From 8adea16f9ea1580da9a1fb702a8c85e2b99b78fc Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001
From: NiftyAndy <andy@niftyleague.com>
Date: Mon, 3 Aug 2026 09:20:43 -0400
Subject: [PATCH] fix(reconcile): ignore historical paths absent from final
 tree

---
 src/lib/release-policy.mjs | 22 +++++++++++---
 test/cli.test.mjs          | 61 ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
 2 files changed, 79 insertions(+), 4 deletions(-)

diff --git a/src/lib/release-policy.mjs b/src/lib/release-policy.mjs
index e37605d..92c9277 100644
--- a/src/lib/release-policy.mjs
+++ b/src/lib/release-policy.mjs
@@ -220,9 +220,14 @@ function compareVersions(a, b) {
  * Classify the relationship between main and staging using the final tree delta
  * when available. Historical commit paths can include equivalent workflow or
  * configuration changes that are no longer present in the branch delta, so the
- * final trees are the source of truth for release-only reconciliation. Any
- * staging-only commit still triggers a replay path so no staging-only work can
- * be silently discarded.
+ * final trees are the source of truth for release-only reconciliation. When
+ * directChangedPaths is supplied, unexpected paths in historical main-only
+ * commits are ignored only when they are absent from the final tree delta
+ * (their content is already identical in both branches); unexpected main-only
+ * paths that still differ between the final trees fail closed. Without
+ * directChangedPaths the historical check stays strict. Any staging-only
+ * commit still triggers a replay path so no staging-only work can be silently
+ * discarded.
  * @param {{
  *   mainSha: string,
  *   stagingSha: string,
@@ -282,10 +287,19 @@ export function classifyReconciliation(input) {
       }
     }
   }
+  // Historical main-only commits may list paths whose content is already
+  // identical in the final staging tree (for example an equivalent workflow
+  // change). When the final tree delta is available, such paths are not
+  // genuine content differences and are ignored unless they also appear in
+  // the direct tree delta; without directChangedPaths the strict historical
+  // check is preserved unchanged.
+  const directTreePaths = Array.isArray(directChangedPaths)
+    ? new Set(directChangedPaths.map((path) => path.trim()).filter(Boolean))
+    : null
   const unexpectedMain = unexpectedReleasePaths(
     [...new Set(mainOnlyCommits.flatMap((commit) => commit.changedPaths || []))],
     allowed,
-  )
+  ).filter((path) => directTreePaths === null || directTreePaths.has(path))
   if (unexpectedMain.length) {
     return {
       action: 'fail',
diff --git a/test/cli.test.mjs b/test/cli.test.mjs
index d286904..92f6a9f 100644
--- a/test/cli.test.mjs
+++ b/test/cli.test.mjs
@@ -1123,6 +1123,67 @@ describe('code-foundry CLI', () => {
     )
   })
 
+  it('rebase-staging historical main-only paths absent from the final tree delta', () => {
+    const allowed = approvedReleaseFiles()
+    assert.deepEqual(
+      classifyReconciliation({
+        mainSha: 'main',
+        stagingSha: 'staging',
+        directChangedPaths: ['CHANGELOG.md', 'src/index.ts'],
+        mainOnlyCommits: [
+          { sha: 'release-commit', changedPaths: ['CHANGELOG.md', 'package.json'] },
+          { sha: 'historical-workflow', changedPaths: ['.github/workflows/release.yml'] },
+        ],
+        stagingOnlyCommits: [{ sha: 'staging-feature', changedPaths: ['src/index.ts'] }],
+        allowed,
+      }),
+      {
+        action: 'rebase-staging',
+        targetSha: 'main',
+        mainOnly: ['release-commit', 'historical-workflow'],
+        stagingOnly: ['staging-feature'],
+        reason: 'staging contains unpromoted commits; replay them onto main.',
+      },
+    )
+  })
+
+  it('fails when a historical main-only unexpected path still differs in the final tree delta', () => {
+    const allowed = approvedReleaseFiles()
+    assert.deepEqual(
+      classifyReconciliation({
+        mainSha: 'main',
+        stagingSha: 'staging',
+        directChangedPaths: ['CHANGELOG.md', '.github/workflows/release.yml'],
+        mainOnlyCommits: [
+          { sha: 'main-workflow', changedPaths: ['.github/workflows/release.yml'] },
+        ],
+        stagingOnlyCommits: [{ sha: 'staging-feature', changedPaths: ['src/index.ts'] }],
+        allowed,
+      }),
+      {
+        action: 'fail',
+        reason: 'main contains commits that are not release metadata.',
+        unexpected: ['.github/workflows/release.yml'],
+      },
+    )
+  })
+
+  it('keeps historical main-only path rejection strict without directChangedPaths', () => {
+    const allowed = approvedReleaseFiles()
+    assert.equal(
+      classifyReconciliation({
+        mainSha: 'main',
+        stagingSha: 'staging',
+        mainOnlyCommits: [
+          { sha: 'main-workflow', changedPaths: ['.github/workflows/release.yml'] },
+        ],
+        stagingOnlyCommits: [{ sha: 'staging-feature', changedPaths: ['src/index.ts'] }],
+        allowed,
+      }).action,
+      'fail',
+    )
+  })
+
   it('surfaces exact reconciliation failure reason from local classification', () => {
     const { root, remote, run } = createReconcileWorkspace()
     const commit = (message) => {