2025-08-25 Daily Notes

• ctx::2025-08-25 - 12:27 PM - [mode::implementation-planning] - [project::rangle/pharmacy]

Morning Session: Git Maintenance & Branch Management

VAT Rates PR Merge Conflict Resolution

• ctx::2025-08-25 - morning - [task::merge-conflicts] - [branch::fix/vat-rates-basis-points-simple]
• Successfully resolved merge conflicts with main branch
• Conflict was in ADR.md where main had:
  • Updated title to “Architectural Decision Records (ADR)”
  • Added new “Date Handling and Display” section
• Our branch had the “VAT Rate Handling with Basis Points” section
• Resolution: Kept both changes, maintaining chronological order
• Pushed resolved changes to remote, PR updated successfully

BMI Calculator Branch Rebase

• ctx::2025-08-25 - late-morning - [task::rebase] - [branch::feature/bmi-calculator-337]
• Initial rebase attempt had issues with .evans-notes and .opencode directories
• Decision: Temporarily moved personal notes out of project directory
• Successfully rebased feature/bmi-calculator-337 onto latest main
• Added .evans-notes/ and .opencode/ to .gitignore for future protection
• Branch now clean and ready for BMI implementation work

Issue #337: BMI Calculator Implementation Analysis

Current Implementation State Discovery

• ctx::2025-08-25 - midday - [task::code-analysis] - [feature::bmi-calculator]
• eureka:: BMI calculator is already partially implemented!
• Found existing code:
  • QuestionType.bmi_calculator enum already added
  • BMICalculator component exists at packages/assessment-flow/src/components/bmi-calculator.tsx
  • Form field renderer integration complete
  • Field configuration properly registered
  • Component handles metric/imperial with proper calculations

Remaining Work Identified

• highlight:: Most of the heavy lifting is already done
• Still needed:
  • Verify admin display in QuestionnaireSnapshotViewer shows BMI data
  • Add comprehensive tests (none exist currently)
  • Add BMI calculator icon to assessment builder UI
  • End-to-end testing of full flow

Testing Infrastructure Assessment

The Brutal Truth About Testing

• ctx::2025-08-25 - 12:00 PM - [investigation::testing-coverage] - [severity::critical]
• gotcha:: Testing is essentially non-existent in this codebase
• Statistics uncovered:
  • 14 test files total (out of 181+ source files)
  • ~7.7% file coverage
  • 0 tests in assessment-flow package
  • 0 tests in onfido-api package
  • Test runner fails on packages with no tests

Testing Gaps Analysis

• decision:: BMI calculator MUST have tests despite testing vacuum
• Critical untested areas:
  • Entire assessment flow system
  • Authentication/authorization
  • Server actions (business logic)
  • Form validation beyond schemas
  • Component interactions
  • RLS policies
  • Sanity CMS integration

Why This Matters

• highlight:: This is a pharmacy/medical application handling prescriptions
• boundary:: Testing medical calculations is non-negotiable
• BMI calculator deals with health metrics - accuracy is critical
• We’d be pioneering tests in the assessment-flow package
• Our tests would become the pattern for others

Prompt Engineering Exercise

Evaluated Three Alternative Approaches

• ctx::2025-08-25 - noon - [task::prompt-optimization] - [type::meta-work]

1. Phased Discovery & Implementation (9/10 effectiveness)

   • Best option: Progressive knowledge building
   • Prevents context switching
   • Acknowledges existing work

2. Risk-First Implementation (8/10 effectiveness)

   • Focus on preventing issues
   • Good for critical systems

3. Component-Centric Implementation (7/10 effectiveness)

   • Aligns with codebase structure
   • Makes progress measurable

• decision:: Recommended Option 1 for systematic approach

Key Learnings

The One-Line Fix Pattern

• ctx::2025-08-25 - reflection - [pattern::overthinking]
• Reference to previous VAT fix that was ultimately one line
• Reminder to check simple causes first:
  • Typos
  • Assignment vs comparison operators
  • Data format mismatches
  • Following existing patterns

Testing Vacuum Discovery

• eureka:: The testing infrastructure exists (Vitest) but isn’t being used
• This creates both risk and opportunity:
  • Risk: No safety net for changes
  • Opportunity: Set the testing standard for the team

Next Steps

Immediate Priority

• Test existing BMI calculator component manually
• Verify data persistence to assessment_responses
• Check admin display of BMI results
• Write unit tests for BMI calculations

Testing Strategy for BMI

• Start with calculation accuracy tests
• Test metric formula: weight(kg) / (height(m))²
• Test imperial formula: (weight(lbs) / (height(inches))²) × 703
• Test unit conversions
• Test edge cases (zero, negative, boundary values)

Victory Lap: VAT Fix PR Merged! 🎉

PR #366 Merged

• ctx::2025-08-25 - 12:30 PM - [celebration::pr-merged] - [pr::366]
• highlight:: The “scenic road through hell for a 1 line fix” is complete!
• The embarrassingly simple root cause:
  • item.id = edit should have been item.id === Number(edit)
  • Assignment operator instead of comparison operator 🤦
  • Classic typo that sent us on a massive investigation journey

The Journey vs The Destination

• gotcha:: Sometimes the simplest bugs create the most complex investigations
• What we thought was the problem:
  • Complex VAT rate calculation issues
  • Basis points conversion problems
  • Database schema issues
• What it actually was:
  • One character typo (= vs ===)
  • Wrong test data format

Key Stats from PR #366

• Lines changed: 54 additions, 2 deletions
• Actual fix: 1 line
• Investigation time: ~8+ hours across multiple days
• Learning value: Priceless
• decision:: Always check for typos and simple operators FIRST

Lessons Reinforced

• boundary:: Simple bugs can hide behind complex symptoms
• The system was designed correctly all along
• NumberInput was already multiplying by 100
• formatPercentage was already expecting basis points
• We just had a typo and wrong test data

Session Metadata

• [duration::~3.5 hours]
• [commits::2] (gitignore update, merge conflict resolution)
• [branches-touched::3] (main, fix/vat-rates-basis-points-simple, feature/bmi-calculator-337)
• [mode-transitions::4] (git-maintenance → code-discovery → testing-assessment → celebration)
• [pr-merged::1] (#366 - VAT rate fix)

End of morning/midday session - 12:30 PM

Afternoon Session: Authentication Hell & Database Migration Crisis

The Login Bounce Loop

• ctx::2025-08-25 - 1:00 PM - [crisis::auth-broken] - [branch::fix/vat-rates-basis-points-simple]
• Attempted to access admin dashboard to test BMI calculator
• Login page returns 200 but immediately bounces back out
• Password had been changed previously but forgotten
• Multiple attempts to reset password through various methods failed

Database Authentication Debugging Journey

• ctx::2025-08-25 - 1:15 PM - [debugging::auth-tables] - [severity::blocking]
• Attempted raw SQL password update - didn’t work
• User reminder: “there’s a proper Supabase way for setting passwords”
• Tried various Supabase auth functions - still broken
• Temporarily disabled admin check in middleware - still bounced
• gotcha:: The auth system has multiple layers, all need to align

Migration Hell Returns

• ctx::2025-08-25 - 1:30 PM - [crisis::migrations] - [error::foreign-key-constraint]
• Error: “variant_attributes” violates foreign key constraint
• Migration 0047 trying to make public_users.dob nullable
• Database in inconsistent state from previous partial migrations
• User explicitly wants to avoid reset: “1-2 hour time sink”

Recent PR Merges Applied

• Synced with main to get recent fixes:
  • PR #367: Login fix
  • PR #368: Migration transaction fix
• Neither resolved the authentication issues
• Database still in problematic state

Scripts Recreation from Onboarding Branch

• ctx::2025-08-25 - 1:40 PM - [solution::proper-reset-scripts]
• Found proper scripts in evan/onboarding-myself branch
• Recreated scripts verbatim (not cherry-picked to avoid extra changes):
  • scripts/dump-staging-data.sh - Pulls data from staging
  • scripts/import-staging-data.sh - Imports to local
  • scripts/fix-admin-auth.sh - Properly fixes auth
  • scripts/reset-admin-password.sh - Alternative reset method

The Hulk-Smash Moment

• ctx::2025-08-25 - 1:45 PM - [mode::hulk-smash] - [status::stepping-away]
• boundary:: Recognition that frustration leads to bad decisions
• highlight:: “The more frustrated I get, the more eager Claude gets to ‘one quick workaround’”
• decision:: Step away, get food, decompress before sprint planning
• Working straight since 11:30 AM without break
• Sprint planning at 2:30 PM

Pattern Recognition

• eureka:: The “quick fix” death spiral pattern identified
• Every time we try “just one more workaround” we dig deeper
• Proper solution requires following established procedures
• No shortcuts when in hulk-smash mode

Todo List Reset for Proper Approach

1. Take a walk and get food - decompress
2. Sprint planning at 2:30 PM
3. Create ‘DB Reset / Migrate / Fix Auth’ guide
4. Database reset and clean migration setup
5. Dump fresh staging data
6. Import staging data to local database
7. Fix admin authentication with bootstrap
8. Login to admin and access assessment builder
9. Test BMI calculator in assessment builder
10. Write 3 critical BMI tests
11. Fix admin display in QuestionnaireSnapshotViewer
12. Make corrections to DB Reset guide
13. Final verification and commit

Session Metadata Update

• [duration::~2 hours since last update]
• [mode-transitions::celebration → auth-debugging → migration-crisis → hulk-smash → stepping-away]
• [emotional-state::frustrated → recognition → self-care decision]
• [break-time::1:45 PM - food and walk needed]

Break started - 1:45 PM

Evening Session: Database Migration Blockers & Workarounds

Migration Type Casting Bug Discovery

• ctx::2025-08-25 - 11:52 PM - [blocker::migration-type-mismatch] - [solution::temporary-workaround]
• Root Cause Identified: Migration 0037 has logic error
  • Creates RLS policy expecting assessment_responses.id to be UUID
  • But table still has id as serial (integer) at that point
  • Migration 0038 later changes id from serial to uuid
  • Error: operator does not exist: uuid = integer

The Sequential Problem

1. Migration 0027: Creates assessment_responses with id as serial (integer)
2. Migration 0037: Creates RLS policy comparing UUID to integer → FAILS HERE
3. Migration 0038: Changes assessment_responses.id to UUID and recreates policy correctly

Temporary Workaround Decision

• Choice Made: Apply surgical sed fix to unblock work
• Rationale: Avoid falling into “rabbit hole of perfect fixes”
• Pattern Recognition: “One more quick workaround” → acknowledged but time-boxed
• Mitigation: Document thoroughly, revert immediately, mention in Slack

First Workaround Attempt - Failed

# Attempted: sed fix to cast integer to uuid
sed -i '' 's/assessment_responses\.id/assessment_responses.id::uuid/g' packages/database/migrations/0037_fantastic_ezekiel_stane.sql

• Result: ERROR: cannot cast type integer to uuid
• Reality Check: PostgreSQL can’t directly cast integer to UUID
• Time Lost: ~15 minutes on impossible type conversion

Corrected Approach: Skip Migration 0037

• Strategy: Mark 0037 as applied without executing it
• Rationale: Migration 0038 properly handles the schema change AND recreates the policy
• Implementation: Manual migration table entry + continue from 0038

# Skip the broken migration 0037 entirely
# Let 0038 handle both schema change and policy creation properly

Learning

• eureka:: Direct integer-to-UUID casting is impossible in PostgreSQL
• Pattern: Sometimes the fix is to skip the broken step entirely
• Time awareness: 30 minutes remaining for database setup + BMI testing

Proper Solution: No-Op Migration 0037

• ctx::2025-08-26 - 12:05 AM - [solution::proper-drizzle-approach] - [success::migrations-complete]
• Research-Based Fix: Read Drizzle documentation instead of random attempts
• Approach: Replace broken migration with no-op/empty migration
• Result: All migrations applied successfully ✅
• Data Import: Staging data imported - 9 admin users, 15 products, 3 assessments ✅
• Auth Fix: Admin authentication cleaned and ready for bootstrap ✅
• Admin App: Running on http://localhost:3000 ✅

Ready for BMI Testing

• Database: Reset, migrated, populated ✅
• Authentication: Ready for bootstrap ✅
• Admin App: Running and accessible ✅
• Next: Navigate to /bootstrap → Create admin → Test BMI calculator

Migration Fix Documentation

-- Migration 0037: Replaced with no-op due to type casting issue
-- Original: Tried to create RLS policy with UUID = integer comparison  
-- Solution: Let migration 0038 handle schema change + policy creation properly
-- TODO: Create PR to fix migration sequence for the team

Time Investment

• Database Crisis: ~45 minutes total
• Proper Research: Last 10 minutes (should have done this first!)
• UUID Mismatch Fix: The final step that always gets us
• Total: Database → Auth → Ready for BMI testing

Database Reset Guide Created

• Location: .evans-notes/database-reset-guide.md
• Purpose: Never fumble through this again
• Content: Complete 7-phase process with all gotchas documented
• Key Fix: UUID mismatch between auth.users and admin_users (Phase 6)
• Future: Will move to official docs when ready

Login Success!

• ctx::2025-08-26 @ 12:11:24 AM - [success::admin-login-working] - [ready::bmi-testing]
• Admin dashboard accessible ✅
• Ready to test BMI calculator in assessment builder ✅