Trim QTI text entry answers and inline choice options on save

[rtibblesbot]

Summary

• Text entry answers and inline choice options are trimmed when item XML is built; input stays untouched while typing
• Perseus derivation on publish strips stored values

References

Fixes #6264.

Reviewer guidance

• Numeric answers are now trimmed too (their map-key kept typed spaces) — should numeric keep its typed value?
• _correct_values stripping also affects choice items: <qti-value> choice_0 </qti-value> now derives as correct instead of matching nothing. Wanted beyond text entry?
• No migration for stored padded values; trimmed on next save, stripped at publish meanwhile. Enough?

QA team: text entry and numeric answers now save without surrounding spaces. Regressions most likely in answer validation.

Sign in as a channel editor. Open "Sample Exercise" in "Published Channel" > "Topic 1".

1. Text entry answers

   1. Click New question. Set Response type to "Text entry".
   2. Type " Paris ". Add the answer " london " and tick its Case-sensitive.
   3. Click Close. Reload and edit the question.

   Spaces stay while you type. After the reload, the answers are "Paris" and "london". Case-sensitive is ticked only on "london".

2. Numeric answers

   1. Click New question. Set Response type to "Numeric".
   2. Type the answers " +5 ", " 5.0 " and " abc ".
   3. Delete "abc". Change "5.0" to " -7.5 ".
   4. Click Close. Reload and edit the question.

   Before step 3, "+5" and "5.0" show "Duplicate answers are not allowed". "abc" shows "Must be a valid number (e.g. 12, 0.5, -3.14)". After the reload, the answers are "+5" and "-7.5".

3. Show answers

   1. In "Topic 1", click "Sample Exercise". Tick Show answers.

   The text entry answers are "Paris" and "london".

Look out for:

• Add the text entry answers "Paris" and "Paris ". Look out for no duplicate error.
• Add a text entry answer of only spaces. Look out for an empty answer that saves.

Skip inline choice: the editor cannot make it. Manual QA cannot reach questions that older versions saved with spaces.

Evidence

Text entry answers with spaces

Step	Screenshot
While typing: " Paris " keeps its spaces
After save: answers "Paris" and "london" trimmed, Case-sensitive kept on "london"

Numeric answers with spaces

Step	Screenshot
" +5 " and " 5.0 " flagged as duplicates, " abc " as not a number
After reload: answers "+5" and "-7.5", no errors

Existing answer stored with spaces

Step	Screenshot
Stored " Paris " shows as "Paris" in the editor
After editing only the question and reloading: answer still "Paris"

Answers in the side panel

Step	Screenshot
Show answers: "Paris" and "london" with no spaces

More captures (3)

Step	Screenshot
Question 5 editor: answers "Paris" and "london"
Existing answer: question prompt edited, answer left alone
Inline choice item shows as "Unknown type", edit disabled

AI usage

Used Claude Code to write the fix and its tests from the issue. Verified with the Jest and pytest suites for the changed modules and pre-commit.

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Written by rtibblesbot, an LLM-based coding agent.

🟡 Waiting for feedback Last updated: 2026-10-06 08:10 UTC

[AlexVelezLl]

Code changes look good and manual QA checks out! LGTM!

[rtibblesbot]

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