🤖 refactor: split file edit tool errors into user/agent messages #484
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- Add 'note' field to file edit error results for agent-specific guidance - Introduce EDIT_FAILED_NOTE_PREFIX constant for consistent messaging - Remove redundant WRITE_DENIED_PREFIX from error messages - Simplify UI error detection to check success field directly - Update tool descriptions to warn that edits may fail Agent notes provide clear failure signals and recovery steps: - 'EDIT FAILED - file was NOT modified' - Specific problem explanation - Concrete remediation (read file, retry with correct params) This addresses the issue where agents continue after file edit failures by making failures more explicit upfront (tool descriptions) and providing targeted recovery guidance (note field) separate from user-facing errors. _Generated with `cmux`_
_Generated with `cmux`_
- Add NOTE_READ_FILE_RETRY, NOTE_READ_FILE_FIRST_RETRY, NOTE_READ_FILE_AGAIN_RETRY constants - Add TOOL_EDIT_WARNING constant for tool descriptions - Update all usages to reference constants (7 locations) - Eliminates string duplication across tool definitions and error handling
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Problem
Agents often continue after file edit failures ("WRITE DENIED, FILE UNMODIFIED: old_string not found") as if nothing happened, leading to commits with incomplete changes. The core issue is that agents send parallel tool calls optimistically (edit + commit) before seeing results.
Solution
Split error communication into two channels:
errorfield (user-facing): Concise error message shown in UInotefield (agent-facing): Explicit failure signal and recovery guidanceKey Changes
note?: stringfield to all file edit error resultsEDIT_FAILED_NOTE_PREFIXconstant for consistent messagingWRITE_DENIED_PREFIXfrom error messagessuccessfield instead of string matchingAgent Notes Pattern
All notes follow this structure:
Examples:
"EDIT FAILED - file was NOT modified. The old_string does not exist in the file. Read the file first to get the exact current content, then retry.""EDIT FAILED - file was NOT modified. The file has 50 lines. Read the file to get current content, then retry."Why This Approach
bashtool already usesnotefield successfullyFiles Modified
src/types/tools.ts- Addednotefield andEDIT_FAILED_NOTE_PREFIXsrc/services/tools/file_edit_replace_shared.ts- Added notes to all error casessrc/services/tools/file_edit_operation.ts- Pass throughnotefieldsrc/services/tools/file_edit_insert.ts- Added notes to all error casessrc/utils/tools/toolDefinitions.ts- Updated descriptions with failure warningssrc/components/tools/FileEditToolCall.tsx- Simplified error detectionsrc/services/tools/file_edit_replace_shared.test.ts- New tests fornotefieldTesting
✅ All 127 tool tests pass (including 3 new tests)
✅ TypeScript compilation successful
✅ ESLint checks passed
Generated with
cmux