From f5b11e1aa0e79a814fb08f97c7ad6721634849e7 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001
From: jochen <jschoubben@gmail.com>
Date: Wed, 11 Nov 2026 20:36:06 +0100
Subject: [PATCH] SD4 (step key parser): ParseStepKey reads both forms and
 answers the asker
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<asker>.<node>.<id> and main's <node>.<id> (no asker); a third form is refused. sdk/buildrun follows.

Builds: design 47 G §484, §649

Claude-Session: https://claude.ai/code/session_01JG73KEq4zoDfM9WtYpcQgZ
---
 sdk/buildrun/stale.go      |  2 +-
 sdk/buildstep/step_test.go | 19 +++++++++++++++++++
 sdk/buildstep/steps.go     | 26 ++++++++++++++++++--------
 3 files changed, 38 insertions(+), 9 deletions(-)

diff --git a/sdk/buildrun/stale.go b/sdk/buildrun/stale.go
index e0344de0..08160833 100644
--- a/sdk/buildrun/stale.go
+++ b/sdk/buildrun/stale.go
@@ -164,7 +164,7 @@ func EndStale(scan Scan, node string, before time.Time, logf func(string, ...any
 	}
 	var ended []string
 	for _, k := range keys {
-		n, _, perr := buildstep.ParseStepKey(k)
+		_, n, _, perr := buildstep.ParseStepKey(k)
 		if perr != nil || n != node {
 			continue
 		}
diff --git a/sdk/buildstep/step_test.go b/sdk/buildstep/step_test.go
index e40fa5bf..bc93f2b0 100644
--- a/sdk/buildstep/step_test.go
+++ b/sdk/buildstep/step_test.go
@@ -68,3 +68,22 @@ func TestTwoIDsInOneMillisecondDiffer(t *testing.T) {
 		}
 	}
 }
+
+// 1966 (G §484, §649): ParseStepKey reads both forms of a key, main's answering no asker, and refuses a third.
+func TestParseStepKeyReadsBothFormsAndRefusesAThird(t *testing.T) {
+	for _, tc := range []struct{ key, asker, node, id string }{
+		{"ace.abc123", "", "ace", "abc123"},
+		{"runner.ace.abc123", "runner", "ace", "abc123"},
+		{"builder.g14.x1", "builder", "g14", "x1"},
+	} {
+		asker, node, id, err := ParseStepKey(tc.key)
+		if err != nil || asker != tc.asker || node != tc.node || id != tc.id {
+			t.Errorf("%s: %q %q %q %v", tc.key, asker, node, id, err)
+		}
+	}
+	for _, key := range []string{"ace", "a.b.c.d", "Runner.ace.abc123", "runner.ace.ABC", ".ace.abc123", "ace."} {
+		if _, _, _, err := ParseStepKey(key); err == nil {
+			t.Errorf("%q was read as a step key", key)
+		}
+	}
+}
diff --git a/sdk/buildstep/steps.go b/sdk/buildstep/steps.go
index fc05b1a0..eea0428e 100644
--- a/sdk/buildstep/steps.go
+++ b/sdk/buildstep/steps.go
@@ -68,6 +68,7 @@ func Ended(s Step) bool { return s.State != StepRunning && s.State != StepAgain
 var (
 	nameOK   = regexp.MustCompile(`^[-/_=a-zA-Z0-9]+$`)
 	stepIDOK = regexp.MustCompile(`^[a-z0-9]+$`)
+	askerOK  = regexp.MustCompile(`^[a-z][a-z0-9-]*$`)
 	askIDOK  = regexp.MustCompile(`^[0-9a-z]{8,9}[0-9a-f]{6}$`)
 )
 
@@ -89,22 +90,31 @@ func StepKey(node, id string) (string, error) {
 	return node + "." + id, nil
 }
 
-// ParseStepKey is the inverse of StepKey.
-func ParseStepKey(key string) (node, id string, err error) {
-	node, id, ok := strings.Cut(key, ".")
-	if !ok {
-		return "", "", fmt.Errorf("buildstep: %q is not a step key, <node>.<id>", key)
+// ParseStepKey reads both forms of a step's key (design 47 G §484, §649): `<asker>.<node>.<id>`, and main's `<node>.<id>`,
+// which answers no asker (an empty asker). A third form is refused.
+func ParseStepKey(key string) (asker, node, id string, err error) {
+	parts := strings.Split(key, ".")
+	switch len(parts) {
+	case 2:
+		node, id = parts[0], parts[1]
+	case 3:
+		asker, node, id = parts[0], parts[1], parts[2]
+		if !askerOK.MatchString(asker) {
+			return "", "", "", fmt.Errorf("buildstep: %q is not a step key: %q is not an asker", key, asker)
+		}
+	default:
+		return "", "", "", fmt.Errorf("buildstep: %q is not a step key, <asker>.<node>.<id> or <node>.<id>", key)
 	}
 	if _, err := StepKey(node, id); err != nil {
-		return "", "", fmt.Errorf("buildstep: %q is not a step key: %w", key, err)
+		return "", "", "", fmt.Errorf("buildstep: %q is not a step key: %w", key, err)
 	}
-	return node, id, nil
+	return asker, node, id, nil
 }
 
 // ParseAskStepKey is ParseStepKey for the key of a pulled ask's step, whose id is the ask's (base-36 milliseconds
 // and six hex digits).
 func ParseAskStepKey(key string) (node, askID string, err error) {
-	node, askID, err = ParseStepKey(key)
+	_, node, askID, err = ParseStepKey(key)
 	if err != nil {
 		return "", "", err
 	}