[rtibblesbot]

Summary

• Associate: repeated pairs, in either order, are flagged under each row.
• Chip lists: each message shows once below the box; each flagged chip gets an error icon.
• Duplicate-distractor message now reads "Distractors cannot match an existing item or distractor".

References

Fixes #6316. Decisions: #6316 (comment)

Reviewer guidance

Suggested review: Full code review, then manual QA once the reviewer sets Needs QA.

• User-visible files changed: contentcuration/contentcuration/frontend/shared/views/QTIEditor/components/ClickableRegion/index.vue, contentcuration/contentcuration/frontend/shared/views/QTIEditor/components/EditableChipList/index.vue, contentcuration/contentcuration/frontend/shared/views/QTIEditor/constants.js, contentcuration/contentcuration/frontend/shared/views/QTIEditor/interactions/associate/Editor.vue, contentcuration/contentcuration/frontend/shared/views/QTIEditor/interactions/associate/validation.js….
• Decide whether chip-list errors should be announced through the per-chip watch on KDS's assertive live region. A shared role="alert" message stays silent when a third chip gains a message that is already shown.
• Confirm that saved Associate questions which already repeat a pair should turn incomplete when reopened, with no migration and no notice.
• With a screen reader, check that a chip gaining a message is announced once and that a focused flagged chip reads the message. Also check that a Match row's prompt card stretching to the answers message looks like the approved POC.

New exercise in an editable channel > Questions tab > "New question".

1. Flagged distractor chip
   • "Response type" "Associate". Pair 1 Kenya / Nairobi. Add distractor Kenya, click "Save". Chip gets red border and error icon; "Distractors cannot match an existing item or distractor" shows below the box.
   • Click the Kenya chip. Editor opens with no error icon.
   • Type Lima; "Save" does not move. Click "Save". Chip closes, message goes.
   • Click "Add distractor", type Peru, click the × next to the editor. No chip added.
2. Repeated pairs
   • Add pair 2 Nairobi / Kenya. Both rows show "Pairs cannot repeat another pair"; question shows "Incomplete".
   • Reload. "Incomplete" stays.
   • Change pair 2 to Kenya / Lagos. Both rows clear.
3. Other chip lists
   • "Match": add Mammal twice to one row. Message shows once, below that row.
   • "Gap match": add distractor Red twice. Message shows once.

Look out for:

• Screen reader on a flagged chip: message read once per chip, or not read.
• 480px width and Arabic: misplaced message or error icon in chip lists.

Open questions:

• Chip-list messages are not role="alert"; a chip gaining an error is announced once via the KDS live region.
• Saved Associate questions with repeated pairs become incomplete, with no migration or notice.

State	Screenshot
Associate: repeated pair, repeated distractors
Associate, RTL
Match: repeated answers in a row, repeated distractors

axe (WCAG 2.2 AA): only color-contrast on the unchanged "Add pair/row/distractor" button text.

Evidence

Associate distractors: edit, save and discard a flagged chip

Step	Screenshot
Before the fix: after Save, the edited chip reopens instead of closing
Tokyo distractor flagged: red border, error icon, one message below the box
Flagged chip open: no error icon; message stays below the box, Save in place
After: new Tokyo draft saved as a flagged chip
After add and remove: chips intact, one message

associate-distractor-chip-save-discard-flow.webm

More captures (19)

Step	Screenshot
Associate: repeated pair, same order
Associate: repeated pair, reversed
Associate: item reused across different pairs stays valid
Associate: self-matched pair also repeated
Associate: two self-matched pairs
Associate distractors: duplicates flagged
Associate distractors: duplicates fixed
Associate distractors: keyboard, duplicate draft before Save
Saved exercise: repeated pair and duplicate distractors
Saved exercise: fixed, after reload
Match: duplicate answers in a row flagged
Match: duplicate answers flagged, narrow window
Match: duplicate answers fixed
Match distractors: Bird and both Fish flagged
Match distractors: cleared
Gap match distractors: three flagged, one message
Gap match distractors: flagged at 480px
Gap match distractors: flagged in RTL
Gap match distractors: cleared

AI usage

Claude Code implemented the validation, EditableChipList changes and tests from the maintainer's decisions. Verified with the QTI editor Jest suite, pre-commit, screenshots and an axe audit.

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Written by rtibblesbot, an LLM-based coding agent.

🟡 Waiting for feedback Last updated: 2026-10-30 22:30 UTC