Beagle SCM

JS-074: core/registry.js — build masks load/syntax errors as unresolved verb

registry.build resolves a verb to its handler via two nested require attempts (views/ then verbs/). Both catches are BLIND to the error kind, so a module that EXISTS but throws at load (syntax error, bad require, throwing top-level) is swallowed and recorded null — later surfacing far away as the misleading "no handler for verb" loop refusal. Method: Issues.

Input

Context

• core/registry.js:36: try { mod = req("views/" + verb + "/" + verb + ".js"); }
• core/registry.js:37-39: catch (e) { try { mod = req("verbs/"...) } catch (e2) { table[verb] = null; continue; } } — e/e2 discarded.
• A real not-found is the jab loader's "cannot find" string; a SYNTAX error or a throwing top-level require throws a DIFFERENT error, yet both land in the same table[verb] = null not-found bucket.
• core/loop.js:102-106: a null handler is retried lazily, then throw "loop: no handler for verb '" + row.verb + "' ..." — so a broken-but-present module is reported as MISSING, hiding the syntax error from the author.

Goals

• A view/verb module that throws at load must SURFACE its real error, not be reported as an unresolved verb.
• Only a genuine not-found ("cannot find") stays the try-other-tree / leave-absent path.

Constraints

• Keep build's signature + return shape (table[verb] = fn | null).
• Keep the two-tree probe order (views/ then verbs/, names disjoint).
• Match on the jab loader's "cannot find" not-found string ONLY.

WIP

Design decisions

• Re-throw any caught error whose message does NOT contain the require "cannot find" not-found marker; treat only not-found as fall-through.
• The views/ catch: if e is NOT not-found, re-throw immediately (do NOT fall to the verbs/ probe — the module was found, it threw).
• The verbs/ catch: if e2 is NOT not-found, re-throw; else null.
• Verify the EXACT jab loader not-found string (require.cpp) before hard-coding it — a wrong substring re-masks everything.

TODOs

• Repro-first: fixture modules (top-level throw, syntax error, bad export shape) — red 0/5 masked on baseline, green 6/6 with the fix (test/registry.js).
• Not-found string pinned: require: cannot find '<spec>' from '<dir>' (jab/require.cpp resolveJsrc:72-73, resolve:80; thrown as a PLAIN STRING) — gate substring cannot find, handles string and Error throws.
• build(): both catches gated, non-not-found re-throws raw (views/ miss no longer falls to verbs/); resolveVerb(): require throw re-throws UNCONDITIONALLY as cannot load verb '<w>' (<file>): <err> (verbFile proved existence); convention-null in resolveVerb now loud (exports no plain-args handler (bad module.exports shape)) — build() keeps fn | null per constraint.

Blockers and bummers

• None — local to core/registry.js.

• 2026-07-07 audit: STILL OPEN — core/registry.js:45-48 both catches discard the error (catch(e){ try{...}catch(e2){ table[verb]=null; continue; } }); no "cannot find" check.
• 2026-07-10 revision: still OPEN — registry.js:45-48 both catches discard e/e2 -> tableverb=null, no "cannot find" gate; NEW: resolveVerb:89 also swallows (catch->return null) despite its "JS-074: a load error -> absent" label
• 2026-07-19 LIVE HIT: work-view [-N] click in a warm pager session died as err: loop: verb 'get' has no plain-args handler — get.js, required cold after the day's landings, threw on the stale resident cache and resolveVerb:91 swallowed it (pty repro flips on an injected bad require). The cwd-pin ruling from the same incident is JS-119.
• 2026-07-30 RECURRENCE, identical shape (opus pty-verified): [-1] click in a warm be work session after the day's four landings (get.js rewritten 09:30-10:02 under the resident cache) → the same masked message, loop.js:419 ← resolveVerb null-collapse (registry.js:91). The //KEY/: get spell itself is lawful (views/work/work.js:496). The mask also hides BRO-037's mis-resolved file-click behind the same phantom text. The staged fix in //JS-074 cures this — land it (base 82ef082f is 5 behind; mind the stale-wt first-get hazard on update).

Outcome

• Staged in work/JS-074 (jab put, NO post), clone at tip 82ef082f; verified by orchestrator (test/registry.js all-assertions-pass by absolute path, scope = core/registry.js + test/registry.js + CMakeLists foreach append). Dispatch suites green; test/work/getctx red is the pre-existing stale one (fix pending in work/GETCTX). Suggested commit: JS-074: registry re-throws load/syntax errors instead of masking verbs as absent