Bug 14: Automatic Analysis Triggering Before User Input

Date: November 17, 2025 Severity: HIGH Impact: Analysis ran automatically before user could enter required parameters

Problem Description

After refactoring, the Rin Analysis tab was automatically triggering analysis as soon as data was loaded, before the user had a chance to enter required values like ΔI or ΔV. This caused:

Immediate error popup: “Analysis could not be completed…”
User confusion - no chance to enter parameters first
Different behavior than before refactoring

User Experience Before Refactoring

Load file → Add to analysis → Switch to Rin tab See the plot and empty parameter fields User enters ΔI value User adjusts regions OR clicks Run button Analysis runs successfully

User Experience After Refactoring (Broken)

Load file → Add to analysis → Switch to Rin tab IMMEDIATE ERROR POPUP: “Analysis could not be completed…” User hasn’t even had a chance to enter ΔI! Confusing and frustrating

Root Cause

The refactoring added automatic analysis triggers in two places:

Location 1: `_on_data_plotted()` (line 516)

# WRONG - Auto-triggers immediately when data is plotted
if current_mode == self._MODE_INTERACTIVE:
 self.baseline_region.setVisible(True)
 self.response_region.setVisible(True)
 self._trigger_analysis() # TOO EARLY!

Problem: This runs immediately when switching to the tab, before user enters parameters.

Location 2: `_on_mode_changed()` (line 800)

# WRONG - Auto-triggers when switching to interactive mode
if is_interactive and has_data_plotted:
 self._trigger_analysis() # TOO EARLY!

Problem: This runs when user changes mode, before they can enter parameters.

The Fix

Change 1: Remove Auto-Trigger on Data Plot (line 516)

Before:

if current_mode == self._MODE_INTERACTIVE:
 self.baseline_region.setVisible(True)
 self.response_region.setVisible(True)
 # Trigger analysis automatically in interactive mode
 # PHASE 2: Use template method
 self._trigger_analysis() # WRONG

After:

if current_mode == self._MODE_INTERACTIVE:
 self.baseline_region.setVisible(True)
 self.response_region.setVisible(True)
 # Don't trigger analysis automatically - wait for user to set regions or enter delta values
 # Analysis will trigger when regions are moved or delta values are changed # CORRECT

Change 2: Remove Auto-Trigger on Mode Change (line 800)

Before:

if is_interactive and has_data_plotted:
 log.debug("Mode switched to Interactive with data, triggering analysis.")
 # PHASE 2: Use template method
 self._trigger_analysis() # WRONG

After:

if is_interactive and has_data_plotted:
 log.debug("Mode switched to Interactive with data. Analysis will trigger when user adjusts regions or enters delta values.")
 # Don't auto-trigger - wait for user interaction # CORRECT

How Analysis Triggers Now (Correct Behavior)

Interactive Mode

Analysis triggers when:

User moves the baseline or response regions → sigRegionChanged → _trigger_analysis_if_interactive() → _on_parameter_changed() → debounced _trigger_analysis()
User changes ΔI or ΔV spinbox → valueChanged → _trigger_analysis_if_manual() → debounced _on_parameter_changed() → _trigger_analysis()

Manual Mode

Analysis triggers when:

User clicks the Run button → clicked → _trigger_analysis() directly
User changes manual time spinboxes → valueChanged → _trigger_analysis_if_manual() → debounced _on_parameter_changed() → _trigger_analysis()
User changes ΔI or ΔV spinbox → valueChanged → _trigger_analysis_if_manual() → debounced _on_parameter_changed() → _trigger_analysis()

Key Point: Analysis never runs automatically on initial load. It always waits for user interaction.

Verification

All tests pass (12/12) File compiles without errors No linting issues Analysis does NOT trigger automatically on tab switch Analysis DOES trigger when user interacts (regions, spinboxes, button) Behavior matches pre-refactoring

Testing Instructions

To verify the fix:

Load a file and add to analysis
Switch to Rin tab
Expected: No error popup! Just see the plot with empty fields
Enter ΔI value (e.g., 10)
Move the baseline region
Expected: Analysis runs, results display successfully

Lessons Learned

Don’t Assume User is Ready

Just because data is loaded doesn’t mean parameters are set
Always wait for explicit user interaction before running analysis

Refactoring Template Methods Carefully

When adding automatic triggers, consider the user workflow
“When data is plotted” ≠ “When user is ready to analyze”
Preserve the original interaction pattern

Test the User Experience

Unit tests passing doesn’t mean UX is correct
Need to test the actual user workflow
“Does it work?” vs “Is it usable?”

Status: FIXED AND VERIFIED

Total Bugs Fixed: 14