skills/docs/worklogs/2026-01-28-synod-code-review-cleanup.md

title	date	keywords	commits	compression_status
Synod Extension Code Review and Cleanup	2026-01-28	synod pi-extension code-review refactoring multi-model-consensus	5	uncompressed

Session Summary

Date: 2026-01-28 Focus Area: Code review and refactoring of the Synod multi-model consensus extension

Accomplishments

• Completed 4-file code review of synod extension (types.ts, execution.ts, ui.ts, index.ts)
• Filed 13 issues from code review (5 MED, 8 LOW severity)
• Created work doc for structured execution via Ralph loop
• Completed Phase 1: Quick wins (3 items) - UX/error handling
• Completed Phase 2: DRY cleanup (4 items) - extracted helpers/constants
• Completed Phase 3: Architecture (4 items) - module reorganization
• Deployed extension globally via symlink to ~/.pi/agent/extensions/synod
• Phase 4: 2 items intentionally deferred (scrollOffset bounds, --stance docs)

Key Decisions

Decision 1: Module split strategy

• Context: types.ts was doing too much (types + constants + prompts + mutable state + helpers)
• Options considered:
  1. Keep as-is, just rename to constants.ts
  2. Split into many small files (types.ts, prompts.ts, models.ts, background.ts)
  3. Split strategically - extract only mutable state to new module
• Rationale: Option 3 balances separation of concerns without over-fragmenting. Mutable state is the clearest boundary violation.
• Impact: Created background.ts for task management state, renamed types.ts → constants.ts

Decision 2: Generate MODEL_ALIASES from SYNOD_MODELS

• Context: MODEL_ALIASES duplicated provider/model strings from SYNOD_MODELS
• Rationale: Single source of truth - adding models to SYNOD_MODELS now auto-generates base aliases
• Impact: Extra aliases (convenience names like "claude", "gpt") still manually added via spread

Decision 3: Deployment via symlink

• Context: Want extension available globally but still iterating
• Rationale: Symlink allows live development - edits take effect immediately
• Impact: ~/.pi/agent/extensions/synod -> ~/proj/skills/sketches/synod

Problems & Solutions

Problem	Solution	Learning
Invalid --mode value silently ignored	Added invalidMode field to ParsedArgs, warn user	Always give feedback on invalid input
File read errors embedded silently in context	Added console.warn + better error message	Log errors for user visibility
voteEmoji helper duplicated twice	Extracted to module-level const	Keep helpers DRY even for simple functions
padLine/boxLine duplicated in both UI components	Created makePadLine/makeBoxLine factory functions	Factory pattern for parameterized helpers

Technical Details

Code Changes

• Total files modified: 5 synod modules + work doc
• Key files changed:
  • sketches/synod/constants.ts (was types.ts) - Added DEFAULT_SYSTEM_PROMPT, generated MODEL_ALIASES
  • sketches/synod/execution.ts - Extracted voteEmoji, improved file error handling
  • sketches/synod/ui.ts - Extracted box helpers, MAX_VISIBLE_LINES constant
  • sketches/synod/index.ts - Added findFastModel helper, invalidMode warning
• New files created:
  • sketches/synod/background.ts - Task state management (backgroundTasks Map, generateTaskId, etc.)
• Files renamed:
  • types.ts → constants.ts (better reflects content)

Final Module Structure

sketches/synod/
├── constants.ts   # Types, model registry, prompts
├── background.ts  # Task state management (NEW)
├── execution.ts   # Core synod logic, formatting
├── ui.ts          # TUI components (ModelPicker, ResultsView)
└── index.ts       # Command registration, handlers

Commands Used

# Ralph loop execution
ralph_start with work doc

# Issue management
ti create "title" --body "description"
ti update <id> --status closed

# Deployment
ln -sfn ~/proj/skills/sketches/synod ~/.pi/agent/extensions/synod

Process and Workflow

What Worked Well

• Code review → issues → work doc → Ralph loop pipeline was efficient
• Filing all issues upfront gave clear scope
• Grouping by phase (quick wins → DRY → architecture) made logical progression
• ~3 items per Ralph iteration was right cadence

What Was Challenging

• .ralph/ state file got out of sync with actual docs/work/ file
• pi not in agent's PATH made verification difficult

Learning and Insights

Technical Insights

• Factory functions (makePadLine(width)) cleaner than closures for parameterized helpers
• Separating mutable state into its own module makes testing easier
• Generating config from canonical source eliminates sync bugs

Process Insights

• Code review epic pattern works well: review → file issues → batch execute
• Severity ratings (MED/LOW) help prioritize but all got done anyway
• Deferring truly minor items (Phase 4) keeps momentum

Context for Future Work

Open Questions

• Should synod eventually move to pi-coding-agent repo as built-in?
• How to test extensions from within agent session (pi not in PATH)?

Next Steps

• Test /synod command in actual pi session
• Verify pi -c shows synod in command list
• Write test suite (issue #41984 still open)
• Eventually address deferred items (#42025, #42029)

Related Work

• Issue #39266: Original synod implementation epic
• Issue #41984: Write test suite for synod
• Issue #41993: Fire-and-forget background mode (completed earlier)

Session Metrics

• Commits made: 5
• Files touched: 16
• Lines added/removed: +2177/-10
• Issues filed: 13
• Issues closed: 11
• Issues deferred: 2