From 572b66650b4c9171339a4bfbb7c979f7a8502e94 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001
From: Iisyourdad <tyler.westbrook1@gmail.com>
Date: Thu, 11 Jun 2026 10:47:32 -0500
Subject: [PATCH] Fix settings button on library view

---
 core/util.js                    |  6 ++++--
 docs/CHANGELOG.md               |  5 +++++
 tests/unit/placeholders.test.js | 30 ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
 3 files changed, 39 insertions(+), 2 deletions(-)

diff --git a/core/util.js b/core/util.js
index 65b9d6e..f94ee79 100644
--- a/core/util.js
+++ b/core/util.js
@@ -32,7 +32,9 @@ function atomicWriteFileSync(file, data) {
 }
 
 function writeJsonSync(file, obj) {
-  atomicWriteFileSync(file, JSON.stringify(obj, null, 2) + '\n');
+  const json = JSON.stringify(obj, null, 2);
+  if (json === undefined) throw new TypeError(`writeJsonSync: value for ${file} is not JSON-serializable`);
+  atomicWriteFileSync(file, json + '\n');
 }
 
 function readJsonSync(file) {
@@ -43,7 +45,7 @@ function readJsonIfExists(file, fallback) {
   try {
     return readJsonSync(file);
   } catch (err) {
-    if (err.code === 'ENOENT') return fallback;
+    if (err.code === 'ENOENT' || err instanceof SyntaxError) return fallback;
     throw err;
   }
 }
diff --git a/docs/CHANGELOG.md b/docs/CHANGELOG.md
index 1777e27..6a9c2e5 100644
--- a/docs/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/docs/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -78,6 +78,11 @@ Initial release.
   earlier) and use it for the click-marker placement, and the
   click-capture cache is armed as soon as recording starts so the very
   first click is captured instantly.
+- Settings no longer fails to open if `app-settings.json` or
+  `placeholders.json` was previously corrupted (e.g. left containing the
+  literal text "undefined" by an old bug); a corrupted file is now
+  treated as empty instead of crashing the dialog, and is overwritten
+  with valid JSON the next time settings are saved.
 
 ### Added (initial feature set)
 
diff --git a/tests/unit/placeholders.test.js b/tests/unit/placeholders.test.js
index 3e372d9..2b15ac3 100644
--- a/tests/unit/placeholders.test.js
+++ b/tests/unit/placeholders.test.js
@@ -3,12 +3,16 @@
 const test = require('node:test');
 const assert = require('node:assert/strict');
 
+const fs = require('node:fs');
+const path = require('node:path');
+
 const {
   systemPlaceholders, resolveScopes, expandPlaceholders,
   listPlaceholders, collectGuidePlaceholders,
 } = require('../../core/placeholders');
 const { createGuide, createStep } = require('../../core/schema');
 const { Settings, DEFAULT_SETTINGS } = require('../../core/settings');
+const { writeJsonSync } = require('../../core/util');
 const { makeTmpDir, rmrf } = require('./helpers');
 
 test('placeholder expansion respects guide > global > system precedence', () => {
@@ -61,3 +65,29 @@ test('settings persist, deep-merge with defaults, and store global placeholders'
   assert.equal(s2.get('capture.clickMarker'), DEFAULT_SETTINGS.capture.clickMarker);
   assert.deepEqual(s2.getGlobalPlaceholders(), { Company: 'Acme', Author: 'Tyler' });
 });
+
+test('a corrupted placeholders/settings file falls back instead of crashing the settings dialog', (t) => {
+  const dir = makeTmpDir('settings-corrupt');
+  t.after(() => rmrf(dir));
+
+  // Simulate a file left over from a past bug: literal "undefined" instead of JSON.
+  fs.writeFileSync(path.join(dir, 'placeholders.json'), 'undefined\n');
+  fs.writeFileSync(path.join(dir, 'app-settings.json'), 'undefined\n');
+
+  const s = new Settings(dir);
+  assert.deepEqual(s.getGlobalPlaceholders(), {});
+  assert.equal(s.get('appearance'), DEFAULT_SETTINGS.appearance);
+
+  // Saving afterwards overwrites the corrupted file with valid JSON.
+  s.setGlobalPlaceholders({ Author: 'Tyler' });
+  assert.deepEqual(s.getGlobalPlaceholders(), { Author: 'Tyler' });
+});
+
+test('writeJsonSync refuses to write a non-JSON value instead of writing the literal string "undefined"', () => {
+  const dir = makeTmpDir('write-json-guard');
+  try {
+    assert.throws(() => writeJsonSync(path.join(dir, 'bad.json'), undefined), TypeError);
+  } finally {
+    rmrf(dir);
+  }
+});