xtc/docs/PROJECT_FORMAT.md

Project format

Project persistence is not implemented yet. Before implementation, define a versioned format with stable IDs for tracks, nodes, clips, connections, and parameters.

Requirements:

• reject malformed, truncated, unsupported, or unreasonable input safely;
• validate sizes before allocation;
• store external audio assets separately from project metadata;
• define missing-asset behavior;
• never execute code during loading;
• perform file I/O only off the audio thread;
• save atomically using a temporary file and a safe rename;
• add explicit migration code when the format changes.

Choose a simple format after evaluating dependency, robustness, and human inspectability trade-offs. Document the schema before treating it as stable.