make expression mode default in record editor

[senithkay]

Purpose

Currently, in fields where both Record Editor mode and Expression mode are available, the default selected mode is Record Editor mode.

This does not align well with common developer workflows where expressions are frequently used. As a result, users must manually switch to Expression mode each time they configure such fields, creating unnecessary friction and reducing efficiency.

This PR updates the default behavior to better support expression-driven configurations.

Resolves: wso2/product-ballerina-integrator#2566

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Goals

• Change the default selected mode from Record Editor mode to Expression mode in all applicable fields.
• Preserve the ability to switch to Record Editor mode using the existing mode switcher.
• Ensure consistent behavior across all relevant form fields.

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Approach

• Updated the default mode configuration in fields that support both Record Editor and Expression modes.
• Set Expression mode as the initial selected state during form initialization.
• Ensured that the mode switcher continues to function correctly and allows seamless switching to Record Editor mode.
• Verified that:
  • Existing values load correctly in Expression mode.
  • Switching between modes preserves field state.
• Manually tested multiple nodes and scenarios where record editor support is available to confirm consistent behavior.

Summary by CodeRabbit

• Refactor
  • Simplified field editing logic by removing unnecessary state tracking and streamlining the mode selection flow for improved reliability.

[coderabbitai]

📝 Walkthrough

Walkthrough

The change simplifies field mode selection logic in the Record Editor by removing a dirty flag mechanism and unconditionally computing the initial mode based on current field types, reducing state tracking complexity.

Changes

Cohort / File(s)	Summary
Mode Selection Simplification workspaces/ballerina/ballerina-side-panel/src/components/editors/FieldFactory.tsx	Removed isModeSelectionDirty useRef tracking and conditional logic. Initial mode setup now occurs unconditionally based on field types. handleModeChange simplified to directly call setInputMode and updateFieldTypesSelection without mutating state flags.

Estimated code review effort

🎯 2 (Simple) | ⏱️ ~10 minutes

Poem

🐰 With whiskers twitched and hoppy delight,
We've trimmed the branches, made logic tight—
No dirty flags to slow us down,
Expression mode's the talk of town!
Cleaner flows make hearts so bright!

🚥 Pre-merge checks | ✅ 5

✅ Passed checks (5 passed)

Check name	Status	Explanation
Title check	✅ Passed	The title clearly and concisely describes the main change: making expression mode the default in the record editor.
Description check	✅ Passed	The PR description addresses Purpose, Goals, and Approach sections with clear details, though it doesn't follow the full template structure with sections like UI Component Development, Automation tests, and Security checks.
Linked Issues check	✅ Passed	The code changes successfully implement the objective: removing isModeSelectionDirty flag and defaulting to expression mode initialization, directly addressing issue #2566's requirement to make Expression mode the default.
Out of Scope Changes check	✅ Passed	All changes in FieldFactory.tsx are directly related to implementing the default expression mode behavior specified in issue #2566, with no extraneous modifications detected.
Docstring Coverage	✅ Passed	No functions found in the changed files to evaluate docstring coverage. Skipping docstring coverage check.

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✨ Finishing Touches

• 📝 Generate docstrings (stacked PR)
• 📝 Generate docstrings (commit on current branch)

🧪 Generate unit tests (beta)

• Create PR with unit tests
• Post copyable unit tests in a comment

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[coderabbitai]

Actionable comments posted: 1

🤖 Prompt for all review comments with AI agents

Verify each finding against the current code and only fix it if needed.

Inline comments:
In
`@workspaces/ballerina/ballerina-side-panel/src/components/editors/FieldFactory.tsx`:
- Around line 120-128: The effect currently always reinitializes rendering types
and inputMode (calls setRenderingEditors, getInitialSelectedInputType,
getInputModeFromTypes, setInputMode, updateFieldTypesSelection) whenever
props.field or props.recordTypeFields change, which resets a user-selected mode;
modify the effect to only perform this initialization on first render or when
the field identity/key changes (e.g., compare props.field.id or a stable
fieldKey) or introduce a user-dirty flag that, once set when the user toggles
mode, prevents overwriting inputMode; if the field identity changes, re-run the
full initialization (setRenderingEditors and setInputMode), otherwise skip
setInputMode/updateFieldTypesSelection to preserve the user selection.

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ℹ️ Review info

Configuration used: Path: .coderabbit.yaml

Review profile: CHILL

Plan: Pro

📥 Commits

Reviewing files that changed from the base of the PR and between ebf8a66 and 641a040.

📒 Files selected for processing (1)

• workspaces/ballerina/ballerina-side-panel/src/components/editors/FieldFactory.tsx