Test the app on the simulator

Drive the running app on the iOS simulator, and for anything non-trivial verify against the live app state, not just the screen. Many bugs are UI/data desyncs the screenshot won't show.

Three tools do the work:

• ios-simulator MCP — drive the UI (the app is bare RN, so testIDs are queryable).
• scripts/dump-rn-state.js — read the live Redux state (globalThis.state).
• liftosaur-local MCP — set up the environment (programs, exercises, history, settings) on the same account the simulator is signed into.

Focus: $ARGUMENTS

Auth preflight (throwaway test account)

The simulator app and the liftosaur-local MCP must be on the SAME account. The MCP's API key is static (in ~/.claude.json → this project's mcpServers.liftosaur-local.headers), and debugLogin rebinds that key server-side to a freshly created account — one call aligns both.

1. Get the key:

   python3 -c "import json,os;c=json.load(open(os.path.expanduser('~/.claude.json')));print(c['projects']['/Users/anton/projects/liftosaur']['mcpServers']['liftosaur-local']['headers']['Authorization'].split()[-1])"
   

2. Check the current account: node scripts/dump-rn-state.js --eval "globalThis.state.user". If it's already the test_ account you're mid-scenario with, skip step 3 — each debugLogin call starts a NEW empty account.
3. Create a fresh throwaway account (empty storage, active subscription — premium features work) and rebind the MCP key to it:

   node scripts/dump-rn-state.js --eval "globalThis.debugLogin('<key>')"
   # → {"userId":"test_xxxxxxxx","email":"test_xxxxxxxx@test.liftosaur.com","apiKeyBound":true}
   

4. Verify: list_programs via MCP should reflect the same empty account the sim now shows.

Requires the local dev server (npm run start:server) — the sign-in bypass and key-rebind endpoint are Utils_isLocal()-gated, and globalThis.debugLogin exists only in __DEV__ builds. This signs the simulator out of whatever account it was on (that account's local data stays on-device; a normal sign-in restores it) — leave the sim on the test account when done and tell the user which account you left it on.

The core loop

1. Set up the scenario via liftosaur-local MCP (or by driving the UI).
2. Act in the UI via ios-simulator MCP — target by testID, never pixel-guess.
3. Verify with dump-rn-state.js: does the live state match what the screen shows and what you intended? A mismatch between control ↔ state ↔ intent is a bug.
4. Reset between cases (in-app undo/discard, or re-seed via MCP) so each test starts clean. Nuclear option: globalThis.debugLogin('<key>') again — brand-new empty account, MCP follows.

Tools

ios-simulator MCP (drive the UI)

• get_booted_sim_id once (bundle id com.liftosaur.www).
• ui_find_element(["<testID>"]) → tap the returned frame center. testIDs surface as AXUniqueId. Prefer semantic targeting over coordinates.
• ui_view — cheap screenshot for a visual/state check.
• ui_describe_all — full a11y tree; use sparingly, it can exceed the token limit. If it's dumped to a file, pull the ids out: python3 -c "import re;print('\n'.join(dict.fromkeys(re.findall(r'\"AXUniqueId\":\"([^\"]+)\"',open('FILE').read()))))"
• ui_type after tapping a field; ui_swipe to scroll; launch_app(..., terminate_running:true) to relaunch. See main CLAUDE.md for idb setup.

dump-rn-state.js (read live state)

node scripts/dump-rn-state.js storage.currentProgramId        # dotted path
node scripts/dump-rn-state.js --eval "Object.keys(globalThis.state)"   # arbitrary expr
node scripts/dump-rn-state.js --eval "globalThis.state.storage.settings.units"

Hermes' JSON.stringify drops undefined/functions, so you get clean IState. Useful roots: storage (programs, settings, history, stats), progress (in-progress workout), editProgramStates / editProgramExerciseStates (edit buffers). Needs Metro connected — a "Fast Refresh disconnected" banner means it dropped; relaunch the app.

liftosaur-local MCP (set up the environment)

Same account as the sim. Read the DSL guide first — it is not guessable: get_liftoscript_reference, then get_liftoscript_examples.

• Programs: create_program / update_program (validate with run_playground BEFORE saving), list_programs, get_program, delete_program.
• Also: custom exercises/equipment/gyms, create_history_record, measurements, set_exercise_data.

After creating/updating data via MCP, the device won't see it until it syncs — relaunch with launch_app(bundle_id, terminate_running:true) to force a full sync, then switch to it in-app (Me → Program) if needed.

Understand the target first

Before driving the UI, know the testIDs and the handlers behind the feature. Fastest path: spawn an Explore agent to grep testID= in the relevant components and report each control, its handler, and how it serializes/writes state (with file:line). Note handler asymmetries (one path preserves a field, a sibling resets it) — those are prime bug candidates.

Native code lives in src/components/** (.tsx using RN primitives; check for .native.tsx variants). State shapes are in src/types.ts and src/models/state.ts.

Gotchas (learned the hard way)

• Coordinates: ui_find_element frames are in full-scroll coords; taps use screen points. The tab bar sits at ~y≥762 and overlaps list rows — scroll the target above it before tapping, or you'll hit a footer tab.
• Inputs commit on blur — after ui_type into a numeric/text field, dismiss the keypad (its keyboard-icon) before dumping state, or the change won't be in state yet.
• CodeMirror / inlined-HTML WebViews (e.g. the Liftoscript full-text editor) are ONE opaque a11y node — you can't tap inside. Set that content via the MCP instead.
• Reload to sync MCP-made data: launch_app(..., terminate_running:true).
• Verify the DATA, not just the screen — the screen can look right while state is wrong.
• Leave the account as you found it (or tell the user what you changed): switch the active program back, delete throwaway programs/history, and confirm nothing unintended was saved.

Reporting

When bug-hunting, write findings to lambda/scripts/bugs/<area>-<date>.md. Per bug: severity, numbered repro steps, a before/after state dump proving it, any UI-vs-state mismatch, and the file:line root cause. Reproduce from a clean state before reporting, and list what you verified working too.

Example: program-editor QA

A worked scenario — reuse/repeat mechanics on the Edit Program screens — including a ready-made fixture program and the exact bugs it surfaced, is in lambda/scripts/bugs/program-editor-bugs-2026-07-01.md. Use it as a model for structuring a run.