monochart — draw system in text, in terminal

WHAT: box + arrow picture. pure text. no render tool. goes in README, comment, chat. WHY: cheap. read at glance. git-diffable. renders anywhere monospace runs. TWO KINDS: topology (boxes fan out, who talks to who) · flow (decisions, loops, steps).

VOICE — read this first. This file is written terse to stay small. The DIAGRAM YOU DRAW IS NOT. Labels are for a stranger, so write them in plain words: return response, not RET; buy call option, not BUY CE; holds one position, not slot. No cryptic abbreviations, no internal jargon, nothing that needs a decoder. Terse file, readable output — never confuse the two.

NEVER zero-shot. always 3 steps.

model draws ascii badly on first try — misaligns, wrong branches. so:

1. PLAN — pick kind. count boxes. pick ONE center column. list every branch + its label.
2. DRAW — one entry at top. flow top→down. hang children under parent. mirror branches.
3. VERIFY — run checklist below. fix. ONLY THEN show user. never show step-2 draft.