Common Workflows and Error Handling

Generate MR Review Summary

1. Fetch and validate comments:

   output=$(scripts/get_mr_comments.sh "$MR_URL")
   echo "$output" | grep -q "Author:" || { echo "Invalid response — check token and URL"; exit 1; }

2. Filter by System: false to exclude automated messages
3. Group by author, extract action items and feedback themes
4. Generate summary report

Track Review Progress

1. Fetch and validate comments:

   output=$(scripts/get_mr_comments.sh "$MR_URL")
   [ -n "$output" ] && echo "$output" | grep -q "Date:" || { echo "Empty or malformed response — check credentials"; exit 1; }

2. Compare timestamps to identify recent activity
3. Flag unresolved DiffNotes and report on response times

Error Handling

401 Unauthorized — Token missing or invalid:

• Check GITLAB_TOKEN or GITLAB_PAT is set
• Verify token has read_api scope

404 Project Not Found — Invalid project path:

• Confirm URL format: https://gitlab.com/group/project/-/merge_requests/ID
• Check token has access to the project

200 OK with an error body — the pitfall neither status code above catches:

• GitLab’s API can return HTTP 200 with a JSON error object in the body (e.g. for a malformed nested query)
• Always check the response shape (does it contain the expected Author:/Date: fields, or an error/message key?) before treating a 200 response as valid data — this is why get_mr_comments.sh’s own output format is worth validating field-by-field rather than just checking the exit code