Resolve LAC_THREADS in the CLI, not inside the library

README.md

@@ -97,7 +97,7 @@ LAC_THREADS=4 ctest --test-dir build-tests --output-on-failure
 
 The default CTest configuration uses lightweight generated WAV fixtures and exercises both internal codec paths and `lac_cli` subprocess roundtrips. To opt into larger local E2E fixtures, configure with `-DLAC_TEST_ASSETS_DIR="$PWD/assets"`. The generated fixtures keep clean checkouts and routine development self-contained.
 
-Set `LAC_THREADS=N` to cap encode and decode worker threads during tests. The heavier `test_all.sh` asset roundtrip script defaults to `LAC_THREADS=12` unless the environment already sets a different value.
+Set `LAC_THREADS=N` to cap encode and decode worker threads in the `lac_cli` binary; `--threads=N` takes precedence over it. This is resolved by the CLI, so it applies to `lac_cli` usage and the CLI subprocess tests (the internal codec unit tests set their own thread counts). The heavier `test_all.sh` asset roundtrip script defaults to `LAC_THREADS=12` unless the environment already sets a different value.
 
 ## Contributing
 

src/codec/lac/decoder.cpp

@@ -9,7 +9,6 @@
 #include <thread>
 #include "codec/block/decoder.hpp"
 #include "codec/bitstream/bit_reader.hpp"
-#include "codec/lac/thread_limit.hpp"
 #include "codec/simd/neon.hpp"
 
 namespace LAC {
@@ -236,7 +235,7 @@ void Decoder::decode(const uint8_t* data,
 
     size_t hardware_threads =
         std::max<size_t>(1, static_cast<size_t>(std::thread::hardware_concurrency()));
-    const size_t thread_limit = LAC::resolve_thread_limit(this->thread_count);
+    const size_t thread_limit = this->thread_count;  // 0 = auto; env is resolved by the CLI
     if (thread_limit > 0) {
       hardware_threads = std::min(hardware_threads, thread_limit);
     }

src/codec/lac/encoder.cpp

@@ -12,7 +12,6 @@
 #include <utility>
 #include <iostream>
 #include "codec/simd/neon.hpp"
-#include "codec/lac/thread_limit.hpp"
 #include "utils/logger.hpp"
 
 namespace {
@@ -384,7 +383,7 @@ namespace LAC {
     };
 
     size_t hardware_threads = std::max<size_t>(1, static_cast<size_t>(std::thread::hardware_concurrency()));
-    const size_t thread_limit = LAC::resolve_thread_limit(this->thread_count);
+    const size_t thread_limit = this->thread_count;  // 0 = auto; env is resolved by the CLI
     if (thread_limit > 0) {
       hardware_threads = std::min(hardware_threads, thread_limit);
     }

src/codec/lac/thread_limit.hpp

@@ -27,9 +27,8 @@ inline size_t parse_thread_limit(const char* value) {
     return static_cast<size_t>(parsed);
 }
 
-inline size_t resolve_thread_limit(size_t explicit_limit) {
-    if (explicit_limit > 0) return explicit_limit;
-    return parse_thread_limit(std::getenv("LAC_THREADS"));
-}
+// Note: this header intentionally no longer resolves LAC_THREADS. Reading the
+// environment is the CLI's job; the library uses the explicit thread count it
+// is given (0 = auto). See main.cpp resolve_cli_thread_count.
 
 } // namespace LAC

src/main.cpp

@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@
 #include <atomic>
 #include <cerrno>
 #include <cstdint>
+#include <cstdlib>
 #include <vector>
 #include <string>
 #include <cmath>
@@ -315,9 +316,8 @@ static FastDecodeStatus decode_lac_v3_to_mapped_wav(const uint8_t* data,
 
   size_t hardware_threads =
       std::max<size_t>(1, static_cast<size_t>(std::thread::hardware_concurrency()));
-  const size_t resolved_limit = LAC::resolve_thread_limit(thread_count);
-  if (resolved_limit > 0) {
-    hardware_threads = std::min(hardware_threads, resolved_limit);
+  if (thread_count > 0) {
+    hardware_threads = std::min(hardware_threads, thread_count);
   }
   const size_t worker_count = std::min<size_t>(hardware_threads, block_count);
 
@@ -583,6 +583,13 @@ static bool parse_threads_flag(const std::string& flag, size_t& out_threads) {
   return true;
 }
 
+static size_t resolve_cli_thread_count(size_t explicit_count) {
+  // CLI owns environment resolution: --threads (explicit_count) wins, else
+  // LAC_THREADS. The library never reads the environment itself.
+  if (explicit_count > 0) return explicit_count;
+  return LAC::parse_thread_limit(std::getenv("LAC_THREADS"));
+}
+
 static void usage() {
   std::cerr << "Usage:\n";
   std::cerr << "  lac_cli encode input.wav output.lac [--stereo-mode=lr|ms] [--threads=N] [--debug-threads] [--debug-lpc] [--debug-stereo-est] [--debug-zr] [--debug-partitions] [--no-partitioning]\n";
@@ -643,6 +650,7 @@ int main(int argc, char** argv) {
           return 1;
         }
       }
+      thread_count = resolve_cli_thread_count(thread_count);
       std::vector<int32_t> left, right;
       uint16_t channels = 0;
       uint32_t sample_rate = 0;
@@ -725,6 +733,7 @@ int main(int argc, char** argv) {
           return 1;
         }
       }
+      thread_count = resolve_cli_thread_count(thread_count);
       std::vector<uint8_t> bitstream;
       if (!load_file(in_path, bitstream)) {
         std::cerr << "Failed to read LAC file: " << in_path << "\n";