New "rebase first during finish" functionality is not consistently soft resetting the WIP commit!

[acreeger]

Implemented in #344. Commit de243e283556c90da27ed908036117a302758569 in the ../iloom-vscode repo is an example. In this case the rebase was a no-op and I think in that path the WIP commit doen't reset

[acreeger]

Bug Report Analysis

Questions for Reporter

Question	Answer
@acreeger When the rebase is a no-op (no commits to apply), what is the expected behavior for the WIP commit? Should it still be soft reset, or is it being skipped entirely?
Can you confirm whether this affects all no-op rebases, or only specific scenarios (e.g., already up-to-date with parent branch)?
What is the actual state of the working directory after the finish command completes when this bug occurs? Does the WIP commit remain in the history, or are the changes left uncommitted?

Problem Summary
The finish command's new "rebase-first" workflow (introduced in #344) fails to consistently soft reset WIP commits when the rebase operation is a no-op (no commits need to be applied).

User Impact
Developers completing work with il finish may find their changes left in an unexpected state when their branch is already up-to-date with the parent branch. The WIP commit that should be automatically cleaned up may remain in the git history or changes may be left uncommitted.

Expected Behavior
The WIP commit should always be soft reset after the rebase step completes, regardless of whether the rebase applied any commits or was a no-op.

Actual Behavior
When the rebase is a no-op (branch already up-to-date), the WIP commit is not being soft reset, leaving the working directory in an inconsistent state.

Next Steps

• Reporter to provide answers to clarification questions above
• Technical analysis to identify why no-op rebases skip the soft reset logic
• Implementation planning to ensure soft reset happens in all rebase scenarios

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📋 Complete Context & Details (click to expand)

Reproduction Context

• Issue was introduced in PR The finish process should essentially run the rebase command first, THEN proceed with validation #344 which reordered the finish workflow to: rebase → validate → commit → merge
• Example case: Commit de243e283556c90da27ed908036117a302758569 in the ../iloom-vscode repository
• In this case, the rebase was a no-op (no commits to apply)
• The reporter believes that in the no-op path, the WIP commit doesn't get reset

Related Implementation

• PR The finish process should essentially run the rebase command first, THEN proceed with validation #344 moved the rebase step to execute first in the finish workflow
• The rebase functionality uses the same WIP commit technique as the standalone rebase command
• WIP commits are temporary commits that should be automatically soft reset after the rebase completes
• The soft reset cleanup is expected to happen regardless of whether the rebase applied changes

Key Observations

• The bug appears to be conditional on the rebase being a no-op
• This suggests the soft reset logic may be in a code path that only executes when commits are actually applied
• The WIP commit mechanism itself works correctly in normal (non-no-op) rebase scenarios

Technical Context

• The finish command workflow was modified to run rebase before validation
• Hook-disabling flags were added to prevent pre-commit hooks from interfering with WIP commits
• The rebase step creates WIP commits for uncommitted changes and is supposed to soft reset them after completion

[acreeger]

Complexity Assessment

Classification: SIMPLE

Metrics

• Estimated files: 2
• Estimated LOC: 15-20
• Breaking changes: No
• Database migrations: No
• Risk level: Low

Reasoning

The root cause is a code path issue in MergeManager.rebaseOnMain() (514 LOC file). When a rebase is a no-op (branch already up-to-date with main), the method returns early on line 88-90 without restoring the WIP commit. The fix requires adding a single restoreWipCommit() call before the early return, plus adding test coverage for the no-op rebase scenario. This is a straightforward control flow fix with minimal code changes (~15-20 LOC including tests).

Key Findings:

• Problem: Line 88-90 in MergeManager.ts returns early when mergeBaseTrimmed === mainHeadTrimmed without soft-resetting WIP commit
• Solution: Call await this.restoreWipCommit(worktreePath, wipCommitHash) before the early return
• Files affected: MergeManager.ts (fix) + MergeManager.test.ts (test for no-op rebase path)
• No impact on CLI interface, data models, or cross-layer changes
• The WIP commit restoration logic already exists and works - only needs to be invoked in the missing code path

[acreeger]

Combined Analysis & Plan - Issue #350

Executive Summary

The rebaseOnMain() method in MergeManager.ts creates a WIP commit for uncommitted changes but fails to restore it when the rebase is a no-op (branch already up-to-date with main). The fix requires adding a restoreWipCommit() call before the early return at line 88-90.

Implementation Overview

High-Level Execution Phases

1. Add WIP restore to no-op path: Insert restoreWipCommit() call before early return when branch is up-to-date
2. Add test coverage: Create test case for no-op rebase with uncommitted changes

Quick Stats

• 1 file to modify (MergeManager.ts)
• 0 new files to create
• 0 files to delete
• Dependencies: None

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Complete Analysis & Implementation Details (click to expand)

Research Findings

Problem Space

• Problem: WIP commit remains in git history when rebase is a no-op, leaving working directory in inconsistent state
• Architectural context: MergeManager handles rebase workflow with WIP commit pattern to preserve uncommitted changes
• Edge cases: Only affects scenario where: (1) uncommitted changes exist AND (2) branch is already up-to-date with main

Codebase Research

• Entry point: /Users/adam/Documents/Projects/iloom-cli/fix-issue-350__soft-reset-wip/src/lib/MergeManager.ts:88-90 - Early return without WIP restore
• Dependencies: restoreWipCommit() private method at line 368-388 already handles the restoration
• Similar patterns: Line 134-136 correctly calls restoreWipCommit() after successful rebase; line 154-156 does so after Claude conflict resolution
• Historical: Introduced in PR The finish process should essentially run the rebase command first, THEN proceed with validation #344 which reordered finish workflow

Affected Files

• /Users/adam/Documents/Projects/iloom-cli/fix-issue-350__soft-reset-wip/src/lib/MergeManager.ts:88-91 - Missing WIP restore before early return
• /Users/adam/Documents/Projects/iloom-cli/fix-issue-350__soft-reset-wip/src/lib/MergeManager.test.ts - Need test for no-op with uncommitted changes

Bug Analysis

Code flow when bug occurs:

1. Line 64-67: git status --porcelain detects uncommitted changes
2. Line 69-73: WIP commit created via createWipCommit(), hash stored in wipCommitHash
3. Line 76-85: Check if rebase needed by comparing merge-base with main HEAD
4. Line 88-90: BUG - Early return without restoring WIP commit

Correct flow (when rebase actually executes):

1. Same steps 1-3
2. Line 129-136: Rebase executes, then restoreWipCommit() called if wipCommitHash exists

Fix location: Between lines 88-89, add WIP restore before the return statement

Integration Points

• createWipCommit() at line 348-359 creates the WIP commit
• restoreWipCommit() at line 368-388 soft-resets to remove WIP commit and restore working directory state
• Both are private methods within MergeManager

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Implementation Plan

Automated Test Cases to Create

Test File: /Users/adam/Documents/Projects/iloom-cli/fix-issue-350__soft-reset-wip/src/lib/MergeManager.test.ts (MODIFY)

// Add to 'WIP Commit Workflow' describe block after existing tests
it('should restore WIP commit when branch is already up to date (no-op rebase)', async () => {
  // Mock: uncommitted changes exist, branch already up-to-date
  // Sequence: show-ref, status (changes), add -A, commit WIP, rev-parse HEAD (WIP hash),
  //           merge-base, rev-parse main (SAME as merge-base), reset --soft, reset HEAD
  // Verify: WIP commit created AND restored despite no rebase needed
})

Files to Modify

1. /Users/adam/Documents/Projects/iloom-cli/fix-issue-350__soft-reset-wip/src/lib/MergeManager.ts:88-91

Change: Add WIP commit restoration before early return when branch is up-to-date

Current code (lines 87-91):

// If merge-base matches main HEAD, branch is already up to date
if (mergeBaseTrimmed === mainHeadTrimmed) {
    getLogger().success(`Branch is already up to date with ${mainBranch}. No rebase needed.`)
    return
}

New code:

// If merge-base matches main HEAD, branch is already up to date
if (mergeBaseTrimmed === mainHeadTrimmed) {
    getLogger().success(`Branch is already up to date with ${mainBranch}. No rebase needed.`)
    // Restore WIP commit if created (soft reset to remove temporary commit)
    if (wipCommitHash) {
        await this.restoreWipCommit(worktreePath, wipCommitHash)
    }
    return
}

2. /Users/adam/Documents/Projects/iloom-cli/fix-issue-350__soft-reset-wip/src/lib/MergeManager.test.ts

Change: Add test case in 'WIP Commit Workflow' describe block

Test should verify:

• Uncommitted changes trigger WIP commit creation
• When merge-base equals main HEAD (no-op), early return path executes
• WIP commit is restored (soft reset called) despite no rebase occurring

Detailed Execution Order

Phase 1: Implement Fix

1. Edit MergeManager.ts line 88-91 to add WIP restore before return - Verify: TypeScript compiles
2. Add test case to MergeManager.test.ts in 'WIP Commit Workflow' describe block - Verify: Test passes

Phase 2: Verify

1. Run pnpm test src/lib/MergeManager.test.ts - Verify: All tests pass including new test
2. Run pnpm build - Verify: Build succeeds

Dependencies and Configuration

None

[acreeger]

Implementation Complete - Issue #350

Summary

Fixed the WIP commit restoration when the rebase is a no-op (branch already up-to-date with main). Added a call to restoreWipCommit() before the early return in MergeManager.rebaseOnMain(), ensuring uncommitted changes are properly restored regardless of whether an actual rebase occurred.

Changes Made

• src/lib/MergeManager.ts: Added WIP commit restoration before early return at lines 88-95
• src/lib/MergeManager.test.ts: Added new test case and fixed existing test that was missing WIP restore mocks

Validation Results

• Tests: 2977 passed / 2977 total (1 skipped)
• Typecheck: Passed (via build)
• Lint: Passed
• Build: Passed

---

Detailed Changes by File (click to expand)

Files Modified

src/lib/MergeManager.ts

Changes: Added WIP commit restoration before early return when branch is up-to-date

• Lines 90-93: Added conditional call to restoreWipCommit() before the return statement

src/lib/MergeManager.test.ts

Changes: Added test for no-op rebase with uncommitted changes, fixed existing test

• Added test: "should restore WIP commit when branch is already up to date (no-op rebase)"
• Updated test: "should include untracked files in WIP commit using git add -A" to include WIP restore mocks

Test Coverage Added

• MergeManager.test.ts: New test verifies WIP commit is created AND restored despite no rebase needed

Dependencies Added

None

[acreeger]

iloom Session Summary

Key Themes:

• Successfully completed automated iloom workflow for issue New "rebase first during finish" functionality is not consistently soft resetting the WIP commit! #350 through enhancement, complexity evaluation, analysis/planning, and implementation phases
• Identified and fixed a bug in MergeManager.ts where WIP commits weren't being restored during no-op rebases (when branch is already up-to-date)
• Implementation followed SIMPLE workflow path due to low complexity (2 files, ~15-20 LOC, low risk)

---

Session Details (click to expand)

Key Insights

• The bug was a classic "early return" problem: when rebaseOnMain() detected the branch was already up-to-date with main, it returned early at lines 88-90 without calling restoreWipCommit()
• The fix location was precisely identified during complexity evaluation by examining the code flow: WIP commit created on line 71, early return on lines 88-90 (missing restore), and successful path restore on lines 134-135
• Test coverage revealed an existing test was also missing WIP restore mock expectations, indicating this edge case had been overlooked during initial implementation in The finish process should essentially run the rebase command first, THEN proceed with validation #344

Decisions Made

• Workflow Path: Used SIMPLE workflow (combined analysis/planning) rather than COMPLEX workflow (separate phases) based on complexity evaluation showing 2 files, 15-20 LOC, no breaking changes
• Fix Approach: Added conditional restoreWipCommit() call before early return (lines 90-93) rather than restructuring the entire rebase flow - minimal change with maximum safety
• Test Strategy: Added specific test case for no-op rebase scenario and fixed existing test to properly mock WIP restoration - ensures regression prevention

Challenges Resolved

• Challenge: Understanding when the bug manifests - only occurs when rebase is a no-op (branch already up-to-date)
• Resolution: Code analysis revealed two paths: (1) early return path at lines 88-90 (missing restore) vs (2) successful rebase path at lines 134-135 (has restore)
• Validation: All tests passed (2977), build succeeded, lint passed - confirming fix doesn't break existing functionality

Lessons Learned

• Early returns in complex workflows require careful attention to cleanup/finalization logic - easy to miss edge cases
• No-op scenarios (like "already up-to-date" rebases) are often overlooked in initial implementations because they seem trivial
• Test mocks that are missing assertions can hide bugs - the existing test didn't verify WIP restoration, allowing the bug to slip through