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fix(perl): eliminate false-positive Perl CALLS edges (builtins, framework method calls, config strings)#477

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fix(perl): eliminate false-positive Perl CALLS edges (builtins, framework method calls, config strings)#477
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halindrome:perl-call-graph-noise

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Summary

Perl files are extracted (call sites emitted), and any call the textual resolver can't place falls back to a generic short-name matcher with no language or call-kind awareness. It wires Perl builtins, framework method calls, and mis-parsed config strings to unrelated project subs that merely share a name — polluting the Perl call graph with false-positive CALLS edges.

This fixes the three sources, all gated on CBM_LANG_PERL so the generic resolver and CBMCall (shared by all 10 languages) stay byte-identical for non-Perl.

What changed

  • fix(perl): stop extracting config strings as call targetsextract_scripting_callee (Perl branch) now extracts the real method/function name token and rejects non-identifier callees (containing ., quotes, whitespace, …), so dotted config strings/literals (e.g. log4perl.appender.File.utf8) never become call targets.
  • fix(resolver): don't match Perl builtins to project subs — adds a curated Perl builtin set (src/pipeline/registry.c); when an unresolved Perl call's name is a builtin, the generic edge is suppressed. Real same-file subs are already resolved by earlier stages before the generic fallback, so this only drops spurious builtin matches.
  • fix(resolver): suppress generic short-name matching for Perl method calls — adds is_method to CBMCall (default false → no-op for other languages), set during Perl extraction for arrow/method calls, threaded into resolve_single_call / pass_parallel’s resolver. Perl method calls with an unknown receiver no longer generic-match to free subs (precise method resolution is the LSP's job).
  • Tests in tests/test_extraction.c and tests/test_registry.c covering builtins, config-string rejection, method-call suppression, a genuine-call-still-resolves case, and a cross-language no-op check.

Validation

Re-indexing a large real Perl monorepo (~1,200 modules + 352 .cgi endpoints) with the fix:

metric before after
.cgi suffix_match edges 4,940 655 (−87%)
.cgi builtin / CPAN-method / config-string noise ~4,000 0
project-wide CALLS edges ~182.5k ~169.4k (−13.4k noise removed)

This is precision via noise removal — fewer, more-correct edges. Genuine intra-project resolution survives.

  • scripts/build.sh — clean (-Werror).
  • scripts/test.sh — green except the unrelated pre-existing cli_hook_gate_script_no_predictable_tmp_issue384; cross-language breadth check [CALLS-BREADTH] 53 langs: 0 FAILURES confirms all other languages still resolve.
  • clang-format — clean on changed files.

Closes #476

🤖 Generated with Claude Code

shanemccarron-maker and others added 5 commits June 16, 2026 08:17
The Perl branch of extract_scripting_callee blindly returned the text of
child(0) of every call node. In config-heavy Perl (.cgi/.pl with embedded
log4perl-style config), tree-sitter-perl misparses dotted config tokens
(e.g. "log4perl.appender.File.utf8") into call-shaped nodes, and that
dotted string was emitted as a callee_name, later matched by the generic
short-name resolver to unrelated project subs.

Now the Perl branch pulls the real name token (method/function field, else
child(0)) and validates it as a bare Perl sub/method identifier via
perl_is_identifier_callee: must start with a letter or '_' and contain only
[A-Za-z0-9_:] (allowing the '::' package separator). Any '.', whitespace,
quote, or '/' disqualifies it and NULL is returned so no CALLS edge forms.
Gated to CBM_LANG_PERL; other languages are untouched.

Co-Authored-By: Claude Opus 4.8 <noreply@anthropic.com>
Signed-off-by: Shane McCarron <shane.mccarron@corvexconnect.com>
Perl builtins (push/shift/keys/sprintf/...) carry no language or call-kind
awareness through the generic name-matcher in cbm_registry_resolve. When a
project defines a sub whose name collides with a builtin, an invocation of
the builtin was wired to that sub by same-module / suffix matching - a
false-positive CALLS edge.

Adds cbm_perl_is_builtin (curated, sorted bsearch set of 94 perlfunc core
builtins) and applies it in both call-resolution passes (sequential
resolve_single_call and parallel resolve_file_calls), gated on the file
language == CBM_LANG_PERL and only AFTER LSP resolution has declined, so a
genuine LSP-resolved call is never suppressed. The file language is threaded
into both resolvers via a new trailing CBMLanguage parameter; every other
language reaches cbm_registry_resolve unchanged (byte-identical behavior).

Co-Authored-By: Claude Opus 4.8 <noreply@anthropic.com>
Signed-off-by: Shane McCarron <shane.mccarron@corvexconnect.com>
…alls

A Perl method call ($obj->m / Class->m) carries no receiver type at the
structural tier, so the generic short-name matcher in cbm_registry_resolve
would wire $dbh->commit / $cgi->param / $logger->log to any project sub
sharing the bare method name - the dominant source of false-positive CALLS
edges in CPAN/framework-heavy Perl. Resolving such a call correctly is the
LSP's job, not the bare-name matcher's.

Adds a CBMCall.is_method flag (zero-init false, so all other languages and
existing call sites are unaffected). method_call_expression is added to the
Perl call node set and handle_calls sets is_method=true only for that node
type when the file language is Perl. Both call-resolution passes then skip
generic resolution for Perl method calls (combined with the builtin guard
from the prior commit). Genuine intra-project function calls (non-method,
non-builtin) still resolve as before. LSP-resolved method calls are
unaffected because the guard runs only after LSP resolution declines.

Co-Authored-By: Claude Opus 4.8 <noreply@anthropic.com>
Signed-off-by: Shane McCarron <shane.mccarron@corvexconnect.com>
…trings)

Hermetic tests for the three Perl call-graph noise fixes:

test_extraction.c (extraction tier):
  - config string is never emitted as a callee; genuine call still extracted
  - builtin calls (push/keys) extracted but never flagged is_method
  - arrow/method calls ($self->commit / $dbh->commit) set is_method=true,
    while the genuine function call (helper) does not
  - a JS method call never sets is_method (flag is Perl-only — other
    languages unaffected)

test_registry.c (resolver tier):
  - cbm_perl_is_builtin recognizes core builtins (incl. first/last of the
    sorted set) and rejects project subs, case variants, empty, and NULL

Co-Authored-By: Claude Opus 4.8 <noreply@anthropic.com>
Signed-off-by: Shane McCarron <shane.mccarron@corvexconnect.com>
Round 1 (Claude panel + DO DeepSeek) findings:
- Rework the Perl noise guard so it suppresses only WEAK generic matches
  (suffix_match/unique_name) and KEEPS high-confidence same_module/import_map.
  The prior guard ran before cbm_registry_resolve and dropped genuine same-file
  calls to builtin-named subs (e.g. a project sub log/index/open called as a
  bare function) that pre-PR resolved via same_module. Extracted the decision
  into pure, unit-tested cbm_perl_suppress_generic_match() shared by the
  sequential (pass_calls.c) and parallel (pass_parallel.c) resolvers; corrected
  the inaccurate comments (Perl has no LSP/textual stage before the guard).
- Tighten perl_is_identifier_callee to require '::' pairs (reject a lone ':',
  ':::', or trailing '::').
- Add resolver-contract tests covering weak-match suppression, same_module/
  import_map retention, genuine-call survival, non-Perl no-op, and NULL strategy.

Verified on a real Perl monorepo: .cgi builtin/CPAN/config-string noise stays
eliminated while same_module edges to builtin-named subs are recovered.

Signed-off-by: Shane McCarron <shane.mccarron@corvexconnect.com>
@halindrome

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QA Round 1

Reviewers: Claude Code (claude-opus-4-8) parallel review panel (3 lenses) + DigitalOcean DeepSeek (deepseek-v4-pro, --double).

Contract Verification (issue #476)

Criterion Verdict Evidence
(a) builtin call does not edge to same-named project sub pass suppressed at the resolver; builtin set bsearch-correct (94 entries)
(b) method call w/ unknown receiver not generic-matched pass is_method set at extract_calls.c for method_call_expression (in perl_call_types); suppressed at resolver
(c) config-string token not extracted as callee pass perl_is_identifier_callee rejects non-identifier tokens
(d) genuine intra-project Perl calls still resolve pass after fix see Finding 2 — guard reworked to keep same_module/import_map
(e) non-Perl languages byte-identical pass all suppression gated on Perl; [CALLS-BREADTH] 53 langs: 0 FAILURES
(f) tests cover the above pass after fix see Finding 1 — added resolver-contract tests

Findings

[claude] Finding 1 — Test gap (major, fixed). The suppression branch and edge-survival path had no resolver-level test (extraction-level + a builtin-set unit test only); the test comments promised end-to-end coverage that didn't exist. Fixed: extracted the suppression decision into pure cbm_perl_suppress_generic_match() and added contract tests (weak-match suppression, same_module/import_map retention, genuine-call survival, non-Perl no-op, NULL strategy).

[claude] Finding 2 — Builtin guard over-suppressed genuine same-file calls (regression, fixed). Perl has no LSP resolver, so the guard ran before cbm_registry_resolve, dropping a genuine same-file call to a builtin-named sub (e.g. a project sub log/index/open called as a bare function) that pre-PR resolved via same_module. Reworked: resolve first, then suppress only weak strategies (suffix_match/unique_name) and keep high-confidence same_module/import_map. Corrected the inaccurate inline comments. Verified on a real Perl monorepo: .cgi noise stays eliminated while same_module edges to builtin-named subs are recovered.

[claude|do:deepseek-v4-pro] Finding 3 — perl_is_identifier_callee accepted a lone : (minor, fixed). It allowed any :, so Foo:Bar/::x/Foo:::Bar would pass. Tightened to require :: pairs (reject lone :, :::, trailing ::). Harmless in practice (the grammar never emits such callee tokens) but now matches its own docstring.

[do:deepseek-v4-pro] Finding 4 — locale-dependent isalpha/isalnum (minor, advisory, not changed). Byte classification for identifiers is locale-dependent for bytes >127. Left as-is for this round (consistent with surrounding code; no reachable trigger from the grammar). Tracked as a possible follow-up.

[do:deepseek-v4-pro] "is_method never set in extraction" (reported critical) — REFUTED (false positive). The DO reviewer chunked the diff by commit and reviewed the config-string commit in isolation. call.is_method is set at internal/cbm/extract_calls.c (handle_calls, method_call_expression) and method_call_expression is in perl_call_types (lang_specs.c). Verified present and correct.

Result

3 confirmed findings fixed (1 major + 1 regression + 1 minor); 1 advisory deferred; 1 reported-critical refuted. Fixes committed as fix(perl): address QA round 1. Build clean (-Werror), clang-format clean, suite green (5611 passed; the 1 failure cli_hook_gate_script_no_predictable_tmp_issue384 is a pre-existing sandbox-only flake unrelated to this PR).


SAST: GitHub code scanning is not enabled on this repo — security delta skipped (non-blocking).


QA performed by Claude Code (claude-opus-4-8) parallel panel + do:deepseek-v4-pro

Round 2 (Claude panel) caught a regression introduced by the round-1 refactor:
cbm_perl_suppress_generic_match whitelisted only the exact strategies
"same_module" and "import_map", but resolve_import_map can also return
"import_map_suffix" (confidence 0.85 — a genuine import-based resolution, not a
weak short-name guess). A '::'-qualified Perl builtin/method call resolved via
the import-suffix fallback was therefore dropped, contradicting the helper's
documented contract and partially missing acceptance criterion (d).

Add import_map_suffix to the kept (high-confidence) set so only the weak
short-name strategies (suffix_match / unique_name) are suppressed; update the
doc comment and add a unit-test case asserting import_map_suffix is retained.

Deferred as advisory (non-blocking, noted on the PR): a hypothetical leading-'::'
(main:: shorthand) under-extraction in perl_is_identifier_callee, and a
colon-edge-case coverage gap (logic correct by inspection).

Signed-off-by: Shane McCarron <shane.mccarron@corvexconnect.com>
@halindrome

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QA Round 2

Reviewer: Claude Code (claude-opus-4-8) parallel review panel (3 lenses). The DigitalOcean DeepSeek second opinion timed out this round (~7 min, no output) — recorded as a non-blocking second-opinion failure; round 1 captured a DO opinion.

Contract Verification (issue #476)

Criterion Verdict Note
(a) builtin call → no edge to same-named sub pass
(b) method call w/ unknown receiver → no generic match pass
(c) config-string token not extracted pass
(d) genuine intra-project Perl calls still resolve pass after fix see Finding 1
(e) non-Perl byte-identical pass [CALLS-BREADTH] 53 langs: 0 FAILURES
(f) tests cover the above pass + new import_map_suffix retention case

Findings

[claude] Finding 1 — round-1 helper whitelist omitted import_map_suffix (regression, fixed). The round-1 cbm_perl_suppress_generic_match kept only same_module/import_map, but resolve_import_map also returns import_map_suffix (confidence 0.85 — a genuine import resolution, above weak unique_name/suffix_match). A ::-qualified Perl builtin/method call resolved via the import-suffix fallback was therefore wrongly dropped, partially missing criterion (d). Fixed: import_map_suffix added to the kept set; doc comment corrected; unit test added asserting it is retained. Only the weak short-name strategies (suffix_match/unique_name) are now suppressed.

[claude] Finding 2 — leading-:: (main:: shorthand) under-extraction (minor, hypothetical, advisory — deferred). perl_is_identifier_callee rejects a callee beginning with :: (e.g. ::foo == main::foo) because the first char must be a letter/_. This can only ever miss an edge, never create a false one, and it's unverified whether tree-sitter-perl surfaces a leading-:: callee token (the grammar is compiled). Not a noise/over-extraction criterion. Left as a tracked advisory rather than adding speculative code.

[claude] Finding 3 — colon-edge-case test gap (minor, advisory — deferred). perl_is_identifier_callee is a static helper exercised only indirectly; there's no focused test feeding :::, trailing ::, Foo::Bar::baz, or SUPER::method. The reviewer traced each case and confirmed the logic is correct (accepts qualified/_-leading names; rejects lone :/:::/trailing ::; no read-past-terminator). Coverage debt, not a defect — tracked as advisory.

[claude] Finding 4 — pre-existing unrelated test failure. cli_hook_gate_script_no_predictable_tmp_issue384 (tests/test_cli.c) fails reading a hook-gate file under a sandboxed /tmp dir. The PR touches no cli/hook files; confirmed failing on clean upstream/main as well — environmental, out of scope for this PR.

Result

1 confirmed regression fixed (fix(perl): address QA round 2); 2 minor/hypothetical items deferred as advisory; the 1 suite failure is pre-existing and unrelated. Build clean (-Werror), clang-format clean, suite green (5611 passed; only the pre-existing issue384). With (d) now passing, all contract criteria are met.


QA performed by Claude Code (claude-opus-4-8) parallel panel (DO DeepSeek second opinion timed out — non-blocking)

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QA Round 3 (confirming) — CLEAN ✅

Reviewer: Claude Code (claude-opus-4-8) parallel review panel (3 lenses). All three lenses returned empty findings. (The DigitalOcean DeepSeek second opinion did not complete within the window again this round — recorded as a non-blocking second-opinion failure; a DO opinion was captured in round 1.)

Contract Verification (issue #476) — all pass

Criterion Verdict
(a) builtin call → no false edge to same-named sub pass
(b) config-string token never extracted as callee pass
(c) arrow/method calls flagged + generic match suppressed pass
(d) genuine same-file/imported calls still resolve pass
(e) suppression Perl-gated; other languages byte-identical pass
(f) both sequential + parallel resolvers apply it consistently, after cbm_registry_resolve pass

Verification highlights

  • Round-2 fix confirmed complete. The panel enumerated every strategy literal cbm_registry_resolve can emit — {import_map, import_map_suffix, same_module} (kept) and {suffix_match, unique_name} (dropped) — and confirmed the keep/drop partition is exhaustive. The fuzzy strategy comes only from a separate resolver never fed to the helper (not a gap).
  • perl_is_identifier_callee re-audited for read-past-terminator on the :: lookahead: p[2] is read only when p[1]==':' (worst case NUL) — no OOB read.
  • Perl-gating verified airtight: CBMCall.is_method is zero-initialized at both construction sites, so non-Perl behavior is byte-identical; [CALLS-BREADTH] 53 langs: 0 FAILURES.
  • Schema: none. SAST: code scanning not enabled (skipped).

Result

No new or remaining confirmed defects. The two prior advisory items (hypothetical leading-:: under-extraction; colon-edge-case test gap — logic verified correct) remain non-blocking and were not re-raised. The single suite failure (cli_hook_gate_script_no_predictable_tmp_issue384) is pre-existing on upstream/main and out of scope.

3 QA rounds complete; round 3 clean. Marking ready for review.


QA performed by Claude Code (claude-opus-4-8) parallel panel

@halindrome halindrome marked this pull request as ready for review June 16, 2026 15:11
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Perl call graph polluted by false-positive CALLS edges (builtins, framework method calls, config strings)

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