refactor: optimize bulk ops, prioritize exact node matches & fix remote AI deadlock

- Priority Matching: Prioritize exact node matches in connect, delete, show, and modify actions to bypass disambiguation prompts and prevent accidental bulk mutations on partial matches.
- Bulk Operations: Optimize NodeService delete and update operations by deferring configuration writes, syncs, and cache updates to the final element of a batch.
- Remote AI: Prevent client-side CLI deadlocks when the gRPC server encounters AI configuration ValueErrors by returning a clean error state and final stream marker.
- Testing: Add unit test to verify exact-match priority behavior and update existing CLI tests to match new NodeService signatures.

connpy/cli/node_handler.py

@@ -14,6 +14,23 @@ class NodeHandler:
         self.app = app
         self.forms = Forms(app)
 
+    def _filter_exact_match(self, matches, query):
+        if not query or len(matches) <= 1:
+            return matches
+        
+        exact_matches = []
+        for m in matches:
+            if self.app.case:
+                if m == query:
+                    exact_matches.append(m)
+            else:
+                if m.lower() == query.lower():
+                    exact_matches.append(m)
+                    
+        if len(exact_matches) == 1:
+            return exact_matches
+        return matches
+
     def dispatch(self, args):
         if not self.app.case and args.data != None:
             args.data = args.data.lower()
@@ -39,6 +56,7 @@ class NodeHandler:
         else:
             try:
                 matches = self.app.services.nodes.list_nodes(args.data)
+                matches = self._filter_exact_match(matches, args.data)
             except Exception:
                 matches = []
 
@@ -73,6 +91,7 @@ class NodeHandler:
                 matches = self.app.services.nodes.list_folders(args.data)
             else:
                 matches = self.app.services.nodes.list_nodes(args.data)
+                matches = self._filter_exact_match(matches, args.data)
         except Exception:
             matches = []
 
@@ -87,8 +106,9 @@ class NodeHandler:
             sys.exit(7)
 
         try:
-            for item in matches:
-                self.app.services.nodes.delete_node(item, is_folder=is_folder)
+            for i, item in enumerate(matches):
+                save_on_last = (i == len(matches) - 1)
+                self.app.services.nodes.delete_node(item, is_folder=is_folder, save=save_on_last)
             
             if len(matches) == 1:
                 printer.success(f"{matches[0]} deleted successfully")
@@ -144,6 +164,7 @@ class NodeHandler:
             
         try:
             matches = self.app.services.nodes.list_nodes(args.data)
+            matches = self._filter_exact_match(matches, args.data)
         except Exception:
             matches = []
 
@@ -171,6 +192,7 @@ class NodeHandler:
             
         try:
             matches = self.app.services.nodes.list_nodes(args.data)
+            matches = self._filter_exact_match(matches, args.data)
         except Exception:
             matches = []
             
@@ -209,7 +231,7 @@ class NodeHandler:
                 self.app.services.nodes.update_node(matches[0], updatenode)
                 printer.success(f"{args.data} edited successfully")
             else:
-                editcount = 0
+                changed_items = []
                 for k in matches:
                     updated_item = self.app.services.nodes.explode_unique(k)
                     updated_item["type"] = "connection"
@@ -222,8 +244,12 @@ class NodeHandler:
                             updated_item[key] = updatenode[key]
                     
                     if this_item_changed:
-                        editcount += 1
-                        self.app.services.nodes.update_node(k, updated_item)
+                        changed_items.append((k, updated_item))
+                
+                editcount = len(changed_items)
+                for i, (k, updated_item) in enumerate(changed_items):
+                    save_on_last = (i == editcount - 1)
+                    self.app.services.nodes.update_node(k, updated_item, save=save_on_last)
                 
                 if editcount == 0:
                     printer.info("Nothing to do here")

connpy/grpc_layer/server.py

@@ -815,8 +815,13 @@ class StatusBridge:
         return default
 
 class AIServicer(connpy_pb2_grpc.AIServiceServicer):
-    def __init__(self, config):
+    def __init__(self, config, debug=False):
         self.service = AIService(config)
+        self.server_debug = debug
+        if debug:
+            from rich.console import Console
+            from ..printer import connpy_theme, get_original_stdout
+            self.server_console = Console(theme=connpy_theme, file=get_original_stdout())
 
     @handle_errors
     def ask(self, request_iterator, context):
@@ -859,6 +864,16 @@ class AIServicer(connpy_pb2_grpc.AIServiceServicer):
 
                 # Send final chunk marker
                 chunk_queue.put(("final_mark", res))
+            except ValueError as e:
+                # Configuration or LLM provider connection errors are expected, only print in debug mode
+                if debug or getattr(self, "server_debug", False):
+                    from rich.console import Console
+                    from ..printer import connpy_theme, get_original_stdout
+                    c = getattr(self, "server_console", None) or Console(theme=connpy_theme, file=get_original_stdout())
+                    c.print(f"[debug][DEBUG][/debug] AI Task Error: {e}")
+                chunk_queue.put(("status", f"Error: {str(e)}"))
+                # Crucial: always send final_mark to avoid client deadlock
+                chunk_queue.put(("final_mark", {"response": f"Error: {str(e)}", "chat_history": history, "error": True}))
             except Exception as e:
                 import traceback
                 print(f"AI Task Error: {e}")
@@ -1058,7 +1073,7 @@ def serve(config, port=8048, debug=False):
     remote_plugin_pb2_grpc.add_RemotePluginServiceServicer_to_server(plugin_servicer, server)
     connpy_pb2_grpc.add_ExecutionServiceServicer_to_server(ExecutionServicer(config), server)
     connpy_pb2_grpc.add_ImportExportServiceServicer_to_server(ImportExportServicer(config), server)
-    connpy_pb2_grpc.add_AIServiceServicer_to_server(AIServicer(config), server)
+    connpy_pb2_grpc.add_AIServiceServicer_to_server(AIServicer(config, debug=debug), server)
     connpy_pb2_grpc.add_SystemServiceServicer_to_server(SystemServicer(config), server)
     
     server.add_insecure_port(f'[::]:{port}')

connpy/grpc_layer/stubs.py

@@ -462,15 +462,17 @@ class NodeStub:
         self._trigger_local_cache_sync()
 
     @handle_errors
-    def update_node(self, unique_id, data):
+    def update_node(self, unique_id, data, save=True):
         req = connpy_pb2.NodeRequest(id=unique_id, data=to_struct(data), is_folder=False)
         self.stub.update_node(req)
+        if save:
             self._trigger_local_cache_sync()
 
     @handle_errors
-    def delete_node(self, unique_id, is_folder=False):
+    def delete_node(self, unique_id, is_folder=False, save=True):
         req = connpy_pb2.DeleteRequest(id=unique_id, is_folder=is_folder)
         self.stub.delete_node(req)
+        if save:
             self._trigger_local_cache_sync()
 
     @handle_errors
@@ -895,9 +897,6 @@ class AIStub:
                         from ..printer import connpy_theme, get_original_stdout
                         stable_console = RichConsole(theme=connpy_theme, file=get_original_stdout())
                         stable_console.print(Rule(style=alias))
-                    elif not full_content and final_result.get("response"):
-                        # If nothing streamed but we have response (e.g. error or direct guide)
-                        printer.console.print(Panel(Markdown(final_result["response"]), title=title, border_style=alias, expand=False))
                     break
         except Exception as e:
             # Check if it was a gRPC error that we should let handle_errors catch

connpy/services/node_service.py

@@ -148,7 +148,7 @@ class NodeService(BaseService):
             self.config._connections_add(**data)
             self.config._saveconfig(self.config.file)
 
-    def update_node(self, unique_id, data):
+    def update_node(self, unique_id, data, save=True):
         """Explicitly update an existing node."""
         all_nodes = self.config._getallnodes()
         if unique_id not in all_nodes:
@@ -162,9 +162,10 @@ class NodeService(BaseService):
             
         # config._connections_add actually handles updates if ID exists correctly
         self.config._connections_add(**data)
+        if save:
             self.config._saveconfig(self.config.file)
 
-    def delete_node(self, unique_id, is_folder=False):
+    def delete_node(self, unique_id, is_folder=False, save=True):
         """Logic for deleting a node or folder."""
         if is_folder:
             uniques = self.config._explode_unique(unique_id)
@@ -177,6 +178,7 @@ class NodeService(BaseService):
                 raise NodeNotFoundError(f"Node '{unique_id}' not found or invalid.")
             self.config._connections_del(**uniques)
             
+        if save:
             self.config._saveconfig(self.config.file)
 
     def connect_node(self, unique_id, sftp=False, debug=False, logger=None):

connpy/tests/test_connapp.py

@@ -40,7 +40,7 @@ def test_node_del(mock_prompt, mock_delete_node, mock_list_nodes, app):
     mock_list_nodes.return_value = ["router1"]
     mock_prompt.return_value = {"delete": True}
     app.start(["node", "-r", "router1"])
-    mock_delete_node.assert_called_once_with("router1", is_folder=False)
+    mock_delete_node.assert_called_once_with("router1", is_folder=False, save=True)
 
 @patch("connpy.services.node_service.NodeService.list_nodes")
 @patch("connpy.services.node_service.NodeService.get_node_details")
@@ -314,3 +314,13 @@ def test_config_auth_file_path(mock_get_settings, mock_update_setting, mock_open
     assert args[1]["engineer_auth"] == {"vertex_project": "file-project"}
 
 
+@patch("connpy.services.node_service.NodeService.list_nodes")
+@patch("connpy.services.node_service.NodeService.connect_node")
+def test_node_connect_exact_match_priority(mock_connect_node, mock_list_nodes, app):
+    """Test that exact matches are prioritized over partial/regex matches when connecting."""
+    mock_list_nodes.return_value = ["pe1@ctx", "qro1pe1@ctx"]
+    app.start(["node", "pe1@ctx"])
+    mock_connect_node.assert_called_once_with("pe1@ctx", sftp=False, debug=False, logger=app._service_logger)
+
+
+