fix: redesign repairJSON to handle all reviewer-reported edge cases

Rewrites the JSON repair algorithm to address two correctness bugs
identified in code review:

1. Interior quoted word before comma: "say "yes", and go" was
   misidentified as structural close because "," followed the quote.

2. JSON-shaped content in strings: {"key": "val"} inside a string
   value was being parsed as actual JSON structure.

The new approach:
- Distinguishes keys from values (only values need repair)
- Uses first-valid-candidate scan with deep lookahead
- Verifies that after a candidate close, the continuation is not just
  a structural char but a complete valid JSON pattern
- Validates keyword tokens (true/false/null) fully, not just first char
- Checks container closes recursively for valid continuation

Adds comprehensive tests for all reported edge cases plus a complex
combined scenario with nested JSON-like content, quoted words before
commas, and multiple failure modes in one string.

review/parser.go

@@ -83,68 +83,226 @@ func extractJSON(s string) string {
 // repairJSON attempts to fix common LLM JSON issues:
 // - Unescaped double quotes inside string values
 //
-// Strategy: walk the JSON character by character, tracking whether we're inside
-// a string value. When we find a quote that doesn't look like a structural
-// delimiter (not preceded by \, not followed by : , } ] or whitespace+structural),
-// escape it.
+// Strategy: walk the JSON structurally. Object keys are parsed normally (LLMs
+// get those right). For string VALUES, we find all candidate closing quotes and
+// pick the LAST one that leaves valid JSON structure afterward — maximizing
+// string content, which is the correct bias for the "LLM put unescaped quotes
+// in a string value" failure mode.
 func repairJSON(s string) string {
+	runes := []rune(s)
 	var out strings.Builder
 	out.Grow(len(s) + 64)
 
-	inString := false
-	runes := []rune(s)
-
-	for i := 0; i < len(runes); i++ {
+	i := 0
+	for i < len(runes) {
 		c := runes[i]
 
-		if !inString {
+		if c != '"' {
 			out.WriteRune(c)
-			if c == '"' {
-				inString = true
-			}
+			i++
 			continue
 		}
 
-		// We're inside a string
-		if c == '\\' {
-			// Escape sequence — pass through both characters
-			out.WriteRune(c)
-			if i+1 < len(runes) {
-				i++
-				out.WriteRune(runes[i])
-			}
-			continue
-		}
+		// We hit an opening quote. Determine if this is a key or a value.
+		// Keys: the standard JSON parser in LLMs gets keys right, so we parse
+		// them normally (first unescaped quote closes).
+		// Values: may contain unescaped quotes — use the repair heuristic.
+		isValue := isValuePosition(runes, i)
 
-		if c == '"' {
-			// Is this the end of the string, or an unescaped interior quote?
-			// Look ahead: skip whitespace, then check for structural character
-			j := i + 1
-			for j < len(runes) && (runes[j] == ' ' || runes[j] == '\t' || runes[j] == '\n' || runes[j] == '\r') {
-				j++
-			}
-			if j < len(runes) {
-				next := runes[j]
-				if next == ',' || next == '}' || next == ']' || next == ':' {
-					// Structural — this is really the end of the string
-					out.WriteRune(c)
-					inString = false
+		if !isValue {
+			// Parse key/simple string normally
+			out.WriteRune('"')
+			i++
+			for i < len(runes) {
+				ch := runes[i]
+				if ch == '\\' && i+1 < len(runes) {
+					out.WriteRune(ch)
+					i++
+					out.WriteRune(runes[i])
+					i++
 					continue
 				}
-			} else {
-				// End of input — must be closing quote
-				out.WriteRune(c)
-				inString = false
-				continue
+				if ch == '"' {
+					out.WriteRune('"')
+					i++
+					break
+				}
+				out.WriteRune(ch)
+				i++
 			}
-			// Not a structural close — this is an unescaped interior quote
-			out.WriteRune('\\')
-			out.WriteRune('"')
 			continue
 		}
 
-		out.WriteRune(c)
+		// Value string — find the correct close using last-valid-candidate heuristic
+		out.WriteRune('"')
+		i++
+
+		closeIdx := findClosingQuote(runes, i)
+
+		// Write everything between open and close, escaping interior quotes
+		for j := i; j < closeIdx; j++ {
+			ch := runes[j]
+			if ch == '\\' && j+1 < closeIdx {
+				// Already-escaped sequence — pass through
+				out.WriteRune(ch)
+				j++
+				out.WriteRune(runes[j])
+			} else if ch == '"' {
+				out.WriteRune('\\')
+				out.WriteRune('"')
+			} else {
+				out.WriteRune(ch)
+			}
+		}
+
+		// Write the closing quote
+		out.WriteRune('"')
+		i = closeIdx + 1
 	}
 
 	return out.String()
 }
+
+// isValuePosition determines if the quote at position i is opening a JSON value
+// string (as opposed to an object key). We only apply repair to values that
+// follow ':' since those are the free-text fields where LLMs produce unescaped
+// quotes. Array elements and keys are left alone (parsed normally).
+func isValuePosition(runes []rune, i int) bool {
+	// Look backward, skipping whitespace, for the preceding structural char
+	j := i - 1
+	for j >= 0 && (runes[j] == ' ' || runes[j] == '\t' || runes[j] == '\n' || runes[j] == '\r') {
+		j--
+	}
+	if j < 0 {
+		return false
+	}
+	// After ':' → definitely a value
+	return runes[j] == ':'
+}
+
+// findClosingQuote finds the index of the true closing quote for a JSON string
+// value starting at position start (the character after the opening quote).
+// It collects all unescaped quote candidates and returns the FIRST one that
+// produces valid JSON continuation (deeper lookahead verifies the next token).
+func findClosingQuote(runes []rune, start int) int {
+	// Collect all candidate positions for the closing quote.
+	var candidates []int
+	for j := start; j < len(runes); j++ {
+		if runes[j] == '\\' {
+			j++ // skip escaped character
+			continue
+		}
+		if runes[j] == '"' {
+			candidates = append(candidates, j)
+		}
+	}
+
+	if len(candidates) == 0 {
+		return len(runes)
+	}
+
+	if len(candidates) == 1 {
+		return candidates[0]
+	}
+
+	// Try candidates from FIRST to LAST. The correct closing quote is the
+	// earliest one that produces valid JSON structure after it (verified by
+	// deeper lookahead that checks the next token is a valid JSON start).
+	for _, idx := range candidates {
+		if isValidJSONAfterClose(runes, idx+1) {
+			return idx
+		}
+	}
+
+	// Fallback: return the last candidate
+	return candidates[len(candidates)-1]
+}
+
+// isValidJSONAfterClose checks whether the runes after a candidate closing quote
+// look like valid JSON continuation for a VALUE string. Since we only use this
+// for value positions, ':' is NOT a valid continuation (values are never keys).
+// Checks deeper structure to avoid being fooled by JSON-like content in strings.
+func isValidJSONAfterClose(runes []rune, pos int) bool {
+	j := pos
+	for j < len(runes) && (runes[j] == ' ' || runes[j] == '\t' || runes[j] == '\n' || runes[j] == '\r') {
+		j++
+	}
+
+	if j >= len(runes) {
+		return true
+	}
+
+	next := runes[j]
+	if next == '}' || next == ']' {
+		// Closing a container. Verify what follows the close is also valid:
+		// another structural char, comma, or EOF.
+		return isValidAfterContainerClose(runes, j+1)
+	}
+	if next == ',' {
+		// After comma, must be followed by a valid JSON token
+		j++
+		for j < len(runes) && (runes[j] == ' ' || runes[j] == '\t' || runes[j] == '\n' || runes[j] == '\r') {
+			j++
+		}
+		if j >= len(runes) {
+			return false // trailing comma with nothing after — invalid
+		}
+		return isJSONTokenStart(runes, j)
+	}
+	// ':' is NOT valid here — we're in a value position, not a key.
+	// Any other character is also invalid.
+	return false
+}
+
+// isValidAfterContainerClose checks that after a } or ], the continuation is
+// structurally valid: more closes, comma+token, or EOF.
+func isValidAfterContainerClose(runes []rune, pos int) bool {
+	j := pos
+	for j < len(runes) && (runes[j] == ' ' || runes[j] == '\t' || runes[j] == '\n' || runes[j] == '\r') {
+		j++
+	}
+	if j >= len(runes) {
+		return true
+	}
+	next := runes[j]
+	if next == '}' || next == ']' {
+		return isValidAfterContainerClose(runes, j+1)
+	}
+	if next == ',' {
+		j++
+		for j < len(runes) && (runes[j] == ' ' || runes[j] == '\t' || runes[j] == '\n' || runes[j] == '\r') {
+			j++
+		}
+		if j >= len(runes) {
+			return false
+		}
+		return isJSONTokenStart(runes, j)
+	}
+	return false
+}
+
+// isJSONTokenStart returns true if the rune could begin a JSON value or key.
+// For keywords (true/false/null), verifies the full keyword is present.
+func isJSONTokenStart(runes []rune, pos int) bool {
+	if pos >= len(runes) {
+		return false
+	}
+	r := runes[pos]
+	switch {
+	case r == '"': // string
+		return true
+	case r == '{' || r == '[': // object or array
+		return true
+	case r == 't': // true
+		return pos+4 <= len(runes) && string(runes[pos:pos+4]) == "true"
+	case r == 'f': // false
+		return pos+5 <= len(runes) && string(runes[pos:pos+5]) == "false"
+	case r == 'n': // null
+		return pos+4 <= len(runes) && string(runes[pos:pos+4]) == "null"
+	case r >= '0' && r <= '9': // number
+		return true
+	case r == '-': // negative number
+		return true
+	}
+	return false
+}

review/parser_test.go

@@ -149,3 +149,76 @@ func TestRepairJSON_FixesUnescapedQuotes(t *testing.T) {
 		t.Fatalf("repaired JSON should parse, got: %v\nrepaired: %s", err, result)
 	}
 }
+
+func TestRepairJSON_InteriorQuoteBeforeComma(t *testing.T) {
+	// Bug reported by reviewer: interior quoted word immediately before a comma
+	input := `{"msg": "say "yes", and go"}`
+	result := repairJSON(input)
+
+	var m map[string]interface{}
+	if err := json.Unmarshal([]byte(result), &m); err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("repaired JSON should parse, got: %v\nrepaired: %s", err, result)
+	}
+	// The full string content should be preserved
+	msg, ok := m["msg"].(string)
+	if !ok {
+		t.Fatal("msg field missing or not a string")
+	}
+	if msg != `say "yes", and go` {
+		t.Errorf("unexpected msg content: %q", msg)
+	}
+}
+
+func TestRepairJSON_InteriorQuoteBeforeCloseBrace(t *testing.T) {
+	// Bug reported by reviewer: JSON-shaped syntax inside string values
+	input := `{"msg": "input map {"key": "val"} caused error"}`
+	result := repairJSON(input)
+
+	var m map[string]interface{}
+	if err := json.Unmarshal([]byte(result), &m); err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("repaired JSON should parse, got: %v\nrepaired: %s", err, result)
+	}
+}
+
+func TestRepairJSON_MultipleFields(t *testing.T) {
+	// Multiple string fields with unescaped quotes in different positions
+	input := `{"a": "hello "world"", "b": "foo"}`
+	result := repairJSON(input)
+
+	var m map[string]interface{}
+	if err := json.Unmarshal([]byte(result), &m); err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("repaired JSON should parse, got: %v\nrepaired: %s", err, result)
+	}
+	if _, ok := m["b"]; !ok {
+		t.Error("expected 'b' field to be preserved")
+	}
+}
+
+func TestRepairJSON_PreservesEscapedQuotes(t *testing.T) {
+	// Already-escaped quotes should not be double-escaped
+	input := `{"msg": "already \"escaped\" here"}`
+	result := repairJSON(input)
+
+	if result != input {
+		t.Errorf("repairJSON should not modify already-escaped quotes\n  got:  %s\n  want: %s", result, input)
+	}
+
+	var m map[string]interface{}
+	if err := json.Unmarshal([]byte(result), &m); err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("repaired JSON should parse, got: %v\nrepaired: %s", err, result)
+	}
+}
+
+func TestRepairJSON_ComplexNestedContent(t *testing.T) {
+	// Combines both reviewer bugs: quoted words before commas AND JSON-like content
+	input := `{"verdict": "APPROVE", "findings": [{"finding": "The map {"key": "val"} and (e.g. "28") and say "yes", then stop"}]}`
+	result := repairJSON(input)
+
+	var parsed map[string]interface{}
+	if err := json.Unmarshal([]byte(result), &parsed); err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("repaired JSON should parse, got: %v\nrepaired: %s", err, result)
+	}
+	if parsed["verdict"] != "APPROVE" {
+		t.Errorf("expected verdict APPROVE, got %v", parsed["verdict"])
+	}
+}