fix(issue): conditionally collapse lifetime to preserve count/userCount/firstSeen/lastSeen (#969)

`collapse=lifetime` on the issues list endpoint strips top-level
`count`, `userCount`, `firstSeen`, and `lastSeen` fields from the
response. The CLI was always sending this collapse parameter, causing
`--json --fields count,firstSeen,...` to return empty values and the
human table to show `EVENTS: ?`, `SEEN: —`, `USERS: 0`.

Now `lifetime` is only collapsed in JSON mode when explicit `--fields`
are provided and none of them are lifetime-dependent. Human output and
JSON without `--fields` always get the full data.

Closes #969

Author: BYK

src/commands/issue/list.ts

@@ -175,17 +175,46 @@ function shouldCollapseStats(json: boolean): boolean {
   return !willShowTrend();
 }
 
+/**
+ * Fields that depend on the `lifetime` API data. When `collapse=lifetime`
+ * is sent, the server omits these from the list response. See #969.
+ */
+const LIFETIME_FIELDS = new Set([
+  "count",
+  "userCount",
+  "firstSeen",
+  "lastSeen",
+]);
+
 /**
  * Build the collapse and groupStatsPeriod options for issue list API calls.
  *
  * When stats are collapsed, groupStatsPeriod is omitted (undefined) since
  * the server won't compute stats anyway. This avoids wasted server-side
  * processing and makes the request intent explicit.
+ *
+ * Lifetime is only collapsed in JSON mode when explicit `--fields` are
+ * provided and none of them are lifetime-dependent (`count`, `userCount`,
+ * `firstSeen`, `lastSeen`). Human output always needs these for the
+ * EVENTS, USERS, SEEN, and AGE columns.
  */
-function buildListApiOptions(json: boolean): ListApiOptions {
+function buildListApiOptions(json: boolean, fields?: string[]): ListApiOptions {
   const collapseStats = shouldCollapseStats(json);
+  // Collapse lifetime only when in JSON mode with explicit --fields that
+  // don't include any lifetime-dependent field. Human output always needs
+  // these (EVENTS, USERS, SEEN, AGE columns), and JSON without --fields
+  // returns all fields.
+  const collapseLifetime =
+    json &&
+    fields !== null &&
+    fields !== undefined &&
+    fields.length > 0 &&
+    !fields.some((f) => LIFETIME_FIELDS.has(f));
   return {
-    collapse: buildIssueListCollapse({ shouldCollapseStats: collapseStats }),
+    collapse: buildIssueListCollapse({
+      shouldCollapseStats: collapseStats,
+      shouldCollapseLifetime: collapseLifetime,
+    }),
     groupStatsPeriod: collapseStats ? undefined : "auto",
   };
 }
@@ -870,14 +899,14 @@ function prevPageHint(org: string, flags: ListFlags): string {
  */
 async function fetchOrgAllIssues(
   org: string,
-  flags: Pick<ListFlags, "query" | "limit" | "sort" | "json">,
+  flags: Pick<ListFlags, "query" | "limit" | "sort" | "json" | "fields">,
   timeRange: TimeRange,
   options: {
     cursor?: string;
     onPage?: (fetched: number, limit: number) => void;
   }
 ): Promise<IssuesPage> {
-  const apiOpts = buildListApiOptions(flags.json);
+  const apiOpts = buildListApiOptions(flags.json, flags.fields);
   const timeParams = timeRangeToApiParams(timeRange);
   const { cursor, onPage } = options;
 
@@ -1257,7 +1286,7 @@ async function handleResolvedTargets(
       ? `Fetching issues from ${targetCount} projects`
       : "Fetching issues";
 
-  const apiOpts = buildListApiOptions(flags.json);
+  const apiOpts = buildListApiOptions(flags.json, flags.fields);
 
   const { results, hasMore } = await withProgress(
     { message: `${baseMessage} (up to ${flags.limit})...`, json: flags.json },

src/lib/api/issues.ts

@@ -47,7 +47,7 @@ export type IssueSort = NonNullable<
  * expensive Snuba/ClickHouse queries on the backend.
  *
  * - `'stats'` — time-series event counts (sparkline data)
- * - `'lifetime'` — lifetime aggregate counts (count, userCount, firstSeen)
+ * - `'lifetime'` — lifetime aggregate sub-object AND top-level count/userCount/firstSeen/lastSeen on list endpoints
  * - `'filtered'` — filtered aggregate counts
  * - `'unhandled'` — unhandled event flag computation
  * - `'base'` — base group fields (rarely useful to collapse)
@@ -59,9 +59,17 @@ export type IssueCollapseField = NonNullable<
 /**
  * Build the `collapse` parameter for issue list API calls.
  *
- * Always collapses fields the CLI never consumes in issue list:
- * `filtered`, `lifetime`, `unhandled`. Conditionally collapses `stats`
- * when sparklines won't be rendered (narrow terminal, non-TTY, or JSON).
+ * Always collapses `filtered` and `unhandled` — the CLI never consumes
+ * these in issue list views. Conditionally collapses `stats` when
+ * sparklines won't be rendered (narrow terminal, non-TTY, or JSON),
+ * and `lifetime` when the caller confirms the lifetime-dependent
+ * top-level fields (`count`, `userCount`, `firstSeen`, `lastSeen`)
+ * aren't needed.
+ *
+ * **Important:** Despite being documented as removing only the `lifetime`
+ * sub-object, `collapse=lifetime` also strips the top-level `count`,
+ * `userCount`, `firstSeen`, and `lastSeen` fields from list responses.
+ * Only collapse it when those fields are confirmed unnecessary. See #969.
  *
  * Matches the Sentry web UI's optimization: the initial page load sends
  * `collapse=stats,unhandled` to skip expensive Snuba queries, fetching
@@ -70,12 +78,20 @@ export type IssueCollapseField = NonNullable<
  * @param options - Context for determining what to collapse
  * @param options.shouldCollapseStats - Whether stats data can be skipped
  *   (true when sparklines won't be shown: narrow terminal, non-TTY, --json)
+ * @param options.shouldCollapseLifetime - Whether lifetime data can be skipped.
+ *   Defaults to `false` because most output paths need `count`/`userCount`/
+ *   `firstSeen`/`lastSeen`. Only set to `true` when `--json --fields` omits
+ *   all lifetime-dependent fields.
  * @returns Array of fields to collapse
  */
 export function buildIssueListCollapse(options: {
   shouldCollapseStats: boolean;
+  shouldCollapseLifetime?: boolean;
 }): IssueCollapseField[] {
-  const collapse: IssueCollapseField[] = ["filtered", "lifetime", "unhandled"];
+  const collapse: IssueCollapseField[] = ["filtered", "unhandled"];
+  if (options.shouldCollapseLifetime) {
+    collapse.push("lifetime");
+  }
   if (options.shouldCollapseStats) {
     collapse.push("stats");
   }
@@ -90,8 +106,10 @@ export function buildIssueListCollapse(options: {
  * in detail views (`issue view`, `issue explain`, `issue plan`).
  * Collapsing these skips expensive Snuba queries, saving 100-300ms per request.
  *
- * Note: `count`, `userCount`, `firstSeen`, `lastSeen` are top-level fields
- * and remain unaffected by collapsing.
+ * Note: On the **list** endpoint, `collapse=lifetime` strips top-level
+ * `count`, `userCount`, `firstSeen`, `lastSeen` (see #969). The detail
+ * endpoint preserves these fields regardless of collapse — safe to include
+ * `lifetime` here.
  */
 export const ISSUE_DETAIL_COLLAPSE: IssueCollapseField[] = [
   "stats",

test/commands/issue/list.test.ts

@@ -1110,7 +1110,7 @@ describe("issue list: collapse parameter optimization", () => {
     advancePaginationStateSpy.mockRestore();
   });
 
-  test("always collapses filtered, lifetime, unhandled in org-all mode", async () => {
+  test("always collapses filtered and unhandled in org-all mode", async () => {
     listIssuesPaginatedSpy.mockResolvedValue({
       data: [sampleIssue],
       nextCursor: undefined,
@@ -1134,10 +1134,125 @@ describe("issue list: collapse parameter optimization", () => {
     const options = callArgs?.[2] as Record<string, unknown> | undefined;
     const collapse = options?.collapse as string[];
     expect(collapse).toContain("filtered");
-    expect(collapse).toContain("lifetime");
     expect(collapse).toContain("unhandled");
   });
 
+  test("does not collapse lifetime in human mode (needed for EVENTS/USERS/SEEN/AGE)", async () => {
+    listIssuesPaginatedSpy.mockResolvedValue({
+      data: [sampleIssue],
+      nextCursor: undefined,
+    });
+
+    const orgAllFunc = (await listCommand.loader()) as unknown as (
+      this: unknown,
+      flags: Record<string, unknown>,
+      target?: string
+    ) => Promise<void>;
+
+    const { context } = createOrgAllContext();
+    await orgAllFunc.call(
+      context,
+      { limit: 10, sort: "date", period: parsePeriod("90d"), json: false },
+      "my-org/"
+    );
+
+    expect(listIssuesPaginatedSpy).toHaveBeenCalled();
+    const callArgs = listIssuesPaginatedSpy.mock.calls[0];
+    const options = callArgs?.[2] as Record<string, unknown> | undefined;
+    const collapse = options?.collapse as string[];
+    expect(collapse).not.toContain("lifetime");
+  });
+
+  test("does not collapse lifetime in JSON mode without --fields", async () => {
+    listIssuesPaginatedSpy.mockResolvedValue({
+      data: [sampleIssue],
+      nextCursor: undefined,
+    });
+
+    const orgAllFunc = (await listCommand.loader()) as unknown as (
+      this: unknown,
+      flags: Record<string, unknown>,
+      target?: string
+    ) => Promise<void>;
+
+    const { context } = createOrgAllContext();
+    await orgAllFunc.call(
+      context,
+      { limit: 10, sort: "date", period: parsePeriod("90d"), json: true },
+      "my-org/"
+    );
+
+    expect(listIssuesPaginatedSpy).toHaveBeenCalled();
+    const callArgs = listIssuesPaginatedSpy.mock.calls[0];
+    const options = callArgs?.[2] as Record<string, unknown> | undefined;
+    const collapse = options?.collapse as string[];
+    expect(collapse).not.toContain("lifetime");
+  });
+
+  test("does not collapse lifetime in JSON mode when --fields includes lifetime-dependent field", async () => {
+    listIssuesPaginatedSpy.mockResolvedValue({
+      data: [sampleIssue],
+      nextCursor: undefined,
+    });
+
+    const orgAllFunc = (await listCommand.loader()) as unknown as (
+      this: unknown,
+      flags: Record<string, unknown>,
+      target?: string
+    ) => Promise<void>;
+
+    const { context } = createOrgAllContext();
+    await orgAllFunc.call(
+      context,
+      {
+        limit: 10,
+        sort: "date",
+        period: parsePeriod("90d"),
+        json: true,
+        fields: ["shortId", "title", "count"],
+      },
+      "my-org/"
+    );
+
+    expect(listIssuesPaginatedSpy).toHaveBeenCalled();
+    const callArgs = listIssuesPaginatedSpy.mock.calls[0];
+    const options = callArgs?.[2] as Record<string, unknown> | undefined;
+    const collapse = options?.collapse as string[];
+    expect(collapse).not.toContain("lifetime");
+  });
+
+  test("collapses lifetime in JSON mode when --fields omits all lifetime-dependent fields", async () => {
+    listIssuesPaginatedSpy.mockResolvedValue({
+      data: [sampleIssue],
+      nextCursor: undefined,
+    });
+
+    const orgAllFunc = (await listCommand.loader()) as unknown as (
+      this: unknown,
+      flags: Record<string, unknown>,
+      target?: string
+    ) => Promise<void>;
+
+    const { context } = createOrgAllContext();
+    await orgAllFunc.call(
+      context,
+      {
+        limit: 10,
+        sort: "date",
+        period: parsePeriod("90d"),
+        json: true,
+        fields: ["shortId", "title"],
+      },
+      "my-org/"
+    );
+
+    expect(listIssuesPaginatedSpy).toHaveBeenCalled();
+    const callArgs = listIssuesPaginatedSpy.mock.calls[0];
+    const options = callArgs?.[2] as Record<string, unknown> | undefined;
+    const collapse = options?.collapse as string[];
+    expect(collapse).toContain("lifetime");
+  });
+
   test("collapses stats in JSON mode", async () => {
     listIssuesPaginatedSpy.mockResolvedValue({
       data: [sampleIssue],