LDC-E1362 — Case use without a snapshot

What it means

A case composes external input through named snapshots: a top-level snapshot declaration binds an alias to an exported file, and the case body attaches it with use. A use that names no declared snapshot attaches nothing — the alias points nowhere, so the case would compute with input missing. The compiler stops at the use rather than running a case whose composition is incomplete.

The repair is to declare the snapshot the use names, or to drop the use. An alias with no declaration is either a missing snapshot or a leftover reference — the fix declares which.

Example

run

{"argv": ["lower-case", "$ROOT/case.law"], "files": {"case.law": "language \"law.core\" version \"0.2\";\npackage demo.diagnostics version \"0.1.0\";\nnamespace \"urn:law:demo:diagnostics\";\n\nentity A;\n\ncase Solo {\n    context {\n        legal_time @2026-08-26;\n    }\n\n    use Ghost {\n        record \"urn:law:demo:diagnostics#r1\";\n    }\n}\n"}, "expect": "LDC-E1362"}

Fix

run

{"argv": ["lower-case", "$ROOT/case.law"], "files": {"case.law": "language \"law.core\" version \"0.2\";\npackage demo.diagnostics version \"0.1.0\";\nnamespace \"urn:law:demo:diagnostics\";\n\nentity A;\n\ncase Solo {\n    context {\n        legal_time @2026-08-26;\n    }\n}\n"}, "expect": null}

Engine message

The engine reports this in its own wording:

Output

$ROOT/case.law:12:5: error LDC-E1362: use Ghost: no snapshot with this alias is declared — a declaration `snapshot Ghost "<path>";` (§168.5)

Related

• LDC-E1363 — a snapshot in a file that takes none.
• LDC-E1315 — lowering a file that declares no case.