[Code Quality] Standardize error wrapping across compiler files

[github-actions]

Description

Compiler files show inconsistent error wrapping patterns. Some files use fmt.Errorf with %w for proper error chaining (excellent), while others have gaps that make debugging compilation failures more difficult.

Current State

Error wrapping inconsistency across files:

File	Error Wraps	Coverage	Status
compiler_jobs.go	16/16	100%	✅ Excellent
compiler_yaml.go	3/3	100%	✅ Excellent
compiler_activation_jobs.go	4/9	44%	⚠️ Needs work
compiler_yaml_main_job.go	1/2	50%	⚠️ Needs work

Examples of issues:

1. compiler_yaml_main_job.go (line 66):

   // Current - error only logged, not returned
   if err != nil {
       compilerYamlLog.Printf("Warning: failed to marshal repository imports: %v", err)
   }
   
   // Should be
   if err != nil {
       return fmt.Errorf("failed to marshal repository imports for merge step: %w", err)
   }

2. compiler_activation_jobs.go:

   • 9 fmt.Errorf calls total
   • Only 4 use %w for wrapping (44% coverage)
   • Missing context propagation for debugging

Impact

Without consistent error wrapping:

• Harder to trace compilation failures through call stack
• Loss of error context at higher levels
• Debugging requires more time and effort
• Reduced error actionability for users

Suggested Changes

1. Audit all compiler files for error handling:

   grep -rn "return.*fmt.Errorf" pkg/workflow/compiler*.go | grep -v "%w"

2. Fix missing error wrapping - Ensure all error returns use %w:

   return fmt.Errorf("failed to (action): %w", err)

3. Return errors instead of only logging - Don't swallow errors:

   // Bad
   if err != nil {
       log.Printf("Warning: %v", err)
   }
   
   // Good  
   if err != nil {
       return fmt.Errorf("context: %w", err)
   }

Files Affected

Priority order (most gaps to fewest):

1. pkg/workflow/compiler_activation_jobs.go - 5 missing wraps
2. pkg/workflow/compiler_yaml_main_job.go - 1 missing wrap

Success Criteria

• All fmt.Errorf calls with underlying errors use %w wrapper
• No errors are logged without being returned (unless explicitly intended)
• Error messages include actionable context
• Grep audit shows 100% error wrap coverage: grep -rn "return.*fmt.Errorf" pkg/workflow/compiler*.go | grep -v "%w" returns no results
• All existing tests still pass after changes

Priority

High - Quick win with high impact on debugging experience

Estimated Effort

30-60 minutes

Source

Extracted from compiler quality analysis discussions:

• Daily Compiler Code Quality Report - Feb 6, 2026 (#14159) - "Standardize error wrapping across all files"
• Daily Compiler Code Quality Report - Feb 5, 2026 (#13934) - "Inconsistent error wrapping (Medium Priority)"

Identified as immediate action in both reports due to impact on debugging.

AI generated by Discussion Task Miner - Code Quality Improvement Agent

• expires on Feb 8, 2026, 5:17 AM UTC

[github-actions]

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