Rebuild the Contents Without Guessing Which Bookmark Survived
Two matching passes retained section identities across justified level corrections, while duplicate titles and reserved IDs bounded the fallback.
Reviewed by Dmytro Nasyrov on October 27, 2026.
Correcting an extracted heading's level should not automatically invalidate the bookmarks that point to it. Our contents rebuild needed to repair structure while retaining an entry's identity when the evidence supported that match. This is a backend identity problem behind a frontend editing workflow. It differs from our earlier contents-warning case: a warning can help a curator notice missing numbering, but it does not decide which old identifier a newly built entry may inherit.
Prefer the stronger match before the fallback
The implementation first matches a draft entry by its level and reduced title. It looks in the entries being replaced, then in the newest approved contents of another version of the same document. Only after that pass does it consider a title-only fallback.
An exact level-and-title match from the approved edition must win before a weaker cross-level match takes an identifier from the replaced structure. Applying a convenient fallback too early could consume an identity that a later entry matches more precisely.
first pass, for every draft:
same level + reduced title in replaced entries
then same level + reduced title in approved older contents
second pass, for still-unmatched drafts:
unique reduced title, replaced entries first
then approved older contents
remaining drafts:
fresh identifiers outside reserved and used setsThe input draft identifiers are ignored. A rebuild is assigning identities to newly found structure, not trusting an extraction result to choose which stored entry it represents. A person's ordinary edit follows a different rule and keeps the identifiers it sends.
Uniqueness makes a level correction defensible
A title-only match is allowed when that reduced title is unique among the draft entries and unique among the candidate entries being considered. This permits a corrected level to retain an identifier without treating every repeated Summary heading as the same section.
The recorded regression rebuilds Part One, Part Two and Chapter 1 with corrected levels. Their unique titles retain the expected old identities. Another fixture repeats Summary on one side and confirms that the cross-level shortcut does not assign the old identifier.
| Situation | Identity decision |
|---|---|
| Level and reduced title match | Take an unused matching identity in precedence order |
| Level changes and title is unique on both relevant sides | Allow the title-only fallback |
| Repeated title with no same-level match | Do not infer a cross-level identity |
| Two drafts could consume the same identity | Use it only once |
| No justified match | Generate a fresh identity outside reserved old IDs |
This is a conservative mapping rule, not a semantic search over headings. Renaming an entry can break the reduced-title match. Duplicate headings can make a correspondence ambiguous. The algorithm prefers a new identity to an unsupported claim that two entries are the same.
Reserve old targets before generating new IDs
The helper reserves identifiers from the replaced and approved candidate sets, including ones that were not carried forward. It also tracks identifiers already used in the current result. A newly generated value must be absent from both sets.
Without that distinction, a fresh entry could accidentally take an old unmatched target and make an existing bookmark appear to point at the correct section while silently changing its meaning. Avoiding collisions is part of identity preservation, not merely a database uniqueness concern.
The test suite checks that each old identifier is consumed at most once and that the rebuilt list preserves the drafts' order, levels, titles and location fields. Carrying an identity must not smuggle the old entry's obsolete structural values back into the new result.
Stable identity does not establish stable meaning
The record supports retaining IDs for these specified matches. It does not prove that every edition keeps the same content behind the same heading or that every PDF heading can be recovered. The contents pipeline still needs its extraction constraints and curator approval. A bookmark that keeps its section identity also needs a sensible display when a source or version is unavailable. Matching an entry is not permission to invent missing text or to treat an absent source as still readable. Those downstream behaviors belong to their own contracts.
Choose a fixture that could distinguish the passes
A useful negative control places a same-level approved candidate beside a cross-level replaced candidate with the same title. The expected result reveals whether the whole stronger pass completed before fallback began. A happy-path fixture with one candidate cannot distinguish those implementations.
We have inspected the pinned helper and its saved tests rather than rerunning the medical project's rebuild workflow. For another editor, preserve the precedence rule, ambiguity rule and reserved-ID set together. A test that checks only the number of retained bookmarks can miss a bookmark that survived with the wrong target.
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How long have you been in business?
Pharos Production has been in business since 2013, with over 13 years of experience in custom software development. During this time, we have delivered over 110 applications for 200+ clients across 28 industries, including FinTech, healthcare, crypto and e-commerce. We are rated 5/5 on Clutch based on 107 verified reviews (2026).
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What services do you provide?
Pharos Production provides six core service categories: AI Development (LLM applications, AI agents, machine learning and computer vision), Blockchain and Web3 (smart contracts, DeFi, tokenization on Ethereum, Solana, TON and other chains), FinTech Development (payment platforms, digital banking, KYC and AML integration), Software Development (mobile apps, web platforms, database design, UI/UX), Security and QA (code audits, penetration testing, smart contract audits, manual and automated testing) and Consulting (architecture design, MVP validation, startup consulting).
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Where is Pharos Production located?
Pharos Production is headquartered in Las Vegas, Nevada, USA (5348 Vegas Dr, Las Vegas, NV 89108), with an engineering office in Kyiv, Ukraine (44-B Eugene Konovalets Str. Suite 201, Kyiv 01133). We work with clients worldwide and provide remote collaboration across all time zones. Visit our contact page for directions and scheduling options.
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How big is your team?
Pharos Production has a team of 90+ engineers, including software developers, blockchain specialists, QA engineers, DevOps experts, UI/UX designers, project managers and solution architects. Our founder, Dr. Dmytro Nasyrov, holds a PhD in Artificial Intelligence and leads the technical direction of all projects.
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What types of customers do you serve?
We serve a wide range of clients, from startups and product companies to mid-sized enterprises and large institutions. Our clients include crypto exchanges, FinTech providers (like Pleenk), healthcare organizations, sportsbook operators (like Pro Gambling), e-commerce platforms and SaaS companies. Pharos Production has worked with 200+ clients across 28 industries since 2013, adapting engagement models to match each client's stage, whether it is MVP validation for a startup or enterprise-scale development for an established business.
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How is a custom software development company different from an agency?
A custom software development company like Pharos Production assigns one dedicated engineering team that owns your product across multiple release cycles, instead of handing it off once a contract ends. Agencies more often rotate staff between clients and optimize for fast delivery over long-term product ownership.
Pharos Production keeps the same team on your codebase through 2-week sprints, so there is no re-onboarding cost each time you request a new feature.
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How much does custom software development cost?
Custom software development costs vary based on project scope and complexity. At Pharos Production, typical project ranges are: MVP development ($10,000-$25,000), suitable for startups validating a product idea; full-fledged production ($25,000-$50,000), for established businesses scaling a proven concept; and full-cycle development ($50,000-$80,000+), for complex enterprise-grade systems. These ranges include architecture design, development, QA testing and deployment. Hourly rates range from $50 to $99 depending on role and seniority. Final pricing depends on technology stack, number of integrations and engagement model (staff augmentation, dedicated team or project outsourcing).
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How long does it take to develop a custom software application?
Development timelines depend on scope and complexity. At Pharos Production, a typical MVP takes 2-4 months, a production-ready application takes 4-8 months and a complex enterprise system can take 8-12+ months. We use an agile methodology with 2-week sprints, delivering working increments after each sprint. Every sprint includes a retrospective, progress report and planning session for the next iteration. This approach ensures transparency and allows businesses to launch faster by prioritizing high-impact features first. Get a timeline estimate for your project.
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What industries does Pharos Production serve?
Pharos Production serves 28 industries: FinTech, MiCA Compliance, Banking, Insurance, Crypto, Healthcare, Fitness, E-Commerce, Food & Restaurant, On-Demand, Manufacturing, Automotive, Energy, Oil & Gas, Supply Chain, Construction, Real Estate, Gaming, Streaming, Media, Telecom, Education, Aviation, Travel, Logistics, Marketing, Agriculture and Recommender Systems. Our deepest expertise is in FinTech, blockchain and healthcare, where we have delivered compliance-ready platforms (HIPAA, PCI DSS, GDPR) and high-load systems handling thousands of concurrent users. For the latest industry insights, read our guides on FinTech trends in 2026 and the Web3 technology stack.
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Why hire a software development company instead of building in-house?
Hiring a software development company offers faster time-to-market, lower upfront costs and access to specialized expertise without long-term employment commitments. According to Deloitte's 2024 Global Outsourcing Survey, 57% of companies outsource software development to access skills they cannot hire internally.
Factor In-house team Software development company Time to assemble 3-6 months (recruiting + onboarding) 1-2 weeks Upfront cost High (salaries, benefits, equipment) Lower (project-based pricing) Specialized expertise Limited to who you can hire locally Access to 90+ engineers across blockchain, AI, FinTech Scalability Slow (each new hire takes months) Fast (scale up or down per sprint) Long-term commitment Full-time employment contracts Flexible engagement models Risk High if key engineers leave Company ensures continuity and knowledge transfer For businesses that need blockchain, AI or high-load architecture expertise, outsourcing to a specialized firm like Pharos Production reduces risk and accelerates delivery.
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What projects does Pharos Production not take on?
Pharos Production focuses on mid-to-large custom software projects with budgets starting at $10,000. We do not take on template-based websites, WordPress theme customization or short-term contracts under one month. We also do not provide non-technical staffing (marketing, sales or design-only roles). Our strongest fit is blockchain, FinTech and healthcare projects where security, compliance and high-load architecture are critical. For smaller projects or MVPs under $10,000, we recommend exploring freelance platforms or no-code tools as a more cost-effective starting point.
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Why does Pharos Production use agile methodology?
We use agile with 2-week sprints because it reduces the risk of building features that miss the mark. Each sprint ends with a working demo, a retrospective and a plan for the next iteration.
This means clients see progress every 14 days and can adjust priorities based on real results, not assumptions. We chose this approach after years of experience showing that rigid, fixed-scope contracts lead to scope creep, missed deadlines and products that do not match market needs by launch day.
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When should you NOT hire a custom software development company?
Custom development is not the right choice in every situation. You should not hire a custom software company if: your problem is fully solved by an existing SaaS product (e.g. Shopify for e-commerce, Salesforce for CRM); your budget is under $10,000 and timeline is under 4 weeks; you need a simple landing page or marketing website (WordPress or Webflow is faster and cheaper); or you are still validating the idea and have not spoken to potential users yet.
In these cases, off-the-shelf tools or no-code platforms offer better ROI. Custom development makes sense when you need unique workflows, regulatory compliance, high-load architecture or competitive differentiation that packaged software cannot provide.
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What kind of projects has Pharos Production delivered?
Here are three anonymized examples from our recent delivery history:
FinTech startup - payment platform (MVP)
Scope: mobile app + backend API with bank-grade encryption. Team: 4 engineers, 1 QA. Timeline: 10 weeks. Budget: $38,000. Result: launched on schedule, processed $2M+ in transactions within the first quarter.Healthcare provider - patient portal (Full product)
Scope: HIPAA-aligned web platform with EHR integration, appointment scheduling and telemedicine. Team: 6 engineers, 1 DevOps, 2 QA. Timeline: 6 months. Budget: $120,000. Result: 15,000+ active patients, zero compliance violations in two annual audits.Crypto exchange - trading engine (Complex)
Scope: high-load matching engine handling 50,000+ orders per second, multi-chain wallet infrastructure on Ethereum and Solana. Team: 8 engineers, 2 QA, 1 security auditor. Timeline: 11 months. Budget: $340,000. Result: 99.97% uptime, passed three independent security audits.See more projects: NoMoreBets, Pulse, Sagas, Gambit Stream and Pleenk. For the full portfolio, visit our case studies. Learn more about the technology behind these projects in our guide to stablecoins and crypto infrastructure.
Stas Rysin is the Lead Frontend Developer at Pharos Production. His work covers the design system, reader interfaces and administration workflows of a professional learning platform for aesthetic medicine.
