Dependency direction and call rules

Pulsar separates passive type references from behavioral calls. Delivery calls inward to Domain, Infrastructure implements Domain Contracts, and the detailed matrix below decides the permitted behavioral edges.

Passive type reference and behavioral call

A passive type reference only mentions a type in a signature, return value, property, or data construction. It does not transfer workflow control. A behavioral call invokes another type’s behavior. Imports alone never make a prohibited behavioral edge permissible.

Context: paired reference and call — A Controller may carry a Domain DTO but enters behavior through one UseCase.

final class CreateOrderController
{
    public function store(CreateOrderData $data, CreateOrder $useCase): OrderResource
    {
        $order = $useCase->execute($data); // one behavioral call

        return OrderResource::make($order);
    }
}

CreateOrderData is a permitted passive Domain DTO reference. Calling the UseCase is permitted behavior. A Controller must not make a behavioral call to a Query, Operation, or Action. A Contract signature may mention DTOs, Enums, Value Objects, Models, Events, other Contracts, or Laravel contracts. It must not make a behavioral call to a UseCase, Action, Operation, Service, or concrete Infrastructure type.

Domain Contract layer direction

Origin layer	Behavioral direction
Service delivery	Inward to Domain through its documented entry types.
Domain	Itself and its own Contracts.
Infrastructure	Inward to Domain Contracts it implements.

Nothing points at Delivery: Domain and Infrastructure do not make behavioral calls to Services. That rule does not turn permitted passive values into a delivery-orchestration loophole.

Dependency matrix for behavioral calls

Origin	Behavioral target	Decision
Controller	exactly one UseCase	Allowed. The Controller stays thin and may assemble delivery response after it returns.
Controller	Query, Operation, or Action	Prohibited.
Job or Command	exactly one UseCase	Allowed. Validate, authorize, and establish context first.
Job or Command	Action, Operation, transaction, or branching business logic	Prohibited.
UseCase	Action, Operation, Query, Event, or Domain Contract	Allowed within its stated responsibilities.
UseCase	another UseCase	Prohibited. Extract reusable workflow to an Operation.
Operation	Action, Query, Model, or Contract	Allowed.
Operation	another Operation, UseCase, or Event emission	Prohibited.
Action	Model or Contract	Allowed.
Action	another Action or Query	Prohibited.
Query	Model	Allowed.
Query	Action or another Query	Prohibited.
synchronous Listener	Contract side effect, Notification, or Job	Allowed. It must not call a UseCase.
queued Listener	at most one UseCase	Conditional. Only for queued, idempotent form; synchronous Listener to UseCase is prohibited.
Contract	UseCase, Action, Operation, Service, or concrete Infrastructure	Prohibited as a behavioral dependency.
Infrastructure Adapter	its Domain Contract	Allowed. It implements the consumer-owned port.
Infrastructure Adapter	Service, UseCase, Action, or Operation	Prohibited.
Service A	Service B	Prohibited. Cross-Service communication uses events, not a Service-to-Service call.
Domain or Service	concrete Infrastructure Adapter	Prohibited. Depend on the Domain Contract.

Keep unspecified details unspecified

The matrix is the exhaustive classified dependency rule set. It does not invent an Adapter-to-Adapter rule. Transaction mechanics, Event delivery tiers, authorization, tenancy, and binding details remain on later architecture pages. Use Placement for paths and Preset for the subset a test can check.