feat(tabs): add testId property for tab items and improve asset loadi…

modules/ensemble/doc/layout-widgets.md

@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@ renders only the tab navigation. Both are backed by `BaseTabBar`,
 | EDL field or method | Behavior |
 | --- | --- |
 | `items` | List of tab definitions. Each item must provide at least one of `label`, `icon`, or `tabWidget`. |
+| `testId` | Optional stable test key on a tab item. Test actions can target it without wrapping the label in a custom widget. |
 | `body`, `widget`, `bodyWidget` | Aliases for the body rendered when the tab is selected. |
 | `tabWidget`, `tabItem` | Aliases for a custom tab label widget. |
 | `selectedIndex` | Initial and current selected tab index. Out-of-range values are reset to `0` when tabs are rebuilt. |
@@ -44,6 +45,7 @@ View:
                   Text:
                     text: Account overview
               - label: Activity
+                testId: activityTab
                 visible: ${account.showActivity == true}
                 body:
                   ListView:

modules/ensemble/lib/ensemble.dart

@@ -187,42 +187,8 @@ class Ensemble extends WithEnsemble with EnsembleRouteObserver {
       );
     }
 
-    // environment variable overrides
-    // Load all sources, then merge with precedence:
-    // 1) environmentVariables in ensemble-config.yaml
-    // 2) .env.config
-    // 3) appConfig.json envVariables
-    final Map<String, dynamic> envOverrides = {};
-    try {
-      dynamic path = yamlMap["definitions"]?['local']?["path"];
-      final configString =
-          await rootBundle.loadString('${path}/config/appConfig.json');
-      final Map<String, dynamic> configMap = json.decode(configString);
-      if (configMap["envVariables"] != null) {
-        configMap["envVariables"].forEach((key, value) {
-          envOverrides[key] = value;
-        });
-      }
-    } catch (e) {
-      // ignore missing/invalid appConfig.json
-    }
-
-    // 2) .env.config (middle priority)
-    dynamic localPath = yamlMap["definitions"]?['local']?["path"];
-    if (localPath is String && localPath.isNotEmpty) {
-      _mergeWithOverwrite(
-          envOverrides, await _loadDotEnvConfigFile('$localPath/.env.config'));
-    }
-    _mergeWithOverwrite(
-        envOverrides, await _loadDotEnvConfigFile('.env.config'));
-    _mergeWithOverwrite(
-        envOverrides, await _loadDotEnvConfigFile('ensemble/.env.config'));
-
-    // 1) environmentVariables from ensemble-config.yaml (highest priority)
-    dynamic env = yamlMap['environmentVariables'];
-    if (env is YamlMap) {
-      env.forEach((key, value) => envOverrides[key.toString()] = value);
-    }
+    final Map<String, dynamic> envOverrides =
+        await loadEnvironmentOverrides(yamlMap);
 
     DefinitionProvider definitionProvider = DefinitionProvider.from(yamlMap);
     _config = EnsembleConfig(
@@ -232,6 +198,13 @@ class Ensemble extends WithEnsemble with EnsembleRouteObserver {
         services: Services.fromYaml(yamlMap['services']),
         signInServices: SignInServices.fromYaml(yamlMap['services']),
         envOverrides: envOverrides);
+    // Keep the resolved environment available to runtime services too. EnvConfig
+    // already resolves these values from envOverrides, but API provider
+    // initialization reads UserAppConfig.envVariables directly. Without this
+    // merge, values supplied only in .env.config (or the app-level YAML) work
+    // in bindings while provider configuration silently falls back to the
+    // possibly stale appConfig.json copy.
+    applyEnvironmentOverrides(_config!, envOverrides);
     // Initializing Local Assets Service to store available local assets names
     if (!LocalAssetsService.isInitialized) {
       await LocalAssetsService.initialize(
@@ -251,6 +224,58 @@ class Ensemble extends WithEnsemble with EnsembleRouteObserver {
     return yamlMap['definitions']?['ensemble']?['appId'];
   }
 
+  /// Resolves environment values for runtime startup and host test harnesses.
+  /// Precedence is appConfig.json, app-scoped/root .env.config, then the
+  /// environmentVariables map in ensemble-config.yaml.
+  Future<Map<String, dynamic>> loadEnvironmentOverrides(
+      YamlMap yamlMap) async {
+    final Map<String, dynamic> envOverrides = {};
+    try {
+      final path = yamlMap['definitions']?['local']?['path'];
+      if (path is String && path.isNotEmpty) {
+        final configString =
+            await rootBundle.loadString('$path/config/appConfig.json');
+        final Map<String, dynamic> configMap = json.decode(configString);
+        final variables = configMap['envVariables'];
+        if (variables is Map) {
+          variables.forEach((key, value) {
+            envOverrides[key.toString()] = value;
+          });
+        }
+      }
+    } catch (_) {
+      // appConfig.json is optional; continue with the other env sources.
+    }
+
+    final localPath = yamlMap['definitions']?['local']?['path'];
+    if (localPath is String && localPath.isNotEmpty) {
+      _mergeWithOverwrite(envOverrides,
+          await _loadLocalDotEnvConfigFile(localPath, yamlMap));
+    }
+    _mergeWithOverwrite(
+        envOverrides, await _loadDotEnvConfigFile('.env.config'));
+    _mergeWithOverwrite(
+        envOverrides, await _loadDotEnvConfigFile('ensemble/.env.config'));
+
+    final env = yamlMap['environmentVariables'];
+    if (env is YamlMap) {
+      env.forEach((key, value) => envOverrides[key.toString()] = value);
+    }
+    return envOverrides;
+  }
+
+  /// Makes resolved environment values available to both bindings and runtime
+  /// services that read directly from [UserAppConfig].
+  void applyEnvironmentOverrides(
+      EnsembleConfig config, Map<String, dynamic> envOverrides) {
+    config.updateEnvOverrides(envOverrides);
+    final appConfig = config.definitionProvider.getAppConfig();
+    if (appConfig != null && envOverrides.isNotEmpty) {
+      appConfig.envVariables ??= <String, dynamic>{};
+      appConfig.envVariables!.addAll(envOverrides);
+    }
+  }
+
   Future<Map<String, String>> _loadDotEnvConfigFile(String fileName) async {
     try {
       final String content = await rootBundle.loadString(fileName);
@@ -260,6 +285,51 @@ class Ensemble extends WithEnsemble with EnsembleRouteObserver {
     }
   }
 
+  /// Loads the dotenv file for locally bundled definitions.
+  ///
+  /// `definitions.local.path` may point at a directory containing multiple
+  /// apps (for example `ensemble/apps/`) rather than the active app directory.
+  /// In that case, select the app-specific file from `local.appId` when it is
+  /// bundled, or use a nested file only when there is exactly one candidate.
+  /// This avoids silently combining environment values from unrelated apps.
+  Future<Map<String, String>> _loadLocalDotEnvConfigFile(
+      String localPath, YamlMap yamlMap) async {
+    final root = localPath.endsWith('/') ? localPath : '$localPath/';
+    final directPath = '${root}.env.config';
+    final directValues = await _loadDotEnvConfigFile(directPath);
+    if (directValues.isNotEmpty) {
+      return directValues;
+    }
+
+    try {
+      final manifest = await AssetManifest.loadFromAssetBundle(rootBundle);
+      final assets = manifest.listAssets();
+      final localConfig = yamlMap['definitions']?['local'];
+      final appId = localConfig is YamlMap ? localConfig['appId'] : null;
+      if (appId is String && appId.isNotEmpty) {
+        final appPath = '$root$appId/.env.config';
+        if (assets.contains(appPath)) {
+          return _loadDotEnvConfigFile(appPath);
+        }
+      }
+
+      final candidates = assets
+          .where((asset) =>
+              asset.startsWith(root) &&
+              asset.endsWith('/.env.config') &&
+              asset != directPath)
+          .toList();
+      if (candidates.length == 1) {
+        return _loadDotEnvConfigFile(candidates.single);
+      }
+    } catch (_) {
+      // Asset-manifest discovery is best-effort; preserve the other config
+      // sources if the manifest is unavailable on a platform.
+    }
+
+    return {};
+  }
+
   void _mergeWithOverwrite(
       Map<String, dynamic> target, Map<String, String> source) {
     source.forEach((key, value) {

modules/ensemble/lib/framework/apiproviders/firestore/firestore_types.dart

@@ -209,6 +209,16 @@ class FirestoreTimestamp
   FirestoreTimestamp.fromDate(Date date)
       : timestamp = Timestamp.fromDate(date.dateTime);
 
+  /// Lets JSON-backed storage serialize timestamps even when an app adds one
+  /// through a nested mutable storage reference (which does not call the
+  /// top-level storage setter). StorageManager recognizes this tagged shape
+  /// and restores the FirestoreTimestamp on reads.
+  Map<String, dynamic> toJson() => {
+        '__ensemble_storage_value_type__': 'firestore_timestamp_v1',
+        'seconds': timestamp.seconds,
+        'nanoseconds': timestamp.nanoseconds,
+      };
+
   @override
   Map<String, Function> getters() {
     return {
@@ -311,4 +321,4 @@ class EnsembleFieldValue with Invokable {
     });
     return data;
   }
-}
+}

modules/ensemble/lib/framework/apiproviders/http_api_provider.dart

@@ -471,6 +471,9 @@ class HttpResponse extends Response {
     try {
       body = json.decode(response.body);
     } on FormatException catch (_, e) {
+      // Keep non-JSON payloads available to callers and diagnostics instead
+      // of discarding the actual server response.
+      body = response.body;
       log('Warning - Only JSON response is supported');
     }
     super.apiState = apiState;
@@ -501,4 +504,4 @@ class HttpResponse extends Response {
   bool get isOkay =>
       statusCode != null && statusCode! >= 200 && statusCode! <= 299;
 // bool get isError => !isSuccess;
-}
+}

modules/ensemble/lib/framework/assets_service.dart

@@ -40,8 +40,15 @@ class LocalAssetsService {
     List<String> foundAssets = [];
     if (assetEnvVariables.isNotEmpty) {
       for (var entry in assetEnvVariables.entries) {
-        String assetName =
-            Utils.getAssetName(entry.value); // Get the asset name
+        // App configuration may include numeric and boolean settings alongside
+        // asset URLs. Only string values can name an asset; passing another
+        // value to getAssetName throws during otherwise normal app startup.
+        if (entry.value is! String || entry.value.isEmpty) continue;
+        String assetName = Utils.getAssetName(entry.value as String);
+        // A base URL such as `https://.../assets/` has no filename. Treating
+        // its empty last path segment as a bundled asset can mark the assets
+        // directory itself as an image and later try to decode that directory.
+        if (assetName.isEmpty) continue;
         String provider = definations['definitions']?['from'];
         String path = definations['definitions']?['local']['path'];
         String assetPath = provider == 'local'

modules/ensemble/lib/framework/definition_providers/ensemble_provider.dart

@@ -269,11 +269,10 @@ class AppModel {
 
   // Check if artifact refresh is enabled via environment variable
   bool get _isArtifactRefreshEnabled {
-    String? enableRefresh = appConfig?.envVariables?['ENABLE_ARTIFACT_REFRESH'];
-    if (enableRefresh != null) {
-      return enableRefresh.toLowerCase() == 'true';
-    }
-    return false; // Default: disabled
+    final value = appConfig?.envVariables?['ENABLE_ARTIFACT_REFRESH'];
+    if (value is bool) return value;
+    if (value is String) return value.toLowerCase() == 'true';
+    return false;
   }
 
   // Get the last checked time from persistent storage

modules/ensemble/lib/framework/definition_providers/provider.dart

@@ -61,11 +61,10 @@ abstract class DefinitionProvider {
   // Check if artifact refresh is enabled via environment variable
   // Default: false (disabled) - apps must explicitly enable it
   bool isArtifactRefreshEnabled() {
-    String? enableRefresh = getAppConfig()?.envVariables?['ENABLE_ARTIFACT_REFRESH'];
-    if (enableRefresh != null) {
-      return enableRefresh.toLowerCase() == 'true';
-    }
-    return false; // Default: disabled
+    final value = getAppConfig()?.envVariables?['ENABLE_ARTIFACT_REFRESH'];
+    if (value is bool) return value;
+    if (value is String) return value.toLowerCase() == 'true';
+    return false;
   }
 
   // build the definition model from YAML

modules/ensemble/lib/framework/secrets.dart

@@ -35,16 +35,25 @@ class SecretsStore with Invokable {
         if (provider == 'local') {
           String path =
               EnsembleConfigService.config["definitions"]?['local']?["path"];
-          final secretsString =
-              await rootBundle.loadString('${path}/config/secrets.json');
-          final Map<String, dynamic> appSecretsMap = json.decode(secretsString);
-          appSecretsMap["secrets"].forEach((key, value) {
-            secrets![key] = value;
-          });
-
-          // add secrets from ${path}/.env.secrets file
-          await dotenv.load(fileName: '${path}/.env.secrets');
-          secrets.addAll(dotenv.env);
+          // The legacy JSON file is optional. Keep its failure isolated so a
+          // missing config/secrets.json does not prevent loading .env.secrets.
+          try {
+            final secretsString =
+                await rootBundle.loadString('${path}/config/secrets.json');
+            final Map<String, dynamic> appSecretsMap =
+                json.decode(secretsString);
+            final appSecrets = appSecretsMap['secrets'];
+            if (appSecrets is Map) {
+              appSecrets.forEach((key, value) {
+                secrets[key.toString()] = value;
+              });
+            }
+          } catch (_) {}
+
+          try {
+            await dotenv.load(fileName: '${path}/.env.secrets');
+            secrets.addAll(dotenv.env);
+          } catch (_) {}
         }
       } catch (_) {}
       // add secrets from .env.secrets file in ensemble folder