BanGUI/Docs/Tasks.md

### TASK-ABORT-01 — Missing `signal` Parameter on Multiple API Functions

**Where found**
The following API functions accept no `signal` parameter and therefore cannot be cancelled regardless of what the calling hook does:

| File | Function |
|------|----------|
| `frontend/src/api/history.ts` | `fetchHistory`, `fetchIpHistory` |
| `frontend/src/api/map.ts` | `fetchBansByCountry` |
| `frontend/src/api/jails.ts` | `fetchActiveBans`, `fetchJails` |
| `frontend/src/api/config.ts` | `fetchJailConfig`, `fetchInactiveJails`, `fetchJailConfigFiles`, `fetchFilterFiles` (partially — calls `fetchFilters` which accepts signal but discards it), `fetchActionFiles`, `fetchFilterFile`, `fetchActionFile` |
| `frontend/src/api/blocklist.ts` | `fetchImportLog`, `previewBlocklist` |

**Goal**
Add an optional `signal?: AbortSignal` parameter to each function and forward it to the underlying `get()` call. Example:
```ts
export async function fetchHistory(query: HistoryQuery, signal?: AbortSignal): Promise<HistoryResponse> {
  return get<HistoryResponse>(`${ENDPOINTS.history}?${buildQuery(query)}`, signal);
}
```
Then update every calling hook to forward its controller's signal.

**Possible traps and issues**
- `fetchFilterFiles` is an adapter that calls `fetchFilters()` internally. The correct fix is to accept `signal` and thread it into `fetchFilters(signal)`, then map the result.
- `previewBlocklist` is called from `useBlocklists.previewSource` which has no abort machinery. That hook should also be updated to add an `AbortController` if unmount cancellation is desired.
- Search for all call sites after adding the parameter; TypeScript's optional `?` means existing callers will not break but they should be updated to pass the signal where available.

**Docs changes needed**
Add a coding convention to `Docs/Web-Development.md`: "All API functions that perform a `GET` request must accept an optional `signal?: AbortSignal` parameter and forward it to the HTTP client."

**Why this is needed**
Without signals, navigating away from a page mid-fetch does not cancel the in-flight HTTP request. The response arrives, the callback fires, and React attempts a state update on an unmounted component. In development mode React warns about this; in production it causes silent no-ops and wastes server resources.

---

### TASK-ABORT-02 — Hooks Create `AbortController` but Never Forward Signal to API

**Where found**
Several hooks correctly create a controller and check `signal.aborted` in callbacks, but then call the API function without passing the signal — so the fetch is never actually cancelled:

| Hook | API call missing signal |
|------|------------------------|
| `frontend/src/hooks/useConfigActiveStatus.ts` | `fetchJails()`, `fetchJailConfigs()` |
| `frontend/src/hooks/useMapData.ts` | `fetchBansByCountry(range, origin, source, countryCode)` |
| `frontend/src/hooks/useDashboardCountryData.ts` | `fetchBansByCountry(timeRange, origin, source)` |
| `frontend/src/hooks/useImportLog.ts` | `fetchImportLog(page, pageSize, sourceId)` |
| `frontend/src/hooks/useJailAdmin.ts` | `fetchInactiveJails()` |

**Goal**
After completing TASK-ABORT-01, update each hook listed above to pass `controller.signal` (or `ctrl.signal`) to the API call. For example in `useMapData`:
```ts
fetchBansByCountry(range, origin, source, countryCode, controller.signal)
```

**Possible traps and issues**
- This task is a dependency of TASK-ABORT-01: the API functions must accept `signal` first.
- `useConfigActiveStatus` makes two sequential fetches; both need the same signal forwarded.
- After adding the signal parameter, ensure the abort check in `.then()` / `.catch()` callbacks uses `controller.signal.aborted` (the local capture), not `abortRef.current?.signal.aborted` (the mutable ref).

**Docs changes needed**
None beyond TASK-ABORT-01.

**Why this is needed**
The abort guard (`if (controller.signal.aborted) return;`) is present but pointless when the HTTP request itself was never aborted. The network request still completes and consumes server resources; only the state update is skipped.

---

### TASK-ABORT-03 — Stale `abortRef` Read in `.finally()` in Three Hooks

**Where found**
`frontend/src/hooks/useGlobalConfig.ts`, `frontend/src/hooks/useServerSettings.ts`, and `frontend/src/hooks/useJailConfigDetail.ts`. In each hook the `.finally()` block reads:
```ts
.finally(() => {
  if (!abortRef.current?.signal.aborted) {
    setLoading(false);
  }
});
```
`abortRef.current` is a mutable ref. If `load()` is called a second time before the first fetch completes, `abortRef.current` is replaced with a new controller. The first fetch's `.finally()` then reads the *new* controller's signal (which is not aborted) and calls `setLoading(false)` while the second fetch is still in flight.

**Goal**
Capture the local controller reference before the async operation and use that in `.finally()`:
```ts
const ctrl = new AbortController();
abortRef.current = ctrl;
// ...
.finally(() => {
  if (!ctrl.signal.aborted) {   // use the captured local variable
    setLoading(false);
  }
});
```
This is the pattern already used correctly in `useListData`, `useBanTrend`, and most other hooks.

**Possible traps and issues**
- This is a low-frequency race condition (only observable if `load()` is called in rapid succession), but it produces a spinner that disappears prematurely while a fetch is still in flight.
- After this fix verify that the existing checks in `.then()` and `.catch()` also use the locally-captured `ctrl` (not `abortRef.current`) — they typically already do, but confirm.

**Docs changes needed**
Add a code convention note in `Docs/Web-Development.md`: "Always capture the `AbortController` in a local `const` and use that local variable in all callbacks — never read `abortRef.current` from inside an async callback."

**Why this is needed**
The loading spinner is the primary feedback mechanism for data fetches. Prematurely clearing it while a request is still in flight misleads the user and can cause partial renders.

---

### TASK-ABORT-04 — `useIpLookup` Has No AbortController or Unmount Guard

**Where found**
`frontend/src/hooks/useIpLookup.ts`. The hook performs an async fetch but has no `AbortController`, no `useEffect` cleanup, and no unmount guard. If the component that calls this hook unmounts before the fetch completes (e.g. the user navigates away), the `.then()` callback still fires and calls `setResult` / `setLoading` on an unmounted component.

**Goal**
Add a standard `AbortController` pattern:
```ts
const abortRef = useRef<AbortController | null>(null);
const lookup = useCallback(async (ip: string): Promise<void> => {
  abortRef.current?.abort();
  const ctrl = new AbortController();
  abortRef.current = ctrl;
  setLoading(true);
  try {
    const result = await fetchIpInfo(ip, ctrl.signal);
    if (ctrl.signal.aborted) return;
    setResult(result);
  } catch (err) {
    if (ctrl.signal.aborted) return;
    // handle error
  } finally {
    if (!ctrl.signal.aborted) setLoading(false);
  }
}, []);
```
Add a `useEffect` cleanup that calls `abortRef.current?.abort()` on unmount.

**Possible traps and issues**
- `fetchIpInfo` (in `api/jails.ts` or equivalent) must accept `signal` for the abort to actually cancel the HTTP request. Check whether it already does; if not, add it as part of TASK-ABORT-01.
- This hook is likely called from a popover or panel that can close while a lookup is running; unmount cancellation is the primary concern here.

**Docs changes needed**
None required.

**Why this is needed**
Calling React state setters on unmounted components is a React antipattern that produces console warnings in development and can cause subtle state corruption if the component re-mounts quickly.

---

## State Management

---

### TASK-STATE-01 — Auth Errors Silently Swallowed in `useRegexTester` and `useLogPreview`

**Where found**
`frontend/src/hooks/useRegexTester.ts` and `frontend/src/hooks/useLogPreview.ts`. Each hook's catch block handles errors only as `err instanceof Error`, which catches `ApiError` (a subclass of `Error`), but does not call `handleFetchError`. The `handleFetchError` utility calls `isAuthError` and returns early without setting UI error text, allowing the global `SESSION_EXPIRED_EVENT` listener in `AuthProvider` to handle the redirect. By bypassing `handleFetchError`, auth errors (401/403) are displayed as UI error text (`err.message`) instead of triggering the session expiry flow.

**Goal**
Replace the ad-hoc catch blocks in both hooks with `handleFetchError`:
```ts
} catch (err: unknown) {
  if (signal.aborted) return;
  handleFetchError(err, setError, "Regex test failed");
}
```
`handleFetchError` already imports `isAuthError` and returns early for auth errors, allowing the global handler to take over.

**Possible traps and issues**
- Confirm that `SESSION_EXPIRED_EVENT` is being listened to in `AuthProvider` and that it triggers navigation to `/login`. It is — this was verified in the architecture review.
- After the fix, a 401 during a regex test will show no error text (the auth handler navigates away), which is correct behaviour.

**Docs changes needed**
Add a convention to `Docs/Web-Development.md`: "All hook catch blocks must use `handleFetchError` rather than directly calling `setError`, so auth errors are routed to the session-expiry flow."

**Why this is needed**
When a session expires while the user is in the Regex Tester, they see a confusing "Unauthorized" error message in the tester UI instead of being cleanly redirected to the login page.

---

### TASK-STATE-02 — `withRefresh` in `useJailList` Creates New Function References Every Render

**Where found**
`frontend/src/hooks/useJailList.ts`. The `withRefresh` helper is defined inside the hook body without `useCallback`. It wraps an operation and calls `refresh()` after it completes. Because it is recreated every render, `startJail`, `stopJail`, `setIdle`, and `reloadJail` — which are all produced by `withRefresh(...)` — are also new references every render. Any child component receiving these as props will re-render even when nothing has changed.

**Goal**
Wrap `withRefresh` in `useCallback` with `[refresh]` as dependency, or inline `useCallback` directly for each operation:
```ts
const startJail = useCallback(async (name: string) => {
  await apiStartJail(name);
  refresh();
}, [refresh]);
```
This ensures the function references are stable between renders.

**Possible traps and issues**
- If `withRefresh` is used to produce many operations, it may be cleaner to keep `withRefresh` as a `useCallback` that captures `refresh`, rather than wrapping each call individually.
- After stabilising these references, `JailOverviewSection` or any child wrapped in `React.memo` will correctly skip re-renders when only unrelated state changes.

**Docs changes needed**
None required.

**Why this is needed**
Unstable function references passed as props defeat `React.memo` optimisations and cause unnecessary child re-renders. On the Jails page, which renders a list of potentially many jails, this compounds with every parent state change.

---

### TASK-STATE-03 — `DashboardFilterBar` Has Dual State Source

**Where found**
`frontend/src/components/DashboardFilterBar.tsx`. The component reads from both `DashboardFilterProvider` context and from props using `??` as a fallback. `HistoryPage` passes filter values via props without mounting a `DashboardFilterProvider`, so the context values are `undefined` and the `??` fallback silently provides context defaults. `DashboardPage` uses context, so props are `undefined` and context values apply. Both pages render the same component but through different code paths.

**Goal**
Choose one data source and use it consistently. The recommended approach is to use props everywhere: `DashboardPage` should read from context via `useDashboardFilter()` and pass the values explicitly to `DashboardFilterBar` as props, exactly like `HistoryPage` does. This makes the component's behaviour predictable — it always reads from props, never from context.

**Possible traps and issues**
- `DashboardFilterProvider` may be used by other components on the dashboard. Audit all consumers of `useDashboardFilter()` before removing the context read from `DashboardFilterBar`.
- The `??` fallback chain must be fully removed; otherwise the dual-source behaviour can creep back.

**Docs changes needed**
None required.

**Why this is needed**
Silent dual-source components are a debugging hazard. A developer adding a new consumer of `DashboardFilterBar` has no obvious signal about which data source is active, leading to subtle bugs when one source overrides the other.

---

### TASK-STATE-04 — Token in `sessionStorage` Is Never Sent (Misleading Auth Model)

**Where found**
`frontend/src/providers/AuthProvider.tsx`. After login, a JWT token and `expires_at` timestamp are stored in `sessionStorage`. `isAuthenticated` is derived entirely from the `expires_at` check against the local clock. However, `frontend/src/api/client.ts` uses `credentials: "include"` (cookie auth) for every request and never reads the token from `sessionStorage`. The stored token is purely decorative.

**Goal**
Remove the `sessionStorage` token storage entirely. `isAuthenticated` should instead be determined by whether the backend considers the session valid. The practical check is: the user is authenticated when the last request did not return 401/403. A simple approach is to set `isAuthenticated = true` on successful login, set it to `false` when `SESSION_EXPIRED_EVENT` fires, and persist only a boolean (or nothing at all) in `sessionStorage` for page-reload continuity.

If the token is stored intentionally for future use (e.g. switching to Bearer token auth), add a clear comment explaining this, and add a `TODO` so it is not silently misleading.

**Possible traps and issues**
- If `expires_at` is used to proactively redirect the user to login before a request fails, removing it changes the UX: the user will stay on the page until the next request fails with 401. This is generally acceptable since the server is the authority on session validity.
- Test that `SetupGuard` and `RequireAuth` still work correctly after removing the `sessionStorage` check.

**Docs changes needed**
Update `Docs/Web-Development.md` auth section to accurately describe the cookie-based auth model.

**Why this is needed**
The misleading code makes the auth model appear to be token-based when it is actually cookie-based. This causes confusion during development and maintenance, and the local clock `expires_at` check can cause premature logouts if there is clock skew between client and server.

---

### TASK-PERF-01 — `ConfigListDetail` Calls `sortItems()` on Every Render

**Where found**
`frontend/src/components/config/ConfigListDetail.tsx`. The `sortItems()` function is called directly in the render path without `useMemo`. For config lists with many items (e.g. all filters in a system with many services) this performs an O(n log n) sort on every render, including renders triggered by unrelated state changes.

**Goal**
Wrap the `sortItems()` call in `useMemo` with the items array as dependency:
```ts
const sortedItems = useMemo(() => sortItems(items), [items]);
```
Replace all uses of the raw `items` in the render with `sortedItems`.

**Possible traps and issues**
- Verify that `items` array reference is stable (not recreated on every parent render). If the parent passes a new array each time, the `useMemo` will re-sort every render anyway. Trace `items` back to its source hook to confirm stability.
- `sortItems` must be a pure function with no side effects for `useMemo` to be safe. Verify this.

**Docs changes needed**
None required.

**Why this is needed**
The Config page is already re-rendering due to multiple concurrent hooks. Adding an O(n log n) sort to each render cycle adds unnecessary CPU work, visible as jank when navigating long filter or action lists.

---

### TASK-PERF-02 — `useSchedule` Exposes No `refresh` Function

**Where found**
`frontend/src/hooks/useSchedule.ts`. The hook fetches the import schedule on mount and exposes no way to re-fetch. After a `PUT /api/blocklists/schedule` from a different component or tab, the displayed schedule data stays stale until the user navigates away and back.

**Goal**
Expose a `refresh` callback from `useSchedule`, following the same pattern as `useListData` and other hooks. The `BlocklistsPage` (or whichever component saves schedule changes) should call `refresh()` after a successful save, and after `runImportNow()` completes.

**Possible traps and issues**
- `useSchedule` currently uses a simple `useEffect` on mount. Adding `refresh` means converting the internal fetch into a `useCallback` and calling it from the effect.
- Ensure the `AbortController` pattern is applied correctly when adding `refresh`.

**Docs changes needed**
None required.

**Why this is needed**
After saving a new schedule the user sees the old schedule until they reload the page. This makes the save feel broken even when it succeeded.

---

### TASK-QUALITY-01 — `KVEditor` Uses `entryKeys.join(",")` as Effect Dependency

**Where found**
`frontend/src/components/config/KVEditor.tsx`. An effect dependency is computed as `entryKeys.join(",")`. This works for most key values but produces incorrect results (false equality) when any key contains a comma character — two different key sets could produce the same joined string.

**Goal**
Replace the join-based comparison with a stable serialisation that cannot produce false equality. The simplest correct option is `JSON.stringify(entryKeys)`, which handles commas, empty strings, and special characters correctly. Alternatively, use `useDeepCompareEffect` from a utility library, or maintain a counter that increments whenever keys change.

**Possible traps and issues**
- `JSON.stringify` on a large array is marginally more expensive than `join`. For a config editor with typically fewer than 50 keys this cost is negligible.
- Ensure the dependency is the full keys array (not the joined string) and let React's referential equality handle the common case; only reach for `JSON.stringify` if the array reference itself is not stable.

**Docs changes needed**
None required.

**Why this is needed**
A KV entry key containing a comma (e.g. `"a,b"` vs separate keys `"a"` and `"b"`) would cause the effect to not fire when it should, silently failing to update derived state.

---

### TASK-QUALITY-02 — `useConfigItem.save()` Briefly Shows Session-Expiry as Save Error

**Where found**
`frontend/src/hooks/useConfigItem.ts` lines 70–80. The `save()` function's catch block calls `setSaveError(err.message)` for all errors including `ApiError(401)` and `ApiError(403)`. The HTTP client layer dispatches `SESSION_EXPIRED_EVENT` on those status codes, which triggers auth handling, but `setSaveError` still runs first and may briefly display an "Unauthorized" or similar message before the navigation occurs.

**Goal**
Check for auth errors before setting save error state:
```ts
} catch (err: unknown) {
  if (isAuthError(err)) throw err; // let auth handler deal with it
  const message = err instanceof Error ? err.message : "Failed to save data";
  setSaveError(message);
  throw err;
}
```

**Possible traps and issues**
- Rethrowing auth errors is correct here since the caller might also have error handling. Confirm that all callers of `save()` handle the re-thrown auth error gracefully (typically by not doing anything — the session expiry flow handles navigation).
- Import `isAuthError` from `../api/client`.

**Docs changes needed**
None required.

**Why this is needed**
Briefly flashing "Unauthorized" in a form's save-error field is confusing UX when the correct outcome is a redirect to the login page.

---

### TASK-QUALITY-03 — `useHistory` Object Identity Dependency Footgun

**Where found**
`frontend/src/hooks/useHistory.ts`. The hook accepts a `query` object as a parameter and lists it directly in the `useCallback` dependency array for the internal `load` function. If a caller passes an inline object literal on every render (e.g. `useHistory({ page: 1, jail: selectedJail })`), `query` is a new reference every render, causing a new `load` callback, which causes `useEffect([load])` to fire, triggering an infinite re-fetch.

**Goal**
Document this constraint prominently in the hook's JSDoc and in `Docs/Web-Development.md`. Alternatively, change the hook to accept individual primitive parameters instead of an object, eliminating the reference-stability requirement:
```ts
export function useHistory(page: number, pageSize: number, jail?: string, ...): UseHistoryResult
```
This is the safest fix because it makes incorrect usage a compile-time error.

**Possible traps and issues**
- Changing the signature is a breaking change for all callers. Audit all call sites before changing the signature.
- The interim documentation fix (a clear JSDoc warning) is a lower-risk option if refactoring callers is out of scope.

**Docs changes needed**
Add a note to `Docs/Web-Development.md`: "Hooks that accept objects as parameters must either destructure to primitives internally or require the caller to provide a stable reference (e.g. via `useMemo`)."

**Why this is needed**
This is a silent footgun. The hook works correctly in all current call sites only because callers happen to use `useMemo` or stable state references. A future caller passing an inline literal will introduce an infinite re-fetch with no obvious diagnostic.

---

### TASK-QUALITY-04 — `pendingSaveRef as boolean` Redundant Cast in `useAutoSave`

**Where found**
`frontend/src/hooks/useAutoSave.ts`. The code contains `if (pendingSaveRef.current as boolean)` where `pendingSaveRef` is already typed as `React.MutableRefObject<boolean>`. The `as boolean` cast is redundant and suggests the author was uncertain about the type.

**Goal**
Remove the cast: `if (pendingSaveRef.current)`. Run TypeScript type-check to confirm no error is introduced.

**Possible traps and issues**
- None. This is a one-line cleanup.

**Docs changes needed**
None required.

**Why this is needed**
Redundant type assertions are noise that makes reviewers second-guess the type system. They also suppress TypeScript errors in cases where the cast is actually incorrect.

---

### TASK-QUALITY-05 — `console.warn` in `MapPage` Provides No User Feedback for Threshold Errors

**Where found**
`frontend/src/pages/MapPage.tsx` lines ~148–151:
```ts
useEffect(() => {
  if (mapThresholdError) {
    console.warn("Failed to load map color thresholds:", mapThresholdError);
  }
}, [mapThresholdError]);
```
When the threshold fetch fails the map silently falls back to hardcoded defaults. The user has no indication that their custom thresholds are not being applied.

**Goal**
Replace the `console.warn` with a small inline `MessageBar` or tooltip near the map legend that indicates thresholds could not be loaded and defaults are in use. The `console.warn` should be removed from production-facing code.

**Possible traps and issues**
- The fallback behaviour (using hardcoded defaults) is correct and the map should still render. The notification should be non-blocking (not a modal or full-page error).
- If the threshold fetch failing is expected in certain deployment configurations (e.g. feature not configured), an info-level message rather than a warning may be more appropriate.

**Docs changes needed**
None required.

**Why this is needed**
`console.warn` is invisible to end users. If a custom threshold configuration is silently not applied, the map colour coding may be misleading with no indication of why.

---

### TASK-QUALITY-06 — `console.log` Leaked in `HistoryPage.test.tsx`

**Where found**
`frontend/src/pages/__tests__/HistoryPage.test.tsx` line 8. A `console.log` statement was left in the test file, likely from a debugging session.

**Goal**
Remove the `console.log` call.

**Possible traps and issues**
- None.

**Docs changes needed**
None required.

**Why this is needed**
Debug logs in test files pollute the test runner output and make it harder to spot real failures or warnings.