What We Built
The debrief-io service is operational. REP files — Debrief’s primary legacy format — now transform into validated GeoJSON features. Every output feature is checked against our Stage 0 Pydantic models. Every error includes the exact line number that caused it.
This isn’t just a parser. It’s an extensible handler registry. Add a new format handler, and the system routes files automatically. REP today. GPX tomorrow. The architecture stays the same.
Key Accomplishments
- REP format parsing for tracks and reference locations
- Handler registry pattern for extensible format support
- Line-level error reporting with field names and context
- Encoding detection (UTF-8 first, Latin-1 fallback for legacy files)
- Recoverable error handling (collect warnings, return what we can parse)
- MCP tool exposure for loader app integration
- Full validation against Stage 0 schemas for all output features
What We Learned
Line numbers in errors are worth the effort. When a coordinate is out of range or a timestamp is malformed, knowing it’s on line 247 of a 3000-line file saves significant debugging time.
Encoding detection is essential. Real-world REP files from older systems use Latin-1, not UTF-8. Silent mojibake would have corrupted data. Detecting and reporting encoding avoids this.
Pure transformations simplify testing. Because debrief-io only reads files and returns data (no side effects), tests are deterministic and fast. The same input always produces the same output.
What’s Next
The parsing layer connects raw files to validated storage:
- Integration with debrief-stac: parsed features flow directly into STAC plots
- Additional format handlers: GPX, KML, and proprietary formats as needed
- Sensor contact parsing: extending REP support for bearing/range data
The tracer bullet has pierced through schemas, storage, and parsing. The data pipeline is operational.