> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.nika.sh/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Check and plan

> Read findings, cost, permits, requirements and wave shape before a run starts.

export const LocalContract = () => <Tip>
    <strong>Live surface.</strong> <code>@supernovae-st/nika-client/local</code>
    drives the released <code>nika</code> binary through its versioned machine
    contracts. It is the production path today.
  </Tip>;

<LocalContract />

Audit and planning are read-only. They let application policy decide whether
a clean workflow belongs in this environment before the engine starts work.

## Check returns a report

```ts theme={"system"}
const report = await nika.check('workflows/release.nika.yaml', {
  model: 'mock/echo',
  nativeStrict: true,
})

if (!report.clean) {
  for (const finding of report.findings) {
    console.error(finding.code, finding.message)
  }
}
```

Findings do not throw. A spawn failure does. This distinction lets an editor
or CI job render the whole refusal in one pass.

## Read the full admission shape

| Field          | Meaning                                                 |
| -------------- | ------------------------------------------------------- |
| `clean`        | No blocking finding                                     |
| `findings`     | Typed diagnostics with code, severity and optional task |
| `cost`         | Static minimum path cost plus `has_unbounded`           |
| `permits`      | Declared and needed authority                           |
| `requirements` | Models, secret names and environment needs              |
| `waves`        | Planned concurrency shape                               |
| `warnings`     | Driver notes such as an unknown report version          |
| `raw`          | Full engine payload, untouched                          |

<Warning>
  `min_path_total_usd` is a floor, not a ceiling. A task with `usd: null` is
  unpriced, not free. Read `has_unbounded` beside the number.
</Warning>

## Ask for the machine plan

```ts theme={"system"}
if (report.clean) {
  const plan = await nika.dryRunPlan('workflows/release.nika.yaml')

  console.log({
    tasks: plan.tasks,
    waves: plan.waves,
    permits: plan.permits,
    requirements: plan.requirements,
  })
}
```

<div className="sdk-flight sdk-flight-compact">
  <span>ADMISSION · ZERO EXECUTION</span>

  <pre tabIndex={0}>
    {`check report
          │ clean
          ▼
        plan_version
        ├── tasks + verbs
        ├── waves
        ├── permits
        ├── requirements
        └── cost floor + unbounded flag`}
  </pre>
</div>

An older binary that predates the machine dry-run receives a teaching error
that names the required engine floor. A dirty file rejects with its check
report attached.

## Continue

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Run and cancel" icon="circle-play" href="/sdk/local/run-and-cancel">
    Execute only after admission.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Security boundary" icon="shield" href="/sdk/operations/security">
    Turn permits and cost into application policy.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Machine surfaces" icon="plug" href="/reference/machine-surfaces">
    Read the version-envelope law.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Cost honesty" icon="scale-balanced" href="/guides/cost-honesty">
    Understand floors, ranges and unpriced work.
  </Card>
</CardGroup>