Experiments (not just old version experiments) aren't rendering experiment preview

[cjqian]

Regression where participant previews do not render:
There are console log errors related to a name; possible new feature or variable-related.

Experiment links for reproducing:

• https://deliberate-lab.appspot.com/#/e/02ce565c-c864-4bfe-9fe5-a920e269ce25/p/dea75a8f-f7f7-4edc-ae5b-4718e6e4dc9d
• https://deliberate-lab.appspot.com/#/e/04307330-0e3a-41ef-a5d1-8b4194bcdf6a

[vivtsai]

FWIW I'm not seeing this issue locally, so could be build/deployment related.

[jimbojw]

From the console log, for reference:

[mobx] uncaught error in 'Reaction[eX.update()]' TypeError: Cannot read properties of undefined (reading 'name')

[jimbojw]

Does this affect all experiments, or just some?

[jimbojw]

The function that's throwing is extractVariablesFromVariableConfigs():

deliberate-lab/utils/src/variables.utils.ts

Line 60 in 12a8b41

variableDefinitions[config.definition.name] = config.definition;

At that line, while the target object behind the config proxy's id is charity-permutation-config, it lacks a definition field.

Here's an export from the Chrome Dev console:

{
    "variableNames": [
        "charity_1",
        "charity_2",
        "charity_3",
        "charity_4",
        "charity_5",
        "charity_6",
        "charity_7",
        "charity_8",
        "charity_9"
    ],
    "id": "charity-permutation-config",
    "type": "random_permutation",
    "variableSchema": {
        "link": "string",
        "mission": "string",
        "name": "string",
        "score": "string",
        "key": "string"
    },
    "seedStrategy": "cohort",
    "variableType": "object",
    "values": [
        "{\"key\":\"ifaw\",\"name\":\"🐘 International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW)\",\"link\":\"https://www.charitynavigator.org/ein/542044674\",\"score\":\"98%\",\"mission\":\"Fresh thinking and bold action for animals, people, and the place we call home.\"}",
        "{\"key\":\"wildaid\",\"name\":\"🦁 WildAid (animal welfare)\",\"link\":\"https://www.charitynavigator.org/ein/203644441\",\"score\":\"97%\",\"mission\":\"WildAid's mission is to end the illegal wildlife trade in our lifetimes by reducing demand through public awareness campaigns and providing comprehensive marine protection.\"}",
        "{\"key\":\"clean_ocean\",\"name\":\"🌊 Clean Ocean Action\",\"link\":\"https://www.charitynavigator.org/ein/222897204\",\"score\":\"99%\",\"mission\":\"Clean Oceans International is dedicated to reducing plastic pollution in the world's ocean through Research, Innovation, and Direct Action.\"}",
        "{\"key\":\"sudan_aid\",\"name\":\"🏥 Sudan Humanitarian Aid\",\"link\":\"https://www.charitynavigator.org/ein/472864379\",\"score\":\"92%\",\"mission\":\"To provide life-saving aid to the affected population, Sadagaat-USA is collaborating with other US-based organizations and local initiatives in Sudan to offer food, medication, medical supplies, and water through its emergency response program.\"}",
        "{\"key\":\"eyecare_india\",\"name\":\"👁️ Eyecare in India\",\"link\":\"https://www.charitynavigator.org/ein/776141976\",\"score\":\"100%\",\"mission\":\"Our mission is to reach out to the rural poor and provide quality eye care free of cost to the needy by building operationally self-sufficient super specialty eye care hospitals across India and perform free eye surgeries.\"}",
        "{\"key\":\"global_housing\",\"name\":\"🏠 Global Housing for Orphans\",\"link\":\"https://www.charitynavigator.org/ein/562500794\",\"score\":\"91%\",\"mission\":\"Givelight builds nurturing homes and provides high quality education for orphans globally.\"}",
        "{\"key\":\"rainforest_action\",\"name\":\"🌳 Rainforest Action\",\"link\":\"https://www.charitynavigator.org/ein/943045180\",\"score\":\"100%\",\"mission\":\"Rainforest Action Network campaigns for the forests, their inhabitants and the natural systems that sustain life by transforming the global marketplace through education, grassroots organizing and non-violent direct action.\"}",
        "{\"key\":\"aid_for_children\",\"name\":\"👶 Aid for Children in Remote Villages\",\"link\":\"https://www.charitynavigator.org/ein/300108263\",\"score\":\"100%\",\"mission\":\"[Facilitated via GlobalGiving] The Eden Social Welfare Foundation has cared for underprivileged children since 2006, with the hope that they can enjoy the right to a fair education, better after-school care, and a healthy and nutritious breakfast.\"}",
        "{\"key\":\"global_fund_women\",\"name\":\"♀ Global Fund for Women\",\"link\":\"https://www.charitynavigator.org/ein/770155782\",\"score\":\"100%\",\"mission\":\"Global Fund for Women advances women’s human rights by investing in women-led organizations worldwide. Our international network of supporters mobilizes financial and other resources to support women’s actions for social justice, equality and peace.\"}"
    ]
}

There appear to be two instances in the codebase that create an object like this. Both have a definition field:

• deliberate-lab/frontend/src/shared/templates/charity_allocations.ts

  Line 211 in 12a8b41

  const CHARITY_RANDOM_PERMUTATION_CONFIG: RandomPermutationVariableConfig = {

• deliberate-lab/frontend/src/shared/templates/charity_allocations_ootb.ts

  Line 189 in 12a8b41

  const CHARITY_RANDOM_PERMUTATION_CONFIG: RandomPermutationVariableConfig = {

Since the error line happens outside the block with the expandListToSeparateVariables check, and since the config target object lacks this field, it is not immediately clear to me if/how #928 could affect this bug, but I can't rule it out either. Would need to study that patch more.

[rasmi]

Sorry folks! I thought we didn't need to worry about experiemnts that used the old Variable format, here is a migration PR (you can either run it as a one-time script against the databse directly, or add code that migrates old experiments as they are loaded): #939