Bug (backend): dead null check in newQuotes.approve() — git === null never true, git init failure crashes with raw TypeError

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Assessment

Difficulty
1/5
Estimated time
Under an hour
Newbie friendliness
88/100
Issue type
Bug
Clarity
Clearly specified
Activity status
Active
Tech stack
typescript
Domain
backend

Research direction

Start in backend/src/dal/new-quotes.ts by comparing approve() around line 150 with the existing git availability check in add() at line 59, then inspect the module-level tryCatchSync initialization. Reproduce or reason through a failed simpleGit initialization and confirm that approving a quote returns the structured 500 "Git not available." error rather than a raw TypeError.

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Description

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Does the issue happen when logged in?

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Does the issue happen when logged out?

N/A (backend source bug)

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Does the issue happen in incognito mode when logged out?

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Issue details

Current Behavior

In backend/src/dal/new-quotes.ts, git is initialized via tryCatchSync at module load:

// new-quotes.ts:33-35
const { data: git, error } = tryCatchSync(() =>
  simpleGit(path.join(__dirname, PATH_TO_REPO)),
);

On failure this yields data === undefined (which add() checks correctly):

// new-quotes.ts:59
if (git === undefined) throw new MonkeyError(500, "Git not available.");

But approve() checks against null instead, making the guard dead code:

// new-quotes.ts:150
if (git === null) throw new MonkeyError(500, "Git not available.");

If git initialization failed at import time, the check passes, execution reaches line 181 (await git.pull("upstream", "master")) and crashes with a raw TypeError: Cannot read properties of undefined instead of the intended structured 500 MonkeyError.

Expected Behavior

Line 150 should mirror line 59:

if (git === undefined) throw new MonkeyError(500, "Git not available.");
Steps To Reproduce
  1. Deploy the backend where simpleGit(...) init throws (e.g. repo path unavailable).
  2. Approve a quote as a quote moderator.
  3. Endpoint responds with an unhandled TypeError rather than the expected 500 "Git not available." error shape.
Environment
  • Backend, master @ 91bd24bb8
Dominant language
TypeScript
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