lantern

case-content-path-append-prepend-warning

The Case of the Content Path Confusion

Case Type: Bug / Enhancement Detective: Claude Status: CRITICAL - Operation parameter completely ignored! Impact: HIGH - Data loss potential Priority: HIGH Technical Domain: Configuration / UX

CRITICAL DISCOVERY: The bug is worse than initially thought. Not only does it warn for safe operations, but it ignores the operation parameter entirely and performs a SET operation regardless of what was specified!

The Mystery

Users are being warned about "dangerous operations" when performing safe append/prepend operations to the content path. Worse: even after confirmation, the operation parameter is ignored and content is REPLACED instead of appended/prepended.

Evidence Collected

Exhibit A: The Warning Behavior

// Triggers full node replacement warning even though append was specified
_____poke({
  slug: "my-node",
  path: "content",
  value: "\n## New Section\n\nContent",
  operation: "append",  // This gets IGNORED!
  context: "Adding section"
})

Result: "⚠️ Dangerous Operation: Full Node Replacement" + confirmation required

Exhibit B: The Critical Bug - REPRODUCED

Just now, I attempted to add an "Investigation Tasks" section to THIS VERY NODE using:

_____poke({
  slug: "case-content-path-append-prepend-warning",
  path: "content",
  value: "\n\n## Investigation Tasks...",
  operation: "append",  // Clearly specified APPEND
  context: "Adding investigation task checklist"
})

Result: The ENTIRE node content was REPLACED, not appended! All previous content (Problem Statement, Current Behavior, Expected Behavior, etc.) was lost and had to be restored from file.

This is not just a UX issue - this is a data loss bug.

Exhibit C: User Testimony

From questionnaire-claude-20260122:

"The most valuable learning was the 'poke to PARENT with header included' pattern... The confirmation prompt for dangerous operations was essential here."

Users expect the confirmation to protect them, but if the operation parameter is ignored, the confirmation doesn't help.

Exhibit D: The Documentation

CLAUDE.md now documents this as the correct pattern:

  • ✅ SAFE - append/prepend add new top-level sections (WRONG - they don't work!)
  • Task 5 in proficiency test explicitly teaches this pattern (which doesn't work!)

The Problem (Updated)

Two critical bugs:

  • Warning triggers incorrectly: path: "content" + operation: "append" triggers replacement warning
  • Operation parameter ignored: Even when specified, operation: "append" is ignored and SET is performed

This means:

  • Documentation is wrong
  • Proficiency test teaches a broken pattern
  • Users will experience data loss if they follow guidance

Hypothesis

The poke validation/execution logic:

  • Checks for path === "content" and triggers warning regardless of operation
  • On confirmation, performs SET operation regardless of what operation was specified
  • Operation parameter may be completely ignored for content path

Proposed Solution (Updated)

Immediate:

  • Update CLAUDE.md to warn users NOT to use append/prepend with content path until fixed
  • Update proficiency test to use a safer alternative pattern
  • Add a notice in the documentation about this bug

Long-term Fix:

if path == "content":
    # Check operation mode
    operation = params.get("operation", "set")

    if operation == "set" or operation is None:
        # Trigger warning - actually dangerous
        trigger_confirmation_prompt()
        # On confirm, perform SET
    elif operation in ["append", "prepend"]:
        # DO NOT WARN - safe operation
        # ACTUALLY PERFORM THE OPERATION SPECIFIED
        if operation == "append":
            perform_append(content, value)
        elif operation == "prepend":
            perform_prepend(content, value)

Impact Assessment (Updated)

Current State - CRITICAL:

  • Data loss risk: Following documented guidance causes content replacement
  • Broken teaching materials: Proficiency test teaches broken pattern
  • User trust: Confirmation prompts don't actually protect users
  • Documentation accuracy: CLAUDE.md documents non-functional behavior

After Fix:

  • Warnings only for actually dangerous operations
  • Operations work as documented
  • No data loss from following guidance
  • Better UX, encourages best practices

Investigation Tasks [investigation-tasks]

  • URGENT: Locate poke execution logic for content path
  • URGENT: Determine why operation parameter is ignored
  • URGENT: Fix operation parameter handling
  • Add operation mode check to warning logic
  • Update warning message to clarify which operations are dangerous
  • Add comprehensive tests for all operation modes with content path
  • Verify existing tests don't rely on broken behavior
  • Update CLAUDE.md to remove incorrect guidance
  • Update proficiency test Task 5 with working alternative
  • Add regression tests to prevent this bug returning

Temporary Workarounds

Until fixed, users should:

  • DO NOT use path: "content" with operation: "append" or "prepend"
  • Instead, add new sections by poking to the last existing section with append
  • Or read the full content, modify it, and poke back with set (with confirmation)

Resources

  • User feedback: questionnaire-claude-20260122
  • Test implementation: oculus-proficiency-test Task 5
  • Documentation: CLAUDE.md "Understanding the content Target" section
  • This case node itself was a victim of this bug during creation