---
description: Coredata Load vs LoadAll naming and no cross-entity JOINs
globs: "pkg/coredata/**/*.go"
alwaysApply: false
---

# Coredata Load vs LoadAll naming

Do **not** add new unbounded `LoadAll*` loaders that materialise an entire
result set with one query. They have no ceiling: a table that is small in
dev can grow without bound in production, blowing up memory and query time.
Expose a cursor-paginated `LoadBy*` instead, and when a caller genuinely
needs every row, walk that method with the `page.LoadAll` helper (see
[`pkg/page/load_all.go`](../../pkg/page/load_all.go)).

The method name signals whether the result set is bounded:

- **`LoadBy*` with a `cursor` param** — paginated list; the cursor provides
  the limit and ordering. This is the primary list shape; prefer it.
- **`Load` / `LoadBy*` with a `limit int` param** — filtered list with an
  explicit, hard-capped limit (e.g. `... LIMIT 20`), when the caller controls
  a small bounded result count.
- **`LoadAllBy*` / `LoadAll`** — legacy unbounded loaders. Do not add new
  ones. The few that remain are deliberate exceptions: tiny per-parent sets
  (handful of rows), `[]gid.GID` / map projections, or hard-`LIMIT` search
  helpers. When in doubt, use `LoadBy*` + `page.LoadAll`.

`LoadAll*` methods must **never** accept a cursor or limit parameter — the
`All` suffix means the entire matching set is returned. The codebase has
some legacy `LoadAllBy*` methods that accept a cursor; do not follow that
pattern.

```go
// GOOD — paginated query uses LoadBy with a cursor
func (ds *Things) LoadByParentID(
	ctx context.Context,
	conn pg.Querier,
	scope Scoper,
	parentID gid.GID,
	cursor *page.Cursor[ThingOrderField],
) error {

// GOOD — caller that needs every row walks the paginated method
things, err := page.LoadAll(
	ctx,
	page.OrderBy[coredata.ThingOrderField]{
		Field:     coredata.ThingOrderFieldCreatedAt,
		Direction: page.OrderDirectionAsc,
	},
	func(ctx context.Context, cursor *page.Cursor[coredata.ThingOrderField]) ([]*coredata.Thing, error) {
		var batch coredata.Things
		if err := batch.LoadByParentID(ctx, conn, scope, parentID, cursor); err != nil {
			return nil, err
		}

		return batch, nil
	},
)

// GOOD — explicit hard-capped limit, named Load
func (ds *Things) Load(
	ctx context.Context,
	conn pg.Querier,
	limit int,
	filter *ThingFilter,
) error {

// BAD — new unbounded loader; add LoadByParentID + page.LoadAll instead
func (ds *Things) LoadAllByParentID(
	ctx context.Context,
	conn pg.Querier,
	scope Scoper,
	parentID gid.GID,
) error {

// BAD — LoadAll with a limit, or LoadAllBy with a cursor (legacy, do not use)
func (ds *Things) LoadAll(
	ctx context.Context,
	conn pg.Querier,
	limit int,
	filter *ThingFilter,
) error {
```

Whatever order field the loop uses must have a `CursorKey` case on the
entity — `CursorKey` panics at runtime (not compile time) on an unhandled
field, so add the case when introducing the order field.

# Cross-entity table references

Each entity file in `pkg/coredata` queries its own table. Never JOIN two
entity tables to **return columns from both** — the caller orchestrates
separate calls instead.

**Subqueries for filtering are OK.** When the only purpose of the other
table is to narrow a `WHERE` clause (e.g. `IN (SELECT id FROM ...)`),
keep it in the query rather than materializing IDs in Go and passing
them as an `ANY(@ids)` parameter. A subquery keeps the filtering in the
database and eliminates an extra round trip.

```go
// BAD — cross-entity JOIN that returns columns from both tables
q := `
SELECT ctpd.common_third_party_id
FROM detected_trackers dt
JOIN common_third_party_domains ctpd ON ctpd.domain = dt.initiator_domain
WHERE dt.tracker_pattern_id = @tracker_pattern_id
`

// GOOD — caller orchestrates two entity calls
domains, err := trackers.LoadInitiatorDomainsByTrackerPatternID(ctx, conn, patternID, 10)
filter := coredata.NewCommonThirdPartyDomainFilter(domains)
var matched coredata.CommonThirdPartyDomains
err = matched.Load(ctx, conn, 1, filter)
thirdPartyID := matched[0].CommonThirdPartyID

// GOOD — subquery only used for filtering, no columns returned from it
q := `
SELECT id, pattern, tracker_type, ...
FROM tracker_patterns
WHERE common_tracker_pattern_id IN (
    SELECT id FROM common_tracker_patterns
    WHERE common_third_party_id = @filter_common_third_party_id
)
`
```