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+# Phase 15: Doc-Only CI Skip + Markdown Lint - Pattern Map
+
+**Mapped:** 2026-06-12
+**Files analyzed:** 4 (2 modified, 1 created, N docs fixed)
+**Analogs found:** 3 / 4 (`.markdownlint-cli2.jsonc` has no role-match analog — closest is `.prettierrc`)
+
+## File Classification
+
+| New/Modified File | Role | Data Flow | Closest Analog | Match Quality |
+|---|---|---|---|---|
+| `.gitea/workflows/ci.yml` | CI workflow | event-driven | itself (existing job blocks) | exact — new jobs modeled on existing jobs in same file |
+| `.markdownlint-cli2.jsonc` | tool config | — | `.prettierrc` (root JSON tool config) | structural-match (same layer, no content analog) |
+| `package.json` (root) | package manifest | — | itself (existing `format:check` script + `prettier` devDep) | exact — same script/dep pattern |
+| `docs/**/*.md`, `README.md`, `apps/*/README.md` | docs content | — | the violating files themselves | exact — in-place fixes |
+
+---
+
+## Pattern Assignments
+
+### `.gitea/workflows/ci.yml` — `changes` job (new)
+
+**Analog:** The existing `fast-checks` job in the same file, lines 8–38.
+
+**Job skeleton pattern** (ci.yml lines 8–11 — `fast-checks` header as template):
+```yaml
+  fast-checks:
+    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    if: github.event_name == 'pull_request'
+    steps:
+```
+
+**New `changes` job — copy this structure, replacing steps with the paths-filter action:**
+```yaml
+  changes:
+    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    if: github.event_name == 'pull_request'
+    permissions:
+      pull-requests: read
+    outputs:
+      code: ${{ steps.filter.outputs.code }}
+    steps:
+      - uses: dorny/paths-filter@v4
+        id: filter
+        with:
+          filters: |
+            code:
+              - '**/*.ts'
+              - '**/*.tsx'
+              - '**/*.js'
+              - '**/*.json'
+              - '**/*.yaml'
+              - '**/*.yml'
+              - 'apps/**'
+              - 'packages/**'
+              - 'pnpm-lock.yaml'
+              - 'Dockerfile'
+              - 'docker-compose*.yml'
+```
+
+**Key design notes:**
+- No `actions/checkout` step — `dorny/paths-filter@v4` uses the Gitea/GitHub REST API on PR events (no fetch-depth needed).
+- `permissions: pull-requests: read` is required by v4; declare it at job scope (not workflow scope).
+- Define the positive `code` filter (not a `docs` filter) — `code == 'false'` means "only docs changed", and ambiguous new file types safely default to the full test run.
+- Insert this job **before** `fast-checks` in the file so the job ordering in the UI is logical (changes → fast-checks / api / harness → gate).
+
+---
+
+### `.gitea/workflows/ci.yml` — `api` job modification
+
+**Analog:** Existing `api` job, ci.yml lines 40–125.
+
+**Current header** (lines 40–44):
+```yaml
+  api:
+    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    if: github.event_name == 'pull_request'
+    # Runs in PARALLEL with fast-checks (D-03) — no needs: dependency.
+    services:
+```
+
+**Modified header — add `needs` and extend the `if` condition:**
+```yaml
+  api:
+    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    needs: [changes]
+    if: github.event_name == 'pull_request' && needs.changes.outputs.code == 'true'
+    # Runs in PARALLEL with fast-checks (D-03) — skipped for doc-only PRs.
+    services:
+```
+
+**Nothing else in the `api` job body changes.** The existing comment at line 43 should be updated to reflect conditional skip behavior.
+
+---
+
+### `.gitea/workflows/ci.yml` — `harness` job modification
+
+**Analog:** Existing `harness` job, ci.yml lines 126–314.
+
+**Current header** (lines 126–129):
+```yaml
+  harness:
+    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    if: github.event_name == 'pull_request'
+    # Runs in PARALLEL with fast-checks + api (D-03) — no needs: dependency.
+    services:
+```
+
+**Modified header — same pattern as `api`:**
+```yaml
+  harness:
+    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    needs: [changes]
+    if: github.event_name == 'pull_request' && needs.changes.outputs.code == 'true'
+    # Runs in PARALLEL with fast-checks (D-03) — skipped for doc-only PRs.
+    services:
+```
+
+**Nothing else in the `harness` job body changes.**
+
+---
+
+### `.gitea/workflows/ci.yml` — `gate` job (new)
+
+**Analog:** `publish.yml` line 94 — `if: always()` pattern on the `Docker logout` step; same construct used at job scope here.
+
+**Insert after `harness` job, at end of file:**
+```yaml
+  gate:
+    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    needs: [fast-checks, changes, api, harness]
+    if: always()
+    steps:
+      - name: Check all required jobs passed or were skipped
+        run: |
+          # fast-checks always runs — must be success
+          if [ "${{ needs.fast-checks.result }}" != "success" ]; then
+            echo "fast-checks: ${{ needs.fast-checks.result }}"
+            exit 1
+          fi
+          # api and harness are conditionally skipped — success OR skipped are both acceptable
+          for result in "${{ needs.api.result }}" "${{ needs.harness.result }}"; do
+            if [ "$result" != "success" ] && [ "$result" != "skipped" ]; then
+              echo "Heavy job failed or was cancelled: $result"
+              exit 1
+            fi
+          done
+          echo "Gate passed."
+```
+
+**Critical Gitea 1.26.2 constraint:** Do NOT use `contains(needs.*.result, 'success')` — Gitea issue #31007 confirms this returns `false` even when jobs succeed. Individual `needs.X.result` string comparisons are the only reliable approach on this instance.
+
+**Why `if: always()`:** Without it, a skipped upstream job causes `gate` to also skip — branch protection waiting for `CI / gate` would deadlock. The `if: always()` deadlock bug (Gitea #27906) was fixed in 1.21.8; this instance runs 1.26.2.
+
+---
+
+### `.gitea/workflows/ci.yml` — Markdown lint step in `fast-checks`
+
+**Analog:** Existing `Format check` step, ci.yml lines 31–32:
+```yaml
+      - name: Format check
+        run: pnpm format:check
+```
+
+**New step — insert after `Format check`, before `Typecheck`:**
+```yaml
+      - name: Markdown lint
+        run: pnpm md:lint
+```
+
+**Slot:** After line 32 (`run: pnpm format:check`), before line 34 (`- name: Typecheck`). One line of YAML mirrors the `format:check` step pattern exactly — a named step calling a root pnpm script.
+
+---
+
+### `package.json` (root) — `md:lint` script + devDependency
+
+**Analog:** Existing `format:check` script and `prettier` devDependency, package.json lines 15 and 21.
+
+**Current scripts block** (lines 6–16):
+```json
+  "scripts": {
+    "dev:api": "pnpm --filter @familysync/api dev",
+    "dev:pwa": "pnpm --filter @familysync/pwa dev",
+    "build": "pnpm --filter @familysync/api build && pnpm --filter @familysync/pwa build",
+    "test": "pnpm --filter @familysync/api test",
+    "test:e2e": "pnpm --filter @familysync/pwa test:e2e",
+    "lint": "pnpm -r --if-present lint",
+    "typecheck": "pnpm -r typecheck",
+    "format": "prettier --write .",
+    "format:check": "prettier --check ."
+  },
+```
+
+**Add `md:lint` after `format:check` (alphabetical/logical grouping matches existing order):**
+```json
+    "format:check": "prettier --check .",
+    "md:lint": "markdownlint-cli2"
+```
+
+**Note:** No glob args on the CLI — globs and ignores live entirely in `.markdownlint-cli2.jsonc` (see Open Question #3 in RESEARCH.md resolved: config-file globs make `pnpm md:lint` and direct `npx markdownlint-cli2` behave identically).
+
+**Current devDependencies block** (lines 17–25):
+```json
+  "devDependencies": {
+    "@eslint/js": "9.39.4",
+    "eslint": "9.39.4",
+    "eslint-config-prettier": "10.1.8",
+    "eslint-plugin-react": "7.37.5",
+    "eslint-plugin-react-hooks": "7.1.1",
+    "prettier": "3.8.4",
+    "typescript-eslint": "8.61.0"
+  }
+```
+
+**Add `markdownlint-cli2` (alphabetical, between `eslint-plugin-react-hooks` and `prettier`):**
+```json
+    "markdownlint-cli2": "0.22.1",
+    "prettier": "3.8.4",
+```
+
+**Install command (must run at workspace root):**
+```bash
+pnpm add -D markdownlint-cli2@0.22.1 --workspace-root
+```
+
+---
+
+### `.markdownlint-cli2.jsonc` (new file)
+
+**Analog:** `.prettierrc` (root JSON tool config, lines 1–7) — same layer (repo root), same purpose (configure a formatting/lint tool), same JSON format. No `.markdownlint-cli2.jsonc` exists yet.
+
+**`.prettierrc` structural pattern** (lines 1–7):
+```json
+{
+  "semi": true,
+  "singleQuote": true,
+  "tabWidth": 2,
+  "trailingComma": "all",
+  "printWidth": 100
+}
+```
+
+**New file — use JSONC format (`.jsonc` extension supports comments), place at repo root:**
+```jsonc
+// .markdownlint-cli2.jsonc
+{
+  "config": {
+    // Disable all rules that conflict with Prettier (23 rules — line-length, list-indent,
+    // blanks-around-fences, emphasis-style, etc.)
+    "extends": "markdownlint/style/prettier",
+
+    // Content rules to KEEP:
+    "MD001": true,   // heading-increment: no skipping h1→h3
+    "MD024": true,   // no-duplicate-heading
+    "MD040": true,   // fenced-code-language: all fences must declare a language
+    "MD031": true,   // blanks-around-fences (re-enabled — see Pitfall 4 in RESEARCH.md)
+    "MD051": true,   // link-fragments: broken anchor links
+    "MD052": true,   // reference-links-images: undefined link references
+
+    // Rules DISABLED (Prettier owns these OR they fire on non-author-controlled files):
+    "MD041": false,  // first-line-h1: CLAUDE.md legitimately starts with ## Project
+    "MD034": false,  // no-bare-urls: CLAUDE.md version table uses pkg@version syntax
+    "MD036": false   // no-emphasis-as-heading: docs/API.md uses **Response 200** as label
+  },
+  "globs": [
+    "docs/**/*.md",
+    "*.md",
+    "apps/**/*.md"
+  ],
+  "ignores": [
+    ".planning/**",
+    "node_modules/**",
+    "**/node_modules/**",
+    ".pnpm-store/**"
+  ]
+}
+```
+
+**Why `extends` resolves:** `markdownlint-cli2` depends on `markdownlint`, which ships `style/prettier.json`. After `pnpm add -D markdownlint-cli2 --workspace-root`, the file exists at `node_modules/markdownlint/style/prettier.json`.
+
+**Glob placement in config, not CLI:** Putting `globs` and `ignores` in the config file means `pnpm md:lint` (just `markdownlint-cli2`, no args) and a developer running `npx markdownlint-cli2` directly both use the same scope automatically.
+
+---
+
+### Docs content fixes — 13 baseline violations (MD040 / MD031)
+
+**Analog:** The violating files themselves. All fixes are mechanical one-liners.
+
+**Files and fix type:**
+
+| File | Rule | Fix |
+|------|------|-----|
+| `apps/api/README.md` | MD040 (1) | Add language tag to bare ` ``` ` |
+| `apps/pwa/e2e/README.md` | MD040 (1) | Add language tag to bare ` ``` ` |
+| `apps/pwa/README.md` | MD040 (1) | Add language tag to bare ` ``` ` |
+| `docs/API.md` | MD040 (2) | Add language tags to 2 bare ` ``` ` blocks |
+| `docs/ARCHITECTURE.md` | MD040 (2) | Add language tags to 2 bare ` ``` ` blocks |
+| `docs/DEVELOPMENT.md` | MD040 (2) | Add language tags to 2 bare ` ``` ` blocks |
+| `docs/GETTING-STARTED.md` | MD031 (2) | Add blank lines around 1 fence pair |
+| `README.md` | MD040 (2) | Add language tags to 2 bare ` ``` ` blocks |
+
+**MD040 fix pattern** — change:
+````
+```
+some content
+```
+````
+to (pick the language that matches: `bash`, `text`, `json`, `yaml`, etc.):
+````
+```bash
+some content
+```
+````
+
+**MD031 fix pattern** — change:
+````
+- list item
+```bash
+code
+```
+next paragraph
+````
+to:
+````
+- list item
+
+```bash
+code
+```
+
+next paragraph
+````
+
+**Verification command (run locally after fixes, before pushing):**
+```bash
+pnpm md:lint
+pnpm format:check
+```
+Run both — see RESEARCH.md Pitfall 4: MD031 fixes and Prettier must not conflict.
+
+---
+
+## Shared Patterns
+
+### `runs-on` label
+**Source:** ci.yml line 9, 41, 127 — `runs-on: ubuntu-latest`
+**Apply to:** All new jobs (`changes`, `gate`)
+```yaml
+    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+```
+The runner advertises `ubuntu-latest`. Never use `self-hosted`.
+
+### `if: github.event_name == 'pull_request'` guard
+**Source:** ci.yml lines 10, 41, 128 — existing jobs all carry this guard
+**Apply to:** `changes` job (same guard); `api` and `harness` extend it with `&&`
+```yaml
+    if: github.event_name == 'pull_request'
+```
+
+### Step ordering in `fast-checks`
+**Source:** ci.yml lines 11–38 — current step sequence:
+1. `actions/checkout@v4`
+2. `actions/setup-node@v4` (node 22)
+3. `Enable pnpm` (corepack)
+4. `Install dependencies` (pnpm install --frozen-lockfile)
+5. `Lint`
+6. `Format check`
+7. **← insert `Markdown lint` here**
+8. `Typecheck`
+9. `PWA unit tests`
+
+The new `Markdown lint` step slots between `Format check` and `Typecheck` — logically grouped with format/style checks, before compilation checks.
+
+### `if: always()` usage
+**Source:** publish.yml line 94 — `if: always()` on the `Docker logout` step
+**Apply to:** `gate` job (job-level `if: always()`, not step-level)
+```yaml
+    if: always()
+```
+This is the only safe way to ensure `gate` always reports a commit-status regardless of upstream job outcomes.
+
+### No `actions/cache@v4`
+**Source:** ci.yml lines 22–23, 75–76, 161–162 — comment in every job:
+```yaml
+      # actions/cache@v4 is intentionally omitted — probe (D-PROBE-04) showed it
+      # times out on this runner (socket hang-up between runner container and job
+      # container cache server). pnpm install without cache takes ~30s; acceptable.
+```
+**Apply to:** `changes` job has no install step so this is not relevant. `gate` job has no install step. No new jobs require caching.
+
+---
+
+## No Analog Found
+
+| File | Role | Data Flow | Reason |
+|------|------|-----------|--------|
+| `.markdownlint-cli2.jsonc` | tool config | — | No existing markdownlint config in repo; `.prettierrc` used as structural analog only (JSON root tool config pattern) |
+
+---
+
+## publish.yml Comment Update (advisory)
+
+**Source:** publish.yml lines 16–17 — the file's safety-gate comment names `CI / api` and `CI / harness` as the required checks:
+```yaml
+# The PR test jobs (fast-checks, api, harness in ci.yml) run on pull_request — they never
+# run in the same workflow invocation as publish.yml. Tests gate the PR; main is trusted to
+# be green because direct push and force push are blocked and the three required checks
+# (CI / fast-checks, CI / api, CI / harness) must pass before merge.
+```
+After this phase, the required checks change to `CI / fast-checks` + `CI / gate`. The planner should include a step to update this comment to reflect the new required-check names.
+
+---
+
+## Metadata
+
+**Analog search scope:** `.gitea/workflows/`, repo root (config files), `package.json`
+**Files scanned:** 4 (ci.yml, publish.yml, package.json, .prettierrc)
+**Pattern extraction date:** 2026-06-12