Make Version Requirements Explicit Per Operation

Context

Administrators and imports can change the same records. The API contracts use versions unevenly, so clients need explicit requirements rather than a universal version claim.

Decision

This record describes existing required, optional and absent checks. Tree serialization protects structural validation but does not supply a version parameter to operations that lack one.

Alternatives Considered

Allow all saves to overwrite the latest record. That would remove the implemented stale-write protection for competing administrator saves. Hold record locks throughout an editing session. Request-spanning locks would require a new session contract and could block staff while another editor is idle.

Consequences

Required version checks reject conflicting saves without applying partial content. An unchanged configuration save still advances its version without adding a content revision. Omitting an optional tree-operation version means acting on the currently locked state.