ferrocene: needed basics

ferrocene-learning.xml

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<learning_hierarchy>
    <metadata>
        <title>Learning Path for Ferrocene Contribution</title>
        <description>Comprehensive learning hierarchy for understanding and contributing to Ferrocene, a safety-critical Rust toolchain</description>
        <target_audience>Beginners in Safety-Critical Systems and Rust</target_audience>
    </metadata>

    <learning_path>
        <phase order="1" name="safety_critical_fundamentals">
            <topic name="Safety Standards">
                <concepts>
                    <concept name="ISO 26262">
                        <subtopic>ASIL Levels</subtopic>
                        <subtopic>Safety Requirements</subtopic>
                        <subtopic>Risk Assessment</subtopic>
                        <deep_concepts>
                            <item>Functional Safety</item>
                            <item>Safety Life Cycle</item>
                            <item>Hazard Analysis</item>
                        </deep_concepts>
                    </concept>
                    <concept name="IEC 61508">
                        <subtopic>SIL Levels</subtopic>
                        <subtopic>Safety Functions</subtopic>
                        <subtopic>Verification Methods</subtopic>
                        <deep_concepts>
                            <item>Risk Reduction</item>
                            <item>Safety Integrity</item>
                            <item>Validation Process</item>
                        </deep_concepts>
                    </concept>
                </concepts>
            </topic>

            <topic name="Safety Engineering">
                <concepts>
                    <concept name="Certification Process">
                        <subtopic>Documentation Requirements</subtopic>
                        <subtopic>Testing Standards</subtopic>
                        <subtopic>Qualification Activities</subtopic>
                        <deep_concepts>
                            <item>Evidence Collection</item>
                            <item>Traceability</item>
                            <item>Compliance Verification</item>
                        </deep_concepts>
                    </concept>
                    <concept name="Quality Management">
                        <subtopic>Process Control</subtopic>
                        <subtopic>Configuration Management</subtopic>
                        <subtopic>Change Management</subtopic>
                        <deep_concepts>
                            <item>Quality Metrics</item>
                            <item>Audit Procedures</item>
                            <item>Document Control</item>
                        </deep_concepts>
                    </concept>
                </concepts>
            </topic>
        </phase>

        <phase order="2" name="compiler_development">
            <topic name="Compiler Architecture">
                <concepts>
                    <concept name="Rust Compiler">
                        <subtopic>Frontend Processing</subtopic>
                        <subtopic>Type System</subtopic>
                        <subtopic>Code Generation</subtopic>
                        <deep_concepts>
                            <item>AST Processing</item>
                            <item>MIR Optimization</item>
                            <item>LLVM Integration</item>
                        </deep_concepts>
                    </concept>
                    <concept name="Safety Extensions">
                        <subtopic>Verification Methods</subtopic>
                        <subtopic>Safety Checks</subtopic>
                        <subtopic>Error Handling</subtopic>
                        <deep_concepts>
                            <item>Static Analysis</item>
                            <item>Runtime Checks</item>
                            <item>Deterministic Behavior</item>
                        </deep_concepts>
                    </concept>
                </concepts>
            </topic>

            <topic name="Testing Infrastructure">
                <concepts>
                    <concept name="Test Framework">
                        <subtopic>Unit Testing</subtopic>
                        <subtopic>Integration Testing</subtopic>
                        <subtopic>Regression Testing</subtopic>
                        <deep_concepts>
                            <item>Test Coverage</item>
                            <item>Test Automation</item>
                            <item>Test Documentation</item>
                        </deep_concepts>
                    </concept>
                </concepts>
            </topic>
        </phase>

        <phase order="3" name="safety_critical_rust">
            <topic name="Language Features">
                <concepts>
                    <concept name="Memory Safety">
                        <subtopic>Ownership Model</subtopic>
                        <subtopic>Lifetime Rules</subtopic>
                        <subtopic>Safe Abstractions</subtopic>
                        <deep_concepts>
                            <item>Memory Layout</item>
                            <item>Pointer Safety</item>
                            <item>Resource Management</item>
                        </deep_concepts>
                    </concept>
                    <concept name="Concurrency">
                        <subtopic>Thread Safety</subtopic>
                        <subtopic>Synchronization</subtopic>
                        <subtopic>Data Race Prevention</subtopic>
                        <deep_concepts>
                            <item>Lock Management</item>
                            <item>Atomic Operations</item>
                            <item>Message Passing</item>
                        </deep_concepts>
                    </concept>
                </concepts>
            </topic>

            <topic name="Safety Patterns">
                <concepts>
                    <concept name="Error Handling">
                        <subtopic>Result Type</subtopic>
                        <subtopic>Option Type</subtopic>
                        <subtopic>Panic Prevention</subtopic>
                        <deep_concepts>
                            <item>Error Propagation</item>
                            <item>Recovery Strategies</item>
                            <item>Fail-Safe Behavior</item>
                        </deep_concepts>
                    </concept>
                    <concept name="Resource Management">
                        <subtopic>RAII Pattern</subtopic>
                        <subtopic>Drop Semantics</subtopic>
                        <subtopic>Memory Allocation</subtopic>
                        <deep_concepts>
                            <item>Resource Cleanup</item>
                            <item>Leak Prevention</item>
                            <item>Static Allocation</item>
                        </deep_concepts>
                    </concept>
                </concepts>
            </topic>
        </phase>

        <phase order="4" name="ferrocene_specific">
            <topic name="Toolchain Components">
                <concepts>
                    <concept name="Compiler Modifications">
                        <subtopic>Safety Extensions</subtopic>
                        <subtopic>Verification Tools</subtopic>
                        <subtopic>Build System</subtopic>
                        <deep_concepts>
                            <item>Downstream Changes</item>
                            <item>Integration Points</item>
                            <item>Configuration Options</item>
                        </deep_concepts>
                    </concept>
                    <concept name="Documentation">
                        <subtopic>Quality Management</subtopic>
                        <subtopic>Testing Coverage</subtopic>
                        <subtopic>Safety Procedures</subtopic>
                        <deep_concepts>
                            <item>Process Documentation</item>
                            <item>Test Reports</item>
                            <item>Safety Evidence</item>
                        </deep_concepts>
                    </concept>
                </concepts>
            </topic>

            <topic name="Certification">
                <concepts>
                    <concept name="Qualification Process">
                        <subtopic>Evidence Collection</subtopic>
                        <subtopic>Compliance Verification</subtopic>
                        <subtopic>Documentation Management</subtopic>
                        <deep_concepts>
                            <item>Audit Trail</item>
                            <item>Change Control</item>
                            <item>Version Control</item>
                        </deep_concepts>
                    </concept>
                </concepts>
            </topic>
        </phase>
    </learning_path>

    <recommendations>
        <recommendation>Begin with understanding safety-critical system requirements and standards</recommendation>
        <recommendation>Study the Rust compiler architecture and its safety features</recommendation>
        <recommendation>Learn about certification processes and documentation requirements</recommendation>
        <recommendation>Focus on safety-critical programming patterns and practices</recommendation>
        <recommendation>Start with documentation contributions before code changes</recommendation>
        <recommendation>Practice with safety-critical development in isolated environments</recommendation>
    </recommendations>
</learning_hierarchy>