serve: strict per-run fields — a pick list that is a catalog, not a convenience

[shawnpatel]

Why

CommandDef.field_suggestions (#284) offers a host pick list inside a free-form text input; by its contract the list never constrains the value. A downstream op whose field is a catalog lookup — axol-pi's task_id, where the id names the dataset and the prompt and an unknown id is refused at run start — had no way to say so, so the panel let free text into it.

What

CommandDef(strict_fields=(...)) marks suggested fields whose value must be one of the suggestions.

• /api/commands lists them as strictFields; a strict field without a field_suggestions provider is a registration error.
• The panel renders a strict field as a <select> over the fetched rows (value — label), disabled with a placeholder until the list loads, showing a stored value the list no longer carries as "(not in the list)", and blocks Start with "Pick from the list" while the value is off it. A provider failure says the field cannot be set rather than "type the value".
• /api/op/start runs check_strict_fields before any hardware survey and refuses an off-list value as a 400, so an older panel's text input cannot get past it either. A failing provider refuses too (the list is the source of truth); a blank value is the schema's business (a required field is refused by the config parse).

Nothing changes for ops that don't declare strict fields; older panels ignore strictFields.

Tests

• tests/test_serve_field_suggestions.py: specs list the strict fields, a strict field needs a provider, listed/unlisted/blank values, failing provider refuses, /api/op/start 400 vs start.
• python -m unittest discover -s tests -p "test_serve_*.py": 94 OK. web/app: tsc -b, eslint, prettier, npm test clean.

Consumer: axol-pi will put strict_fields=("task_id",) on its recording ops once this is pinned.

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Project	Deployment	Actions	Updated
axol	Ready	Preview	Sep 23, 2026 9:27pm UTC

[cursor]

Cursor Bugbot has reviewed your changes using default effort and found 1 potential issue.

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[cursor]

Fetch errors freeze strict selects

Medium Severity

A thrown fetchFieldSuggestions request is swallowed, so suggestions never becomes an array. StrictSelect treats that as still loading and stays disabled on Loading options…, and Start is not blocked for a stored value. A 200 with a provider error is handled; a network or HTTP failure is not, so the catalog field cannot be set until the panel remounts.

Additional Locations (1)

• web/app/src/components/operation-panel.tsx#L251-L252

 

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