Say out loud when she gives up instead of dropping the request

An unclear answer used to end the request on the spot. Now she re-asks the same
question while attempts remain, and when they run out she says
"Прости, я не поняла. Скажи, пожалуйста, по-другому." — silence would leave him
thinking it was handled. Same reply when the missing slot has no question to
ask, and as a floor in finishClarified so an empty reply can never ship.

Tests: three questions allowed, the fourth gives up out loud, the cap is
configurable, and a restated time is the one that lands.

Co-Authored-By: Claude Opus 5 <noreply@anthropic.com>
Claude-Session: https://claude.ai/code/session_01CGeSZxh1DCtRxmFVSYVGvJ

cmd/mavend/clarify.go

@@ -40,9 +40,10 @@ var clarifyQuestions = map[dialogue.Slot]string{
 	dialogue.SlotFn:   "Что сделать?",
 }
 
-// clarifyDropped — she asked once, the answer still did not fill the gap, so
+// clarifyGaveUp — she is out of questions and still does not have the slot. She
-// the request is gone. Said plainly, once, with no second question.
+// says so out loud: dropping the request in silence would leave him thinking it
-const clarifyDropped = "Не разобрала — скажи целиком, пожалуйста."
+// landed. Feminine self-reference ("поняла"), as everywhere.
+const clarifyGaveUp = "Прости, я не поняла. Скажи, пожалуйста, по-другому."
 
 // missingFor returns the slots a decision still needs, most important first.
 // Empty ⇒ there is nothing identifiable to ask about.
@@ -79,13 +80,14 @@ func (h *reactiveHandler) askClarify(dec router.Decision) (string, bool) {
 		return "", false
 	}
 	h.clarifyStore.Put(voiceDialogueID, &dialogue.PendingQuestion{
-		Intent:    dialogue.Intent(dec.Intent),
+		Intent:      dialogue.Intent(dec.Intent),
-		Slots:     toDialogueSlots(dec.Slots),
+		Slots:       toDialogueSlots(dec.Slots),
-		Missing:   []dialogue.Slot{slot},
+		Missing:     []dialogue.Slot{slot},
-		Utterance: dec.Utterance,
+		Utterance:   dec.Utterance,
-		Asked:     h.now(),
+		Asked:       h.now(),
-		TTL:       clarifyTTL,
+		TTL:         clarifyTTL,
-		Attempts:  1, // asked once; MaxAttempts is 1, so there is no second ask
+		Attempts:    1, // this ask
+		MaxAttempts: h.clarifyMaxAttempts,
 	})
 	log.Printf("voice: clarify — asked about %s for intent=%s", slot, dec.Intent)
 	return question, true
@@ -97,8 +99,9 @@ func (h *reactiveHandler) askClarify(dec router.Decision) (string, bool) {
 // resolveConfirm and checked in the same place.
 //
 // The answer is parsed with the same extractor the router uses, for the intent
-// she parked — no second parser. If it still does not fill the gap the request
+// she parked — no second parser. If it still does not fill the gap she asks
-// is dropped: she does not ask again.
+// again, up to MaxAttempts; after that she says out loud that she did not
+// understand. She never drops the request in silence.
 func (h *reactiveHandler) resolveClarifyAnswer(ctx context.Context, text string) (string, bool) {
 	if h.clarifyStore == nil {
 		return "", false
@@ -107,17 +110,14 @@ func (h *reactiveHandler) resolveClarifyAnswer(ctx context.Context, text string)
 	if q == nil {
 		return "", false
 	}
-	// One shot either way: the question is consumed whether or not the answer
-	// works, so a failed answer can't leave the question armed.
-	h.clarifyStore.Delete(voiceDialogueID)
 
 	intent := router.Intent(q.Intent)
 	answer := h.extractor.Extract(ctx, intent, text, h.now())
 	merged := q.Answer(text, toDialogueSlots(answer))
 	if len(dialogue.StillMissing(q.Missing, merged)) > 0 {
-		log.Printf("voice: clarify — answer %q did not fill %v, dropping", text, q.Missing)
+		return h.reaskOrGiveUp(q, merged, text), true
-		return clarifyDropped, true
 	}
+	h.clarifyStore.Delete(voiceDialogueID)
 
 	// Rebuild the decision as if it had routed cleanly, then run it down the
 	// normal path. Clarify is deliberately false and the intent is unchanged:
@@ -133,6 +133,29 @@ func (h *reactiveHandler) resolveClarifyAnswer(ctx context.Context, text string)
 	return h.finishClarified(ctx, dec), true
 }
 
+// reaskOrGiveUp handles an answer that left the gap open: ask the same question
+// again while she has attempts left, otherwise say she did not understand and
+// let the request go. Never returns "" — a mute give-up reads as "done".
+func (h *reactiveHandler) reaskOrGiveUp(q *dialogue.PendingQuestion, merged dialogue.Slots, text string) string {
+	question := ""
+	if len(q.Missing) > 0 {
+		question = clarifyQuestions[q.Missing[0]]
+	}
+	if question == "" || !q.CanAsk() {
+		h.clarifyStore.Delete(voiceDialogueID)
+		log.Printf("voice: clarify — gave up on %v after %d question(s), answer was %q", q.Missing, q.Attempts, text)
+		return clarifyGaveUp
+	}
+	// Re-park with whatever the answer DID give, the clock restarted and one
+	// more question spent.
+	q.Slots = merged
+	q.Attempts++
+	q.Asked = h.now()
+	h.clarifyStore.Put(voiceDialogueID, q)
+	log.Printf("voice: clarify — answer %q did not fill %v, asking again (attempt %d)", text, q.Missing, q.Attempts)
+	return question
+}
+
 // finishClarified runs a completed decision through the same steps a freshly
 // routed one takes: remember the turn, act, then phrase.
 func (h *reactiveHandler) finishClarified(ctx context.Context, dec router.Decision) string {
@@ -146,6 +169,10 @@ func (h *reactiveHandler) finishClarified(ctx context.Context, dec router.Decisi
 	if reply == "" {
 		reply = h.replier.Reply(dec)
 	}
+	if reply == "" {
+		// Belt: an empty reply here would be a silent drop.
+		reply = clarifyGaveUp
+	}
 	return reply
 }
 

cmd/mavend/clarify_test.go

@@ -86,7 +86,7 @@ func TestClarifyReminderCompletesOnAnswer(t *testing.T) {
 	if !handled {
 		t.Fatal("the answer to an open question must be consumed as an answer")
 	}
-	if reply == clarifyDropped {
+	if reply == clarifyGaveUp {
 		t.Fatalf("a good answer must not drop the request: %q", reply)
 	}
 
@@ -111,7 +111,7 @@ func TestClarifyFactCompletesOnAnswer(t *testing.T) {
 	if _, asked := h.askClarify(clarifyDec(router.IntentFact, router.Slots{Text: "запиши"}, "запиши")); !asked {
 		t.Fatal("a fact with no key should be asked about")
 	}
-	if reply, handled := h.resolveClarifyAnswer(ctx, "пил воду"); !handled || reply == clarifyDropped {
+	if reply, handled := h.resolveClarifyAnswer(ctx, "пил воду"); !handled || reply == clarifyGaveUp {
 		t.Fatalf("answer should complete the fact, handled=%v reply=%q", handled, reply)
 	}
 	if fact, err := st.LatestFact(ctx, "water"); err != nil || fact.Key != "water" {
@@ -137,26 +137,87 @@ func TestClarifyAnswerAfterTTLIsANewRequest(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 }
 
-// TestClarifyUnclearAnswerDropsWithoutAskingAgain — MaxAttempts is 1.
+// TestClarifyAsksThreeTimesThenSaysSo — three questions are allowed, the fourth
-func TestClarifyUnclearAnswerDropsWithoutAskingAgain(t *testing.T) {
+// is not, and running out is SPOKEN. Silence would read as "handled".
+func TestClarifyAsksThreeTimesThenSaysSo(t *testing.T) {
 	ctx := context.Background()
 	h, st, _ := newClarifyHandler(t)
 
 	if _, asked := h.askClarify(clarifyDec(router.IntentReminder, router.Slots{Text: "напомни"}, "напомни")); !asked {
-		t.Fatal("expected a question")
+		t.Fatal("expected a first question")
 	}
+	// Two more unclear answers ⇒ two more questions (3 asks in total).
+	for i := 2; i <= 3; i++ {
+		reply, handled := h.resolveClarifyAnswer(ctx, "ну не знаю")
+		if !handled {
+			t.Fatalf("answer %d must be consumed as an answer", i)
+		}
+		if reply != "На когда напомнить?" {
+			t.Fatalf("attempt %d should ask again, got %q", i, reply)
+		}
+		if h.clarifyStore.Get(voiceDialogueID, h.now()) == nil {
+			t.Fatalf("attempt %d must leave the question armed", i)
+		}
+	}
+
 	reply, handled := h.resolveClarifyAnswer(ctx, "ну не знаю")
-	if !handled || reply != clarifyDropped {
+	if !handled || reply != clarifyGaveUp {
-		t.Fatalf("an unclear answer should drop the request, handled=%v reply=%q", handled, reply)
+		t.Fatalf("the fourth try must give up out loud, handled=%v reply=%q", handled, reply)
 	}
-	if strings.Contains(reply, "?") {
+	if reply == "" || strings.Contains(reply, "?") {
-		t.Fatalf("she must not ask a second question: %q", reply)
+		t.Fatalf("giving up must be spoken and must not be another question: %q", reply)
 	}
 	if h.clarifyStore.Get(voiceDialogueID, h.now()) != nil {
-		t.Fatal("a dropped request must leave no armed question")
+		t.Fatal("a given-up request must leave no armed question")
 	}
 	if reminders, err := st.DueReminders(ctx, h.now().Add(48*time.Hour)); err != nil || len(reminders) != 0 {
-		t.Fatalf("a dropped request must not create anything: reminders=%v err=%v", reminders, err)
+		t.Fatalf("a given-up request must not create anything: reminders=%v err=%v", reminders, err)
+	}
+}
+
+// TestClarifyMaxAttemptsIsConfigurable — one question when the config says one.
+func TestClarifyMaxAttemptsIsConfigurable(t *testing.T) {
+	ctx := context.Background()
+	h, _, _ := newClarifyHandler(t)
+	h.clarifyMaxAttempts = 1
+
+	if _, asked := h.askClarify(clarifyDec(router.IntentReminder, router.Slots{Text: "напомни"}, "напомни")); !asked {
+		t.Fatal("expected a question")
+	}
+	if reply, handled := h.resolveClarifyAnswer(ctx, "ну не знаю"); !handled || reply != clarifyGaveUp {
+		t.Fatalf("with max 1 she must give up at once, handled=%v reply=%q", handled, reply)
+	}
+}
+
+// TestClarifyRestatedAnswerWins — «в 11:00», then «нет, в 15:00». The second
+// value is the one that lands.
+func TestClarifyRestatedAnswerWins(t *testing.T) {
+	ctx := context.Background()
+	h, st, _ := newClarifyHandler(t)
+
+	if _, asked := h.askClarify(clarifyDec(router.IntentReminder, router.Slots{Text: "напомни позвонить маме"}, "напомни позвонить маме")); !asked {
+		t.Fatal("expected a question")
+	}
+	// First answer parses, but re-park it by hand as if she had asked again:
+	// what matters here is that Answer prefers the newer value over the parked
+	// one, which is the case the daemon hits on a re-ask.
+	q := h.clarifyStore.Get(voiceDialogueID, h.now())
+	if q == nil {
+		t.Fatal("expected an armed question")
+	}
+	first := h.extractor.Extract(ctx, router.IntentReminder, "в 11:00", h.now())
+	q.Slots = q.Answer("в 11:00", toDialogueSlots(first))
+
+	if reply, handled := h.resolveClarifyAnswer(ctx, "нет, в 15:00"); !handled || reply == clarifyGaveUp {
+		t.Fatalf("the restated answer should complete the request, handled=%v reply=%q", handled, reply)
+	}
+	reminders, err := st.DueReminders(ctx, h.now().Add(48*time.Hour))
+	if err != nil || len(reminders) != 1 {
+		t.Fatalf("expected one reminder: %v err=%v", reminders, err)
+	}
+	want := h.extractor.Extract(ctx, router.IntentReminder, "в 15:00", h.now())
+	if !reminders[0].FireTs.Equal(want.Time) {
+		t.Fatalf("reminder at %v, want the restated %v", reminders[0].FireTs, want.Time)
 	}
 }
 

cmd/mavend/voice.go

@@ -253,10 +253,12 @@ func wireVoice(cfg *config.Config, coreAPI ipc.CoreAPI, phr phraser.Phraser, mem
 		dataStore:        dataStore,
 		dialogueSessions: dialogueSessions,
 		clarifyStore:     clarifyStore,
-		extractor:        router.Extractor{Time: timeParser, Acts: matcher, Facts: router.DefaultFactParser{}},
+		// 0 here (unset config) ⇒ the dialogue default.
-		queryMinScore:    cfg.Voice.QueryMinScore,
+		clarifyMaxAttempts: cfg.Voice.ClarifyMaxAttempts,
-		timeParser:       timeParser,
+		extractor:          router.Extractor{Time: timeParser, Acts: matcher, Facts: router.DefaultFactParser{}},
-		ecosystem:        eco,
+		queryMinScore:      cfg.Voice.QueryMinScore,
+		timeParser:         timeParser,
+		ecosystem:          eco,
 	}
 
 	// ----- the server (TCP listener) -----
@@ -312,6 +314,10 @@ type reactiveHandler struct {
 	// clarify.go). nil ⇒ she falls back to the canned "не поняла" reply.
 	clarifyStore *dialogue.ClarifyStore
 
+	// clarifyMaxAttempts — questions per request before she gives up out loud.
+	// 0 ⇒ dialogue.DefaultMaxAttempts (3). Set from VoiceConfig.
+	clarifyMaxAttempts int
+
 	// extractor parses the answer to an open question, with the same parsers
 	// the router's own stage-2 uses.
 	extractor router.Extractor