Hmbown/CodeWhale · error

needs_input should be projected

Error message

needs_input should be projected

What it means

Panic from `.expect("needs_input should be projected")`: the projection built for the parent has `needs_input: None`. The projection must translate the interrupted checkpoint into a NeedsInput question telling the parent to 'Re-dispatch this worker'; without it the parent cannot wake the worker.

Solutions

1. Ensure projection synthesizes needs_input whenever checkpoint.continuable and needs_continuation are true
2. Check the api_timeout reason is handled in the question template selection
3. Verify the question text still includes "Re-dispatch this worker"
4. Log the projection fields on failure to see which precondition was false

Example fix

// before
.expect("needs_input should be projected")
// after
.unwrap_or_else(|| panic!("projection missing needs_input; continuation={} ckpt={}",
    projection.needs_continuation, projection.checkpoint.is_some()))

fn has_redispatch_question(p: &Projection) -> bool {
    p.needs_input.as_ref().map_or(false, |n| n.question.contains("Re-dispatch this worker"))
}

let needs = projection.needs_input.as_ref()
    .unwrap_or_else(|| panic!("no needs_input projected for continuable checkpoint"));

When it happens

Trigger: Building the projection from an Interrupted result with an api_timeout checkpoint when the needs_input synthesis step is skipped, the checkpoint reason isn't recognized, or projection.needs_continuation is false so no question is generated.

Common situations: Projection code only maps user-checkpoints to needs_input and misses api_timeout; question template changed so the contains("Re-dispatch this worker") assert also fails; checkpoint omitted from projection input.

Related errors

• Agent continuation target is no longer retained
• Agent continuation target is outside the active session
• Agent not found
• Agent session not found
• Agent session name ' ' is ambiguous; use an agent_id

AI-assisted analysis of Hmbown/CodeWhale@433685b202 (2026-09-15). Data as JSON: /api/errors/d54c3bf9a0a7311d. Report an issue: GitHub.

Appendix: source

Thrown at crates/tui/src/tools/subagent/tests.rs:9062

    );
    assert!(interrupted.needs_input.is_some());

    let ctx = runtime.context.clone();
    let worker_record = {
        let manager = manager.read().await;
        manager.get_worker_record(&agent_id)
    };
    let projection =
        subagent_session_projection(interrupted.clone(), false, &ctx, worker_record).await;
    assert_eq!(projection.status, "waiting_for_user");
    assert!(projection.continuable);
    assert!(projection.needs_continuation);
    assert!(projection.checkpoint.is_some());
    assert!(
        projection
            .needs_input
            .as_ref()
            .expect("needs_input should be projected")
            .question
            .contains("Re-dispatch this worker"),
        "projection should tell the parent how to wake/re-dispatch: {:?}",
        projection.needs_input
    );
    assert_eq!(
        projection
            .worker_record
            .as_ref()
            .expect("worker record")
            .status,
        AgentWorkerStatus::WaitingForUser
    );
    assert_eq!(
        projection
            .worker_record
            .as_ref()
            .expect("worker record")

View on GitHub (pinned to 433685b202)