Add error wrapping to compiler activation job builders

[Copilot]

The compiler_activation_jobs.go file had only 1 of 4 error returns using proper error wrapping with %w, making activation job failures harder to debug. This adds wrapping to the remaining unwrapped errors.

Changes

• Wrap error in buildPreActivationJob when custom field extraction fails
• Wrap error in buildMainJob when main job step generation fails

Example

Before:

customSteps, customOutputs, err := c.extractPreActivationCustomFields(data.Jobs)
if err != nil {
    return nil, err  // No context
}

After:

customSteps, customOutputs, err := c.extractPreActivationCustomFields(data.Jobs)
if err != nil {
    return nil, fmt.Errorf("failed to extract pre-activation custom fields: %w", err)
}

Error messages now clearly indicate which activation operation failed, matching the error handling pattern in compiler_orchestrator.go (19 wrapped errors).

Original prompt

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This section details on the original issue you should resolve

<issue_title>[Code Quality] Add error wrapping to compiler activation job builders</issue_title>
<issue_description>### Description

The compiler_activation_jobs.go file has only 1 instance of proper error wrapping (fmt.Errorf with %w) despite multiple error returns. This makes debugging activation job generation issues significantly harder.

Current State

File: pkg/workflow/compiler_activation_jobs.go
Size: 799 lines
Error Wrapping: 1 instance
Quality Score: 80/100

Comparison: compiler_orchestrator.go has 19 properly wrapped errors

Impact

• Harder to debug activation job generation failures
• Error messages lack contextual information
• Stack traces don't show error propagation clearly

Suggested Changes

Add fmt.Errorf with %w for error returns:

Before:

func extractPreActivationCustomFields(...) error {
    if err := validateInput(); err != nil {
        return err  // ❌ No context
    }
    return nil
}

After:

func extractPreActivationCustomFields(...) error {
    if err := validateInput(); err != nil {
        return fmt.Errorf("failed to validate activation input: %w", err)  // ✅ Context
    }
    return nil
}

Files Affected

• pkg/workflow/compiler_activation_jobs.go (multiple functions)
• Functions to update:
  • extractPreActivationCustomFields()
  • buildPreActivationJob() (error paths)
  • Helper functions returning errors

Success Criteria

• All error returns use fmt.Errorf with %w
• Error messages provide context about which activation check failed
• Consistent error wrapping pattern across file
• Error messages actionable (explain what went wrong and where)
• All tests pass
• make agent-finish passes

Benefits

• Better debugging: Clear error context shows exactly where failures occur
• Consistent patterns: Matches error handling quality of compiler_orchestrator.go
• Easier troubleshooting: Users get actionable error messages

Priority

Medium - Improves debugging and error handling consistency

Estimated effort: 1-2 hours

Source

Extracted from Daily Compiler Code Quality Report discussion githubnext/gh-aw#11591

Analysis quote:

"Limited Error Wrapping (Medium Priority) - Only 1 instance of fmt.Errorf with %w. Most error returns lack contextual information. Impact: Harder to debug issues in activation job generation"

AI generated by Discussion Task Miner - Code Quality Improvement Agent

• expires on Feb 7, 2026, 2:02 PM UTC

Comments on the Issue (you are @copilot in this section)

• Fixes [Code Quality] Add error wrapping to compiler activation job builders #11664

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