a `TraceSession`.
+  ```py
+  def start(path: str | os.PathLike, *, format: str = DEFAULT_FORMAT,
+            capture_values: bool = True, source_roots: Iterable[str | os.PathLike] | None = None) -> TraceSession
+  ```
+- Stop the active trace if any.
+  ```py
+  def stop() -> None
+  ```
+- Query whether tracing is active.
+  ```py
+  def is_tracing() -> bool
+  ```
+- Context manager helper for scoped tracing.
+  ```py
+  @contextlib.contextmanager
+  def trace(path: str | os.PathLike, *, format: str = DEFAULT_FORMAT,
+            capture_values: bool = True, source_roots: Iterable[str | os.PathLike] | None = None):
+      ...
+  ```
+- Flush buffered data to disk without ending the session.
+  ```py
+  def flush() -> None
+  ```
+
+## Class `TraceSession`
+Represents a live tracing session returned by `start()` and used by the context manager.
+
+```py
+class TraceSession:
+    path: pathlib.Path
+    format: str
+
+    def stop(self) -> None: ...
+    def flush(self) -> None: ...
+    def __enter__(self) -> TraceSession: ...
+    def __exit__(self, exc_type, exc, tb) -> None: ...
+```
+
+## Environment Integration
+- Auto-start tracing when `CODETRACER_TRACE` is set; the value is interpreted as the output path.
+- When `CODETRACER_FORMAT` is provided, it overrides the default output format.
+- `CODETRACER_CAPTURE_VALUES` toggles value recording.
+
+## Usage Example
+```py
+import codetracer
+
+with codetracer.trace("trace.bin"):
+    run_application()
+```
diff --git a/docs/py-design-001.md b/docs/py-design-001.md
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+# Python sys.monitoring Tracer Design
+
+## Overview
+
+This document outlines the design for integrating Python's `sys.monitoring` API with the `runtime_tracing` format. The goal is to produce CodeTracer-compatible traces for Python programs without modifying the interpreter.
+
+The tracer collects `sys.monitoring` events, converts them to `runtime_tracing` events, and streams them to `trace.json`/`trace.bin` along with metadata and source snapshots.
+
+## Architecture
+
+### Tool Initialization
+- Acquire a tool identifier via `sys.monitoring.use_tool_id`; store it for the lifetime of the tracer.
+  ```rs
+  pub const MONITORING_TOOL_NAME: &str = "codetracer";
+  pub struct ToolId { pub id: u8 }
+  pub fn acquire_tool_id() -> PyResult<ToolId>;
+  ```
+- Register one callback per event using `sys.monitoring.register_callback`.
+  ```rs
+  pub enum MonitoringEvent { PyStart, PyResume, PyReturn, PyYield, StopIteration, PyUnwind, PyThrow, Reraise, Call, Line, Instruction, Jump, Branch, Raise, ExceptionHandled, CReturn, CRaise }
+  pub type CallbackFn = unsafe extern "C" fn(event: MonitoringEvent, frame: *mut PyFrameObject);
+  pub fn register_callback(tool: &ToolId, event: MonitoringEvent, cb: CallbackFn);
+  ```
+- Enable all desired events by bitmask with `sys.monitoring.set_events`.
+  ```rs
+  pub const ALL_EVENTS_MASK: u64 = 0xffff;
+  pub fn enable_events(tool: &ToolId, mask: u64);
+  ```
+
+### Writer Management
+- Open a `runtime_tracing` writer (`trace.json` or `trace.bin`) during `start_tracing`.
+  ```rs
+  pub enum OutputFormat { Json, Binary }
+  pub struct TraceWriter { pub format: OutputFormat }
+  pub fn start_tracing(path: &Path, format: OutputFormat) -> io::Result<TraceWriter>;
+  ```
+- Expose methods to append metadata and file copies using existing `runtime_tracing` helpers.
+  ```rs
+  pub fn append_metadata(writer: &mut TraceWriter, meta: &TraceMetadata);
+  pub fn copy_source_file(writer: &mut TraceWriter, path: &Path) -> io::Result<()>;
+  ```
+- Flush and close the writer when tracing stops.
+  ```rs
+  pub fn stop_tracing(writer: TraceWriter) -> io::Result<()>;
+  ```
+
+### Frame and Thread Tracking
+- Maintain a per-thread stack of frame identifiers to correlate `CALL`, `PY_START`, and returns.
+  ```rs
+  pub type FrameId = u64;
+  pub struct ThreadState { pub stack: Vec<FrameId> }
+  pub fn current_thread_state() -> &'static mut ThreadState;
+  ```
+- Map `frame` objects to internal IDs for cross-referencing events.
+  ```rs
+  pub struct FrameRegistry { next: FrameId, map: HashMap<*mut PyFrameObject, FrameId> }
+  pub fn intern_frame(reg: &mut FrameRegistry, frame: *mut PyFrameObject) -> FrameId;
+  ```
+- Record thread start/end events when a new thread registers callbacks.
+  ```rs
+  pub fn on_thread_start(thread_id: u64);
+  pub fn on_thread_stop(thread_id: u64);
+  ```
+
+## Event Handling
+
+Each bullet below represents a low-level operation translating a single `sys.monitoring` event into the `runtime_tracing` stream.
+
+### Control Flow
+- **PY_START** – Create a `Function` event for the code object and push a new frame ID onto the thread's stack.
+  ```rs
+  pub fn on_py_start(frame: *mut PyFrameObject);
+  ```
+- **PY_RESUME** – Emit an `Event` log noting resumption and update the current frame's state.
+  ```rs
+  pub fn on_py_resume(frame: *mut PyFrameObject);
+  ```
+- **PY_RETURN** – Pop the frame ID, write a `Return` event with the value (if retrievable), and link to the caller.
+  ```rs
+  pub struct ReturnRecord { pub frame: FrameId, pub value: Option<ValueRecord> }
+  pub fn on_py_return(frame: *mut PyFrameObject, value: *mut PyObject);
+  ```
+- **PY_YIELD** – Record a `Return` event flagged as a yield and keep the frame on the stack for later resumes.
+  ```rs
+  pub fn on_py_yield(frame: *mut PyFrameObject, value: *mut PyObject);
+  ```
+- **STOP_ITERATION** – Emit an `Event` indicating iteration exhaustion for the current frame.
+  ```rs
+  pub fn on_stop_iteration(frame: *mut PyFrameObject);
+  ```
+- **PY_UNWIND** – Mark the beginning of stack unwinding and note the target handler in an `Event`.
+  ```rs
+  pub fn on_py_unwind(frame: *mut PyFrameObject);
+  ```
+- **PY_THROW** – Emit an `Event` describing the thrown value and the target generator/coroutine.
+  ```rs
+  pub fn on_py_throw(frame: *mut PyFrameObject, value: *mut PyObject);
+  ```
+- **RERAISE** – Log a re-raise event referencing the original exception.
+  ```rs
+  pub fn on_reraise(frame: *mut PyFrameObject, exc: *mut PyObject);
+  ```
+
+### Call and Line Tracking
+- **CALL** – Record a `Call` event, capturing argument values and the callee's `Function` ID.
+  ```rs
+  pub fn on_call(callee: *mut PyObject, args: &PyTupleObject) -> FrameId;
+  ```
+- **LINE** – Write a `Step` event with current path and line number; ensure the path is registered.
+  ```rs
+  pub fn on_line(frame: *mut PyFrameObject, lineno: u32);
+  ```
+- **INSTRUCTION** – Optionally emit a fine-grained `Event` containing the opcode name for detailed traces.
+  ```rs
+  pub fn on_instruction(frame: *mut PyFrameObject, opcode: u8);
+  ```
+- **JUMP** – Append an `Event` describing the jump target offset for control-flow visualization.
+  ```rs
+  pub fn on_jump(frame: *mut PyFrameObject, target: u32);
+  ```
+- **BRANCH** – Record an `Event` with branch outcome (taken or not) to aid coverage analysis.
+  ```rs
+  pub fn on_branch(frame: *mut PyFrameObject, taken: bool);
+  ```
+
+### Exception Lifecycle
+- **RAISE** – Emit an `Event` containing exception type and message when raised.
+  ```rs
+  pub fn on_raise(frame: *mut PyFrameObject, exc: *mut PyObject);
+  ```
+- **EXCEPTION_HANDLED** – Log an `Event` marking when an exception is caught.
+  ```rs
+  pub fn on_exception_handled(frame: *mut PyFrameObject);
+  ```
+
+### C API Boundary
+- **C_RETURN** – On returning from a C function, emit a `Return` event tagged as foreign and include result summary.
+  ```rs
+  pub fn on_c_return(func: *mut PyObject, result: *mut PyObject);
+  ```
+- **C_RAISE** – When a C function raises, record an `Event` with the exception info and current frame ID.
+  ```rs
+  pub fn on_c_raise(func: *mut PyObject, exc: *mut PyObject);
+  ```
+
+### No Events
+- **NO_EVENTS** – Special constant; used only to disable monitoring. No runtime event is produced.
+  ```rs
+  pub const NO_EVENTS: u64 = 0;
+  ```
+
+## Metadata and File Capture
+- Collect the working directory, program name, and arguments and store them in `trace_metadata.json`.
+  ```rs
+  pub struct TraceMetadata { pub cwd: PathBuf, pub program: String, pub args: Vec<String> }
+  pub fn write_metadata(writer: &mut TraceWriter, meta: &TraceMetadata);
+  ```
+- Track every file path referenced; copy each into the trace directory under `files/`.
+  ```rs
+  pub fn track_file(writer: &mut TraceWriter, path: &Path) -> io::Result<()>;
+  ```
+- Record `VariableName`, `Type`, and `Value` entries when variables are inspected or logged.
+  ```rs
+  pub struct VariableRecord { pub name: String, pub ty: TypeId, pub value: ValueRecord }
+  pub fn record_variable(writer: &mut TraceWriter, rec: VariableRecord);
+  ```
+
+## Value Translation and Recording
+- Maintain a type registry that maps Python `type` objects to `runtime_tracing` `Type` entries and assigns new `type_id` values on first encounter.
+  ```rs
+  pub type TypeId = u32;
+  pub type ValueId = u64;
+  pub enum ValueRecord { Int(i64), Float(f64), Bool(bool), None, Str(String), Raw(Vec<u8>), Sequence(Vec<ValueRecord>), Tuple(Vec<ValueRecord>), Struct(Vec<(String, ValueRecord)>), Reference(ValueId) }
+  pub struct TypeRegistry { next: TypeId, map: HashMap<*mut PyTypeObject, TypeId> }
+  pub fn intern_type(reg: &mut TypeRegistry, ty: *mut PyTypeObject) -> TypeId;
+  ```
+- Convert primitives (`int`, `float`, `bool`, `None`, `str`) directly to their corresponding `ValueRecord` variants.
+  ```rs
+  pub fn encode_primitive(obj: *mut PyObject) -> Option<ValueRecord>;
+  ```
+- Encode `bytes` and `bytearray` as `Raw` records containing base64 text to preserve binary data.
+  ```rs
+  pub fn encode_bytes(obj: *mut PyObject) -> ValueRecord;
+  ```
+- Represent lists and sets as `Sequence` records and tuples as `Tuple` records, converting each element recursively.
+  ```rs
+  pub fn encode_sequence(iter: &PySequence) -> ValueRecord;
+  pub fn encode_tuple(tuple: &PyTupleObject) -> ValueRecord;
+  ```
+- Serialize dictionaries as a `Sequence` of two-element `Tuple` records for key/value pairs to avoid fixed field layouts.
+  ```rs
+  pub fn encode_dict(dict: &PyDictObject) -> ValueRecord;
+  ```
+- For objects with accessible attributes, emit a `Struct` record with sorted field names; fall back to `Raw` with `repr(obj)` when inspection is unsafe.
+  ```rs
+  pub fn encode_object(obj: *mut PyObject) -> ValueRecord;
+  ```
+- Track object identities to detect cycles and reuse `Reference` records with `id(obj)` for repeated structures.
+  ```rs
+  pub struct SeenSet { map: HashMap<usize, ValueId> }
+  pub fn record_reference(seen: &mut SeenSet, obj: *mut PyObject) -> Option<ValueRecord>;
+  ```
+
+## Shutdown
+- On `stop_tracing`, call `sys.monitoring.set_events` with `NO_EVENTS` for the tool ID.
+  ```rs
+  pub fn disable_events(tool: &ToolId);
+  ```
+- Unregister callbacks and free the tool ID with `sys.monitoring.free_tool_id`.
+  ```rs
+  pub fn unregister_callbacks(tool: ToolId);
+  pub fn free_tool_id(tool: ToolId);
+  ```
+- Close the writer and ensure all buffered events are flushed to disk.
+  ```rs
+  pub fn finalize(writer: TraceWriter) -> io::Result<()>;
+  ```
+
+## Current Limitations
+- **No structured support for threads or async tasks** – the trace format lacks explicit identifiers for concurrent execution.
+  Distinguishing events emitted by different Python threads or `asyncio` tasks requires ad hoc `Event` entries, complicating
+  analysis and preventing downstream tools from reasoning about scheduling.
+- **Generic `Event` log** – several `sys.monitoring` notifications like resume, unwind, and branch outcomes have no dedicated
+  `runtime_tracing` variant. They must be encoded as free‑form `Event` logs, which reduces machine readability and hinders
+  automation.
+- **Heavy value snapshots** – arguments and returns expect full `ValueRecord` structures. Serializing arbitrary Python objects is
+  expensive and often degrades to lossy string dumps, limiting the visibility of rich runtime state.
+- **Append‑only path and function tables** – `runtime_tracing` assumes files and functions are discovered once and never change.
+  Dynamically generated code (`eval`, REPL snippets) forces extra bookkeeping and cannot update earlier entries, making
+  dynamic features awkward to trace.
+- **No built‑in compression or streaming** – traces are written as monolithic JSON or binary files. Long sessions quickly grow in
+  size and cannot be streamed to remote consumers without additional tooling.
+
+## Future Extensions
+- Add filtering to enable subsets of events for performance-sensitive scenarios.
+- Support streaming traces over a socket for live debugging.
diff --git a/docs/py-test-design-001.md b/docs/py-test-design-001.md
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+# Python sys.monitoring Tracer Test Design
+
+## Overview
+This document outlines a test suite for validating the Python tracer built on `sys.monitoring` and `runtime_tracing`. Each test item corresponds to roughly 1–10 lines of implementation and exercises tracer behavior under typical and edge conditions.
+
+## Setup
+- Establish a temporary directory for trace output and source snapshots.
+- Install the tracer module and import helper utilities for running traced Python snippets.
+- Provide fixtures that clear the trace buffer and reset global state between tests.
+
+## Tool Initialization
+- Acquire a monitoring tool ID and ensure subsequent calls reuse the same identifier.
+- Register callbacks for all enabled events and verify the resulting mask matches the design.
+- Unregister callbacks on shutdown and confirm no events fire afterward.
+
+## Event Recording
+### Control Flow Events
+- Capture `PY_START` and `PY_RETURN` for a simple script and assert a start/stop pair is recorded.
+- Resume and yield events within a generator function produce matching `PY_RESUME`/`PY_YIELD` entries.
+- A `PY_THROW` followed by `RERAISE` generates the expected unwind and rethrow sequence.
+
+### Call Tracking
+- Direct function calls record `CALL` and `PY_RETURN` with correct frame identifiers.
+- Recursive calls nest frames correctly and unwind in LIFO order.
+- Decorated functions ensure wrapper frames are recorded separately from wrapped frames.
+
+### Line and Branch Coverage
+- A loop with conditional branches emits `LINE` events for each executed line and `BRANCH` for each branch taken or skipped.
+- Jump statements such as `continue` and `break` produce `JUMP` events with source and destination line numbers.
+
+### Exception Handling
+- Raising and catching an exception emits `RAISE` and `EXCEPTION_HANDLED` events with matching exception IDs.
+- An uncaught exception records `RAISE` followed by `PY_UNWIND` and terminates the trace with a `PY_THROW`.
+
+### C API Boundary
+- Calling a built-in like `len` results in `C_CALL` and `C_RETURN` events linked to the Python frame.
+- A built-in that raises, such as `int("a")`, generates `C_RAISE` with the translated exception value.
+
+## Value Translation
+- Primitive values (ints, floats, strings, bytes) round-trip through the value registry and appear in the trace as expected.
+- Complex collections like lists of dicts are serialized recursively with cycle detection preventing infinite loops.
+- Object references without safe representations fall back to `repr` with a stable identifier.
+
+## Metadata and Source Capture
+- The trace writer copies the executing script into the output directory and records its SHA-256 hash.
+- Traces include `ProcessMetadata` fields for Python version and platform.
+
+## Shutdown Behavior
+- Normal interpreter exit flushes the trace and closes files without losing events.
+- An abrupt shutdown via `os._exit` truncates the trace file but leaves previous events intact.
+
+## Error and Edge Cases
+- Invalid event names in manual callback registration raise a clear `ValueError`.
+- Attempting to trace after the writer is closed results in a no-op without raising.
+- Large string values exceeding the configured limit are truncated with an explicit marker.
+
+## Performance and Stress
+- Tracing a tight loop of 10⁶ iterations completes within an acceptable time budget.
+- Concurrent threads each produce isolated traces with no frame ID collisions.
+