From fcb2049f3f4a7daa1621dada8a106082d35b32d3 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001
From: Hongming Wang <hongmingwangalt@gmail.com>
Date: Wed, 29 Apr 2026 15:44:07 -0700
Subject: [PATCH] ci: add no-op shadow for Canvas (Next.js) required check
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PRs that don't touch canvas/** paths skip the Canvas (Next.js) job via
its `if: needs.changes.outputs.canvas == 'true'` guard. GitHub reports
SKIPPED for that conclusion. Branch protection on staging requires
Canvas (Next.js) — and treats SKIPPED as not-passed, blocking merge
on every workspace-server-only or migration-only PR.

This is the design pattern documented in feedback memory
"branch_protection_check_name_parity": split into a real job + a
no-op shadow that share the same `name:`. Exactly one runs per PR;
both report the same check context, and at least one always reports
SUCCESS, satisfying the required check.

The no-op job runs in a few seconds (single `echo` step) and produces
the right check context for any PR that has changes outside canvas/**.

Concrete blocker that prompted this: PR #2314 (RFC #2312 PR-B) sat
APPROVED + CI-green + UP-TO-DATE for half an hour with mergeStateStatus
BLOCKED, traced via the GraphQL `isRequired` field to a single
SKIPPED Canvas (Next.js) check. PRs #2319 (PR-F) and the rest of the
RFC #2312 stack would have hit the same wall.
---
 .github/workflows/ci.yml | 20 ++++++++++++++++++++
 1 file changed, 20 insertions(+)

diff --git a/.github/workflows/ci.yml b/.github/workflows/ci.yml
index 3e3ae250..f13c16ec 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/ci.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/ci.yml
@@ -178,6 +178,26 @@ jobs:
             exit 1
           fi
 
+  # Path-filter no-op shadow for Canvas (Next.js).
+  #
+  # Branch protection on staging requires a "Canvas (Next.js)" check.
+  # When a PR doesn't touch canvas/** paths, the real canvas-build job
+  # below is skipped via `if:`, and GitHub reports its conclusion as
+  # SKIPPED — which branch protection treats as not-passed → merge
+  # BLOCKED on every workspace-server-only or migration-only PR.
+  #
+  # Pattern (per durable feedback memory: branch_protection_check_name_parity):
+  # split into a real job + a no-op shadow that share the same `name:`.
+  # Exactly one runs per PR; both report the same check context, and at
+  # least one always reports SUCCESS, satisfying the required check.
+  canvas-build-noop:
+    name: Canvas (Next.js)
+    needs: changes
+    if: needs.changes.outputs.canvas != 'true'
+    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    steps:
+      - run: echo "No canvas/** changes in this PR — Canvas (Next.js) skip is intentional, satisfying required-check via this no-op."
+
   canvas-build:
     name: Canvas (Next.js)
     needs: changes