From f8bd12e4b7b1e32ff01965f5232c27433ad18414 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001
From: jochen <jschoubben@gmail.com>
Date: Tue, 3 Nov 2026 15:28:43 +0100
Subject: [PATCH] Encode each part of an index key, so no two keys meet and
 every part is a bus token (issue 1966 S4)

A raw value holding "." collided with a longer path, and a space is refused
by the bus: every byte outside [A-Za-z0-9_-] of a field value or an instance
path part is written =XX (review round 1 of issue 1966 B1).
---
 go/buscalls/buscalls.go  | 33 +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++----
 go/packages_list_test.go | 26 ++++++++++++++++++++++++--
 2 files changed, 53 insertions(+), 6 deletions(-)

diff --git a/go/buscalls/buscalls.go b/go/buscalls/buscalls.go
index 3282903..44e007d 100644
--- a/go/buscalls/buscalls.go
+++ b/go/buscalls/buscalls.go
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@ package buscalls
 
 import (
 	"encoding/json"
+	"fmt"
 	"strings"
 	"time"
 )
@@ -294,11 +295,35 @@ type IndexEntry struct {
 	Sequence uint64 `json:"sequence"`
 }
 
-// IndexKey is the key of an instance in a declared index: the values of the index's fields, in its order, joined by
-// ".", then the instance's path with each "/" written "." (`17950.listing.a17`). The owner's watcher and the tool
-// runner's reindex both write it, so a reindex leaves the index as the watcher keeps it.
+// IndexKey is the key of an instance in a declared index: the values of the index's fields, in its order, then the
+// parts of the instance's path, all joined by ".". Each value and each path part is encoded (keyToken): every byte
+// outside [A-Za-z0-9_-] is written "=" and two upper-case hex digits ("." is "=2E", " " is "=20", "=" is "=3D"), so two
+// different keys never meet and every part is a token the bus takes. `17950.listing.a17` is the key of price 17950
+// and instance `listing/a17`. The owner's watcher and the tool runner's reindex both write it, so a reindex leaves the
+// index as the watcher keeps it.
 func IndexKey(fields []string, instance string) string {
-	return strings.Join(append(append([]string{}, fields...), strings.ReplaceAll(instance, "/", ".")), ".")
+	parts := make([]string, 0, len(fields)+2)
+	for _, f := range fields {
+		parts = append(parts, keyToken(f))
+	}
+	for _, p := range strings.Split(instance, "/") {
+		parts = append(parts, keyToken(p))
+	}
+	return strings.Join(parts, ".")
+}
+
+// keyToken is v with every byte outside [A-Za-z0-9_-] written "=" and two upper-case hex digits (IndexKey).
+func keyToken(v string) string {
+	var b strings.Builder
+	for i := 0; i < len(v); i++ {
+		c := v[i]
+		if c >= 'a' && c <= 'z' || c >= 'A' && c <= 'Z' || c >= '0' && c <= '9' || c == '_' || c == '-' {
+			b.WriteByte(c)
+			continue
+		}
+		fmt.Fprintf(&b, "=%02X", c)
+	}
+	return b.String()
 }
 
 // QueryAnswer is query's answer.
diff --git a/go/packages_list_test.go b/go/packages_list_test.go
index ee965ae..c23b74e 100644
--- a/go/packages_list_test.go
+++ b/go/packages_list_test.go
@@ -112,8 +112,30 @@ func TestMeshSDKHoldsOnlyWhatEveryModuleShares(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 	// 1966/AC5: an index's key is its fields' values, then the instance's path, joined by "."; its entry names the
 	// instance and the sequence.
-	if k := buscalls.IndexKey([]string{"17950", "volvo"}, "listing/a17"); k != "17950.volvo.listing.a17" {
-		t.Errorf("an index key is %q", k)
+	for _, c := range []struct {
+		fields   []string
+		instance string
+		want     string
+	}{
+		{[]string{"17950", "volvo"}, "listing/a17", "17950.volvo.listing.a17"},
+		// A value holding "." and one that does not meet in no key.
+		{[]string{"a.b"}, "c", "a=2Eb.c"},
+		{[]string{"a"}, "b/c", "a.b.c"},
+		// A title with spaces is a token the bus takes; "=" itself is encoded.
+		{[]string{"How it is checked", "x=y"}, "decision/0290", "How=20it=20is=20checked.x=3Dy.decision.0290"},
+	} {
+		k := buscalls.IndexKey(c.fields, c.instance)
+		if k != c.want {
+			t.Errorf("the index key of %q and %q is %q, want %q", c.fields, c.instance, k, c.want)
+		}
+		for _, token := range strings.Split(k, ".") {
+			if token == "" || strings.ContainsAny(token, " *>\t") {
+				t.Errorf("the index key %q holds a token the bus refuses: %q", k, token)
+			}
+		}
+	}
+	if buscalls.IndexKey([]string{"a.b"}, "c") == buscalls.IndexKey([]string{"a"}, "b/c") {
+		t.Error("two different index keys meet")
 	}
 	entry, _ := json.Marshal(buscalls.IndexEntry{Instance: "listing/a17", Sequence: 3})
 	if string(entry) != `{"instance":"listing/a17","sequence":3}` {