Cospend: reject list_cospend_bills(search_term) without limit (raises ValueError)

Author: oleksandr-nc

src/nc_mcp_server/tools/cospend.py

@@ -208,10 +208,11 @@ async def list_cospend_bills(
             include_bill_id: Force-include this bill id in the result even if
                 it would be paginated out (used to keep a focused bill in view).
             search_term: Substring match (case-insensitive) on bill `what`,
-                `comment`, or amount±1. NOTE: Cospend only applies the search
-                when `limit` is also set — pass any limit (e.g. 1000) to make
-                the filter take effect. Without a limit the search is silently
-                ignored.
+                `comment`, or amount±1. REQUIRES `limit` to be set — Cospend
+                silently ignores the search and returns unfiltered results
+                when no limit is provided, so this tool raises ValueError if
+                `search_term` is given without `limit`. Pass any limit
+                (e.g. 1000) to apply the filter.
             deleted: 0 = live bills (default), 1 = trashed bills only.
 
         Returns:
@@ -221,6 +222,10 @@ async def list_cospend_bills(
             `search_term` even when search filters `bills`), `allBillIds`
             (full id list before pagination), `timestamp` (server response time).
         """
+        if search_term is not None and limit is None:
+            raise ValueError(
+                "limit is required when search_term is set (Cospend silently ignores the search otherwise)"
+            )
         client = get_client()
         params = _body(
             offset=offset,

tests/integration/test_cospend.py

@@ -353,17 +353,15 @@ async def test_list_search_term_filters(self, nc_mcp: McpTestHelper) -> None:
         assert result["nb_bills"] == 2  # search doesn't affect the count
 
     @pytest.mark.asyncio
-    async def test_list_search_term_without_limit_is_ignored(self, nc_mcp: McpTestHelper) -> None:
-        """Documents the Cospend quirk: searchTerm has no effect without a limit."""
+    async def test_list_search_term_without_limit_raises(self, nc_mcp: McpTestHelper) -> None:
+        """search_term without limit must fail fast — Cospend silently ignores it otherwise."""
         pid = "mcp-test-bill-searchnolim"
         await _make_project(nc_mcp, pid)
         alice = await _make_member(nc_mcp, pid, "Alice")
-        bob = await _make_member(nc_mcp, pid, "Bob")
-        await _make_bill(nc_mcp, pid, "Pizza", 20.0, alice["id"], [alice["id"], bob["id"]])
-        await _make_bill(nc_mcp, pid, "Sushi", 30.0, alice["id"], [alice["id"], bob["id"]])
-        result = json.loads(await nc_mcp.call("list_cospend_bills", project_id=pid, search_term="Pizz"))
-        # Without limit, both bills come back — search is silently ignored.
-        assert sorted(b["what"] for b in result["bills"]) == ["Pizza", "Sushi"]
+        await _make_member(nc_mcp, pid, "Bob")
+        await _make_bill(nc_mcp, pid, "Pizza", 20.0, alice["id"], [alice["id"]])
+        with pytest.raises(ToolError, match="limit is required"):
+            await nc_mcp.call("list_cospend_bills", project_id=pid, search_term="Pizz")
 
     @pytest.mark.asyncio
     async def test_list_payer_id_filters(self, nc_mcp: McpTestHelper) -> None: