Plugin API + Access Rules : return more informative message

[jperon]

I just had very hard time debugging an issue due to IMHO misleading error messages. I had put an access rule preventing modifications on a table depending of the value of one of its fields. When trying to add records via BulkAddRecords, despite having set a message with the rule, this message didn’t appear (neither bottom-right, nor in the console or on server logs). The only messages I got are shown below.

On the client:

Error: Cannot read properties of undefined (reading '0')

On the server:

grist_1      | 2024-06-04 16:00:08.555 - warn: Sharing Unable to apply action... TypeError: Cannot read properties of undefined (reading '0')
grist_1      |     at getActionUndoInfoWithoutClient (/grist/_build/app/server/lib/ActionHistory.js:93:37)
grist_1      |     at asActionGroup (/grist/_build/app/server/lib/ActionHistory.js:36:74)
grist_1      |     at Sharing._doApplyUserActions (/grist/_build/app/server/lib/Sharing.js:275:67)
grist_1      |     at async Sharing._applyLocalAction (/grist/_build/app/server/lib/Sharing.js:89:25)
grist_1      |     at async WorkCoordinator._tryNextStep (/grist/_build/app/server/lib/WorkCoordinator.js:45:21) access=owners, userId=6, [email protected], age=628, org=myawesomeorganization, clientId=3d70d978479ed860, counter=0, docId=7kHK1rpTHsestxGJwJoQ7R
grist_1      | 2024-06-04 16:00:08.555 - warn: Client Responding to method applyUserActions with error: TypeError: Cannot read properties of undefined (reading '0')
grist_1      |     at getActionUndoInfoWithoutClient (/grist/_build/app/server/lib/ActionHistory.js:93:37)
grist_1      |     at asActionGroup (/grist/_build/app/server/lib/ActionHistory.js:36:74)
grist_1      |     at Sharing._doApplyUserActions (/grist/_build/app/server/lib/Sharing.js:275:67)
grist_1      |     at async Sharing._applyLocalAction (/grist/_build/app/server/lib/Sharing.js:89:25)
grist_1      |     at async WorkCoordinator._tryNextStep (/grist/_build/app/server/lib/WorkCoordinator.js:45:21)  [email protected], userId=6, age=628, org=myawesomeorganization, clientId=3d70d978479ed860, counter=0
grist_1      | 2024-06-04 16:00:08.555 - warn: Client responding to #40 ERROR Cannot read properties of undefined (reading '0') [email protected], userId=6, age=628, org=myawesomeorganization, clientId=3d70d978479ed860, counter=0

[paulfitz]

Thanks for reporting this. That kind of error message smells like a bug. If it isn't too sensitive, would it be possible to get some screenshots, or a small doc replicating the essentials of your setup?

[jperon]

Sure. What would be more useful? Dockerfile, definitions of tables, anything else?

[paulfitz]

I'd be focused on steps needed to replicate the problem. So anything that narrows down the access rules to try, which in turn may need definition of tables. Also, when you are adding the records via BulkAddRecords, what is initiating that action, is it via API or on the web client, just so we can do the same thing.

It is a burden to prepare that, I know. From what you already reported, I could go to getActionUndoInfoWithoutClient and try to think of improvements to make. The problem would be to know if they have been effective.