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Detect namespace conflicts by comparing pattern strings

  • Status: accepted
  • Date: 2026-09-06

Context and Problem Statement

At boot, two application-service registrations may claim overlapping exclusive namespaces. Detecting that in general means deciding regex intersection, which a boot-time check cannot do.

Considered Options

  • Compare pattern strings, catching only textually identical patterns
  • Attempt real regex-intersection analysis

Decision Outcome

Chosen option: "Compare pattern strings", accepting a known gap.

A false conflict refusing to start a correct deployment would be worse than the gap. The check catches the realistic operator error: two bridges shipping the same pattern.

Negative Consequences

  • Two different regexes that happen to match overlapping identifiers are not reported. This is a documented, accepted gap, not an oversight — it is recorded under "Known gaps" in the module's own guidance.

Positive Consequences

  • Where a conflict is found — duplicate id, duplicate as_token, or an identical namespace pattern — validate_registrations() fails the whole registration set closed, rather than resolving ambiguity by consultation order. Load order is not a security boundary.