categories.js runs ad-hoc CREATE TABLE/ALTER TABLE on every module load outside the versioned migrations system, swallowing all errors

[zeekman]

Project

FarmersMarketplace — Backend (Categories / Schema Management)

Description

backend/src/routes/categories.js defines and immediately invokes ensureCategorySchema() at module load time:

async function ensureCategorySchema() {
  const createSql = `CREATE TABLE IF NOT EXISTS categories (...)`;
  const alterSql = `ALTER TABLE products ADD COLUMN category_id INTEGER REFERENCES categories(id)`;
  try {
    if (typeof db.exec === 'function') { await db.exec(createSql); await db.exec(alterSql); }
    else if (typeof db.query === 'function') { await db.query(createSql); await db.query(alterSql); }
  } catch {
    // Ignore migration failures during test/bootstrap; route handlers will still work.
  }
}
void ensureCategorySchema();

This entirely bypasses the versioned migration system documented in the README (backend/migrations/NNN_description.sql, tracked in a migrations table, applied via npm run migrate). Running schema DDL as a side effect of require()-ing a route file means: (1) the categories table's existence depends on whether this specific route module has been loaded at least once, not on a reproducible migration history; (2) the bare catch {} swallows every error, not just "already exists" — a genuine permissions error, a locked table, or a real syntax error on some future Postgres version would fail completely silently and the app would continue running with categories/category_id missing, later surfacing as confusing 500s deep inside route handlers instead of a clear startup failure.

Acceptance Criteria

• The categories table and products.category_id column are created via a proper file in backend/migrations/, tracked like every other schema change.
• ensureCategorySchema()/void ensureCategorySchema() is removed from categories.js.
• The blanket catch {} pattern is not reintroduced — any migration failure surfaces at startup, consistent with how runMigrations() already process.exit(1)s on failure for the Postgres path in db/schema.js.

[jefferyikhidero]

@jefferyikhidero has applied to work on this issue as part of the Stellar Wave Program's 8th wave.

Hello! I'd love to help out with this and am committed to delivering a clean, timely solution.

ℹ️ Repo Maintainers: To accept this application, review their application or assign @jefferyikhidero to this issue.