eslint-factory: prefer-get-error-message lacks getErrorMessage resolvability check (sibling rule already has it)

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Summary

prefer-get-error-message matches err instanceof Error ? err.message : String(err) and autofixes it to getErrorMessage(err) without checking that getErrorMessage is actually resolvable in the current file (imported, or locally defined) before firing.

Its sibling rule, prefer-get-error-message-over-string, already implements this check via hasResolvableLocalBinding(node, "getErrorMessage") and skips reporting when it fails. prefer-get-error-message has no equivalent guard, so the two rules are inconsistent: one is safe against "suggest calling an unimported helper," the other is not.

Where

• eslint-factory/src/rules/prefer-get-error-message.ts — full rule body (~60 lines), no resolvability check anywhere before context.report/the fixer.
• Compare eslint-factory/src/rules/prefer-get-error-message-over-string.ts — hasResolvableLocalBinding gate at the top of its CallExpression/template-literal handling (checks ImportBinding/FunctionName defs as always-available, else requires definitionNode.range[0] < node.range[0]).

Grounding

All 5 live call sites matching the exact err instanceof Error ? err.message : String(err) shape in actions/setup/js/**/*.cjs (non-test) currently already import getErrorMessage:

Live matching call sites (grep-verified)

• complete_pre_created_check_run.cjs:57
• upload_artifact.cjs:286
• upload_artifact.cjs:301
• upload_artifact.cjs:343
• upload_artifact.cjs:391

All 5 files already require/import getErrorMessage, so today the missing check is latent, not exercised by a live false positive — but any new file that reaches for this exact ternary pattern before importing the helper will get an autofix suggestion that calls an undefined function, a regression this rule family already guards against elsewhere.

Ask

1. Port hasResolvableLocalBinding (or extract it to the shared rule-utils module and import it from both rules) into prefer-get-error-message.ts, gating the report/suggestion the same way prefer-get-error-message-over-string does.
2. Add a test case: a file with the matching ternary but no getErrorMessage import/definition should not report (or should report without offering the unsafe autofix suggestion — match whatever behavior the sibling rule uses for the equivalent case).
3. Add a test case confirming the existing 5 live-shape files' pattern (ternary + prior import) still fires and autofixes correctly (no regression).

Acceptance criteria

• prefer-get-error-message does not offer/apply the getErrorMessage(err) autofix suggestion when getErrorMessage is not resolvable in scope.

• New unit tests cover both the negative (no binding) and positive (existing binding) cases.

• Behavior matches (or explicitly documents any deliberate difference from) prefer-get-error-message-over-string's existing resolvability gate.

• This issue will auto-expire if not addressed within 90 days.

Generated by 🤖 ESLint Refiner · agent · 280.9 AIC · ⌖ 9.73 AIC · ⊞ 5.3K · ◷

• expires on Aug 26, 2026, 9:38 PM UTC-08:00

[github-actions]

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