Design Boundaries

envlock is intentionally narrow.

What It Does Well

• Build deterministic environment sessions from JSON.
• Compose static values and simple env operations.
• Bridge dynamic bootstrap tools through command injection.
• Apply configuration to shell output or process-local command execution.

What It Intentionally Does Not Do

• Persist global shell mutation automatically.
• Manage package versions or runtime installers directly.
• Replace full task runners or shell framework managers.

Why This Boundary Exists

A narrow boundary keeps behavior auditable:

• Profiles are explicit and versionable.
• Output can be reviewed before application.
• Runtime behavior is predictable across CI and local shells.

This is also why advanced routing logic (for example tool-specific agent selection) is better handled in caller scripts or aliases, while envlock stays focused on environment assembly.