Skip to content

0002-scope-null-semantics.md

Latest commit

 

History

History
28 lines (17 loc) · 1.16 KB

0002-scope-null-semantics.md

File metadata and controls

28 lines (17 loc) · 1.16 KB
Raw

ADR-0002: Scope Null Semantics

  • Status: Accepted
  • Date: 2026-08-29
  • Owners: Iris Memory Core Team
  • Baseline: §5.2–5.4

Context

Shared memory requires a stable distinction between an omitted dimension, downward visibility, and a request-side wildcard.

Decision

Within a stored Scope, null means the resource is not restricted at that dimension and may be visible downward subject to every other Scope and Privacy check. In a client request, null, omission, or a broad value never grants wildcard access. The server derives an AccessContext; request bodies may only narrow it. Scope and Privacy filtering run before relevance scoring.

Rejected alternatives

  • Interpreting null as “all tenants/agents/spaces”.
  • Trusting a body-supplied access set.
  • Performing privacy filtering after ranking or retrieval.

Consequences

Authorization remains server-controlled and property-testable. Every new scope dimension must define stored-null and request-omission semantics.

Migration impact

Legacy records with ambiguous Scope enter quarantine or require explicit mapping. Any semantic change requires a protocol/data version and authorization migration.