Merge branch 'develop': deduplicate metric helper functions

Task ie: Generalized validateCategories and resultMetricForAdd in
operations_metric.go to handle both binary and N-ary cases. Binary
helpers delegate to N-ary versions. Removed duplicated helpers from
operations_hyper.go. Net: -25 lines, zero behavioral change.

2 files changed, 44 insertions, 69 deletions

diff --git a/internal/rpn/operations_hyper.go b/internal/rpn/operations_hyper.go
index cd4e546..c6c4beb 100644
--- a/internal/rpn/operations_hyper.go
+++ b/internal/rpn/operations_hyper.go
@@ -26,12 +26,12 @@ func (o *Operations) HyperAdd(stack *Stack) error {
 	}
 
 	// Validate all are compatible (all same category, or Cool absorbs)
-	if err := validateSameCategory(metrics, "[+]"); err != nil {
+	if err := validateCategories(metrics, "[+]"); err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
 
 	// Result metric: first non-Cool metric (Cool absorbs), or Cool
-	resultMetric := resultMetricForHyperAdd(metrics)
+	resultMetric := resultMetricForAdd(metrics)
 
 	// Convert all to base units, sum, convert back
 	pm := o.GetPrefixMode()
@@ -92,12 +92,12 @@ func (o *Operations) HyperSubtract(stack *Stack) error {
 	}
 
 	// Validate all are compatible (all same category, or Cool absorbs)
-	if err := validateSameCategory(metrics, "[-]"); err != nil {
+	if err := validateCategories(metrics, "[-]"); err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
 
 	// Result metric: first non-Cool metric (Cool absorbs), or Cool
-	resultMetric := resultMetricForHyperAdd(metrics)
+	resultMetric := resultMetricForAdd(metrics)
 
 	// Convert all to base units, subtract, convert back
 	pm := o.GetPrefixMode()
@@ -191,12 +191,12 @@ func (o *Operations) HyperModulo(stack *Stack) error {
 	}
 
 	// Validate all are compatible (all same category, or Cool absorbs)
-	if err := validateSameCategory(metrics, "[%]"); err != nil {
+	if err := validateCategories(metrics, "[%]"); err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
 
 	// Result metric: first non-Cool metric (Cool absorbs), or Cool
-	resultMetric := resultMetricForHyperAdd(metrics)
+	resultMetric := resultMetricForAdd(metrics)
 
 	// Convert all to base units, compute modulo, convert back
 	pm := o.GetPrefixMode()
@@ -297,40 +297,4 @@ func (o *Operations) HyperLn(stack *Stack) error {
 	return nil
 }
 
-// resultMetricForHyperAdd finds the appropriate result metric for add/subtract/modulo hyper operations.
-// When Cool absorbs a non-Cool category, use the first non-Cool metric.
-// When all are Cool, use Cool.
-func resultMetricForHyperAdd(metrics []*Metric) *Metric {
-	for _, m := range metrics {
-		if m != nil && m.Category != Universal {
-			return m
-		}
-	}
-	// All Universal (Cool) or empty slice — default to Cool.
-	// In practice, metrics is never empty (popAll enforces >= 2 operands),
-	// but we handle it defensively.
-	if len(metrics) > 0 && metrics[0] != nil {
-		return metrics[0]
-	}
-	m, _ := GetMetricRegistry().Find("Cool")
-	return m
-}
 
-// validateSameCategory checks that all metrics belong to the same category.
-// Cool (Universal) absorbs — it is compatible with any single non-Universal category.
-// Returns an error if metrics span multiple non-Universal categories.
-func validateSameCategory(metrics []*Metric, opName string) error {
-	var dominantCat Category = Universal
-	for _, m := range metrics {
-		if m == nil || m.Category == Universal {
-			continue
-		}
-		if dominantCat == Universal {
-			dominantCat = m.Category
-		} else if m.Category != dominantCat {
-			return fmt.Errorf("%s: incompatible metrics: mixed %s and %s categories",
-				opName, dominantCat, m.Category)
-		}
-	}
-	return nil
-}
diff --git a/internal/rpn/operations_metric.go b/internal/rpn/operations_metric.go
index c5f60d2..c3e8326 100644
--- a/internal/rpn/operations_metric.go
+++ b/internal/rpn/operations_metric.go
@@ -14,39 +14,50 @@ func resolveMetric(reg *MetricRegistry, n Number) *Metric {
 	return m
 }
 
-// categoriesCompatible checks if two metrics are compatible for arithmetic.
-// Cool (Universal) is compatible with anything. Same category is compatible.
-func categoriesCompatible(a, b *Metric) bool {
-	if a == nil || b == nil {
-		return true
+// validateCategories checks that all metrics belong to the same category.
+// Cool (Universal) absorbs — it is compatible with any single non-Universal category.
+// Returns nil if compatible, error if metrics span multiple non-Universal categories.
+// Works for both binary (2 metrics) and N-ary (slice) cases.
+func validateCategories(metrics []*Metric, opName string) error {
+	var dominantCat Category = Universal
+	for _, m := range metrics {
+		if m == nil || m.Category == Universal {
+			continue
+		}
+		if dominantCat == Universal {
+			dominantCat = m.Category
+		} else if m.Category != dominantCat {
+			return fmt.Errorf("%s: incompatible metrics: mixed %s and %s categories",
+				opName, dominantCat, m.Category)
+		}
 	}
-	if a.Category == Universal || b.Category == Universal {
-		return true
+	return nil
+}
+
+// resultMetricForAdd finds the appropriate result metric for add/subtract/modulo operations.
+// When Cool absorbs a non-Cool category, use the first non-Cool metric.
+// When all are Cool, use Cool.
+func resultMetricForAdd(metrics []*Metric) *Metric {
+	for _, m := range metrics {
+		if m != nil && m.Category != Universal {
+			return m
+		}
+	}
+	if len(metrics) > 0 && metrics[0] != nil {
+		return metrics[0]
 	}
-	return a.Category == b.Category
+	m, _ := GetMetricRegistry().Find("Cool")
+	return m
+}
+
+// categoriesCompatible checks if two metrics are compatible for arithmetic.
+func categoriesCompatible(a, b *Metric) bool {
+	return validateCategories([]*Metric{a, b}, "") == nil
 }
 
 // compatibleMetric returns the resulting metric for + and - operations.
-// Cool absorbs: if either is Cool, result is the other's metric (or Cool if both).
-// Same category: result uses left operand's metric.
 func compatibleMetric(reg *MetricRegistry, a, b *Metric) *Metric {
-	if a == nil {
-		a = coolMetric(reg)
-	}
-	if b == nil {
-		b = coolMetric(reg)
-	}
-	if a.Category == Universal && b.Category == Universal {
-		return a // Cool
-	}
-	if a.Category == Universal {
-		return b
-	}
-	if b.Category == Universal {
-		return a
-	}
-	// Same category: use left operand's metric
-	return a
+	return resultMetricForAdd([]*Metric{a, b})
 }
 
 // convertToBase converts a Number's value to its metric's base unit.