Fix for ASCII art diagrams line alignment issue #32

Fix for ASCII art diagrams line alignment issues

Author: raj-jain-aws

aidlc-rules/aws-aidlc-rule-details/common/ascii-diagram-standards.md

@@ -0,0 +1,116 @@
+# ASCII Diagram Standards
+
+## MANDATORY: Use Basic ASCII Only
+
+**CRITICAL**: ALWAYS use basic ASCII characters for diagrams (maximum compatibility).
+
+### ✅ ALLOWED: `+` `-` `|` `^` `v` `<` `>` and alphanumeric text
+
+### ❌ FORBIDDEN: Unicode box-drawing characters
+- NO: `┌` `─` `│` `└` `┐` `┘` `├` `┤` `┬` `┴` `┼` `▼` `▲` `►` `◄`
+- Reason: Inconsistent rendering across fonts/platforms
+
+## Standard ASCII Diagram Patterns
+
+### CRITICAL: Character Width Rule
+**Every line in a box MUST have EXACTLY the same character count (including spaces)**
+
+✅ CORRECT (all lines = 67 chars):
+```
++---------------------------------------------------------------+
+|                      Component Name                           |
+|  Description text here                                        |
++---------------------------------------------------------------+
+```
+
+❌ WRONG (inconsistent widths):
+```
++---------------------------------------------------------------+
+|                      Component Name                           |
+|  Description text here                                   |
++---------------------------------------------------------------+
+```
+
+### Box Pattern
+```
++-----------------------------------------------------+
+|                                                     |
+|              Calculator Application                 |
+|                                                     |
+|  Provides basic arithmetic operations for users     |
+|  through a web-based interface                      |
+|                                                     |
++-----------------------------------------------------+
+```
+
+### Nested Boxes
+```
++-------------------------------------------------------+
+|              Web Server (PHP Runtime)                 |
+|  +-------------------------------------------------+  |
+|  |  index.php (Monolithic Application)             |  |
+|  |  +-------------------------------------------+  |  |
+|  |  |  HTML Template (View Layer)               |  |  |
+|  |  |  - Form rendering                         |  |  |
+|  |  |  - Result display                         |  |  |
+|  |  +-------------------------------------------+  |  |
+|  +-------------------------------------------------+  |
++-------------------------------------------------------+
+```
+
+### Arrows and Connections
+```
++----------+
+|  Source  |
++----------+
+     |
+     | HTTP POST
+     v
++----------+
+|  Target  |
++----------+
+```
+
+### Horizontal Flow
+```
++-------+     +-------+     +-------+
+| Step1 | --> | Step2 | --> | Step3 |
++-------+     +-------+     +-------+
+```
+
+### Vertical Flow with Labels
+```
+User Action Flow:
+    |
+    v
++----------+
+|  Input   |
++----------+
+    |
+    | validates
+    v
++----------+
+| Process  |
++----------+
+    |
+    | returns
+    v
++----------+
+|  Output  |
++----------+
+```
+
+## Validation
+
+Before creating diagrams:
+- [ ] Basic ASCII only: `+` `-` `|` `^` `v` `<` `>`
+- [ ] No Unicode box-drawing
+- [ ] Spaces (not tabs) for alignment
+- [ ] Corners use `+`
+- [ ] **ALL box lines same character width** (count characters including spaces)
+- [ ] Test: Verify corners align vertically in monospace font
+
+## Alternative
+
+For complex diagrams, use Mermaid (see `content-validation.md`)
+

aidlc-rules/aws-aidlc-rule-details/common/content-validation.md

@@ -4,6 +4,20 @@
 
 **CRITICAL**: All generated content MUST be validated before writing to files to prevent parsing errors.
 
+## ASCII Diagram Standards
+
+**CRITICAL**: Before creating ANY file with ASCII diagrams:
+
+1. **LOAD** `common/ascii-diagram-standards.md`
+2. **VALIDATE** each diagram:
+   - Count characters per line (all lines MUST be same width)
+   - Use ONLY: `+` `-` `|` `^` `v` `<` `>` and spaces
+   - NO Unicode box-drawing characters
+   - Spaces only (NO tabs)
+3. **TEST** alignment by verifying box corners align vertically
+
+**See `common/ascii-diagram-standards.md` for patterns and validation checklist.**
+
 ## Mermaid Diagram Validation
 
 ### Required Validation Steps
@@ -61,4 +75,4 @@ Phase 1: INCEPTION
 1. **Log the error**: Record what failed validation
 2. **Use fallback content**: Switch to text-based alternative
 3. **Continue workflow**: Don't block on content validation failures
-4. **Inform user**: Mention simplified content was used due to parsing constraints
+4. **Inform user**: Mention simplified content was used due to parsing constraints

aidlc-rules/aws-aidlc-rules/core-workflow.md

@@ -23,6 +23,7 @@ The AI model intelligently assesses what stages are needed based on:
 ## MANDATORY: Content Validation
 **CRITICAL**: Before creating ANY file, you MUST validate content according to `common/content-validation.md` rules:
 - Validate Mermaid diagram syntax
+- Validate ASCII art diagrams (see `common/ascii-diagram-standards.md`)
 - Escape special characters properly
 - Provide text alternatives for complex visual content
 - Test content parsing compatibility