claudes_game/docs/session_summaries/2026-01-25-config-validation-refactoring.md

Config Validation Refactoring

Session Summary

Fixed TOML syntax errors in test configurations and implemented comprehensive config validation refactoring.

Changes Made

Phase 1: TOML Syntax Fixes

• Fixed missing commas in orbit TOML blocks across 12 test config files
• Commas added after semi_major_axis and eccentricity values

Phase 2: Config Validator Module Creation

• Created src/config_validator.h - New module interface
• Created src/config_validator.cpp - 6 validation functions:
  • validate_parent_index_ordering() - Parent index ordering checks
  • validate_orbital_elements() - Orbital elements validity
  • validate_initial_positions() - Moved from simulation
  • validate_mass_ratios() - Parent/child mass ratio validation (MIN_MASS_RATIO=1000)
  • validate_soi_overlap() - Detect overlapping SOIs (error if true)
  • validate_nested_orbits() - Moon orbit boundary checks
  • run_all_config_validations() - Master validation wrapper

Phase 3: Module Integration

• Updated config_loader.cpp to use run_all_config_validations()
• Removed inline validation logic from config_loader
• Removed validate_initial_positions() from simulation module
• Updated Makefile to include config_validator.o

Phase 4: Test Updates

• Deleted obsolete Test 1: "Earth should not become child of spacecraft"
• Deleted obsolete Test 3: "detect placeholder config values"
• Updated Test 4: "Mutual SOI" to expect load failure (config now invalid)

Phase 5: Documentation Updates

• Updated technical_reference.md with all structural changes
• Corrected OrbitalElements, CelestialBody, and Spacecraft structs
• Added Config Validator module documentation
• Updated Initialization Sequence to include validation step
• Updated config examples to show orbit table format

Commits

1. 4c8050b - fix missing commas in orbit TOML blocks
2. 528a843 - add config validation refactoring plan
3. 3bd35bb - create config_validator module and refactor validation logic
4. 1d8e9c6 - remove obsolete tests from test_invalid_parent_assignment
5. 84c1a4d - update plan document to mark as complete
6. a51cf1a - update technical reference after config validation refactoring

Results

• Net line count: +220 lines (606 insertions, 386 deletions)
• Tests: 30 test cases, 239,543 assertions - All passing
• Modules created: 1 (config_validator)
• New files: 2 (config_validator.h, config_validator.cpp)
• Modified files: 7 (Makefile, config_loader.cpp/h, simulation.cpp/h, test_invalid_parent_assignment.cpp, technical_reference.md)
• Modified configs: 13 test configs (TOML syntax fixes)

Validation Rules Implemented

1. Mass ratio validation: For root children with radius > 50% of parent, require mass ratio ≥ 1000
2. SOI overlap validation: Bodies sharing same parent must not have overlapping SOIs (error)
3. Nested orbit validation: Moons (small radius, circular orbits) must orbit within 5x parent SOI
4. Existing validations: Parent index ordering, orbital elements, initial positions

Remaining Issues

None. All tasks completed successfully.

Next Steps

No specific next steps identified. Config validation refactoring is complete and all tests passing.