Carrier handoffs
Compare the pickup windows for three equal-priority carriers.
- Alder Parcel08:30–09:00Dock 2
- Birch Freight09:00–09:30Dock 4
- Cedar Express09:30–10:00Dock 1
Rule of Rhythm
Equivalent relationships use consistent spacing.
Requirement
Identify a repeated row or column whose adjacent items have the same relationship, then declare an acceptable variation in their gaps. Scope different relationships separately. Within-group spacing and between-group separation need not match.
Why
Consistent spacing can make repetition and grouping easier to follow. DR-006 establishes which evidence belongs together; this rule makes a declared spacing relationship testable. The metric is a Viewrule convention, not a research-backed universal spacing scale.
Computationally falsifiable
gap-variance orders at least three declared items per group by their border-box coordinate on the configured x or y axis; the items must share a row or column band on the other axis. It measures each adjacent edge-to-edge gap in CSS px and compares the population standard deviation divided by the mean with maxCoefficientOfVariation. This coefficient is dimensionless. All-zero gaps have a coefficient of zero; any negative gap is an invalid overlapping sequence and fails. Missing groups or insufficient peers cannot establish rhythm.
Application
Measure the gaps between successive equal-role queue rows or toolbar actions. Use separate contracts for section breaks or another layout at a narrower viewport. Existing relative-position can also bound a declared inter-group gap, but the engine does not infer groups or a preferred separation.
Exception
Deliberately larger gaps may distinguish sections, safety-critical actions, or a change in meaning. Content-driven wrapping can change the intended sequence; review and rescope it rather than compressing text to reduce variance.
Human judgment
Select equivalent relationships and judge whether the absolute spacing is useful. Uniformly excessive or cramped gaps can pass a variance check. The check does not establish optical rhythm, reading order, grouping semantics, two-dimensional grid quality, or an appropriate spacing-token system. Combine with task-specific gap bounds, legibility, and overlap checks where needed. Measurement reference.
Examples
The pair isolates this rule. A good example is not approval of the entire interface.
Composition, measured in context
One small dispatch task per pair. The same invented data, readable type, and content order; one controlled layout change.
Good for this task
Bad for this task
These authored relationships are measurable; relevance, grouping, priority, and appropriate whitespace remain human judgments. No symmetry or universal aesthetic score is required. Open one variant at 800 × 900 and 1280 × 900 to inspect viewport-growth yield.
Handoff checklist
Review three equally related steps before releasing the queue.
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1
Confirm pickup windowsCheck the carrier schedule for this shift.
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2
Match dock assignmentsUse the assigned dock for each carrier.
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3
Review the release queueResolve held shipments before handoff.
Release queue
Compare shipment identities and docks; a wider workspace can expose more of the same queue.
- AL-104Alder Parcel · Dock 2
- BI-208Birch Freight · Dock 4
- CE-312Cedar Express · Dock 1
- AL-116Alder Parcel · Dock 2
- BI-220Birch Freight · Dock 4
- CE-324Cedar Express · Dock 1
Carrier coverage
Inspect three equal-priority handoff plans. None is selected or urgent.
Alder Parcel
Dock 2
08:30–09:00Birch Freight
Dock 4
09:00–09:30Cedar Express
Dock 1
09:30–10:00Enforcement
automated is the strongest mechanism Viewrule expects for the complete rule. Partial checks can still provide supporting evidence without proving the whole requirement.