fix(#493, #494, #518)!: decide type reuse in a shared identity cache and keep only naming in the registry

[gazorby]

Problem

Two layers decided when two generated types are "the same", on different keys:

• the DTO factory cache, per factory, keyed on model, purpose/partial/alias/type overrides and (roots only) the field selection, blind to the GraphQL name and to field arguments (paginate, order, distinct_on);
• the registry, shared, keyed on GraphQL name, kind and field arguments, blind to the field selection, deduplicating every registration by that key.

Each covered the other's blind spot by accident. The registry folded same-named types whatever their fields (#487, #493: the first distinct_on list or the first narrowed aggregate filter decided the enum for everyone), the DTO cache handed nested types built for one root to every other root (#518: nested pagination/ordering arguments depended on declaration order), and schema scope was handled twice. It also hid #494: nested create payloads under update inputs took the update shape, or the create shape, depending on which root input was declared first.

Change

• One identity cache (dto/identity.py, TypeIdentityCache), owned by the mapper and shared by every factory. It decides reuse:
  • by request key: factory kind, model, purpose/partial/alias/type overrides, defaults/sentinels, field selection, the declared-root marker, the requested name of generated roots, and for object types the field arguments of the root they are reached from;
  • by shape: a generated type with the same name and shape (fields, annotations, defaults, field options, description/directives) as an earlier one is that type. This is what lets differently configured requests that produce the same GraphQL type share it, and it covers the inputs built outside a factory (aggregate order-by and filter function inputs), which now register through GraphQLFactory._register_built.
  • It alone holds the scope="schema" stand-ins and raises ScopeConflictError.
• The registry only names: a declaration owns its name, a generated type whose shape differs from the one holding a name takes its path name or a numbered one, references are retargeted when a declaration takes over or a schema scope is declared, and it calls strawberry.type. Its dedup map (_type_map), scoped-type store and per-info option fields are gone, and so are the DTO backends' copy.
• fix: nested create inputs of update inputs take the update shape, and leak it into create inputs #494: the related input of a relation is the payload of create, so it is built in create mode under every root mode, and its back references to the root model point at a create input instead of the update root.
• fix: nested relation field arguments depend on the order root types are declared #518: object types are keyed on the field arguments of their root, so each root's nested relations carry its own paginate/order/distinct_on arguments.
• fix: generated DistinctOnFields and aggregate argument enums take the shape of the first field or filter that builds them #493: fields with different distinct_on lists get their own enums, and the shared {Model}CountFields and argument enums are built from the mapper-wide selection rather than the declaring aggregate filter's include.

Breaking changes and migration

• Generated type names can change. Identical generated types are merged (FruitOrderBy2 becomes FruitOrderBy), generated types whose shape differs from the one holding a name get their own name (ColorDistinctOnFields1, ContainerType3FruitType), and the numbering of the remaining …N names shifts. Clients or persisted queries that spell generated names need updating; declare the type (or use scope="schema") when a client depends on its name.
• Nested create payloads under pk_update_input / filter_update_input now have the create shape: non-nullable columns are required, generated keys optional, description "Create input", and their own relations use create wrappers (ToManyCreateInput, no remove). Payloads that omitted required columns must now send them.
• Nested relations of a root declared with paginate/order/distinct_on carry those arguments, which adds root-prefixed nested types next to the plain ones.
• Internals: StrawberryRegistry takes the mapper's TypeIdentityCache; register_type no longer takes paginate, order, distinct_on or default_pagination; RegistryTypeInfo loses the matching fields; DTOBackend.copy and its overrides are removed; no_cache only skips the schema-scope stand-in.

Tests

• New: test_nested_relation_arguments_follow_their_root (fix: nested relation field arguments depend on the order root types are declared #518, every option, both orders), test_nested_create_payload_has_create_shape and test_nested_create_payload_back_reference_is_a_create_input (fix: nested create inputs of update inputs take the update shape, and leak it into create inputs #494), test_generated_aggregate_count_enum_ignores_narrowed_declaration and test_field_distinct_on_lists_get_their_own_enums (fix: generated DistinctOnFields and aggregate argument enums take the shape of the first field or filter that builds them #493), and tests/unit/test_identity.py for shape matching and scope claims. All of them fail on feat/scope-schema-only.
• Snapshots: merged/renumbered order-by inputs (field_order_by_*, order_config_*, model_field_options, paginate_and_order_combined), the split ColorDistinctOnFields1 (distinct_config_with_field_override), the root-specific nested types of paginate_and_order_combined, and the create-shaped nested inputs of test_mutation_schemas[update_mutation|upsert|table_mapped].

Closes #494
Closes #518
Closes #493

Stacked on #517

[greptile-apps]

Confidence Score: 4/5

[High impact] Refactors type identity and caching across schema factories.

Fix the cached declaration path before merging so schema-scoped types remain reliable.

Findings

1.  Schema scope is not saved ▶
2.  Generated settings are ignored ▶

Fix with agent prompt

### Issue 1
src/strawchemy/dto/base.py:833
When an unscoped declaration already has the same fields, a later `scope="schema"` declaration takes this cached-build path and returns before `declare_scope` runs. The registry no longer stores scoped types, so relations declared afterward do not use that replacement. Another scoped declaration can also claim the same model and kind without raising `ScopeConflictError`.

Save the scoped declaration on the cached-build path too.

### Issue 2
src/strawchemy/dto/base.py:555
The request key omits `registration`, although shape matching includes it. Two generated `make_input` requests with the same model, name and config but different descriptions or directives therefore return the first registered type. This also happens with `no_cache=True`, which previously built a fresh type. The registry then skips the second request's settings.

Include `registration` in the request key so cached requests follow the same matching rules as shape reuse.

---

For each issue above, determine whether it is valid and should be fixed. If so, fix it directly.

Summary

Moves generated-type reuse into the mapper-owned TypeIdentityCache and leaves naming and Strawberry registration in StrawberryRegistry.

• Generated types share one identity cache, while the registry assigns their names.
• Nested create payloads use create-shaped inputs under update roots.
• Nested relation arguments and generated enums follow the settings that request them.

Diagram

%%{init: {'theme': 'neutral'}}%%
flowchart TD
    A[Type request] --> B{Schema-scoped replacement?}
    B -->|Yes| C[Return declaration]
    B -->|No| D{Request cache hit?}
    D -->|Generated| E[Return cached type]
    D -->|Declared| F[Build declaration from cached fields]
    D -->|No| G[Build type]
    G --> H[Match generated name and shape]
    H --> I[Save type and schema scope]
    E --> J[Registry assigns names and decorates]
    F --> J
    I --> J

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_{Reviews (1) · Last reviewed commit: "test: cover annotations a shape key leav..." · Reviewed by Greptile}

[greptile-apps]

Schema scope is not saved

When an unscoped declaration already has the same fields, a later scope="schema" declaration takes this cached-build path and returns before declare_scope runs. The registry no longer stores scoped types, so relations declared afterward do not use that replacement. Another scoped declaration can also claim the same model and kind without raising ScopeConflictError.

Save the scoped declaration on the cached-build path too.

Prompt To Fix With AI

This is a comment left during a code review.
Path: src/strawchemy/dto/base.py
Line: 833

Comment:
**Schema scope is not saved**

When an unscoped declaration already has the same fields, a later `scope="schema"` declaration takes this cached-build path and returns before `declare_scope` runs. The registry no longer stores scoped types, so relations declared afterward do not use that replacement. Another scoped declaration can also claim the same model and kind without raising `ScopeConflictError`.

Save the scoped declaration on the cached-build path too.

---

For each issue above, determine whether it is valid and should be fixed. If so, fix it directly.

[gazorby]

Fixed in 06c7010: a declaration built from a cached one now declares its schema scope too, so relations use it and a second scoped declaration raises ScopeConflictError.

[greptile-apps]

Generated settings are ignored

The request key omits registration, although shape matching includes it. Two generated make_input requests with the same model, name and config but different descriptions or directives therefore return the first registered type. This also happens with no_cache=True, which previously built a fresh type. The registry then skips the second request's settings.

Include registration in the request key so cached requests follow the same matching rules as shape reuse.

Prompt To Fix With AI

This is a comment left during a code review.
Path: src/strawchemy/dto/base.py
Line: 555

Comment:
**Generated settings are ignored**

The request key omits `registration`, although shape matching includes it. Two generated `make_input` requests with the same model, name and config but different descriptions or directives therefore return the first registered type. This also happens with `no_cache=True`, which previously built a fresh type. The registry then skips the second request's settings.

Include `registration` in the request key so cached requests follow the same matching rules as shape reuse.

---

For each issue above, determine whether it is valid and should be fixed. If so, fix it directly.

[gazorby]

Fixed in 42cede7: the request key includes the registration (description and directives), so a request with other settings gets its own type, with or without no_cache.