diff --git a/.github/workflows/ci.yml b/.github/workflows/ci.yml
index e065dee..22f6ae7 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/ci.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/ci.yml
@@ -23,7 +23,7 @@
 # INGROUP: GitHub.Actions.ContinuousIntegration
 # REPO: https://github.com/mokoconsulting-tech/MokoStandards
 # PATH: /.github/workflows/ci.yml
-# VERSION: 03.05.00
+# VERSION: 01.00.00
 # BRIEF: Continuous integration governance workflow for standards enforcement.
 # NOTE: Runs on every push. Auto-normalizes YAML tabs to two spaces before validation.
 # ============================================================================
@@ -35,8 +35,8 @@ on:
   pull_request:
   workflow_dispatch:
     inputs:
-      auto_fix_tabs:
-        description: "Run scripts/fix_tabs.sh before validation (does not commit changes)"
+      auto_fix/tabs:
+        description: "Run scripts/fix/tabs.sh before validation (does not commit changes)"
         required: false
         default: false
         type: boolean
@@ -65,7 +65,7 @@ jobs:
           fetch-depth: 0
 
       - name: Auto-fix YAML tabs when YAML changes detected
-        if: ${{ github.event_name != 'workflow_dispatch' || inputs.auto_fix_tabs }}
+        if: ${{ github.event_name != 'workflow_dispatch' || inputs.auto_fix/tabs }}
         run: |
           set -euo pipefail
 
@@ -96,50 +96,50 @@ jobs:
           fi
 
           if [ -n "$CHANGED_YAML" ]; then
-            echo "YAML changes detected. Running fix_tabs.sh"
-            if [ -x "./scripts/fix_tabs.sh" ]; then
-              ./scripts/fix_tabs.sh
+            echo "YAML changes detected. Running fix/tabs.sh"
+            if [ -x "./scripts/fix/tabs.sh" ]; then
+              ./scripts/fix/tabs.sh
             else
-              echo "fix_tabs.sh not present, skipping"
+              echo "fix/tabs.sh not present, skipping"
             fi
           else
-            echo "No YAML changes detected. Skipping fix_tabs.sh"
+            echo "No YAML changes detected. Skipping fix/tabs.sh"
           fi
 
       - name: Validate YAML tabs usage
         run: |
           set -euo pipefail
-          if [ -x "./scripts/validate_tabs.sh" ]; then
-            ./scripts/validate_tabs.sh
+          if [ -x "./scripts/validate/tabs.sh" ]; then
+            ./scripts/validate/tabs.sh
           else
-            echo "validate_tabs.sh not present, skipping"
+            echo "validate/tabs.sh not present, skipping"
           fi
 
       - name: Validate file paths
         run: |
           set -euo pipefail
-          if [ -x "./scripts/validate_paths.sh" ]; then
-            ./scripts/validate_paths.sh
+          if [ -x "./scripts/validate/paths.sh" ]; then
+            ./scripts/validate/paths.sh
           else
-            echo "validate_paths.sh not present, skipping"
+            echo "validate/paths.sh not present, skipping"
           fi
 
       - name: Validate CHANGELOG governance
         run: |
           set -euo pipefail
-          if [ -x "./scripts/validate_changelog.sh" ]; then
-            ./scripts/validate_changelog.sh
+          if [ -x "./scripts/validate/changelog.sh" ]; then
+            ./scripts/validate/changelog.sh
           else
-            echo "validate_changelog.sh not present, skipping"
+            echo "validate/changelog.sh not present, skipping"
           fi
 
       - name: Validate Joomla manifests
         run: |
           set -euo pipefail
-          if [ -x "./scripts/validate_manifest.sh" ]; then
-            ./scripts/validate_manifest.sh
+          if [ -x "./scripts/validate/manifest.sh" ]; then
+            ./scripts/validate/manifest.sh
           else
-            echo "validate_manifest.sh not present, skipping"
+            echo "validate/manifest.sh not present, skipping"
           fi
 
       - name: Continuous integration completion
diff --git a/.github/workflows/release_pipeline.yml b/.github/workflows/release_pipeline.yml
index 409d323..28628c5 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/release_pipeline.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/release_pipeline.yml
@@ -23,7 +23,7 @@
 # INGROUP: MokoStandards.Release
 # REPO: https://github.com/mokoconsulting-tech/MokoStandards
 # PATH: /.github/workflows/release_pipeline.yml
-# VERSION: 03.05.00
+# VERSION: 01.00.00
 # BRIEF: Enterprise release pipeline enforcing dev to rc to version to main. Creates prerelease when rc is created. Creates full release when version is created and promotes to main while retaining the version branch.
 # NOTE:
 # ============================================================================
@@ -199,10 +199,10 @@ jobs:
             echo "  \"repository\": \"${GITHUB_REPOSITORY}\","
             echo "  \"workflow\": \"${GITHUB_WORKFLOW}\","
             echo "  \"job\": \"${GITHUB_JOB}\","
-            echo "  \"run_id\": ${GITHUB_RUN_ID},"
-            echo "  \"run_number\": ${GITHUB_RUN_NUMBER},"
-            echo "  \"run_attempt\": ${GITHUB_RUN_ATTEMPT},"
-            echo "  \"run_url\": \"${GITHUB_SERVER_URL}/${GITHUB_REPOSITORY}/actions/runs/${GITHUB_RUN_ID}\","
+            echo "  \"run/id\": ${GITHUB_run/ID},"
+            echo "  \"run/number\": ${GITHUB_run/NUMBER},"
+            echo "  \"run/attempt\": ${GITHUB_run/ATTEMPT},"
+            echo "  \"run/url\": \"${GITHUB_SERVER_URL}/${GITHUB_REPOSITORY}/actions/runs/${GITHUB_run/ID}\","
             echo "  \"actor\": \"${GITHUB_ACTOR}\","
             echo "  \"actor_permission\": \"${{ steps.auth.outputs.permission }}\","
             echo "  \"sha\": \"${GITHUB_SHA}\","
@@ -232,10 +232,10 @@ jobs:
             printf '"repository":"%s",' "${GITHUB_REPOSITORY}"
             printf '"workflow":"%s",' "${GITHUB_WORKFLOW}"
             printf '"job":"%s",' "${GITHUB_JOB}"
-            printf '"run_id":%s,' "${GITHUB_RUN_ID}"
-            printf '"run_number":%s,' "${GITHUB_RUN_NUMBER}"
-            printf '"run_attempt":%s,' "${GITHUB_RUN_ATTEMPT}"
-            printf '"run_url":"%s",' "${GITHUB_SERVER_URL}/${GITHUB_REPOSITORY}/actions/runs/${GITHUB_RUN_ID}"
+            printf '"run/id":%s,' "${GITHUB_run/ID}"
+            printf '"run/number":%s,' "${GITHUB_run/NUMBER}"
+            printf '"run/attempt":%s,' "${GITHUB_run/ATTEMPT}"
+            printf '"run/url":"%s",' "${GITHUB_SERVER_URL}/${GITHUB_REPOSITORY}/actions/runs/${GITHUB_run/ID}"
             printf '"actor":"%s",' "${GITHUB_ACTOR}"
             printf '"event":"%s",' "${GITHUB_EVENT_NAME}"
             printf '"ref_name":"%s",' "${GITHUB_REF_NAME}"
@@ -697,7 +697,7 @@ jobs:
           {
             echo "### Build report"
             echo "```json"
-            echo "{\"repository\":\"${GITHUB_REPOSITORY}\",\"workflow\":\"${GITHUB_WORKFLOW}\",\"job\":\"${GITHUB_JOB}\",\"run_id\":${GITHUB_RUN_ID},\"run_number\":${GITHUB_RUN_NUMBER},\"run_attempt\":${GITHUB_RUN_ATTEMPT},\"run_url\":\"${GITHUB_SERVER_URL}/${GITHUB_REPOSITORY}/actions/runs/${GITHUB_RUN_ID}\",\"actor\":\"${GITHUB_ACTOR}\",\"sha\":\"${GITHUB_SHA}\",\"archive_policy\":\"src_only\",\"manifest\":\"${MANIFEST}\",\"extension_type\":\"${EXT_TYPE}\",\"zip\":\"${DIST_DIR}/${ZIP}\",\"zip_bytes\":${ZIP_BYTES}}"
+            echo "{\"repository\":\"${GITHUB_REPOSITORY}\",\"workflow\":\"${GITHUB_WORKFLOW}\",\"job\":\"${GITHUB_JOB}\",\"run/id\":${GITHUB_run/ID},\"run/number\":${GITHUB_run/NUMBER},\"run/attempt\":${GITHUB_run/ATTEMPT},\"run/url\":\"${GITHUB_SERVER_URL}/${GITHUB_REPOSITORY}/actions/runs/${GITHUB_run/ID}\",\"actor\":\"${GITHUB_ACTOR}\",\"sha\":\"${GITHUB_SHA}\",\"archive_policy\":\"src_only\",\"manifest\":\"${MANIFEST}\",\"extension_type\":\"${EXT_TYPE}\",\"zip\":\"${DIST_DIR}/${ZIP}\",\"zip_bytes\":${ZIP_BYTES}}"
             echo "```"
           } >> "${GITHUB_STEP_SUMMARY}"
 
diff --git a/.github/workflows/repo_health.yml b/.github/workflows/repo_health.yml
index e398177..f920ce0 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/repo_health.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/repo_health.yml
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@
 # INGROUP: MokoStandards.Validation
 # REPO: https://github.com/mokoconsulting-tech/MokoStandards
 # PATH: /.github/workflows/repo_health.yml
-# VERSION: 03.05.00
+# VERSION: 01.00.00
 # BRIEF: Enforces repository guardrails by validating release configuration, scripts governance, tooling availability, and core repository health artifacts.
 # NOTE: Field is user-managed.
 # ============================================================================
diff --git a/.github/workflows/version_branch.yml b/.github/workflows/version_branch.yml
index e34e1d6..2a63476 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/version_branch.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/version_branch.yml
@@ -20,7 +20,7 @@
 # INGROUP: GitHub.Versioning.Branching
 # REPO: https://github.com/mokoconsulting-tech/MokoStandards
 # PATH: /.github/workflows/version_branch.yml
-# VERSION: 03.05.00
+# VERSION: 01.00.00
 # BRIEF: Create a dev/<version> branch and align versions across governed files
 # NOTE: Enterprise gates: required artifacts, namespace defense, deterministic reporting, control character guard
 
@@ -256,9 +256,9 @@ jobs:
           source "$CI_HELPERS"
           moko_init "Branch namespace collision defense"
 
-          PREFIX_TOP="${BRANCH_PREFIX%%/*}"
-          if git ls-remote --exit-code --heads origin "${PREFIX_TOP}" >/dev/null 2>&1; then
-            echo "[FATAL] Branch namespace collision detected: '${PREFIX_TOP}' exists on origin." >&2
+          PREfix/TOP="${BRANCH_PREFIX%%/*}"
+          if git ls-remote --exit-code --heads origin "${PREfix/TOP}" >/dev/null 2>&1; then
+            echo "[FATAL] Branch namespace collision detected: '${PREfix/TOP}' exists on origin." >&2
             exit 2
           fi
 
diff --git a/scripts/fix/paths.sh b/scripts/fix/paths.sh
index b5ecaf2..d4f91bf 100644
--- a/scripts/fix/paths.sh
+++ b/scripts/fix/paths.sh
@@ -21,8 +21,8 @@
 # DEFGROUP: MokoStandards
 # INGROUP: Generic.Script
 # REPO: https://github.com/mokoconsulting-tech/MokoStandards
-# PATH: /scripts/fix_paths.sh
-# VERSION: 03.05.00
+# PATH: /scripts/fix/paths.sh
+# VERSION: 01.00.00
 # BRIEF: Replace Windows-style path separators with POSIX separators in text files.#
 # Purpose:
 # - Normalize path separators in text files to forward slashes (/).
@@ -31,7 +31,7 @@
 # - Preserves file contents aside from path separator normalization.
 #
 # Usage:
-#   ./scripts/fix_paths.sh
+#   ./scripts/fix/paths.sh
 # =============================================================================
 
 set -euo pipefail
diff --git a/scripts/fix/tabs.sh b/scripts/fix/tabs.sh
index 61b1ec3..dd28f88 100644
--- a/scripts/fix/tabs.sh
+++ b/scripts/fix/tabs.sh
@@ -23,8 +23,8 @@
 # DEFGROUP: MokoStandards
 # INGROUP: GitHub.Actions.Utilities
 # REPO: https://github.com/mokoconsulting-tech/MokoStandards
-# PATH: /scripts/fix_tabs.sh
-# VERSION: 03.05.00
+# PATH: /scripts/fix/tabs.sh
+# VERSION: 01.00.00
 # BRIEF: Utility script to replace tab characters with two spaces in YAML files.
 # NOTE: Intended for local developer use. Not executed automatically in CI.
 # ============================================================================
@@ -35,8 +35,8 @@ log() {
   printf '%s\n' "$*"
 }
 
-log "[fix_tabs] Scope: *.yml, *.yaml"
-log "[fix_tabs] Action: replace tab characters with two spaces"
+log "[fix/tabs] Scope: *.yml, *.yaml"
+log "[fix/tabs] Action: replace tab characters with two spaces"
 
 changed=0
 
@@ -48,7 +48,7 @@ else
 fi
 
 if [ -z "${files}" ]; then
-  log "[fix_tabs] No YAML files found. Nothing to fix."
+  log "[fix/tabs] No YAML files found. Nothing to fix."
   exit 0
 fi
 
@@ -57,17 +57,17 @@ while IFS= read -r f; do
   [ -f "$f" ] || continue
 
   if LC_ALL=C grep -q $'\t' -- "$f"; then
-    log "[fix_tabs] Fixing tabs in: $f"
+    log "[fix/tabs] Fixing tabs in: $f"
     # Replace literal tab characters with exactly two spaces
     sed -i 's/\t/  /g' "$f"
     changed=1
   else
-    log "[fix_tabs] Clean: $f"
+    log "[fix/tabs] Clean: $f"
   fi
 done <<< "${files}"
 
 if [ "$changed" -eq 1 ]; then
-  log "[fix_tabs] Completed with modifications"
+  log "[fix/tabs] Completed with modifications"
 else
-  log "[fix_tabs] No changes required"
+  log "[fix/tabs] No changes required"
 fi
diff --git a/scripts/release/update_changelog.sh b/scripts/release/update_changelog.sh
index 6140ef1..d6cd950 100644
--- a/scripts/release/update_changelog.sh
+++ b/scripts/release/update_changelog.sh
@@ -23,7 +23,7 @@
 # INGROUP: Generic.Script
 # REPO: https://github.com/mokoconsulting-tech/MokoStandards
 # PATH: /scripts/update_changelog.sh
-# VERSION: 03.05.00
+# VERSION: 01.00.00
 # BRIEF: Insert a versioned CHANGELOG.md entry immediately after the main Changelog heading
 # Purpose:
 # - Apply the MokoWaaS-Brand CHANGELOG template entry for a given version.
@@ -55,7 +55,7 @@ require_cmd() {
 	command -v "$1" >/dev/null 2>&1 || die "Missing required command: $1"
 }
 
-validate_version() {
+validate/version() {
 	local v="$1"
 	[[ "$v" =~ ^[0-9]{2}\.[0-9]{2}\.[0-9]{2}$ ]] || die "Invalid version '$v'. Expected NN.NN.NN (example 03.01.00)."
 }
@@ -68,7 +68,7 @@ main() {
 
 	[[ $# -eq 1 ]] || die "Usage: $0 <VERSION>"
 	local version="$1"
-	validate_version "$version"
+	validate/version "$version"
 
 	[[ -f "$CHANGELOG_FILE" ]] || die "Missing $CHANGELOG_FILE in repo root."
 
diff --git a/scripts/release/update_dates.sh b/scripts/release/update_dates.sh
index 4acc268..3e8ed79 100644
--- a/scripts/release/update_dates.sh
+++ b/scripts/release/update_dates.sh
@@ -24,7 +24,7 @@
 # INGROUP: Date.Normalization
 # REPO: https://github.com/mokoconsulting-tech/MokoStandards
 # PATH: /scripts/release/update_dates.sh
-# VERSION: 03.05.00
+# VERSION: 01.00.00
 # BRIEF: Normalize release dates across manifests and CHANGELOG using a single authoritative UTC date.
 # NOTE: Repo-controlled script only. CI-fatal on malformed inputs. Outputs a JSON report to stdout.
 
diff --git a/scripts/validate/changelog.sh b/scripts/validate/changelog.sh
index a405cae..5b6ff94 100644
--- a/scripts/validate/changelog.sh
+++ b/scripts/validate/changelog.sh
@@ -1,66 +1,213 @@
-#!/usr/bin/env bash
-#
+# ============================================================================
 # Copyright (C) 2025 Moko Consulting <hello@mokoconsulting.tech>
 #
 # This file is part of a Moko Consulting project.
 #
 # SPDX-License-Identifier: GPL-3.0-or-later
 #
-# FILE INFORMATION
-# DEFGROUP: MokoStandards
-# INGROUP: Tooling.Changelog
-# FILE: verify_changelog.sh
-# BRIEF: Validate CHANGELOG.md governance rules for CI enforcement
+# This program is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify
+# it under the terms of the GNU General Public License as published by
+# the Free Software Foundation; either version 3 of the License, or
+# (at your option) any later version.
 #
-# PURPOSE:
-# Validate that CHANGELOG.md contains only released, properly ordered entries and complies with MokoStandards governance rules.
+# This program is distributed in the hope that it will be useful,
+# but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of
+# MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. See the
+# GNU General Public License for more details.
+#
+# You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License
+# along with this program. If not, see <https://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
+#
+# FILE INFORMATION
+# DEFGROUP: Scripts.Validate
+# INGROUP: MokoStandards.Release
+# REPO: https://github.com/mokoconsulting-tech/MokoStandards
+# PATH: /scripts/validate/changelog.sh
+# VERSION: 01.00.00
+# BRIEF: Validates CHANGELOG.md structure and confirms a release section exists for the current version inferred from branch, tag, or env.
+# NOTE:
+# ============================================================================
 
 set -euo pipefail
 
-CHANGELOG="CHANGELOG.md"
+json_escape() {
+	python3 - <<'PY' "$1"
+import json,sys
+print(json.dumps(sys.argv[1]))
+PY
+}
 
-if [ ! -f "$CHANGELOG" ]; then
-  echo "ERROR: CHANGELOG.md not found at repository root" >&2
-  exit 1
+fail() {
+	local msg="$1"
+	local extra="${2:-}"
+	if [ -n "${extra}" ]; then
+		printf '{"status":"fail","error":%s,%s}\n' "$(json_escape "${msg}")" "${extra}"
+	else
+		printf '{"status":"fail","error":%s}\n' "$(json_escape "${msg}")"
+	fi
+	exit 1
+}
+
+ok() {
+	local extra="${1:-}"
+	if [ -n "${extra}" ]; then
+		printf '{"status":"ok",%s}\n' "${extra}"
+	else
+		printf '{"status":"ok"}\n'
+	fi
+}
+
+# Version resolution order:
+# 1) explicit env: RELEASE_VERSION or VERSION
+# 2) branch name (GITHUB_REF_NAME): rc/x.y.z or version/x.y.z or dev/x.y.z
+# 3) tag name (GITHUB_REF_NAME): vX.Y.Z or vX.Y.Z-rc
+# 4) git describe tag fallback
+VERSION_IN="${RELEASE_VERSION:-${VERSION:-}}"
+
+ref_name="${GITHUB_REF_NAME:-}"
+
+infer_from_ref() {
+	local r="$1"
+	if printf '%s' "${r}" | grep -Eq '^(dev|rc|version)/[0-9]+\.[0-9]+\.[0-9]+$'; then
+		printf '%s' "${r#*/}"
+		return 0
+	fi
+	if printf '%s' "${r}" | grep -Eq '^v[0-9]+\.[0-9]+\.[0-9]+(-rc)?$'; then
+		r="${r#v}"
+		r="${r%-rc}"
+		printf '%s' "${r}"
+		return 0
+	fi
+	return 1
+}
+
+VERSION_RESOLVED=""
+
+if [ -n "${VERSION_IN}" ]; then
+	if ! printf '%s' "${VERSION_IN}" | grep -Eq '^[0-9]+\.[0-9]+\.[0-9]+$'; then
+		fail "Invalid version format in env" "\"version\":$(json_escape "${VERSION_IN}")"
+	fi
+	VERSION_RESOLVED="${VERSION_IN}"
+else
+	if [ -n "${ref_name}" ]; then
+		if v="$(infer_from_ref "${ref_name}" 2>/dev/null)"; then
+			VERSION_RESOLVED="${v}"
+		fi
+	fi
+
+	if [ -z "${VERSION_RESOLVED}" ]; then
+		tag="$(git describe --tags --abbrev=0 2>/dev/null || true)"
+		if [ -n "${tag}" ]; then
+			if v="$(infer_from_ref "${tag}" 2>/dev/null)"; then
+				VERSION_RESOLVED="${v}"
+			fi
+		fi
+	fi
 fi
 
-CONTENT="$(cat "$CHANGELOG")"
-
-if echo "$CONTENT" | grep -Eiq '^##[[:space:]]*\[?TODO\]?'; then
-  echo "ERROR: TODO section detected in CHANGELOG.md." >&2
-  echo "CHANGELOG.md must contain released versions only." >&2
-  echo "Move all TODO items to TODO.md and remove the section from CHANGELOG.md." >&2
-  exit 1
+if [ -z "${VERSION_RESOLVED}" ]; then
+	fail "Unable to infer version (set RELEASE_VERSION or VERSION, or use a versioned branch/tag)" "\"ref_name\":$(json_escape "${ref_name:-}" )"
 fi
 
-if echo "$CONTENT" | grep -Eiq 'UNRELEASED'; then
-  echo "ERROR: UNRELEASED placeholder detected in CHANGELOG.md." >&2
-  exit 1
+if [ ! -f "CHANGELOG.md" ]; then
+	fail "CHANGELOG.md missing"
 fi
 
-for token in "TBD" "TO BE DETERMINED" "PLACEHOLDER"; do
-  if echo "$CONTENT" | grep -Eiq "$token"; then
-    echo "ERROR: Unresolved placeholder detected: $token" >&2
-    exit 1
-  fi
-done
-
-mapfile -t versions < <(
-  grep -E '^## \[[0-9]+\.[0-9]+\.[0-9]+\] [0-9]{4}-[0-9]{2}-[0-9]{2}$' "$CHANGELOG" \
-  | sed -E 's/^## \[([0-9]+\.[0-9]+\.[0-9]+)\].*/\1/'
-)
-
-if [ "${#versions[@]}" -eq 0 ]; then
-  echo "ERROR: No valid version headings found in CHANGELOG.md" >&2
-  exit 1
+if [ ! -s "CHANGELOG.md" ]; then
+	fail "CHANGELOG.md is empty"
 fi
 
-sorted_versions="$(printf '%s\n' "${versions[@]}" | sort -Vr)"
+# Core structural checks
+# - Must contain at least one H2 heading with a bracketed version
+# - Must contain an Unreleased section
+# - Must contain a section for the resolved version
 
-if [ "$(printf '%s\n' "${versions[@]}")" != "$sorted_versions" ]; then
-  echo "ERROR: Versions are not ordered from newest to oldest" >&2
-  exit 1
+unreleased_ok=false
+if grep -Eq '^## \[Unreleased\]' CHANGELOG.md; then
+	unreleased_ok=true
 fi
 
-echo "CHANGELOG.md validation passed"
-exit 0
+if [ "${unreleased_ok}" != "true" ]; then
+	fail "CHANGELOG.md missing '## [Unreleased]' section"
+fi
+
+if ! grep -Eq '^## \[[0-9]+\.[0-9]+\.[0-9]+\]' CHANGELOG.md; then
+	fail "CHANGELOG.md has no version sections (expected headings like: ## [x.y.z])"
+fi
+
+# Version section existence
+if ! grep -Fq "## [${VERSION_RESOLVED}]" CHANGELOG.md; then
+	fail "CHANGELOG.md missing version section" "\"version\":$(json_escape "${VERSION_RESOLVED}")"
+fi
+
+# Optional quality checks (warnings only)
+warnings=()
+
+# Expect a date on the same line as the version heading, like: ## [x.y.z] YYYY-MM-DD
+if ! grep -Eq "^## \[${VERSION_RESOLVED}\] [0-9]{4}-[0-9]{2}-[0-9]{2}$" CHANGELOG.md; then
+	warnings+=("version_heading_date_missing_or_nonstandard")
+fi
+
+# Minimal section content: require at least one non-empty line between this version heading and the next heading.
+python3 - <<'PY' "${VERSION_RESOLVED}" || true
+import re,sys
+ver = sys.argv[1]
+text = open('CHANGELOG.md','r',encoding='utf-8').read().splitlines()
+start = None
+for i,line in enumerate(text):
+	if line.startswith(f"## [{ver}]"):
+		start = i
+		break
+if start is None:
+	sys.exit(0)
+end = len(text)
+for j in range(start+1,len(text)):
+	if text[j].startswith('## ['):
+		end = j
+		break
+block = [ln for ln in text[start+1:end] if ln.strip()]
+# block contains at least one meaningful line (excluding blank)
+if len(block) == 0:
+	print('WARN: version_section_empty')
+PY
+
+if grep -Fq 'WARN: version_section_empty' <(python3 - <<'PY' "${VERSION_RESOLVED}" 2>/dev/null || true
+import sys
+ver = sys.argv[1]
+lines = open('CHANGELOG.md','r',encoding='utf-8').read().splitlines()
+start = None
+for i,l in enumerate(lines):
+	if l.startswith(f"## [{ver}]"):
+		start=i
+		break
+if start is None:
+	sys.exit(0)
+end=len(lines)
+for j in range(start+1,len(lines)):
+	if lines[j].startswith('## ['):
+		end=j
+		break
+block=[ln for ln in lines[start+1:end] if ln.strip()]
+if len(block)==0:
+	print('WARN: version_section_empty')
+PY
+); then
+	warnings+=("version_section_empty")
+fi
+
+# Emit machine-readable report
+if [ "${#warnings[@]}" -gt 0 ]; then
+	# Build JSON array safely
+	warn_json="["
+	sep=""
+	for w in "${warnings[@]}"; do
+		warn_json+="${sep}$(json_escape "${w}")"
+		sep=",";
+	done
+	warn_json+="]"
+	ok "\"version\":$(json_escape "${VERSION_RESOLVED}"),\"ref_name\":$(json_escape "${ref_name:-}"),\"warnings\":${warn_json}"
+else
+	ok "\"version\":$(json_escape "${VERSION_RESOLVED}"),\"ref_name\":$(json_escape "${ref_name:-}"),\"warnings\":[]"
+fi
+
+printf '%s\n' "changelog: ok (version=${VERSION_RESOLVED})"
diff --git a/scripts/validate/language_structure.sh b/scripts/validate/language_structure.sh
index e69de29..2f963de 100644
--- a/scripts/validate/language_structure.sh
+++ b/scripts/validate/language_structure.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,114 @@
+# ============================================================================
+# Copyright (C) 2025 Moko Consulting <hello@mokoconsulting.tech>
+#
+# This file is part of a Moko Consulting project.
+#
+# SPDX-License-Identifier: GPL-3.0-or-later
+#
+# This program is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify
+# it under the terms of the GNU General Public License as published by
+# the Free Software Foundation; either version 3 of the License, or
+# (at your option) any later version.
+#
+# This program is distributed in the hope that it will be useful,
+# but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of
+# MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. See the
+# GNU General Public License for more details.
+#
+# You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License
+# along with this program. If not, see <https://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
+#
+# FILE INFORMATION
+# DEFGROUP: Scripts.Validate
+# INGROUP: MokoStandards.Release
+# REPO: https://github.com/mokoconsulting-tech/MokoStandards
+# PATH: /scripts/validate/language_structure.sh
+# VERSION: 01.00.00
+# BRIEF: Validates Joomla language structure under src/language and enforces folder and INI naming conventions.
+# NOTE:
+# ============================================================================
+
+set -euo pipefail
+
+SRC_DIR="${SRC_DIR:-src}"
+LANG_ROOT="${LANG_ROOT:-${SRC_DIR}/language}"
+
+json_escape() {
+  python3 -c 'import json,sys; print(json.dumps(sys.argv[1]))' "$1"
+}
+
+[ -d "${SRC_DIR}" ] || {
+  printf '{"status":"fail","error":%s}
+' "$(json_escape "src directory missing")"
+  exit 1
+}
+
+python3 - <<'PY' "${LANG_ROOT}"
+import json
+import sys
+import re
+from pathlib import Path
+
+lang_root = Path(sys.argv[1])
+
+# Language directory is optional for some extension types
+if not lang_root.exists():
+  print(json.dumps({"status":"ok","lang_root":str(lang_root),"languages":[],"warnings":["language_root_missing"]}, ensure_ascii=False))
+  sys.exit(0)
+
+if not lang_root.is_dir():
+  print(json.dumps({"status":"fail","error":"language_root_not_directory","lang_root":str(lang_root)}, ensure_ascii=False))
+  sys.exit(1)
+
+lang_dirs = sorted([p for p in lang_root.iterdir() if p.is_dir()])
+
+# Joomla language tags: en-GB, fr-FR, etc.
+pattern = re.compile(r'^[a-z]{2}-[A-Z]{2}$')
+invalid = [p.name for p in lang_dirs if not pattern.match(p.name)]
+
+warnings = []
+
+# Soft expectation: en-GB exists if any language directories exist
+if lang_dirs and not (lang_root / 'en-GB').exists():
+  warnings.append('en-GB_missing')
+
+# Validate INI naming
+missing_ini = []
+nonmatching_ini = []
+
+for d in lang_dirs:
+  ini_files = [p for p in d.glob('*.ini') if p.is_file()]
+  if not ini_files:
+    missing_ini.append(d.name)
+    continue
+  for ini in ini_files:
+    if not (ini.name.startswith(d.name + '.') or ini.name == f"{d.name}.ini"):
+      nonmatching_ini.append(str(ini))
+
+result = {
+  "status": "ok",
+  "lang_root": str(lang_root),
+  "languages": [d.name for d in lang_dirs],
+  "warnings": warnings,
+}
+
+# Hard failures
+if invalid:
+  result.update({"status":"fail","error":"invalid_language_tag_dir","invalid":invalid})
+  print(json.dumps(result, ensure_ascii=False))
+  sys.exit(1)
+
+if nonmatching_ini:
+  result.update({"status":"fail","error":"ini_name_mismatch","nonmatching_ini":nonmatching_ini[:50]})
+  print(json.dumps(result, ensure_ascii=False))
+  sys.exit(1)
+
+if missing_ini:
+  result.update({"status":"fail","error":"missing_ini_files","missing_ini":missing_ini})
+  print(json.dumps(result, ensure_ascii=False))
+  sys.exit(1)
+
+print(json.dumps(result, ensure_ascii=False))
+PY
+
+echo "language_structure: ok"
diff --git a/scripts/validate/license_headers.sh b/scripts/validate/license_headers.sh
index e69de29..ebc29b4 100644
--- a/scripts/validate/license_headers.sh
+++ b/scripts/validate/license_headers.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,91 @@
+# ============================================================================
+# Copyright (C) 2025 Moko Consulting <hello@mokoconsulting.tech>
+#
+# This file is part of a Moko Consulting project.
+#
+# SPDX-License-Identifier: GPL-3.0-or-later
+#
+# This program is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify
+# it under the terms of the GNU General Public License as published by
+# the Free Software Foundation; either version 3 of the License, or
+# (at your option) any later version.
+#
+# This program is distributed in the hope that it will be useful,
+# but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of
+# MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. See the
+# GNU General Public License for more details.
+#
+# You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License
+# along with this program. If not, see <https://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
+#
+# FILE INFORMATION
+# DEFGROUP: Scripts.Validate
+# INGROUP: MokoStandards.Release
+# REPO: https://github.com/mokoconsulting-tech/MokoStandards
+# PATH: /scripts/validate/license_headers.sh
+# VERSION: 01.00.00
+# BRIEF: Validates SPDX license identifier presence near the top of source files under src.
+# NOTE:
+# ============================================================================
+
+set -euo pipefail
+
+SRC_DIR="${SRC_DIR:-src}"
+
+json_escape() {
+	python3 -c 'import json,sys; print(json.dumps(sys.argv[1]))' "$1"
+}
+
+[ -d "${SRC_DIR}" ] || {
+	printf '{"status":"fail","error":%s}\n' "$(json_escape "src directory missing")"
+	exit 1
+}
+
+python3 - <<'PY' "${SRC_DIR}"
+import json
+import sys
+from pathlib import Path
+
+src = Path(sys.argv[1])
+
+exts = {'.php','.js','.css','.sh','.yml','.yaml','.xml'}
+exclude_dirs = {'vendor','node_modules','dist','.git','build','tmp'}
+
+missing = []
+scanned = 0
+
+for p in src.rglob('*'):
+	if not p.is_file():
+		continue
+	if any(part in exclude_dirs for part in p.parts):
+		continue
+	if p.suffix.lower() not in exts:
+		continue
+
+	try:
+		data = p.read_bytes()[:2048]
+	except Exception:
+		continue
+
+	if b'\x00' in data:
+		continue
+
+	scanned += 1
+	head = data.decode('utf-8', errors='replace')
+	if 'SPDX-License-Identifier:' not in head:
+		missing.append(str(p))
+
+if missing:
+	print(json.dumps({
+		"status":"fail",
+		"error":"missing_spdx_identifier",
+		"scanned":scanned,
+		"missing_count":len(missing),
+		"missing":missing[:200]
+	}, ensure_ascii=False))
+	sys.exit(1)
+
+print(json.dumps({"status":"ok","scanned":scanned,"missing_count":0}, ensure_ascii=False))
+PY
+
+echo "license_headers
diff --git a/scripts/validate/manifest.sh b/scripts/validate/manifest.sh
index f7114ad..fb516c5 100644
--- a/scripts/validate/manifest.sh
+++ b/scripts/validate/manifest.sh
@@ -19,92 +19,191 @@
 # along with this program. If not, see <https://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
 #
 # FILE INFORMATION
-# DEFGROUP: Shell.Script
-# INGROUP: MokoStandards.Validation
+# DEFGROUP: Scripts.Validate
+# INGROUP: MokoStandards.Release
 # REPO: https://github.com/mokoconsulting-tech/MokoStandards
-# PATH: /scripts/validate_manifest.sh
-# VERSION: 03.05.00
-# BRIEF: Validate Joomla extension manifest governance before packaging.
-# NOTE: Enforces: manifest discovery, extension type presence, version and creationDate presence, XML wellformedness when xmllint is available.
+# PATH: /scripts/validate/manifest.sh
+# VERSION: 01.00.00
+# BRIEF: Validates presence and basic structure of a Joomla manifest under src. Enforces exactly one primary manifest candidate and required fields by extension type.
+# NOTE:
 # ============================================================================
 
 set -euo pipefail
 
-# Purpose:
-# - Locate the primary Joomla manifest under /src.
-# - Validate that it contains a <extension ... type="..."> root.
-# - Validate required fields exist: <version>, <creationDate>, <name>.
-# - Validate XML is wellformed when xmllint is available.
-#
-# Usage:
-#   ./scripts/validate_manifest.sh
-
-log_json() {
-  # shellcheck disable=SC2059
-  printf '%s\n' "$1"
-}
+log() { printf '%s\n' "$*"; }
 
 fail() {
-  local msg="$1"
-  echo "ERROR: ${msg}" >&2
+  log "ERROR: $*" >&2
   exit 1
 }
 
-[ -d "src" ] || fail "src directory missing"
+SRC_DIR="${SRC_DIR:-src}"
 
-# Discovery priority order.
-manifest=""
-if [ -f "src/templateDetails.xml" ]; then
-  manifest="src/templateDetails.xml"
-elif find src -maxdepth 4 -type f -name 'templateDetails.xml' | head -n 1 | grep -q .; then
-  manifest="$(find src -maxdepth 4 -type f -name 'templateDetails.xml' | head -n 1)"
-elif find src -maxdepth 4 -type f -name 'pkg_*.xml' | head -n 1 | grep -q .; then
-  manifest="$(find src -maxdepth 4 -type f -name 'pkg_*.xml' | head -n 1)"
-elif find src -maxdepth 4 -type f -name 'com_*.xml' | head -n 1 | grep -q .; then
-  manifest="$(find src -maxdepth 4 -type f -name 'com_*.xml' | head -n 1)"
-elif find src -maxdepth 4 -type f -name 'mod_*.xml' | head -n 1 | grep -q .; then
-  manifest="$(find src -maxdepth 4 -type f -name 'mod_*.xml' | head -n 1)"
-elif find src -maxdepth 6 -type f -name 'plg_*.xml' | head -n 1 | grep -q .; then
-  manifest="$(find src -maxdepth 6 -type f -name 'plg_*.xml' | head -n 1)"
-else
-  manifest="$(grep -Rsl --include='*.xml' '<extension' src | head -n 1 || true)"
+if [ ! -d "${SRC_DIR}" ]; then
+  fail "${SRC_DIR} directory missing"
 fi
 
-[ -n "${manifest}" ] || fail "No Joomla manifest XML found under src"
-[ -f "${manifest}" ] || fail "Manifest not found on disk: ${manifest}"
+# Candidate discovery policy: prefer explicit known names, otherwise fall back to extension-root manifests.
+# Goal: choose ONE manifest deterministically.
+manifest_candidates=()
 
-# Validate root tag presence.
-if ! grep -Eq '<extension[^>]*>' "${manifest}"; then
-  fail "Manifest does not contain <extension ...> root: ${manifest}"
+# Template
+if [ -f "${SRC_DIR}/templateDetails.xml" ]; then
+  manifest_candidates+=("${SRC_DIR}/templateDetails.xml")
 fi
 
-ext_type="$(grep -Eo 'type="[^"]+"' "${manifest}" | head -n 1 | cut -d '"' -f2 || true)"
-[ -n "${ext_type}" ] || fail "Manifest missing required attribute type= on <extension>: ${manifest}"
+# Package
+while IFS= read -r f; do
+  [ -n "${f}" ] && manifest_candidates+=("${f}")
+done < <(find "${SRC_DIR}" -maxdepth 4 -type f -name 'pkg_*.xml' 2>/dev/null | sort || true)
 
-# Required fields checks.
-name_val="$(grep -Eo '<name>[^<]+' "${manifest}" | head -n 1 | sed 's/<name>//' || true)"
-version_val="$(grep -Eo '<version>[^<]+' "${manifest}" | head -n 1 | sed 's/<version>//' || true)"
-date_val="$(grep -Eo '<creationDate>[^<]+' "${manifest}" | head -n 1 | sed 's/<creationDate>//' || true)"
+# Component
+while IFS= read -r f; do
+  [ -n "${f}" ] && manifest_candidates+=("${f}")
+done < <(find "${SRC_DIR}" -maxdepth 4 -type f -name 'com_*.xml' 2>/dev/null | sort || true)
 
-[ -n "${name_val}" ] || fail "Manifest missing <name>: ${manifest}"
-[ -n "${version_val}" ] || fail "Manifest missing <version>: ${manifest}"
-[ -n "${date_val}" ] || fail "Manifest missing <creationDate>: ${manifest}"
+# Module
+while IFS= read -r f; do
+  [ -n "${f}" ] && manifest_candidates+=("${f}")
+done < <(find "${SRC_DIR}" -maxdepth 4 -type f -name 'mod_*.xml' 2>/dev/null | sort || true)
 
-# Basic version format guardrail (00.00.00 style).
-if ! printf '%s' "${version_val}" | grep -Eq '^[0-9]+\.[0-9]+\.[0-9]+$'; then
-  fail "Manifest <version> is not semantic (x.y.z): ${version_val}"
+# Plugin
+while IFS= read -r f; do
+  [ -n "${f}" ] && manifest_candidates+=("${f}")
+done < <(find "${SRC_DIR}" -maxdepth 6 -type f -name 'plg_*.xml' 2>/dev/null | sort || true)
+
+# Fallback: any XML containing <extension ...>
+if [ "${#manifest_candidates[@]}" -eq 0 ]; then
+  while IFS= read -r f; do
+    [ -n "${f}" ] && manifest_candidates+=("${f}")
+  done < <(grep -Rsl --include='*.xml' '<extension' "${SRC_DIR}" 2>/dev/null | sort || true)
 fi
 
-# Basic date format guardrail (YYYY-MM-DD).
-if ! printf '%s' "${date_val}" | grep -Eq '^[0-9]{4}-[0-9]{2}-[0-9]{2}$'; then
-  fail "Manifest <creationDate> is not YYYY-MM-DD: ${date_val}"
+if [ "${#manifest_candidates[@]}" -eq 0 ]; then
+  fail "No Joomla manifest XML found under ${SRC_DIR}"
 fi
 
-# XML wellformedness when available.
-if command -v xmllint >/dev/null 2>&1; then
-  xmllint --noout "${manifest}" || fail "xmllint reported invalid XML: ${manifest}"
-else
-  echo "WARN: xmllint not available, skipping strict wellformedness check" >&2
+# De-duplicate while preserving order.
+unique_candidates=()
+for c in "${manifest_candidates[@]}"; do
+  seen=false
+  for u in "${unique_candidates[@]}"; do
+    if [ "${u}" = "${c}" ]; then
+      seen=true
+      break
+    fi
+  done
+  if [ "${seen}" = "false" ]; then
+    unique_candidates+=("${c}")
+  fi
+done
+manifest_candidates=("${unique_candidates[@]}")
+
+# Enforce single primary manifest.
+if [ "${#manifest_candidates[@]}" -gt 1 ]; then
+  {
+    log "ERROR: Multiple manifest candidates detected. Resolve to exactly one primary manifest." >&2
+    log "Candidates:" >&2
+    for c in "${manifest_candidates[@]}"; do
+      log "- ${c}" >&2
+    done
+  }
+  exit 1
 fi
 
-log_json "{\"status\":\"ok\",\"manifest\":\"${manifest}\",\"type\":\"${ext_type}\",\"name\":\"${name_val}\",\"version\":\"${version_val}\",\"creationDate\":\"${date_val}\"}"
+MANIFEST="${manifest_candidates[0]}"
+
+if [ ! -s "${MANIFEST}" ]; then
+  fail "Manifest is empty: ${MANIFEST}"
+fi
+
+# Parse with python for portability (xmllint not guaranteed).
+python3 - <<'PY' "${MANIFEST}" || exit 1
+import sys
+import json
+import xml.etree.ElementTree as ET
+from pathlib import Path
+
+manifest_path = Path(sys.argv[1])
+
+def fail(msg, **ctx):
+  payload = {"status":"fail","error":msg, **ctx}
+  print(json.dumps(payload, ensure_ascii=False))
+  sys.exit(1)
+
+try:
+  tree = ET.parse(manifest_path)
+  root = tree.getroot()
+except Exception as e:
+  fail("XML parse failed", manifest=str(manifest_path), detail=str(e))
+
+if root.tag != "extension":
+  fail("Root element must be <extension>", manifest=str(manifest_path), root=str(root.tag))
+
+ext_type = (root.attrib.get("type") or "").strip().lower() or "unknown"
+allowed_types = {"template","component","module","plugin","package","library","file","files"}
+
+# Minimal required fields across most extension types.
+name_el = root.find("name")
+version_el = root.find("version")
+
+name = (name_el.text or "").strip() if name_el is not None else ""
+version = (version_el.text or "").strip() if version_el is not None else ""
+
+missing = []
+if not name:
+  missing.append("name")
+if not version:
+  missing.append("version")
+
+if ext_type not in allowed_types and ext_type != "unknown":
+  fail("Unsupported extension type", manifest=str(manifest_path), ext_type=ext_type)
+
+# Type-specific expectations.
+warnings = []
+
+if ext_type == "plugin":
+  group = (root.attrib.get("group") or "").strip()
+  if not group:
+    missing.append("plugin.group")
+
+  files_el = root.find("files")
+  if files_el is None:
+    missing.append("files")
+
+elif ext_type in {"component","module","template"}:
+  files_el = root.find("files")
+  if files_el is None:
+    missing.append("files")
+
+elif ext_type == "package":
+  files_el = root.find("files")
+  if files_el is None:
+    missing.append("files")
+  else:
+    # Package should reference at least one child manifest.
+    file_nodes = files_el.findall("file")
+    if not file_nodes:
+      warnings.append("package.files has no <file> entries")
+
+# Optional but commonly expected.
+method = (root.attrib.get("method") or "").strip().lower()
+if method and method not in {"upgrade","install"}:
+  warnings.append(f"unexpected extension method={method}")
+
+# Provide a stable, machine-readable report.
+if missing:
+  fail("Missing required fields", manifest=str(manifest_path), ext_type=ext_type, missing=missing, warnings=warnings)
+
+print(json.dumps({
+  "status": "ok",
+  "manifest": str(manifest_path),
+  "ext_type": ext_type,
+  "name": name,
+  "version": version,
+  "warnings": warnings,
+}, ensure_ascii=False))
+PY
+
+# Human-friendly summary (kept short for CI logs).
+log "manifest: ok (${MANIFEST})"
diff --git a/scripts/validate/no_secrets.sh b/scripts/validate/no_secrets.sh
index e69de29..adba399 100644
--- a/scripts/validate/no_secrets.sh
+++ b/scripts/validate/no_secrets.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,81 @@
+# ============================================================================
+# Copyright (C) 2025 Moko Consulting <hello@mokoconsulting.tech>
+#
+# This file is part of a Moko Consulting project.
+#
+# SPDX-License-Identifier: GPL-3.0-or-later
+#
+# This program is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify
+# it under the terms of the GNU General Public License as published by
+# the Free Software Foundation; either version 3 of the License, or
+# (at your option) any later version.
+#
+# This program is distributed in the hope that it will be useful,
+# but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of
+# MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. See the
+# GNU General Public License for more details.
+#
+# You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License
+# along with this program. If not, see <https://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
+#
+# FILE INFORMATION
+# DEFGROUP: Scripts.Validate
+# INGROUP: MokoStandards.Release
+# REPO: https://github.com/mokoconsulting-tech/MokoStandards
+# PATH: /scripts/validate/no_secrets.sh
+# VERSION: 01.00.00
+# BRIEF: Detects high-confidence secret and credential patterns under src.
+# NOTE:
+# ============================================================================
+
+set -euo pipefail
+
+SRC_DIR="${SRC_DIR:-src}"
+
+json_escape() {
+	python3 -c 'import json,sys; print(json.dumps(sys.argv[1]))' "$1"
+}
+
+[ -d "${SRC_DIR}" ] || {
+	printf '{"status":"fail","error":%s}
+' "$(json_escape "src directory missing")"
+	exit 1
+}
+
+# High-signal patterns only. Any match is a hard fail.
+patterns=(
+	'-----BEGIN (RSA|DSA|EC|OPENSSH) PRIVATE KEY-----'
+	'PuTTY-User-Key-File-'
+	'AKIA[0-9A-Z]{16}'
+	'ASIA[0-9A-Z]{16}'
+	'ghp_[A-Za-z0-9]{36}'
+	'gho_[A-Za-z0-9]{36}'
+	'github_pat_[A-Za-z0-9_]{20,}'
+	'xox[baprs]-[0-9A-Za-z-]{10,48}'
+	'sk_live_[0-9a-zA-Z]{20,}'
+)
+
+regex="$(IFS='|'; echo "${patterns[*]}")"
+
+set +e
+hits=$(grep -RInE --exclude-dir=vendor --exclude-dir=node_modules --exclude-dir=dist "${regex}" "${SRC_DIR}" 2>/dev/null)
+set -e
+
+if [ -n "${hits}" ]; then
+	{
+		echo '{"status":"fail","error":"secret_pattern_detected","hits":['
+		echo "${hits}" | head -n 50 | python3 - <<'PY'
+import json,sys
+lines=[l.rstrip('
+') for l in sys.stdin.readlines() if l.strip()]
+print("
+".join([json.dumps({"hit":l})+"," for l in lines]).rstrip(','))
+PY
+		echo ']}'
+	}
+	exit 1
+fi
+
+printf '{"status":"ok","src_dir":%s}
+' "$(json_escape "${SRC_DIR}")"
+echo "no_secrets: ok"
diff --git a/scripts/validate/paths.sh b/scripts/validate/paths.sh
index 08c2891..3b22882 100644
--- a/scripts/validate/paths.sh
+++ b/scripts/validate/paths.sh
@@ -1,5 +1,4 @@
-#!/usr/bin/env bash
-#
+# ============================================================================
 # Copyright (C) 2025 Moko Consulting <hello@mokoconsulting.tech>
 #
 # This file is part of a Moko Consulting project.
@@ -20,60 +19,53 @@
 # along with this program. If not, see <https://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
 #
 # FILE INFORMATION
-# DEFGROUP: MokoStandards
-# INGROUP: Scripts.Validation
+# DEFGROUP: Scripts.Validate
+# INGROUP: MokoStandards.Release
 # REPO: https://github.com/mokoconsulting-tech/MokoStandards
-# PATH: /scripts/paths.sh
-# VERSION: 03.05.00
-# BRIEF: Detect Windows-style path separators in repository text files for CI enforcement.
-#
+# PATH: /scripts/validate/paths.sh
+# VERSION: 01.00.00
+# BRIEF: Detects Windows-style path literals in source content under src.
+# NOTE:
+# ============================================================================
 
 set -euo pipefail
 
-ROOT_DIR="$(git rev-parse --show-toplevel)"
-EXIT_CODE=0
+SRC_DIR="${SRC_DIR:-src}"
 
-echo "Scanning repository for Windows-style path separators (\\)"
+json_escape() {
+  python3 -c 'import json,sys; print(json.dumps(sys.argv[1]))' "$1"
+}
 
-# Exclude common binary and vendor paths
-EXCLUDES=(
-   ".git"
-   "node_modules"
-   "vendor"
-   "dist"
-   "build"
-)
+[ -d "${SRC_DIR}" ] || {
+  printf '{"status":"fail","error":%s}
+' "$(json_escape "src directory missing")"
+  exit 1
+}
 
-EXCLUDE_ARGS=()
-for path in "${EXCLUDES[@]}"; do
-   EXCLUDE_ARGS+=("--exclude-dir=${path}")
-done
+# Target patterns:
+# - drive letter paths like C:\foo\bar
+# - escaped backslashes in string literals
+regex='[A-Za-z]:\\|\\'
 
-# Only scan likely-text files to reduce false positives from binaries.
-# This list is intentionally broad for standards repos.
-INCLUDE_GLOBS=(
-   "*.md" "*.txt" "*.yml" "*.yaml" "*.json" "*.xml" "*.ini" "*.cfg"
-   "*.sh" "*.bash" "*.ps1" "*.php" "*.js" "*.ts" "*.css" "*.scss"
-   "*.html" "*.htm" "*.vue" "*.java" "*.go" "*.py" "*.rb" "*.c" "*.h" "*.cpp" "*.hpp"
-)
+set +e
+hits=$(grep -RInE --exclude-dir=vendor --exclude-dir=node_modules --exclude-dir=dist "${regex}" "${SRC_DIR}" 2>/dev/null)
+set -e
 
-GREP_INCLUDE_ARGS=()
-for g in "${INCLUDE_GLOBS[@]}"; do
-   GREP_INCLUDE_ARGS+=("--include=${g}")
-done
-
-# Search for backslashes. This is a governance check for repo docs and automation scripts.
-# Note: This does not try to interpret programming-language string escapes.
-MATCHES=$(grep -RIn "\\\\" "${ROOT_DIR}" "${EXCLUDE_ARGS[@]}" "${GREP_INCLUDE_ARGS[@]}" || true)
-
-if [ -n "${MATCHES}" ]; then
-   echo "Windows-style path separators detected in the following files:"
-   echo "${MATCHES}"
-   echo ""
-   echo "CI policy violation: use forward slashes (/) in repository content unless required by runtime logic"
-   EXIT_CODE=1
-else
-   echo "No Windows-style path separators found"
+if [ -n "${hits}" ]; then
+  {
+	 echo '{"status":"fail","error":"windows_path_literal_detected","hits":['
+	 echo "${hits}" | head -n 50 | python3 - <<'PY'
+import json,sys
+lines=[l.rstrip('
+') for l in sys.stdin.readlines() if l.strip()]
+print("
+".join([json.dumps({"hit":l})+"," for l in lines]).rstrip(','))
+PY
+	 echo ']}'
+  }
+  exit 1
 fi
 
-exit "${EXIT_CODE}"
+printf '{"status":"ok","src_dir":%s}
+' "$(json_escape "${SRC_DIR}")"
+echo "paths: ok"
diff --git a/scripts/validate/php_syntax.sh b/scripts/validate/php_syntax.sh
index e69de29..a6087b9 100644
--- a/scripts/validate/php_syntax.sh
+++ b/scripts/validate/php_syntax.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,70 @@
+# ============================================================================
+# Copyright (C) 2025 Moko Consulting <hello@mokoconsulting.tech>
+#
+# This file is part of a Moko Consulting project.
+#
+# SPDX-License-Identifier: GPL-3.0-or-later
+#
+# This program is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify
+# it under the terms of the GNU General Public License as published by
+# the Free Software Foundation; either version 3 of the License, or
+# (at your option) any later version.
+#
+# This program is distributed in the hope that it will be useful,
+# but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of
+# MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. See the
+# GNU General Public License for more details.
+#
+# You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License
+# along with this program. If not, see <https://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
+#
+# FILE INFORMATION
+# DEFGROUP: Scripts.Validate
+# INGROUP: MokoStandards.Release
+# REPO: https://github.com/mokoconsulting-tech/MokoStandards
+# PATH: /scripts/validate/php_syntax.sh
+# VERSION: 01.00.00
+# BRIEF: Runs PHP lint over all PHP files under src. If PHP is unavailable, returns ok with a warning payload.
+# NOTE:
+# ============================================================================
+
+set -euo pipefail
+
+SRC_DIR="${SRC_DIR:-src}"
+
+json_escape() {
+	python3 -c 'import json,sys; print(json.dumps(sys.argv[1]))' "$1"
+}
+
+[ -d "${SRC_DIR}" ] || {
+	printf '{"status":"fail","error":%s}
+' "$(json_escape "src directory missing")"
+	exit 1
+}
+
+if ! command -v php >/dev/null 2>&1; then
+	printf '{"status":"ok","warning":"php_not_available","src_dir":%s}
+' "$(json_escape "${SRC_DIR}")"
+	echo "php_syntax: ok (php not available)"
+	exit 0
+fi
+
+failed=0
+checked=0
+
+while IFS= read -r -d '' f; do
+	checked=$((checked+1))
+	if ! php -l "$f" >/dev/null; then
+		failed=1
+	fi
+done < <(find "${SRC_DIR}" -type f -name '*.php' -print0)
+
+if [ "${failed}" -ne 0 ]; then
+	printf '{"status":"fail","error":"php_lint_failed","files_checked":%s}
+' "${checked}"
+	exit 1
+fi
+
+printf '{"status":"ok","files_checked":%s}
+' "${checked}"
+echo "php_syntax: ok"
diff --git a/scripts/validate/tabs.sh b/scripts/validate/tabs.sh
index 8c7e1bb..c39b53c 100644
--- a/scripts/validate/tabs.sh
+++ b/scripts/validate/tabs.sh
@@ -1,4 +1,3 @@
-#!/usr/bin/env bash
 # ============================================================================
 # Copyright (C) 2025 Moko Consulting <hello@mokoconsulting.tech>
 #
@@ -20,69 +19,47 @@
 # along with this program. If not, see <https://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
 #
 # FILE INFORMATION
-# DEFGROUP: MokoStandards
-# INGROUP: GitHub.Actions.CI
+# DEFGROUP: Scripts.Validate
+# INGROUP: MokoStandards.Release
 # REPO: https://github.com/mokoconsulting-tech/MokoStandards
-# PATH: /scripts/tabs.sh
-# VERSION: 03.05.00
-# BRIEF: CI validator that blocks tab characters in YAML files and enforces two-space indentation policy.
-# NOTE: YAML is indentation sensitive; tabs are noncompliant. This validator fails the job when any tab is detected.
+# PATH: /scripts/validate/tabs.sh
+# VERSION: 01.00.00
+# BRIEF: Detects tab characters in text files under src and fails if any are present.
+# NOTE:
 # ============================================================================
 
 set -euo pipefail
 
-log() {
-  printf '%s\n' "$*"
+SRC_DIR="${SRC_DIR:-src}"
+
+json_escape() {
+	python3 -c 'import json,sys; print(json.dumps(sys.argv[1]))' "$1"
 }
 
-fail=0
+[ -d "${SRC_DIR}" ] || {
+	printf '{"status":"fail","error":%s}
+' "$(json_escape "src directory missing")"
+	exit 1
+}
 
-log "[tabs] Scope: *.yml, *.yaml"
-log "[tabs] Policy: tab characters are noncompliant; replace with two spaces"
+python3 - <<'PY' "${SRC_DIR}"
+import json
+import sys
+from pathlib import Path
 
-# Find YAML files tracked in git first. If not in a git repo, fall back to filesystem search.
-yaml_files=""
-if command -v git >/dev/null 2>&1 && git rev-parse --is-inside-work-tree >/dev/null 2>&1; then
-  yaml_files="$(git ls-files '*.yml' '*.yaml' 2>/dev/null || true)"
-else
-  yaml_files="$(find . -type f \( -name '*.yml' -o -name '*.yaml' \) -print 2>/dev/null || true)"
-fi
+src = Path(sys.argv[1])
+exclude_dirs = {'vendor','node_modules','dist','.git','build','tmp'}
 
-if [ -z "${yaml_files}" ]; then
-  log "[tabs] No YAML files found. Status: PASS"
-  exit 0
-fi
+hits = []
+scanned = 0
 
-log "[tabs] YAML files discovered: $(printf '%s\n' "${yaml_files}" | wc -l | tr -d ' ')"
-
-while IFS= read -r f; do
-  [ -n "$f" ] || continue
-
-  # Skip deleted paths in edge cases
-  [ -f "$f" ] || continue
-
-  # Detect literal tab characters and report with line numbers.
-  if LC_ALL=C grep -n $'\t' -- "$f" >/dev/null 2>&1; then
-	 log "[tabs] FAIL: tab detected in: $f"
-
-	 # Emit an actionable audit trail: line number plus the exact line content.
-	 # Use sed to avoid grep prefix repetition and keep the output deterministic.
-	 LC_ALL=C grep -n $'\t' -- "$f" | while IFS= read -r hit; do
-		log "  ${hit}"
-	 done
-
-	 log "[tabs] Remediation: replace each tab with exactly two spaces"
-	 log "[tabs] Example: sed -i 's/\\t/  /g' \"$f\""
-
-	 fail=1
-  else
-	 log "[tabs] PASS: $f"
-  fi
-done <<< "${yaml_files}"
-
-if [ "$fail" -ne 0 ]; then
-  log "[tabs] Status: FAIL"
-  exit 1
-fi
-
-log "[tabs] Status: PASS"
+for p in src.rglob('*'):
+	if not p.is_file():
+		continue
+	if any(part in exclude_dirs for part in p.parts):
+		continue
+	try:
+		data = p.read_bytes()
+	except Exception:
+		continue
+	if b'
diff --git a/scripts/validate/version_alignment.sh b/scripts/validate/version_alignment.sh
index e69de29..7a14b61 100644
--- a/scripts/validate/version_alignment.sh
+++ b/scripts/validate/version_alignment.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,115 @@
+# ============================================================================
+# Copyright (C) 2025 Moko Consulting <hello@mokoconsulting.tech>
+#
+# This file is part of a Moko Consulting project.
+#
+# SPDX-License-Identifier: GPL-3.0-or-later
+#
+# This program is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify
+# it under the terms of the GNU General Public License as published by
+# the Free Software Foundation; either version 3 of the License, or
+# (at your option) any later version.
+#
+# This program is distributed in the hope that it will be useful,
+# but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of
+# MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. See the
+# GNU General Public License for more details.
+#
+# You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License
+# along with this program. If not, see <https://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
+#
+# FILE INFORMATION
+# DEFGROUP: Scripts.Validate
+# INGROUP: MokoStandards.Release
+# REPO: https://github.com/mokoconsulting-tech/MokoStandards
+# PATH: /scripts/validate/version_alignment.sh
+# VERSION: 01.00.00
+# BRIEF: Validates alignment between inferred version, CHANGELOG.md section, and manifest <version> value.
+# NOTE:
+# ============================================================================
+
+set -euo pipefail
+
+SRC_DIR="${SRC_DIR:-src}"
+
+json_escape() { python3 - <<'PY' "$1"; import json,sys; print(json.dumps(sys.argv[1])); PY; }
+
+fail() {
+	local msg="$1"; shift || true
+	local extra="${1:-}"
+	if [ -n "${extra}" ]; then
+		printf '{"status":"fail","error":%s,%s}
+' "$(json_escape "${msg}")" "${extra}"
+	else
+		printf '{"status":"fail","error":%s}
+' "$(json_escape "${msg}")"
+	fi
+	exit 1
+}
+
+[ -d "${SRC_DIR}" ] || fail "src directory missing" "\"src_dir\":$(json_escape "${SRC_DIR}")"
+
+infer_version_from_ref() {
+	local r="$1"
+	if printf '%s' "${r}" | grep -Eq '^(dev|rc|version)/[0-9]+\.[0-9]+\.[0-9]+$'; then
+		printf '%s' "${r#*/}"
+		return 0
+	fi
+	if printf '%s' "${r}" | grep -Eq '^v[0-9]+\.[0-9]+\.[0-9]+(-rc)?$'; then
+		r="${r#v}"
+		r="${r%-rc}"
+		printf '%s' "${r}"
+		return 0
+	fi
+	return 1
+}
+
+VERSION_RESOLVED="${RELEASE_VERSION:-${VERSION:-}}"
+if [ -z "${VERSION_RESOLVED}" ]; then
+	if [ -n "${GITHUB_REF_NAME:-}" ]; then
+		VERSION_RESOLVED="$(infer_version_from_ref "${GITHUB_REF_NAME}" 2>/dev/null || true)"
+	fi
+fi
+if [ -z "${VERSION_RESOLVED}" ]; then
+	tag="$(git describe --tags --abbrev=0 2>/dev/null || true)"
+	if [ -n "${tag}" ]; then
+		VERSION_RESOLVED="$(infer_version_from_ref "${tag}" 2>/dev/null || true)"
+	fi
+fi
+
+[ -n "${VERSION_RESOLVED}" ] || fail "Unable to infer version" "\"ref_name\":$(json_escape "${GITHUB_REF_NAME:-}")"
+echo "${VERSION_RESOLVED}" | grep -Eq '^[0-9]+\.[0-9]+\.[0-9]+$' || fail "Invalid version format" "\"version\":$(json_escape "${VERSION_RESOLVED}")"
+
+[ -f CHANGELOG.md ] || fail "CHANGELOG.md missing"
+if ! grep -Fq "## [${VERSION_RESOLVED}]" CHANGELOG.md; then
+	fail "CHANGELOG.md missing version section" "\"version\":$(json_escape "${VERSION_RESOLVED}")"
+fi
+
+MANIFEST=""
+if [ -f "${SRC_DIR}/templateDetails.xml" ]; then
+	MANIFEST="${SRC_DIR}/templateDetails.xml"
+else
+	MANIFEST="$(find "${SRC_DIR}" -maxdepth 6 -type f \( -name 'templateDetails.xml' -o -name 'pkg_*.xml' -o -name 'com_*.xml' -o -name 'mod_*.xml' -o -name 'plg_*.xml' \) 2>/dev/null | sort | head -n 1 || true)"
+fi
+
+[ -n "${MANIFEST}" ] || fail "Manifest not found under src" "\"src_dir\":$(json_escape "${SRC_DIR}")"
+
+manifest_version="$(python3 - <<'PY' "${MANIFEST}"
+import sys
+import xml.etree.ElementTree as ET
+p=sys.argv[1]
+root=ET.parse(p).getroot()
+ver=root.findtext('version') or ''
+print(ver.strip())
+PY
+)"
+
+[ -n "${manifest_version}" ] || fail "Manifest missing <version>" "\"manifest\":$(json_escape "${MANIFEST}")"
+
+if [ "${manifest_version}" != "${VERSION_RESOLVED}" ]; then
+	fail "Version mismatch" "\"version\":$(json_escape "${VERSION_RESOLVED}"),\"manifest\":$(json_escape "${MANIFEST}"),\"manifest_version\":$(json_escape "${manifest_version}")"
+fi
+
+printf '{"status":"ok","version":%s,"manifest":%s}
+' "$(json_escape "${VERSION_RESOLVED}")" "$(json_escape "${MANIFEST}")"
+echo "version_alignment: ok"
diff --git a/scripts/validate/xml_wellformed.sh b/scripts/validate/xml_wellformed.sh
index e69de29..0e795c7 100644
--- a/scripts/validate/xml_wellformed.sh
+++ b/scripts/validate/xml_wellformed.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,85 @@
+# ============================================================================
+# Copyright (C) 2025 Moko Consulting <hello@mokoconsulting.tech>
+#
+# This file is part of a Moko Consulting project.
+#
+# SPDX-License-Identifier: GPL-3.0-or-later
+#
+# This program is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify
+# it under the terms of the GNU General Public License as published by
+# the Free Software Foundation; either version 3 of the License, or
+# (at your option) any later version.
+#
+# This program is distributed in the hope that it will be useful,
+# but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of
+# MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. See the
+# GNU General Public License for more details.
+#
+# You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License
+# along with this program. If not, see <https://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
+#
+# FILE INFORMATION
+# DEFGROUP: Scripts.Validate
+# INGROUP: MokoStandards.Release
+# REPO: https://github.com/mokoconsulting-tech/MokoStandards
+# PATH: /scripts/validate/xml_wellformed.sh
+# VERSION: 01.00.00
+# BRIEF: Validates that all XML files under src are well-formed using Python XML parsing.
+# NOTE:
+# ============================================================================
+
+set -euo pipefail
+
+SRC_DIR="${SRC_DIR:-src}"
+
+json_escape() { python3 - <<'PY' "$1"; import json,sys; print(json.dumps(sys.argv[1])); PY; }
+
+emit_ok() {
+	local extra="${1:-}"
+	if [ -n "${extra}" ]; then
+		printf '{"status":"ok",%s}
+' "${extra}"
+	else
+		printf '{"status":"ok"}
+'
+	fi
+}
+
+emit_fail() {
+	local msg="$1"
+	local extra="${2:-}"
+	if [ -n "${extra}" ]; then
+		printf '{"status":"fail","error":%s,%s}
+' "$(json_escape "${msg}")" "${extra}"
+	else
+		printf '{"status":"fail","error":%s}
+' "$(json_escape "${msg}")"
+	fi
+}
+
+[ -d "${SRC_DIR}" ] || { emit_fail "src directory missing" "\"src_dir\":$(json_escape "${SRC_DIR}")"; exit 1; }
+
+python3 - <<'PY' "${SRC_DIR}"
+import json
+import sys
+from pathlib import Path
+import xml.etree.ElementTree as ET
+
+src = Path(sys.argv[1])
+xml_files = sorted([p for p in src.rglob('*.xml') if p.is_file()])
+
+bad = []
+for p in xml_files:
+	try:
+		ET.parse(p)
+	except Exception as e:
+		bad.append({"path": str(p), "error": str(e)})
+
+if bad:
+	print(json.dumps({"status":"fail","error":"XML parse failed","bad_count":len(bad),"bad":bad[:25]}, ensure_ascii=False))
+	sys.exit(1)
+
+print(json.dumps({"status":"ok","src_dir":str(src),"xml_count":len(xml_files)}, ensure_ascii=False))
+PY
+
+echo "xml_wellformed: ok"