docs(fspy): document shared-memory facade ownership semantics

crates/fspy_shared/src/ipc/channel/mod.rs

@@ -51,7 +51,6 @@ pub struct ChannelConf {
     lock_file_path: Box<NativeStr>,
     #[wincode(with = "ArcStrSchema")]
     shm_id: Arc<str>,
-    shm_size: usize,
 }
 
 /// Creates a mpsc IPC channel with one receiver and a `ChannelConf` that can be passed around processes and used to create multiple senders
@@ -65,11 +64,8 @@ pub fn channel(capacity: usize) -> io::Result<(ChannelConf, Receiver)> {
 
     let shm = fspy_shm::create(capacity)?;
 
-    let conf = ChannelConf {
-        lock_file_path: lock_file_path.as_os_str().into(),
-        shm_id: shm.id().into(),
-        shm_size: capacity,
-    };
+    let conf =
+        ChannelConf { lock_file_path: lock_file_path.as_os_str().into(), shm_id: shm.id().into() };
 
     let receiver = Receiver::new(lock_file_path, shm)?;
     Ok((conf, receiver))
@@ -87,7 +83,7 @@ impl ChannelConf {
         let lock_file = File::open(self.lock_file_path.to_cow_os_str())?;
         lock_file.try_lock_shared()?;
 
-        let shm = fspy_shm::open(&self.shm_id, self.shm_size)?;
+        let shm = fspy_shm::open(&self.shm_id)?;
         // SAFETY: `shm` is a freshly opened shared memory region with valid pointer and size.
         // Exclusive write access is ensured by the shared file lock held by this sender.
         let writer = unsafe { ShmWriter::new(shm) };

crates/fspy_shared/src/ipc/channel/shm_io.rs

@@ -680,7 +680,7 @@ mod tests {
                 let cmd = command_for_fn!(
                     (shm_name.clone(), child_index),
                     |(shm_name, child_index): (String, usize)| {
-                        let shm = fspy_shm::open(&shm_name, SHM_SIZE).unwrap();
+                        let shm = fspy_shm::open(&shm_name).unwrap();
                         // SAFETY: `shm` is a freshly opened shared memory region with a valid
                         // pointer and size. Concurrent write access is safe because `ShmWriter`
                         // uses atomic operations.

crates/fspy_shm/README.md

@@ -0,0 +1,34 @@
+# `fspy_shm`
+
+`fspy_shm` is the private shared-memory layer used by fspy IPC channels. It gives the channel one API for creating a mapping, passing its identifier to another process, and opening additional views of the same bytes.
+
+`fspy_shm` exposes only the operations used by fspy. Callers must treat an identifier as a string and must not depend on a platform's naming scheme.
+
+## API
+
+The public API is defined in [`src/lib.rs`](src/lib.rs).
+
+| API               | Contract                                                                           |
+| ----------------- | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
+| `create(size)`    | Creates a non-empty mapping and returns its unique owner.                          |
+| `open(id)`        | Opens another view of the mapping identified by `id`.                              |
+| `Shm::id()`       | Returns the identifier to send to another process.                                 |
+| `Shm::len()`      | Returns the mapped size.                                                           |
+| `Shm::as_ptr()`   | Returns a mutable raw pointer to the first byte.                                   |
+| `Shm::as_slice()` | Returns a shared slice. The caller must prevent mutation for the slice's lifetime. |
+
+`Shm` does not synchronize memory access. The fspy channel combines it with atomic frame headers and a lock file. Senders hold a shared file lock while writing. The receiver takes the exclusive lock before reading, which waits for existing senders and rejects new ones.
+
+## Ownership semantics
+
+`create` returns the only owner. `open` returns non-owning views.
+
+- While the owner is alive, a process that knows the identifier can open the mapping.
+- An opened view remains usable after the owner is dropped. Its operating system mapping keeps the underlying bytes alive.
+- After the owner is dropped, new opens behave differently by platform. POSIX removes the name. Windows can continue accepting opens by section name until the final handle or view is closed.
+
+The channel hides that difference with its lock file. [`ChannelConf::sender`](../fspy_shared/src/ipc/channel/mod.rs) opens and locks the receiver's exact lock-file path before it calls `fspy_shm::open`. The receiver removes that path before dropping the owner, so a sender that starts later fails before opening shared memory.
+
+## Backend boundary
+
+At this point in the stack, `fspy_shm` delegates mapping creation and opening to the [`shared_memory`](https://crates.io/crates/shared_memory) crate. Because callers use only the API above, later changes can replace the backend on each platform without changing the channel protocol.

crates/fspy_shm/src/lib.rs

@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-//! Behavior-neutral shared-memory facade for fspy channels.
+#![doc = include_str!("../README.md")]
 
 use std::io;
 
@@ -9,7 +9,11 @@ pub struct Shm {
     inner: Shmem,
 }
 
-/// Creates a shared-memory mapping of `size` bytes.
+/// Creates a shared-memory mapping of `size` bytes and returns its owner.
+///
+/// Dropping the returned owner stops new [`open`] calls from being guaranteed
+/// to succeed, while views that are already open stay usable (see the
+/// [ownership semantics](crate)).
 ///
 /// # Errors
 ///
@@ -23,13 +27,17 @@ pub fn create(size: usize) -> io::Result<Shm> {
     Ok(Shm { inner })
 }
 
-/// Opens the shared-memory mapping identified by `id`.
+/// Opens a view of the shared-memory mapping identified by `id`.
+///
+/// Guaranteed to succeed only while the mapping's owner is alive; the
+/// returned view stays usable independently of the owner afterwards (see the
+/// [ownership semantics](crate)).
 ///
 /// # Errors
 ///
 /// Returns an error if the mapping does not exist or cannot be mapped.
-pub fn open(id: &str, size: usize) -> io::Result<Shm> {
-    let conf = ShmemConf::new().size(size).os_id(id);
+pub fn open(id: &str) -> io::Result<Shm> {
+    let conf = ShmemConf::new().os_id(id);
     #[cfg(target_os = "windows")]
     let conf = conf.allow_raw(true);
 
@@ -89,7 +97,7 @@ mod tests {
         // SAFETY: No writes occur while this slice is borrowed.
         assert!(unsafe { owner.as_slice() }.iter().all(|byte| *byte == 0));
 
-        let opened = open(owner.id(), SIZE).unwrap();
+        let opened = open(owner.id()).unwrap();
         assert_eq!(opened.id(), owner.id());
         assert_eq!(opened.len(), SIZE);
 
@@ -105,7 +113,7 @@ mod tests {
         write_byte(&owner, 0, 17);
 
         let command = command_for_fn!(owner.id().to_owned(), |id: String| {
-            let opened = open(&id, SIZE).unwrap();
+            let opened = open(&id).unwrap();
             assert_eq!(read_byte(&opened, 0), 17);
             write_byte(&opened, SIZE - 1, 29);
         });
@@ -119,20 +127,20 @@ mod tests {
         let id = owner.id().to_owned();
         drop(owner);
 
-        assert!(open(&id, SIZE).is_err());
+        assert!(open(&id).is_err());
     }
 
     #[test]
     fn opened_mapping_survives_owner_drop() {
         let owner = create(SIZE).unwrap();
         let id = owner.id().to_owned();
-        let opened = open(&id, SIZE).unwrap();
+        let opened = open(&id).unwrap();
         write_byte(&owner, 0, 17);
         drop(owner);
 
         // Windows keeps the named object alive while an opened view exists.
         #[cfg(not(target_os = "windows"))]
-        assert!(open(&id, SIZE).is_err());
+        assert!(open(&id).is_err());
         assert_eq!(read_byte(&opened, 0), 17);
         write_byte(&opened, SIZE - 1, 29);
         assert_eq!(read_byte(&opened, SIZE - 1), 29);