node.go

@@ -68,7 +68,7 @@ type cellSite struct {
 	row   int
 }
 
-// templateLink is what a template's references resolve to in the assembled tree.
+// templateLink is what a template resolves to in the assembled tree.
 type templateLink struct {
 	refs         map[string]refBinding // each reference the format reads -> what it resolves to
 	refHeads     map[string]node       // each refBinding.key -> the category it names
@@ -172,7 +172,11 @@ func compileAt(v any, pos position) (node, error) {
 func compileItem(v any, pos position) (node, error) {
 	switch v := v.(type) {
 	case string:
-		return compileString(v)
+		t, err := compileString(v, cellSite{})
+		if err != nil {
+			return nil, err
+		}
+		return t, nil
 	case []any:
 		return compileChoice(v, pos)
 	case map[string]any:
@@ -199,12 +203,12 @@ func jsonKind(v any) string {
 	return fmt.Sprintf("%T", v)
 }
 
-func compileString(s string) (node, error) {
+func compileString(s string, cell cellSite) (*template, error) {
 	toks, err := parseChecked(s, nil)
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, err
 	}
-	return &template{format: s, tokens: toks, repeat: 1, fromString: true}, nil
+	return &template{format: s, tokens: toks, repeat: 1, fromString: true, cell: cell}, nil
 }
 
 // fixedText is one render's output when the format holds no token; repeat is the caller's.

table.go

@@ -308,14 +308,14 @@ func (t *table) checkCells() error {
 		if strings.IndexByte(cell, '{') < 0 && strings.IndexByte(cell, '}') < 0 {
 			continue
 		}
-		toks, err := parseChecked(cell, nil)
+		n, err := compileString(cell, cellSite{t, row})
 		if err != nil {
 			return fmt.Errorf("line %d, %s: %w", row+2, t.header[col], err)
 		}
 		if t.cellTemplates == nil {
 			t.cellTemplates = map[int]*template{}
 		}
-		t.cellTemplates[i] = &template{format: cell, tokens: toks, repeat: 1, fromString: true, cell: cellSite{t, row}}
+		t.cellTemplates[i] = n
 	}
 	return nil
 }

todo.md

@@ -23,9 +23,6 @@ Shape 5.8, Self-sufficiency 5.7), every seat capped by Locality, all nine naming
 
 This round, in order:
 
-- Return each phase's output from compile, link and format compile, not fill
-  `template`'s 25 fields in place from four files: five seats had to know which phase a
-  function runs in to know which fields are valid yet.
 - Make `renderEdges` panic on a node it does not handle, as `render` does: its
   `default: return nil` silently exempts a new node kind from every fence, and nothing
   at `expand` says `renderEdges` mirrors it.