Implement libyaml's simple-key mechanism for flow context: the scanner records a potential key position before a plain or quoted scalar, an anchor/tag, or a [/{ opener, and a later ':' splices a mappingKey token retroactively in front of that node. This lets a quoted scalar ("k":v), a nested collection ({k}:v), or a property-carrying node (&c c: d) become a flow mapping key. In flow context ':' is always a value indicator and '?' always an explicit-key indicator regardless of the next character (the block-only following-blank lookahead is disabled), so adjacent forms and trailing '?' parse, and multi-line plain keys fold before the ':' is read. The flow parser is rebuilt around the flow_sequence_entry / flow_mapping_key / flow_mapping_value productions, composing empty scalars for absent keys and values. The streaming token cursor now buffers an open flow collection's tokens until it closes so the retroactive key splice stays valid.
Flips 10 official YAML test suite cases (348/402): 4FJ6, 8KB6, 9BXH, 9MMW, CN3R, DFF7, FRK4, NJ66, UT92, CT4Q. Flow collections used as block mapping keys (LX3P, 6BFJ) need the splice in block context and stay tracked. Updates manifest, fixtures, counts, and roadmap.
A mapping key is a full node: it may carry &anchor and !tag properties and may itself be an *alias. Fixes: (1) anchor/alias name scanning now stops at the first non-name character per yaml_parser_scan_anchor, so *a: reads as alias 'a' plus a mapping indicator instead of name 'a:'; (2) the block-mapping parser enters on a leading node property or alias, attaches same-line key properties to the key node, and emits alias keys directly; (3) an anchor or tag at value position with no same-line node composes an empty (null) value carrying the property, so 'a: &anchor' registers the anchor; (4) the composer registers an anchor's resolved model value (an empty anchored scalar registers null); (5) implicit keys with trailing spaces before the colon are recognized.
Flips 10 official YAML test suite cases to passing (280/402), including G9HC now correctly rejected. 2SXE no longer false-rejects but still value-mismatches on compact-mapping interpretation (a separate gap), so it is reclassified in the manifest rather than removed. Updates the manifest, fixtures, counts, and roadmap.
Compose an empty scalar wherever a node is grammatically required but the next token is a structural indicator or line/stream end, mirroring libyaml's process_empty_scalar: after a tag or anchor property with no node, as an absent mapping value (block and flow), as an absent mapping key (both the plain ': v' form and the explicit '?' form), in flow empty key/value forms ({ : }, { , : v }), and for an indented block node following properties. Also fixes a pre-existing block-sequence bug that nested a sibling '-' as a child when only properties remained on the entry line.
Empty scalars resolve through the existing resolver against the empty string, so !!str yields the empty string, bare empty or !!null yields null, and an empty key yields the empty string.
Flips 20 official YAML test suite cases to passing (270/402). CT4Q no longer false-rejects but still value-mismatches on flow plain-scalar folding (a separate gap), so it is reclassified in the manifest rather than removed. Updates the gap manifest, fixtures, counts, and roadmap.
Add structured validation diagnostics, JSON and Yams comparison gates, and lazy token/event parsing so production behavior is measured without retaining full intermediate parser arrays.
