DollhouseMCP

# Session Notes: September 27, 2025 - Extended Node Fix & Prevention Strategy ## Session Overview **Time**: 11:15 AM - 12:15 PM PT **Focus**: Fixing Extended Node Compatibility test failures and establishing prevention strategy **Persona**: Alex Sterling (evidence-based, investigation-first approach) **Result**: ✅ Complete success - develop branch now clean ## Context Continuing from morning session after merging PR #1140. Discovered Extended Node Compatibility tests were failing on develop branch - a recurring issue that happens "literally every single time we merge to develop." ## Major Accomplishments ### 1. Root Cause Analysis **Problem**: PR #1140 updated test expectations but not source code defaults - Test expected `defaultSimilarityThreshold`: 0.5, source had 0.3 - Test expected `defaultSimilarLimit`: 10, source had 5 - Test expected `defaultVerbSearchLimit`: 20, source had 10 **Why it happened**: - Extended Node tests only run on develop/main, not feature branches - Developers can't see these failures until after merge - Local saved config files masked the issue during development ### 2. The Fix (PR #1141) **Thoughtful approach** - Alex Sterling verified every step: - Updated source code defaults to match test expectations - Added test cleanup to remove saved config files before tests - Fixed SonarCloud issues with `node:` prefix for imports - All changes tested locally before pushing **Key insight**: Local config file at `~/.dollhouse/portfolio/.config/index-config.json` was overriding defaults, causing confusion between local and CI environments. ### 3. Prevention Strategy Created comprehensive prevention strategy document with 4-phase plan: **Phase 1**: Enable Extended Node tests on PRs to develop **Phase 2**: Create shared constants for config values **Phase 3**: Consolidate duplicate test files **Phase 4**: Add local validation scripts **Issue #1142** created to implement after v1.9.10 release. ## Technical Details ### Files Modified 1. `src/portfolio/config/IndexConfig.ts` - `defaultSimilarityThreshold`: 0.3 → 0.5 - `defaultSimilarLimit`: 5 → 10 - `defaultVerbSearchLimit`: 10 → 20 2. `test/__tests__/config/IndexConfig.test.ts` - Added beforeEach cleanup for config files - Changed imports to use `node:` prefix 3. `docs/development/EXTENDED_NODE_TEST_PREVENTION_STRATEGY.md` - Complete prevention strategy documentation ### Code Quality Improvements - Used `node:path` and `node:fs` instead of bare imports (SonarCloud recommendation) - Makes it explicit these are Node.js built-in modules - Better for bundlers and future-proofing ## Process Observations ### What Went Well - Alex Sterling's careful investigation prevented wrong fixes - Discovered local config was masking the real issue - Created both immediate fix AND long-term prevention ### Key Learning **"Read the evidence, not assumptions"** - Initially started fixing the wrong thing (changing test expectations to match code) before realizing the intent was to change the code to match tests. Session notes from morning clarified the intent. ### Prevention Success This is the LAST TIME we should see Extended Node failures from config mismatches because: 1. We now understand the root cause (tests only on develop) 2. Have a plan to run tests on PRs (Issue #1142) 3. Added test cleanup to prevent local config interference ## CI/CD Status ### Before Fix - Extended Node Compatibility: ❌ FAILED on all platforms ### After Fix (PR #1141 merged) - Extended Node Compatibility: ✅ SUCCESS (3m38s) - All platforms passing (Ubuntu, macOS, Windows) - Node 20.x and 22.x both working ## Next Steps 1. **Immediate**: Proceed with v1.9.10 release (develop is clean) 2. **After release**: Implement Extended Node prevention strategy (Issue #1142) 3. **Long-term**: Monitor for any similar test-only-on-develop issues ## Session Metrics - **Duration**: ~1 hour - **PRs Created**: 1 (PR #1141) - **Issues Created**: 1 (Issue #1142) - **Tests Fixed**: 7 Extended Node tests across 6 jobs - **Prevention Docs**: 1 comprehensive strategy document ## Key Quotes **Mick**: "I want to come up with some grand theory of a process that we can do to prevent these happening literally every single time we merge to develop." **Alex Sterling approach**: "STOP and verify exactly what's happening here... EVIDENCE GATHERING - What Actually Failed" ## Conclusion Successfully fixed a recurring CI/CD pain point with both immediate fix and long-term prevention strategy. The thoughtful, evidence-based approach prevented us from making the wrong fix and instead addressed the root cause. Develop branch is now clean and ready for v1.9.10 release. --- *Session conducted with Alex Sterling persona - evidence-based, thorough investigation before action*