CultLib/src/GameCult.Caching/CultCache.cs

using System;
using System.Collections.Concurrent;
using System.Collections.Generic;
using System.Diagnostics;
using System.Globalization;
using System.IO;
using System.Linq;
using System.Numerics;
using System.Reflection;
using System.Runtime.CompilerServices;
using System.Runtime.ExceptionServices;
using System.Security.Cryptography;
using System.Text;
using System.Threading;
using System.Threading.Tasks;
using MessagePack;
using R3;

namespace GameCult.Caching
{
    public sealed class CultSchemaCatalogEntry
    {
        public string SchemaId { get; set; } = string.Empty;
        public string SchemaName { get; set; } = string.Empty;
        public string SchemaVersion { get; set; } = string.Empty;
        public string ContentHash { get; set; } = string.Empty;
        public string CanonicalSchemaJson { get; set; } = string.Empty;
        public string[] CompatibleSchemaIds { get; set; } = Array.Empty<string>();

        public CultSchemaMemberCatalogEntry[] Members { get; set; } = Array.Empty<CultSchemaMemberCatalogEntry>();
    }

    public sealed class CultSchemaMemberCatalogEntry
    {
        public int Slot { get; set; }

        public string MemberName { get; set; } = string.Empty;

        public string TypeName { get; set; } = string.Empty;

        public bool IsReference { get; set; }

        public bool IsMany { get; set; }

        public string? TargetSchemaName { get; set; }

        public bool IsName { get; set; }

        public string? IndexAlias { get; set; }
    }

    public sealed class CultPersistedRecord
    {
        public string Key { get; set; } = string.Empty;
        public string SchemaId { get; set; } = string.Empty;
        public string StoredAt { get; set; } = string.Empty;
        public byte[] Payload { get; set; } = Array.Empty<byte>();

        // Non-null for a variant record (slot 4): its base and overrides. Its payload is empty.
        public CultVariantDelta? Variant { get; set; }
    }

    public sealed class CultPersistedStoreSnapshot
    {
        public const string FormatV1 = "cultcache.store.v1";
        public const string FormatV2 = "cultcache.store.v2";

        public string FormatVersion { get; set; } = FormatV1;
        public CultSchemaCatalogEntry[] SchemaCatalog { get; set; } = Array.Empty<CultSchemaCatalogEntry>();
        public CultPersistedRecord[] Records { get; set; } = Array.Empty<CultPersistedRecord>();
    }

    public enum CultSchemaMigrationKind
    {
        Exact,

        CompatibleDrift
    }

    public sealed class CultSchemaMigrationWarning
    {
        public string Code { get; set; } = string.Empty;

        public string Message { get; set; } = string.Empty;
    }

    public sealed class CultSchemaMigrationReport
    {
        public string PersistedSchemaId { get; set; } = string.Empty;

        public string LocalSchemaId { get; set; } = string.Empty;

        public string PersistedSchemaName { get; set; } = string.Empty;

        public string LocalSchemaName { get; set; } = string.Empty;

        public CultSchemaMigrationKind Kind { get; set; }

        public int[] IgnoredExtraSlots { get; set; } = Array.Empty<int>();

        public int[] DefaultedMissingSlots { get; set; } = Array.Empty<int>();

        public CultSchemaMigrationWarning[] Warnings { get; set; } = Array.Empty<CultSchemaMigrationWarning>();
    }

    internal sealed class CultSchemaResolutionResult
    {
        public CultSchemaResolutionResult(CultDocumentDescriptor descriptor, CultSchemaMigrationReport report)
        {
            Descriptor = descriptor;
            Report = report;
        }

        public CultDocumentDescriptor Descriptor { get; }

        public CultSchemaMigrationReport Report { get; }
    }

    // A declared member's addressing shape, read-only: what a caller outside GameCult.Caching
    // (the CultNet selection evaluator, chiefly) is allowed to know about a member without
    // reflecting over the document itself. Built from the same declarations CultIndexAttribute
    // and CultReferenceAttribute already recorded; carries no value.
    public readonly struct CultDocumentMemberView
    {
        internal CultDocumentMemberView(
            string memberName,
            int slot,
            string? indexAlias,
            bool isName,
            bool isReference,
            bool isMany,
            bool isNumeric,
            Type? targetType)
        {
            MemberName = memberName;
            Slot = slot;
            IndexAlias = indexAlias;
            IsName = isName;
            IsReference = isReference;
            IsMany = isMany;
            IsNumeric = isNumeric;
            TargetType = targetType;
        }

        public string MemberName { get; }
        public int Slot { get; }
        public string? IndexAlias { get; }
        public bool IsName { get; }
        public bool IsReference { get; }
        public bool IsMany { get; }
        public bool IsNumeric { get; }

        // The reference's declared target: the type CultReferenceAttribute names, or CultRecordRef<T>'s T.
        // Null when the member is not a reference. May be abstract (D9): the leaf set is resolved at
        // evaluation by CultDocumentRegistry.ResolveTargetLeaves, never persisted here or in the catalog.
        public Type? TargetType { get; }
    }

    public sealed class CultDocumentDescriptor
    {
        internal CultDocumentDescriptor(
            Type documentType,
            string schemaName,
            string schemaVersion,
            string schemaId,
            string contentHash,
            string canonicalSchemaJson,
            bool isGlobal,
            string? nameMember,
            Func<object, string?>? nameAccessor,
            IReadOnlyDictionary<string, Func<object, string>> indexAccessors,
            IReadOnlyList<CultDocumentMemberDescriptor> members,
            IReadOnlyList<CultDocumentRegistry.PersistedMember> richMembers)
        {
            DocumentType = documentType;
            SchemaName = schemaName;
            SchemaVersion = schemaVersion;
            SchemaId = schemaId;
            ContentHash = contentHash;
            CanonicalSchemaJson = canonicalSchemaJson;
            IsGlobal = isGlobal;
            NameMember = nameMember;
            NameAccessor = nameAccessor;
            IndexAccessors = indexAccessors;
            Members = members;
            RichMembers = richMembers;
            DeclaredMembers = richMembers
                .Select(member => new CultDocumentMemberView(
                    member.Member.Name,
                    member.Slot,
                    member.IndexAlias,
                    member.IsName,
                    member.IsReference,
                    member.IsMany,
                    member.IsNumeric,
                    member.TargetType))
                .ToArray();
        }

        public Type DocumentType { get; }
        public string SchemaName { get; }
        public string SchemaVersion { get; }
        public string SchemaId { get; }
        public string ContentHash { get; }
        public string CanonicalSchemaJson { get; }
        public bool IsGlobal { get; }
        public string? NameMember { get; }
        internal Func<object, string?>? NameAccessor { get; }
        internal IReadOnlyDictionary<string, Func<object, string>> IndexAccessors { get; }
        internal IReadOnlyList<CultDocumentMemberDescriptor> Members { get; }
        internal IReadOnlyList<CultDocumentRegistry.PersistedMember> RichMembers { get; }

        // The public read surface (CultNet selection cut 1, section 6): declared addressing, and the
        // three ways to read a value through it. GameCult.Networking has no InternalsVisibleTo here on
        // purpose - this is the only door, so nothing outside the cache decides what a member means.
        public IReadOnlyList<CultDocumentMemberView> DeclaredMembers { get; }

        public bool TryGetIndexValue(object document, string alias, out string? value)
        {
            if (document == null) throw new ArgumentNullException(nameof(document));
            if (string.IsNullOrEmpty(alias))
            {
                value = null;
                return false;
            }

            foreach (var member in RichMembers)
            {
                if (string.Equals(member.IndexAlias, alias, StringComparison.Ordinal))
                {
                    value = member.GetterNullable(document);
                    return true;
                }
            }

            value = null;
            return false;
        }

        public bool TryGetIndexNumber(object document, string alias, out string? value)
        {
            if (document == null) throw new ArgumentNullException(nameof(document));
            if (!string.IsNullOrEmpty(alias))
            {
                foreach (var member in RichMembers)
                {
                    if (string.Equals(member.IndexAlias, alias, StringComparison.Ordinal) && member.IsNumeric)
                    {
                        var number = member.NumberOf(document);
                        if (number != null)
                        {
                            value = number;
                            return true;
                        }

                        break;
                    }
                }
            }

            value = null;
            return false;
        }

        // The edges a declared reference member carries: one per CultRecordRef<T>, one per element of
        // an IEnumerable<CultRecordRef<T>>, one per key of an IDictionary<CultRecordRef<T>, V> with the
        // value as the payload (D11). role is the member's index alias, or its name when it has none.
        public IEnumerable<(CultRecordKey Target, object? Payload)> ReferencesOf(object document, string role)
        {
            if (document == null) throw new ArgumentNullException(nameof(document));
            if (string.IsNullOrEmpty(role)) return Array.Empty<(CultRecordKey, object?)>();

            foreach (var member in RichMembers)
            {
                if (!member.IsReference) continue;
                var memberRole = member.IndexAlias ?? member.Member.Name;
                if (string.Equals(memberRole, role, StringComparison.Ordinal))
                {
                    return member.ReferenceEnumerator!(document);
                }
            }

            return Array.Empty<(CultRecordKey, object?)>();
        }

        public CultSchemaCatalogEntry ToCatalogEntry()
        {
            return new CultSchemaCatalogEntry
            {
                SchemaId = SchemaId,
                SchemaName = SchemaName,
                SchemaVersion = SchemaVersion,
                ContentHash = ContentHash,
                CanonicalSchemaJson = CanonicalSchemaJson,
                CompatibleSchemaIds = [SchemaId],
                Members = Members
                    .OrderBy(member => member.Slot)
                    .Select(member => new CultSchemaMemberCatalogEntry
                    {
                        Slot = member.Slot,
                        MemberName = member.MemberName,
                        TypeName = member.TypeName,
                        IsReference = member.IsReference,
                        IsMany = member.IsMany,
                        TargetSchemaName = member.TargetSchemaName,
                        IsName = member.IsName,
                        IndexAlias = member.IndexAlias
                    })
                    .ToArray()
            };
        }

        internal string GetPreferredFileStem(object document)
        {
            var preferred = NameAccessor?.Invoke(document);
            return string.IsNullOrWhiteSpace(preferred)
                ? SchemaName
                : preferred!;
        }
    }

    internal sealed class CultDocumentMemberDescriptor
    {
        public string MemberName { get; set; } = string.Empty;
        public int Slot { get; set; }
        public string TypeName { get; set; } = string.Empty;
        public bool IsReference { get; set; }
        public bool IsMany { get; set; }
        public string? TargetSchemaName { get; set; }
        public bool IsName { get; set; }
        public string? IndexAlias { get; set; }
    }

    public sealed class CultStoredDocument
    {
        public CultStoredDocument(
            CultRecordKey key,
            string storedAt,
            CultDocumentDescriptor descriptor,
            object document)
        {
            Key = key;
            StoredAt = storedAt;
            Descriptor = descriptor;
            _document = document;
        }

        // A variant: the delta is what is stored; the cache resolves it against its base in the hold that admits it.
        internal CultStoredDocument(
            CultRecordKey key,
            string storedAt,
            CultDocumentDescriptor descriptor,
            CultVariantDelta variant,
            object? resolved)
        {
            Key = key;
            StoredAt = storedAt;
            Descriptor = descriptor;
            Variant = variant;
            _document = resolved;
        }

        private readonly object? _document;

        public CultRecordKey Key { get; }
        public string StoredAt { get; }
        public CultDocumentDescriptor Descriptor { get; }

        // The complete document. For a variant, the resolved view: derived, never written back.
        public object Document => _document ??
            throw new InvalidOperationException($"Variant {Key.Value} has not been resolved; only the cache resolves a variant.");

        // The base and overrides a variant record stores; null for a plain record.
        public CultVariantDelta? Variant { get; }

        // A plain record staged by Flatten: the one way a plain record may replace a variant at its key.
        internal bool Flattens { get; set; }

        internal bool IsResolved => _document != null;

        internal CultStoredDocument Resolved(object document) => new(Key, StoredAt, Descriptor, Variant!, document);
    }

    public sealed class CultDocumentRegistry
    {
        private static readonly Lazy<CultDocumentRegistry> SharedRegistry =
            new(() => new CultDocumentRegistry());

        private volatile RegistryIndexes _indexes = new();
        private readonly object _registrationGate = new();

        public static CultDocumentRegistry Shared => SharedRegistry.Value;

        public CultDocumentRegistry()
        {
            Refresh();
        }

        private CultDocumentRegistry(bool discoverLoadedDocuments)
        {
            if (discoverLoadedDocuments)
                Refresh();
        }

        public static CultDocumentRegistry ForTypes(IEnumerable<Type> documentTypes)
        {
            if (documentTypes == null) throw new ArgumentNullException(nameof(documentTypes));
            var registry = new CultDocumentRegistry(discoverLoadedDocuments: false);
            foreach (var type in documentTypes.Distinct())
            {
                registry.GetRequired(type ?? throw new ArgumentException(
                    "Document type collections cannot contain null entries.",
                    nameof(documentTypes)));
            }
            return registry;
        }

        public IEnumerable<CultDocumentDescriptor> AllDescriptors =>
            _indexes.ByType.Values.OrderBy(d => d.SchemaName, StringComparer.Ordinal);

        // D9: a reference's target set is every registered leaf assignable to its declared target type,
        // computed against the registry as it stands right now - never cached, never persisted. A leaf
        // registered after some other descriptor was built must still show up here.
        public IReadOnlyList<CultDocumentDescriptor> ResolveTargetLeaves(Type targetType)
        {
            if (targetType == null) throw new ArgumentNullException(nameof(targetType));
            return AllDescriptors.Where(d => targetType.IsAssignableFrom(d.DocumentType)).ToArray();
        }

        public void Refresh()
        {
            lock (_registrationGate)
            {
                var rebuilt = new RegistryIndexes();
                foreach (var type in ReflectionExtensions.GetAttributedDocumentTypes())
                {
                    RegisterDescriptor(rebuilt, BuildDescriptor(type));
                }

                _indexes = rebuilt;
            }
        }

        public CultDocumentDescriptor GetRequired(Type type)
        {
            if (_indexes.ByType.TryGetValue(type, out var descriptor))
            {
                return descriptor;
            }

            var attribute = type.GetCustomAttribute<CultDocumentAttribute>();
            if (attribute == null)
            {
                throw new InvalidOperationException(
                    $"Type {type.FullName} is not marked with {nameof(CultDocumentAttribute)}.");
            }

            descriptor = BuildDescriptor(type);
            return RegisterDescriptor(descriptor);
        }

        public CultDocumentDescriptor GetRequired<T>() where T : class
        {
            return GetRequired(typeof(T));
        }

        public CultDocumentDescriptor GetRequiredBySchemaId(string schemaId)
        {
            if (_indexes.BySchemaId.TryGetValue(schemaId, out var descriptor))
            {
                return descriptor;
            }

            throw new InvalidOperationException($"Unknown CultCache schema id '{schemaId}'.");
        }

        public CultDocumentDescriptor ResolvePersistedSchema(string schemaId, IReadOnlyCollection<CultSchemaCatalogEntry> catalog)
        {
            return ResolvePersistedSchemaDetailed(schemaId, catalog).Descriptor;
        }

        public CultSchemaMigrationReport ResolvePersistedSchemaReport(string schemaId, IReadOnlyCollection<CultSchemaCatalogEntry> catalog)
        {
            return ResolvePersistedSchemaDetailed(schemaId, catalog).Report;
        }

        internal CultSchemaResolutionResult ResolvePersistedSchemaDetailed(string schemaId, IReadOnlyCollection<CultSchemaCatalogEntry> catalog)
        {
            var indexes = _indexes;
            if (indexes.BySchemaId.TryGetValue(schemaId, out var exact))
            {
                return new CultSchemaResolutionResult(
                    exact,
                    new CultSchemaMigrationReport
                    {
                        PersistedSchemaId = schemaId,
                        LocalSchemaId = exact.SchemaId,
                        PersistedSchemaName = exact.SchemaName,
                        LocalSchemaName = exact.SchemaName,
                        Kind = CultSchemaMigrationKind.Exact
                    });
            }

            var persisted = catalog.FirstOrDefault(entry => string.Equals(entry.SchemaId, schemaId, StringComparison.Ordinal));
            if (persisted == null)
            {
                throw new InvalidOperationException($"Persisted schema '{schemaId}' is not present in the embedded catalog.");
            }

            foreach (var compatibleSchemaId in persisted.CompatibleSchemaIds.Where(candidate => !string.IsNullOrWhiteSpace(candidate)))
            {
                if (indexes.BySchemaId.TryGetValue(compatibleSchemaId, out var compatibleLocal))
                {
                    return BuildCompatibleResolutionResult(persisted, compatibleLocal);
                }
            }

            if (indexes.BySchemaName.TryGetValue(persisted.SchemaName, out var localVersions))
            {
                if (localVersions.Length == 1)
                {
                    return BuildCompatibleResolutionResult(persisted, localVersions[0]);
                }

                throw new InvalidOperationException(
                    $"CultCache schema name '{persisted.SchemaName}' is ambiguous across local versions " +
                    $"[{string.Join(", ", localVersions.Select(candidate => candidate.SchemaVersion).OrderBy(version => version, StringComparer.Ordinal))}]. " +
                    "Persisted schema compatibility must identify an explicit schema id.");
            }

            throw new InvalidOperationException(
                $"No local CultCache schema matches persisted schema '{persisted.SchemaName}' ({schemaId}).");
        }

        private CultDocumentDescriptor RegisterDescriptor(CultDocumentDescriptor descriptor)
        {
            lock (_registrationGate)
            {
                var current = _indexes;
                if (current.ByType.TryGetValue(descriptor.DocumentType, out var registered))
                    return registered;

                var updated = new RegistryIndexes(current);
                registered = RegisterDescriptor(updated, descriptor);
                _indexes = updated;
                return registered;
            }
        }

        private static CultDocumentDescriptor RegisterDescriptor(
            RegistryIndexes indexes,
            CultDocumentDescriptor descriptor)
        {
            if (indexes.ByType.TryGetValue(descriptor.DocumentType, out var registered))
                return registered;

            indexes.BySchemaName.TryGetValue(descriptor.SchemaName, out var schemaNameVersions);
            var schemaVersionOwner = schemaNameVersions?.FirstOrDefault(candidate =>
                string.Equals(candidate.SchemaVersion, descriptor.SchemaVersion, StringComparison.Ordinal));
            if (schemaVersionOwner != null)
            {
                if (IsExactWireAlias(schemaVersionOwner, descriptor))
                {
                    indexes.ByType[descriptor.DocumentType] = descriptor;
                    return descriptor;
                }

                throw DuplicateSchemaRegistration(
                    $"schema name '{descriptor.SchemaName}' version '{descriptor.SchemaVersion}'",
                    schemaVersionOwner.DocumentType,
                    descriptor.DocumentType);
            }

            if (indexes.BySchemaId.TryGetValue(descriptor.SchemaId, out var schemaIdOwner))
            {
                throw DuplicateSchemaRegistration(
                    $"schema id '{descriptor.SchemaId}'",
                    schemaIdOwner.DocumentType,
                    descriptor.DocumentType);
            }

            indexes.ByType[descriptor.DocumentType] = descriptor;
            indexes.BySchemaId[descriptor.SchemaId] = descriptor;
            indexes.BySchemaName[descriptor.SchemaName] = schemaNameVersions == null
                ? [descriptor]
                : [.. schemaNameVersions, descriptor];
            return descriptor;
        }

        private static bool IsExactWireAlias(
            CultDocumentDescriptor canonical,
            CultDocumentDescriptor candidate) =>
            string.Equals(canonical.SchemaName, candidate.SchemaName, StringComparison.Ordinal) &&
            string.Equals(canonical.SchemaVersion, candidate.SchemaVersion, StringComparison.Ordinal) &&
            string.Equals(canonical.SchemaId, candidate.SchemaId, StringComparison.Ordinal) &&
            string.Equals(canonical.ContentHash, candidate.ContentHash, StringComparison.Ordinal) &&
            string.Equals(canonical.CanonicalSchemaJson, candidate.CanonicalSchemaJson, StringComparison.Ordinal);

        private static InvalidOperationException DuplicateSchemaRegistration(
            string identity,
            Type existingType,
            Type claimedType) =>
            new(
                $"CultCache {identity} is already registered to CLR type " +
                $"'{existingType.FullName}' and cannot also be claimed by '{claimedType.FullName}'. " +
                "Schema compatibility must be declared through explicit persisted-schema alias metadata.");

        private sealed class RegistryIndexes
        {
            public RegistryIndexes()
            {
                ByType = new Dictionary<Type, CultDocumentDescriptor>();
                BySchemaId = new Dictionary<string, CultDocumentDescriptor>(StringComparer.Ordinal);
                BySchemaName = new Dictionary<string, CultDocumentDescriptor[]>(StringComparer.Ordinal);
            }

            public RegistryIndexes(RegistryIndexes source)
            {
                ByType = new Dictionary<Type, CultDocumentDescriptor>(source.ByType);
                BySchemaId = new Dictionary<string, CultDocumentDescriptor>(source.BySchemaId, StringComparer.Ordinal);
                BySchemaName = new Dictionary<string, CultDocumentDescriptor[]>(source.BySchemaName, StringComparer.Ordinal);
            }

            public Dictionary<Type, CultDocumentDescriptor> ByType { get; }
            public Dictionary<string, CultDocumentDescriptor> BySchemaId { get; }
            public Dictionary<string, CultDocumentDescriptor[]> BySchemaName { get; }
        }

        private static CultDocumentDescriptor BuildDescriptor(Type type)
        {
            var attribute = type.GetCustomAttribute<CultDocumentAttribute>()
                            ?? throw new InvalidOperationException(
                                $"Type {type.FullName} is not marked with {nameof(CultDocumentAttribute)}.");
            var members = DiscoverMembers(type);
            var nameMember = members.FirstOrDefault(member => member.IsName);
            var indexAccessors = members
                .Where(member => member.IndexAlias != null)
                .ToDictionary(
                    member => member.IndexAlias!,
                    member => member.Getter,
                    StringComparer.Ordinal);
            var descriptorMembers = members
                .Select(member => new CultDocumentMemberDescriptor
                {
                    MemberName = member.Member.Name,
                    Slot = member.Slot,
                    TypeName = CultSchemaTypeNames.FromType(member.MemberType),
                    IsReference = member.IsReference,
                    IsMany = member.IsMany,
                    TargetSchemaName = member.TargetSchemaName,
                    IsName = member.IsName,
                    IndexAlias = member.IndexAlias
                })
                .ToArray();
            var schemaJson = BuildCanonicalSchemaJson(attribute.SchemaName, attribute.SchemaVersion, descriptorMembers);
            var contentHash = Sha256(schemaJson);
            var semanticFingerprint = BuildSemanticFingerprint(attribute.SchemaName, attribute.SchemaVersion, descriptorMembers);
            var schemaId = Sha256(semanticFingerprint);

            return new CultDocumentDescriptor(
                type,
                attribute.SchemaName,
                attribute.SchemaVersion,
                schemaId,
                contentHash,
                schemaJson,
                type.GetCustomAttribute<CultGlobalAttribute>() != null,
                nameMember?.Member.Name,
                nameMember?.GetterNullable,
                indexAccessors,
                descriptorMembers,
                members);
        }

        private static string BuildSemanticFingerprint(
            string schemaName,
            string schemaVersion,
            IReadOnlyList<CultDocumentMemberDescriptor> members)
        {
            var builder = new StringBuilder();
            builder.Append(schemaName)
                .Append('|')
                .Append(schemaVersion);
            foreach (var member in members.OrderBy(member => member.Slot))
            {
                builder.Append('|')
                    .Append(member.Slot)
                    .Append(':')
                    .Append(member.MemberName)
                    .Append(':')
                    .Append(member.TypeName)
                    .Append(':')
                    .Append(member.IsReference ? "ref" : "value")
                    .Append(':')
                    .Append(member.TargetSchemaName ?? string.Empty)
                    .Append(':')
                    .Append(member.IsMany ? "many" : "one");
            }

            return builder.ToString();
        }

        private static string BuildCanonicalSchemaJson(
            string schemaName,
            string schemaVersion,
            IReadOnlyList<CultDocumentMemberDescriptor> members)
        {
            var builder = new StringBuilder();
            builder.Append("{\"schemaName\":\"")
                .Append(CultSchemaTypeNames.EscapeForLiteral(schemaName))
                .Append("\",\"schemaVersion\":\"")
                .Append(CultSchemaTypeNames.EscapeForLiteral(schemaVersion))
                .Append("\",\"members\":[");
            for (var index = 0; index < members.Count; index++)
            {
                var member = members[index];
                if (index > 0)
                {
                    builder.Append(',');
                }

                builder.Append("{\"slot\":")
                    .Append(member.Slot)
                    .Append(",\"name\":\"")
                    .Append(CultSchemaTypeNames.EscapeForLiteral(member.MemberName))
                    .Append("\",\"type\":\"")
                    .Append(CultSchemaTypeNames.EscapeForLiteral(member.TypeName))
                    .Append("\",\"isReference\":")
                    .Append(member.IsReference ? "true" : "false")
                    .Append(",\"many\":")
                    .Append(member.IsMany ? "true" : "false")
                    .Append(",\"targetSchemaName\":");
                if (member.TargetSchemaName == null)
                {
                    builder.Append("null");
                }
                else
                {
                    builder.Append('"').Append(CultSchemaTypeNames.EscapeForLiteral(member.TargetSchemaName)).Append('"');
                }

                builder.Append(",\"indexAlias\":");
                if (member.IndexAlias == null)
                {
                    builder.Append("null");
                }
                else
                {
                    builder.Append('"').Append(CultSchemaTypeNames.EscapeForLiteral(member.IndexAlias)).Append('"');
                }

                builder.Append(",\"isName\":")
                    .Append(member.IsName ? "true" : "false")
                    .Append('}');
            }

            builder.Append("]}");
            return builder.ToString();
        }

        private static CultSchemaResolutionResult BuildCompatibleResolutionResult(
            CultSchemaCatalogEntry persisted,
            CultDocumentDescriptor local)
        {
            if (string.Equals(persisted.ContentHash, local.ContentHash, StringComparison.Ordinal))
            {
                return new CultSchemaResolutionResult(
                    local,
                    new CultSchemaMigrationReport
                    {
                        PersistedSchemaId = persisted.SchemaId,
                        LocalSchemaId = local.SchemaId,
                        PersistedSchemaName = persisted.SchemaName,
                        LocalSchemaName = local.SchemaName,
                        Kind = CultSchemaMigrationKind.Exact
                    });
            }

            var persistedSchema = new CanonicalSchemaShape(
                persisted.SchemaName,
                persisted.SchemaVersion,
                persisted.Members.Select(member => new CanonicalSchemaMember(
                    member.Slot,
                    member.MemberName,
                    member.TypeName,
                    member.IsReference,
                    member.IsMany,
                    member.TargetSchemaName,
                    member.IsName,
                    member.IndexAlias)).ToArray());
            var localSchema = new CanonicalSchemaShape(
                local.SchemaName,
                local.SchemaVersion,
                local.Members.Select(member => new CanonicalSchemaMember(
                    member.Slot,
                    member.MemberName,
                    member.TypeName,
                    member.IsReference,
                    member.IsMany,
                    member.TargetSchemaName,
                    member.IsName,
                    member.IndexAlias)).ToArray());
            var comparison = CompareSchemaShapes(persistedSchema, localSchema);
            if (!comparison.IsCompatible)
            {
                throw new InvalidOperationException(
                    $"Persisted schema '{persisted.SchemaName}' ({persisted.SchemaId}) is incompatible with local schema '{local.SchemaName}' ({local.SchemaId}): {string.Join("; ", comparison.Errors)}");
            }

            var warnings = new List<CultSchemaMigrationWarning>();
            if (!string.Equals(persisted.SchemaId, local.SchemaId, StringComparison.Ordinal))
            {
                warnings.Add(new CultSchemaMigrationWarning
                {
                    Code = "compatible_schema_id_drift",
                    Message = $"Persisted schema '{persisted.SchemaId}' resolved to local schema '{local.SchemaId}'."
                });
            }

            if (!string.Equals(persisted.ContentHash, local.ContentHash, StringComparison.Ordinal))
            {
                warnings.Add(new CultSchemaMigrationWarning
                {
                    Code = "content_hash_drift",
                    Message = $"Persisted schema content hash '{persisted.ContentHash}' differs from local hash '{local.ContentHash}'."
                });
            }

            warnings.AddRange(comparison.Warnings);

            return new CultSchemaResolutionResult(
                local,
                new CultSchemaMigrationReport
                {
                    PersistedSchemaId = persisted.SchemaId,
                    LocalSchemaId = local.SchemaId,
                    PersistedSchemaName = persisted.SchemaName,
                    LocalSchemaName = local.SchemaName,
                    Kind = CultSchemaMigrationKind.CompatibleDrift,
                    IgnoredExtraSlots = comparison.IgnoredExtraSlots.OrderBy(slot => slot).ToArray(),
                    DefaultedMissingSlots = comparison.DefaultedMissingSlots.OrderBy(slot => slot).ToArray(),
                    Warnings = warnings.ToArray()
                });
        }

        private static SchemaShapeComparison CompareSchemaShapes(CanonicalSchemaShape persisted, CanonicalSchemaShape local)
        {
            var errors = new List<string>();
            var warnings = new List<CultSchemaMigrationWarning>();
            var ignoredExtraSlots = new List<int>();
            var defaultedMissingSlots = new List<int>();

            if (!string.Equals(persisted.SchemaName, local.SchemaName, StringComparison.Ordinal))
            {
                errors.Add($"schema name drift '{persisted.SchemaName}' -> '{local.SchemaName}'");
            }

            var persistedBySlot = persisted.Members.ToDictionary(member => member.Slot);
            var localBySlot = local.Members.ToDictionary(member => member.Slot);

            foreach (var localMember in local.Members.OrderBy(member => member.Slot))
            {
                if (!persistedBySlot.TryGetValue(localMember.Slot, out var persistedMember))
                {
                    defaultedMissingSlots.Add(localMember.Slot);
                    warnings.Add(new CultSchemaMigrationWarning
                    {
                        Code = "defaulted_missing_slot",
                        Message = $"Local slot {localMember.Slot} ('{localMember.Name}') is missing from the persisted schema and will use the local default value."
                    });
                    continue;
                }

                if (!string.Equals(localMember.TypeName, persistedMember.TypeName, StringComparison.Ordinal))
                {
                    errors.Add($"slot {localMember.Slot} changed type '{persistedMember.TypeName}' -> '{localMember.TypeName}'");
                }

                if (localMember.IsReference != persistedMember.IsReference)
                {
                    errors.Add($"slot {localMember.Slot} changed reference semantics");
                }

                if (localMember.IsMany != persistedMember.IsMany)
                {
                    errors.Add($"slot {localMember.Slot} changed cardinality");
                }

                if (!string.Equals(localMember.TargetSchemaName, persistedMember.TargetSchemaName, StringComparison.Ordinal))
                {
                    errors.Add($"slot {localMember.Slot} changed target schema '{persistedMember.TargetSchemaName ?? "<none>"}' -> '{localMember.TargetSchemaName ?? "<none>"}'");
                }

                if (localMember.IsName != persistedMember.IsName)
                {
                    errors.Add($"slot {localMember.Slot} changed name-lookup semantics");
                }

                if (!string.Equals(localMember.IndexAlias, persistedMember.IndexAlias, StringComparison.Ordinal))
                {
                    errors.Add($"slot {localMember.Slot} changed index alias '{persistedMember.IndexAlias ?? "<none>"}' -> '{localMember.IndexAlias ?? "<none>"}'");
                }
            }

            foreach (var persistedMember in persisted.Members.OrderBy(member => member.Slot))
            {
                if (localBySlot.ContainsKey(persistedMember.Slot))
                {
                    continue;
                }

                ignoredExtraSlots.Add(persistedMember.Slot);
                warnings.Add(new CultSchemaMigrationWarning
                {
                    Code = "ignored_extra_slot",
                    Message = $"Persisted slot {persistedMember.Slot} ('{persistedMember.Name}') is not present locally and will be ignored."
                });
            }

            return new SchemaShapeComparison(
                errors.Count == 0,
                errors.ToArray(),
                warnings.ToArray(),
                ignoredExtraSlots.ToArray(),
                defaultedMissingSlots.ToArray());
        }

        private sealed class CanonicalSchemaShape
        {
            public CanonicalSchemaShape(string schemaName, string schemaVersion, CanonicalSchemaMember[] members)
            {
                SchemaName = schemaName;
                SchemaVersion = schemaVersion;
                Members = members;
            }

            public string SchemaName { get; }

            public string SchemaVersion { get; }

            public CanonicalSchemaMember[] Members { get; }
        }

        private sealed class CanonicalSchemaMember
        {
            public CanonicalSchemaMember(
                int slot,
                string name,
                string typeName,
                bool isReference,
                bool isMany,
                string? targetSchemaName,
                bool isName,
                string? indexAlias)
            {
                Slot = slot;
                Name = name;
                TypeName = typeName;
                IsReference = isReference;
                IsMany = isMany;
                TargetSchemaName = targetSchemaName;
                IsName = isName;
                IndexAlias = indexAlias;
            }

            public int Slot { get; }

            public string Name { get; }

            public string TypeName { get; }

            public bool IsReference { get; }

            public bool IsMany { get; }

            public string? TargetSchemaName { get; }

            public bool IsName { get; }

            public string? IndexAlias { get; }
        }

        private sealed class SchemaShapeComparison
        {
            public SchemaShapeComparison(
                bool isCompatible,
                string[] errors,
                CultSchemaMigrationWarning[] warnings,
                int[] ignoredExtraSlots,
                int[] defaultedMissingSlots)
            {
                IsCompatible = isCompatible;
                Errors = errors;
                Warnings = warnings;
                IgnoredExtraSlots = ignoredExtraSlots;
                DefaultedMissingSlots = defaultedMissingSlots;
            }

            public bool IsCompatible { get; }

            public string[] Errors { get; }

            public CultSchemaMigrationWarning[] Warnings { get; }

            public int[] IgnoredExtraSlots { get; }

            public int[] DefaultedMissingSlots { get; }
        }

        // Public instance fields and properties (get-only included: MessagePack writes every keyed public member), most-derived
        // declaration first; GetCustomAttributes inherits a property's attributes up its override chain, as MessagePack's resolver reads them.
        private static IReadOnlyList<PersistedMember> DiscoverMembers(Type type)
        {
            const BindingFlags declared = BindingFlags.DeclaredOnly | BindingFlags.Instance | BindingFlags.Public;
            var messagePackObject = type.GetCustomAttribute<MessagePackObjectAttribute>(true);
            var allowPrivate = messagePackObject?.AllowPrivate == true;
            // Writable: MessagePack can assign the member after construction. A member that is not must be filled by the constructor.
            var candidates = new List<(MemberInfo Member, Type MemberType, int Depth, bool Writable, PropertyInfo? DivergentRoot)>();
            var seenRoots = new HashSet<(Type, string)>();
            var depth = 0;
            for (var current = type; current != null && current != typeof(object); current = current.BaseType, depth++)
            {
                foreach (var field in current.GetFields(declared))
                {
                    // MessagePack's rule: a readonly field is writable under AllowPrivate only.
                    if (!IsIgnored(field))
                        candidates.Add((field, field.FieldType, depth, !field.IsInitOnly || allowPrivate, null));
                }

                foreach (var property in current.GetProperties(declared))
                {
                    if (property.GetIndexParameters().Length > 0 || !seenRoots.Add(RootOf(property)))
                        continue;
                    var chain = OverrideChain(property).ToArray();
                    var setter = chain.Select(declaration => declaration.SetMethod).FirstOrDefault(method => method != null);
                    if (chain.All(declaration => declaration.GetMethod == null))
                        continue;
                    // MessagePack's resolver reads the base declaration's [Key]/[IgnoreMember]; an override that changes them is refused.
                    var root = chain[chain.Length - 1];
                    var divergentRoot = chain.Any(declaration =>
                        !Equals(GetKeyValue(declaration), GetKeyValue(root)) || IsIgnored(declaration) != IsIgnored(root))
                        ? root
                        : null;
                    if (divergentRoot == null && IsIgnored(property))
                        continue;
                    // MessagePack's own rule: it calls a setter that is public, or any setter (init-only included) under AllowPrivate.
                    candidates.Add((property, property.PropertyType, depth, setter != null && (setter.IsPublic || allowPrivate), divergentRoot));
                }
            }

            var rejections = new List<string>();
            if (messagePackObject == null)
                rejections.Add(NotMessagePackObjectMessage(type.Name));
            else if (!type.IsVisible && !allowPrivate)
                rejections.Add(NotVisibleMessage(type.Name));
            else
            {
                // AllowPrivate makes MessagePack read non-public members, which the registry does not persist; without it MessagePack
                // silently skips a keyed non-public member.
                const BindingFlags nonPublic = BindingFlags.DeclaredOnly | BindingFlags.Instance | BindingFlags.NonPublic;
                for (var current = type; current != null && current != typeof(object); current = current.BaseType)
                {
                    foreach (var member in current.GetFields(nonPublic).Cast<MemberInfo>().Concat(current.GetProperties(nonPublic)))
                    {
                        if (allowPrivate && !member.IsDefined(typeof(CompilerGeneratedAttribute)) && !IsIgnored(member))
                            rejections.Add(UnmarkedNonPublicMemberMessage(type.Name, Qualified(member)));
                        else if (!allowPrivate && GetKeyValue(member) != null && !IsIgnored(member))
                            rejections.Add(KeyedNonPublicMemberMessage(type.Name, Qualified(member)));
                    }
                }
            }
            var keyed = new List<(MemberInfo Member, Type MemberType, int Slot, bool Writable)>();
            foreach (var candidate in candidates.OrderBy(candidate => candidate.Depth).ThenBy(candidate => candidate.Member.Name, StringComparer.Ordinal))
            {
                var key = GetKeyValue(candidate.Member);
                if (candidate.DivergentRoot != null)
                    rejections.Add(DivergentOverrideMessage(type.Name, Qualified(candidate.Member), Qualified(candidate.DivergentRoot)));
                else if (key is string)
                    rejections.Add(StringKeyMessage(type.Name, candidate.Member.Name));
                else if (key is not int slot)
                    rejections.Add(UnkeyedMemberMessage(type.Name, candidate.Member.Name));
                else
                    keyed.Add((candidate.Member, candidate.MemberType, slot, candidate.Writable));
            }

            if (messagePackObject != null)
            {
                // A member MessagePack cannot assign is read back only through the picked constructor's parameter at its slot.
                var arity = ConstructorArity(type, allowPrivate, keyed.Select(entry => (entry.MemberType, entry.Slot)));
                if (arity == null)
                    rejections.Add(NoConstructorMessage(type.Name));
                else
                {
                    foreach (var entry in keyed.Where(entry => !entry.Writable && entry.Slot >= arity))
                    {
                        rejections.Add(entry.Member switch
                        {
                            FieldInfo => ReadonlyUnfilledMessage(type.Name, entry.Member.Name, entry.Slot),
                            PropertyInfo property when property.SetMethod == null && OverrideChain(property).All(declaration => declaration.SetMethod == null) =>
                                GetOnlyUnfilledMessage(type.Name, entry.Member.Name, entry.Slot),
                            _ => NonPublicSetterMessage(type.Name, entry.Member.Name)
                        });
                    }
                }
            }

            foreach (var group in keyed.GroupBy(entry => entry.Slot).Where(group => group.Count() > 1).OrderBy(group => group.Key))
            {
                var pair = group.Take(2).ToArray();
                rejections.Add(DuplicateSlotMessage(type.Name, Qualified(pair[0].Member), Qualified(pair[1].Member), group.Key));
            }

            foreach (var group in keyed.GroupBy(entry => entry.Member.Name)
                         .Where(group => group.Select(entry => entry.Slot).Distinct().Count() > 1)
                         .OrderBy(group => group.Key, StringComparer.Ordinal))
            {
                var pair = group.Take(2).ToArray();
                rejections.Add(HiddenMemberMessage(type.Name, Qualified(pair[0].Member), Qualified(pair[1].Member)));
            }

            // D10: two differently-named members that independently declare the same index alias. A
            // hiding member sharing one slot is already caught above; this is two distinct members whose
            // alias map entry (BuildDescriptor's indexAccessors) would otherwise collide silently.
            foreach (var group in keyed
                         .Select(entry => (Entry: entry, Alias: ResolveIndexAlias(entry.Member)))
                         .Where(pair => pair.Alias != null)
                         .GroupBy(pair => pair.Alias, StringComparer.Ordinal)
                         .Where(group => group.Select(pair => pair.Entry.Member.Name).Distinct().Count() > 1)
                         .OrderBy(group => group.Key, StringComparer.Ordinal))
            {
                var pair = group.Take(2).ToArray();
                rejections.Add(DuplicateIndexAliasMessage(type.Name, Qualified(pair[0].Entry.Member), Qualified(pair[1].Entry.Member), group.Key!));
            }

            // D10b: the reference-role namespace is (IndexAlias ?? MemberName) for every member, not
            // only the aliased ones D10 groups above. A member with no [CultIndex] still contributes
            // its bare name to that namespace, and a reference member declaring the same string as its
            // alias collides with it - the collision D10 cannot see because an unaliased member's Alias
            // is null.
            foreach (var group in keyed
                         .Select(entry => (
                             Entry: entry,
                             Role: ResolveIndexAlias(entry.Member) ?? entry.Member.Name,
                             IsReference: PersistedMember.IsReferenceCandidate(entry.Member, entry.MemberType)))
                         .GroupBy(pair => pair.Role, StringComparer.Ordinal)
                         .Where(group => group.Select(pair => pair.Entry.Member.Name).Distinct().Count() > 1
                                         && group.Any(pair => pair.IsReference))
                         .OrderBy(group => group.Key, StringComparer.Ordinal))
            {
                var pair = group.Take(2).ToArray();
                rejections.Add(DuplicateReferenceRoleMessage(type.Name, Qualified(pair[0].Entry.Member), Qualified(pair[1].Entry.Member), group.Key));
            }

            // D11: a member declared as a reference (by [CultReference] or a bare CultRecordRef<T> type)
            // whose CLR shape the cache cannot walk. many:false needs CultRecordRef<T> itself; many:true
            // needs IEnumerable<CultRecordRef<T>> or IDictionary<CultRecordRef<T>, V>. A declaration the
            // cache cannot read is refused here, not answered as an unreadable no-op reference later.
            foreach (var candidate in keyed)
            {
                var referenceAttribute = candidate.Member.GetCustomAttribute<CultReferenceAttribute>();
                var isBareRecordRef = IsCultRecordRefType(candidate.MemberType);
                if (referenceAttribute == null && !isBareRecordRef)
                    continue;
                var many = referenceAttribute?.Many ?? false;
                var supported = many
                    ? IsEnumerableOfRecordRef(candidate.MemberType) || TryGetDictionaryRefTypes(candidate.MemberType, out _, out _)
                    : isBareRecordRef;
                if (!supported)
                    rejections.Add(UnsupportedReferenceShapeMessage(type.Name, Qualified(candidate.Member)));
            }

            if (rejections.Count > 0)
                throw new InvalidOperationException(rejections[0]);

            return keyed
                .Select(entry => PersistedMember.FromMember(
                    entry.Member,
                    entry.MemberType,
                    entry.Member is FieldInfo field ? field.GetValue : ((PropertyInfo)entry.Member).GetValue,
                    entry.Slot))
                .OrderBy(member => member.Slot)
                .ToArray();
        }

        private static (Type, string) RootOf(PropertyInfo property) =>
            ((property.GetMethod ?? property.SetMethod)!.GetBaseDefinition().DeclaringType!, property.Name);

        private static IEnumerable<PropertyInfo> OverrideChain(PropertyInfo property)
        {
            var root = RootOf(property);
            for (var current = property.DeclaringType; current != null; current = current.BaseType)
            {
                var declaration = current.GetProperty(property.Name, BindingFlags.DeclaredOnly | BindingFlags.Instance | BindingFlags.Public | BindingFlags.NonPublic);
                if (declaration != null && declaration.GetIndexParameters().Length == 0 && RootOf(declaration) == root)
                    yield return declaration;
            }
        }

        // MessagePack's DynamicObjectResolver picks the [SerializationConstructor] if one is marked, otherwise the longest public constructor
        // (any constructor under AllowPrivate) whose every parameter takes the keyed member at its position (slot == parameter index).
        // Returns that constructor's parameter count, 0 for a struct with none, or null when MessagePack finds no constructor.
        private static int? ConstructorArity(Type type, bool allowPrivate, IEnumerable<(Type MemberType, int Slot)> members)
        {
            var slots = new Dictionary<int, Type>();
            foreach (var member in members)
                slots.TryAdd(member.Slot, member.MemberType);
            var constructors = type.GetConstructors(BindingFlags.Instance | BindingFlags.Public | BindingFlags.NonPublic);
            var marked = constructors.Where(constructor => constructor.IsDefined(typeof(SerializationConstructorAttribute))).ToArray();
            var arities = (marked.Length > 0 ? marked : constructors.Where(constructor => allowPrivate || constructor.IsPublic))
                .Select(constructor => constructor.GetParameters())
                .Where(parameters => parameters.All(parameter =>
                    slots.TryGetValue(parameter.Position, out var memberType) && parameter.ParameterType.IsAssignableFrom(memberType)))
                .Select(parameters => (int?)parameters.Length)
                .ToArray();
            return arities.Length > 0 ? arities.Max() : type.IsValueType && marked.Length == 0 ? 0 : null;
        }

        private static string Qualified(MemberInfo member) => member.DeclaringType!.Name.Split('`')[0] + "." + member.Name;

        // Shared by DiscoverMembers' D10/D11 rejections and PersistedMember.FromMember, so registration
        // refuses exactly the shapes the accessor it builds afterward could not have walked anyway.
        private static string? ResolveIndexAlias(MemberInfo member)
        {
            var indexAttribute = member.GetCustomAttribute<CultIndexAttribute>();
            if (indexAttribute == null)
                return null;
            return string.IsNullOrWhiteSpace(indexAttribute.Alias) ? member.Name : indexAttribute.Alias;
        }

        private static bool IsCultRecordRefType(Type type) =>
            type.IsGenericType && type.GetGenericTypeDefinition() == typeof(CultRecordRef<>);

        private static bool IsEnumerableOfRecordRef(Type type)
        {
            foreach (var candidate in type.GetInterfaces().Append(type))
            {
                if (candidate.IsGenericType
                    && candidate.GetGenericTypeDefinition() == typeof(IEnumerable<>)
                    && IsCultRecordRefType(candidate.GetGenericArguments()[0]))
                    return true;
            }

            return false;
        }

        private static bool TryGetDictionaryRefTypes(Type type, out PropertyInfo keyProperty, out PropertyInfo valueProperty)
        {
            foreach (var candidate in type.GetInterfaces().Append(type))
            {
                if (!candidate.IsGenericType || candidate.GetGenericTypeDefinition() != typeof(IDictionary<,>))
                    continue;
                var arguments = candidate.GetGenericArguments();
                if (!IsCultRecordRefType(arguments[0]))
                    continue;
                var pairType = typeof(KeyValuePair<,>).MakeGenericType(arguments[0], arguments[1]);
                keyProperty = pairType.GetProperty("Key")!;
                valueProperty = pairType.GetProperty("Value")!;
                return true;
            }

            keyProperty = null!;
            valueProperty = null!;
            return false;
        }

        private static readonly HashSet<Type> NumericClrTypes = new()
        {
            typeof(sbyte), typeof(byte), typeof(short), typeof(ushort),
            typeof(int), typeof(uint), typeof(long), typeof(ulong),
            typeof(float), typeof(double), typeof(decimal)
        };

        // D8's closed CLR numeric set: the sole authority for whether a comparison predicate may reach
        // a member. The TypeName string persisted in the catalog is generated from this set (via
        // CultSchemaTypeNames.FromType) and must never be hand-checked against separately - S22 pins it.
        private static bool IsNumericClrType(Type type)
        {
            var underlying = Nullable.GetUnderlyingType(type) ?? type;
            return NumericClrTypes.Contains(underlying);
        }

        // Q-J (docs/cultnet-selection-cut.md, section 2 "Numbers"): a row's exact canonical decimal,
        // never a double - a long past 2^53 must not lose precision passing through this path. Boxing a
        // Nullable<T> with a value produces a boxed T (never a boxed Nullable<T>), so raw is always one
        // of the closed CLR numeric set's non-nullable types here. NaN and infinity render as null:
        // "a NaN or infinite member matches no comparison."
        private static string? RenderCanonicalNumber(object raw) => raw switch
        {
            float f => float.IsNaN(f) || float.IsInfinity(f) ? null : RenderExactFloat(f),
            double d => double.IsNaN(d) || double.IsInfinity(d) ? null : RenderExactDouble(d),
            decimal m => CanonicalizeDecimalDigits(m.ToString(CultureInfo.InvariantCulture)),
            _ => CanonicalizeDecimalDigits(Convert.ToString(raw, CultureInfo.InvariantCulture)!)
        };

        // R-D (docs/cultnet-selection-cut.md): the wire's canonical decimal is the value's exact decimal
        // expansion, not a shortest round-trip form. .NET's default float/double ToString has used the
        // shortest round-trip form since .NET Core 3.0, which rounds a tie between two decimals to
        // whichever is "shorter" - Rust's shortest form breaks the same tie the other way at some
        // values, so the two runtimes rendered different strings for the same bit pattern (394/200k f32,
        // 48/200k f64 in the parity vectors). Every finite float and double is an exact dyadic rational
        // (significand * 2^exponent for an integer significand and exponent), so it has a finite exact
        // decimal expansion computed with BigInteger: multiply the significand by 5^-exponent when the
        // exponent is negative (1/2^k == 5^k/10^k) to get the exact digits, and place the decimal point.
        // No CLR floating-point arithmetic and no string round-tripping is on this path.
        private static string RenderExactFloat(float value)
        {
            var bits = BitConverter.SingleToInt32Bits(value);
            var negative = bits < 0;
            var biasedExponent = (bits >> 23) & 0xFF;
            var mantissaBits = bits & 0x7FFFFF;
            if (biasedExponent == 0 && mantissaBits == 0)
                return "0"; // canonical zero: a single "0", never "-0" (Q-J).

            BigInteger significand;
            int exponent;
            if (biasedExponent == 0)
            {
                significand = mantissaBits;
                exponent = -126 - 23; // subnormal: no implicit leading 1, minimum exponent.
            }
            else
            {
                significand = mantissaBits | (1 << 23);
                exponent = biasedExponent - 127 - 23;
            }

            return RenderExactDecimal(negative, significand, exponent);
        }

        private static string RenderExactDouble(double value)
        {
            var bits = BitConverter.DoubleToInt64Bits(value);
            var negative = bits < 0;
            var biasedExponent = (int)((bits >> 52) & 0x7FF);
            var mantissaBits = bits & 0xFFFFFFFFFFFFFL;
            if (biasedExponent == 0 && mantissaBits == 0)
                return "0"; // canonical zero: a single "0", never "-0" (Q-J).

            BigInteger significand;
            int exponent;
            if (biasedExponent == 0)
            {
                significand = mantissaBits;
                exponent = -1022 - 52; // subnormal: no implicit leading 1, minimum exponent.
            }
            else
            {
                significand = mantissaBits | (1L << 52);
                exponent = biasedExponent - 1023 - 52;
            }

            return RenderExactDecimal(negative, significand, exponent);
        }

        // value = significand * 2^exponent, significand > 0. exponent >= 0 is an exact integer shift;
        // exponent < 0 rewrites 2^exponent as 5^-exponent / 10^-exponent, so the digits are exact and
        // the decimal point lands -exponent places from the right - no precision limit, no rounding.
        private static string RenderExactDecimal(bool negative, BigInteger significand, int exponent)
        {
            string digits;
            int fractionDigits;
            if (exponent >= 0)
            {
                digits = (significand << exponent).ToString(CultureInfo.InvariantCulture);
                fractionDigits = 0;
            }
            else
            {
                fractionDigits = -exponent;
                digits = (significand * BigInteger.Pow(5, fractionDigits)).ToString(CultureInfo.InvariantCulture);
            }

            string positional;
            if (fractionDigits == 0)
            {
                positional = digits;
            }
            else
            {
                if (digits.Length <= fractionDigits)
                    digits = digits.PadLeft(fractionDigits + 1, '0');
                var splitAt = digits.Length - fractionDigits;
                positional = digits.Substring(0, splitAt) + "." + digits.Substring(splitAt);
            }

            return CanonicalizeDecimalDigits(negative ? "-" + positional : positional);
        }

        // The one canonicalizer every rendered number passes through: strips leading integer zeros and
        // trailing fractional zeros, and collapses a negative value that reduces to zero into "0" - the
        // door's regex forbids all three spellings on the way in (Q-J), and this is why the row side
        // never produces one on the way out.
        private static string CanonicalizeDecimalDigits(string signedPositional)
        {
            var negative = signedPositional.Length > 0 && signedPositional[0] == '-';
            var unsigned = negative ? signedPositional.Substring(1) : signedPositional;
            var dot = unsigned.IndexOf('.');
            var integerPart = dot < 0 ? unsigned : unsigned.Substring(0, dot);
            var fractionPart = dot < 0 ? string.Empty : unsigned.Substring(dot + 1);

            integerPart = integerPart.TrimStart('0');
            if (integerPart.Length == 0) integerPart = "0";
            fractionPart = fractionPart.TrimEnd('0');

            var isZero = integerPart == "0" && fractionPart.Length == 0;
            var result = fractionPart.Length == 0 ? integerPart : integerPart + "." + fractionPart;
            return negative && !isZero ? "-" + result : result;
        }

        private static string DuplicateIndexAliasMessage(string documentTypeName, string first, string second, string alias) =>
            $"Cult document {documentTypeName} members {first} and {second} both declare index alias \"{alias}\"; an index alias must name one member.";

        // D10b (R-AL): a plain member's bare name colliding with a reference member's index alias.
        // CultDocumentRegistry.ReferencesOf and CultNetSelectionEvaluator.ReferenceMembers both key
        // reference lookups off (IndexAlias ?? MemberName); D10 above only groups members that
        // declare an alias, so an unaliased member's bare name sharing that string with a reference
        // member's alias registered silently and faulted every hop through it at resolution time.
        //
        // Breaking registration change, noted per the fix batch 7 ruling: a shape that used to
        // register and work - a data member aliased "Owner" beside a reference member named
        // "Owner" - is now refused. There is no compatibility path; the collision was always a
        // silent resolution fault waiting to happen, so the fix is a door, not a warning.
        private static string DuplicateReferenceRoleMessage(string documentTypeName, string first, string second, string role) =>
            $"Cult document {documentTypeName} members {first} and {second} both resolve to reference role \"{role}\" (index alias, or bare member name when unaliased); a reference role must name one member. " +
            $"This is a breaking registration change from before D10b existed: a shape where a plain member's bare name collided with a reference member's index alias used to register silently and fault at resolution time instead.";

        private static string UnsupportedReferenceShapeMessage(string documentTypeName, string member) =>
            $"Cult document {documentTypeName} member {member} declares a reference the cache cannot walk; many:false needs CultRecordRef<T>, many:true needs IEnumerable<CultRecordRef<T>> or IDictionary<CultRecordRef<T>, V>.";

        private static string NotMessagePackObjectMessage(string documentTypeName) =>
            $"Cult document {documentTypeName} is not a MessagePack object; add [MessagePackObject] so MessagePack serializes its [Key(n)] members.";

        private static string NotVisibleMessage(string documentTypeName) =>
            $"Cult document {documentTypeName} is not public; MessagePack serializes a non-public type only with [MessagePackObject(AllowPrivate = true)], so make it public or set AllowPrivate.";

        private static string UnmarkedNonPublicMemberMessage(string documentTypeName, string memberName) =>
            $"Cult document {documentTypeName} member {memberName} is non-public; [MessagePackObject(AllowPrivate = true)] makes MessagePack read it, so mark it [IgnoreMember].";

        internal static string UnkeyedMemberMessage(string documentTypeName, string memberName) =>
            $"Cult document {documentTypeName} member {memberName} has no [Key]; MessagePack requires [Key(n)] or [IgnoreMember] on every public member, so mark it one or the other.";

        private static string StringKeyMessage(string documentTypeName, string memberName) =>
            $"Cult document {documentTypeName} member {memberName} has a string [Key]; string keys are not supported; use integer [Key(n)].";

        private static string ReadonlyUnfilledMessage(string documentTypeName, string memberName, int slot) =>
            $"Cult document {documentTypeName} member {memberName} is a readonly field that no constructor fills; MessagePack writes it but never reads it back, so give the constructor MessagePack calls a parameter at position {slot}, drop readonly, or add [MessagePackObject(AllowPrivate = true)].";

        private static string GetOnlyUnfilledMessage(string documentTypeName, string memberName, int slot) =>
            $"Cult document {documentTypeName} member {memberName} is a get-only property that no constructor fills; MessagePack writes it but never reads it back, so give the constructor MessagePack calls a parameter at position {slot}, add a setter, or mark it [IgnoreMember].";

        private static string NonPublicSetterMessage(string documentTypeName, string memberName) =>
            $"Cult document {documentTypeName} member {memberName} has a non-public set accessor; MessagePack writes it but never reads it back without AllowPrivate, so make the setter public or add [MessagePackObject(AllowPrivate = true)].";

        private static string KeyedNonPublicMemberMessage(string documentTypeName, string memberName) =>
            $"Cult document {documentTypeName} member {memberName} is non-public; MessagePack skips it silently, so [Key] on a non-public member requires [MessagePackObject(AllowPrivate = true)].";

        private static string NoConstructorMessage(string documentTypeName) =>
            $"Cult document {documentTypeName} has no constructor MessagePack can call; add a parameterless constructor (public unless AllowPrivate), or one whose parameters take the [Key(0)], [Key(1)], ... members in order.";

        private static string DuplicateSlotMessage(string documentTypeName, string first, string second, int slot) =>
            $"Cult document {documentTypeName} members {first} and {second} share [Key({slot})]; every persisted member needs a distinct [Key(n)].";

        private static string DivergentOverrideMessage(string documentTypeName, string member, string root) =>
            $"Cult document {documentTypeName} member {member} overrides {root} with a different [Key] or [IgnoreMember]; MessagePack reads the base declaration's, so an override must repeat or omit them.";

        private static string HiddenMemberMessage(string documentTypeName, string first, string second) =>
            $"Cult document {documentTypeName} member {first} hides persisted member {second}; persisted member names must be unique.";

        private static bool IsIgnored(MemberInfo member) =>
            member.GetCustomAttribute<global::MessagePack.IgnoreMemberAttribute>() != null;

        private static object? GetKeyValue(MemberInfo member)
        {
            var key = member.GetCustomAttribute<global::MessagePack.KeyAttribute>();
            return key?.IntKey is int slot ? slot : key?.StringKey;
        }

        private static string Sha256(string input)
        {
            using var sha = SHA256.Create();
            var bytes = sha.ComputeHash(Encoding.UTF8.GetBytes(input));
            return "sha256:" + BitConverter.ToString(bytes).Replace("-", string.Empty).ToLowerInvariant();
        }

        // internal, not private: CultDocumentDescriptor (a separate top-level class) reads RichMembers
        // through this type to build the public DeclaredMembers view and the three value accessors.
        internal sealed class PersistedMember
        {
            public MemberInfo Member { get; set; } = default!;
            public Type MemberType { get; set; } = default!;
            public int Slot { get; set; }
            public bool IsName { get; set; }
            public string? IndexAlias { get; set; }
            public bool IsReference { get; set; }
            public bool IsMany { get; set; }
            public string? TargetSchemaName { get; set; }

            // The reference's declared target Type, held alongside TargetSchemaName (which is null for
            // an abstract target - D9). CultDocumentRegistry.ResolveTargetLeaves needs the Type, not the
            // name, to compute the leaf set by assignability.
            public Type? TargetType { get; set; }
            public bool IsNumeric { get; set; }
            public Func<object, string> Getter { get; set; } = default!;
            public Func<object, string?> GetterNullable { get; set; } = default!;

            // D8/Q-J (revised 2026-09-22): non-null exactly for the closed CLR numeric set (Nullable<T>
            // unwrapped), rendered as the member's exact canonical decimal string - never a double, so
            // no CLR numeric type's range or precision is lost rendering it. docs/cultnet-selection-cut.md
            // section 2 "Numbers".
            public Func<object, string?> NumberOf { get; set; } = default!;

            // D11: null for a non-reference member; otherwise yields (target key, payload) per declared
            // shape - one entry for a bare reference, one per element for a many-enumerable, one per key
            // with its value as payload for a many-dictionary. Registration already refused every other
            // shape (DiscoverMembers), so this is never called against something it cannot walk.
            public Func<object, IEnumerable<(CultRecordKey Target, object? Payload)>>? ReferenceEnumerator { get; set; }

            public static PersistedMember FromMember(
                MemberInfo member,
                Type memberType,
                Func<object, object?> getValue,
                int slot)
            {
                var referenceAttribute = member.GetCustomAttribute<CultReferenceAttribute>();
                var targetType = ResolveReferenceTarget(memberType, referenceAttribute?.TargetType);
                var targetSchemaName = targetType?.GetCustomAttribute<CultDocumentAttribute>()?.SchemaName;
                var isReference = targetType != null || referenceAttribute != null;
                var many = referenceAttribute?.Many ?? false;
                return new PersistedMember
                {
                    Member = member,
                    MemberType = memberType,
                    Slot = slot,
                    IsName = member.GetCustomAttribute<CultNameAttribute>() != null,
                    IndexAlias = ResolveIndexAlias(member),
                    IsReference = isReference,
                    IsMany = many,
                    TargetSchemaName = targetSchemaName,
                    TargetType = targetType,
                    IsNumeric = IsNumericClrType(memberType),
                    Getter = document => getValue(document)?.ToString() ?? string.Empty,
                    GetterNullable = document => getValue(document)?.ToString(),
                    NumberOf = document =>
                    {
                        var raw = getValue(document);
                        return raw == null ? null : RenderCanonicalNumber(raw);
                    },
                    ReferenceEnumerator = isReference ? BuildReferenceEnumerator(memberType, many, getValue) : null
                };
            }

            // Registration (DiscoverMembers' D11 check) already refused every shape but the three this
            // builds an enumerator for; this does not re-refuse, it only classifies which of the three.
            private static Func<object, IEnumerable<(CultRecordKey Target, object? Payload)>> BuildReferenceEnumerator(
                Type memberType, bool many, Func<object, object?> getValue)
            {
                if (!many)
                {
                    return document =>
                        getValue(document) is ICultRecordRef reference
                            ? new[] { (reference.Key, (object?)null) }
                            : Array.Empty<(CultRecordKey, object?)>();
                }

                if (TryGetDictionaryRefTypes(memberType, out var keyProperty, out var valueProperty))
                {
                    return document =>
                    {
                        if (getValue(document) is not System.Collections.IEnumerable sequence)
                            return Array.Empty<(CultRecordKey, object?)>();
                        var results = new List<(CultRecordKey, object?)>();
                        foreach (var entry in sequence)
                        {
                            if (keyProperty.GetValue(entry) is ICultRecordRef reference)
                                results.Add((reference.Key, valueProperty.GetValue(entry)));
                        }

                        return results;
                    };
                }

                return document =>
                {
                    if (getValue(document) is not System.Collections.IEnumerable sequence)
                        return Array.Empty<(CultRecordKey, object?)>();
                    var results = new List<(CultRecordKey, object?)>();
                    foreach (var entry in sequence)
                    {
                        if (entry is ICultRecordRef reference)
                            results.Add((reference.Key, (object?)null));
                    }

                    return results;
                };
            }

            // Mirrors the isReference computation FromMember uses below, callable from DiscoverMembers
            // (D10b) before a slot is turned into a full PersistedMember.
            internal static bool IsReferenceCandidate(MemberInfo member, Type memberType)
            {
                var referenceAttribute = member.GetCustomAttribute<CultReferenceAttribute>();
                var targetType = ResolveReferenceTarget(memberType, referenceAttribute?.TargetType);
                return targetType != null || referenceAttribute != null;
            }

            private static Type? ResolveReferenceTarget(Type memberType, Type? explicitTarget)
            {
                if (explicitTarget != null)
                {
                    return explicitTarget;
                }

                if (memberType.IsGenericType &&
                    memberType.GetGenericTypeDefinition() == typeof(CultRecordRef<>))
                {
                    return memberType.GetGenericArguments()[0];
                }

                // R-T(b): a many reference's implicit target is its CultRecordRef<T> element's T - the
                // same narrowing a scalar CultRecordRef<T> gets above - not left null just because the
                // member's own declared type is List<> or IDictionary<,>, not CultRecordRef<> itself.
                // Before this, an implicitly-typed many reference reached CultNetSelectionEvaluator's
                // EnsureWithinDeclaredTarget with a null TargetType and its out-of-target check was
                // silently skipped for every edge through it (R-T(b)/S18).
                if (IsEnumerableOfRecordRef(memberType))
                {
                    foreach (var candidate in memberType.GetInterfaces().Append(memberType))
                    {
                        if (candidate.IsGenericType &&
                            candidate.GetGenericTypeDefinition() == typeof(IEnumerable<>) &&
                            IsCultRecordRefType(candidate.GetGenericArguments()[0]))
                        {
                            return candidate.GetGenericArguments()[0].GetGenericArguments()[0];
                        }
                    }
                }

                if (TryGetDictionaryRefTypes(memberType, out var keyProperty, out _))
                {
                    return keyProperty.PropertyType.GetGenericArguments()[0];
                }

                return null;
            }
        }
    }

    public enum CultCommitOutcome
    {
        Committed,
        Mismatch,
        Contended
    }

    public sealed class CultCommitRequest
    {
        internal CultCommitRequest(
            IReadOnlyList<CultStoredDocument> upserts,
            IReadOnlyList<CultStoredDocument> deletes,
            IReadOnlyList<(CultRecordKey Key, string? SchemaId, string? StoredAt)> expected,
            bool expectUnchanged)
        {
            Upserts = upserts;
            Deletes = deletes;
            Expected = expected;
            ExpectUnchanged = expectUnchanged;
        }

        public IReadOnlyList<CultStoredDocument> Upserts { get; }
        public IReadOnlyList<CultStoredDocument> Deletes { get; }
        public IReadOnlyList<(CultRecordKey Key, string? SchemaId, string? StoredAt)> Expected { get; }
        public bool ExpectUnchanged { get; }
        public bool HasConditions => Expected.Count > 0 || ExpectUnchanged;

        // durable is what the store holds on disk now; observed is what its cache last loaded or committed.
        // Identity is (schemaId, storedAt), sound because every write to a key mints a later storedAt.
        public bool ConditionsHold(IReadOnlyCollection<CultPersistedRecord> durable, IEnumerable<CultStoredDocument> observed)
        {
            var byKey = durable.ToDictionary(record => record.Key, StringComparer.Ordinal);
            foreach (var (key, schemaId, storedAt) in Expected)
            {
                byKey.TryGetValue(key.Value, out var record);
                var holds = schemaId == null
                    ? record == null
                    : record != null && record.SchemaId == schemaId && record.StoredAt == storedAt;
                if (!holds)
                    return false;
            }

            return !ExpectUnchanged ||
                   durable.Select(record => Identity(record.Key, record.SchemaId, record.StoredAt))
                       .OrderBy(identity => identity, StringComparer.Ordinal)
                       .SequenceEqual(observed
                           .Select(stored => Identity(stored.Key.Value, stored.Descriptor.SchemaId, stored.StoredAt))
                           .OrderBy(identity => identity, StringComparer.Ordinal));
        }

        private static string Identity(string key, string schemaId, string storedAt) => $"{key}\n{schemaId}\n{storedAt}";
    }

    // One staged write: a plain record (Stored), a variant (Variant), a flatten, or, with none of those, a removal.
    internal sealed class StagedOperation
    {
        public StagedOperation(CultRecordKey key, CultStoredDocument? stored, CultVariantDelta? variant, bool flatten)
        {
            Key = key;
            Stored = stored;
            Variant = variant;
            Flatten = flatten;
        }

        public CultRecordKey Key { get; }
        public CultStoredDocument? Stored { get; }
        public CultVariantDelta? Variant { get; }
        public bool Flatten { get; }
        public bool IsRemoval => Stored == null && Variant == null && !Flatten;
    }

    // An explicit value: nothing staged here is visible to anyone until Commit returns.
    public sealed class CultCacheBatch
    {
        private readonly CultCache _cache;
        internal readonly Dictionary<string, StagedOperation> Operations = new(StringComparer.Ordinal);
        internal readonly List<(CultRecordKey Key, string? SchemaId, string? StoredAt)> Expected = new();
        internal bool ExpectsUnchanged;
        internal bool Sealed;

        internal CultCacheBatch(CultCache cache)
        {
            _cache = cache;
        }

        public CultRecordHandle<T> Upsert<T>(T document, CultRecordHandle<T>? handle = null)
        {
            if (document == null) throw new ArgumentNullException(nameof(document));
            return new CultRecordHandle<T>(Stage(document, handle?.Key));
        }

        public CultRecordKey Upsert(Type type, object document, CultRecordKey? key = null)
        {
            CultCache.RequireInstanceOf(type, document);
            return Stage(document, key);
        }

        public void Remove(CultRecordKey key)
        {
            ThrowIfSealed();
            Operations[key.Value] = new StagedOperation(key, null, null, false);
        }

        // Stages a variant record: its base and a sparse set of overrides, resolved by the cache when the batch commits.
        // A variant changes only through here; rebasing is this call with another base.
        public CultRecordKey UpsertVariant(CultRecordKey key, CultRecordKey baseKey, IEnumerable<CultVariantOverride>? overrides = null)
        {
            ThrowIfSealed();
            Operations[key.Value] = new StagedOperation(
                key, null, new CultVariantDelta(baseKey.Value, (overrides ?? Array.Empty<CultVariantOverride>()).ToArray()), false);
            return key;
        }

        // Replaces a variant with a plain record holding its resolved document: the explicit, separate operation (Q1a).
        public void Flatten(CultRecordKey key)
        {
            ThrowIfSealed();
            Operations[key.Value] = new StagedOperation(key, null, null, true);
        }

        public void Expect(CultRecordKey key, object? current)
        {
            ThrowIfSealed();
            var observed = _cache.Observe(key, current);
            Expected.Add((key, observed?.Descriptor.SchemaId, observed?.StoredAt));
        }

        public void ExpectUnchanged()
        {
            ThrowIfSealed();
            ExpectsUnchanged = true;
        }

        private CultRecordKey Stage(object document, CultRecordKey? key)
        {
            ThrowIfSealed();
            var stored = _cache.CreateStoredDocument(document, key);
            Operations[stored.Key.Value] = new StagedOperation(stored.Key, stored, null, false);
            return stored.Key;
        }

        private void ThrowIfSealed()
        {
            if (Sealed)
                throw new InvalidOperationException("This batch has already been committed or abandoned.");
        }
    }

    public sealed class CultCache : IDisposable
    {
        private readonly CultDocumentRegistry _registry;
        private readonly List<(CacheBackingStore Store, Type[] Homes)> _stores = new();
        private readonly Dictionary<string, CultStoredDocument> _entries = new(StringComparer.Ordinal);
        private readonly Dictionary<Type, Dictionary<string, string>> _names = new();
        // Every key holding a value (unordered): the index is truthful about duplicates, so removing one holder never hides another.
        private readonly Dictionary<(Type Type, string Alias), Dictionary<string, List<string>>> _indexes = new();
        private readonly Dictionary<Type, string> _globals = new();
        private readonly CultCodec? _codec;
        // Keys holding a variant: derived from the entries by Apply, never decided anywhere else.
        private readonly HashSet<string> _variantKeys = new(StringComparer.Ordinal);
        private readonly ConditionalWeakTable<object, KeyBox> _handles = new();
        // The cache's own observers, copy-on-write under _observerGate: publication reads one snapshot per change and
        // catches per observer, so no observer decides whether another receives a change.
        private Observer<Change>[] _observers = Array.Empty<Observer<Change>>();
        private bool _observersCompleted;
        private readonly object _observerGate = new();
        private readonly object _gate = new();
        private long _sequence;
        // What this thread's outermost hold admitted, published by that hold when it exits.
        [ThreadStatic] private static Hold? _held;
        // Journals run under the gate, in registration order; both fields are read and written only under it.
        private readonly List<Action<IReadOnlyList<CultCacheDocumentChange<object>>>> _journals = new();
        private bool _journaling;
        private bool _dirtyInMemory;

        // The codec is the store's encoding (CultCacheMessagePack.Create supplies it). A cache without one holds no variants:
        // resolving a variant needs to clone documents and decode override values.
        public CultCache(CultDocumentRegistry? registry = null, CultCodec? codec = null)
        {
            _registry = registry ?? CultDocumentRegistry.Shared;
            _codec = codec;
        }

        public CultDocumentRegistry Registry => _registry;

        // Read under the gate, by a store judging a merge.
        internal bool HoldsVariants => _variantKeys.Count > 0;

        public CultCodec? Codec => _codec;

        // The whole override of one member, encoded with this cache's codec, ready for UpsertVariant.
        public CultVariantOverride Override(Type documentType, string member, object? value)
        {
            if (_codec == null) throw new InvalidOperationException("This cache has no codec; create it with CultCacheMessagePack.Create.");
            var found = _registry.GetRequired(documentType).RichMembers.FirstOrDefault(entry => entry.Member.Name == member)
                        ?? throw new ArgumentException($"{documentType.Name} has no persisted member '{member}'.", nameof(member));
            return CultVariantOverride.Set(
                found.Slot,
                _codec.Serialize(value!, found.MemberType, documentType));
        }

        public CultVariantOverride Override<T>(string member, object? value) where T : class => Override(typeof(T), member, value);

        public bool IsDirty
        {
            get
            {
                lock (_gate)
                    return _stores.Count == 0 ? _dirtyInMemory : _stores.Any(entry => entry.Store.IsDirty);
            }
        }

        public bool FlushAttachedStoresOnDispose { get; set; }

        public event Action<object?, object?>? OnUpdate;

        public IReadOnlyList<CacheBackingStore> BackingStores
        {
            get
            {
                lock (_gate)
                    return _stores.Select(entry => entry.Store).ToArray();
            }
        }

        public IEnumerable<object> AllEntries
        {
            get
            {
                lock (_gate)
                    return _entries.Values.Select(entry => entry.Document).ToArray();
            }
        }

        public IEnumerable<CultStoredDocument> AllStoredDocuments
        {
            get
            {
                lock (_gate)
                    return _entries.Values
                        .OrderBy(entry => entry.Descriptor.SchemaName, StringComparer.Ordinal)
                        .ThenBy(entry => entry.Key.Value, StringComparer.Ordinal)
                        .ToArray();
            }
        }

        public Observable<CultCacheDocumentChange<T>> Watch<T>() where T : class
        {
            return Observable.Create<Change>(Register)
                .Where(change => typeof(T).IsAssignableFrom(change.Stored.Descriptor.DocumentType))
                .Select(change => new CultCacheDocumentChange<T>(
                    change.Kind,
                    change.Stored.Key,
                    change.Document as T,
                    change.Previous as T,
                    change.Sequence));
        }

        // Disposing removes the journal. A dispose the cache refuses (from inside a journal, or inside another cache's hold)
        // throws and leaves the registration live and disposable; it counts as disposed only once the removal succeeded.
        private sealed class JournalRegistration : IDisposable
        {
            private readonly CultCache _cache;
            private readonly Action<IReadOnlyList<CultCacheDocumentChange<object>>> _journal;
            private bool _removed;

            public JournalRegistration(CultCache cache, Action<IReadOnlyList<CultCacheDocumentChange<object>>> journal)
            {
                _cache = cache;
                _journal = journal;
            }

            public void Dispose()
            {
                if (_removed)
                    return;
                _cache.Held(() => _cache._journals.Remove(_journal));
                _removed = true;
            }
        }

        private IDisposable Register(Observer<Change> observer)
        {
            lock (_observerGate)
            {
                if (!_observersCompleted)
                {
                    _observers = _observers.Append(observer).ToArray();
                    return Disposable.Create(() =>
                    {
                        lock (_observerGate)
                            _observers = _observers.Where(held => !ReferenceEquals(held, observer)).ToArray();
                    });
                }
            }

            observer.OnCompleted();
            return Disposable.Empty;
        }

        public Observable<CultCacheDocumentChange<T>> WatchRecord<T>(CultRecordKey key) where T : class
        {
            return Watch<T>().Where(change => change.Key.Equals(key));
        }

        // An ordered admission journal: called under the gate, right after an admission is applied, once per admission
        // that changed something, with that admission's changes in Sequence order. Journals of one cache run in
        // registration order. A journal sees the new state (reads work) and is the one place cache order is a fact: it
        // must not write to the cache or wait for anything that needs it, and any hold on this cache while a journal runs
        // throws. A journal's exception does not undo the admission: it is published, then the exception is rethrown to
        // the writer, as an observer's is.
        public IDisposable AddJournal(Action<IReadOnlyList<CultCacheDocumentChange<object>>> journal)
        {
            if (journal == null) throw new ArgumentNullException(nameof(journal));
            Held(() =>
            {
                _journals.Add(journal);
                return true;
            });
            return new JournalRegistration(this, journal);
        }

        // Attaching reads the store; there is no interval in which it is attached but unread.
        public void AddBackingStore(CacheBackingStore store, params Type[] homes)
        {
            if (store == null) throw new ArgumentNullException(nameof(store));
            homes ??= Array.Empty<Type>();
            Held(() =>
            {
                if (store.Loaded != null)
                    throw new InvalidOperationException($"Backing store {store} is already attached to a cache.");
                if (store.IsDirty)
                    throw new InvalidOperationException($"Backing store {store} has staged writes; attach it clean.");
                if (homes.Length == 0 && _stores.Any(entry => entry.Homes.Length == 0))
                    throw new InvalidOperationException(
                        $"Backing store {store} would be a second untyped store; name the types it is home to.");
                foreach (var home in homes)
                {
                    var owner = _stores.FirstOrDefault(entry => entry.Homes.Contains(home)).Store;
                    if (owner != null)
                        throw new InvalidOperationException($"{home.FullName} is already routed to {owner}; it cannot also route to {store}.");
                }

                var candidate = (store, homes);
                foreach (var type in _entries.Values.Select(entry => entry.Descriptor).Distinct())
                {
                    var before = Home(type.DocumentType);
                    _stores.Add(candidate);
                    var after = Home(type.DocumentType);
                    _stores.RemoveAt(_stores.Count - 1);
                    if (before != after)
                        throw new InvalidOperationException(
                            $"Attaching {store} would move {type.SchemaName} from {before?.ToString() ?? "memory"} to {after}; " +
                            "attach routed stores before the untyped store.");
                }

                store.AttachRegistry(_registry);
                store.Cache = this;
                store.Loaded = (loaded, dropped) => Admit(loaded, dropped, store, (_, _) => CultCommitOutcome.Committed);
                store.Judging = (arriving, departing) => { Resolve(arriving, departing, store); };
                _stores.Add(candidate);
                try
                {
                    store.PullAll();
                }
                catch
                {
                    _stores.Remove(candidate);
                    store.Loaded = null;
                    store.Judging = null;
                    store.Cache = null;
                    throw;
                }
                return true;
            });
        }

        public Task PullAllBackingStoresAsync()
        {
            // Our stores take the gate themselves; a third-party store might not, so the cache takes it here.
            // One store's throwing OnUpdate handler does not stop the others from loading.
            var failures = new List<Exception>();
            foreach (var store in BackingStores)
            {
                try
                {
                    Held(() => { store.PullAll(); return true; });
                }
                catch (Exception exception)
                {
                    failures.Add(exception);
                }
            }

            if (failures.Count == 1)
                ExceptionDispatchInfo.Capture(failures[0]).Throw();
            if (failures.Count > 1)
                throw new AggregateException(failures);
            return Task.CompletedTask;
        }

        public void FlushAllBackingStores() => Held(() =>
        {
            foreach (var (store, _) in _stores)
            {
                if (!store.IsReadOnly && store.IsDirty)
                    store.PushAll();
            }
            return true;
        });

        public Task FlushAsync()
        {
            FlushAllBackingStores();
            return Task.CompletedTask;
        }

        public Task<CultRecordHandle<T>> AddAsync<T>(T document, CultRecordHandle<T>? handle = null)
        {
            return UpsertAsync(document, handle);
        }

        public Task<CultRecordHandle<T>> UpsertAsync<T>(T document, CultRecordHandle<T>? handle = null)
        {
            if (document == null) throw new ArgumentNullException(nameof(document));
            return Task.FromResult(new CultRecordHandle<T>(Write(document, handle?.Key)));
        }

        public Task<CultRecordKey> UpsertAsync(Type documentType, object document, CultRecordKey? key = null)
        {
            RequireInstanceOf(documentType, document);
            return Task.FromResult(Write(document, key));
        }

        // A single-call variant write; a batch stages the same thing with CultCacheBatch.UpsertVariant.
        public Task<CultRecordKey> UpsertVariantAsync(CultRecordKey key, CultRecordKey baseKey, IEnumerable<CultVariantOverride>? overrides = null)
        {
            var delta = new CultVariantDelta(baseKey.Value, (overrides ?? Array.Empty<CultVariantOverride>()).ToArray());
            return Task.FromResult(Held(() =>
            {
                var stored = StampVariant(key, DescriptorOfBase(key, delta.BaseKey, null), delta);
                Admit(new[] { stored }, Array.Empty<CultStoredDocument>(), null, (home, docs) =>
                {
                    home?.Push(docs[0]);
                    return CultCommitOutcome.Committed;
                });
                return key;
            }));
        }

        // Replaces a variant with a plain record holding its resolved document (Q1a's explicit operation).
        public Task<CultRecordKey> FlattenAsync(CultRecordKey key) => Task.FromResult(Held(() =>
        {
            var stored = StampFlatten(key);
            Admit(new[] { stored }, Array.Empty<CultStoredDocument>(), null, (home, docs) =>
            {
                home?.Push(docs[0]);
                return CultCommitOutcome.Committed;
            });
            return key;
        }));

        public bool Remove(CultRecordKey key) => Held(() =>
        {
            if (!_entries.TryGetValue(key.Value, out var existing))
                return false;
            Admit(Array.Empty<CultStoredDocument>(), new[] { existing }, null, (home, _) =>
            {
                home?.Delete(existing);
                return CultCommitOutcome.Committed;
            });
            return true;
        });

        public void Remove<T>(CultRecordHandle<T> handle)
        {
            Remove(handle.Key);
        }

        /// <summary>
        /// Commits the staged batch. Returns false when a condition failed: nothing was written, changed in memory, or published.
        /// </summary>
        /// <remarks>
        /// A commit that succeeds and then fails in a journal or observer still stands and is published, and the writer
        /// receives the failure. One failure arrives as itself, several as an <see cref="AggregateException"/>. A writer that
        /// wants a particular failure (a CultNetShardLogException, when a database's log refused the commit) catches that type,
        /// or unwraps <see cref="AggregateException.InnerExceptions"/> and looks for it.
        /// </remarks>
        public bool Commit(Action<CultCacheBatch> stage)
        {
            return Land(stage, wait: true) == CultCommitOutcome.Committed;
        }

        public CultCommitOutcome TryCommit(Action<CultCacheBatch> stage)
        {
            return Land(stage, wait: false);
        }

        public CultRecordHandle<T>? TryGetHandle<T>(T document)
        {
            if (document == null) throw new ArgumentNullException(nameof(document));
            lock (_gate)
                return _handles.TryGetValue(document, out var box) ? new CultRecordHandle<T>(box.Key) : null;
        }

        // The stored form of a record: for a variant, the delta beside the resolved document.
        public CultStoredDocument? GetStored(CultRecordKey key)
        {
            lock (_gate)
                return _entries.TryGetValue(key.Value, out var stored) ? stored : null;
        }

        public object? Get(CultRecordKey key)
        {
            lock (_gate)
                return _entries.TryGetValue(key.Value, out var stored) ? stored.Document : null;
        }

        public T? Get<T>(CultRecordKey key) where T : class
        {
            return Get(key) as T;
        }

        // Every change whose Sequence is at or below the returned one is reflected in the returned document.
        public (object? Document, long Sequence) GetWithSequence(CultRecordKey key)
        {
            lock (_gate)
                return (_entries.TryGetValue(key.Value, out var stored) ? stored.Document : null, _sequence);
        }

        public bool TryGet<T>(CultRecordKey key, out T? document) where T : class
        {
            document = Get<T>(key);
            return document != null;
        }

        public IEnumerable<T> GetAll<T>() where T : class
        {
            lock (_gate)
                return _entries.Values.Select(entry => entry.Document).OfType<T>().ToArray();
        }

        public T? GetGlobal<T>() where T : class
        {
            return Single<T>("global", () => _globals
                .Where(pair => typeof(T).IsAssignableFrom(pair.Key))
                .Select(pair => pair.Value));
        }

        public T? GetByName<T>(string name) where T : class
        {
            return Single<T>($"name '{name}'", () => _names
                .Where(pair => typeof(T).IsAssignableFrom(pair.Key))
                .SelectMany(pair => pair.Value.TryGetValue(name, out var key) ? new[] { key } : Array.Empty<string>()));
        }

        // A value held by one record finds it. Records of one type sharing a value (plain duplicates) find the holder with the
        // smallest key (ordinal), whatever order they were written or loaded in: the choice is a function of the held set, so
        // it is the same live, after a flush and after a reopen, and removing that holder finds the next.
        public T? GetByIndex<T>(string alias, string value) where T : class
        {
            return Single<T>($"index {alias}='{value}'", () => _indexes
                .Where(pair => pair.Key.Alias == alias && typeof(T).IsAssignableFrom(pair.Key.Type))
                .SelectMany(pair => pair.Value.TryGetValue(value, out var keys)
                    ? new[] { keys.Aggregate((best, next) => string.CompareOrdinal(next, best) < 0 ? next : best) }
                    : Array.Empty<string>()));
        }

        public void Dispose()
        {
            Held(() =>
            {
                if (FlushAttachedStoresOnDispose && IsDirty)
                    FlushAllBackingStores();
                return true;
            });

            foreach (var store in BackingStores)
                store.Dispose();

            Observer<Change>[] completing;
            lock (_observerGate)
            {
                completing = _observers;
                _observers = Array.Empty<Observer<Change>>();
                _observersCompleted = true;
            }

            var failures = new List<Exception>();
            foreach (var observer in completing)
            {
                try
                {
                    observer.OnCompleted();
                }
                catch (Exception exception)
                {
                    failures.Add(exception);
                }
            }

            if (failures.Count == 1)
                ExceptionDispatchInfo.Capture(failures[0]).Throw();
            if (failures.Count > 1)
                throw new AggregateException(failures);
        }

        internal static void RequireInstanceOf(Type documentType, object document)
        {
            if (documentType == null) throw new ArgumentNullException(nameof(documentType));
            if (document == null) throw new ArgumentNullException(nameof(document));
            if (!documentType.IsInstanceOfType(document))
                throw new ArgumentException($"Document instance must be assignable to {documentType.FullName}.", nameof(document));
        }

        // The runtime type decides the schema; a minted storedAt is always later than the record it replaces.
        internal CultStoredDocument CreateStoredDocument(object document, CultRecordKey? key)
        {
            var descriptor = _registry.GetRequired(document.GetType());
            lock (_gate)
                return Stamp(
                    key ?? (_handles.TryGetValue(document, out var box) ? box.Key
                        : descriptor.IsGlobal ? new CultRecordKey($"global:{descriptor.SchemaId}")
                        : new CultRecordKey(Guid.NewGuid().ToString("N"))),
                    descriptor,
                    document);
        }

        // Call under the gate that admits the result, so no load can land a later storedAt in between.
        private CultStoredDocument Stamp(CultRecordKey key, CultDocumentDescriptor descriptor, object document) =>
            new(key, MintStoredAt(PreviousStoredAt(key)), descriptor, document);

        // An unresolved variant: the admitting hold resolves it against its base before anything lands.
        private CultStoredDocument StampVariant(CultRecordKey key, CultDocumentDescriptor descriptor, CultVariantDelta delta) =>
            new(key, MintStoredAt(PreviousStoredAt(key)), descriptor, delta, null);

        // The plain record a Flatten stages: the variant's resolved document, under the variant's own key and schema.
        private CultStoredDocument StampFlatten(CultRecordKey key)
        {
            if (!_entries.TryGetValue(key.Value, out var existing) || existing.Variant == null)
                throw new InvalidOperationException($"Flatten({key.Value}): the record is not a variant.");
            return new CultStoredDocument(key, MintStoredAt(existing.StoredAt), existing.Descriptor, existing.Document) { Flattens = true };
        }

        private string? PreviousStoredAt(CultRecordKey key) => _entries.TryGetValue(key.Value, out var previous) ? previous.StoredAt : null;

        // The concrete type a variant takes from its base, walking bases through what the batch stages and then the cache.
        // Refuses a cycle or a base that is not there, naming the keys, exactly as the admitting hold would.
        private CultDocumentDescriptor DescriptorOfBase(CultRecordKey variant, string baseKey, CultCacheBatch? batch)
        {
            var seen = new List<string> { variant.Value };
            var next = baseKey;
            while (true)
            {
                if (seen.Contains(next))
                    throw CycleRefusal(seen.Append(next));
                var staged = batch != null && batch.Operations.TryGetValue(next, out var op) ? op : null;
                if (staged != null)
                {
                    if (staged.Stored != null)
                        return staged.Stored.Descriptor;
                    if (staged.Variant != null)
                    {
                        seen.Add(next);
                        next = staged.Variant.BaseKey;
                        continue;
                    }

                    if (!staged.Flatten)
                        throw MissingBaseRefusal(variant.Value, baseKey, removed: true);
                }

                if (!_entries.TryGetValue(next, out var existing))
                    throw MissingBaseRefusal(variant.Value, baseKey, removed: false);
                return existing.Descriptor;
            }
        }

        internal CultStoredDocument? Observe(CultRecordKey key, object? current)
        {
            if (current == null)
                return null;
            lock (_gate)
            {
                if (_handles.TryGetValue(current, out var box) && box.Key.Equals(key) &&
                    _entries.TryGetValue(key.Value, out var stored) && ReferenceEquals(stored.Document, current))
                    return stored;
            }

            throw new ArgumentException($"Expect({key.Value}) was given an instance this cache does not hold at that key.", nameof(current));
        }

        // The wall clock behind every storedAt. Internal: a test that writes a golden store pins it, so the bytes reproduce.
        internal Func<DateTimeOffset> Clock { get; set; } = () => DateTimeOffset.UtcNow;

        private string MintStoredAt(string? previous)
        {
            var now = Clock();
            if (previous != null &&
                DateTimeOffset.TryParse(previous, CultureInfo.InvariantCulture, DateTimeStyles.RoundtripKind, out var last) &&
                now <= last)
                now = last.ToUniversalTime().AddTicks(1);
            return now.ToString("O", CultureInfo.InvariantCulture);
        }

        private CultRecordKey Write(object document, CultRecordKey? key) => Held(() =>
        {
            var stored = CreateStoredDocument(document, key);
            Admit(new[] { stored }, Array.Empty<CultStoredDocument>(), null, (home, docs) =>
            {
                home?.Push(docs[0]);
                return CultCommitOutcome.Committed;
            });
            return stored.Key;
        });

        private CultCommitOutcome Land(Action<CultCacheBatch> stage, bool wait)
        {
            if (stage == null) throw new ArgumentNullException(nameof(stage));
            var batch = new CultCacheBatch(this);
            try
            {
                stage(batch);
            }
            finally
            {
                batch.Sealed = true;
            }

            // The in-process gate is always entered; only the store lock attempt honors wait, so Contended means another writer holds the store.
            return Held(() =>
            {
                // Staging stamped outside this gate; a pull since then may hold a later storedAt, so stamp again.
                var upserts = batch.Operations.Values
                    .Where(op => !op.IsRemoval)
                    .Select(op => op.Stored != null ? Stamp(op.Key, op.Stored.Descriptor, op.Stored.Document)
                        : op.Variant != null ? StampVariant(op.Key, DescriptorOfBase(op.Key, op.Variant.BaseKey, batch), op.Variant)
                        : StampFlatten(op.Key))
                    .ToArray();
                var deletes = batch.Operations.Values
                    .Where(op => op.IsRemoval && _entries.ContainsKey(op.Key.Value))
                    .Select(op => _entries[op.Key.Value])
                    .ToArray();
                return Admit(upserts, deletes, null, (home, resolved) =>
                {
                    // What the store holds is what the hold resolved: a variant's delta beside its resolved view.
                    var request = new CultCommitRequest(resolved, deletes, batch.Expected.ToArray(), batch.ExpectsUnchanged);
                    if (home != null)
                    {
                        if (request.HasConditions && home.IsDirty)
                            throw new InvalidOperationException($"Backing store {home} has staged writes; flush before a conditional commit.");
                        return home.CommitBatch(request, wait);
                    }

                    if (request.HasConditions && _stores.Count > 0)
                        throw new InvalidOperationException("A conditional batch names its home store through a record it upserts or removes.");
                    var inMemory = _entries.Values
                        .Select(entry => new CultPersistedRecord { Key = entry.Key.Value, SchemaId = entry.Descriptor.SchemaId, StoredAt = entry.StoredAt })
                        .ToArray();
                    return request.ConditionsHold(inMemory, _entries.Values) ? CultCommitOutcome.Committed : CultCommitOutcome.Mismatch;
                });
            });
        }

        // Every add and remove passes here: single writes, committed batches, and loads (source set).
        // Nothing lands unless all of it is admissible; land is the durable step between validation and memory.
        private CultCommitOutcome Admit(
            IReadOnlyList<CultStoredDocument> admitted,
            IReadOnlyList<CultStoredDocument> evicted,
            CacheBackingStore? source,
            Func<CacheBackingStore?, IReadOnlyList<CultStoredDocument>, CultCommitOutcome> land) => Held(() =>
        {
            if (_held == null)
                throw new InvalidOperationException("An admission reached the cache under a plain lock on its gate; every admission runs in a hold.");
            var home = Validate(admitted, evicted, source);
            // The one resolution: a variant admitted, a base admitted or evicted, all resolved here against the post-batch
            // set, before land and before memory. land receives the admitted records with variants resolved.
            var plan = Resolve(admitted, evicted, source);
            var outcome = land(home, plan.Admitted);
            if (outcome != CultCommitOutcome.Committed)
                return outcome;
            var applied = Apply(plan, evicted, source);
            foreach (var change in applied)
                _held.Changes.Add((change, source != null));
            RunJournals(applied, _held.Failures);
            return CultCommitOutcome.Committed;
        });

        // Every admission runs in a hold. A nested hold on the same cache adds to the outermost one, which publishes
        // exactly its own changes after it leaves the gate, before it returns, on its caller's thread: observers never
        // run under the gate, and a write an observer makes is a new outermost hold. Cross-thread delivery order is not
        // guaranteed; each change carries the Sequence it was admitted with. Journals run before that, under the gate,
        // in Sequence order (AddJournal); no hold may be entered on this cache while one runs. Every change reaches every observer even
        // if an observer or an OnUpdate handler throws; then the exception (an AggregateException for several, whatever their
        // origin: a journal, an observer, a second database) is rethrown. A writer looking for one type unwraps InnerExceptions.
        // If the body threw, its exception wins.
        internal T Held<T>(Func<T> body)
        {
            if (Monitor.IsEntered(_gate))
            {
                if (_journaling)
                    throw new InvalidOperationException("A journal entered the cache it journals; a journal must not write to it.");
                return body();
            }

            if (_held != null)
                throw new InvalidOperationException(
                    "A cache hold was entered inside another cache's hold; a thread holds one cache's gate at a time.");
            var mine = _held = new Hold();
            var result = default(T)!;
            try
            {
                lock (_gate)
                    result = body();
            }
            catch (Exception exception)
            {
                _held = null;
                Publish(mine);
                if (mine.Failures.Count == 0)
                    throw;
                throw new AggregateException(mine.Failures.Prepend(exception));
            }

            _held = null;
            var failures = mine.Failures;
            failures.AddRange(Publish(mine));
            if (failures.Count == 1)
                ExceptionDispatchInfo.Capture(failures[0]).Throw();
            if (failures.Count > 1)
                throw new AggregateException(failures);
            return result;
        }

        private List<Exception> Publish(Hold hold)
        {
            var failures = new List<Exception>();
            foreach (var (change, loaded) in hold.Changes)
            {
                // R3 routes a throwing subscriber to its unhandled-exception handler, and a fail-fast handler rethrows: every
                // observer still runs, the exception joins the failures, and the observer stays subscribed.
                foreach (var observer in Volatile.Read(ref _observers))
                {
                    try
                    {
                        observer.OnNext(change);
                    }
                    catch (Exception exception)
                    {
                        failures.Add(exception);
                    }
                }

                if (!loaded)
                    continue;
                try
                {
                    OnUpdate?.Invoke(change.Previous, change.Document);
                }
                catch (Exception exception)
                {
                    failures.Add(exception);
                }
            }

            return failures;
        }

        // Runs under the gate. A journal that throws joins the hold's failures and the remaining journals still run.
        private void RunJournals(List<Change> applied, List<Exception> failures)
        {
            if (_journals.Count == 0 || applied.Count == 0)
                return;
            var changes = applied
                .Select(change => new CultCacheDocumentChange<object>(
                    change.Kind, change.Stored.Key, change.Document, change.Previous, change.Sequence))
                .ToArray();
            _journaling = true;
            try
            {
                foreach (var journal in _journals)
                {
                    try
                    {
                        journal(changes);
                    }
                    catch (Exception exception)
                    {
                        failures.Add(exception);
                    }
                }
            }
            finally
            {
                _journaling = false;
            }
        }

        private CacheBackingStore? Validate(
            IReadOnlyList<CultStoredDocument> admitted,
            IReadOnlyList<CultStoredDocument> evicted,
            CacheBackingStore? source)
        {
            var homes = new List<CacheBackingStore>();
            var globals = new Dictionary<Type, string>(_globals);
            foreach (var stored in evicted)
            {
                var type = stored.Descriptor.DocumentType;
                if (globals.TryGetValue(type, out var key) && key == stored.Key.Value)
                    globals.Remove(type);
                if (source == null)
                    Claim(stored);
            }

            foreach (var stored in admitted)
            {
                var descriptor = stored.Descriptor;
                if (source == null)
                    Claim(stored);
                else if (Home(descriptor.DocumentType) is var home && home != source)
                    throw new InvalidOperationException(
                        $"{descriptor.SchemaName} record {stored.Key.Value} was loaded from {source} but its home is {home?.ToString() ?? "no store"}.");

                // One key, one store: a key never moves between homes, and two stores never both deliver it.
                if (_entries.TryGetValue(stored.Key.Value, out var present) &&
                    Home(present.Descriptor.DocumentType) is var held &&
                    Home(descriptor.DocumentType) is var incoming &&
                    held != incoming)
                    throw new InvalidOperationException(
                        $"Record {stored.Key.Value} is held by {held?.ToString() ?? "memory"}; " +
                        $"{(source == null ? "writing" : "loading")} it as {descriptor.SchemaName} from {incoming?.ToString() ?? "memory"} would give the key a second store.");

                if (!descriptor.IsGlobal)
                    continue;
                if (globals.TryGetValue(descriptor.DocumentType, out var existing) && existing != stored.Key.Value)
                    throw new InvalidOperationException(
                        $"{descriptor.SchemaName} is a global and already has record {existing}; {stored.Key.Value} would be a second.");
                globals[descriptor.DocumentType] = stored.Key.Value;
            }

            var distinct = homes.Distinct().ToArray();
            if (distinct.Length > 1)
                throw new InvalidOperationException(
                    $"The batch spans {distinct[0]} and {distinct[1]}; a commit lands in one home store.");
            return distinct.FirstOrDefault();

            void Claim(CultStoredDocument stored)
            {
                var home = Home(stored.Descriptor.DocumentType);
                if (home == null)
                {
                    if (_stores.Count > 0)
                        throw new InvalidOperationException($"No backing store is home to {stored.Descriptor.SchemaName}.");
                    return;
                }

                if (home.IsReadOnly)
                    throw new InvalidOperationException(
                        $"{stored.Descriptor.SchemaName} record {stored.Key.Value} routes to read-only backing store {home}.");
                homes.Add(home);
            }
        }

        private sealed class VariantPlan
        {
            public VariantPlan(IReadOnlyList<CultStoredDocument> admitted)
            {
                Admitted = admitted;
            }

            // The admitted records, variants resolved.
            public IReadOnlyList<CultStoredDocument> Admitted { get; }

            // Variants this admission did not write whose base chain it changed: re-resolved, same delta, same storedAt.
            public List<CultStoredDocument> Dependents { get; } = new();

            // Name and index values of every record that lands (Admitted and Dependents), by key. Filled once by Project.
            public Dictionary<string, Projection> Projections { get; } = new(StringComparer.Ordinal);
        }

        // What a landing record's [CultName] and [CultIndex] getters said. Indexes holds only non-blank values.
        private sealed class Projection
        {
            public Projection(string? name, (string Alias, string Value)[] indexes)
            {
                Name = name;
                Indexes = indexes;
            }

            public string? Name { get; }
            public (string Alias, string Value)[] Indexes { get; }
        }

        // The only place an admission runs a name or index getter on a landing record. It runs before land and before any
        // sequence is minted, so a getter that throws refuses the whole admission with nothing written and nothing minted.
        private static void Project(VariantPlan plan)
        {
            foreach (var stored in plan.Admitted.Concat(plan.Dependents))
            {
                var descriptor = stored.Descriptor;
                var name = descriptor.NameAccessor == null ? null : NameRead(stored);
                var indexes = new List<(string Alias, string Value)>();
                foreach (var pair in descriptor.IndexAccessors)
                {
                    var member = descriptor.RichMembers.First(candidate => candidate.IndexAlias == pair.Key).Member.Name;
                    var value = Read(stored, $"index '{pair.Key}' member {member}", pair.Value);
                    if (!string.IsNullOrWhiteSpace(value))
                        indexes.Add((pair.Key, value!));
                }

                plan.Projections[stored.Key.Value] = new Projection(name, indexes.ToArray());
            }
        }

        // A blank name is no name.
        private static string? NameRead(CultStoredDocument stored) =>
            Read(stored, $"[CultName] member {stored.Descriptor.NameMember}", stored.Descriptor.NameAccessor!) is { Length: > 0 } name ? name : null;

        private static string? Read(CultStoredDocument stored, string what, Func<object, string?> getter)
        {
            try
            {
                return getter(stored.Document);
            }
            catch (Exception exception)
            {
                throw new InvalidOperationException(
                    $"Record {stored.Key.Value} ({stored.Descriptor.SchemaName}) is refused: its {what} threw: {exception.GetBaseException().Message}", exception);
            }
        }

        // Every admission is judged here: variants resolved, then every landing record's name and index values read once,
        // then the rules that compare them. It refuses naming the keys, and mutates nothing.
        private VariantPlan Resolve(
            IReadOnlyList<CultStoredDocument> admitted,
            IReadOnlyList<CultStoredDocument> evicted,
            CacheBackingStore? source)
        {
            var plan = ResolveVariants(admitted, evicted, source);
            Project(plan);
            // The variant rules are judged only when a variant is involved.
            if (_variantKeys.Count != 0 || admitted.Any(stored => stored.Variant != null))
            {
                RefuseVariantNameSharing(plan);
                RefuseVariantIndexSharing(plan, evicted);
            }

            return plan;
        }

        // Resolves every admitted variant and every variant whose base chain this admission changes, base first, against
        // the post-admission set. It refuses a broken variant naming the keys, and mutates nothing.
        private VariantPlan ResolveVariants(
            IReadOnlyList<CultStoredDocument> admitted,
            IReadOnlyList<CultStoredDocument> evicted,
            CacheBackingStore? source)
        {
            if (_variantKeys.Count == 0 && admitted.All(stored => stored.Variant == null))
                return new VariantPlan(admitted);

            var incoming = admitted.ToDictionary(stored => stored.Key.Value, StringComparer.Ordinal);
            var gone = evicted.Select(stored => stored.Key.Value).ToHashSet(StringComparer.Ordinal);
            CultStoredDocument? Lookup(string key) =>
                incoming.TryGetValue(key, out var found) ? found
                : gone.Contains(key) ? null
                : _entries.TryGetValue(key, out var held) ? held : null;

            // A variant is written only through the variant API: a plain record never lands on a variant's key, and the
            // reverse is a rebase or a flatten, never an accident. A load reports what is on disk and is not a write.
            if (source == null)
            {
                foreach (var stored in admitted)
                {
                    _entries.TryGetValue(stored.Key.Value, out var present);
                    if (stored.Variant == null && !stored.Flattens && present?.Variant != null)
                        throw new InvalidOperationException(
                            $"Record {stored.Key.Value} is a variant of {present.Variant.BaseKey}; a plain write cannot replace it. " +
                            "Change it through the variant API, or Flatten it.");
                    if (stored.Variant != null && present != null && present.Variant == null)
                        throw new InvalidOperationException(
                            $"Record {stored.Key.Value} is a plain record; it cannot become a variant of {stored.Variant.BaseKey} in place. Use a new key.");
                    if (stored.Variant != null && present?.Variant != null &&
                        present.Descriptor.DocumentType != stored.Descriptor.DocumentType)
                        throw new InvalidOperationException(
                            $"Variant {stored.Key.Value} is a {present.Descriptor.DocumentType.Name}; " +
                            $"rebasing it onto {stored.Variant.BaseKey} would make it a {stored.Descriptor.DocumentType.Name}.");
                }
            }

            var changed = new HashSet<string>(incoming.Keys.Concat(gone), StringComparer.Ordinal);
            // A flatten resolves like the variant it replaces, against the post-batch set, so a base edited in the same
            // batch is in it; it lands as the plain record of that resolution.
            var toResolve = new List<string>(admitted.Where(stored => stored.Variant != null || stored.Flattens).Select(stored => stored.Key.Value));
            foreach (var variantKey in _variantKeys)
            {
                if (incoming.ContainsKey(variantKey) || gone.Contains(variantKey))
                    continue;
                var next = _entries[variantKey].Variant!.BaseKey;
                for (var steps = 0; steps <= _entries.Count; steps++)
                {
                    if (changed.Contains(next))
                    {
                        toResolve.Add(variantKey);
                        break;
                    }

                    var link = Lookup(next);
                    if (link?.Variant == null)
                        break;
                    next = link.Variant.BaseKey;
                }
            }

            if (toResolve.Count == 0)
                return new VariantPlan(admitted);

            var pending = new HashSet<string>(toResolve, StringComparer.Ordinal);
            var done = new Dictionary<string, CultStoredDocument>(StringComparer.Ordinal);
            var stack = new List<string>();
            foreach (var key in toResolve)
                ResolveOne(key);

            var plan = new VariantPlan(admitted.Select(stored => done.TryGetValue(stored.Key.Value, out var resolved) ? resolved : stored).ToList());
            foreach (var key in toResolve.Where(key => !incoming.ContainsKey(key)))
                plan.Dependents.Add(done[key]);
            return plan;

            CultStoredDocument ResolveOne(string key)
            {
                if (done.TryGetValue(key, out var finished))
                    return finished;
                var variant = Lookup(key)!;
                if (stack.Contains(key))
                    throw CycleRefusal(stack.SkipWhile(entry => entry != key).Append(key));
                stack.Add(key);

                // A flatten carries no delta of its own; the variant it replaces does.
                var isVariant = variant.Variant != null;
                var delta = variant.Variant ?? _entries[key].Variant!;
                var baseStored = Lookup(delta.BaseKey) ?? throw MissingBaseRefusal(key, delta.BaseKey, gone.Contains(delta.BaseKey));
                if (pending.Contains(delta.BaseKey))
                    baseStored = ResolveOne(delta.BaseKey);

                var descriptor = variant.Descriptor;
                if (_codec == null)
                    throw new InvalidOperationException(
                        $"Variant {key} needs a codec to resolve; this cache has none. Create it with CultCacheMessagePack.Create.");
                if (baseStored.Descriptor.DocumentType != descriptor.DocumentType)
                    throw new InvalidOperationException(
                        $"Variant {key} is a {descriptor.DocumentType.Name} but its base {delta.BaseKey} is a {baseStored.Descriptor.DocumentType.Name}; " +
                        "a variant has its base's concrete type.");

                var type = descriptor.DocumentType;
                var kept = new List<KeyValuePair<int, byte[]>>();
                var seen = new HashSet<int>();
                foreach (var entry in delta.Overrides)
                {
                    if (entry.Op != CultOverrideOp.Set || entry.Path.Count != 1 || entry.Path[0].ElementId.Length != 0 || entry.Id.Length != 0)
                        throw new InvalidOperationException(
                            $"Variant {key} carries {entry.Op} at {entry.PathText}; this runtime resolves top-level Set overrides only.");
                    var slot = entry.Path[0].Slot;
                    if (!seen.Add(slot))
                        throw new InvalidOperationException($"Variant {key} overrides slot {slot} more than once; a variant has one override per slot.");
                    var member = descriptor.RichMembers.FirstOrDefault(candidate => candidate.Slot == slot);
                    // Drift is the load's business (ToStoredDocument sheds an override of a slot the type lacks), so a delta
                    // reaching here names only slots the type has, unless someone is writing one it never had.
                    if (member == null)
                        throw new InvalidOperationException($"Variant {key} overrides slot {slot}, which {type.Name} does not have.");

                    try
                    {
                        _codec.Deserialize(member.MemberType, type, entry.Value);
                    }
                    catch (Exception exception)
                    {
                        // A value that no longer decodes refuses exactly as a plain record holding it does.
                        throw new InvalidOperationException(
                            $"Variant {key} (schema '{descriptor.SchemaId}') overrides '{member.Member.Name}' (slot {slot}) with a value that does not decode as {member.MemberType.Name}: " +
                            exception.GetBaseException().Message, exception);
                    }

                    kept.Add(new KeyValuePair<int, byte[]>(slot, entry.Value));
                }

                var payload = _codec.Serialize(baseStored.Document, type, type);
                var document = _codec.Deserialize(type, type, kept.Count == 0 ? payload : _codec.Overlay(payload, kept))
                               ?? throw new InvalidOperationException($"Variant {key} resolved to nothing.");

                stack.RemoveAt(stack.Count - 1);
                return done[key] = isVariant
                    ? variant.Resolved(document)
                    : new CultStoredDocument(variant.Key, variant.StoredAt, variant.Descriptor, document) { Flattens = true };
            }
        }

        // R6: the name index maps one name to one key, so a variant that kept its base's name would shadow it. A variant's
        // name is its projection; an ancestor that lands is read from its projection, one that stays is read as held.
        private void RefuseVariantNameSharing(VariantPlan plan)
        {
            var landing = plan.Admitted.Concat(plan.Dependents).ToDictionary(stored => stored.Key.Value, StringComparer.Ordinal);

            // Resolution already refused a base that is missing or removed, so an ancestor is landing or held.
            CultStoredDocument? Ancestor(string key) =>
                landing.TryGetValue(key, out var landed) ? landed
                : _entries.TryGetValue(key, out var held) ? held : null;

            string? NameOf(CultStoredDocument stored) =>
                plan.Projections.TryGetValue(stored.Key.Value, out var projection) ? projection.Name : NameRead(stored);

            foreach (var variant in landing.Values.Where(stored => stored.Variant != null))
            {
                var variantName = plan.Projections[variant.Key.Value].Name;
                if (variantName == null)
                    continue;
                for (var ancestor = Ancestor(variant.Variant!.BaseKey); ancestor != null;
                     ancestor = ancestor.Variant == null ? null : Ancestor(ancestor.Variant.BaseKey))
                {
                    if (NameOf(ancestor) == variantName)
                        throw new InvalidOperationException(
                            $"Variant {variant.Key.Value} and its base {ancestor.Key.Value} are both named '{variantName}'; a variant must override its name.");
                }
            }
        }

        // The one index rule, judged on the commit's result whatever the write order: a variant may not share an indexed
        // value with another record. It reads the truthful held index (every holder of a value), minus the records this
        // commit replaces or removes, plus the records it lands. Plain-vs-plain sharing is not this rule's business.
        // A unique index maps a value to one key at lookup; a variant sharing it would be found in place of its
        // holder or lose the value, and the store would refuse to reopen.
        private void RefuseVariantIndexSharing(VariantPlan plan, IReadOnlyList<CultStoredDocument> evicted)
        {
            var landing = plan.Admitted.Concat(plan.Dependents).ToList();
            if (landing.All(stored => stored.Descriptor.IndexAccessors.Count == 0))
                return;
            var replaced = new HashSet<string>(
                plan.Admitted.Concat(evicted).Concat(plan.Dependents).Select(stored => stored.Key.Value), StringComparer.Ordinal);
            var landingByKey = landing.ToDictionary(stored => stored.Key.Value, StringComparer.Ordinal);

            bool IsVariant(string key) =>
                landingByKey.TryGetValue(key, out var landed) ? landed.Variant != null : _variantKeys.Contains(key);

            // One pass over what lands, one lookup per (index, value): the rule is linear in the records landing.
            var landedValues = new List<(CultStoredDocument Stored, (Type Type, string Alias) Index, string Value)>();
            var landed = new Dictionary<((Type Type, string Alias) Index, string Value), List<string>>();
            foreach (var stored in landing)
            {
                foreach (var (alias, value) in plan.Projections[stored.Key.Value].Indexes)
                {
                    var index = (stored.Descriptor.DocumentType, alias);
                    landedValues.Add((stored, index, value));
                    if (!landed.TryGetValue((index, value), out var landedKeys))
                        landed[(index, value)] = landedKeys = new List<string>();
                    landedKeys.Add(stored.Key.Value);
                }
            }

            var holdersOf = new Dictionary<((Type Type, string Alias) Index, string Value), (string[] All, string[] Variants)>();
            foreach (var (stored, index, value) in landedValues)
            {
                if (!holdersOf.TryGetValue((index, value), out var known))
                {
                    var all = (_indexes.TryGetValue(index, out var held) && held.TryGetValue(value, out var heldKeys)
                            ? heldKeys.Where(heldKey => !replaced.Contains(heldKey))
                            : Enumerable.Empty<string>())
                        .Concat(landed[(index, value)])
                        .Distinct(StringComparer.Ordinal)
                        .ToArray();
                    holdersOf[(index, value)] = known = (all, all.Where(IsVariant).ToArray());
                }

                var self = stored.Key.Value;
                var holder = known.All.FirstOrDefault(candidate => candidate != self);
                if (stored.Variant != null && holder != null)
                    throw new InvalidOperationException(
                        $"Variant {self} and {holder} both hold index {index.Alias} '{value}'; a variant must override its indexed member.");
                var variantHolder = known.Variants.FirstOrDefault(candidate => candidate != self);
                if (stored.Variant == null && variantHolder != null)
                    throw new InvalidOperationException(
                        $"Record {self} and variant {variantHolder} both hold index {index.Alias} '{value}'; " +
                        "a variant may not share an indexed value with another record.");
            }
        }

        private static InvalidOperationException CycleRefusal(IEnumerable<string> keys) =>
            new($"Variant bases form a cycle: {string.Join(" -> ", keys)}.");

        private static InvalidOperationException MissingBaseRefusal(string variant, string baseKey, bool removed) =>
            new(removed
                ? $"Record {baseKey} cannot go: variant {variant} is based on it. Remove or rebase the variant in the same commit."
                : $"Variant {variant} is based on {baseKey}, which does not exist.");

        private List<Change> Apply(
            VariantPlan plan,
            IReadOnlyList<CultStoredDocument> evicted,
            CacheBackingStore? source)
        {
            var admitted = plan.Admitted;
            var changes = new List<Change>(admitted.Count + evicted.Count + plan.Dependents.Count);
            foreach (var stored in evicted)
            {
                if (!_entries.TryGetValue(stored.Key.Value, out var existing))
                    continue;
                Unindex(existing);
                _entries.Remove(stored.Key.Value);
                _handles.Remove(existing.Document);
                _variantKeys.Remove(stored.Key.Value);
                changes.Add(new Change(CultCacheDocumentChangeKind.Removed, existing, null, existing.Document, ++_sequence));
            }

            foreach (var stored in admitted.Concat(plan.Dependents))
            {
                _entries.TryGetValue(stored.Key.Value, out var previous);
                if (previous != null)
                {
                    Unindex(previous);
                    _handles.Remove(previous.Document);
                }

                _entries[stored.Key.Value] = stored;
                _handles.AddOrUpdate(stored.Document, new KeyBox(stored.Key));
                Index(stored, plan.Projections[stored.Key.Value]);
                if (stored.Variant == null)
                    _variantKeys.Remove(stored.Key.Value);
                else
                    _variantKeys.Add(stored.Key.Value);
                changes.Add(new Change(
                    previous == null ? CultCacheDocumentChangeKind.Added : CultCacheDocumentChangeKind.Updated,
                    stored,
                    stored.Document,
                    previous?.Document,
                    ++_sequence));
            }

            if (source == null && _stores.Count == 0)
                _dirtyInMemory = true;
            return changes;
        }

        // The most derived routed home type assignable from the document type, else the untyped store.
        private CacheBackingStore? Home(Type documentType)
        {
            CacheBackingStore? untyped = null;
            CacheBackingStore? routed = null;
            Type? best = null;
            foreach (var (store, homes) in _stores)
            {
                if (homes.Length == 0)
                {
                    untyped = store;
                    continue;
                }

                foreach (var home in homes)
                {
                    if (home.IsAssignableFrom(documentType) && (best == null || best.IsAssignableFrom(home)))
                    {
                        best = home;
                        routed = store;
                    }
                }
            }

            return routed ?? untyped;
        }

        private T? Single<T>(string lookup, Func<IEnumerable<string>> keys) where T : class
        {
            lock (_gate)
            {
                var found = keys().Distinct().ToArray();
                if (found.Length > 1)
                    throw new InvalidOperationException(
                        $"{typeof(T).Name} {lookup} matches records {string.Join(", ", found)}; look it up by its concrete type.");
                return found.Length == 1 && _entries.TryGetValue(found[0], out var stored) ? stored.Document as T : null;
            }
        }

        private void Index(CultStoredDocument stored, Projection projection)
        {
            var type = stored.Descriptor.DocumentType;
            if (stored.Descriptor.IsGlobal)
                _globals[type] = stored.Key.Value;
            if (projection.Name != null)
                MapOf(_names, type)[projection.Name] = stored.Key.Value;
            foreach (var (alias, value) in projection.Indexes)
                AddHolder(_indexes, (type, alias), value, stored.Key.Value);
        }

        // Documents are mutable, so a name or index value may have changed since it was indexed: drop by key.
        private void Unindex(CultStoredDocument stored)
        {
            var type = stored.Descriptor.DocumentType;
            if (_globals.TryGetValue(type, out var globalKey) && globalKey == stored.Key.Value)
                _globals.Remove(type);
            if (_names.TryGetValue(type, out var names))
                RemoveKey(names, stored.Key.Value);
            foreach (var pair in _indexes.Where(pair => pair.Key.Type == type))
                RemoveHolder(pair.Value, stored.Key.Value);
        }

        private static void AddHolder(Dictionary<(Type Type, string Alias), Dictionary<string, List<string>>> indexes, (Type, string) index, string value, string key)
        {
            if (!indexes.TryGetValue(index, out var map))
                indexes[index] = map = new Dictionary<string, List<string>>(StringComparer.Ordinal);
            if (!map.TryGetValue(value, out var keys))
                map[value] = keys = new List<string>();
            keys.Remove(key);
            keys.Add(key);
        }

        private static void RemoveHolder(Dictionary<string, List<string>> map, string key)
        {
            foreach (var pair in map.ToArray())
            {
                if (pair.Value.Remove(key) && pair.Value.Count == 0)
                    map.Remove(pair.Key);
            }
        }

        private static Dictionary<string, string> MapOf<TKey>(Dictionary<TKey, Dictionary<string, string>> maps, TKey key)
            where TKey : notnull
        {
            if (!maps.TryGetValue(key, out var map))
                maps[key] = map = new Dictionary<string, string>(StringComparer.Ordinal);
            return map;
        }

        private static void RemoveKey(Dictionary<string, string> map, string key)
        {
            foreach (var stale in map.Where(pair => pair.Value == key).Select(pair => pair.Key).ToArray())
                map.Remove(stale);
        }

        private sealed class KeyBox
        {
            public KeyBox(CultRecordKey key)
            {
                Key = key;
            }

            public CultRecordKey Key { get; }
        }

        // What one outermost hold admitted, and what its journals threw.
        private sealed class Hold
        {
            public List<(Change Change, bool Loaded)> Changes { get; } = new();
            public List<Exception> Failures { get; } = new();
        }

        private sealed class Change
        {
            public Change(CultCacheDocumentChangeKind kind, CultStoredDocument stored, object? document, object? previous, long sequence)
            {
                Kind = kind;
                Stored = stored;
                Document = document;
                Previous = previous;
                Sequence = sequence;
            }

            public CultCacheDocumentChangeKind Kind { get; }
            public CultStoredDocument Stored { get; }
            public object? Document { get; }
            public object? Previous { get; }
            public long Sequence { get; }
        }
    }

    public abstract class CacheBackingStore : IDisposable
    {
        private CultDocumentRegistry? _registry;
        private CultSchemaMigrationReport[] _lastSchemaMigrationReports = Array.Empty<CultSchemaMigrationReport>();

        protected CacheBackingStore(bool readOnly = false)
        {
            IsReadOnly = readOnly;
        }

        protected CultDocumentRegistry Registry =>
            _registry ?? throw new InvalidOperationException("Backing store is not attached to a CultDocumentRegistry.");

        protected ConcurrentDictionary<string, CultStoredDocument> Entries { get; } =
            new(StringComparer.Ordinal);

        public bool IsReadOnly { get; }

        public bool IsDirty { get; protected set; }

        public bool FlushOnDispose { get; set; }

        public IReadOnlyList<CultSchemaMigrationReport> LastSchemaMigrationReports => _lastSchemaMigrationReports;

        // Set by the cache at attach. A pull hands over everything it loaded and dropped in one call before it adopts
        // any of it; if the cache refuses a record the call throws and the store keeps its previous view.
        protected internal Action<IReadOnlyList<CultStoredDocument>, IReadOnlyList<CultStoredDocument>>? Loaded;

        // Set by the cache at attach: the cache's own resolution (variants, their indexed values, their bases) run over a
        // set of records a store is about to hold, mutating nothing. It throws the refusal the cache would give the same
        // set arriving as a load.
        protected internal Action<IReadOnlyList<CultStoredDocument>, IReadOnlyList<CultStoredDocument>>? Judging;

        private readonly object _detachedGate = new();
        internal CultCache? Cache;

        // Once attached, a hold on the cache's gate: the store and its cache share one lock, so a load calling back into
        // the cache can never take the gate after the store lock, and a direct call publishes what it loaded when it
        // returns. File locks are always taken inside it.
        protected T Held<T>(Func<T> body)
        {
            if (Cache is { } cache)
                return cache.Held(body);
            lock (_detachedGate)
                return body();
        }

        protected void Held(Action body) => Held(() => { body(); return true; });

        internal void AttachRegistry(CultDocumentRegistry registry)
        {
            _registry = registry ?? throw new ArgumentNullException(nameof(registry));
        }

        public abstract void PullAll();
        public abstract void Push(CultStoredDocument entry);
        public abstract void Delete(CultStoredDocument entry);
        public abstract void PushAll();

        // One durable step under the store's exclusive lock; conditions are evaluated against what is on disk then.
        // A failure restores the store's staged view.
        public abstract CultCommitOutcome CommitBatch(CultCommitRequest request, bool wait);

        public virtual void Dispose()
        {
            if (FlushOnDispose && IsDirty && !IsReadOnly)
            {
                PushAll();
            }
        }

        protected void ThrowIfReadOnly()
        {
            if (IsReadOnly)
                throw new InvalidOperationException($"Backing store {this} is read-only.");
        }

        protected CultPersistedRecord ToPersistedRecord(CultStoredDocument entry, Func<object, byte[]> serializePayload)
        {
            // A variant persists its delta and an empty payload; the resolved view is never written.
            return new CultPersistedRecord
            {
                Key = entry.Key.Value,
                SchemaId = entry.Descriptor.SchemaId,
                StoredAt = entry.StoredAt,
                Payload = entry.Variant != null ? Array.Empty<byte>() : serializePayload(entry.Document),
                Variant = entry.Variant
            };
        }

        // The one load surface: a persisted record resolved against the current type, with the report of what that
        // resolution shed. A plain record sheds a member its type dropped by never carrying it into the document; a variant
        // sheds the override of such a slot by never carrying it into the delta, so a later type reusing the slot number
        // cannot resurrect it and a flush needs no rule of its own. The report is the schema diff's ignored slots plus the
        // overrides whose slot the type does not have, including one the persisted schema never listed.
        protected CultStoredDocument ToStoredDocument(
            CultPersistedRecord record,
            IReadOnlyCollection<CultSchemaCatalogEntry> catalog,
            Func<Type, byte[], object> deserializePayload,
            out CultSchemaMigrationReport report)
        {
            var resolution = Registry.ResolvePersistedSchemaDetailed(record.SchemaId, catalog);
            report = resolution.Report;
            if (record.Variant != null)
            {
                var descriptor = resolution.Descriptor;
                bool Has(CultVariantOverride entryOverride) =>
                    entryOverride.Path.Count != 1 || descriptor.RichMembers.Any(member => member.Slot == entryOverride.Path[0].Slot);
                var shed = record.Variant.Overrides
                    .Where(entryOverride => !Has(entryOverride))
                    .Select(entryOverride => entryOverride.Path[0].Slot)
                    .Distinct()
                    .OrderBy(slot => slot)
                    .ToArray();
                if (shed.Length > 0)
                {
                    // A slot the schema diff already reported is not reported twice.
                    var unreported = shed.Except(report.IgnoredExtraSlots).ToArray();
                    report.IgnoredExtraSlots = report.IgnoredExtraSlots.Concat(unreported).OrderBy(slot => slot).ToArray();
                    report.Warnings = report.Warnings.Concat(unreported.Select(slot => new CultSchemaMigrationWarning
                    {
                        Code = "ignored_extra_slot",
                        Message = $"Variant {record.Key} overrides slot {slot}, which {descriptor.DocumentType.Name} does not have; the override is ignored and shed on flush."
                    })).ToArray();
                }

                // The cache resolves it against its base when it admits the load.
                return new CultStoredDocument(
                    new CultRecordKey(record.Key),
                    record.StoredAt,
                    descriptor,
                    new CultVariantDelta(record.Variant.BaseKey, record.Variant.Overrides.Where(Has).ToArray()),
                    null);
            }

            object document;
            try
            {
                document = deserializePayload(resolution.Descriptor.DocumentType, record.Payload);
            }
            catch (Exception exception) when (exception is not OperationCanceledException)
            {
                // The codec knows what it refused but not which record; the store does. Say both, and never null the record.
                var causes = new List<string>();
                for (var cause = exception; cause != null; cause = cause.InnerException) causes.Add(cause.Message);
                throw new InvalidDataException($"Record '{record.Key}' (schema '{record.SchemaId}') cannot be decoded: {string.Join(" <- ", causes.Distinct())}", exception);
            }
            return new CultStoredDocument(
                new CultRecordKey(record.Key),
                record.StoredAt,
                resolution.Descriptor,
                document);
        }

        protected void SetLastSchemaMigrationReports(IEnumerable<CultSchemaMigrationReport> reports)
        {
            _lastSchemaMigrationReports = reports?.ToArray() ?? Array.Empty<CultSchemaMigrationReport>();
        }

        protected void MarkFlushSucceeded()
        {
            IsDirty = false;
        }
    }

    public abstract class SingleFileBackingStore : CacheBackingStore
    {
        protected SingleFileBackingStore(string filePath, bool readOnly = false)
            : base(readOnly)
        {
            FileInfo = new FileInfo(filePath);
        }

        protected FileInfo FileInfo { get; }
        protected abstract byte[] SerializeSnapshot(CultPersistedStoreSnapshot snapshot);
        protected abstract CultPersistedStoreSnapshot DeserializeSnapshot(byte[] data);
        protected abstract byte[] SerializePayload(object document);
        protected abstract object DeserializePayload(Type documentType, byte[] payload);

        public override string ToString() => FileInfo.FullName;

        public override void PullAll() => Held(PullAllCore);

        private void PullAllCore()
        {
            // A single-file snapshot cannot distinguish local dirty keys from clean keys. Pulling while local mutations
            // are staged would let an older disk snapshot erase them before the next flush. Flush first.
            if (IsDirty)
                return;

            var snapshot = ReadSnapshot();
            if (snapshot == null)
            {
                SetLastSchemaMigrationReports(Array.Empty<CultSchemaMigrationReport>());
                return;
            }

            var reports = new List<CultSchemaMigrationReport>(snapshot.Records.Length);
            var persisted = new Dictionary<string, CultStoredDocument>(StringComparer.Ordinal);
            foreach (var record in snapshot.Records)
            {
                var stored = ToStoredDocument(record, snapshot.SchemaCatalog, DeserializePayload, out var report);
                reports.Add(report);
                persisted[stored.Key.Value] = stored;
            }

            var loaded = persisted.Values
                .Where(stored => !Entries.TryGetValue(stored.Key.Value, out var existing) ||
                                 existing.StoredAt != stored.StoredAt ||
                                 existing.Descriptor.SchemaId != stored.Descriptor.SchemaId)
                .ToArray();
            var dropped = Entries.Values.Where(existing => !persisted.ContainsKey(existing.Key.Value)).ToArray();
            if (loaded.Length > 0 || dropped.Length > 0)
                Loaded?.Invoke(loaded, dropped);

            foreach (var stored in dropped)
                Entries.TryRemove(stored.Key.Value, out _);
            foreach (var stored in loaded)
                Entries[stored.Key.Value] = stored;
            SetLastSchemaMigrationReports(reports);
        }

        public override void Push(CultStoredDocument entry)
        {
            ThrowIfReadOnly();
            Held(() =>
            {
                Entries[entry.Key.Value] = entry;
                IsDirty = true;
            });
        }

        public override void Delete(CultStoredDocument entry)
        {
            ThrowIfReadOnly();
            Held(() =>
            {
                Entries.TryRemove(entry.Key.Value, out _);
                IsDirty = true;
            });
        }

        // A plain flush writes this store's whole view under the lock: two writers never interleave bytes, but the last
        // one wins. Processes sharing a store must use conditional commit.
        public override void PushAll()
        {
            ThrowIfReadOnly();
            Held(() =>
            {
                using (AcquireLock(wait: true))
                {
                    WriteSnapshot(
                        Entries.Values.Select(entry => ToPersistedRecord(entry, SerializePayload)),
                        Entries.Values.Select(entry => entry.Descriptor.ToCatalogEntry()));
                }

                MarkFlushSucceeded();
            });
        }

        public override CultCommitOutcome CommitBatch(CultCommitRequest request, bool wait)
        {
            ThrowIfReadOnly();
            return Held(() => CommitBatchCore(request, wait));
        }

        private CultCommitOutcome CommitBatchCore(CultCommitRequest request, bool wait)
        {
            using var fileLock = AcquireLock(wait);
            if (fileLock == null)
                return CultCommitOutcome.Contended;

            var disk = ReadSnapshot() ?? new CultPersistedStoreSnapshot();
            if (!request.ConditionsHold(disk.Records, Entries.Values))
                return CultCommitOutcome.Mismatch;

            // An unconditional commit writes what a flush would, this store's whole view plus the batch: last-writer-wins,
            // and staged single writes land with it. A conditional commit (store clean) lands the batch onto the file as it is.
            var ontoDisk = request.HasConditions && !IsDirty;
            var records = ontoDisk
                ? disk.Records.ToDictionary(record => record.Key, StringComparer.Ordinal)
                : Entries.Values.Select(entry => ToPersistedRecord(entry, SerializePayload)).ToDictionary(record => record.Key, StringComparer.Ordinal);
            var catalog = ontoDisk
                ? disk.SchemaCatalog
                : Entries.Values.Select(entry => entry.Descriptor.ToCatalogEntry());
            // The committer judged the batch against its own view; the file may have moved since. A merge is judged on the
            // set the file will hold, exactly as that set would be judged loading: what other processes wrote (arriving),
            // what they removed (departing), and this batch.
            if (ontoDisk && Judging != null && MergeInvolvesVariants(request, disk))
                JudgeMerge(request, disk);
            foreach (var entry in request.Deletes)
                records.Remove(entry.Key.Value);
            foreach (var entry in request.Upserts)
                records[entry.Key.Value] = ToPersistedRecord(entry, SerializePayload);

            WriteSnapshot(records.Values, catalog.Concat(request.Upserts.Select(entry => entry.Descriptor.ToCatalogEntry())));
            foreach (var entry in request.Deletes)
                Entries.TryRemove(entry.Key.Value, out _);
            foreach (var entry in request.Upserts)
                Entries[entry.Key.Value] = entry;
            MarkFlushSucceeded();
            return CultCommitOutcome.Committed;
        }

        // Only a variant makes a merge more than the committer's own judgement: a variant it lands, one another writer wrote
        // (read from the record's header, never its payload), or one this cache holds. A plain-only store never decodes
        // another writer's records, so a schema this cache does not register cannot fail a commit that involves no variant.
        private bool MergeInvolvesVariants(CultCommitRequest request, CultPersistedStoreSnapshot disk) =>
            Cache?.HoldsVariants == true ||
            request.Upserts.Any(entry => entry.Variant != null) ||
            disk.Records.Any(record => record.Variant != null);

        private void JudgeMerge(CultCommitRequest request, CultPersistedStoreSnapshot disk)
        {
            var landing = request.Upserts.Select(entry => entry.Key.Value).ToHashSet(StringComparer.Ordinal);
            var removing = request.Deletes.Select(entry => entry.Key.Value).ToHashSet(StringComparer.Ordinal);
            var onDisk = disk.Records.Select(record => record.Key).ToHashSet(StringComparer.Ordinal);
            var arriving = new List<CultStoredDocument>(request.Upserts);
            foreach (var record in disk.Records)
            {
                if (landing.Contains(record.Key) || removing.Contains(record.Key))
                    continue;
                if (Entries.TryGetValue(record.Key, out var known) && known.StoredAt == record.StoredAt && known.Descriptor.SchemaId == record.SchemaId)
                    continue;
                arriving.Add(ToStoredDocument(record, disk.SchemaCatalog, DeserializePayload, out _));
            }

            var departing = new List<CultStoredDocument>(request.Deletes);
            departing.AddRange(Entries.Values.Where(known =>
                !onDisk.Contains(known.Key.Value) && !landing.Contains(known.Key.Value) && !removing.Contains(known.Key.Value)));
            Judging!(arriving, departing);
        }

        private CultPersistedStoreSnapshot? ReadSnapshot()
        {
            FileInfo.Refresh();
            if (!FileInfo.Exists)
                return null;
            try
            {
                return DeserializeSnapshot(ReadAllBytesShared(FileInfo.FullName));
            }
            catch (FileNotFoundException)
            {
                return null;
            }
        }

        private void WriteSnapshot(IEnumerable<CultPersistedRecord> records, IEnumerable<CultSchemaCatalogEntry> catalog)
        {
            var ordered = records.OrderBy(record => record.Key, StringComparer.Ordinal).ToArray();
            var used = new HashSet<string>(ordered.Select(record => record.SchemaId), StringComparer.Ordinal);
            var snapshot = new CultPersistedStoreSnapshot
            {
                // v2 exactly when the store holds a variant: a store without one stays byte-identical v1.
                FormatVersion = ordered.Any(record => record.Variant != null)
                    ? CultPersistedStoreSnapshot.FormatV2
                    : CultPersistedStoreSnapshot.FormatV1,
                SchemaCatalog = catalog
                    .GroupBy(entry => entry.SchemaId, StringComparer.Ordinal)
                    .Select(group => group.First())
                    .Where(entry => used.Contains(entry.SchemaId))
                    .OrderBy(entry => entry.SchemaName, StringComparer.Ordinal)
                    .ToArray(),
                Records = ordered
            };

            Directory.CreateDirectory(FileInfo.DirectoryName!);
            WriteSnapshotAtomically(FileInfo.FullName, SerializeSnapshot(snapshot));
        }

        // The lock is a sidecar opened exclusively, which excludes other handles in this process and in others alike.
        private FileStream? AcquireLock(bool wait)
        {
            Directory.CreateDirectory(FileInfo.DirectoryName!);
            var lockPath = FileInfo.FullName + ".lock";
            var started = Stopwatch.StartNew();
            while (true)
            {
                try
                {
                    return new FileStream(lockPath, FileMode.OpenOrCreate, FileAccess.ReadWrite, FileShare.None, bufferSize: 1);
                }
                catch (IOException) when (!wait)
                {
                    return null;
                }
                catch (IOException) when (started.Elapsed < TimeSpan.FromSeconds(30))
                {
                    Thread.Sleep(10);
                }
            }
        }

        private static void WriteSnapshotAtomically(string path, byte[] payload)
        {
            var directory = Path.GetDirectoryName(path)!;
            var tempPath = Path.Combine(directory, $".{Path.GetFileName(path)}.{Guid.NewGuid():N}.tmp");

            try
            {
                using (var stream = new FileStream(
                           tempPath,
                           FileMode.CreateNew,
                           FileAccess.Write,
                           FileShare.None,
                           bufferSize: 4096,
                           FileOptions.WriteThrough))
                {
                    stream.Write(payload, 0, payload.Length);
                    stream.Flush(true);
                }

                if (File.Exists(path))
                {
                    File.Replace(tempPath, path, null);
                }
                else
                {
                    File.Move(tempPath, path);
                }
            }
            finally
            {
                if (File.Exists(tempPath))
                {
                    File.Delete(tempPath);
                }
            }
        }

        private static byte[] ReadAllBytesShared(string path)
        {
            using var stream = new FileStream(path, FileMode.Open, FileAccess.Read, FileShare.ReadWrite | FileShare.Delete);
            using var buffer = new MemoryStream();
            stream.CopyTo(buffer);
            return buffer.ToArray();
        }
    }
}