experiments in a post-browser web
test(pubsub-repro): minimal two-tile GLOBAL pubsub round-trip repro
Standing regression test for the cross-tile pubsub bug. A minimal
feature (features/pubsub-repro/) has one background tile and one
window tile. home publishes reproduce:request on GLOBAL, bg is
supposed to respond with reproduce:response. The response never
arrives — same symptom as websearch before the single-tile merge.
Proves the bug is architectural, not websearch-specific. Any v2
feature with a bg + window pair communicating via pubsub is
affected. Candidates identified by the Explore agent: entities,
groups, lex, tag-actions all exhibit this pattern too.
The test is marked test.fail() so Playwright flags a surprise pass
when the fix lands. When the underlying home-to-bg leg is fixed,
flip test.fail to test to promote it to a normal assertion.
+278
+29
features/pubsub-repro/background.html
+29
features/pubsub-repro/background.html
···
1
+
<!DOCTYPE html>
2
+
<html>
3
+
<head>
4
+
<meta charset="utf-8">
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<meta http-equiv="Content-Security-Policy" content="script-src 'self' 'unsafe-inline';">
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<title>Pubsub Repro Background</title>
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</head>
8
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<body>
9
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<script type="module">
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import extension from './background.js';
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+
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const api = window.app;
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const extId = extension.id;
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+
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console.log(`[ext:${extId}] background.html loaded`);
16
+
17
+
await api.initialize();
18
+
19
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if (extension.init) {
20
+
await extension.init();
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+
}
22
+
23
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api.onShutdown(() => {
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console.log(`[ext:${extId}] received shutdown`);
25
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if (extension.uninit) extension.uninit();
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});
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</script>
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</body>
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</html>
+50
features/pubsub-repro/background.js
+50
features/pubsub-repro/background.js
···
1
+
/**
2
+
* Pubsub Repro Background
3
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*
4
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* Minimal echo: on receiving `reproduce:request` on GLOBAL scope,
5
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* publish `reproduce:response` with a fixed payload on GLOBAL scope.
6
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*
7
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* Mirrors websearch background.js pattern: api.pubsub.subscribe/publish
8
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* with api.scopes.GLOBAL via onChannel/emitChannel helpers.
9
+
*/
10
+
11
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const api = window.app;
12
+
13
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function onChannel(topic, handler) {
14
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api.pubsub.subscribe(topic, handler, api.scopes.GLOBAL);
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+
}
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+
17
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function emitChannel(topic, data) {
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api.pubsub.publish(topic, data, api.scopes.GLOBAL);
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}
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+
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const handleRequest = (msg) => {
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console.log('[ext:pubsub-repro] bg received request:', msg);
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emitChannel('reproduce:response', { ok: true, payload: [1, 2, 3], echo: msg });
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};
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+
26
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// Command to force the extension to load without needing a window
27
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const handleCommand = () => {
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console.log('[ext:pubsub-repro] bg received cmd:execute:pubsub repro');
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};
30
+
31
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const init = async () => {
32
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console.log('[ext:pubsub-repro] bg init');
33
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onChannel('reproduce:request', handleRequest);
34
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api.commands.register({
35
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name: 'pubsub repro',
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description: 'Open the pubsub repro window',
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action: { type: 'execute' }
38
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});
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onChannel('cmd:execute:pubsub repro', handleCommand);
40
+
};
41
+
42
+
const uninit = () => {
43
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console.log('[ext:pubsub-repro] bg uninit');
44
+
};
45
+
46
+
export default {
47
+
id: 'pubsub-repro',
48
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init,
49
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uninit
50
+
};
+14
features/pubsub-repro/home.html
+14
features/pubsub-repro/home.html
···
1
+
<!DOCTYPE html>
2
+
<html>
3
+
<head>
4
+
<meta charset="utf-8">
5
+
<meta http-equiv="Content-Security-Policy" content="script-src 'self' 'unsafe-inline';">
6
+
<title>Pubsub Repro Home</title>
7
+
</head>
8
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<body>
9
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<h1>Pubsub Repro</h1>
10
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<p id="status">waiting...</p>
11
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<pre id="result"></pre>
12
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<script type="module" src="home.js"></script>
13
+
</body>
14
+
</html>
+41
features/pubsub-repro/home.js
+41
features/pubsub-repro/home.js
···
1
+
/**
2
+
* Pubsub Repro Home
3
+
*
4
+
* Mirrors websearch home.js: subscribe on GLOBAL, publish on GLOBAL,
5
+
* wait for response to be written back by the background.
6
+
*/
7
+
8
+
const api = window.app;
9
+
10
+
function onChannel(topic, handler) {
11
+
api.pubsub.subscribe(topic, handler, api.scopes.GLOBAL);
12
+
}
13
+
14
+
function emitChannel(topic, data) {
15
+
api.pubsub.publish(topic, data, api.scopes.GLOBAL);
16
+
}
17
+
18
+
// Expose for test assertions
19
+
window._reproResponse = null;
20
+
21
+
const handleResponse = (msg) => {
22
+
console.log('[pubsub-repro:home] got response:', msg);
23
+
window._reproResponse = msg;
24
+
const statusEl = document.getElementById('status');
25
+
const resultEl = document.getElementById('result');
26
+
if (statusEl) statusEl.textContent = 'received';
27
+
if (resultEl) resultEl.textContent = JSON.stringify(msg, null, 2);
28
+
};
29
+
30
+
const init = () => {
31
+
console.log('[pubsub-repro:home] init');
32
+
onChannel('reproduce:response', handleResponse);
33
+
// Publish request on GLOBAL — background should receive and echo back
34
+
emitChannel('reproduce:request', { hello: 'world' });
35
+
};
36
+
37
+
if (document.readyState === 'loading') {
38
+
document.addEventListener('DOMContentLoaded', init);
39
+
} else {
40
+
init();
41
+
}
+51
features/pubsub-repro/manifest.json
+51
features/pubsub-repro/manifest.json
···
1
+
{
2
+
"manifestVersion": 2,
3
+
"id": "pubsub-repro",
4
+
"shortname": "pubsub-repro",
5
+
"name": "Pubsub Repro",
6
+
"description": "Minimal repro: bg + home tile talking via GLOBAL pubsub round-trip",
7
+
"version": "1.0.0",
8
+
"builtin": true,
9
+
"tiles": [
10
+
{
11
+
"id": "background",
12
+
"type": "background",
13
+
"url": "background.html",
14
+
"lazy": true
15
+
},
16
+
{
17
+
"id": "home",
18
+
"type": "window",
19
+
"url": "home.html",
20
+
"windowHints": {
21
+
"role": "workspace",
22
+
"key": "pubsub-repro-home",
23
+
"width": 400,
24
+
"height": 300,
25
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"title": "Pubsub Repro"
26
+
}
27
+
}
28
+
],
29
+
"capabilities": {
30
+
"pubsub": {
31
+
"scopes": ["global", "system"],
32
+
"topics": [
33
+
"ext:ready",
34
+
"reproduce:*",
35
+
"cmd:execute:*"
36
+
]
37
+
},
38
+
"window": {
39
+
"create": true,
40
+
"query": true
41
+
},
42
+
"commands": true
43
+
},
44
+
"commands": [
45
+
{
46
+
"name": "pubsub repro",
47
+
"description": "Open the pubsub repro window",
48
+
"action": { "type": "execute" }
49
+
}
50
+
]
51
+
}
+93
tests/desktop/pubsub-repro.spec.ts
+93
tests/desktop/pubsub-repro.spec.ts
···
1
+
/**
2
+
* Pubsub Repro Diagnostic Test
3
+
*
4
+
* Minimal reproduction of the websearch two-tile GLOBAL-scope pubsub
5
+
* round-trip pattern. If this passes but websearch fails, the bug is
6
+
* websearch-specific. If this fails, the bug is architectural to any
7
+
* feature with bg + window tiles talking via pubsub.
8
+
*
9
+
* bg (peek://ext/pubsub-repro/background.html)
10
+
* subscribe GLOBAL reproduce:request -> publish GLOBAL reproduce:response
11
+
* home (peek://pubsub-repro/home.html)
12
+
* subscribe GLOBAL reproduce:response -> window._reproResponse
13
+
* publish GLOBAL reproduce:request
14
+
*/
15
+
16
+
import { test, expect, DesktopApp, getSharedApp } from '../fixtures/desktop-app';
17
+
import { Page } from '@playwright/test';
18
+
import { waitForExtensionsReady, sleep } from '../helpers/window-utils';
19
+
20
+
let sharedApp: DesktopApp;
21
+
let sharedBgWindow: Page;
22
+
23
+
test.beforeAll(async () => {
24
+
sharedApp = await getSharedApp();
25
+
sharedBgWindow = await sharedApp.getBackgroundWindow();
26
+
await waitForExtensionsReady(sharedBgWindow);
27
+
});
28
+
29
+
test.describe('Pubsub Repro @desktop', () => {
30
+
31
+
// EXPECTED FAILURE: the home-publish → bg-subscribe leg of a cross-tile
32
+
// GLOBAL pubsub round-trip is currently broken at the broadcaster level.
33
+
// Proven architectural (not websearch-specific) by this minimal repro.
34
+
// When the fix lands, flip `test.fail()` to `test()` — Playwright will
35
+
// report a surprise pass if the test starts working before we expect.
36
+
test.fail('bg responds to home via GLOBAL pubsub round-trip', async () => {
37
+
// Force-load the pubsub-repro extension by invoking its command.
38
+
// Mirrors the websearch pattern at websearch.spec.ts:91-126.
39
+
const extensionLoaded = await sharedBgWindow.evaluate(async () => {
40
+
const api = (window as any).app;
41
+
api.publish('cmd:execute:pubsub repro', {}, api.scopes.GLOBAL);
42
+
const start = Date.now();
43
+
while (Date.now() - start < 15000) {
44
+
const result = await api.extensions.list();
45
+
if (result.success && result.data) {
46
+
if (result.data.some(
47
+
(e: { id: string; status: string }) => e.id === 'pubsub-repro' && e.status === 'running'
48
+
)) return true;
49
+
}
50
+
await new Promise(r => setTimeout(r, 200));
51
+
}
52
+
return false;
53
+
});
54
+
expect(extensionLoaded).toBe(true);
55
+
56
+
// Open home window
57
+
const result = await sharedBgWindow.evaluate(async () => {
58
+
return await (window as any).app.window.open('peek://pubsub-repro/home.html', {
59
+
width: 400,
60
+
height: 300,
61
+
});
62
+
});
63
+
expect(result.success).toBe(true);
64
+
65
+
const homeWindow = await sharedApp.getWindow('pubsub-repro/home.html', 5000);
66
+
expect(homeWindow).toBeTruthy();
67
+
await homeWindow.waitForLoadState('domcontentloaded');
68
+
69
+
try {
70
+
const response = await homeWindow.evaluate(async () => {
71
+
const start = Date.now();
72
+
while (Date.now() - start < 5000) {
73
+
const r = (window as any)._reproResponse;
74
+
if (r) return r;
75
+
await new Promise(r => setTimeout(r, 100));
76
+
}
77
+
return (window as any)._reproResponse;
78
+
});
79
+
80
+
expect(response).toBeTruthy();
81
+
expect(response.ok).toBe(true);
82
+
expect(response.payload).toEqual([1, 2, 3]);
83
+
} finally {
84
+
try {
85
+
await sharedBgWindow.evaluate(async (id: number) => {
86
+
return await (window as any).app.window.close(id);
87
+
}, result.id);
88
+
} catch {
89
+
// window may already be closed
90
+
}
91
+
}
92
+
});
93
+
});