gastownhall/beads · error

resolving formula: %w

Error message

resolving formula: %w

What it means

cmd/bd/cook.go:170 wraps errors from parser.Resolve(f), which resolves the formula's inheritance chain (extends/parents). The formula itself parsed fine, but walking its parent references failed — typically a missing parent formula, a cycle (A extends B extends A), or depth/recursion problems. %w preserves the underlying reason so callers can distinguish missing-parent from cycle cases.

Source

Thrown at cmd/bd/cook.go:170

// It first tries to load by name from the formula registry (.beads/formulas/),
// and falls back to parsing as a file path if that fails.
func loadAndResolveFormula(formulaPath string, searchPaths []string) (*formula.Formula, error) {
	parser := formula.NewParser(searchPaths...)

	// Try to load by name first (from .beads/formulas/ registry)
	f, err := parser.LoadByName(formulaPath)
	if err != nil {
		// Fall back to parsing as a file path
		f, err = parser.ParseFile(formulaPath)
		if err != nil {
			return nil, fmt.Errorf("parsing formula: %w", err)
		}
	}

	// Resolve inheritance
	resolved, err := parser.Resolve(f)
	if err != nil {
		return nil, fmt.Errorf("resolving formula: %w", err)
	}

	// Apply control flow operators - loops, branches, gates
	controlFlowSteps, err := formula.ApplyControlFlow(resolved.Steps, resolved.Compose)
	if err != nil {
		return nil, fmt.Errorf("applying control flow: %w", err)
	}
	resolved.Steps = controlFlowSteps

	// Apply advice transformations
	if len(resolved.Advice) > 0 {
		resolved.Steps = formula.ApplyAdvice(resolved.Steps, resolved.Advice)
	}

	// Apply inline step expansions
	inlineExpandedSteps, err := formula.ApplyInlineExpansions(resolved.Steps, parser)
	if err != nil {
		return nil, fmt.Errorf("applying inline expansions: %w", err)

View on GitHub (pinned to 71377f2769)

Solutions

1. Check the formula's extends/parent references and ensure every named parent exists in .beads/formulas/.
2. Trace the inheritance chain for cycles (A→B→A or extends: self) and break the loop.
3. Re-read the wrapped error: 'not found' → add/commit the parent formula; 'cycle' → fix the extends graph.
4. If the base formula was renamed, update all children's extends fields to the new name.

Example fix

// before (formula frontmatter)
extends: base-workflow   # renamed to core-workflow
// after
extends: core-workflow

func inheritanceChainOK(f *formula.Formula, lookup func(string) (*formula.Formula, error)) error {
	seen := map[string]bool{}
	var walk func(cur *formula.Formula) error
	walk = func(cur *formula.Formula) error {
		for _, p := range cur.Extends {
			if seen[p] {
				return fmt.Errorf("inheritance cycle at %q", p)
			}
			seen[p] = true
			parent, err := lookup(p)
			if err != nil {
				return fmt.Errorf("parent formula %q missing: %w", p, err)
			}
			if err := walk(parent); err != nil {
				return err
			}
		}
		return nil
	}
	return walk(f)
}

func hasKnownParents(f *formula.Formula, registry map[string]*formula.Formula) bool {
	for _, p := range f.Extends {
		if _, ok := registry[p]; !ok {
			return false
		}
	}
	return true
}

resolved, err := parser.Resolve(f)
if err != nil {
	if strings.Contains(err.Error(), "cycle") {
		return fmt.Errorf("formula inheritance cycle: fix extends chain in %s", f.Name)
	}
	return fmt.Errorf("missing parent formula: %w", err)
}

When it happens

Trigger: parser.Resolve is called on a successfully parsed Formula whose inheritance metadata references a parent name not present in the registry, or whose parents form a cycle, or whose inheritance tree exceeds allowed depth.

Common situations: A formula was copied to another repo without its base formula; a refactor renamed a parent formula but children still extend the old name; someone hand-edited `extends` and created a self-reference or loop.

Related errors

• resolving formula %q: %w
• circular extends detected: %s
• extends %s: %w
• resolve parent %s: %w
• parsing formula: %w

AI-assisted analysis of gastownhall/beads@71377f2769 (2026-08-30). Data as JSON: /api/errors/dac7c4e71f0710a4. Report an issue: GitHub.