Jev Gate

A GitHub Action that fails a pipeline when code breaks a quality rule that only a reader could check. Rules are yes/no questions in a YAML file; code picks what each question applies to, Jev answers with a probability, and code compares it with a threshold.

Contents

• Usage
• Command line
• Gates file
• Custom scopes
• Examples
  • Built-in scopes
  • Options
  • A complete gates file
  • Workflows
• Development
• How to report issues

Usage

- uses: actions/checkout@v7
  with:
    fetch-depth: 0
    ref: ${{ github.event.pull_request.head.sha }}
- uses: your-org/jev-gate@v1
  with:
    config: .github/jev-gates.yml
    mode: diff
    base: ${{ github.event.pull_request.base.sha }}
  env:
    TYPESAFE_API_KEY: ${{ secrets.TYPESAFE_API_KEY }}

fetch-depth: 0 is required in diff mode: the base commit must be in the history. Checking out the head commit keeps the merge commit of a pull request out of the commit scope.

Exit code	Meaning
0	No gate fired
1	At least one gate fired
2	The tool could not finish

Command line

Outside GitHub Actions, install the package from PyPI and call it directly:

pip install jev-gate
export TYPESAFE_API_KEY=...
jev-gate --config .github/jev-gates.yml --mode diff --base origin/main

It takes the same options as the Action, plus --root, the repository directory, and returns the same exit codes.

Gates file

Top-level keys:

Key	Purpose
model	Pinned Jev version, such as jev-1.13.0. Aliases are refused.
oversize	fail (default) or skip
paths	include and exclude globs; ** crosses directories
scopes	Custom syntax scopes (see below)
gates	The gates

Gate keys: id, rule, scope, allow, state, ask, fail_above, modes, oversize. A gate fires when the probability is strictly above fail_above. allow lists candidate names the gate never judges: the identifier for type, function and variable, the raw test name for test, the path for file and hunk, and the subject for commit. where filters are not supported yet.

Gates of one candidate that send the same state fields share one request.

Built-in scopes and the fields they offer to state:

Scope	Fields	Modes
file	path, text	diff, full
hunk	path, before, after	diff
commit	subject, message, diff, tests	diff
test	phrase, message, assertion, source	diff, full
changed_test	before, after	diff
type	name	diff, full
function	name, returns	diff, full
variable	name	diff, full
throw	message, statement	diff, full
catch	handler	diff, full
log	statement	diff, full

Custom scopes

A custom scope gives a tree-sitter query per language pack. Captures name the fields; @candidate marks the node, and captures starting with _ are ignored. See a custom scope for a gate that uses one.

Examples

Every example below is a complete gates file. The test suite validates each one, so they stay in step with the code.

Built-in scopes

file

Catches a module whose content does not match its file name.

model: jev-1.13.0
gates:
  - id: module-content-disagrees-with-path
    scope: file
    state: [path, text]
    ask: Does `text` hold code about a different subject than `path` names?
    fail_above: 0.9

hunk

Catches a change that comments code out instead of deleting it. Diff mode only.

model: jev-1.13.0
gates:
  - id: code-commented-out
    scope: hunk
    state: [path, before, after]
    ask: >-
      Comparing `before` with `after` in `path`, does the change turn working
      code into a comment instead of deleting it?
    fail_above: 0.85

commit

Catches a commit that changes behaviour without touching a test. Diff mode only.

model: jev-1.13.0
gates:
  - id: behaviour-changed-without-tests
    scope: commit
    state: [subject, message, diff, tests]
    ask: >-
      `subject` and `message` describe the commit and `diff` is its change.
      Does `diff` change behaviour while `tests` shows no test for it?
    fail_above: 0.9

test

Catches a test whose name promises something its assertion does not check.

model: jev-1.13.0
gates:
  - id: assertion-misses-the-claim
    rule: testing.md 1.2
    scope: test
    state: [phrase, message, assertion, source]
    ask: >-
      `phrase` is what the test claims and `source` is its body. Do
      `assertion` and `message` check something other than `phrase`?
    fail_above: 0.9

changed_test

Catches an edited test that was weakened to make it pass. Diff mode only.

model: jev-1.13.0
gates:
  - id: test-weakened
    scope: changed_test
    state: [before, after]
    ask: Does `after` check less than `before` did?
    fail_above: 0.8

type

Catches a class named after what it does rather than what it is.

model: jev-1.13.0
gates:
  - id: class-named-after-a-doer
    rule: eo.md 2.1
    scope: type
    state: [name]
    ask: >-
      Does the class name `name` end in -er or -or and describe what its
      objects do rather than what they are?
    fail_above: 0.85

function

Catches a method named as a verb that returns a value.

model: jev-1.13.0
gates:
  - id: builder-named-as-a-verb
    rule: eo.md 2.2
    scope: function
    state: [name, returns]
    ask: >-
      `returns` is the return type of `name`. Is `returns` something other
      than nothing while `name` is a verb?
    fail_above: 0.9

variable

Catches a variable with a compound name.

model: jev-1.13.0
gates:
  - id: compound-variable-name
    rule: eo.md 2.3
    scope: variable
    state: [name]
    ask: Is `name` built from more than one noun?
    fail_above: 0.9

throw

Catches an error text that does not say what failed.

model: jev-1.13.0
gates:
  - id: error-text-hides-what-failed
    scope: throw
    state: [message, statement]
    ask: >-
      `statement` raises an error with `message`. Does `message` fail to tell
      the reader what went wrong?
    fail_above: 0.9

catch

Catches a handler that swallows the error.

model: jev-1.13.0
gates:
  - id: swallowed-exception
    scope: catch
    state: [handler]
    ask: Does `handler` drop the error without logging, rethrowing or returning it?
    fail_above: 0.9

log

Catches a log line that writes a secret.

model: jev-1.13.0
gates:
  - id: secret-in-log
    scope: log
    state: [statement]
    ask: Does `statement` write a password, token or key to the log?
    fail_above: 0.8

Options

allow

Catches doer class names, except the two names the rule permits.

model: jev-1.13.0
gates:
  - id: class-named-after-a-doer-allowed
    scope: type
    state: [name]
    allow: [User, Computer]
    ask: Does the class name `name` describe what its objects do?
    fail_above: 0.85

Modes

Catches vague test names on a schedule only, and compound type names on both pull requests and schedules. A gate without modes runs in both; gates of diff-only scopes are left out of full runs.

model: jev-1.13.0
gates:
  - id: vague-test-name
    scope: test
    state: [phrase]
    modes: [full]
    ask: Does `phrase` fail to name one behaviour of one object?
    fail_above: 0.9

  - id: compound-type-name
    scope: type
    state: [name]
    modes: [diff, full]
    ask: Is the type name `name` built from more than one noun?
    fail_above: 0.9

Oversize

Catches unclear commit subjects and skips commits too large to send, while every other gate fails on oversize input as the top level says.

model: jev-1.13.0
oversize: fail
gates:
  - id: commit-subject-hides-intent
    scope: commit
    state: [subject, diff]
    oversize: skip
    ask: Does `subject` fail to say why `diff` was made?
    fail_above: 0.95

  - id: file-mixes-concerns
    scope: file
    state: [text]
    ask: Does `text` mix more than one concern?
    fail_above: 0.9

The same file with oversize: skip at the top level skips oversize input for every gate that does not set its own oversize.

Paths

Catches lying error texts in source and tests, but not in generated code or vendored files.

model: jev-1.13.0
paths:
  include: ["src/**", "tests/**"]
  exclude: ["**/generated/**", "src/vendor/**"]
gates:
  - id: error-text-lies
    scope: throw
    state: [message, statement]
    ask: Does `message` describe a different failure than `statement` raises?
    fail_above: 0.9

Shared requests

Catches failure messages that disagree with the test name and ones that are empty of meaning, in one request per test, because both gates send [phrase, message].

model: jev-1.13.0
gates:
  - id: failure-message-disagrees-with-name
    rule: testing.md 1.3
    scope: test
    state: [phrase, message]
    ask: >-
      `phrase` is what the test claims. `message` is the text shown when the
      test fails. Does `message` describe a different behaviour, or a
      different object, than `phrase`?
    fail_above: 0.9

  - id: failure-message-says-nothing
    scope: test
    state: [message, phrase]
    ask: Does `message` say nothing a reader of `phrase` would not already know?
    fail_above: 0.9

A custom scope

Catches BDD steps in Python whose phrase does not describe what the step does.

model: jev-1.13.0
scopes:
  bdd_step:
    fields: [phrase, source]
    packs:
      python:
        match: |
          ((decorated_definition
             (decorator) @_d
             definition: (function_definition name: (identifier) @phrase)) @candidate @source
           (#match? @_d "^@(given|when|then)"))
gates:
  - id: step-phrase-disagrees-with-body
    scope: bdd_step
    state: [phrase, source]
    ask: Does `source` do something other than `phrase` says?
    fail_above: 0.9

A complete gates file

A starting point to copy to .github/jev-gates.yml.

model: jev-1.13.0
oversize: fail

paths:
  include: ["src/**", "tests/**"]
  exclude: ["**/generated/**"]

gates:
  - id: failure-message-disagrees-with-name
    rule: testing.md 1.3
    scope: test
    state: [phrase, message]
    ask: >-
      `phrase` is what the test claims. `message` is the text shown when the
      test fails. Does `message` describe a different behaviour, or a
      different object, than `phrase`?
    fail_above: 0.90

  - id: class-named-after-a-doer
    rule: eo.md 2.1
    scope: type
    state: [name]
    allow: [User, Computer]
    ask: >-
      Does the class name `name` end in -er or -or and describe what its
      objects do rather than what they are?
    fail_above: 0.85

  - id: error-text-hides-what-failed
    scope: throw
    state: [message]
    ask: Does `message` fail to tell the reader what went wrong?
    fail_above: 0.90

  - id: swallowed-exception
    scope: catch
    state: [handler]
    ask: Does `handler` drop the error without logging, rethrowing or returning it?
    fail_above: 0.90

  - id: commit-subject-hides-intent
    scope: commit
    state: [subject, diff]
    oversize: skip
    ask: Does `subject` fail to say why `diff` was made?
    fail_above: 0.95

Workflows

Diff mode on pull requests

Judges only what a pull request touches.

name: Jev Gate

on:
  pull_request:

permissions:
  contents: read

jobs:
  gate:
    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
    timeout-minutes: 15
    steps:
      - uses: actions/checkout@v7
        with:
          fetch-depth: 0
          ref: ${{ github.event.pull_request.head.sha }}
      - uses: your-org/jev-gate@v1
        with:
          config: .github/jev-gates.yml
          mode: diff
          base: ${{ github.event.pull_request.base.sha }}
        env:
          TYPESAFE_API_KEY: ${{ secrets.TYPESAFE_API_KEY }}

Full mode on a schedule

Judges every candidate in the repository once a week.

name: Jev Gate Full

on:
  schedule:
    - cron: "17 3 * * 1"
  workflow_dispatch:

permissions:
  contents: read

jobs:
  gate:
    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
    timeout-minutes: 60
    steps:
      - uses: actions/checkout@v7
      - uses: your-org/jev-gate@v1
        with:
          config: .github/jev-gates.yml
          mode: full
        env:
          TYPESAFE_API_KEY: ${{ secrets.TYPESAFE_API_KEY }}

Development

uv venv .venv && uv pip install --python .venv -e ".[dev]"
make unit      # fast tests with coverage
make e2e       # deep tests
make black flake8 ruff

How to report issues

Enhancements

Open an issue labelled enhancement that describes the behaviour you want and why it helps. You don't need to write code.

Bugs in code

Open a pull request, not an issue. It must include a test that fails on the current code, marked with @pytest.mark.skip so CI stays green:

@pytest.mark.skip(reason="Reproduces #42, unskip once fixed")
def test_skips_hunk_with_only_whitespace_changes():
    ...

The fix can come in the same pull request or a later one, which removes the skip. If you can't push to the repository, fork it first.

Bugs outside code

For bugs a test can't reproduce (documentation, action.yml wiring, packaging, CI workflows), open an issue labelled bug that gives the expected behaviour, the actual behaviour and how to observe it.