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nisse/nisse-dev/tests/test_delegation.py
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dongarandClaude Opus 5 8cfa116aa1
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Preserve delegation work through any upstream outage, not just budget
An exhausted budget was a special case of something more general: the
work is not at fault. A network blip, a timeout, a 5xx from the proxy,
or a rate limit that did not clear all leave a delegation branch that
may be perfectly good, and discarding it would throw away work for a
reason that has nothing to do with the work.

UpstreamUnavailable now names that family, with BudgetExhausted a
member of it — distinguishable where the difference matters, since a
budget will not clear within the hour while a network blip will. A
delegation stopped by any of them is "interrupted": branch kept,
intent left pending, and A3's resume rule picks it up.

The benefit of the doubt stops at the server's own door. A 4xx that is
not a rate limit means the request itself was wrong, and preserving
branches on the strength of one would hide a real bug — so those still
fail and clean up.

Co-Authored-By: Claude Opus 5 <noreply@anthropic.com>
2026-09-22 23:57:05 +00:00

650 lines
22 KiB
Python

import io
from pathlib import Path
from typing import Any
import pytest
from nisse_dev.canonical import (
AssistantText,
CanonicalEvent,
DelegationCompleted,
DelegationStarted,
StoredEvent,
ToolCall,
ToolResult,
)
from nisse_dev.delegation import (
DELEGATE_TOOLS,
DELEGATION_INTENT,
Caps,
Delegation,
delegation_reconciler,
)
from nisse_dev.git import GitRepo
from nisse_dev.llm import BudgetExhausted, LLMError, UpstreamUnavailable
from nisse_dev.oplog import OpLog
from nisse_dev.state import StateStore
from nisse_dev.tools import Workspace
class ScriptedClient:
def __init__(self, turns: list[list[CanonicalEvent]]) -> None:
self._turns = turns
self.calls: list[dict[str, Any]] = []
def complete(
self,
events: list[StoredEvent],
tools: list[dict[str, Any]] | None,
model: str,
system: str | None = None,
) -> list[CanonicalEvent]:
self.calls.append({"tools": tools, "model": model, "system": system})
if not self._turns:
return [AssistantText(text="still thinking", model=model)]
return self._turns.pop(0)
class FailingClient:
def complete(self, *args: Any, **kwargs: Any) -> list[CanonicalEvent]:
raise LLMError("frontier unavailable")
def call(tool: str, cid: str = "c1", **arguments: Any) -> ToolCall:
return ToolCall(call_id=cid, tool=tool, arguments=arguments)
def hand_back(succeeded: bool = True, cid: str = "hb", **overrides: Any) -> ToolCall:
args = {
"changed": "added greet.py",
"now_true": "greet() returns a greeting and its test passes",
"next": "open the PR",
"succeeded": succeeded,
}
args.update(overrides)
return ToolCall(call_id=cid, tool="hand_back", arguments=args)
@pytest.fixture
def store(tmp_path: Path) -> StateStore:
return StateStore(tmp_path / "state.db", oplog=OpLog("nisse-dev", io.StringIO()))
@pytest.fixture
def repo(tmp_path: Path) -> GitRepo:
r = GitRepo(tmp_path / "work")
r.init()
r.configure_identity("bot", "bot@example.test")
(r.root / "seed.txt").write_text("seed")
r.commit_all("seed")
return r
@pytest.fixture
def ws(repo: GitRepo) -> Workspace:
return Workspace(repo.root, timeout_s=10)
def build(client: Any, store: StateStore, ws: Workspace, repo: GitRepo, **kw: Any):
return Delegation(client, store, ws, repo, model="claude-haiku-4-5", **kw)
def test_successful_delegation_returns_a_structured_handback(
store: StateStore, ws: Workspace, repo: GitRepo
) -> None:
client = ScriptedClient(
[
[call("write_file", path="greet.py", content="def greet(): ...")],
[hand_back()],
]
)
result = build(client, store, ws, repo).run(brief="add greet", branch="d1")
assert result.usable
assert result.handback is not None
assert "greet.py" in result.handback.changed
assert "what to do next" in result.handback.render().lower()
assert result.artifacts == ["greet.py"]
def test_delegation_works_on_its_own_branch(
store: StateStore, ws: Workspace, repo: GitRepo
) -> None:
client = ScriptedClient(
[[call("write_file", path="a.py", content="x")], [hand_back()]]
)
build(client, store, ws, repo).run(brief="b", branch="deleg-1")
assert repo.current_branch() == "deleg-1"
def test_abort_discards_the_branch_and_its_work(
store: StateStore, ws: Workspace, repo: GitRepo
) -> None:
# A13: abort must leave nothing to resume on top of.
client = ScriptedClient(
[
[call("write_file", path="half-done.py", content="oops")],
[hand_back(succeeded=False, changed="could not finish")],
]
)
result = build(client, store, ws, repo).run(brief="b", branch="deleg-2")
assert not result.usable
assert repo.current_branch() == "main"
assert not (repo.root / "half-done.py").exists()
def test_turn_cap_is_hard(store: StateStore, ws: Workspace, repo: GitRepo) -> None:
forever = [[call("list_dir", path=".")] for _ in range(20)]
client = ScriptedClient(forever)
result = build(client, store, ws, repo, caps=Caps(turns=3)).run(
brief="b", branch="d"
)
assert result.status == "capped"
assert "turn cap of 3" in result.note
assert len(client.calls) == 3
def test_wall_clock_cap_is_hard(
store: StateStore, ws: Workspace, repo: GitRepo
) -> None:
ticks = iter([0.0, 1.0, 99.0, 99.0, 99.0])
client = ScriptedClient([[call("list_dir", path=".")] for _ in range(10)])
result = build(
client,
store,
ws,
repo,
caps=Caps(turns=10, wall_clock_s=60.0),
now=lambda: next(ticks),
).run(brief="b", branch="d")
assert result.status == "capped"
assert "wall-clock cap" in result.note
def test_cap_breach_is_not_usable_and_discards_work(
store: StateStore, ws: Workspace, repo: GitRepo
) -> None:
client = ScriptedClient([[call("write_file", path="partial.py", content="x")]] * 5)
result = build(client, store, ws, repo, caps=Caps(turns=2)).run(
brief="b", branch="d"
)
assert not result.usable # the caller must gate, not resume (A13)
assert not (repo.root / "partial.py").exists()
def test_events_are_checkpointed_as_they_arrive(
store: StateStore, ws: Workspace, repo: GitRepo
) -> None:
client = ScriptedClient(
[[call("write_file", path="a.py", content="x")], [hand_back()]]
)
build(client, store, ws, repo).run(brief="add a", branch="d")
kinds = [type(e.event).__name__ for e in store.read_events()]
assert kinds == [
"DelegationStarted",
"ToolCall",
"ToolResult",
"ToolCall", # hand_back
"ToolResult",
"DelegationCompleted",
]
def test_composite_events_record_the_brief_caps_and_outcome(
store: StateStore, ws: Workspace, repo: GitRepo
) -> None:
client = ScriptedClient(
[[call("write_file", path="a.py", content="x")], [hand_back()]]
)
caps = Caps(turns=7, tokens=1234, wall_clock_s=42.0)
build(client, store, ws, repo, caps=caps).run(brief="the brief", branch="d")
events = [e.event for e in store.read_events()]
started = next(e for e in events if isinstance(e, DelegationStarted))
completed = next(e for e in events if isinstance(e, DelegationCompleted))
assert started.brief == "the brief"
assert started.model == "claude-haiku-4-5"
assert started.caps == {"turns": 7, "tokens": 1234, "wall_clock_s": 42.0}
# A16: this pair is the eval record, so it must carry the outcome.
assert completed.exit_status == "handback"
assert "greet()" in completed.handback
def test_hand_back_tool_is_offered_alongside_the_executor_tools() -> None:
names = [t["function"]["name"] for t in DELEGATE_TOOLS]
assert names[-1] == "hand_back"
assert "run_command" in names # full tool access, not a consult (A13)
def test_malformed_handback_is_rejected_and_the_delegation_continues(
store: StateStore, ws: Workspace, repo: GitRepo
) -> None:
client = ScriptedClient(
[
[hand_back(cid="bad", changed=" ")], # blank field
[call("write_file", path="a.py", content="x")],
[hand_back(cid="good")],
]
)
result = build(client, store, ws, repo).run(brief="b", branch="d")
assert result.usable # recovered rather than accepting a useless note
assert len(client.calls) == 3
def test_non_boolean_success_flag_is_rejected(
store: StateStore, ws: Workspace, repo: GitRepo
) -> None:
client = ScriptedClient(
[
[call("write_file", path="a.py", content="x")],
[hand_back(succeeded="yes")], # not a bool: unparseable
[hand_back(cid="ok")],
]
)
result = build(client, store, ws, repo).run(brief="b", branch="d")
assert result.usable
assert len(client.calls) == 3
def test_client_failure_is_a_defined_return_not_a_crash(
store: StateStore, ws: Workspace, repo: GitRepo
) -> None:
result = build(FailingClient(), store, ws, repo).run(brief="b", branch="d")
assert result.status == "failed"
assert "frontier unavailable" in result.note
assert not result.usable
def test_a_delegate_that_never_hands_back_is_capped_not_believed(
store: StateStore, ws: Workspace, repo: GitRepo
) -> None:
# Prose forever: the delegate never reports, so its tree state is unknown.
client = ScriptedClient([])
result = build(client, store, ws, repo, caps=Caps(turns=3)).run(
brief="b", branch="d"
)
assert result.status == "capped"
assert not result.usable
def test_success_claimed_without_any_change_is_refused(
store: StateStore, ws: Workspace, repo: GitRepo
) -> None:
# The handback plus file state is the whole interface back, so a note
# describing work that was never done is worse than no note.
client = ScriptedClient(
[
[hand_back(cid="early")],
[call("write_file", path="real.py", content="x")],
[hand_back(cid="earned")],
]
)
result = build(client, store, ws, repo).run(brief="b", branch="d")
assert result.usable
assert len(client.calls) == 3 # the first claim was sent back
assert (repo.root / "real.py").exists()
def test_failure_may_be_reported_without_doing_work(
store: StateStore, ws: Workspace, repo: GitRepo
) -> None:
# "This sub-task is impossible" is a legitimate finding that requires no
# changes; only a claim of success needs evidence.
client = ScriptedClient(
[[hand_back(succeeded=False, changed="nothing: the API does not exist")]]
)
result = build(client, store, ws, repo).run(brief="b", branch="d")
assert result.status == "failed"
assert not result.usable
assert len(client.calls) == 1 # believed immediately, not challenged
# --- A3 step 5: the resume rule -----------------------------------------
def pending_delegation_intent(store: StateStore, branch: str = "d") -> Any:
store.begin_intent(
DELEGATION_INTENT,
{"branch": branch, "base": "main", "brief": "finish it"},
cause="test",
)
return store.pending_intents()[-1]
def test_intent_is_recorded_and_settled_by_a_completed_delegation(
store: StateStore, ws: Workspace, repo: GitRepo
) -> None:
client = ScriptedClient(
[[call("write_file", path="a.py", content="x")], [hand_back()]]
)
build(client, store, ws, repo).run(brief="b", branch="d")
# Nothing left in flight: an aborted delegation is a finished one too.
assert store.pending_intents() == []
def test_aborted_delegation_also_settles_its_intent(
store: StateStore, ws: Workspace, repo: GitRepo
) -> None:
client = ScriptedClient([[hand_back(succeeded=False, changed="cannot")]])
build(client, store, ws, repo).run(brief="b", branch="d")
assert store.pending_intents() == []
def test_clean_cut_after_a_tool_result_is_resumable(
store: StateStore, ws: Workspace, repo: GitRepo
) -> None:
repo.checkout_new_branch("d")
(repo.root / "partial.py").write_text("x")
repo.commit_all("partial work")
store.append_event(
DelegationStarted(brief="b", role="delegate", model="m", caps={})
)
store.append_event(ToolCall(call_id="c", tool="write_file", arguments={}))
store.append_event(ToolResult(call_id="c", result="wrote", success=True))
intent = pending_delegation_intent(store)
assert delegation_reconciler(store, repo)(intent) is True
def test_dangling_tool_call_gates(
store: StateStore, ws: Workspace, repo: GitRepo
) -> None:
# The effect of the call is unknown and not verifiable by inspection.
repo.checkout_new_branch("d")
store.append_event(
DelegationStarted(brief="b", role="delegate", model="m", caps={})
)
store.append_event(ToolCall(call_id="c", tool="run_command", arguments={}))
intent = pending_delegation_intent(store)
assert delegation_reconciler(store, repo)(intent) is None
def test_missing_branch_means_nothing_started(
store: StateStore, ws: Workspace, repo: GitRepo
) -> None:
store.append_event(
DelegationStarted(brief="b", role="delegate", model="m", caps={})
)
store.append_event(ToolResult(call_id="c", result="ok", success=True))
intent = pending_delegation_intent(store, branch="never-created")
assert delegation_reconciler(store, repo)(intent) is False
def test_a_finished_delegation_settles_rather_than_resumes(
store: StateStore, ws: Workspace, repo: GitRepo
) -> None:
repo.checkout_new_branch("d")
store.append_event(
DelegationStarted(brief="b", role="delegate", model="m", caps={})
)
store.append_event(
DelegationCompleted(
handback="done",
artifacts=[],
tokens=0,
duration_s=1.0,
exit_status="handback",
)
)
intent = pending_delegation_intent(store)
assert delegation_reconciler(store, repo)(intent) is True
def test_resume_continues_the_same_delegation(
store: StateStore, ws: Workspace, repo: GitRepo
) -> None:
# Interrupt after one turn, then resume: no second delegation_started,
# because A10 defines a session as the delegation, not the process.
repo.checkout_new_branch("d")
store.append_event(
DelegationStarted(brief="b", role="delegate", model="m", caps={})
)
store.append_event(ToolResult(call_id="c", result="wrote a.py", success=True))
intent = pending_delegation_intent(store)
client = ScriptedClient(
[[call("write_file", path="b.py", content="x")], [hand_back()]]
)
result = build(client, store, ws, repo).resume(intent)
assert result.usable
starts = [e for e in store.read_events() if isinstance(e.event, DelegationStarted)]
assert len(starts) == 1
assert store.pending_intents() == []
assert (repo.root / "b.py").exists()
def test_resume_onto_a_missing_branch_fails_cleanly(
store: StateStore, ws: Workspace, repo: GitRepo
) -> None:
intent = pending_delegation_intent(store, branch="gone")
result = build(ScriptedClient([]), store, ws, repo).resume(intent)
assert result.status == "failed"
assert not result.usable
assert store.pending_intents() == [] # not left dangling for the next boot
# --- boot recovery sweep ------------------------------------------------
def test_recover_resumes_a_clean_cut_with_a_notice(
store: StateStore, ws: Workspace, repo: GitRepo
) -> None:
repo.checkout_new_branch("d")
store.append_event(
DelegationStarted(brief="b", role="delegate", model="m", caps={})
)
store.append_event(ToolResult(call_id="c", result="wrote a.py", success=True))
pending_delegation_intent(store)
notices: list[str] = []
client = ScriptedClient(
[[call("write_file", path="b.py", content="x")], [hand_back()]]
)
result = build(client, store, ws, repo).recover(notices.append)
assert result is not None and result.usable
# A3: a notice, not a question — a clean cut needs no operator decision.
assert notices and "resuming the delegation" in notices[0]
def test_recover_settles_a_finished_delegation_without_resuming(
store: StateStore, ws: Workspace, repo: GitRepo
) -> None:
repo.checkout_new_branch("d")
store.append_event(
DelegationStarted(brief="b", role="delegate", model="m", caps={})
)
store.append_event(
DelegationCompleted(
handback="done",
artifacts=[],
tokens=0,
duration_s=1.0,
exit_status="handback",
)
)
pending_delegation_intent(store)
client = ScriptedClient([])
assert build(client, store, ws, repo).recover(lambda _m: None) is None
assert store.pending_intents() == []
assert client.calls == [] # the model was never asked
def test_recover_discards_an_intent_whose_branch_never_existed(
store: StateStore, ws: Workspace, repo: GitRepo
) -> None:
store.append_event(ToolResult(call_id="c", result="ok", success=True))
pending_delegation_intent(store, branch="never-made")
assert build(ScriptedClient([]), store, ws, repo).recover(lambda _m: None) is None
assert store.pending_intents() == []
def test_recover_leaves_an_unclean_cut_for_the_boot_gate(
store: StateStore, ws: Workspace, repo: GitRepo
) -> None:
repo.checkout_new_branch("d")
store.append_event(
DelegationStarted(brief="b", role="delegate", model="m", caps={})
)
store.append_event(ToolCall(call_id="c", tool="run_command", arguments={}))
pending_delegation_intent(store)
assert build(ScriptedClient([]), store, ws, repo).recover(lambda _m: None) is None
# Still pending, so reconcile_on_boot gates rather than blind-resuming.
assert [i.kind for i in store.pending_intents()] == [DELEGATION_INTENT]
# --- the token cap, which A13 calls hard and was decoration -------------
class MeteredClient(ScriptedClient):
"""A client that reports usage, as the real ones do."""
def __init__(self, turns: list, per_call: int = 1000) -> None:
super().__init__(turns)
self._per_call = per_call
self.last_usage: dict[str, int] = {}
def complete(self, *args: Any, **kwargs: Any):
produced = super().complete(*args, **kwargs)
self.last_usage = {"input": self._per_call, "output": self._per_call}
return produced
def test_token_cap_stops_a_delegation(
store: StateStore, ws: Workspace, repo: GitRepo
) -> None:
# An unbounded delegation can exhaust a daily budget and take external
# models away until it resets, so the cap has to be real.
client = MeteredClient(
[[call("list_dir", path=".")] for _ in range(20)], per_call=600
)
result = build(client, store, ws, repo, caps=Caps(turns=20, tokens=2000)).run(
brief="b", branch="d"
)
assert result.status == "capped"
assert "token cap of 2000" in result.note
# 600 in + 600 out per call: stops on the second turn, not the twentieth.
assert len(client.calls) == 2
def test_tokens_spent_are_reported_not_left_at_zero(
store: StateStore, ws: Workspace, repo: GitRepo
) -> None:
client = MeteredClient(
[[call("write_file", path="a.py", content="x")], [hand_back()]], per_call=500
)
result = build(client, store, ws, repo).run(brief="b", branch="d")
assert result.usable
assert result.tokens == 2000 # two calls, 1000 each
completed = next(
e.event for e in store.read_events() if isinstance(e.event, DelegationCompleted)
)
# A16 evaluates cost against outcome, which needs a real number.
assert completed.tokens == 2000
def test_a_client_without_usage_still_works(
store: StateStore, ws: Workspace, repo: GitRepo
) -> None:
# Scripted and third-party clients need not report usage; the cap simply
# does not bind rather than crashing the delegation.
client = ScriptedClient(
[[call("write_file", path="a.py", content="x")], [hand_back()]]
)
assert build(client, store, ws, repo).run(brief="b", branch="d").usable
def test_budget_exhaustion_preserves_the_work_for_later(
store: StateStore, ws: Workspace, repo: GitRepo
) -> None:
"""An outage is not a bad delegate.
The branch may hold perfectly good work, so it is kept and the intent
left pending — the next boot treats it exactly like a crash mid-delegation
and resumes if the cut was clean. Discarding would throw away work
because the budget ran out.
"""
class BrokeClient(ScriptedClient):
def complete(self, *args: Any, **kwargs: Any):
if self.calls:
raise BudgetExhausted("daily budget exhausted")
return super().complete(*args, **kwargs)
client = BrokeClient([[call("write_file", path="progress.py", content="real")]])
result = build(client, store, ws, repo).run(brief="b", branch="d")
assert result.status == "interrupted"
assert result.interrupted and not result.usable
# The work survives, on its branch.
assert repo.current_branch() == "d"
assert (repo.root / "progress.py").exists()
# And the intent stays pending, which is what A3's resume rule keys on.
assert [i.kind for i in store.pending_intents()] == [DELEGATION_INTENT]
def test_an_ordinary_failure_still_discards(
store: StateStore, ws: Workspace, repo: GitRepo
) -> None:
# Only external interruptions are preserved; a delegate that made a mess
# is still cleaned up (A13).
client = ScriptedClient([[hand_back(succeeded=False, changed="cannot")]])
result = build(client, store, ws, repo).run(brief="b", branch="d")
assert result.status == "failed"
assert not result.interrupted
assert repo.current_branch() == "main"
assert store.pending_intents() == []
def test_a_network_outage_also_preserves_the_work(
store: StateStore, ws: Workspace, repo: GitRepo
) -> None:
# Same reasoning as an exhausted budget: the branch may be fine, and the
# outage says nothing about the quality of the work on it.
class FlakyClient(ScriptedClient):
def complete(self, *args: Any, **kwargs: Any):
if self.calls:
raise UpstreamUnavailable("LLM request failed: connection refused")
return super().complete(*args, **kwargs)
client = FlakyClient([[call("write_file", path="progress.py", content="real")]])
result = build(client, store, ws, repo).run(brief="b", branch="d")
assert result.status == "interrupted"
assert (repo.root / "progress.py").exists()
assert [i.kind for i in store.pending_intents()] == [DELEGATION_INTENT]
def test_a_bad_request_is_not_given_the_benefit_of_the_doubt(
store: StateStore, ws: Workspace, repo: GitRepo
) -> None:
# A 4xx that is not a rate limit means we sent something wrong; treating
# that as an outage would preserve branches and hide a real bug.
class BadRequestClient(ScriptedClient):
def complete(self, *args: Any, **kwargs: Any):
raise LLMError("LLM request returned 400: malformed tool schema")
result = build(BadRequestClient([]), store, ws, repo).run(brief="b", branch="d")
assert result.status == "failed"
assert not result.interrupted