fix(grid): accept 8-char extended locators in the logging form & stations API

[patrickrb]

Problem

Commit #246 taught the app to understand 8-character (extended) Maidenhead locators — isValidGrid and gridToLatLon in src/lib/grid.ts accept and geolocate them — and #248 uses the on-air station's grid as the origin for the live distance/bearing readout. VHF/UHF/microwave and satellite operators log 8-char locators for the extra precision.

But three input validators never got the memo and kept their own 4/6-character-only regex (/^[A-R]{2}[0-9]{2}([A-X]{2})?$/):

• the new-contact logging form's inline validateGridLocator
• POST /api/stations
• PUT /api/stations/[id]

So the app that computes a distance from an 8-char grid wouldn't let you enter one:

• Typing FN31pr55 into the logging form's grid field showed "Invalid grid locator format" and blocked the save.
• Saving a station with an 8-char grid — the very locator used as the distance origin — returned HTTP 400.

This is the same "local list/regex drifts behind the canonical src/lib module" class of bug fixed for band and mode filters in #241/#242.

Solution

Add one canonical helper to the grid module and route all three call sites through it:

// src/lib/grid.ts
export function gridLocatorError(grid: string): string | null {
  if (!grid.trim()) return null;           // grid is optional everywhere it's validated
  return isValidGrid(grid) ? null : 'Invalid grid locator format (e.g., FN31, FN31pr, or FN31pr55)';
}

Because it delegates to isValidGrid, the logging form and the stations API can no longer drift from the rest of the app. No schema or response-shape changes; validation is only loosened to accept locators the app already stores and geolocates, so it's fully backwards compatible.

Testing

• Added unit coverage for gridLocatorError (blank/whitespace → no error; 4/6/8-char → valid; malformed → message) in tests/grid.spec.ts.
• npx playwright test grid.spec.ts — 30/30 pass.
• npm run typecheck, npm run lint, npm run build — all clean.

Future follow-up

• POST /api/stations and PUT /api/stations/[id] share a fair amount of validation logic (callsign, grid, power, zones) that could be extracted into one shared validator; out of scope here.
• The client station create/edit forms (/stations/new, /stations/[id]/edit) rely on server-side validation for the grid; adding matching inline feedback via gridLocatorError would be a nice parity touch.

🤖 Generated with Claude Code

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Project	Deployment	Actions	Updated (UTC)
nodelog	Ready	Preview, Comment	Jul 24, 2026 2:07pm