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Astera Technology

Limit an exception to the condition it actually changes

Use contrasting cases to prevent an exception erasing unrelated requirements.

Compare the rule with concrete cases

Original fictional rule requires a title and an image. Text-only mode waives the image requirement but never the title. A phrase such as “text-only is exempt” is too broad because it does not identify the waived condition.

Filled synthetic modelling cases
CaseMode / titleImageValidity
E1Normal / presentAbsentInvalid: image missing
E2Text-only / presentAbsentValid
E3Text-only / absentAbsentInvalid: title missing
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Work through the distinction

Treat title validity and image validity separately. The exception changes only the image predicate; E3 proves that text-only is not a blanket bypass.

A text-only record has an image but no title. Is it valid?

Show the worked answer

No. The supplied image does not satisfy the independent title requirement.

Acceptance wording to adapt

A record is valid when its title is present and either its image is present or its mode is text-only. Text-only must waive no other required field.

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