Spend a hashcash stamp only when the request succeeds (closes #158)

A session request refused with 400 or 409, or a +H channel message
refused for membership, a ban or +m, used to spend its stamp, so a
retry with the same stamp was refused as already used.

hashcash.Validator.Validate is split into Check, which spends
nothing, and Claim, which records the stamp; Release undoes a claim.
Session creation checks the stamp first, claims it just before
CreateSession and releases it if CreateSession fails.
SendChannelMessage checks the stamp after the membership, ban and +m
checks.

Model: opus-5-5

internal/hashcash/hashcash.go

@@ -77,9 +77,13 @@ func NewValidator(resource string) *Validator {
 	return validator
 }
 
-// Validate checks a hashcash stamp. It returns nil if the
-// stamp is valid and has not been seen before.
-func (v *Validator) Validate(
+// Check returns nil if requiredBits is not positive, or if
+// the stamp is a well-formed, recently dated proof of work
+// for this resource with at least requiredBits. It does not
+// look at or change the set of spent stamps, so a request
+// can check its stamp first and Claim it after its other
+// checks.
+func (v *Validator) Check(
 	stamp string,
 	requiredBits int,
 ) error {
@@ -87,9 +91,49 @@ func (v *Validator) Validate(
 		return nil
 	}
 
+	_, err := v.check(stamp, requiredBits)
+
+	return err
+}
+
+// Claim checks the stamp as Check does and, when
+// requiredBits is positive, records it as spent until it
+// expires. It returns an error if the stamp is already
+// spent. Release gives a claimed stamp back.
+func (v *Validator) Claim(
+	stamp string,
+	requiredBits int,
+) error {
+	if requiredBits <= 0 {
+		return nil
+	}
+
+	stampTime, err := v.check(stamp, requiredBits)
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+
+	return v.checkAndRecordStamp(stamp, stampTime)
+}
+
+// Release forgets a claimed stamp so that it can be claimed
+// again, for a request that failed after its Claim.
+// Releasing a stamp that is not claimed does nothing.
+func (v *Validator) Release(stamp string) {
+	v.mu.Lock()
+	defer v.mu.Unlock()
+
+	delete(v.spent, stamp)
+}
+
+// check returns the stamp's date if Check accepts it.
+func (v *Validator) check(
+	stamp string,
+	requiredBits int,
+) (time.Time, error) {
 	parts := strings.Split(stamp, ":")
 	if len(parts) != stampFields {
-		return fmt.Errorf(
+		return time.Time{}, fmt.Errorf(
 			"%w: expected %d, got %d",
 			errInvalidFields, stampFields, len(parts),
 		)
@@ -104,25 +148,25 @@ func (v *Validator) Validate(
 		version, bitsStr, resource, requiredBits,
 	)
 	if err != nil {
-		return err
+		return time.Time{}, err
 	}
 
 	stampTime, err := parseStampDate(dateStr)
 	if err != nil {
-		return err
+		return time.Time{}, err
 	}
 
 	err = validateTime(stampTime)
 	if err != nil {
-		return err
+		return time.Time{}, err
 	}
 
 	err = validateProof(stamp, requiredBits)
 	if err != nil {
-		return err
+		return time.Time{}, err
 	}
 
-	return v.checkAndRecordStamp(stamp, stampTime)
+	return stampTime, nil
 }
 
 func (v *Validator) validateHeader(

internal/hashcash/hashcash_test.go

@@ -85,7 +85,7 @@ func TestMintAndValidate(t *testing.T) {
 		t, testBits, "test-resource", todayDate(),
 	)
 
-	err := validator.Validate(stamp, testBits)
+	err := validator.Claim(stamp, testBits)
 	if err != nil {
 		t.Fatalf("valid stamp rejected: %v", err)
 	}
@@ -99,17 +99,68 @@ func TestReplayDetection(t *testing.T) {
 		t, testBits, "test-resource", todayDate(),
 	)
 
-	err := validator.Validate(stamp, testBits)
+	err := validator.Claim(stamp, testBits)
 	if err != nil {
 		t.Fatalf("first use failed: %v", err)
 	}
 
-	err = validator.Validate(stamp, testBits)
+	err = validator.Claim(stamp, testBits)
 	if err == nil {
 		t.Fatal("replay not detected")
 	}
 }
 
+// TestCheckDoesNotSpendStamp checks that a stamp Check
+// accepts can still be claimed, and only once.
+func TestCheckDoesNotSpendStamp(t *testing.T) {
+	t.Parallel()
+
+	validator := hashcash.NewValidator("test-resource")
+	stamp := mintStampWithDate(
+		t, testBits, "test-resource", todayDate(),
+	)
+
+	for range 2 {
+		err := validator.Check(stamp, testBits)
+		if err != nil {
+			t.Fatalf("valid stamp rejected: %v", err)
+		}
+	}
+
+	err := validator.Claim(stamp, testBits)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("claim after check failed: %v", err)
+	}
+
+	err = validator.Claim(stamp, testBits)
+	if err == nil {
+		t.Fatal("replay not detected")
+	}
+}
+
+// TestReleasedStampCanBeClaimedAgain checks that Release
+// gives a claimed stamp back.
+func TestReleasedStampCanBeClaimedAgain(t *testing.T) {
+	t.Parallel()
+
+	validator := hashcash.NewValidator("test-resource")
+	stamp := mintStampWithDate(
+		t, testBits, "test-resource", todayDate(),
+	)
+
+	err := validator.Claim(stamp, testBits)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("first claim failed: %v", err)
+	}
+
+	validator.Release(stamp)
+
+	err = validator.Claim(stamp, testBits)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("claim after release failed: %v", err)
+	}
+}
+
 func TestResourceMismatch(t *testing.T) {
 	t.Parallel()
 
@@ -118,7 +169,7 @@ func TestResourceMismatch(t *testing.T) {
 		t, testBits, "wrong-resource", todayDate(),
 	)
 
-	err := validator.Validate(stamp, testBits)
+	err := validator.Claim(stamp, testBits)
 	if err == nil {
 		t.Fatal("expected resource mismatch error")
 	}
@@ -129,7 +180,7 @@ func TestInvalidStampFormat(t *testing.T) {
 
 	validator := hashcash.NewValidator("test-resource")
 
-	err := validator.Validate(
+	err := validator.Claim(
 		"not:a:valid:stamp", testBits,
 	)
 	if err == nil {
@@ -146,7 +197,7 @@ func TestBadVersion(t *testing.T) {
 		testBits, todayDate(), "test-resource",
 	)
 
-	err := validator.Validate(stamp, testBits)
+	err := validator.Claim(stamp, testBits)
 	if err == nil {
 		t.Fatal("expected bad version error")
 	}
@@ -162,7 +213,7 @@ func TestInsufficientDifficulty(t *testing.T) {
 		todayDate(), "test-resource",
 	)
 
-	err := validator.Validate(stamp, testBits)
+	err := validator.Claim(stamp, testBits)
 	if err == nil {
 		t.Fatal("expected insufficient bits error")
 	}
@@ -178,7 +229,7 @@ func TestExpiredStamp(t *testing.T) {
 		t, testBits, "test-resource", oldDate,
 	)
 
-	err := validator.Validate(stamp, testBits)
+	err := validator.Claim(stamp, testBits)
 	if err == nil {
 		t.Fatal("expected expired stamp error")
 	}
@@ -189,9 +240,14 @@ func TestZeroBitsSkipsValidation(t *testing.T) {
 
 	validator := hashcash.NewValidator("test-resource")
 
-	err := validator.Validate("garbage", 0)
+	err := validator.Check("garbage", 0)
 	if err != nil {
-		t.Fatalf("zero bits should skip: %v", err)
+		t.Fatalf("zero bits should skip the check: %v", err)
+	}
+
+	err = validator.Claim("garbage", 0)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("zero bits should skip the claim: %v", err)
 	}
 }
 
@@ -204,7 +260,7 @@ func TestLongDateFormat(t *testing.T) {
 		t, testBits, "test-resource", longDate,
 	)
 
-	err := validator.Validate(stamp, testBits)
+	err := validator.Claim(stamp, testBits)
 	if err != nil {
 		t.Fatalf("long date stamp rejected: %v", err)
 	}
@@ -219,7 +275,7 @@ func TestBadDateFormat(t *testing.T) {
 		testBits, "test-resource",
 	)
 
-	err := validator.Validate(stamp, testBits)
+	err := validator.Claim(stamp, testBits)
 	if err == nil {
 		t.Fatal("expected bad date error")
 	}
@@ -235,7 +291,7 @@ func TestMultipleUniqueStamps(t *testing.T) {
 			t, testBits, "test-resource", todayDate(),
 		)
 
-		err := validator.Validate(stamp, testBits)
+		err := validator.Claim(stamp, testBits)
 		if err != nil {
 			t.Fatalf("unique stamp rejected: %v", err)
 		}
@@ -251,7 +307,7 @@ func TestHigherBitsStillValid(t *testing.T) {
 		t, 4, "test-resource", todayDate(),
 	)
 
-	err := validator.Validate(stamp, testBits)
+	err := validator.Claim(stamp, testBits)
 	if err != nil {
 		t.Fatalf(
 			"higher-difficulty stamp rejected: %v",