my-pi/pi-permission-system/docs/retro/0073-wildcard-dotall-multiline.md

issue, issue_title

issue	issue_title
73	node -e command triggers permission prompt despite "*": "allow" global fallback

Retro: #73 — node -e command triggers permission prompt despite "*": "allow" global fallback

Final Retrospective (2026-05-04T18:21:00Z)

Session summary

Fixed a bug where compileWildcardPattern() in src/wildcard-matcher.ts built regexes without the s (dotAll) flag, causing .* to fail on newline characters. Multiline bash commands (e.g., node -e "\n...\n") fell through every rule — including the universal */* catch-all — and hit the hard-coded "ask" default. The fix was a single-character addition ("s" flag), shipped as v4.1.1 with four new tests.

Observations

What went well

• Root-cause verification before planning: a quick node -e command confirmed the . vs \n hypothesis in seconds, keeping the plan tightly scoped.
• The issue was exceptionally well-written — clear reproducer, config excerpt, two specific hypotheses, and evidence against hypothesis B. This eliminated investigation time entirely.
• Clean three-step TDD cycle with zero rework or deviations from the plan.
• Full plan→implement→ship completed in three user prompts.

What caused friction (agent side)

No friction points identified.

What caused friction (user side)

No friction points identified.

Changes made

1. Created docs/retro/0073-wildcard-dotall-multiline.md (this file).