`annotaterb models --delete` doesn't remove annotations from files excluded via `exclude_*`

[jeduardo824]

Summary

When a related file type is excluded from annotation (e.g. exclude_tests: true), annotaterb models --delete does not remove annotations that were previously written to those files. The annotations become orphaned, and there's no built-in way to clean them up other than temporarily reverting the config.

Steps to reproduce

1. With exclude_tests: false (the default), annotate — the model and its test files get an annotation block.
2. Decide you no longer want annotations in test files and set exclude_tests: true.
3. Run annotaterb models --delete.

Expected: the annotation blocks are removed from the test files as well.

Actual: the model/fixture annotations are removed, but the test files keep their (now stale) annotation blocks. The only workaround is to set exclude_tests: false, run --delete, then set it back to true.

The same applies to any related type that can be excluded (fixtures, factories, serializers, scaffolds, controllers, helpers).

Root cause

ProjectAnnotationRemover#build_instructions_for_file builds its related-file list with the same RelatedFilesListBuilder that is used for annotating:

https://github.com/drwl/annotaterb/blob/9538099/lib/annotate_rb/model_annotator/project_annotation_remover.rb#L51

RelatedFilesListBuilder#build gates each related file type on the exclude_* options, so an excluded type is never added to the list — and removal therefore never visits it.

Proposed fix

The exclude_* options describe where annotations should be added; they shouldn't block removal. When removing, the builder should reach every related file type regardless of the exclude settings (removing an annotation from a file that has none is a no-op).

I have a small patch + unit test ready and am happy to open a PR if this direction sounds good to you.

[OdenTakashi]

Hi @jeduardo824,

Thanks for opening this — I understand the issue.

I’m in favor of fixing it. In other words, --delete should also remove annotations from excluded file types. That seems consistent with the README description of the exclude option: do not annotate

One concern is that this may be a breaking change for users who rely on the current behavior. For example:

annotaterb models --delete -e tests

This can be used to remove annotations from models/fixtures while keeping test files untouched.

That said, deletion is probably not the main workflow for this gem. Also, using -e/--exclude to scope deletion is not really the original intended use of that option.

So I’m also fine with deferring support for that workflow until it becomes a real pain point for users.

@drwl — what do you think is the best direction here?

[jeduardo824]

@OdenTakashi @drwl I have opened a PR for my proposed solution.