From 351ca7c290c411746ff333b2bdaa953a361157ce Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001
From: jochen <jschoubben@gmail.com>
Date: Mon, 26 Oct 2026 20:58:20 +0100
Subject: [PATCH] The teller checks a settle ask's warrant against
 mesh-delivery.settle, the act its options bind (issue 1280, ADR 0556 clause
 5)

---
 .../cmd/mesh-delivery-teller/teller.go        | 11 +++++----
 .../cmd/mesh-delivery-teller/teller_test.go   | 24 ++++++++++++++++---
 2 files changed, 27 insertions(+), 8 deletions(-)

diff --git a/modules/mesh-delivery-teller/cmd/mesh-delivery-teller/teller.go b/modules/mesh-delivery-teller/cmd/mesh-delivery-teller/teller.go
index 40f1f20..a900626 100644
--- a/modules/mesh-delivery-teller/cmd/mesh-delivery-teller/teller.go
+++ b/modules/mesh-delivery-teller/cmd/mesh-delivery-teller/teller.go
@@ -286,16 +286,17 @@ func (t *Teller) catchUp(id string) {
 	t.said(h, *w, err)
 }
 
-// mergeAct is what the approve option of the gate's ask binds: this ask, the answer, and the heads it covers. It is
-// spelled as the gate composes it (mesh-catalog modules/mesh-delivery-gate approval.go mergeAct, from
+// mergeAct is what the approve option of the gate's ask binds: the ask's verb (delivery.AskVerb: mesh-delivery.merge, or
+// mesh-delivery.settle for a person's settle ask, novox/hq ADR 0556 clause 5), this ask, the answer, and the heads it covers.
+// It is spelled as the gate composes it (mesh-catalog modules/mesh-delivery-gate approval.go mergeAct, from
 // modules/mesh-delivery approval.go:63-65) and as mesh-controller verifies it (cmd/mesh-controller/moved.go:98-106).
-func mergeAct(ask, option string, heads map[string]string) asks.Act {
+func mergeAct(verb, ask, option string, heads map[string]string) asks.Act {
 	var out []string
 	for id, sha := range heads {
 		out = append(out, id+"="+sha)
 	}
 	sort.Strings(out)
-	return asks.Act{"verb": "mesh-delivery.merge", "ask": ask, "option": option, "heads": strings.Join(out, ",")}
+	return asks.Act{"verb": verb, "ask": ask, "option": option, "heads": strings.Join(out, ",")}
 }
 
 // headsOf is the heads an ask covers as an act names them: a delivery's id, `owner/repository@<twelve characters of its
@@ -363,7 +364,7 @@ func (t *Teller) Answer(o asks.Option, w asks.Warrant) error {
 		return fmt.Errorf("the gate's ask %s is no longer the ask the operator answered (its digest is %s, the warrant's %s)",
 			s.Key, ga.Ask.Digest(), w.AskDigest)
 	}
-	if err := o.Performs(mergeAct(w.Ask, o.ID, headsOf(ga.Heads))); err != nil {
+	if err := o.Performs(mergeAct(delivery.AskVerb(ga.Group), w.Ask, o.ID, headsOf(ga.Heads))); err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
 	body, err := delivery.EncodeAnswer(delivery.Answer{Option: o.ID, Warrant: warrantID(w), Words: w.Says()})
diff --git a/modules/mesh-delivery-teller/cmd/mesh-delivery-teller/teller_test.go b/modules/mesh-delivery-teller/cmd/mesh-delivery-teller/teller_test.go
index ae05ae0..af3e1c9 100644
--- a/modules/mesh-delivery-teller/cmd/mesh-delivery-teller/teller_test.go
+++ b/modules/mesh-delivery-teller/cmd/mesh-delivery-teller/teller_test.go
@@ -189,7 +189,13 @@ func gateAsk(t *testing.T, heads, boundTo []delivery.Head) (key string, value []
 // go/delivery Ask.Asking), the first asking's the key's own.
 func gateAskN(t *testing.T, heads, boundTo []delivery.Head, asking int) (key string, value []byte, ask delivery.Ask) {
 	t.Helper()
-	key, err := delivery.MergeAskKey("g", heads)
+	return gateAskOf(t, "g", "mesh-delivery.merge", heads, boundTo, asking)
+}
+
+// gateAskOf is gateAskN for a group whose options bind the verb given.
+func gateAskOf(t *testing.T, group, verb string, heads, boundTo []delivery.Head, asking int) (key string, value []byte, ask delivery.Ask) {
+	t.Helper()
+	key, err := delivery.MergeAskKey(group, heads)
 	if err != nil {
 		t.Fatal(err)
 	}
@@ -197,13 +203,13 @@ func gateAskN(t *testing.T, heads, boundTo []delivery.Head, asking int) (key str
 	a := asks.Ask{ID: id, Headline: "Merge into main: novox/mesh-delivery#12", Explanation: "Merges two pull requests.\nReview: approved.",
 		Who: asks.Operator, Expires: now.Add(asks.ApproveLasts - 10*time.Minute), OnExpiry: "the merge stays held", About: "delivery.mesh-delivery.12"}
 	for _, o := range []struct{ id, label, does string }{{"approve", "Approve", "merges"}, {"decline", "Decline", "merges nothing"}} {
-		binds, err := asks.ActDigest(mergeAct(id, o.id, headsOf(boundTo)))
+		binds, err := asks.ActDigest(mergeAct(verb, id, o.id, headsOf(boundTo)))
 		if err != nil {
 			t.Fatal(err)
 		}
 		a.Options = append(a.Options, asks.Option{ID: o.id, Label: o.label, Does: o.does, Level: asks.Approve, Binds: binds})
 	}
-	ask = delivery.Ask{Group: "g", Heads: heads, Asking: asking, Ask: a}
+	ask = delivery.Ask{Group: group, Heads: heads, Asking: asking, Ask: a}
 	value, err = delivery.EncodeAsk(ask)
 	if err != nil {
 		t.Fatal(err)
@@ -308,6 +314,18 @@ func TestAWarrantThatHoldsWritesOneAnswerAndASecondWritesNone(t *testing.T) { //
 	if len(b.conds) != 0 {
 		t.Errorf("conditions said: %+v", b.conds)
 	}
+	// 1280 (ADR 0556 clause 5): a settle ask holds when its options bind mesh-delivery.settle, and not when they bind a merge.
+	for verb, holds := range map[string]bool{"mesh-delivery.settle": true, "mesh-delivery.merge": false} {
+		b := newBed(t)
+		group := delivery.SettleGroup([]string{"novox/mesh-delivery@" + headA[:12]})
+		key, value, ga := gateAskOf(t, group, verb, twoHeads(), twoHeads(), 1)
+		b.gate[key] = value
+		b.t.OnAsk(key, 1, value)
+		b.deliver(t, warrantFor(ga.Ask, "approve"))
+		if _, written := b.answers.written[delivery.AnswerKey(key)]; written != holds {
+			t.Errorf("a settle ask binding %s: answer written %v, want %v", verb, written, holds)
+		}
+	}
 }
 
 func TestAWarrantThatDoesNotHoldWritesNoAnswerAndRaisesTheCondition(t *testing.T) { // 1343/AC3