From 93d7cffc68117722cf9bf4bc19c857722bc17d58 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001
From: "Toast (gastown)" <Toast@gastown.local>
Date: Tue, 24 Mar 2026 20:05:44 +0000
Subject: [PATCH] fix: move rootOnly override before dryRun check in
 runWispCreate

Fixes steveyegge/beads#2725. The --dry-run early return was executing
before the rootOnly override logic, causing dry-run to report all N
issues would be created while the actual run only creates 1 (root).

- Move rootOnly override block above the dryRun check so both paths
  see the same rootOnly value
- Update dry-run output to show '1 issue (root only)' with a note
  explaining how many child steps were skipped and how to enable them
  via pour=true in the formula
- For pour=true formulas, dry-run still reports all issues as before
---
 cmd/bd/wisp.go | 30 +++++++++++++++++++++---------
 1 file changed, 21 insertions(+), 9 deletions(-)

diff --git a/cmd/bd/wisp.go b/cmd/bd/wisp.go
index ed252928f3..fa7849f41a 100644
--- a/cmd/bd/wisp.go
+++ b/cmd/bd/wisp.go
@@ -243,23 +243,35 @@ func runWispCreate(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) {
 		)
 	}
 
+	// Wisps are vapor (ephemeral) by default — only create the root issue.
+	// Materializing child step issues is the "pour" path (bd pour), not wisps.
+	// Formulas that explicitly set pour=true get children even as wisps.
+	if !rootOnly && subgraph != nil && !subgraph.Pour {
+		rootOnly = true
+	}
+
 	if dryRun {
-		fmt.Printf("\nDry run: would create wisp with %d issues from proto %s\n\n", len(subgraph.Issues), protoID)
+		if rootOnly {
+			skipped := len(subgraph.Issues) - 1
+			fmt.Printf("\nDry run: would create wisp with 1 issue (root only) from proto %s\n", protoID)
+			if skipped > 0 {
+				fmt.Printf("  Note: %d child step(s) skipped — set pour=true in formula to materialize them\n", skipped)
+			}
+		} else {
+			fmt.Printf("\nDry run: would create wisp with %d issues from proto %s\n\n", len(subgraph.Issues), protoID)
+		}
 		fmt.Printf("Storage: main database (ephemeral=true, not synced via git)\n\n")
-		for _, issue := range subgraph.Issues {
+		issuesToShow := subgraph.Issues
+		if rootOnly && len(issuesToShow) > 0 {
+			issuesToShow = issuesToShow[:1]
+		}
+		for _, issue := range issuesToShow {
 			newTitle := substituteVariables(issue.Title, vars)
 			fmt.Printf("  - %s (from %s)\n", newTitle, issue.ID)
 		}
 		return
 	}
 
-	// Wisps are vapor (ephemeral) by default — only create the root issue.
-	// Materializing child step issues is the "pour" path (bd pour), not wisps.
-	// Formulas that explicitly set pour=true get children even as wisps.
-	if !rootOnly && subgraph != nil && !subgraph.Pour {
-		rootOnly = true
-	}
-
 	// Spawn as ephemeral in main database (Ephemeral=true, not synced via git)
 	// Use wisp prefix for distinct visual recognition (see types.IDPrefixWisp)
 	result, err := spawnMoleculeWithOptions(ctx, store, subgraph, CloneOptions{