verify: Rails 7.1 appraisal smoke test (WA-VERIFY-079)

notes/rails71-smoke-test-2026-03-17.md

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+# Rails 7.1 Appraisal Smoke Test — 2026-03-17
+
+**Issue:** #1061 (WA-VERIFY-079)
+**Branch:** issue-1061-rails71-smoke
+**Ruby version:** 2.7.8 (rbenv)
+**Date:** 2026-03-17
+
+---
+
+## Summary
+
+The Rails 7.1 appraisal gemfile **cannot bundle** due to a Mongoid version incompatibility.
+Neither a boot check nor a test run was possible.
+
+**Colima status:** Not running (Docker services unavailable, would have blocked test runs anyway)
+
+---
+
+## Bundle Install Attempt
+
+```sh
+BUNDLE_GEMFILE=gemfiles/rails_7_1.gemfile bundle install
+```
+
+### Error Output
+
+```
+Fetching https://github.com/workarea-commerce/rails-decorators.git
+Fetching gem metadata from https://rubygems.org/........
+Resolving dependencies...
+Could not find compatible versions
+
+Because every version of workarea-core depends on mongoid ~> 7.4
+  and mongoid >= 7.3.4, < 8.0.7 depends on activemodel >= 5.1, < 7.1, != 7.0.0,
+  every version of workarea-core requires activemodel >= 5.1, < 7.1, != 7.0.0.
+And because rails >= 7.1.5.1, < 7.1.5.2 depends on activemodel = 7.1.5.1,
+every version of workarea-core is incompatible with rails >= 7.1.5.1, <
+7.1.5.2.
+So, because rails_7_1.gemfile depends on workarea-core >= 0
+  and rails_7_1.gemfile depends on rails = 7.1.5.1,
+  version solving has failed.
+```
+
+---
+
+## Root Cause Analysis
+
+This is the **same blocking dependency** documented in issue #839 for Rails 7.2:
+
+| Constraint | Source |
+|---|---|
+| `mongoid ~> 7.4` | `workarea-core.gemspec` |
+| `activemodel >= 5.1, < 7.1` | Mongoid 7.x upper bound on activemodel |
+| `activemodel = 7.1.5.1` | Rails 7.1.5.1 requirement |
+
+Mongoid 7.x's `activemodel < 7.1` constraint is incompatible with **both** Rails 7.1 and 7.2.
+This is the well-known hard blocker: **Mongoid 8.x is required for Rails 7.x compatibility**.
+
+### Prior Work
+- Issue #690 (WA-RAILS7-004): Mongoid 8.x upgrade — currently `status:blocked, blocked:ci-failing`
+- Issue #839: Same error for Rails 7.2 appraisal (documented separately)
+
+---
+
+## Context on Previous Admin Smoke Test (PR #1037)
+
+Issue #1034 (merged as PR #1037) performed an admin Rails 7.1 smoke test. That test likely
+used a standalone Rails app (new + app environment), not the appraisal gemfile path tested here.
+The appraisal gemfile path bundles workarea-core directly and hits the Mongoid constraint.
+
+---
+
+## Acceptance Criteria Status
+
+| Criteria | Status | Notes |
+|---|---|---|
+| Rails 7.1 appraisal boots cleanly | ❌ BLOCKED | Bundle install fails — Mongoid 7.x incompatible with Rails 7.1 |
+| `bundle exec rake core_test` runs | ❌ BLOCKED | Cannot run — bundle step fails; Colima not running |
+| Failures documented with root cause | ✅ | Mongoid 8.x required (see above) |
+
+---
+
+## Recommendation
+
+**Unblock Mongoid 8 upgrade (issue #690) first.**
+
+The Rails 7.1 appraisal gemfile cannot be exercised until `workarea-core.gemspec` is updated to
+`mongoid ~> 8.0` (or `mongoid >= 8.0`). This is the foundational blocker for Rails 7.x
+compatibility across the board.
+
+Steps to unblock:
+1. Resolve `status:blocked, blocked:ci-failing` on issue #690
+2. Update `workarea-core.gemspec`: `mongoid ~> 7.4` → `mongoid ~> 8.0`
+3. Update all Mongoid 8 breaking-change callsites (see WA-RAILS7-004 research doc)
+4. Re-run this smoke test
+
+---
+
+## Environment Details
+
+- **Ruby:** 2.7.8 (rbenv)
+- **Bundler:** 2.4.22
+- **Gemfile:** `gemfiles/rails_7_1.gemfile` (pins `rails = 7.1.5.1`)
+- **Docker/Colima:** Not running (would have also blocked test suite execution)
+- **OS:** macOS (arm64)