host: SX-native wire — reads + write bodies are text/sx, JSON CRUD deleted

Greenfield SX-native pivot (NOT a strangler): the host speaks SX/SXTP end to end;
JSON only at the future ActivityPub federation edge.

- OUTPUT: host/json-status -> host/sx-status — every host/ok/host/error response is
  text/sx via the serialize primitive (NOT application/json). Flips feed, relations,
  blog reads. Tests assert the SX envelope ({:ok true :data ...}).
- DELETE the blog JSON CRUD /posts (POST/PUT/DELETE) + bearer-based host/blog--protect:
  a pure old-contract REST mirror. Create/edit go through the HTML editor forms;
  programmatic writes speak SXTP. FOLLOW-UP: no browser delete route yet (was JSON-only,
  no UI) — add POST /:slug/delete + cascade edge cleanup when the metamodel UI needs it.
- INPUT: host/sx-body (sxtp.sx) parses a text/sx request body to a string-keyed dict
  (parse-safe + sxtp/-normalize). feed POST + relations attach/detach read it.
- UNIFIED field reader host/fields / host/field: text/sx body OR urlencoded form by
  content-type. The blog form handlers (new/edit/relate/unrelate) + login read through
  it — additive, urlencoded still works (no-engine / bootstrap fallback).

Conformance 290/290 (11 suites). Retires the strangler framing in the plan; adds the
'SX all the way out' wire table. The engine half (browser posts text/sx) follows.

Co-Authored-By: Claude Opus 4.8 <noreply@anthropic.com>

lib/host/auth.sx

@@ -63,9 +63,9 @@
 ;; with the same return target so the user lands where they were headed.
 (define host/login-submit
   (fn (req)
-    (let ((user (dream-form-field req "username"))
-          (pass (dream-form-field req "password"))
-          (next-path (host/-safe-next (dream-form-field req "next"))))
+    (let ((user (host/field req "username"))
+          (pass (host/field req "password"))
+          (next-path (host/-safe-next (host/field req "next"))))
       (if (host/-verify-cred user pass)
         (begin
           (host/login! req user)

lib/host/blog.sx

@@ -7,13 +7,13 @@
 ;;
 ;;   GET    /              HTML index of posts (public)
 ;;   GET    /<slug>/       rendered post (public) -> HTML / 404
-;;   GET    /posts         JSON list (public)     -> [{slug,title,status}]
+;;   GET    /posts         SX list (public)       -> {:ok true :data ({:slug …} …)}
 ;;   GET    /new           HTML create form (public chrome)
-;;   POST   /new           form-urlencoded ingest from the editor (guarded)
-;;   POST   /posts         JSON create (guarded)
-;;   PUT    /posts/<slug>  JSON update (guarded)
-;;   DELETE /posts/<slug>  delete (guarded)
-;; Reads anonymous; writes behind the auth+ACL pipeline ("edit" on "blog").
+;;   POST   /new           form ingest from the editor (guarded)
+;;   POST   /<slug>/edit   form ingest, edit an existing post (guarded)
+;; Reads anonymous; writes behind the auth+ACL pipeline ("edit" on "blog"). The
+;; JSON CRUD /posts (POST/PUT/DELETE) was deleted in the SX-native pivot — the wire
+;; is SX/SXTP (host/ok emits text/sx), writes go through the form ingest.
 ;; Depends on spec/render + web/adapter-html (render-to-html), lib/persist/*
 ;; (durable KV), lib/dream/* (+ form), lib/host/{handler,middleware}.sx.
 
@@ -1042,9 +1042,9 @@
 ;; body with a 400 HTML page (this path serves a browser form).
 (define host/blog-form-submit
   (fn (req)
-    (let ((title (dream-form-field req "title"))
-          (sx-content (dream-form-field req "sx_content"))
-          (status (or (dream-form-field req "status") "published")))
+    (let ((title (host/field req "title"))
+          (sx-content (host/field req "sx_content"))
+          (status (or (host/field req "status") "published")))
       (cond
         ((or (nil? title) (= title ""))
           (host/blog--resp req 400
@@ -1062,67 +1062,13 @@
               (host/blog-put! slug title (or sx-content "") status)
               (dream-redirect (str "/" slug "/")))))))))
 
-;; POST /posts — JSON create {slug?,title,sx_content,status}. 409 if slug exists.
-(define host/blog-create
-  (fn (req)
-    (let ((p (dream-json-body req)))
-      (if (= (type-of p) "dict")
-        (let ((title (get p :title)))
-          (cond
-            ((or (nil? title) (= title "")) (host/error 400 "title required"))
-            ((not (host/blog-content-ok? (get p :sx_content)))
-              (host/error 400 "invalid sx_content"))
-            (else
-              (let ((slug (or (get p :slug) (host/blog-slugify title))))
-                (if (host/blog-exists? slug)
-                  (host/error 409 "post already exists")
-                  (begin
-                    (host/blog-put! slug title (or (get p :sx_content) "")
-                      (or (get p :status) "published"))
-                    (host/ok-status 201 {:slug slug :title title})))))))
-        (host/error 400 "invalid payload")))))
-
-;; PUT /posts/<slug> — JSON update {title?,sx_content?,status?}. 404 if absent.
-(define host/blog-update-handler
-  (fn (req)
-    (let ((slug (dream-param req "slug")) (p (dream-json-body req)))
-      (if (= (type-of p) "dict")
-        (let ((r (host/blog-get slug)))
-          (cond
-            ((nil? r) (host/error 404 "no such post"))
-            ((not (host/blog-content-ok? (get p :sx_content)))
-              (host/error 400 "invalid sx_content"))
-            (else
-              (begin
-                (host/blog-put! slug
-                  (or (get p :title) (get r :title))
-                  (or (get p :sx_content) (get r :sx-content))
-                  (or (get p :status) (get r :status)))
-                (host/ok {:slug slug :updated true})))))
-        (host/error 400 "invalid payload")))))
-
-;; DELETE /posts/<slug>
-;; drop every edge touching `slug`, across all kinds + both directions, so a
-;; deleted post leaves no dangling links anywhere in the graph.
-(define host/blog--drop-all-edges!
-  (fn (slug)
-    (for-each
-      (fn (spec)
-        (let ((kind (get spec :kind)))
-          (begin
-            (for-each (fn (o) (host/blog-unrelate! slug o kind)) (host/blog-out slug kind))
-            (for-each (fn (o) (host/blog-unrelate! o slug kind)) (host/blog-in slug kind)))))
-      host/blog-rel-kinds)))
-
-(define host/blog-delete-handler
-  (fn (req)
-    (let ((slug (dream-param req "slug")))
-      (if (host/blog-exists? slug)
-        (begin
-          (host/blog--drop-all-edges! slug)
-          (host/blog-delete! slug)
-          (host/ok {:slug slug :deleted true}))
-        (host/error 404 "no such post")))))
+;; The JSON CRUD /posts (create/update/delete) was DELETED in the greenfield
+;; SX-native pivot (plans/relations-as-posts.md, "SX all the way out") — it was a
+;; pure old-contract REST mirror. Create + edit go through the HTML editor forms
+;; (POST /new, POST /:slug/edit); programmatic writes will speak SXTP. FOLLOW-UP:
+;; there is no browser delete route yet (delete was JSON-only and had no UI) — add
+;; POST /:slug/delete + cascade edge cleanup (drop every edge touching the slug,
+;; both directions, all kinds) when the metamodel UI needs it.
 
 ;; POST /<slug>/relate — relate this post to another (form `other` = slug, `kind` =
 ;; relation kind, default "related"). Validated: kind must be a known kind and the
@@ -1131,8 +1077,8 @@
 (define host/blog-relate-submit
   (fn (req)
     (let ((slug (dream-param req "slug"))
-          (other (dream-form-field req "other"))
-          (kind (or (dream-form-field req "kind") "related")))
+          (other (host/field req "other"))
+          (kind (or (host/field req "kind") "related")))
       (if (nil? (host/blog-get slug))
         (host/blog--resp req 404
           (host/blog--page req "Not found"
@@ -1161,8 +1107,8 @@
 (define host/blog-unrelate-submit
   (fn (req)
     (let ((slug (dream-param req "slug"))
-          (other (dream-form-field req "other"))
-          (kind (or (dream-form-field req "kind") "related")))
+          (other (host/field req "other"))
+          (kind (or (host/field req "kind") "related")))
       (begin
         (when (and other (not (= other "")) (host/blog--kind-spec kind))
           (host/blog-unrelate! slug other kind))
@@ -1230,9 +1176,9 @@
         (host/blog--resp req 404
           (host/blog--page req "Not found"
             (quasiquote (div (h1 "404") (p (unquote (str "No post: " slug)))))))
-        (let ((title (or (dream-form-field req "title") (get r :title)))
-              (sx-content (or (dream-form-field req "sx_content") ""))
-              (status (or (dream-form-field req "status") (get r :status))))
+        (let ((title (or (host/field req "title") (get r :title)))
+              (sx-content (or (host/field req "sx_content") ""))
+              (status (or (host/field req "status") (get r :status))))
           ;; collect issues up front (perform): unparseable markup, then each
           ;; schema requirement the post's types impose. Empty = save.
           (let ((issues (if (host/blog-content-ok? sx-content)
@@ -1264,17 +1210,9 @@
     (dream-get "/:slug/relate-options" host/blog-relate-options)
     (dream-get "/:slug" host/blog-post)))
 
-;; Guarded writes: form ingest + JSON create/update/delete behind auth+ACL.
-;; NB: helper is host/blog--protect, NOT `guard` (reserved special form).
-(define host/blog--protect
-  (fn (resolve h)
-    (host/pipeline
-      (list
-        host/wrap-errors
-        (host/require-user resolve)
-        (host/require-permission "edit" (fn (req) "blog")))
-      h)))
-;; Browser variant: identical ACL gate, but an unauthenticated request REDIRECTS
+;; Guarded writes: HTML editor form ingest behind auth+ACL. (The JSON CRUD that
+;; used a bearer-based host/blog--protect was deleted in the SX-native pivot.)
+;; Browser gate: identical ACL, but an unauthenticated request REDIRECTS
 ;; to the login page (host/require-login) rather than returning a raw JSON 401 —
 ;; the form/edit pages are HTML, so a logged-out click should land on /login and
 ;; return here afterwards.
@@ -1293,10 +1231,7 @@
       (dream-get "/:slug/edit" (host/blog--protect-html resolve host/blog-edit-form))
       (dream-post "/:slug/edit" (host/blog--protect-html resolve host/blog-edit-submit))
       (dream-post "/:slug/relate" (host/blog--protect-html resolve host/blog-relate-submit))
-      (dream-post "/:slug/unrelate" (host/blog--protect-html resolve host/blog-unrelate-submit))
-      (dream-post "/posts" (host/blog--protect resolve host/blog-create))
-      (dream-put "/posts/:slug" (host/blog--protect resolve host/blog-update-handler))
-      (dream-delete "/posts/:slug" (host/blog--protect resolve host/blog-delete-handler)))))
+      (dream-post "/:slug/unrelate" (host/blog--protect-html resolve host/blog-unrelate-submit)))))
 
 ;; EXPERIMENTAL: create-only, UNGUARDED — POST /new form ingest with error
 ;; trapping but NO auth, for validating the editor->host publish loop on the

lib/host/feed.sx

@@ -25,11 +25,11 @@
 
 ;; ── write ──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
 
-;; POST /feed -> create an activity from the JSON body. Returns 201 + the created
-;; (normalised) activity. Body must be a JSON object; anything else -> 400.
+;; POST /feed -> create an activity from the text/sx body. Returns 201 + the created
+;; (normalised) activity. Body must be an SX dict; anything else -> 400.
 (define host/feed-create
   (fn (req)
-    (let ((raw (dream-json-body req)))
+    (let ((raw (host/sx-body req)))
       (if (= (type-of raw) "dict")
         (host/ok-status 201 (feed/post raw))
         (host/error 400 "invalid activity")))))

lib/host/handler.sx

@@ -1,33 +1,35 @@
 ;; lib/host/handler.sx — Host handler layer: the bridge from a Dream request to a
 ;; subsystem call and back to a Dream response. A host handler IS a Dream handler
-;; (request -> response); these helpers build the JSON envelope every host
-;; endpoint shares: {"ok":true,"data":...} on success, {"ok":false,"error":...}
-;; on failure. Plus a status-carrying JSON constructor that Dream's own dream-json
-;; (200-only) lacks, and a couple of request-reading conveniences.
-;; Depends on lib/dream/types.sx + lib/dream/json.sx.
+;; (request -> response); these helpers build the SX-native envelope every host
+;; endpoint shares — text/sx, serialized SX wire format (NOT JSON): {:ok true
+;; :data ...} on success, {:ok false :error ...} on failure. The platform speaks
+;; SX end to end; JSON lives only at the ActivityPub federation edge (JSON-LD).
+;; Depends on lib/dream/types.sx.
 
 ;; ── responses ──────────────────────────────────────────────────────
 
-;; JSON response at an arbitrary status (dream-json is 200-only).
-(define host/json-status
+;; SX response at an arbitrary status: content-type text/sx, body = the value
+;; serialized to SX wire format (the same `serialize` SXTP uses). The SX engine /
+;; WASM kernel parses this directly — NO JSON on the internal wire.
+(define host/sx-status
   (fn (status value)
-    (dream-response status {:content-type "application/json"}
-      (dream-json-encode value))))
+    (dream-response status {:content-type "text/sx; charset=utf-8"}
+      (serialize value))))
 
-;; Success envelope: 200 {"ok":true,"data":<value>}.
+;; Success envelope: 200 {:ok true :data <value>}.
 (define host/ok
   (fn (value)
-    (host/json-status 200 {:ok true :data value})))
+    (host/sx-status 200 {:ok true :data value})))
 
 ;; Success envelope at a chosen status (e.g. 201 for a created resource).
 (define host/ok-status
   (fn (status value)
-    (host/json-status status {:ok true :data value})))
+    (host/sx-status status {:ok true :data value})))
 
-;; Error envelope: {"ok":false,"error":<message>} at the given status.
+;; Error envelope: {:ok false :error <message>} at the given status.
 (define host/error
   (fn (status message)
-    (host/json-status status {:ok false :error message})))
+    (host/sx-status status {:ok false :error message})))
 
 ;; ── request reading ────────────────────────────────────────────────
 

lib/host/relations.sx

@@ -81,9 +81,10 @@
         nil))))
 
 ;; POST /internal/actions/attach-child — create the container edge. 201 on success.
+;; Body is text/sx (host/sx-body); non-dict -> 400.
 (define host/relations-attach
   (fn (req)
-    (let ((p (dream-json-body req)))
+    (let ((p (host/sx-body req)))
       (if (= (type-of p) "dict")
         (let ((e (host/-rel-edge p)))
           (if e
@@ -96,9 +97,10 @@
         (host/error 400 "invalid payload")))))
 
 ;; POST /internal/actions/detach-child — remove the container edge. 200 on success.
+;; Body is text/sx (host/sx-body); non-dict -> 400.
 (define host/relations-detach
   (fn (req)
-    (let ((p (dream-json-body req)))
+    (let ((p (host/sx-body req)))
       (if (= (type-of p) "dict")
         (let ((e (host/-rel-edge p)))
           (if e

lib/host/sxtp.sx

@@ -171,3 +171,30 @@
   (fn (text)
     (let ((lst (parse text)))
       (sxtp/-pairs->dict (rest lst) {:msg (symbol->string (first lst))}))))
+
+;; ── host write-body: a request's text/sx body -> string-keyed dict ──
+;; The write-side counterpart to host/sx-status: the SX engine posts text/sx for
+;; writes (boosted forms serialise their fields), so write handlers read the body
+;; through this instead of dream-json-body. parse-safe yields keyword-token keys;
+;; sxtp/-normalize deep-converts them to strings so (get p :field) works — the same
+;; shape dream-json-body produced from JSON. Empty / blank / non-dict / unparseable
+;; body -> nil (handlers then return 400).
+(define host/sx-body
+  (fn (req)
+    (let ((raw (dream-body req)))
+      (if (or (nil? raw) (= raw ""))
+        nil
+        (let ((v (parse-safe raw)))
+          (if (= (type-of v) "dict") (sxtp/-normalize v) nil))))))
+
+;; ── unified write-field reader: text/sx body OR urlencoded form ─────
+;; A boosted form posts text/sx (the SX engine serialises its fields); a no-engine
+;; / pre-hydration submit (and the login bootstrap) posts urlencoded. Content-type
+;; decides. host/fields returns ALL fields as one string-keyed dict; host/field
+;; reads one by name. Form handlers read through these so both encodings work.
+(define host/fields
+  (fn (req)
+    (if (contains? (or (dream-content-type-of req) "") "text/sx")
+      (or (host/sx-body req) {})
+      (or (dream-form-fields req) {}))))
+(define host/field (fn (req name) (get (host/fields req) name)))

lib/host/tests/blog.sx

@@ -42,8 +42,8 @@
 (host-bl-test "home lists post"
   (contains? (dream-resp-body (host-bl-app (host-bl-req "/"))) "href=\"/hello/\"")
   true)
-(host-bl-test "json list shows post"
-  (contains? (dream-resp-body (host-bl-app (host-bl-req "/posts"))) "\"slug\":\"hello\"")
+(host-bl-test "sx list shows post"
+  (contains? (dream-resp-body (host-bl-app (host-bl-req "/posts"))) ":slug \"hello\"")
   true)
 (host-bl-test "GET /new shows form"
   (contains? (dream-resp-body (host-bl-app (host-bl-req "/new"))) "<form")
@@ -53,7 +53,7 @@
 (host-bl-test "unknown slug 404" (dream-status (host-bl-app (host-bl-req "/nope/"))) 404)
 (feed/reset!)
 (host-bl-test "/feed not captured by :slug"
-  (contains? (dream-resp-body (host-bl-app (host-bl-req "/feed"))) "\"ok\":true")
+  (contains? (dream-resp-body (host-bl-app (host-bl-req "/feed"))) ":ok true")
   true)
 
 ;; ── writes: editor form ingest + JSON CRUD (auth+ACL) ───────────────
@@ -94,39 +94,8 @@
   (contains? (dream-resp-body (host-bl-wapp (host-bl-req "/my-first-post/"))) "<h1>My First Post</h1>")
   true)
 
-;; -- JSON CRUD --
-(host-bl-test "json create -> 201"
-  (dream-status (host-bl-wapp (host-bl-send "POST" "/posts" "Bearer good" "application/json"
-    "{\"title\":\"Json Post\",\"sx_content\":\"(p \\\"jp\\\")\",\"status\":\"draft\"}")))
-  201)
-(host-bl-test "json create unpermitted -> 403"
-  (dream-status (host-bl-wapp (host-bl-send "POST" "/posts" "Bearer weak" "application/json"
-    "{\"title\":\"Nope\"}")))
-  403)
-(host-bl-test "json create duplicate -> 409"
-  (dream-status (host-bl-wapp (host-bl-send "POST" "/posts" "Bearer good" "application/json"
-    "{\"slug\":\"json-post\",\"title\":\"Json Post\"}")))
-  409)
-(host-bl-test "json create no title -> 400"
-  (dream-status (host-bl-wapp (host-bl-send "POST" "/posts" "Bearer good" "application/json" "{}")))
-  400)
-(host-bl-test "update -> 200"
-  (dream-status (host-bl-wapp (host-bl-send "PUT" "/posts/json-post" "Bearer good" "application/json"
-    "{\"sx_content\":\"(p \\\"edited\\\")\"}")))
-  200)
-(host-bl-test "update changed content"
-  (contains? (dream-resp-body (host-bl-wapp (host-bl-req "/json-post/"))) "edited")
-  true)
-(host-bl-test "update missing -> 404"
-  (dream-status (host-bl-wapp (host-bl-send "PUT" "/posts/ghost" "Bearer good" "application/json" "{}")))
-  404)
-(host-bl-test "delete -> 200"
-  (dream-status (host-bl-wapp (host-bl-send "DELETE" "/posts/json-post" "Bearer good" "" "")))
-  200)
-(host-bl-test "deleted -> 404" (dream-status (host-bl-wapp (host-bl-req "/json-post/"))) 404)
-(host-bl-test "delete missing -> 404"
-  (dream-status (host-bl-wapp (host-bl-send "DELETE" "/posts/ghost" "Bearer good" "" "")))
-  404)
+;; (JSON CRUD tests removed — the /posts JSON create/update/delete endpoints were
+;; deleted in the SX-native pivot; create + edit go through the form ingest above.)
 
 ;; -- write-time validation: malformed sx_content rejected, never stored --
 ;; "%3Ch1+broken%29" decodes to "<h1 broken)" — a typo'd paren the parser rejects.
@@ -138,20 +107,8 @@
 (host-bl-test "rejected form post was not stored"
   (dream-status (host-bl-wapp (host-bl-req "/bad-form/")))
   404)
-(host-bl-test "json create malformed sx_content -> 400"
-  (dream-status (host-bl-wapp (host-bl-send "POST" "/posts" "Bearer good" "application/json"
-    "{\"title\":\"Bad Json\",\"sx_content\":\"<h1 broken)\"}")))
-  400)
-(host-bl-test "rejected json post was not stored"
-  (dream-status (host-bl-wapp (host-bl-req "/bad-json/")))
-  404)
-(host-bl-test "json update malformed sx_content -> 400"
-  (dream-status (host-bl-wapp (host-bl-send "PUT" "/posts/my-first-post" "Bearer good"
-    "application/json" "{\"sx_content\":\"<h1 broken)\"}")))
-  400)
-(host-bl-test "rejected update left content intact"
-  (contains? (dream-resp-body (host-bl-wapp (host-bl-req "/my-first-post/"))) "<h1>My First Post</h1>")
-  true)
+;; (JSON malformed-content tests removed with the JSON CRUD endpoints; the form
+;; ingest malformed-content checks above still cover write-time validation.)
 
 ;; -- view source (public) --
 (host-bl-test "view source -> 200"
@@ -246,13 +203,9 @@
     (list (contains? (host/blog-related "my-first-post") "another-one")
           (contains? (host/blog-related "another-one") "my-first-post")))
   (list false false))
-(host-bl-test "delete cleans up related edges"
-  (begin
-    (host-bl-wapp (host-bl-send "POST" "/my-first-post/relate" "Bearer good"
-      "application/x-www-form-urlencoded" "other=another-one"))
-    (host-bl-wapp (host-bl-send "DELETE" "/posts/another-one" "Bearer good" "" ""))
-    (contains? (host/blog-related "my-first-post") "another-one"))
-  false)
+;; (The "delete cleans up related edges" test was removed with the JSON DELETE
+;; /posts endpoint; cascade edge cleanup returns when a browser delete route is
+;; added — see the FOLLOW-UP note in lib/host/blog.sx.)
 
 ;; -- relate picker (filterable candidate endpoint + glue + hint) --
 (host/blog-put! "alpha-post" "Alpha Post" "(p \"a\")" "published")

lib/host/tests/feed.sx

@@ -33,8 +33,8 @@
   (dream-status (host-fd-app (host-fd-req "/feed")))
   200)
 (host-fd-test
-  "empty feed data:[]"
-  (contains? (dream-resp-body (host-fd-app (host-fd-req "/feed"))) "\"data\":[]")
+  "empty feed data ()"
+  (contains? (dream-resp-body (host-fd-app (host-fd-req "/feed"))) ":data ()")
   true)
 
 ;; ── seeded feed ────────────────────────────────────────────────────
@@ -47,7 +47,7 @@
 (host-fd-test
   "timeline recent-first"
   (let ((body (dream-resp-body (host-fd-app (host-fd-req "/feed")))))
-    (< (index-of body "\"at\":3") (index-of body "\"at\":1")))
+    (< (index-of body ":at 3") (index-of body ":at 1")))
   true)
 
 ;; actor filter: only alice's two activities.
@@ -68,25 +68,18 @@
   "limit caps results"
   (contains?
     (dream-resp-body (host-fd-app (host-fd-req "/feed?limit=1")))
-    "\"at\":1")
+    ":at 1")
   false)
 
 ;; ── golden: endpoint = subsystem recent stream + envelope ───────────
 (host-fd-test
   "golden full timeline"
   (dream-resp-body (host-fd-app (host-fd-req "/feed")))
-  (str
-    "{\"ok\":true,\"data\":"
-    (dream-json-encode (feed/items (feed/recent (feed/all))))
-    "}"))
+  (serialize {:ok true :data (feed/items (feed/recent (feed/all)))}))
 (host-fd-test
   "golden actor-filtered"
   (dream-resp-body (host-fd-app (host-fd-req "/feed?actor=alice")))
-  (str
-    "{\"ok\":true,\"data\":"
-    (dream-json-encode
-      (feed/items (feed/by-actor (feed/recent (feed/all)) "alice")))
-    "}"))
+  (serialize {:ok true :data (feed/items (feed/by-actor (feed/recent (feed/all)) "alice"))}))
 
 ;; ── write: POST /feed (auth + ACL + action) ────────────────────────
 (acl/load! (list (acl-grant "alice" "post" "feed")))
@@ -115,7 +108,7 @@
     (host-fd-wapp
       (host-fd-post
         "Bearer good"
-        "{\"actor\":\"alice\",\"verb\":\"post\",\"object\":\"p9\",\"at\":9}")))
+        "{:actor \"alice\" :verb \"post\" :object \"p9\" :at 9}")))
   201)
 (host-fd-test "post grew feed" (feed/size) 1)
 (host-fd-test
@@ -126,7 +119,7 @@
   true)
 (host-fd-test
   "post non-object body -> 400"
-  (dream-status (host-fd-wapp (host-fd-post "Bearer good" "[1,2]")))
+  (dream-status (host-fd-wapp (host-fd-post "Bearer good" "(1 2)")))
   400)
 
 (define

lib/host/tests/handler.sx

@@ -18,48 +18,48 @@
 ;; ── host/ok ────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
 (host-hd-test "ok status 200" (dream-status (host/ok "x")) 200)
 (host-hd-test
-  "ok content-type json"
+  "ok content-type sx"
   (dream-resp-header (host/ok "x") "content-type")
-  "application/json")
+  "text/sx; charset=utf-8")
 (host-hd-test
   "ok envelope ok:true"
-  (contains? (dream-resp-body (host/ok "x")) "\"ok\":true")
+  (contains? (dream-resp-body (host/ok "x")) ":ok true")
   true)
 (host-hd-test
   "ok envelope carries data"
-  (contains? (dream-resp-body (host/ok "hi")) "\"data\":\"hi\"")
+  (contains? (dream-resp-body (host/ok "hi")) ":data \"hi\"")
   true)
 
 ;; ── host/ok-status ─────────────────────────────────────────────────
 (host-hd-test "ok-status custom" (dream-status (host/ok-status 201 "y")) 201)
 (host-hd-test
   "ok-status data"
-  (contains? (dream-resp-body (host/ok-status 201 "y")) "\"data\":\"y\"")
+  (contains? (dream-resp-body (host/ok-status 201 "y")) ":data \"y\"")
   true)
 
 ;; ── host/error ─────────────────────────────────────────────────────
 (host-hd-test "error status" (dream-status (host/error 404 "nope")) 404)
 (host-hd-test
   "error ok:false"
-  (contains? (dream-resp-body (host/error 404 "nope")) "\"ok\":false")
+  (contains? (dream-resp-body (host/error 404 "nope")) ":ok false")
   true)
 (host-hd-test
   "error message"
-  (contains? (dream-resp-body (host/error 404 "nope")) "\"error\":\"nope\"")
+  (contains? (dream-resp-body (host/error 404 "nope")) ":error \"nope\"")
   true)
 (host-hd-test
-  "error content-type json"
+  "error content-type sx"
   (dream-resp-header (host/error 500 "boom") "content-type")
-  "application/json")
+  "text/sx; charset=utf-8")
 
-;; ── host/json-status ───────────────────────────────────────────────
+;; ── host/sx-status ─────────────────────────────────────────────────
 (host-hd-test
-  "json-status arbitrary status"
-  (dream-status (host/json-status 418 {:a 1}))
+  "sx-status arbitrary status"
+  (dream-status (host/sx-status 418 {:a 1}))
   418)
 (host-hd-test
-  "json-status encodes body"
-  (contains? (dream-resp-body (host/json-status 200 {:a 1})) "\"a\":1")
+  "sx-status serializes body"
+  (contains? (dream-resp-body (host/sx-status 200 {:a 1})) ":a 1")
   true)
 
 ;; ── host/query-int ─────────────────────────────────────────────────

lib/host/tests/middleware.sx

@@ -71,7 +71,7 @@
   "principal threaded to handler"
   (contains?
     (dream-resp-body (host-mw-protected (host-mw-req "Bearer good")))
-    "\"data\":\"alice\"")
+    ":data \"alice\"")
   true)
 (host-mw-test
   "authed but not permitted -> 403"
@@ -81,7 +81,7 @@
   "403 envelope"
   (contains?
     (dream-resp-body (host-mw-protected-del (host-mw-req "Bearer good")))
-    "\"error\":\"forbidden\"")
+    ":error \"forbidden\"")
   true)
 
 ;; ── error trapping ─────────────────────────────────────────────────
@@ -94,7 +94,7 @@
   "500 envelope"
   (contains?
     (dream-resp-body ((host/wrap-errors host-mw-boom) (host-mw-req nil)))
-    "\"ok\":false")
+    ":ok false")
   true)
 
 (define

lib/host/tests/relations.sx

@@ -88,19 +88,11 @@
 (host-rl-test
   "golden children"
   (dream-resp-body (host-rl-app (host-rl-req host-rl-kids)))
-  (str
-    "{\"ok\":true,\"data\":"
-    (dream-json-encode
-      (host/-rel-strings (relations/children (host-rl-sym "org:1") (host-rl-sym "member"))))
-    "}"))
+  (serialize {:ok true :data (host/-rel-strings (relations/children (host-rl-sym "org:1") (host-rl-sym "member")))}))
 (host-rl-test
   "golden parents"
   (dream-resp-body (host-rl-app (host-rl-req host-rl-par)))
-  (str
-    "{\"ok\":true,\"data\":"
-    (dream-json-encode
-      (host/-rel-strings (relations/parents (host-rl-sym "list:7") (host-rl-sym "member"))))
-    "}"))
+  (serialize {:ok true :data (host/-rel-strings (relations/parents (host-rl-sym "list:7") (host-rl-sym "member")))}))
 
 ;; ── writes: attach-child / detach-child (auth + ACL + closed loop) ──
 (acl/load!
@@ -119,7 +111,7 @@
     (dream-request "POST" (str "/internal/actions/" action)
       (if auth {:authorization auth} {}) body)))
 (define host-rl-edge
-  "{\"parent-type\":\"org\",\"parent-id\":\"2\",\"child-type\":\"list\",\"child-id\":\"5\",\"relation-type\":\"member\"}")
+  "{:parent-type \"org\" :parent-id \"2\" :child-type \"list\" :child-id \"5\" :relation-type \"member\"}")
 (define host-rl-org2
   "/internal/data/get-children?parent-type=org&parent-id=2&relation-type=member")
 
@@ -162,12 +154,12 @@
 ;; bad payloads
 (host-rl-test
   "attach non-object body -> 400"
-  (dream-status (host-rl-wapp (host-rl-post "attach-child" "Bearer good" "[1,2]")))
+  (dream-status (host-rl-wapp (host-rl-post "attach-child" "Bearer good" "(1 2)")))
   400)
 (host-rl-test
   "attach missing param -> 400"
   (dream-status
-    (host-rl-wapp (host-rl-post "attach-child" "Bearer good" "{\"parent-type\":\"org\"}")))
+    (host-rl-wapp (host-rl-post "attach-child" "Bearer good" "{:parent-type \"org\"}")))
   400)
 
 (define

lib/host/tests/router.sx

@@ -52,7 +52,7 @@
   "group path param"
   (contains?
     (dream-resp-body (host-rt-app (host-rt-req "GET" "/widgets/42")))
-    "\"data\":\"42\"")
+    ":data \"42\"")
   true)
 
 ;; ── fallback ───────────────────────────────────────────────────────

lib/host/tests/session.sx

@@ -93,7 +93,7 @@
 (host-se-test "principal threaded from the session to the handler"
   (contains?
     (dream-resp-body (host-se-secure (host-se-cookie-of (host-se-login "admin" "secret"))))
-    "\"data\":\"admin\"")
+    ":data \"admin\"")
   true)
 
 ;; ── unauthenticated / forged ────────────────────────────────────────