kernel: Phase 3 $vau/$lambda/wrap/unwrap + 34 tests [shapes-reflective]

User-defined operatives via $vau; applicatives via $lambda (wrap ∘ $vau).
wrap/unwrap as Kernel-level applicatives. kernel-call-operative forks
on :impl (primitive) vs :body (user) tag. kernel-base-env wires the
four combiners + operative?/applicative? predicates. Env-param sentinel
`_` / `#ignore` → :knl-ignore (skip dyn-env bind). Flat parameter list
only; destructuring later. Headline test: custom applicative + custom
operative composed from user code.

plans/kernel-on-sx.md

@@ -68,11 +68,11 @@ The whole interesting thing: there are no special forms hardcoded in the evaluat
 - [x] Tests in `lib/kernel/tests/eval.sx`.
 
 ### Phase 3 — `$vau` / `$lambda` / `wrap` / `unwrap`
-- [ ] Operative tagged value: `{:type :operative :params :env-param :body :static-env}`.
-- [ ] Applicative tagged value wraps an operative + the "evaluate args first" contract.
-- [ ] `$vau` builds operatives; `$lambda` is `wrap` ∘ `$vau`.
-- [ ] `wrap` / `unwrap` round-trip cleanly.
-- [ ] Tests: define a custom operative, define a custom applicative on top of it.
+- [x] Operative tagged value: `{:type :operative :params :env-param :body :static-env}`.
+- [x] Applicative tagged value wraps an operative + the "evaluate args first" contract.
+- [x] `$vau` builds operatives; `$lambda` is `wrap` ∘ `$vau`.
+- [x] `wrap` / `unwrap` round-trip cleanly.
+- [x] Tests: define a custom operative, define a custom applicative on top of it.
 
 ### Phase 4 — Standard environment
 - [ ] Standard env construction: bind `$if`, `$define!`, `$lambda`, `$vau`, `wrap`, `unwrap`, `eval`, `make-environment`, `get-current-environment`, plus arithmetic and list primitives.
@@ -100,6 +100,15 @@ The whole interesting thing: there are no special forms hardcoded in the evaluat
 
 **May propose:** `lib/guest/reflective/` sub-layer — environment manipulation, evaluator-as-value, applicative/operative dispatch protocols.
 
+**Proposed `lib/guest/reflective/combiner.sx` API** (from Phase 3 chiselling — pending second consumer):
+- `(refl-make-primitive-operative IMPL)` — IMPL receives `(args dyn-env)`, args unevaluated.
+- `(refl-make-user-operative PARAMS EPARAM BODY STATIC-ENV)` — for $vau-like constructors. The EPARAM sentinel for "ignore dyn-env" is a fixed keyword (`:refl-ignore` in the proposal).
+- `(refl-wrap OP)` / `(refl-unwrap APP)` — round-trip pair.
+- `(refl-operative? V)` / `(refl-applicative? V)` / `(refl-combiner? V)`.
+- `(refl-call-combiner COMBINER ARGS DYN-ENV)` — the dispatch fork. Pairs with `refl-eval` from the evaluator kit.
+- Representation: `{:refl-tag :operative :impl FN}` or `{:refl-tag :operative :params P :env-param EP :body B :static-env SE}`; applicatives are `{:refl-tag :applicative :underlying OP}`. The dispatch decision lives in one fork: presence of `:impl` is primitive, presence of `:body` is user-defined.
+- Driving insight: every reflective Lisp must distinguish "eval my args first" from "hand me the syntax". The tag protocol is identical across Kernel, CL fexprs, vau-style Schemes, possibly Forth's IMMEDIATE words.
+
 **Proposed `lib/guest/reflective/env.sx` API** (from Phase 2 chiselling — pending second consumer per the two-consumer rule):
 - `(refl-make-env)` / `(refl-extend-env PARENT)` — fresh / chained envs, plain SX dicts so they're easy to introspect.
 - `(refl-env? V)` — predicate.
@@ -119,6 +128,7 @@ The motivation is that SX's host `make-env` family is registered only in HTTP/si
 
 ## Progress log
 
+- 2026-05-11 — Phase 3 operatives landed. `lib/kernel/runtime.sx` adds `$vau` (primitive operative that returns a user operative), `$lambda` (sugar for `wrap ∘ $vau`), `wrap` and `unwrap` (Kernel-level applicatives), plus `operative?` and `applicative?` predicates. `kernel-base-env` wires them all into a fresh env. `kernel-eval.sx` now dispatches in `kernel-call-operative` between primitive ops (carry `:impl`) and user ops (carry `:params :env-param :body :static-env`). Parameter binding is a flat list — destructuring/`&rest` deferred. Env-param sentinel: spell `_` or `#ignore` → `:knl-ignore`, which skips the dyn-env bind. 34 tests in `tests/vau.sx`, including the headline custom-operative + custom-applicative composition. chisel: shapes-reflective. Two further reflective-API candidates surfaced: (a) the operative/applicative tag protocol — `make-primitive-operative`, `make-user-operative`, `wrap`, `unwrap` are general for any Lisp-of-fexprs; (b) the call-dispatch fork (primitive vs user) is a *single decision* that every reflective evaluator hits. Both shape go into the proposed `lib/guest/reflective/combiner.sx` candidate.
 - 2026-05-10 — Phase 2 evaluator landed. `lib/kernel/eval.sx` is `lookup-and-combine`: zero hardcoded special forms. `kernel-eval EXPR ENV` dispatches on shape — literals self-evaluate, Kernel strings unwrap, symbols lookup, lists evaluate head and combine. `kernel-combine` distinguishes operatives (impl receives un-evaluated args + dynamic env) from applicatives (eval args, recurse into underlying op). `kernel-wrap`/`kernel-unwrap` round-trip cleanly. 36 tests verify literal evaluation, symbol lookup with parent-chain shadowing, tagged-value predicates, and the operative-vs-applicative contract (notably `$if` only evaluates the chosen branch, `$quote` returns its arg unevaluated). chisel: shapes-reflective. Substrate gap surfaced: SX's `make-env` / `env-bind!` family is only registered in HTTP/site mode (`http_setup_platform_constructors`), not in CLI epoch mode used for tests. So Kernel envs are modelled in pure SX as `{:knl-tag :env :bindings DICT :parent P}` — a binding-dict + parent-pointer + recursive lookup walk. This is exactly the `lib/guest/reflective/env.sx` candidate API: any reflective language needs first-class env values that can be extended, queried, and walked. Recording the shape (constructor, extend, bind!, has?, lookup) here for the eventual Phase 7 extraction.
 - 2026-05-10 — Phase 1 parser landed. `lib/kernel/parser.sx` reads R-1RK lexical syntax: numbers (int/float/exp), strings (with escapes), symbols (permissive — anything non-delimiting), booleans `#t`/`#f`, the empty list `()`, nested lists, and `;` line comments. Reader macros (`'` `,` `,@`) deferred per plan. AST: numbers/booleans/lists pass through; strings are wrapped as `{:knl-string …}` to distinguish from symbols which are bare SX strings. 54 tests in `lib/kernel/tests/parse.sx` pass via `sx_server.exe` epoch protocol. chisel: consumes-lex (uses `lex-digit?` and `lex-whitespace?` from `lib/guest/lex.sx` — pratt deliberately not consumed because Kernel is plain s-expressions, no precedence climbing).