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Collision Prevention

Plain-Language Definition

Collision prevention is how aDNA protects files from being accidentally overwritten when multiple agents (or humans) work in the same project. It uses three tiers: basic rules everyone follows (like “read before you write”), extra precautions for synced environments, and full coordination protocols for concurrent multi-agent work.

Technical Definition

A tiered system protecting against data loss from concurrent modifications. Tier 1 (Universal, MUST): frontmatter attribution on every edit, read-before-write, new-file safety. Tier 2 (Sync Environments, SHOULD): file safety tiers, archive-don’t-rename, one shared config at a time. Tier 3 (Multi-Agent, SHOULD): coordination notes, session scope declarations, update-field conflict checks. Projects adopt tiers based on their operational complexity. (aDNA Standard §13.1-§13.4)

Usage Examples

  • This vault follows Tier 1 collision prevention: every file edit updates last_edited_by and updated in frontmatter — including this glossary entry you are reading now.
  • The escalation from Tier 1 → 3 mirrors the vault’s own growth: a solo project needs only Tier 1; a team project with concurrent agents adds Tier 3.

See Also