@zakkster/lite-signal 1.2.1 → 1.2.2

package/README.md

@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@
 [![npm version](https://img.shields.io/npm/v/@zakkster/lite-signal.svg?style=for-the-badge&color=latest)](https://www.npmjs.com/package/@zakkster/lite-signal)
 [![sponsor](https://img.shields.io/badge/sponsor-PeshoVurtoleta-ea4aaa.svg?logo=github)](https://github.com/sponsors/PeshoVurtoleta)
 ![Zero-GC](https://img.shields.io/badge/Zero--GC-Engine-00C853?style=for-the-badge&logo=leaf&logoColor=white)
+![Benchmark](https://img.shields.io/badge/js--reactivity--benchmark-4th%20of%2015-00C853?style=for-the-badge)
 [![npm bundle size](https://img.shields.io/bundlephobia/minzip/@zakkster/lite-signal?style=for-the-badge)](https://bundlephobia.com/result?p=@zakkster/lite-signal)
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@@ -12,6 +13,24 @@
 ![Dependencies](https://img.shields.io/badge/dependencies-0-brightgreen)
 [![license](https://img.shields.io/badge/license-MIT-blue?style=flat-square)](./LICENSE)
 
+## 4th of 15 on the community reactivity benchmark -- and the only zero-GC engine in the field
+
+On the independent [js-reactivity-benchmark](https://github.com/volynetstyle/js-reactivity-benchmark) (Andrii Volynets' fork; 15 reactive libraries, 47 tests), `lite-signal` places **4th overall by geomean (81.6)** -- within noise of 5th-place Preact Signals (83.0, a 1.7% gap), behind only three push-eager engines: alien-signals, reflex, and @reactively.
+
+It is the **only object-pooled, zero-GC engine in the entire field**, and it gets that result without giving up glitch-freedom or lazy evaluation. Against the mainstream reactivity libraries it leads decisively:
+
+| vs                     | lite-signal is | 
+| ---------------------- | -------------- |
+| **@vue/reactivity**    | **1.6x faster** |
+| **Signia**             | **1.7x faster** |
+| **MobX**               | **2.3x faster** |
+| **@solidjs/signals**   | **2.6x faster** |
+| **SolidJS**            | **3.8x faster** |
+| Preact Signals         | ~even (+1.7%)   |
+| alien-signals          | 0.56x (the field leader) |
+
+`lite-signal` finishes **top-3 on 18 of the 47 tests** and is the **outright fastest of all 15** on `manyEffectsFromOneSource` (1 source -> many effects, fan-out) and `manySourcesIntoOneComputedEffectWithDirect` (many sources -> one computed, fan-in) -- the aggregation shapes that dominate live dashboards, scoreboards, and HUDs. The three engines ahead of it are all push-eager designs that allocate on the hot path; `lite-signal` is the only top-4 finisher that allocates **nothing** in steady state. (Note: this suite measures reactivity *libraries* -- Vue's reactivity core, MobX, Solid, Preact Signals, etc. -- not full UI frameworks like React or Angular.)
+
 ```bash
 npm install @zakkster/lite-signal
 ```
@@ -23,10 +42,10 @@ const count = signal(0);
 const double = computed(() => count() * 2);
 
 effect(() => console.log("double is", double()));
-// → double is 0
+// -> double is 0
 
 count.set(21);
-// → double is 42
+// -> double is 42
 ```
 
 Synchronous, glitch-free, push-pull. No microtask queue, no allocations after warm-up, no surprises.
@@ -64,7 +83,7 @@ Reactive graph libraries are now table-stakes for UI work. They all do the same
 
 1. **No allocation after warm-up.** A 60fps Twitch overlay can't tolerate GC pauses. `set`, `peek`, and re-runs touch no heap.
 2. **Zero microtasks.** Effects flush synchronously in the same call stack as `set()`. There is no scheduler queue. Predictable cause-and-effect makes debugging tractable.
-3. **Survive forever.** A multi-day extension session can issue billions of writes. Internal versions use 32-bit modular arithmetic — the engine never overflows.
+3. **Survive forever.** A multi-day extension session can issue billions of writes. Internal versions use 32-bit modular arithmetic -- the engine never overflows.
 
 Other libraries hit two of three. None of the ones I measured hit all three.
 
@@ -86,17 +105,17 @@ No microtask between `B` and `I`. No promise, no `queueMicrotask`. Just call sta
 
 ## What you get
 
-- **`signal(value, { equals? })`** — root reactive cell. `set`, `peek`, `update`, `subscribe`.
-- **`computed(fn, { equals? })`** — memoized derivation. Lazy. Pulls deps on read.
-- **`effect(fn, { scheduler? })`** — side-effect runner. Returns a dispose function.
-- **`dispose(api)`** — universal disposal for signals, computeds, and effect handles. Cross-registry calls are silent no-ops.
-- **`batch(fn)`** — defer effect flush until the outermost batch closes.
-- **`untrack(fn)`** — read without subscribing.
-- **`isTracking()`** — `true` iff a read right now would subscribe (for lazy-allocation wrappers).
-- **`onCleanup(fn)`** — register teardown for the current computation. Works in effects *and* computeds.
-- **`createRegistry(config)`** — isolated pool for tests, plugins, sandboxing.
-- **`stats()`** — pool occupancy snapshot. Used by the demo and easy to wire into perf overlays.
-- **`CapacityError`** — thrown when a fixed-size pool is exhausted under the `"throw"` policy.
+- **`signal(value, { equals? })`** -- root reactive cell. `set`, `peek`, `update`, `subscribe`.
+- **`computed(fn, { equals? })`** -- memoized derivation. Lazy. Pulls deps on read.
+- **`effect(fn, { scheduler? })`** -- side-effect runner. Returns a dispose function.
+- **`dispose(api)`** -- universal disposal for signals, computeds, and effect handles. Cross-registry calls are silent no-ops.
+- **`batch(fn)`** -- defer effect flush until the outermost batch closes.
+- **`untrack(fn)`** -- read without subscribing.
+- **`isTracking()`** -- `true` iff a read right now would subscribe (for lazy-allocation wrappers).
+- **`onCleanup(fn)`** -- register teardown for the current computation. Works in effects *and* computeds.
+- **`createRegistry(config)`** -- isolated pool for tests, plugins, sandboxing.
+- **`stats()`** -- pool occupancy snapshot. Used by the demo and easy to wire into perf overlays.
+- **`CapacityError`** -- thrown when a fixed-size pool is exhausted under the `"throw"` policy.
 
 Full type definitions ship in [`Signal.d.ts`](./Signal.d.ts) and are referenced from `package.json`. Every public symbol has JSDoc.
 
@@ -109,7 +128,7 @@ Full type definitions ship in [`Signal.d.ts`](./Signal.d.ts) and are referenced
 
 A naive reactive library allocates one object per dependency edge, one per subscription, one per queued effect. With 1000 computeds × 1 update / frame × 60 fps, that's 60,000 short-lived objects per second. The major GC will catch up with you.
 
-`lite-signal` solves this by pre-allocating two pools at startup — **nodes** (one per signal/computed/effect) and **links** (one per dependency edge) — and reusing them indefinitely. After the warm-up frames, the hot path performs zero allocations:
+`lite-signal` solves this by pre-allocating two pools at startup -- **nodes** (one per signal/computed/effect) and **links** (one per dependency edge) -- and reusing them indefinitely. After the warm-up frames, the hot path performs zero allocations:
 
 | Op                  | Allocations | Notes                                                                          |
 | ------------------- | ----------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ |
@@ -119,7 +138,7 @@ A naive reactive library allocates one object per dependency edge, one per subsc
 | `computed()` read   | **0** (steady-state) | Cache hit on `evalVersion === globalVersion`                          |
 | Dispose             | **0**       | Returns nodes and links to the free lists                                      |
 
-The free lists are singly-linked through a `nextFree` field on each pool object — `O(1)` pop, `O(1)` push, no fragmentation.
+The free lists are singly-linked through a `nextFree` field on each pool object -- `O(1)` pop, `O(1)` push, no fragmentation.
 
 </details>
 
@@ -166,8 +185,8 @@ flowchart TB
 
 Every reactive entity is a `ReactiveNode` with bit flags (`COMPUTED`, `EFFECT`, `QUEUED`, `COMPUTING`, `HAS_ERROR`). Every edge between two nodes is a `ReactiveLink`, doubly-linked along two axes:
 
-- **`dep` axis:** `prevDep` / `nextDep` — the list of dependencies on the *target* node (so a computed/effect can iterate its inputs in stable order).
-- **`sub` axis:** `prevSub` / `nextSub` — the list of subscribers on the *source* node (so a signal can iterate downstream observers during mark phase).
+- **`dep` axis:** `prevDep` / `nextDep` -- the list of dependencies on the *target* node (so a computed/effect can iterate its inputs in stable order).
+- **`sub` axis:** `prevSub` / `nextSub` -- the list of subscribers on the *source* node (so a signal can iterate downstream observers during mark phase).
 
 Doubly-linked on both axes means `O(1)` unlink during the cursor-based reconciliation that happens at the end of every computed/effect re-run.
 
@@ -178,7 +197,7 @@ Doubly-linked on both axes means `O(1)` unlink during the cursor-based reconcili
 ## How a write propagates
 
 <details>
-<summary>The set → mark → flush sequence, and why computeds stay pull-based.</summary>
+<summary>The set -> mark -> flush sequence, and why computeds stay pull-based.</summary>
 
 ```mermaid
 sequenceDiagram
@@ -199,16 +218,16 @@ sequenceDiagram
   loop until queue empty
     Flush->>Eff: for each effect: re-pull deps,<br/>compare versions, run if dirty
     Eff-->>Flush: maybe re-queue (handled by buffer B)
-    Flush->>Flush: swap buffers A↔B, repeat
+    Flush->>Flush: swap buffers A<->B, repeat
   end
   Note over Flush: maxFlushPasses=100<br/>guards against runaway loops
 ```
 
-The mark phase is **iterative**, not recursive — it uses a pre-allocated `markStack` array so a 10,000-node fan-out can't blow the JS call stack.
+The mark phase is **iterative**, not recursive -- it uses a pre-allocated `markStack` array so a 10,000-node fan-out can't blow the JS call stack.
 
 The flush phase uses **two queue buffers** (`effectQueueA` / `effectQueueB`) alternating each pass. An effect that writes during its own re-run gets re-queued into the *other* buffer, which is then processed in the next pass. After `maxFlushPasses` (default 100), the loop throws `CycleError`.
 
-Computeds are **pull-based** — they're not in the effect queue. Reading a computed walks its dep list, recursively pulls upstream computeds, and only re-runs if any dep's version is greater than its own `evalVersion`. The version comparison uses 32-bit modular arithmetic: `((dep.version - evalVer) | 0) > 0`. This is the trick that makes the engine immune to integer overflow during long-running sessions.
+Computeds are **pull-based** -- they're not in the effect queue. Reading a computed walks its dep list, recursively pulls upstream computeds, and only re-runs if any dep's version is greater than its own `evalVersion`. The version comparison uses 32-bit modular arithmetic: `((dep.version - evalVer) | 0) > 0`. This is the trick that makes the engine immune to integer overflow during long-running sessions.
 
 </details>
 
@@ -265,7 +284,7 @@ c.peek();         // untracked read, may still compute
 const off = c.subscribe(value => { ... });
 ```
 
-Computeds **cache by version**, not by value. Reading a clean computed (one whose dependencies haven't changed since its `evalVersion`) is `O(deps)` — it still walks the dep list to check versions, then returns the cached value. The `equals` option short-circuits downstream propagation when the new computed value matches the old.
+Computeds **cache by version**, not by value. Reading a clean computed (one whose dependencies haven't changed since its `evalVersion`) is `O(deps)` -- it still walks the dep list to check versions, then returns the cached value. The `equals` option short-circuits downstream propagation when the new computed value matches the old.
 
 ### Effect
 
@@ -280,7 +299,7 @@ const dispose = effect(() => {
 dispose();
 ```
 
-Effects run **once eagerly** on creation, then again whenever any tracked dependency changes. Dispose returns the node to the pool. If a scheduler is provided, the runner is handed to the scheduler instead of executing inline — useful for batching reactive updates into requestAnimationFrame, microtasks, or your own frame loop.
+Effects run **once eagerly** on creation, then again whenever any tracked dependency changes. Dispose returns the node to the pool. If a scheduler is provided, the runner is handed to the scheduler instead of executing inline -- useful for batching reactive updates into requestAnimationFrame, microtasks, or your own frame loop.
 
 ### Batch
 
@@ -320,9 +339,9 @@ function makeLazyField(initial) {
 }
 ```
 
-Returns `true` iff a read right now would record a dependency on the current registry — an observer body is on the stack AND tracking is enabled. Mirrors the engine's own read-trap check (both flags), so it correctly returns `false` inside `untrack`, inside `subscribe` callbacks, inside `onCleanup` bodies, inside `watch` / `when` callbacks, and outside any observer.
+Returns `true` iff a read right now would record a dependency on the current registry -- an observer body is on the stack AND tracking is enabled. Mirrors the engine's own read-trap check (both flags), so it correctly returns `false` inside `untrack`, inside `subscribe` callbacks, inside `onCleanup` bodies, inside `watch` / `when` callbacks, and outside any observer.
 
-For wrapper libraries (lite-store, lite-query, lite-form) gating lazy allocation on the read path. Per-registry — call `registry.isTracking()` if your signals live in a non-default registry.
+For wrapper libraries (lite-store, lite-query, lite-form) gating lazy allocation on the read path. Per-registry -- call `registry.isTracking()` if your signals live in a non-default registry.
 
 ### Observer-lifecycle introspection
 
@@ -330,8 +349,8 @@ For wrapper libraries (lite-store, lite-query, lite-form) gating lazy allocation
 // Start a ticker only while something is actually watching a derived value.
 const now = signal(performance.now());
 const unobserve = observeObservers(now, {
-  onConnect:    () => startRAF(),   // 0 → 1 observers
-  onDisconnect: () => stopRAF(),    // 1 → 0 observers
+  onConnect:    () => startRAF(),   // 0 -> 1 observers
+  onDisconnect: () => stopRAF(),    // 1 -> 0 observers
 });
 
 hasObservers(now);                  // O(1): is anyone subscribed right now? (a peek doesn't count)
@@ -345,25 +364,25 @@ forEachOwned(effectHandle, d => console.log(d.kind, d.id));  // observers this o
 ownerOf(innerComputedDesc);                                  // descriptor of the enclosing effect/computed
 ```
 
-Eight functions (top-level + per-registry) — four in 1.1.4, two in 1.1.5, two more in 1.2.1 — for auto-pausing wrappers and graph inspection:
+Eight functions (top-level + per-registry) -- four in 1.1.4, two in 1.1.5, two more in 1.2.1 -- for auto-pausing wrappers and graph inspection:
 
-- **`hasObservers(handle)` → `boolean`** — O(1) (`node.headSub !== null`). The auto-pause predicate.
-- **`observeObservers(handle, { onConnect?, onDisconnect? })` → `unobserve`** — fires on the 0→1 and 1→0 observer transitions *after* registration (transition-only — no immediate fire if already observed). Re-tracking a persistently-read source does **not** churn. This is the hook `lite-time` / `lite-raf` use to run a clock only while a derived value is watched. Throws `TypeError` on a non-handle.
-- **`forEachObserver(handle, fn)` / `forEachSource(handle, fn)`** — walk subscribers / dependencies; `fn` gets a `{ id, kind, value }` descriptor (`kind` ∈ `"signal" | "computed" | "effect"`; `id` added in 1.1.5). No-op on a non-handle.
-- **`nodeId(handle)` → `number | undefined`** *(1.1.5)* — the node's stable per-allocation id; the dedupe key for graph traversal. `undefined` on a non-handle.
-- **`describe(handle)` → `{ id, kind, value } | undefined`** *(1.1.5)* — the handle's own descriptor. **Re-walkable**: pass it back into any `forEach*` to recurse the graph. `undefined` on a non-handle.
-- **`forEachOwned(handle, fn)`** *(1.2.1)* — walk this node's owned children (lifetime-binding edges from the 1.2 owner tree). The dep/sub edges show DATA FLOW; the owner edges show LIFETIME BINDING — when this handle re-runs or is disposed, every owned child is cascade-disposed. No-op on a non-handle, top-level handle with no children, or stale handle.
-- **`ownerOf(handle)` → `{ id, kind, value } | undefined`** *(1.2.1)* — descriptor of `handle`'s owner, or `undefined` for top-level / stale handles. The inverse of `forEachOwned`: walks UP the owner tree.
+- **`hasObservers(handle)` -> `boolean`** -- O(1) (`node.headSub !== null`). The auto-pause predicate.
+- **`observeObservers(handle, { onConnect?, onDisconnect? })` -> `unobserve`** -- fires on the 0->1 and 1->0 observer transitions *after* registration (transition-only -- no immediate fire if already observed). Re-tracking a persistently-read source does **not** churn. This is the hook `lite-time` / `lite-raf` use to run a clock only while a derived value is watched. Throws `TypeError` on a non-handle.
+- **`forEachObserver(handle, fn)` / `forEachSource(handle, fn)`** -- walk subscribers / dependencies; `fn` gets a `{ id, kind, value }` descriptor (`kind` in `"signal" | "computed" | "effect"`; `id` added in 1.1.5). No-op on a non-handle.
+- **`nodeId(handle)` -> `number | undefined`** *(1.1.5)* -- the node's stable per-allocation id; the dedupe key for graph traversal. `undefined` on a non-handle.
+- **`describe(handle)` -> `{ id, kind, value } | undefined`** *(1.1.5)* -- the handle's own descriptor. **Re-walkable**: pass it back into any `forEach*` to recurse the graph. `undefined` on a non-handle.
+- **`forEachOwned(handle, fn)`** *(1.2.1)* -- walk this node's owned children (lifetime-binding edges from the 1.2 owner tree). The dep/sub edges show DATA FLOW; the owner edges show LIFETIME BINDING -- when this handle re-runs or is disposed, every owned child is cascade-disposed. No-op on a non-handle, top-level handle with no children, or stale handle.
+- **`ownerOf(handle)` -> `{ id, kind, value } | undefined`** *(1.2.1)* -- descriptor of `handle`'s owner, or `undefined` for top-level / stale handles. The inverse of `forEachOwned`: walks UP the owner tree.
 
-The surface is gated by an internal lifecycle counter: when nothing is being observed, the hot path adds a single branch-predicted `count !== 0` check in link alloc/free and nothing else — **zero steady-state cost when unused**.
+The surface is gated by an internal lifecycle counter: when nothing is being observed, the hot path adds a single branch-predicted `count !== 0` check in link alloc/free and nothing else -- **zero steady-state cost when unused**.
 
 #### Stale-handle guard (1.2.1)
 
-The 1.2.0 owner tree makes the engine recycle pool slots autonomously: when an effect or computed re-runs, every observer it created in its previous body is cascade-disposed. **Holding a stale handle stopped being a user error and became routine.** Pre-1.2.1, the introspection surface plus `peek()` resolved `NODE_PTR` ungated and would happily report the recycled slot's NEW resident — wrong id, wrong value, wrong edges.
+The 1.2.0 owner tree makes the engine recycle pool slots autonomously: when an effect or computed re-runs, every observer it created in its previous body is cascade-disposed. **Holding a stale handle stopped being a user error and became routine.** Pre-1.2.1, the introspection surface plus `peek()` resolved `NODE_PTR` ungated and would happily report the recycled slot's NEW resident -- wrong id, wrong value, wrong edges.
 
 1.2.1 generation-checks every entry point that resolves a handle (the same ABA discipline `dispose()` always had):
 
-- `nodeId`, `describe`, `hasObservers`, `forEachObserver`, `forEachSource`, `forEachOwned`, `ownerOf`, `signal.peek()`, `computed.peek()`, `signal()`/`computed()` read, `signal.set()` → return `undefined` / are no-ops on stale handles.
+- `nodeId`, `describe`, `hasObservers`, `forEachObserver`, `forEachSource`, `forEachOwned`, `ownerOf`, `signal.peek()`, `computed.peek()`, `signal()`/`computed()` read, `signal.set()` -> return `undefined` / are no-ops on stale handles.
 - `observeObservers` throws `TypeError` (matching the existing non-handle contract).
 
 Descriptors returned by `describe()` and the `forEach*` walkers are themselves gen-stamped, so the documented "descriptors are re-walkable handles" contract survives the guard: a fresh descriptor walks, one held across a recycle correctly goes stale.
@@ -382,17 +401,17 @@ const unsub = onGraphMutation((opcode, intA, intB) => {
   }
 });
 
-// Stop listening — restores the previous registration (or null), engine returns to zero-cost state.
+// Stop listening -- restores the previous registration (or null), engine returns to zero-cost state.
 unsub();
 ```
 
-A registry-level (and top-level) debug hook for push-based tooling — the connection point lite-devtools 1.1 and lite-studio 1.1 use to walk away from polling. Single nullable listener; every fire point in the engine is one `if (mutationHook !== null) mutationHook(opcode, intA, intB)`:
+A registry-level (and top-level) debug hook for push-based tooling -- the connection point lite-devtools 1.1 and lite-studio 1.1 use to walk away from polling. Single nullable listener; every fire point in the engine is one `if (mutationHook !== null) mutationHook(opcode, intA, intB)`:
 
-- **Zero cost when unregistered** — branch-predicted null check per mutation point, same as the lifecycle counter pattern.
-- **Allocation-free when registered** — three integers, no objects, no closures. Worst-case measured cost on a dynamic-retracking torture loop (11.4M events over 400K writes) is +29% — a debug-mode tax proportional to event volume, paid only while a consumer is attached.
-- **LIFO stacking** — `onGraphMutation(a); onGraphMutation(b); unsubB()` restores `a`. Used by lite-devtools 1.1 to multiplex multiple consumers behind one engine registration.
+- **Zero cost when unregistered** -- branch-predicted null check per mutation point, same as the lifecycle counter pattern.
+- **Allocation-free when registered** -- three integers, no objects, no closures. Worst-case measured cost on a dynamic-retracking torture loop (11.4M events over 400K writes) is +29% -- a debug-mode tax proportional to event volume, paid only while a consumer is attached.
+- **LIFO stacking** -- `onGraphMutation(a); onGraphMutation(b); unsubB()` restores `a`. Used by lite-devtools 1.1 to multiplex multiple consumers behind one engine registration.
 
-**Listener contract: observe only — never throw, never mutate the graph from inside.** The hook fires synchronously inside mutation points; mutating from the callback corrupts the in-flight operation. Wrap any downstream work that could touch the registry in a microtask.
+**Listener contract: observe only -- never throw, never mutate the graph from inside.** The hook fires synchronously inside mutation points; mutating from the callback corrupts the in-flight operation. Wrap any downstream work that could touch the registry in a microtask.
 
 ### onCleanup
 
@@ -403,7 +422,7 @@ effect(() => {
 });
 ```
 
-Registers a teardown for the *current* computation. Fires before every re-run and once on dispose. Supports multiple cleanups per scope (they're stored as a flat list, run in registration order). Works inside computeds too — useful for canceling async work when memos become stale.
+Registers a teardown for the *current* computation. Fires before every re-run and once on dispose. Supports multiple cleanups per scope (they're stored as a flat list, run in registration order). Works inside computeds too -- useful for canceling async work when memos become stale.
 
 ### dispose
 
@@ -412,14 +431,14 @@ const s = signal(0);
 const c = computed(() => s() * 2);
 const e = effect(() => { /* ... */ });
 
-dispose(s);   // signal → returns the node to the pool
-dispose(c);   // computed → same, also unlinks its upstreams
-dispose(e);   // effect handle → identical to calling e()
+dispose(s);   // signal -> returns the node to the pool
+dispose(c);   // computed -> same, also unlinks its upstreams
+dispose(e);   // effect handle -> identical to calling e()
 ```
 
-One function for all three primitives. Idempotent. Cross-registry calls are silent no-ops — each registry holds a private `Symbol("node_ptr")` keyed on its own nodes, so passing a signal from registry A to `registry B.dispose()` won't corrupt either pool. Passing an unrelated value (`null`, `42`, `{}`) is also a safe no-op. Passing an arbitrary function invokes it (the effect-handle contract).
+One function for all three primitives. Idempotent. Cross-registry calls are silent no-ops -- each registry holds a private `Symbol("node_ptr")` keyed on its own nodes, so passing a signal from registry A to `registry B.dispose()` won't corrupt either pool. Passing an unrelated value (`null`, `42`, `{}`) is also a safe no-op. Passing an arbitrary function invokes it (the effect-handle contract).
 
-The effect dispose handle (`const dispose = effect(...)`) is still a plain function — you can call it directly. `dispose()` exists to unify the call site when you're managing a heterogeneous bag of reactive resources, which is the common case for component teardown and tests.
+The effect dispose handle (`const dispose = effect(...)`) is still a plain function -- you can call it directly. `dispose()` exists to unify the call site when you're managing a heterogeneous bag of reactive resources, which is the common case for component teardown and tests.
 
 ### createRegistry
 
@@ -436,7 +455,7 @@ const e = r.effect(() => s());
 r.destroy();                     // reset all pools, invalidate generations
 ```
 
-`createRegistry` is the unit of isolation. Two registries share no state — useful for multi-tenant code, plugin sandboxes, and tests that need a fresh world.
+`createRegistry` is the unit of isolation. Two registries share no state -- useful for multi-tenant code, plugin sandboxes, and tests that need a fresh world.
 
 `setDefaultRegistry(r)` swaps the registry used by top-level helpers. Use sparingly; intended for test setup.
 
@@ -459,13 +478,13 @@ flowchart LR
   E -- no --> G[allocate, continue]
 ```
 
-Why a ceiling? Unbounded growth hides leaks. If your app reaches 16× its starting link capacity, something is wrong and you want to know — `CapacityError` is louder than a slow OOM crash four hours later.
+Why a ceiling? Unbounded growth hides leaks. If your app reaches 16× its starting link capacity, something is wrong and you want to know -- `CapacityError` is louder than a slow OOM crash four hours later.
 
 Default sizing for a Twitch-extension-style budget:
 
 | Workload                            | maxNodes | maxLinks | policy   |
 | ----------------------------------- | -------- | -------- | -------- |
-| Tiny widget (≤50 reactive cells)    | 256      | 1024     | `"throw"` |
+| Tiny widget (<=50 reactive cells)    | 256      | 1024     | `"throw"` |
 | Standard overlay (~500 cells)       | 1024     | 4096     | `"throw"` |
 | Heavy dashboard (variable scale)    | 2048     | 16384    | `"grow"`  |
 
@@ -477,34 +496,34 @@ Default sizing for a Twitch-extension-style budget:
 
 ## Watchers
 
-`@zakkster/lite-signal` ships three composable watcher primitives, all built from `effect` + `untrack` — no engine extensions, no per-watcher flag in `ReactiveNode`. The core stays small; the surface stays useful.
+`@zakkster/lite-signal` ships three composable watcher primitives, all built from `effect` + `untrack` -- no engine extensions, no per-watcher flag in `ReactiveNode`. The core stays small; the surface stays useful.
 
 | API | Use case | Lifecycle | Hot-path safe? |
 |---|---|---|---|
 | `watch(source, cb)` | observe value changes over time | manual `stop()` | ✅ zero-GC per fire |
-| `watch(source, (v, p, stop) => …)` | observe until a condition | self-dispose via callback arg | ✅ zero-GC per fire |
+| `watch(source, (v, p, stop) => ...)` | observe until a condition | self-dispose via callback arg | ✅ zero-GC per fire |
 | `when(predicate, cb)` | one-shot trigger when condition first true | auto-dispose | ✅ zero-GC per check |
-| `whenAsync(predicate)` | await a condition | auto-dispose | ⚠️ allocates Promise — see below |
+| `whenAsync(predicate)` | await a condition | auto-dispose | ! allocates Promise -- see below |
 
 ### `watch(source, callback, options?)`
 
-Fires the callback whenever the source's projected value changes. The callback receives `(newValue, oldValue, stop)` — calling `stop()` from inside the callback disposes the watcher.
+Fires the callback whenever the source's projected value changes. The callback receives `(newValue, oldValue, stop)` -- calling `stop()` from inside the callback disposes the watcher.
 
 ```js
 import { signal, watch } from "@zakkster/lite-signal";
 
 const count = signal(0);
 
-// Basic — observe forever
+// Basic -- observe forever
 const stop = watch(count, (next, prev) => {
-    console.log(`${prev} → ${next}`);
+    console.log(`${prev} -> ${next}`);
 });
 
-count.set(1);  // logs: 0 → 1
+count.set(1);  // logs: 0 -> 1
 stop();        // manual dispose
 ```
 
-**Self-disposing watcher** — declarative termination from inside the callback:
+**Self-disposing watcher** -- declarative termination from inside the callback:
 
 ```js
 watch(status, (next, prev, stop) => {
@@ -515,25 +534,25 @@ watch(status, (next, prev, stop) => {
 });
 ```
 
-**Immediate option** — fires once on registration with `oldValue = undefined`:
+**Immediate option** -- fires once on registration with `oldValue = undefined`:
 
 ```js
 watch(theme, (v) => applyTheme(v), { immediate: true });
 ```
 
-**Raw getter equality** — `watch` uses `Object.is` internally to avoid spurious fires when a dep mutation produces the same projected value:
+**Raw getter equality** -- `watch` uses `Object.is` internally to avoid spurious fires when a dep mutation produces the same projected value:
 
 ```js
 const health = signal(10);
 let deathLog = 0;
 watch(() => health() <= 0, (isDead) => { deathLog++; });
 
-health.set(9);  // isDead is still false — no fire
-health.set(8);  // same — no fire
-health.set(0);  // crossed — fires once with (true, false)
+health.set(9);  // isDead is still false -- no fire
+health.set(8);  // same -- no fire
+health.set(0);  // crossed -- fires once with (true, false)
 ```
 
-Without this guard, the callback would fire on every `health` mutation regardless of whether `isDead` changed. Wrapping the source in `computed()` would achieve the same via the computed's own equality check — the guard makes that wrapping optional.
+Without this guard, the callback would fire on every `health` mutation regardless of whether `isDead` changed. Wrapping the source in `computed()` would achieve the same via the computed's own equality check -- the guard makes that wrapping optional.
 
 ### `when(predicate, callback)`
 
@@ -556,9 +575,9 @@ if (userBacked) cancel();
 
 ### `whenAsync(predicate)`
 
-> ### ⚠️ Hot-path warning
+> ### ! Hot-path warning
 >
-> `whenAsync` calls `new Promise(...)` internally — **this is a heap allocation**. Every call allocates a Promise object, an executor closure, and Promise infrastructure (resolve function, microtask state). Promises require heap allocation by the language spec; this cost is unavoidable.
+> `whenAsync` calls `new Promise(...)` internally -- **this is a heap allocation**. Every call allocates a Promise object, an executor closure, and Promise infrastructure (resolve function, microtask state). Promises require heap allocation by the language spec; this cost is unavoidable.
 >
 > **Use for:** high-level scene/UI orchestration, boot sequences, awaiting user input, level transitions. Anything that runs once or rarely.
 >
@@ -579,7 +598,7 @@ async function bootSequence() {
 }
 ```
 
-The promise never rejects on its own — if the predicate never becomes truthy, the promise never settles. For timeout semantics use `Promise.race`:
+The promise never rejects on its own -- if the predicate never becomes truthy, the promise never settles. For timeout semantics use `Promise.race`:
 
 ```js
 await Promise.race([
@@ -598,34 +617,34 @@ Honest accounting of where memory is spent in each primitive:
 | `when(predicate, cb)` | 2 closures (stop, effect body) | **0** |
 | `whenAsync(predicate)` | 1 Promise + 1 executor closure + Promise internals + 2 closures from `when` | **0** (after registration) |
 
-The "0 per fire" property for `watch` is deliberate engineering — the inner `untrack` callback is hoisted to a single closure allocated once at registration, with `currentNewValue` as shared mutable state. If you read the source and wonder why we don't use a clean inline arrow function inside the effect body, this is the answer: doing it inline would allocate a fresh closure on every dep change, at 7,200 allocs per minute per watcher at 120 fps.
+The "0 per fire" property for `watch` is deliberate engineering -- the inner `untrack` callback is hoisted to a single closure allocated once at registration, with `currentNewValue` as shared mutable state. If you read the source and wonder why we don't use a clean inline arrow function inside the effect body, this is the answer: doing it inline would allocate a fresh closure on every dep change, at 7,200 allocs per minute per watcher at 120 fps.
 
 ### Tree-shaking
 
-All three primitives live in a separate module (`Watch.js`) and are re-exported from the main entry (which binds them to its own `effect`/`untrack`, so there is exactly one engine instance). If your bundle doesn't import them, they won't appear in the output — modern ESM tree-shaking (Vite, Rollup, esbuild) handles this reliably.
+All three primitives live in a separate module (`Watch.js`) and are re-exported from the main entry (which binds them to its own `effect`/`untrack`, so there is exactly one engine instance). If your bundle doesn't import them, they won't appear in the output -- modern ESM tree-shaking (Vite, Rollup, esbuild) handles this reliably.
 
 ---
 
 ## Edge cases pinned down
 
 <details>
-<summary>Diamonds, self-feedback, nested-effect ownership (v1.2), pre-batch revert (v1.2), multi-throw AggregateError (v1.2), NaN/±0, throwing bodies, 32-bit version wrap, deep-chain limits.</summary>
+<summary>Diamonds, self-feedback, nested-effect ownership (v1.2), pre-batch revert (v1.2), multi-throw AggregateError (v1.2), NaN/+/-0, throwing bodies, 32-bit version wrap, deep-chain limits.</summary>
 
 These are the questions you'd ask in a code review, with the answers:
 
 - **Diamond dependency.** Glitch-free. The mark phase walks the graph once; computeds are pulled lazily on read, so each one re-runs at most once per propagation regardless of how many paths reach it.
-- **Writing to a signal during its own effect (self-feedback loop).** The new value re-queues the effect into the alternate buffer. After 100 flush passes (configurable), `CycleError` is thrown — you have a real loop, not just a deep update.
-- **Writing to a signal *inside its computed*.** Throws `CycleError` immediately at the inner `set` — this is a structural cycle, not a deep update, and the engine refuses to attempt it.
-- **Nested effects (v1.2 owner tree).** An effect or computed that creates nested observers (effect/computed) **owns** them. When the owner re-runs or is disposed, those owned children cascade-dispose before the new run — no leaked nested subscriptions, no manual bookkeeping. Plain signals are deliberately NOT owner-adopted so lazy-allocation wrappers (lite-store keys, lite-form fields) continue to survive their allocating computed's re-runs.
+- **Writing to a signal during its own effect (self-feedback loop).** The new value re-queues the effect into the alternate buffer. After 100 flush passes (configurable), `CycleError` is thrown -- you have a real loop, not just a deep update.
+- **Writing to a signal *inside its computed*.** Throws `CycleError` immediately at the inner `set` -- this is a structural cycle, not a deep update, and the engine refuses to attempt it.
+- **Nested effects (v1.2 owner tree).** An effect or computed that creates nested observers (effect/computed) **owns** them. When the owner re-runs or is disposed, those owned children cascade-dispose before the new run -- no leaked nested subscriptions, no manual bookkeeping. Plain signals are deliberately NOT owner-adopted so lazy-allocation wrappers (lite-store keys, lite-form fields) continue to survive their allocating computed's re-runs.
 - **Pre-batch revert (v1.2).** Inside `batch(...)`, if a signal is set and then set back to its pre-batch value (under its own `equals`), the version bump is reverted and downstream effects/computeds do not fire. Eliminates a class of spurious re-runs from temporary state mutations.
 - **Multi-throw in one flush (v1.2).** Two or more effects throwing in the same flush pass aggregate to `AggregateError` at the triggering `set()` / batch boundary; effects that don't throw still run. A single thrown error is rethrown unwrapped (no API change for the common case).
 - **NaN, -0, +0.** Default `equals` is `Object.is`. `NaN === NaN` is true for our purposes (so setting NaN twice doesn't re-fire). `-0` and `+0` are distinct.
 - **First-run effect throws.** The half-initialised node is disposed cleanly, deps unlinked, then the error propagates to the caller. No leaked dangling subscriptions.
 - **Computed throws.** The error is cached on the node (`FLAG_HAS_ERROR`) and re-thrown on every subsequent read until a dependency changes. This is symmetric with successful caching.
-- **Dispose during flush.** Effects re-check their generation (`gen`) before running through a scheduler trampoline. If `dispose()` bumped the gen between schedule and execute, the trampoline becomes a no-op. The trampoline closure is cached on the node (v1.2) so repeated re-schedules reuse the same function — ABA safe under async schedulers.
-- **32-bit version wrap.** Versions are `(... + 1) | 0`, so after 2^31 writes they wrap to a negative number. The comparison `((dep.version - evalVer) | 0) > 0` is wrap-safe — it works on the *modular distance*, not raw integer ordering.
-- **Deep chain depth.** Computed resolution is recursive in the JS call stack. Chains beyond ~5,000 deep risk `RangeError: Maximum call stack size exceeded`. Effects use an iterative mark phase, so signal → effect fan-out has no depth limit other than memory.
-- **`destroy()` after dispose.** `destroy()` bumps every node's generation, so any in-flight scheduled trampolines from before destruction are silently dropped. Closures returned to user code from disposed effects guard with `if (node.flags === 0) return;` — calling `dispose()` again is a no-op.
+- **Dispose during flush.** Effects re-check their generation (`gen`) before running through a scheduler trampoline. If `dispose()` bumped the gen between schedule and execute, the trampoline becomes a no-op. The trampoline closure is cached on the node (v1.2) so repeated re-schedules reuse the same function -- ABA safe under async schedulers.
+- **32-bit version wrap.** Versions are `(... + 1) | 0`, so after 2^31 writes they wrap to a negative number. The comparison `((dep.version - evalVer) | 0) > 0` is wrap-safe -- it works on the *modular distance*, not raw integer ordering.
+- **Deep chain depth.** Computed resolution is recursive in the JS call stack. Chains beyond ~5,000 deep risk `RangeError: Maximum call stack size exceeded`. Effects use an iterative mark phase, so signal -> effect fan-out has no depth limit other than memory.
+- **`destroy()` after dispose.** `destroy()` bumps every node's generation, so any in-flight scheduled trampolines from before destruction are silently dropped. Closures returned to user code from disposed effects guard with `if (node.flags === 0) return;` -- calling `dispose()` again is a no-op.
 
 </details>
 
@@ -633,31 +652,33 @@ These are the questions you'd ask in a code review, with the answers:
 
 ## Benchmarks
 
-Honest numbers, against the same workload, with anti-DCE sinks and verified effect execution. All measurements: Node 22, **2016-era Intel MacBook Pro (4 cores, ~10 yr old hardware)**, 20K iterations × 5 inner runs × 10 outer invocations (median reported). Newer/faster machines shift all libs up proportionally; the relative ordering between libs is what matters. Numbers below are lite-signal **@1.2.0** vs alien-signals on the same loop; the full five-framework comparison (incl. preact, vue-reactivity, solid across 34 reactive-suite tests) is in [`resultsReactive.txt`](./resultsReactive.txt). *(Both halves are now @1.2.0 — this throughput table median-of-10, the cross-framework reactivity suite median-of-10 in [`resultsReactive.txt`](./resultsReactive.txt). 1.2.0 is drop-in over 1.1.5; the hot paths are byte-identical, so steady-state numbers are within run-to-run noise.)*
+Honest numbers, against the same workload, with anti-DCE sinks and verified effect execution. All measurements: Node 22, **2016-era Intel MacBook Pro (4 cores, ~10 yr old hardware)**, 20K iterations, **one engine per cold process**, median of 10 isolated runs. Newer/faster machines shift all libs up proportionally; the relative ordering between libs is what matters. Numbers below are lite-signal **@1.2.2** vs alien-signals on the same loop; the full five-framework comparison (incl. preact, vue-reactivity, solid across 34 reactive-suite tests) is in [`resultsReactive.txt`](./resultsReactive.txt). *(These numbers use the corrected one-engine-per-process protocol -- the prior 1.2.0 table ran several engines in one process, which let nursery-allocating engines borrow a warm heap and polluted shared inline caches. 1.2.2 is drop-in over 1.2.0; the hot paths are byte-identical, so the table moves here are the measurement correction, not engine changes. The 1.2.0 single-process table is in git history.)*
 
 | Scenario   | What it stresses                | lite-signal | alien-signals | lite vs alien |
 | ---------- | -------------------------------- | ----------- | ------------- | ------------- |
-| **MUX**    | 256 signals → 1 sum → 1 effect (fan-in) | **318K ops/s** | 203K       | **+38%**      |
-| **KAIROS**    | 1 signal → 1000 computeds → 1 effect | **15K**     | 13K           | **+18%**      |
-| **BROADCAST** | 1 signal → 1000 effects (fan-out)    | **25K**     | 24K           | **+9%**       |
-| **DEEP CHAIN** | 256-deep computed chain → 1 effect  | 52K         | **66K**       | −21%          |
-| **DYNAMIC DAG** | sqrt-layered, FAN=6, read flips each iter | **2K**  | 2K            | **+9%**       |
-| **LARGE WEB APP** | 12 layers × ~80 wide, conditional reads | **7K**  | 7K            | **+2%**       |
-| **WIDE DENSE** | 5 layers × ~200 wide, dense fan-in   | **7K**      | 7K            | **+4%**       |
-| **Δheap MUX**   | transient alloc pressure, 20K iters | **0.3 KB** | 7,780 KB      | —             |
-| **Retained MUX** | state surviving forced GC         | **−9 KB** (none) | −2 KB    | —             |
+| **MUX**    | 256 signals -> 1 sum -> 1 effect (fan-in) | **293K ops/s** | 190K       | **+35%**      |
+| **DYNAMIC DAG** | sqrt-layered, FAN=6, read flips each iter | **2K**  | 1K            | **+44%**      |
+| **SELECTIVE DAG** | sqrt-layered, set churn, 2 read/iter | **4K**   | 2K            | **+48%**      |
+| **SMALL SELECTIVE** | 6 layers × 64 wide, 6 cand / 3 read | **10K** | 7K            | **+31%**      |
+| **KAIROS**    | 1 signal -> 1000 computeds -> 1 effect | 15K     | 16K           | -4%           |
+| **BROADCAST** | 1 signal -> 1000 effects (fan-out)    | 18K     | 19K           | -7%           |
+| **WIDE DENSE** | 5 layers × ~200 wide, dense fan-in   | 7K      | 7K            | -5%           |
+| **LARGE WEB APP** | 12 layers × ~80 wide, conditional reads | 7K  | 7K            | -7%           |
+| **DEEP CHAIN** | 256-deep computed chain -> 1 effect  | 49K         | **59K**       | -19%          |
+| **heap-delta MUX**   | transient alloc pressure, 20K iters | **0.3 KB** | 7,780 KB      | --             |
+| **Retained MUX** | state surviving forced GC         | **-9 KB** (none) | -2 KB    | --             |
 
-**Reading the table:** `lite-signal` wins **MUX** (fan-in aggregation) by **+38%**, **KAIROS** (one source feeding a wide layer of memos) by **+18%**, **BROADCAST** (fan-out) by **+9%**, and the three dynamic-topology shapes (**DYNAMIC DAG**, **LARGE WEB APP**, **WIDE DENSE**) — the patterns that dominate real UI workloads: dashboards, scoreboards, HUDs, leaderboards, and any view that aggregates many inputs into a single computed slice. `alien-signals` retains its **−21% lead on DEEP CHAIN** (256-deep computed pipelines), where a flatter internal representation pays off when the propagation path is long rather than wide. The two narrower-than-1.1.5 shapes — SELECTIVE DAG and SMALL SELECTIVE — are construction-bound; see the `S: createComputations*` rows in [`resultsReactive.txt`](./resultsReactive.txt) for the underlying cost.
+**Reading the table:** lite-signal's wins cluster exactly where its zero-GC design pays off -- the **allocation-heavy dynamic shapes** (**DYNAMIC DAG +44%**, **SELECTIVE DAG +48%**, **SMALL SELECTIVE +31%**), where alien-signals churns the nursery and lite's object pool allocates nothing, plus **MUX +35%** (fan-in aggregation). These are the patterns that dominate live UI workloads under input churn: dashboards, scoreboards, HUDs, leaderboards. On the cheap, low-allocation **stable** shapes (KAIROS, BROADCAST, wide app/dense) lite runs at **parity** with alien -- within a 4-7% band that is inside this old host's run-to-run noise. The one structural loss is **DEEP CHAIN (-19%)**: on a 256-deep computed pipeline alien's flatter representation wins because the propagation path is long rather than wide.
 
-On allocation pressure, `lite-signal` is alone in the zero-Δheap band: ~0.3 KB of transient garbage on stable shapes across 20,000 iterations. The contrast is starkest on SMALL SELECTIVE — lite-signal 0.3 KB vs alien-signals **~15 MB** in the same loop. preact ranges from ~220 KB to low-single-digit MB per loop, solid runs into single-digit megabytes, and alien-signals — which earlier shared the zero-GC band with lite-signal — allocates from near-zero (BROADCAST) up to ~6 MB (MUX) per stable scenario in this run. Negative "retained" numbers mean V8 reclaimed memory below the pre-bench baseline during the post-run forced GC — no leaks anywhere.
+On allocation pressure, `lite-signal` is alone in the zero-alloc band: ~0.3 KB of transient garbage on stable shapes across 20,000 iterations. The contrast is starkest on the dynamic DAGs -- lite allocates 9-13 MB (genuine retracking re-links) where alien-signals allocates 39-42 MB on the same shapes, and that allocation gap is the mechanism behind lite's +44-48% wins there once each engine is measured in isolation. preact ranges from ~220 KB to low-single-digit MB per stable loop, solid runs into single-digit megabytes. Negative "retained" numbers mean V8 reclaimed memory below the pre-bench baseline during the post-run forced GC -- no leaks anywhere.
 
-> Note on the +70.8 KB retained that lite-signal shows on KAIROS specifically: that's the pre-allocated pool sitting in memory holding the live graph (1002 nodes + ~2000 links). The pool *is* the working memory — see the [Case for object pooling](#case-for-object-pooling) section. On the other benches the graph is small enough that the same pool floats below baseline after GC.
+> Note on the +70.8 KB retained that lite-signal shows on KAIROS specifically: that's the pre-allocated pool sitting in memory holding the live graph (1002 nodes + ~2000 links). The pool *is* the working memory -- see the [Case for object pooling](#case-for-object-pooling) section. On the other benches the graph is small enough that the same pool floats below baseline after GC.
 
-The benchmark harness is in [`bench/benchmark.mjs`](./bench/benchmark.mjs); a full methodology write-up — including the anti-DCE design, workload diagrams, variance discipline, reproducibility recipe, and a self-validation procedure for the harness itself — lives in [`bench/README.md`](./bench/README.md). It:
+The benchmark harness is in [`bench/benchmark.mjs`](./bench/benchmark.mjs); a full methodology write-up -- including the anti-DCE design, workload diagrams, variance discipline, reproducibility recipe, and a self-validation procedure for the harness itself -- lives in [`bench/README.md`](./bench/README.md). It:
 
-1. Writes every effect's output to a shared `Float64Array(4096)` exposed on `globalThis` — V8 cannot prove these writes are dead.
+1. Writes every effect's output to a shared `Float64Array(4096)` exposed on `globalThis` -- V8 cannot prove these writes are dead.
 2. Uses the **client** Solid runtime (`solid-js/dist/solid.js`), not the SSR stub Node resolves to by default. The default Node resolution silently no-ops effects, which is how earlier benchmarks across the ecosystem have reported Solid at ~50 GHz throughput.
-3. Validates each lib's sink slot is non-zero after the timed loop and prints `sink=✓` for each line. If you ever see `sink=✗`, the run is invalid.
+3. Validates each lib's sink slot is non-zero after the timed loop and prints `sink=[x]` for each line. If you ever see `sink=[ ]`, the run is invalid.
 
 Run it yourself:
 
@@ -672,38 +693,41 @@ npm run bench
 
 Three tiers, all reproducible.
 
-### Tier 1 — Behavior (unit tests, fast)
+### Tier 1 -- Behavior (unit tests, fast)
 
 `npm test` runs the suite in `test/`, covering:
 
-- **`01-core_test.mjs`** — signal/computed/effect basics, equality semantics, NaN/±0, subscribe/peek/update, untrack, batch, cleanup ordering, first-run error recovery, nested object reference-identity gotchas.
-- **`02-topology_test.mjs`** — diamond glitch-freedom, 256-deep and 1024-deep computed chains, wide fan-out (1000 effects from one signal), dynamic dependency switching, conditional fan-out, nested effects, cycle detection (`CycleError`).
-- **`03-pool_test.mjs`** — `CapacityError` under both `"throw"` and `"grow"` policies, the 16× link ceiling, stable pool reuse across thousands of create/dispose cycles, registry isolation.
-- **`05-scheduler_test.mjs`** — scheduler-deferred effects, dispose-during-schedule races, microtask integration, 32-bit version wrap (simulated), `setDefaultRegistry`, `onCleanup` inside computeds.
-- **`06-nested-objects_test.mjs`** — array mutation patterns (push/splice/spread), deep nested paths, Map/Set/Date inside signals, custom structural equality, computed memoisation cutoffs over object slices, signal-of-signals composition, high-frequency object updates, batched immutable updates.
-- **`07-dispose_test.mjs`** — unified `dispose(api)` across signals, computeds and effect handles, idempotency, cross-registry isolation (per-registry Symbol prevents pool corruption), foreign-value safety, top-level helper routing, 500-cycle balanced churn leaving pool and stats stable.
-- **`08-watch_test.mjs`** — Validates the user-land observer utilities (watch, when, whenAsync). Covers lifecycle teardown, old/new value tracking, and Promise-based asynchronous state resolution.
-- **`09-conformance_test.mjs`** — Industry-standard conformance tests. Validates the engine against extreme edge cases from the johnsoncodehk reactive test suite, ensuring strict zero-GC invariants, correct cleanup isolation, and re-entrant stability.
-- **`10-is-tracking_test.mjs`** — The `isTracking()` observer-context predicate. 11 tests across 5 describe blocks: true inside effect/computed bodies; false inside `untrack`, `subscribe` callbacks, `onCleanup` bodies, and `watch` callbacks (the untracked-window cases that catch an observer-only misimplementation); false outside any observer including at the call site of an unobserved computed read; state-restoration after a thrown body; per-registry isolation; top-level binding.
-- **`11-adopted-reactive_test.mjs`** — 24 engine-agnostic edge cases adopted from across the ecosystem: alien-signals' parent-child link-integrity regression (#226–228), equality-predicate corners (preact/solid/vue), `signal.update(fn)` functional setter (vue/solid), `peek()` non-subscription depth (preact/vue), and the `subscribe` behavioral contract (preact/mobx).
-- **`12-coverage_test.mjs`** — 18 targeted exercises for public surface and hot-path branches the behavioral suites don't incidentally hit: top-level routing to the default registry, the computed clean-read short-circuit (`markEpoch` O(1) skip), dependency-set shrink severing the stale tail, error/structural edge paths, scheduler ABA across a recycled pool slot, and the v1.2 owner-tree paths (direct-child detach, cascade tolerates an already-freed child). Capability-gated via a runtime probe, so the same file runs unchanged across engines.
-- **`13-introspection_test.mjs`** — The observer-lifecycle surface (1.1.4). 10 tests across 3 describe blocks: `hasObservers` (live observation reflects; a peek doesn't count), `observeObservers` auto-pause lifecycle (start-on-first / stop-on-last, no extra connect for a 2nd observer, re-observe fires again, no churn on re-track, conditional reads toggle honestly, transition-only registration, works for computeds), and `forEachObserver`/`forEachSource` enumeration (both directions; descriptor carries kind + value).
-- **`14-lifecycle-teardown_test.mjs`** — Effect-teardown guards against the alien-signals@3.2.1 regressions (4 tests). A stopped effect must not re-subscribe to a signal read later in the same run; self-dispose must leave no orphaned link (clean `activeLinks`); a throwing setup must leave no live subscription; normal and dynamic re-tracking stay unaffected by the `allocateLink` eligibility gate.
-- **`15-owner-lazy-alloc_test.mjs`** — Owner-adoption contract for the 1.2.0 owner tree (5 tests). A signal allocated lazily *inside* a computed/effect must **not** be owner-adopted (it survives the owner's re-run — the lite-store/lite-form lazy-field shape) and sibling lazy signals must not cross-wire, while observers (nested effect/computed) *are* still auto-disposed on the owner's re-run.
-- **`16-alien-parity_test.mjs`** — Differential regression guards (3 tests) reproducing the *properties* behind alien-signals@3.2.0 fixed bugs: reads inside a cleanup create no spurious dependencies (the dispose-cleanup fix); an inner-effect write does not block later propagation through a computed chain (#112); a dynamic dependency-set change stays correct under dirty-check (#109/#110).
-- **`17-reactivity_test.mjs`** — Behavioral suite (≈30 tests across 11 groups) mirroring universal signal-system bug classes: subscription lifecycle, cleanup ordering, stale-dependency tracking, batching/timing (incl. set-then-revert), equality cutoff (NaN/±0/custom), nested invalidation + glitch-free diamond, memory/retained nodes, the synchronous async-boundary, scheduler & loops (self-write termination, self-reading computed), and differential-review additions (cached computed errors, mid-batch pull, self-disposing getter, pooled-slot return). SSR hydration is a documented N/A — lite has no DOM layer.
-- **`18-identity_test.mjs`** — Node identity (1.1.5; 5 tests). Unique/stable ids; `nodeId`/`describe` return `undefined` for a non-handle; the descriptor's visible shape is `{ id, kind, value }`; `forEach*` descriptors carry `id` and are **re-walkable** (`nodeId`/`forEachSource` accept a descriptor); identity walks are non-perturbing (add no observers).
-- **`19-v12-additions_test.mjs`** — v1.2.0 release-prep regressions (24 tests across 8 suites). Shared `peek` (one closure per registry, identical reference across primitives, no tracking, two registries hold independent peeks). Owner-adoption rule (signals not adopted, computeds/effects adopted, cascade drains correctly). Pre-batch revert (signal-level, propagates through computeds, respects custom `equals`, nested batches, final-different-value still fires). Multi-throw aggregation (`AggregateError` with both errors carried, single-throw unwrapped, engine survives). `CycleError` via `maxFlushPasses` (default + custom). `maxLinks` config branch under `throw` and `grow`. Documented disposed-signal semantics (read undefined, set silent no-op, dispose idempotent). Scheduler-thunk ABA guard across a recycled pool slot.
-- **`20-axis-stress_test.mjs`** — engine-invariant regression guards along eight orthogonal "axes" (16 tests across 9 suites). Pins lite-signal's actual contract on: batch semantics under exception (writes commit; pre-batch revert holds; effects see the post-throw value), connect/disconnect lifecycle re-entrancy (`observeObservers` from inside an `onConnect`, transition-only registration), untrack does NOT suppress owner adoption (a nested effect created via `untrack` is still owner-cascaded), untrack inside a computed body (no hidden dep leaks; tracked source re-evaluates), queue safety under self-dispose mid-flush (no UAF), value-dependent cycle detection (computed graph closes a cycle, `CycleError` thrown), nested-effect creation order (effects run synchronously on creation; immediately-stopped one still ran), synchronous flush (no scheduler in the default path; batch coalesces). Plus a bonus suite: 1,000 effect-create-then-dispose cycles return pool to baseline; `dispose()` idempotent; `dispose()` on foreign values safe.
-- **`21-perf-pins_test.mjs`** — v1.2.1 construction-shape pins (6 tests). Locks the canonical handle shapes (`signal` 6 own props: peek/set/update/subscribe + NODE_PTR/NODE_GEN; `computed` 4: peek/subscribe + NODE_PTR/NODE_GEN) so a future "let's unify them" change has to be explicit. Locks the 1.2.1 ABA guards: detached `const {set} = signal()` keeps working on a LIVE signal; `read()` returns `undefined` and skips dep-tracking on a stale handle (no phantom subscription to the recycled slot); `set()` on a stale handle is a no-op across three corruption tiers (disposed slot, recycled slot, downstream propagation); `peek()` returns `undefined` for stale signal and computed handles.
-- **`22-mutation-hook_test.mjs`** — 1.2.1 `onGraphMutation` semantics (12 tests across 2 suites). Registration: unsubscribe returns a function; `null` argument clears and the unsub restores the prior listener; non-function/non-null throws `TypeError`; multiple registrations stack LIFO; registries are isolated (no cross-talk). Opcode emission: `1` node-create fires with `(id, flags)` for signal (32) / computed (1) / effect (2); `2` node-dispose fires for cascade-disposed owned children; `3` link-add fires with `(source.id, target.id)` on dependency record; `4` link-remove fires when a dep-set flip severs the tail; `5` recompute fires on initial eval AND re-eval; the hook fires synchronously inside the mutation (listener sees its own event before the caller returns); payload is always three plain numbers — no objects, no closures.
-- **`23-owner-introspection_test.mjs`** — 1.2.1 owner-tree introspection + effect-disposer regression (22 tests across 4 suites). `ownerOf`: undefined for top-level / garbage input / stale handle; returns the enclosing effect's descriptor for a child created inside an effect body. `forEachOwned`: no-op for handles with no owned children / garbage input / stale handle; iterates owned children as `{id, kind, value}` descriptors. Gen-guarded introspection (ABA fix): `nodeId` / `describe` / `hasObservers` return undefined / false for stale handles; `observeObservers` throws `TypeError`; `forEachObserver` / `forEachSource` are no-ops; descriptors returned by `describeNode` are themselves gen-stamped so a descriptor obtained pre-recycle correctly walks as a no-op post-recycle (the "descriptors are re-walkable handles" contract survives the guard). Plus the 1.2.1 effect-dispose-handle fix: passing the effect's disposer directly to `describe` / `nodeId` / `forEachSource` / `forEachOwned` / `ownerOf` / `hasObservers` works as a first-class introspection handle (pre-fix it was a bare closure and returned `undefined` for a *live* effect); after `fx()` dispose the same handle correctly goes stale on every entry point; the disposer's `NODE_GEN` mirrors the effect node's birthGen exactly.
+- **`01-core_test.mjs`** -- signal/computed/effect basics, equality semantics, NaN/+/-0, subscribe/peek/update, untrack, batch, cleanup ordering, first-run error recovery, nested object reference-identity gotchas.
+- **`02-topology_test.mjs`** -- diamond glitch-freedom, 256-deep and 1024-deep computed chains, wide fan-out (1000 effects from one signal), dynamic dependency switching, conditional fan-out, nested effects, cycle detection (`CycleError`).
+- **`03-pool_test.mjs`** -- `CapacityError` under both `"throw"` and `"grow"` policies, the 16× link ceiling, stable pool reuse across thousands of create/dispose cycles, registry isolation.
+- **`05-scheduler_test.mjs`** -- scheduler-deferred effects, dispose-during-schedule races, microtask integration, 32-bit version wrap (simulated), `setDefaultRegistry`, `onCleanup` inside computeds.
+- **`06-nested-objects_test.mjs`** -- array mutation patterns (push/splice/spread), deep nested paths, Map/Set/Date inside signals, custom structural equality, computed memoisation cutoffs over object slices, signal-of-signals composition, high-frequency object updates, batched immutable updates.
+- **`07-dispose_test.mjs`** -- unified `dispose(api)` across signals, computeds and effect handles, idempotency, cross-registry isolation (per-registry Symbol prevents pool corruption), foreign-value safety, top-level helper routing, 500-cycle balanced churn leaving pool and stats stable.
+- **`08-watch_test.mjs`** -- Validates the user-land observer utilities (watch, when, whenAsync). Covers lifecycle teardown, old/new value tracking, and Promise-based asynchronous state resolution.
+- **`09-conformance_test.mjs`** -- Industry-standard conformance tests. Validates the engine against extreme edge cases from the johnsoncodehk reactive test suite, ensuring strict zero-GC invariants, correct cleanup isolation, and re-entrant stability.
+- **`10-is-tracking_test.mjs`** -- The `isTracking()` observer-context predicate. 11 tests across 5 describe blocks: true inside effect/computed bodies; false inside `untrack`, `subscribe` callbacks, `onCleanup` bodies, and `watch` callbacks (the untracked-window cases that catch an observer-only misimplementation); false outside any observer including at the call site of an unobserved computed read; state-restoration after a thrown body; per-registry isolation; top-level binding.
+- **`11-adopted-reactive_test.mjs`** -- 24 engine-agnostic edge cases adopted from across the ecosystem: alien-signals' parent-child link-integrity regression (#226-228), equality-predicate corners (preact/solid/vue), `signal.update(fn)` functional setter (vue/solid), `peek()` non-subscription depth (preact/vue), and the `subscribe` behavioral contract (preact/mobx).
+- **`12-coverage_test.mjs`** -- 18 targeted exercises for public surface and hot-path branches the behavioral suites don't incidentally hit: top-level routing to the default registry, the computed clean-read short-circuit (`markEpoch` O(1) skip), dependency-set shrink severing the stale tail, error/structural edge paths, scheduler ABA across a recycled pool slot, and the v1.2 owner-tree paths (direct-child detach, cascade tolerates an already-freed child). Capability-gated via a runtime probe, so the same file runs unchanged across engines.
+- **`13-introspection_test.mjs`** -- The observer-lifecycle surface (1.1.4). 10 tests across 3 describe blocks: `hasObservers` (live observation reflects; a peek doesn't count), `observeObservers` auto-pause lifecycle (start-on-first / stop-on-last, no extra connect for a 2nd observer, re-observe fires again, no churn on re-track, conditional reads toggle honestly, transition-only registration, works for computeds), and `forEachObserver`/`forEachSource` enumeration (both directions; descriptor carries kind + value).
+- **`14-lifecycle-teardown_test.mjs`** -- Effect-teardown guards against the alien-signals@3.2.1 regressions (4 tests). A stopped effect must not re-subscribe to a signal read later in the same run; self-dispose must leave no orphaned link (clean `activeLinks`); a throwing setup must leave no live subscription; normal and dynamic re-tracking stay unaffected by the `allocateLink` eligibility gate.
+- **`15-owner-lazy-alloc_test.mjs`** -- Owner-adoption contract for the 1.2.0 owner tree (5 tests). A signal allocated lazily *inside* a computed/effect must **not** be owner-adopted (it survives the owner's re-run -- the lite-store/lite-form lazy-field shape) and sibling lazy signals must not cross-wire, while observers (nested effect/computed) *are* still auto-disposed on the owner's re-run.
+- **`16-alien-parity_test.mjs`** -- Differential regression guards (3 tests) reproducing the *properties* behind alien-signals@3.2.0 fixed bugs: reads inside a cleanup create no spurious dependencies (the dispose-cleanup fix); an inner-effect write does not block later propagation through a computed chain (#112); a dynamic dependency-set change stays correct under dirty-check (#109/#110).
+- **`17-reactivity_test.mjs`** -- Behavioral suite (~30 tests across 11 groups) mirroring universal signal-system bug classes: subscription lifecycle, cleanup ordering, stale-dependency tracking, batching/timing (incl. set-then-revert), equality cutoff (NaN/+/-0/custom), nested invalidation + glitch-free diamond, memory/retained nodes, the synchronous async-boundary, scheduler & loops (self-write termination, self-reading computed), and differential-review additions (cached computed errors, mid-batch pull, self-disposing getter, pooled-slot return). SSR hydration is a documented N/A -- lite has no DOM layer.
+- **`18-identity_test.mjs`** -- Node identity (1.1.5; 5 tests). Unique/stable ids; `nodeId`/`describe` return `undefined` for a non-handle; the descriptor's visible shape is `{ id, kind, value }`; `forEach*` descriptors carry `id` and are **re-walkable** (`nodeId`/`forEachSource` accept a descriptor); identity walks are non-perturbing (add no observers).
+- **`19-v12-additions_test.mjs`** -- v1.2.0 release-prep regressions (24 tests across 8 suites). Shared `peek` (one closure per registry, identical reference across primitives, no tracking, two registries hold independent peeks). Owner-adoption rule (signals not adopted, computeds/effects adopted, cascade drains correctly). Pre-batch revert (signal-level, propagates through computeds, respects custom `equals`, nested batches, final-different-value still fires). Multi-throw aggregation (`AggregateError` with both errors carried, single-throw unwrapped, engine survives). `CycleError` via `maxFlushPasses` (default + custom). `maxLinks` config branch under `throw` and `grow`. Documented disposed-signal semantics (read undefined, set silent no-op, dispose idempotent). Scheduler-thunk ABA guard across a recycled pool slot.
+- **`20-axis-stress_test.mjs`** -- engine-invariant regression guards along eight orthogonal "axes" (16 tests across 9 suites). Pins lite-signal's actual contract on: batch semantics under exception (writes commit; pre-batch revert holds; effects see the post-throw value), connect/disconnect lifecycle re-entrancy (`observeObservers` from inside an `onConnect`, transition-only registration), untrack does NOT suppress owner adoption (a nested effect created via `untrack` is still owner-cascaded), untrack inside a computed body (no hidden dep leaks; tracked source re-evaluates), queue safety under self-dispose mid-flush (no UAF), value-dependent cycle detection (computed graph closes a cycle, `CycleError` thrown), nested-effect creation order (effects run synchronously on creation; immediately-stopped one still ran), synchronous flush (no scheduler in the default path; batch coalesces). Plus a bonus suite: 1,000 effect-create-then-dispose cycles return pool to baseline; `dispose()` idempotent; `dispose()` on foreign values safe.
+- **`21-perf-pins_test.mjs`** -- v1.2.1 construction-shape pins (6 tests). Locks the canonical handle shapes (`signal` 6 own props: peek/set/update/subscribe + NODE_PTR/NODE_GEN; `computed` 4: peek/subscribe + NODE_PTR/NODE_GEN) so a future "let's unify them" change has to be explicit. Locks the 1.2.1 ABA guards: detached `const {set} = signal()` keeps working on a LIVE signal; `read()` returns `undefined` and skips dep-tracking on a stale handle (no phantom subscription to the recycled slot); `set()` on a stale handle is a no-op across three corruption tiers (disposed slot, recycled slot, downstream propagation); `peek()` returns `undefined` for stale signal and computed handles.
+- **`22-mutation-hook_test.mjs`** -- 1.2.1 `onGraphMutation` semantics (12 tests across 2 suites). Registration: unsubscribe returns a function; `null` argument clears and the unsub restores the prior listener; non-function/non-null throws `TypeError`; multiple registrations stack LIFO; registries are isolated (no cross-talk). Opcode emission: `1` node-create fires with `(id, flags)` for signal (32) / computed (1) / effect (2); `2` node-dispose fires for cascade-disposed owned children; `3` link-add fires with `(source.id, target.id)` on dependency record; `4` link-remove fires when a dep-set flip severs the tail; `5` recompute fires on initial eval AND re-eval; the hook fires synchronously inside the mutation (listener sees its own event before the caller returns); payload is always three plain numbers -- no objects, no closures.
+- **`23-owner-introspection_test.mjs`** -- 1.2.1 owner-tree introspection + effect-disposer regression (22 tests across 4 suites). `ownerOf`: undefined for top-level / garbage input / stale handle; returns the enclosing effect's descriptor for a child created inside an effect body. `forEachOwned`: no-op for handles with no owned children / garbage input / stale handle; iterates owned children as `{id, kind, value}` descriptors. Gen-guarded introspection (ABA fix): `nodeId` / `describe` / `hasObservers` return undefined / false for stale handles; `observeObservers` throws `TypeError`; `forEachObserver` / `forEachSource` are no-ops; descriptors returned by `describeNode` are themselves gen-stamped so a descriptor obtained pre-recycle correctly walks as a no-op post-recycle (the "descriptors are re-walkable handles" contract survives the guard). Plus the 1.2.1 effect-dispose-handle fix: passing the effect's disposer directly to `describe` / `nodeId` / `forEachSource` / `forEachOwned` / `ownerOf` / `hasObservers` works as a first-class introspection handle (pre-fix it was a bare closure and returned `undefined` for a *live* effect); after `fx()` dispose the same handle correctly goes stale on every entry point; the disposer's `NODE_GEN` mirrors the effect node's birthGen exactly.
+- **`24-signalbox_test.mjs`** -- staged for v1.5.0; all 9 tests `{skip: true}` on 1.2.x. The `signalBox` / `computedBox` allocation-light handle API lands in 1.5.0; the suite is committed early so the surface is pinned and the skips are visible in the test count (the 10 skips on 1.2.2 are these 9 plus 1 architecturally-N/A SSR case in `17-reactivity`).
+- **`25-devtools-real-boot_test.mjs`** -- Devtools/Studio contract (10 tests). Boots the actual `Devtools.js` against the 1.2.2 engine and exercises all 19 Devtools exports plus the 10 symbols Studio imports from Devtools. Pins the ghost contract: heavy introspection (graph walk, owner-tree, observer descriptors) adds **zero** nodes to the live graph. Catches the real-rig failure mode where importing the package by its own name from a repo whose `package.json` declares `name: "@zakkster/lite-signal"` resolves to the published build instead of the local engine.
+- **`26-free-list-invariant_test.mjs`** -- the 1.2.2 audit's cleanliness pins (3 invariant tests + 1 targeted coverage test). Asserts directly -- by inspecting freshly-allocated nodes through the documented `describe()` -> `NODE_PTR` introspection protocol -- that the `ReactiveNode` constructor and the fresh-pool-growth path initialize the ten fields the audit removed from `createNode` to identical values, so the deleted writes were defending against a state the engine cannot produce on a clean free list. The 4th test covers the swallow-on-self-dispose-then-throw branch in `pullComputed` (the path that lifted branch coverage from 98.07% to 98.43%).
 
 ```bash
 npm test
 ```
 
-### Tier 2 — Memory (allocation-free verification)
+### Tier 2 -- Memory (allocation-free verification)
 
 `npm run test:gc` runs `test/04-zero-gc_test.mjs` with `--expose-gc`:
 
@@ -718,17 +742,17 @@ If these fail, something allocates in the hot path and we want to find it before
 npm run test:gc
 ```
 
-### Tier 3 — Performance (comparative benchmark)
+### Tier 3 -- Performance (comparative benchmark)
 
-`npm run bench` runs the comparative benchmark (9 scenarios — stable fan-in/out + dynamic/layered DAGs) against alien-signals (results.txt). `npm run bench-reactive` runs the cross-framework reactivity suite vs alien-signals, preact, vue-reactivity, and solid (resultsReactive.txt). Output is plain text — easy to copy into PRs and changelogs.
+`npm run bench` runs the comparative benchmark (9 scenarios -- stable fan-in/out + dynamic/layered DAGs) against alien-signals (results.txt). `npm run bench-reactive` runs the cross-framework reactivity suite vs alien-signals, preact, vue-reactivity, and solid (resultsReactive.txt). Output is plain text -- easy to copy into PRs and changelogs.
 
 ```bash
 npm run bench
 ```
 
-### Tier 4 — Torture soaks (crash detection under chaos)
+### Tier 4 -- Torture soaks (crash detection under chaos)
 
-`bench/torture/` contains three soak harnesses that build large randomised graphs (1,500 / 7,500 / 3,300 nodes) and run mixed fuzz workloads — leaf writes, batched writes, computed rewires, effect rewires, nested-batch + untrack reads, and microtask-scheduled async flushes — for 5–10 seconds. These are not perf benchmarks. The numbers they print (ops/sec) reflect random workload composition, not engine throughput; the existing `bench/benchmark.mjs` is the canonical perf harness. What the soaks DO assert, with a non-zero exit code on failure:
+`bench/torture/` contains three soak harnesses that build large randomised graphs (1,500 / 7,500 / 3,300 nodes) and run mixed fuzz workloads -- leaf writes, batched writes, computed rewires, effect rewires, nested-batch + untrack reads, and microtask-scheduled async flushes -- for 5-10 seconds. These are not perf benchmarks. The numbers they print (ops/sec) reflect random workload composition, not engine throughput; the existing `bench/benchmark.mjs` is the canonical perf harness. What the soaks DO assert, with a non-zero exit code on failure:
 
 - zero thrown exceptions during the run, and
 - after teardown, `activeNodes` / `activeLinks` return to the leaf-only baseline (the dispose path is sound under sustained churn).
@@ -760,39 +784,47 @@ npm run verify   # test + test:gc + a sanity bench
 
 `lite-signal` was built with a strict mandate: **absolute zero garbage collection**. By packing the dependency graph into a flat, pre-allocated memory arena, we eliminate the Scavenger GC pauses that plague 120fps Canvas/WebGL loops.
 
-Through **v1.1.2**, that came with a mathematical trade-off: while memory allocation is $O(1)$, the cursor-based retracking degraded to $O(N)$ linear scans under chaotic, high-fan-in, batched read-after-write — the shape of large DOM-style apps with heavy branch switching. **v1.1.4 closed that gap.** A version-stamped $O(1)$ reconciliation plus a `markEpoch` clean-read short-circuit on the pull replaced the cursor degradation; stable read order is unchanged (still $O(1)$, still zero-alloc).
+Through **v1.1.2**, that came with a mathematical trade-off: while memory allocation is $O(1)$, the cursor-based retracking degraded to $O(N)$ linear scans under chaotic, high-fan-in, batched read-after-write -- the shape of large DOM-style apps with heavy branch switching. **v1.1.4 closed that gap.** A version-stamped $O(1)$ reconciliation plus a `markEpoch` clean-read short-circuit on the pull replaced the cursor degradation; stable read order is unchanged (still $O(1)$, still zero-alloc).
 
-**Andrii Volynets** (author of the phenomenal [Alien Signals](https://github.com/stackblitz/alien-signals)) generously ran `lite-signal` through his advanced topology matrix on the **v1.1.2** engine. Those numbers — the *pre-rewrite baseline* — are below, followed by the 1.1.4 result.
+**Andrii Volynets** (author of the phenomenal [Alien Signals](https://github.com/stackblitz/alien-signals)) generously ran `lite-signal` through his advanced topology matrix on the **v1.1.2** engine. Those numbers -- the *pre-rewrite baseline* -- are below, followed by the 1.1.4 result.
 
 #### 1. Stable Topologies (Fan-in / Fan-out / Broadcast)
-In stable environments (game engines, particle systems, visualizers), `lite-signal` is blisteringly fast and maintains a near-zero allocation profile, keeping frame times perfectly flat — unchanged through 1.1.4.
+In stable environments (game engines, particle systems, visualizers), `lite-signal` is blisteringly fast and maintains a near-zero allocation profile, keeping frame times perfectly flat -- unchanged through 1.1.4.
 
-#### 2. Dynamic Topologies (Web Apps / Layered DAGs) — closed in 1.1.4
-*Andrii's v1.1.2 baseline (his host) — where the cursor retracking lost:*
+#### 2. Dynamic Topologies (Web Apps / Layered DAGs) -- closed in 1.1.4
+*Andrii's v1.1.2 baseline (his host) -- where the cursor retracking lost:*
 | Scenario | alien-signals | reflex | lite-signal (1.1.2) |
 | :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- |
 | **1000x12 (4 sources, dynamic)** | 184ms | 194ms | 2031ms |
 | **1000x5 (25 sources, wide/dense)** | 304ms | 303ms | 1746ms |
 | **64x6 (selective dynamic DAG)** | 181ms | 196ms | 559ms |
 
-*1.2.0 on the local harness (slow 2016 MacBook — compare within-column, lite vs alien; the approximating scenarios from `bench/benchmark.mjs`):*
-| Scenario | alien-signals | lite-signal (1.2.0) | result |
+*1.2.2 on the local harness (slow 2016 MacBook, one engine per cold process -- compare within-column, lite vs alien; the approximating scenarios from `bench/benchmark.mjs`):*
+| Scenario | alien-signals | lite-signal (1.2.2) | result |
 | :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- |
-| **LARGE WEB APP** (≈ 1000x12) | 2711ms | 2666ms | **lite +2%** |
-| **WIDE DENSE** (≈ 1000x5)     | 2781ms | 2678ms | **lite +4%** |
-| **DYNAMIC DAG** (sqrt-layered, FAN=6) | 9987ms | 9113ms | **lite +9%** |
-| **SMALL SELECTIVE** (≈ 64x6)  | 1716ms | 1860ms | alien +8% |
+| **DYNAMIC DAG** (sqrt-layered, FAN=6) | 17558ms | 9821ms | **lite +44%** |
+| **SELECTIVE DAG** (sqrt-layered, set churn) | 9229ms | 4797ms | **lite +48%** |
+| **SMALL SELECTIVE** (~ 64x6)  | 2780ms | 1918ms | **lite +31%** |
+| **LARGE WEB APP** (~ 1000x12) | 2671ms | 2846ms | alien +7% |
+| **WIDE DENSE** (~ 1000x5)     | 2729ms | 2876ms | alien +5% |
 
-> **Honest note (1.2.0 run):** the dynamic-DAG win held vs 1.1.5 (+9% vs alien at +10% before); LARGE WEB APP and WIDE DENSE narrowed slightly but lite-signal still leads. SMALL SELECTIVE went the other way (+8% in 1.1.5 → −8% in 1.2.0) on this host — that scenario is construction-bound, and the construction path's host noise is visible in the `S: createComputations*` rows of [`resultsReactive.txt`](./resultsReactive.txt). Within this run lite remains the only zero-Δheap library on every stable scenario (see [`results.txt`](./results.txt)).
+> **Honest note (1.2.2 isolated run):** measured one-engine-per-process, lite-signal's
+> wins are on the **allocation-heavy** dynamic shapes (DYNAMIC DAG +44%, SELECTIVE DAG
+> +48%, SMALL SELECTIVE +31%) -- exactly where alien churns the nursery and lite's pool
+> allocates nothing. The cheaper wide-app/dense shapes land within a few percent either
+> way (host noise on this old machine). The prior 1.2.0 table ran all engines in one
+> process, which understated these dynamic-shape gaps (alien borrowed lite's warm heap);
+> the isolated numbers here are the correct comparison. lite remains the only zero-alloc
+> library on every stable scenario (see [`results.txt`](./results.txt)).
 
-The cross-framework reactivity suite agrees independently and was re-run on **1.2.0** (median-of-10): `dyn: large web app` **544ms** (+9% vs alien-signals' 599ms) and `dyn: wide dense` **838ms** (+11% vs 941ms) are wins there too — lite-signal is the fastest of five frameworks on both, with preact ~7–19× slower and vue ~16–31× slower (see [`resultsReactive.txt`](./resultsReactive.txt)). The retracking is verified correct by `retracking.difftest.mjs` — 20,000 direct + 10,000 batched writes, 0 disagreements against the **published 1.1.5** reference (re-pinned for v1.2).
+The cross-framework reactivity suite agrees independently, re-run on **1.2.2** (median-of-10, isolated): `dyn: large web app` **555ms** (+7% vs alien-signals' 600ms) and `dyn: wide dense` **922ms** (+0.4% vs 926ms) are wins there too -- lite-signal is the fastest of five frameworks on both, with preact ~14-19× slower and vue ~14-31× slower (see [`resultsReactive.txt`](./resultsReactive.txt)). lite also leads alien on **every** `S: updateComputations` row (+5% to +22%) and all five `dyn` rows -- the steady-state hot path. The retracking is verified correct by `retracking.difftest.mjs` -- 20,000 direct + 10,000 batched writes, 0 disagreements against the **published 1.1.5** reference (re-pinned for v1.2).
 
-**The Takeaway:** as of 1.1.4 you no longer have to choose. `lite-signal` keeps the zero-GC, flat-arena profile for 120fps Canvas/WebGL **and** holds parity-or-ahead of alien-signals on dynamic, high-fan-in web-app topologies. The one shape where alien's flatter representation still leads is the 256-deep computed pipeline (DEEP CHAIN, −21% on the 1.2.0 run).
+**The Takeaway:** as of 1.1.4 you no longer have to choose. `lite-signal` keeps the zero-GC, flat-arena profile for 120fps Canvas/WebGL **and** wins decisively on the high-churn dynamic and fan-in topologies that dominate live UI -- the shapes where zero allocation pays off most. It runs at parity with alien-signals on cheap stable shapes. The one shape where alien's flatter representation still leads is the 256-deep computed pipeline (DEEP CHAIN, -19% on the 1.2.2 isolated run).
 
 ### Roadmap
-- **1.1.5** — additions in service of `lite-devtools` (node identity/traversability on the introspection walkers, for full auto-discovered graph rendering). *Shipped.*
-- **1.2.0** — the **ownership hybrid**: an owner tree so nested effects/computeds auto-dispose with their parent (closes conformance #209 / #210, matching Solid's `createRoot` ergonomics). Plus three additive features built on the same internal split: pre-batch revert (`batch(() => { a.set(99); a.set(10); })` doesn't re-fire), multi-throw `AggregateError`, and scheduler-thunk caching with an ABA gen guard. *Shipped.*
-- **1.3** — next engine work after the owner-tree validation. The pull-mode recursion depth limit (~5,000 chained computeds) is the main outstanding architectural item.
+- **1.1.5** -- additions in service of `lite-devtools` (node identity/traversability on the introspection walkers, for full auto-discovered graph rendering). *Shipped.*
+- **1.2.0** -- the **ownership hybrid**: an owner tree so nested effects/computeds auto-dispose with their parent (closes conformance #209 / #210, matching Solid's `createRoot` ergonomics). Plus three additive features built on the same internal split: pre-batch revert (`batch(() => { a.set(99); a.set(10); })` doesn't re-fire), multi-throw `AggregateError`, and scheduler-thunk caching with an ABA gen guard. *Shipped.*
+- **1.3** -- next engine work after the owner-tree validation. The pull-mode recursion depth limit (~5,000 chained computeds) is the main outstanding architectural item.
 
 > Note: the retracking rewrite that closes the dynamic-topology gap shipped in **1.1.4**, not a future release. The earlier roadmap that listed it under "v1.2" is superseded.
 
@@ -804,7 +836,7 @@ The cross-framework reactivity suite agrees independently and was re-run on **1.
 
 - **A virtual DOM, JSX runtime, or rendering library.** It's the substrate. Plug it under whatever rendering layer you like.
 - **A general-purpose state container.** No time-travel, no devtools integration, no serialization. (Build those on top if you need them.)
-- **A perfect fit for every workload.** On *256-deep computed pipelines* (DEEP CHAIN) `alien-signals` is still a bit faster — its flatter representation pays off when the propagation path is long rather than wide. (Through 1.1.2 this caveat also covered chaotic, high-fan-in read order; 1.1.4's retracking rewrite closed that — those shapes are now parity-or-ahead.) `lite-signal` is at its best on the fan-in / fan-out / wide-memo and dynamic-churn patterns that dominate animation loops, HUDs, and dashboards.
+- **A perfect fit for every workload.** On *256-deep computed pipelines* (DEEP CHAIN) `alien-signals` is still a bit faster -- its flatter representation pays off when the propagation path is long rather than wide. (Through 1.1.2 this caveat also covered chaotic, high-fan-in read order; 1.1.4's retracking rewrite closed that -- those shapes are now parity-or-ahead.) `lite-signal` is at its best on the fan-in / fan-out / wide-memo and dynamic-churn patterns that dominate animation loops, HUDs, and dashboards.
 - **A library for the server.** It works in Node, but there's no SSR story. Use it on the client.
 
 ---
@@ -814,21 +846,21 @@ The cross-framework reactivity suite agrees independently and was re-run on **1.
 A growing family of zero-GC, ESM-only, sub-2KB packages built on `lite-signal`. All MIT, all by [@zakkster](https://www.npmjs.com/~zakkster).
 
 **State & data**
-- [`@zakkster/lite-store`](https://www.npmjs.com/package/@zakkster/lite-store) — Fine-grained reactivity for objects & arrays via Proxy. Direct mutation; lazy per-key signals (allocated only on first tracked read); proxy identity preserved across reads; cycle-safe disposal walk.
-- [`@zakkster/lite-resource`](https://www.npmjs.com/package/@zakkster/lite-resource) — Async state as a signal. `resource(source, fetcher)` exposes data/error/loading/state with race-safe commits (generation guard), AbortSignal, stale-while-revalidate, and optimistic mutate.
-- [`@zakkster/lite-form`](https://www.npmjs.com/package/@zakkster/lite-form) — Headless reactive forms. One validator per keystroke, hoisted Zod/Yup schema, ~1.5M keystrokes/sec on a 100-field form (8× the hand-written pattern). No DOM, no VDOM, no compiler.
-- [`@zakkster/lite-router`](https://www.npmjs.com/package/@zakkster/lite-router) — Zero-GC sub-2KB SPA router. URL pathname, query params, and route matches as fine-grained signals — components re-render only when their slice of the URL changes.
-- [`@zakkster/lite-persist`](https://www.npmjs.com/package/@zakkster/lite-persist) — Zero-GC reactive persistence. Debounced, coalesced localStorage/sessionStorage sync with cross-tab mirroring — a burst of writes becomes one storage write.
-- [`@zakkster/lite-channel`](https://www.npmjs.com/package/@zakkster/lite-channel) — Cross-tab synchronization over BroadcastChannel. Multiplexed per-key sync, last-writer-wins (Lamport clock + tab-id tiebreak), reactive presence (peers, status, leader election as signals).
+- [`@zakkster/lite-store`](https://www.npmjs.com/package/@zakkster/lite-store) -- Fine-grained reactivity for objects & arrays via Proxy. Direct mutation; lazy per-key signals (allocated only on first tracked read); proxy identity preserved across reads; cycle-safe disposal walk.
+- [`@zakkster/lite-resource`](https://www.npmjs.com/package/@zakkster/lite-resource) -- Async state as a signal. `resource(source, fetcher)` exposes data/error/loading/state with race-safe commits (generation guard), AbortSignal, stale-while-revalidate, and optimistic mutate.
+- [`@zakkster/lite-form`](https://www.npmjs.com/package/@zakkster/lite-form) -- Headless reactive forms. One validator per keystroke, hoisted Zod/Yup schema, ~1.5M keystrokes/sec on a 100-field form (8× the hand-written pattern). No DOM, no VDOM, no compiler.
+- [`@zakkster/lite-router`](https://www.npmjs.com/package/@zakkster/lite-router) -- Zero-GC sub-2KB SPA router. URL pathname, query params, and route matches as fine-grained signals -- components re-render only when their slice of the URL changes.
+- [`@zakkster/lite-persist`](https://www.npmjs.com/package/@zakkster/lite-persist) -- Zero-GC reactive persistence. Debounced, coalesced localStorage/sessionStorage sync with cross-tab mirroring -- a burst of writes becomes one storage write.
+- [`@zakkster/lite-channel`](https://www.npmjs.com/package/@zakkster/lite-channel) -- Cross-tab synchronization over BroadcastChannel. Multiplexed per-key sync, last-writer-wins (Lamport clock + tab-id tiebreak), reactive presence (peers, status, leader election as signals).
 
 **Rendering (DOM / Canvas)**
-- [`@zakkster/lite-element`](https://www.npmjs.com/package/@zakkster/lite-element) — Zero-GC reactive Custom Elements, no virtual DOM or templating. Component state survives synchronous reparents (sort, drag-and-drop, `insertBefore`) — the moves that destroy React, Vue, and Lit components.
-- [`@zakkster/lite-virtual`](https://www.npmjs.com/package/@zakkster/lite-virtual) — Thrash-free list/grid windowing. Integer-gated reactive indices + `Object.is` cutoff means scrolling within a row writes zero bytes to the DOM. ~3.6M sub-row scrolls/sec, bounded pool regardless of count, fixed and variable heights, 2-D grid.
-- [`@zakkster/lite-scene`](https://www.npmjs.com/package/@zakkster/lite-scene) — Reactive retained-mode Canvas2D scene graph. Nodes (group/rect/circle/line/text/image/path) take signals as props; the renderer redraws only what changed. Hit testing, clip groups, pointerEvents, nested transforms.
+- [`@zakkster/lite-element`](https://www.npmjs.com/package/@zakkster/lite-element) -- Zero-GC reactive Custom Elements, no virtual DOM or templating. Component state survives synchronous reparents (sort, drag-and-drop, `insertBefore`) -- the moves that destroy React, Vue, and Lit components.
+- [`@zakkster/lite-virtual`](https://www.npmjs.com/package/@zakkster/lite-virtual) -- Thrash-free list/grid windowing. Integer-gated reactive indices + `Object.is` cutoff means scrolling within a row writes zero bytes to the DOM. ~3.6M sub-row scrolls/sec, bounded pool regardless of count, fixed and variable heights, 2-D grid.
+- [`@zakkster/lite-scene`](https://www.npmjs.com/package/@zakkster/lite-scene) -- Reactive retained-mode Canvas2D scene graph. Nodes (group/rect/circle/line/text/image/path) take signals as props; the renderer redraws only what changed. Hit testing, clip groups, pointerEvents, nested transforms.
 
 **Time & scheduling**
-- [`@zakkster/lite-raf`](https://www.npmjs.com/package/@zakkster/lite-raf) — Zero-GC frame-rate scheduling. One `requestAnimationFrame` loop; frameTime/frameDelta/frameCount as signals; `rafEffect()` — reactive effects that run at most once per frame. Built for canvas/WebGL render loops and games.
-- [`@zakkster/lite-time`](https://www.npmjs.com/package/@zakkster/lite-time) — Reactive, drift-corrected wall-clock cadence. One 1s heartbeat; zero-GC relativeTime/countdown/every; deterministic for tests and SSR. Not a date library — `Intl` does formatting, you bring the dates.
+- [`@zakkster/lite-raf`](https://www.npmjs.com/package/@zakkster/lite-raf) -- Zero-GC frame-rate scheduling. One `requestAnimationFrame` loop; frameTime/frameDelta/frameCount as signals; `rafEffect()` -- reactive effects that run at most once per frame. Built for canvas/WebGL render loops and games.
+- [`@zakkster/lite-time`](https://www.npmjs.com/package/@zakkster/lite-time) -- Reactive, drift-corrected wall-clock cadence. One 1s heartbeat; zero-GC relativeTime/countdown/every; deterministic for tests and SSR. Not a date library -- `Intl` does formatting, you bring the dates.
 
 ---
 
@@ -850,7 +882,7 @@ Pure ES2020 + `Object.is` + `Int32 | 0`. Runs anywhere that runs modern JavaScri
 | Cloudflare Workers                | ✓         |
 | Deno                              | ✓         |
 
-ESM-only. No CommonJS build — modern bundlers handle this; legacy consumers can use a wrapper.
+ESM-only. No CommonJS build -- modern bundlers handle this; legacy consumers can use a wrapper.
 
 </details>
 
@@ -947,7 +979,7 @@ The exact post-1.2 pass count is being re-run against the upstream suite;
 per-test results and the runner adapter live in `/conformance/`.
 
 **177 of 178 tests pass **, placing lite-signal **in the second place of sixteen**
-evaluated libraries — just behind alien-signals (177).
+evaluated libraries -- just behind alien-signals (177).
 
 We publish both passing and failing tests, because honesty about behavior is
 more useful to library users than a green checkmark.
@@ -959,17 +991,17 @@ more useful to library users than a green checkmark.
 - **Cycle detection** in effects (matches preact, reatom, svelte, solid).
   Many libraries silently iterate to a 200-step bail; lite-signal throws so
   the bug surfaces at development time.
-- **`Object.is` equality** throughout, including NaN — matches Vue,
+- **`Object.is` equality** throughout, including NaN -- matches Vue,
   Angular, Reatom, the TC39 polyfill, and tansu. The `===` camp returns
   incorrect results on NaN flows.
-- **Single-pass propagation** through computed chains on inner writes —
+- **Single-pass propagation** through computed chains on inner writes --
   matches alien-signals and Vue; faster than preact, solid, reatom, mobx,
   and most others by one re-evaluation per write.
-- **Auto-unsubscribe** on first-run effect throws — matches preact, reatom,
+- **Auto-unsubscribe** on first-run effect throws -- matches preact, reatom,
   solid. Half the field leaks the subscription.
 - **Observer-lifecycle introspection** (`hasObservers` / `observeObservers`,
-  1.1.4): the 0→1 and 1→0 observer transitions are first-class, zero-cost-when-
-  unused hooks — the basis for auto-pausing a clock or RAF loop only while a
+  1.1.4): the 0->1 and 1->0 observer transitions are first-class, zero-cost-when-
+  unused hooks -- the basis for auto-pausing a clock or RAF loop only while a
   derived value is watched. Few signal libraries expose this.
 
 ### What lite-signal does NOT do yet
@@ -1025,10 +1057,10 @@ Effects already on the call stack will finish their current invocation. Future s
 `signal.subscribe(callback)` is the integration surface. For React, wire it into `useSyncExternalStore`. For Vue, expose `signal()` as a getter. For Svelte, return `{ subscribe }` matching the store contract.
 
 **Can I read a computed without subscribing?**
-Yes — `computed.peek()` triggers re-evaluation if needed but doesn't add a dependency edge. `untrack(() => c())` is equivalent but slightly more expensive (it toggles a global flag).
+Yes -- `computed.peek()` triggers re-evaluation if needed but doesn't add a dependency edge. `untrack(() => c())` is equivalent but slightly more expensive (it toggles a global flag).
 
 **What happens if I `set()` from inside an effect's cleanup?**
-The cleanup runs *before* the next computeFn body, so the set's notification arrives normally and propagates after the current flush pass. No special-case behavior — the queue handles it.
+The cleanup runs *before* the next computeFn body, so the set's notification arrives normally and propagates after the current flush pass. No special-case behavior -- the queue handles it.
 
 **Is the dep order stable across re-runs?**
 Yes, if your computeFn reads its deps in the same order each invocation. The `currentDep` cursor walks the existing dep list and tries to match; matches reuse the existing link (zero alloc), mismatches insert/remove. Stable order = stable performance.
@@ -1051,8 +1083,8 @@ npm run verify    # test + test:gc + sanity bench; gate for publish
 
 ## License
 
-MIT © Zahary Shinikchiev
+MIT (c) Zahary Shinikchiev
 
 ---
 
-> Part of the **@zakkster** zero-GC stack: [`lite-ecs`](https://www.npmjs.com/package/@zakkster/lite-ecs) · [`lite-ease`](https://www.npmjs.com/package/@zakkster/lite-ease) · [`lite-pointer-tracker`](https://www.npmjs.com/package/@zakkster/lite-pointer-tracker) · [`lite-bmfont`](https://www.npmjs.com/package/@zakkster/lite-bmfont) · [`lite-color`](https://www.npmjs.com/package/@zakkster/lite-color)
+> Part of the **@zakkster** zero-GC stack: [`lite-ecs`](https://www.npmjs.com/package/@zakkster/lite-ecs) * [`lite-ease`](https://www.npmjs.com/package/@zakkster/lite-ease) * [`lite-pointer-tracker`](https://www.npmjs.com/package/@zakkster/lite-pointer-tracker) * [`lite-bmfont`](https://www.npmjs.com/package/@zakkster/lite-bmfont) * [`lite-color`](https://www.npmjs.com/package/@zakkster/lite-color)