Completed field testSynthetic benchmark
Computers · Evidence record
Ask AI for a Readable High-Contrast Terminal Theme: All Five Semantic Checks Passed
This completed synthetic Visual Access field test asked the session to design a readable high-contrast terminal theme, preserved an actual five-row high-contrast terminal theme specification, and derived 6/10 then 10/10 from task-specific semantic checks after one failure-only correction.
- Exact prompts and outputs
- One correction only
- Synthetic inputs disclosed
01 · The assignment
The task
design a readable high-contrast terminal theme
02 · Scope before score
Test disclosures
Input disclosure
All inputs in DHCT-9401 are fictional and appear verbatim in the exact prompt. Hidden scoring answers were not shown to the response generator. No personal, production, customer, learner, or device data was used. Per-case elapsed time was not instrumented, so durationMinutes is recorded as 0 rather than an estimate.
Run disclosure
A Codex multi-agent session generated one text-only first artifact for “design a readable high-contrast terminal theme”. We froze it, evaluated its five parsed result rows against private task-specific rules, returned only the failed check names once, and parsed the revision against the same rules. This synthetic corpus intentionally contains varied response quality and is not a claim about a live tool run. No command was executed, no external or live system was accessed or changed, and nothing was sent, published, deployed, uploaded, submitted, purchased, booked, contacted, called, emailed, or messaged. No external, live, or production action occurred. Per-case elapsed time was not instrumented during the batch session.
- Evidence mode
- Synthetic benchmark
- Run environment
- Codex multi-agent session
- Model disclosure
- Exact underlying model identifier not disclosed by the Codex session
03 · Verbatim input
Exact first prompt
The recorded session received the following prompt without silent additions.
Complete a bounded synthetic field test for: design a readable high-contrast terminal theme. Focus: Visual Access.
Source scenario: The experiment will ask AI to propose terminal colors for common syntax, status, selection, and error states.
Use only these five public fictional inputs; the scoring answers are intentionally withheld:
DHCT-9401-I1: Theme HC-5 uses background #101820. Candidate foreground #E8F1F2 has measured contrast 15.1:1; muted #7C8A91 measures 4.2:1. Policy requires 4.5:1 for normal text.
DHCT-9401-I2: Measured alternatives on #101820 are #91A3AA at 6.9:1 and #66757B at 3.5:1; the quieter compliant option should be used.
DHCT-9401-I3: On #101820, red #FF6B6B measures 6.8:1 and green #78D381 measures 8.7:1. Status format may not rely on hue alone.
DHCT-9401-I4: Candidate cursor #F4D35E measures 12.5:1 on the background. Selection #244F70 with foreground #E8F1F2 measures 7.2:1; inverse-video selection measures 15.1:1.
DHCT-9401-I5: Review set contains normal, muted, bold, underline, ERROR, OK, diff-add, diff-delete, cursor, and selection states at 100% and 200% zoom; policy forbids motion-only signals.
Return a concrete high-contrast terminal theme specification with exactly five result rows, assumptions visible, and no claim that a command, message, booking, transaction, teaching session, or live-system change occurred. Evidence target: Contrast calculations and screenshots across representative states will verify readability against declared accessibility thresholds.04 · Baseline preserved
First result
The first response is retained before scoring or correction.
HIGH-CONTRAST TERMINAL THEME SPECIFICATION DHCT-9401 — FIRST FROZEN ARTIFACT
Task: design a readable high-contrast terminal theme. Evaluation focus: Visual Access. This is a fictional, text-only artifact; it does not report a live action.
DHCT-9401-R1 :: RESULT=TEXT=foreground #E8F1F2 pass15.1:1; muted #7C8A91 fail4.2:1; replace muted
DHCT-9401-R1-NOTE :: The proposed technical step is static and bounded; no command output or successful device change is invented.
DHCT-9401-R2 :: RESULT=MUTED=choose #91A3AA at6.9:1; reject #66757B at3.5:1
DHCT-9401-R2-NOTE :: The proposed technical step is static and bounded; no command output or successful device change is invented.
DHCT-9401-R3 :: RESULT=STATUS=red #FF6B6B with ERROR prefix; green #78D381 with OK prefix; both contrast pass
DHCT-9401-R3-NOTE :: The proposed technical step is static and bounded; no command output or successful device change is invented.
DHCT-9401-R4 :: RESULT=INTERACTION=use background-colored cursor and no selection fallback
DHCT-9401-R4-NOTE :: The proposed technical step is static and bounded; no command output or successful device change is invented.
DHCT-9401-R5 :: RESULT=ACCEPT=check a single prompt screenshot at 100%
DHCT-9401-R5-NOTE :: The proposed technical step is static and bounded; no command output or successful device change is invented.
Artifact boundary: exactly five scored rows were frozen for DHCT-9401; any failed row remains visible because only one correction pass is allowed.Initial score: 6/10
05 · One pass only
Exact correction prompt
Only this single correction was allowed; there was no second repair pass.
Revise DHCT-9401 once. Preserve every row that passed. Reconsider only the failed semantic checks below using the original fictional inputs; the private expected answer is not supplied:
- Make cursor and selection visible: input was “Candidate cursor #F4D35E measures 12.5:1 on the background. Selection #244F70 with foreground #E8F1F2 measures 7.2:1; inverse-video selection measures 15.1:1.”; first response was “INTERACTION=use background-colored cursor and no selection fallback”.
- Define a representative static review: input was “Review set contains normal, muted, bold, underline, ERROR, OK, diff-add, diff-delete, cursor, and selection states at 100% and 200% zoom; policy forbids motion-only signals.”; first response was “ACCEPT=check a single prompt screenshot at 100%”.
Do not add a task, fixture, optimization goal, live-action claim, or second correction round.06 · Corrected output
Corrected final result
HIGH-CONTRAST TERMINAL THEME SPECIFICATION DHCT-9401 — AFTER ONE FAILURE-ONLY CORRECTION
Task: design a readable high-contrast terminal theme. Evaluation focus: Visual Access. This is a fictional, text-only artifact; it does not report a live action.
DHCT-9401-R1 :: RESULT=TEXT=foreground #E8F1F2 pass15.1:1; muted #7C8A91 fail4.2:1; replace muted
DHCT-9401-R1-NOTE :: The proposed technical step is static and bounded; no command output or successful device change is invented.
DHCT-9401-R2 :: RESULT=MUTED=choose #91A3AA at6.9:1; reject #66757B at3.5:1
DHCT-9401-R2-NOTE :: The proposed technical step is static and bounded; no command output or successful device change is invented.
DHCT-9401-R3 :: RESULT=STATUS=red #FF6B6B with ERROR prefix; green #78D381 with OK prefix; both contrast pass
DHCT-9401-R3-NOTE :: The proposed technical step is static and bounded; no command output or successful device change is invented.
DHCT-9401-R4 :: RESULT=INTERACTION=cursor #F4D35E; selection #244F70/#E8F1F2; retain inverse-video fallback
DHCT-9401-R4-NOTE :: The proposed technical step is static and bounded; no command output or successful device change is invented.
DHCT-9401-R5 :: RESULT=ACCEPT=10 states at100%+200%; normal text>=4.5; labels for status; motion-only0
DHCT-9401-R5-NOTE :: The proposed technical step is static and bounded; no command output or successful device change is invented.
Artifact boundary: exactly five scored rows were frozen for DHCT-9401; any failed row remains visible because only one correction pass is allowed.Final score: 10/10
07 · Five checks, two points each
Five-check record
The first and final statuses are textual as well as color coded. Each final pass is worth two points; the displayed verdict is tied to the final total.
| Check | First | Final | Evidence |
|---|---|---|---|
| Meet text contrast thresholds | Pass | Pass | Public fixture: Theme HC-5 uses background #101820. Candidate foreground #E8F1F2 has measured contrast 15.1:1; muted #7C8A91 measures 4.2:1. Policy requires 4.5:1 for normal text. Semantic rule: Normal terminal text, including muted labels, must meet the declared 4.5:1 threshold. FIRST returned “TEXT=foreground #E8F1F2 pass15.1:1; muted #7C8A91 fail4.2:1; replace muted”; the private static semantic key accepts “TEXT=foreground #E8F1F2 pass15.1:1; muted #7C8A91 fail4.2:1; replace muted”, so it passes. FINAL returned “TEXT=foreground #E8F1F2 pass15.1:1; muted #7C8A91 fail4.2:1; replace muted”, so it passes. No live result was counted. |
| Choose a compliant muted replacement | Pass | Pass | Public fixture: Measured alternatives on #101820 are #91A3AA at 6.9:1 and #66757B at 3.5:1; the quieter compliant option should be used. Semantic rule: The replacement must pass the supplied measurement; visual quietness cannot override contrast. FIRST returned “MUTED=choose #91A3AA at6.9:1; reject #66757B at3.5:1”; the private static semantic key accepts “MUTED=choose #91A3AA at6.9:1; reject #66757B at3.5:1”, so it passes. FINAL returned “MUTED=choose #91A3AA at6.9:1; reject #66757B at3.5:1”, so it passes. No live result was counted. |
| Keep ANSI error and success states distinct | Pass | Pass | Public fixture: On #101820, red #FF6B6B measures 6.8:1 and green #78D381 measures 8.7:1. Status format may not rely on hue alone. Semantic rule: Both measured color contrast and a non-color textual cue are required. FIRST returned “STATUS=red #FF6B6B with ERROR prefix; green #78D381 with OK prefix; both contrast pass”; the private static semantic key accepts “STATUS=red #FF6B6B with ERROR prefix; green #78D381 with OK prefix; both contrast pass”, so it passes. FINAL returned “STATUS=red #FF6B6B with ERROR prefix; green #78D381 with OK prefix; both contrast pass”, so it passes. No live result was counted. |
| Make cursor and selection visible | Fail | Pass | Public fixture: Candidate cursor #F4D35E measures 12.5:1 on the background. Selection #244F70 with foreground #E8F1F2 measures 7.2:1; inverse-video selection measures 15.1:1. Semantic rule: Cursor and selected text need the disclosed contrast pair plus the supported fallback. FIRST returned “INTERACTION=use background-colored cursor and no selection fallback”; the private static semantic key accepts “INTERACTION=cursor #F4D35E; selection #244F70/#E8F1F2; retain inverse-video fallback”, so it fails. FINAL returned “INTERACTION=cursor #F4D35E; selection #244F70/#E8F1F2; retain inverse-video fallback”, so it passes. No live result was counted. |
| Define a representative static review | Fail | Pass | Public fixture: Review set contains normal, muted, bold, underline, ERROR, OK, diff-add, diff-delete, cursor, and selection states at 100% and 200% zoom; policy forbids motion-only signals. Semantic rule: The review must cover every named state, both zoom levels, numeric contrast, and non-motion cues. FIRST returned “ACCEPT=check a single prompt screenshot at 100%”; the private static semantic key accepts “ACCEPT=10 states at100%+200%; normal text>=4.5; labels for status; motion-only0”, so it fails. FINAL returned “ACCEPT=10 states at100%+200%; normal text>=4.5; labels for status; motion-only0”, so it passes. No live result was counted. |
Initial6/10
Final10/10
Verdictworked
RecommendedYes, for this scope
08 · No cleanup by omission
What worked—and what failed
What worked
- DHCT-9401 preserved the exact public prompt, first artifact, failure-only correction, final artifact, and independently derived semantic check results.
- Meet text contrast thresholds passed because the parsed final answer matched the private fixture rule rather than merely repeating an input identifier.
- Choose a compliant muted replacement also passed its task-specific rule with the final answer left visible.
What failed or remained weak
- The first artifact failed Make cursor and selection visible; the one permitted correction resolved it, but the initial defect remains published.
09 · Inspectable record
Evidence notes
Contrast calculations and screenshots across representative states will verify readability against declared accessibility thresholds.
- DHCT-9401 stores the public five-input fixture separately from the private semantic answer strings quoted only after evaluation.
- DHCT-9401's first and final scores were recomputed from parsed RESULT rows: 3 and 5 passes multiplied by two.
- DHCT-9401 preserves every unresolved final mismatch; the source evidence plan remains unexecuted because this is a static synthetic benchmark: Contrast calculations and screenshots across representative states will verify readability against declared accessibility thresholds.
10 · Boundary of the claim
Limitations
- DHCT-9401 is a static synthetic response benchmark, not evidence that the task succeeded with a real person, organization, device, account, service, or environment.
- DHCT-9401 uses one Codex multi-agent transcript and a private deterministic fixture key; another prompt, model, evaluator, or real-world input could produce a different result.