From ae3408a096b667203df9b01684bdb9b1fa99fa94 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001
From: Eric Rakestraw <eric@rakestraw.us>
Date: Sun, 25 Oct 2026 21:22:01 +0000
Subject: [PATCH] Distinguish finite slice views from cycles

---
 docs/roadmap/implementation.md           |  3 +
 internal/engine/slice_view_cycle_test.go | 79 ++++++++++++++++++++++++
 internal/engine/value_operation.go       |  4 ++
 3 files changed, 86 insertions(+)
 create mode 100644 internal/engine/slice_view_cycle_test.go

diff --git a/docs/roadmap/implementation.md b/docs/roadmap/implementation.md
index 7bd91c3..c5df6fb 100644
--- a/docs/roadmap/implementation.md
+++ b/docs/roadmap/implementation.md
@@ -139,6 +139,9 @@ Focused check: `go test ./internal/engine -run 'Dynamic|Projection|Clone|Resolut
 Finding: **A03**.
 Owners: `internal/engine/value_operation.go`, `value.go`, `clone.go`, and tests.
 
+Status: **complete** (A03). Prior stage commits: `2736ddf`, `deb9aa5`.
+Validation passed: `GOTOOLCHAIN=local GOPROXY=off GOTELEMETRY=off go test ./internal/engine -run 'Mapping|Value|Projection|Clone|Override|Cycle|FiniteSlice|SliceCycles' -count=1` and `GOTOOLCHAIN=local GOPROXY=off GOTELEMETRY=off go test ./internal/engine -count=1`.
+
 Add visible slice length to `valueVisit` identity in `visitFor`. Keep type, kind,
 and starting pointer, existing empty/nil handling, and active-path removal on
 unwinding. Capacity is not part of the visible traversed graph. Maps and pointers
diff --git a/internal/engine/slice_view_cycle_test.go b/internal/engine/slice_view_cycle_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..c6ce364
--- /dev/null
+++ b/internal/engine/slice_view_cycle_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,79 @@
+package engine
+
+import (
+	"reflect"
+	"testing"
+)
+
+type sliceViewConfig struct {
+	Value []any `yaml:"value"`
+}
+
+func finiteSliceView() []any {
+	shared := []any{"leaf", nil}
+	shared[1] = shared[:1]
+	return shared
+}
+
+func TestFiniteSliceViewsAreAcceptedAcrossValueBoundaries(t *testing.T) {
+	want := []any{"leaf", []any{"leaf"}}
+
+	mappingSource := Mapping("mapping.yml", map[string]any{"value": finiteSliceView()})
+	mapping, err := testLoad[sliceViewConfig](mappingSource)
+	if err != nil || !reflect.DeepEqual(mapping.Config.Value, want) {
+		t.Fatalf("mapping value = %#v, error = %v", mapping, err)
+	}
+
+	defaults, err := testLoad[sliceViewConfig](NoSource(), Options[sliceViewConfig]{Definition: Definition[sliceViewConfig]{
+		Defaults: func() sliceViewConfig { return sliceViewConfig{Value: finiteSliceView()} },
+	}})
+	if err != nil || !reflect.DeepEqual(defaults.Config.Value, want) {
+		t.Fatalf("typed default value = %#v, error = %v", defaults, err)
+	}
+
+	override, err := testLoad[sliceViewConfig](NoSource(), Options[sliceViewConfig]{Overrides: []Override{{
+		Path: Keys("value"), Value: finiteSliceView(), Flag: "--value",
+	}}})
+	if err != nil || !reflect.DeepEqual(override.Config.Value, want) {
+		t.Fatalf("CLI override value = %#v, error = %v", override, err)
+	}
+
+	original := sliceViewConfig{Value: finiteSliceView()}
+	schema := mustSchemaFor[sliceViewConfig](t)
+	projected, issue := projectConfiguration(schema, reflect.ValueOf(original), defaultProjectionLimits())
+	if issue != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("finite view projection issue = %#v", issue)
+	}
+	cloned, issue := cloneConfiguration(schema, reflect.ValueOf(original), defaultProjectionLimits())
+	if issue != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("finite view clone issue = %#v", issue)
+	}
+	if !reflect.DeepEqual(cloned.Interface(), original) || !reflect.DeepEqual(projected, mappingSource.mapping) {
+		t.Fatalf("equivalent finite values differ: clone=%#v projected=%#v mapping=%#v", cloned.Interface(), projected, mappingSource.mapping)
+	}
+	cloned.FieldByName("Value").Index(1).Interface().([]any)[0] = "changed"
+	if original.Value[0] != "leaf" || original.Value[1].([]any)[0] != "leaf" {
+		t.Fatal("mutating a cloned descendant changed the original value")
+	}
+}
+
+func TestSliceCyclesRemainRejected(t *testing.T) {
+	schema := mustSchemaFor[sliceViewConfig](t)
+	self := make([]any, 1)
+	self[0] = self
+	first := make([]any, 1)
+	second := make([]any, 1)
+	first[0], second[0] = second, first
+
+	for name, value := range map[string][]any{"self": self, "mutual": first} {
+		t.Run(name, func(t *testing.T) {
+			configuration := sliceViewConfig{Value: value}
+			if _, issue := projectConfiguration(schema, reflect.ValueOf(configuration), defaultProjectionLimits()); issue == nil || issue.code != CodeSchemaCycle {
+				t.Fatalf("projection cycle issue = %#v", issue)
+			}
+			if _, issue := cloneConfiguration(schema, reflect.ValueOf(configuration), defaultProjectionLimits()); issue == nil || issue.code != CodeSchemaCycle {
+				t.Fatalf("clone cycle issue = %#v", issue)
+			}
+		})
+	}
+}
diff --git a/internal/engine/value_operation.go b/internal/engine/value_operation.go
index acdd437..77cfcf1 100644
--- a/internal/engine/value_operation.go
+++ b/internal/engine/value_operation.go
@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@ type valueVisit struct {
 	typeOf reflect.Type
 	kind   reflect.Kind
 	ptr    uintptr
+	length int
 }
 
 // valueOperation owns one traversal's cycle and budget state and reuses the
@@ -107,6 +108,9 @@ func visitFor(value reflect.Value) (valueVisit, bool) {
 			return valueVisit{}, false
 		}
 		visit.ptr = value.Pointer()
+		if value.Kind() == reflect.Slice {
+			visit.length = value.Len()
+		}
 	case reflect.Map:
 		if value.Len() == 0 {
 			return valueVisit{}, false