feat(hints): emit fuzzy-strategy hint when neighbors results carry brownfield/fallback edges

README.md

@@ -261,7 +261,7 @@ Example:
 {"kind":"symbol","filter":{"microservice":"chat-core","symbol_kind":"interface"}}
 ```
 
-**MCP v2 response extras (`hints`, pagination echo):** On success, `search`, `find`, `describe`, `neighbors`, and `resolve` return a `hints` field (`list[str]`, capped at five unique strings) with short, templated suggestions for likely next tool calls; hints are advisory. `hints` is always empty when `success` is false. `resolve` additionally echoes `resolved_identifier` (post-validation trimmed identifier) on every `success=true` response; it is `null` when `success` is false. Resolve hints fire only on `status: none` or `status: many` (not on `status: one`). `search` and `find` additionally echo the request’s `limit` and `offset` on success; on failure those echoed fields are omitted (`null` in JSON). The find page-full hint fires only when another page may exist (handler over-fetches by one row; not exposed on the output model). `neighbors` echoes `requested_edge_types` (deduped edge labels from the request) on success for empty-result hints and diagnostics. See [`propose/completed/HINTS-ROAD-SIGNS-PROPOSE.md`](./propose/completed/HINTS-ROAD-SIGNS-PROPOSE.md) Appendix A for the locked v1 template catalog; see [`propose/HINTS-V2-PROPOSE.md`](./propose/HINTS-V2-PROPOSE.md) for v2 additions (`resolve` rules; neighbors fuzzy-strategy in a follow-up PR).
+**MCP v2 response extras (`hints`, pagination echo):** On success, `search`, `find`, `describe`, `neighbors`, and `resolve` return a `hints` field (`list[str]`, capped at five unique strings) with short, templated suggestions for likely next tool calls; hints are advisory. `hints` is always empty when `success` is false. `resolve` additionally echoes `resolved_identifier` (post-validation trimmed identifier) on every `success=true` response; it is `null` when `success` is false. Resolve hints fire only on `status: none` or `status: many` (not on `status: one`). `search` and `find` additionally echo the request’s `limit` and `offset` on success; on failure those echoed fields are omitted (`null` in JSON). The find page-full hint fires only when another page may exist (handler over-fetches by one row; not exposed on the output model). `neighbors` echoes `requested_edge_types` (deduped edge labels from the request) on success for empty-result hints and diagnostics; when any result edge carries a brownfield/fallback `attrs.strategy` (see `FUZZY_STRATEGY_SET` in `java_ontology.py`), a single meta-tier fuzzy-strategy hint may also appear. See [`propose/completed/HINTS-ROAD-SIGNS-PROPOSE.md`](./propose/completed/HINTS-ROAD-SIGNS-PROPOSE.md) Appendix A for the locked v1 template catalog; see [`propose/HINTS-V2-PROPOSE.md`](./propose/HINTS-V2-PROPOSE.md) for v2 additions (`resolve` rules and neighbors fuzzy-strategy hint).
 
 ---
 

java_ontology.py

@@ -85,6 +85,16 @@
     "client_target_path",
 ))
 
+# Brownfield / fallback edge resolution strategies (hints v2 neighbors fuzzy signal).
+FUZZY_STRATEGY_SET: frozenset[str] = frozenset({
+    "layer_c_source",
+    "layer_b_fqn",
+    "phantom",
+    "chained_receiver",
+    "overload_ambiguous",
+    "implicit_super",
+})
+
 ResolveReason = Literal[
     "exact_id",
     "exact_fqn",
@@ -107,5 +117,6 @@
     "VALID_ASYNC_CALL_STRATEGIES",
     "VALID_HTTP_CALL_MATCHES",
     "VALID_RESOLVE_REASONS",
+    "FUZZY_STRATEGY_SET",
     "ResolveReason",
 ]

mcp_hints.py

@@ -1,14 +1,16 @@
 """Pure MCP v2 road-sign hint generation (no graph I/O, no search, no LLM).
 
 Locked v1 catalog: ``propose/completed/HINTS-ROAD-SIGNS-PROPOSE.md`` Appendix A.
-v2 resolve catalog: ``propose/HINTS-V2-PROPOSE.md`` Appendix A.
+v2 resolve + neighbors fuzzy-strategy catalog: ``propose/HINTS-V2-PROPOSE.md`` Appendix A.
 Priority cap: same propose §7.12 / ``plans/completed/PLAN-HINTS.md`` principles.
 """
 
 from __future__ import annotations
 
 from typing import Any, Literal
 
+from java_ontology import FUZZY_STRATEGY_SET
+
 # Normative schema description (propose §3.1) — imported by ``mcp_v2`` for Field(description=...).
 MCP_HINTS_FIELD_DESCRIPTION = (
     "Road-sign hints pointing to likely next calls. Each hint is a short string "
@@ -65,6 +67,10 @@
 _RESOLVE_HINT_MAX_CHARS = 120
 _RESOLVE_WILDCARDS = ("*", "?")
 
+TPL_NEIGHBORS_FUZZY_STRATEGY = (
+    "some edges resolved via brownfield/fallback strategy — check attrs.strategy on each row"
+)
+
 # §7.12 priority: DECLARES.* type rollups > OVERRIDDEN_BY.* > leaf follow-ups > meta.
 PRIORITY_DECLARES_TYPE_ROLLUP = 4
 PRIORITY_OVERRIDDEN_AXIS = 3
@@ -99,6 +105,15 @@ def _symbol_declaration_kind(record: dict[str, Any]) -> str | None:
     return None
 
 
+def _any_fuzzy_strategy(edges: list[dict[str, Any]]) -> bool:
+    for e in edges:
+        attrs = e.get("attrs") if isinstance(e.get("attrs"), dict) else {}
+        s = attrs.get("strategy") if isinstance(attrs, dict) else None
+        if isinstance(s, str) and s in FUZZY_STRATEGY_SET:
+            return True
+    return False
+
+
 def _find_has_identifier_shaped_filter(kind: str, flt: dict[str, Any]) -> bool:
     for name in _IDENTIFIER_FILTER_FIELDS.get(kind, ()):
         val = flt.get(name)
@@ -215,6 +230,8 @@ def generate_hints(
         n_types = len([x for x in req_types if str(x).strip()])
         if not results and n_types > 0:
             pairs.append((PRIORITY_META, TPL_NEIGHBORS_EMPTY_KIND_CHECK))
+        elif _any_fuzzy_strategy(results):
+            pairs.append((PRIORITY_META, TPL_NEIGHBORS_FUZZY_STRATEGY))
         return finalize_hint_list(pairs)
 
     if output_kind == "describe":

server.py

@@ -448,7 +448,8 @@ async def describe(
             "Optional `filter` applies to each neighbor endpoint row; populated fields must be applicable to that "
             "neighbor's kind—mixed-kind result sets fail on the first inapplicable neighbor (strict frame). "
             "Wildcards in prefix fields are rejected. Unknown NodeFilter keys return success=false. "
-            "Successful responses echo `requested_edge_types` and may include `hints` (advisory next-step strings)."
+            "Successful responses echo `requested_edge_types` and may include `hints` (advisory next-step strings). "
+            "Each edge's `attrs.strategy` indicates resolution quality (brownfield/fallback vs primary paths)."
         ),
     )
     async def neighbors(

tests/test_mcp_hints.py

@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@
     finalize_hint_list,
     generate_hints,
 )
+from java_ontology import FUZZY_STRATEGY_SET
 from mcp_v2 import FindOutput, SearchOutput, describe_v2, find_v2, neighbors_v2, resolve_v2, search_v2
 
 _TYPE_KINDS = frozenset({"class", "interface", "enum", "record", "annotation"})
@@ -253,6 +254,100 @@ def test_hints_neighbors_empty_with_edge_types_emits_kind_check(kuzu_graph) -> N
     assert mcp_hints.TPL_NEIGHBORS_EMPTY_KIND_CHECK in out.hints
 
 
+def _neighbors_hint_payload(
+    results: list[dict[str, Any]],
+    *,
+    requested_edge_types: list[str] | None = None,
+) -> dict[str, Any]:
+    return {
+        "success": True,
+        "results": results,
+        "requested_edge_types": requested_edge_types or ["DECLARES_CLIENT"],
+    }
+
+
+def _edge_result(*, strategy: str | None = None, edge_type: str = "DECLARES_CLIENT") -> dict[str, Any]:
+    attrs: dict[str, Any] = {}
+    if strategy is not None:
+        attrs["strategy"] = strategy
+    return {
+        "origin_id": "sym:pkg.Type#m()",
+        "edge_type": edge_type,
+        "direction": "out",
+        "other": {"id": "client:svc:feign:t:GET:/p", "kind": "client"},
+        "attrs": attrs,
+    }
+
+
+def _method_id_with_fuzzy_calls(kuzu_graph) -> str:
+    rows = kuzu_graph._rows(  # noqa: SLF001
+        "MATCH (m:Symbol)-[e:CALLS]->() "
+        "WHERE e.strategy IN $strategies "
+        "RETURN m.id AS id LIMIT 1",
+        {"strategies": sorted(FUZZY_STRATEGY_SET)},
+    )
+    if not rows:
+        pytest.fail("no CALLS edge with fuzzy strategy in bank fixture")
+    return str(rows[0]["id"])
+
+
+def test_hints_neighbors_fuzzy_strategy_layer_c_source_emits() -> None:
+    payload = _neighbors_hint_payload([_edge_result(strategy="layer_c_source")])
+    hints = generate_hints("neighbors", payload)
+    assert mcp_hints.TPL_NEIGHBORS_FUZZY_STRATEGY in hints
+    assert "attrs.strategy" in hints[0]
+
+
+def test_hints_neighbors_fuzzy_strategy_annotation_absent() -> None:
+    payload = _neighbors_hint_payload([_edge_result(strategy="annotation")])
+    assert generate_hints("neighbors", payload) == []
+
+
+def test_hints_neighbors_fuzzy_strategy_calls_phantom_emits() -> None:
+    payload = _neighbors_hint_payload(
+        [_edge_result(strategy="phantom", edge_type="CALLS")],
+        requested_edge_types=["CALLS"],
+    )
+    hints = generate_hints("neighbors", payload)
+    assert mcp_hints.TPL_NEIGHBORS_FUZZY_STRATEGY in hints
+
+
+def test_hints_neighbors_declares_no_strategy_attrs_empty() -> None:
+    payload = _neighbors_hint_payload(
+        [_edge_result(edge_type="DECLARES")],
+        requested_edge_types=["DECLARES"],
+    )
+    assert generate_hints("neighbors", payload) == []
+
+
+def test_hints_neighbors_multi_origin_fuzzy_emits_once() -> None:
+    payload = _neighbors_hint_payload(
+        [
+            _edge_result(strategy="phantom", edge_type="CALLS"),
+            _edge_result(strategy="annotation", edge_type="CALLS"),
+        ],
+        requested_edge_types=["CALLS"],
+    )
+    hints = generate_hints("neighbors", payload)
+    assert hints.count(mcp_hints.TPL_NEIGHBORS_FUZZY_STRATEGY) == 1
+
+
+def test_hints_neighbors_layer_a_meta_no_fuzzy_hint() -> None:
+    payload = _neighbors_hint_payload([_edge_result(strategy="layer_a_meta")])
+    assert generate_hints("neighbors", payload) == []
+
+
+def test_hints_neighbors_fuzzy_strategy_neighbors_v2_round_trip(kuzu_graph) -> None:
+    mid = _method_id_with_fuzzy_calls(kuzu_graph)
+    out = neighbors_v2(mid, direction="out", edge_types=["CALLS"], graph=kuzu_graph, limit=50)
+    assert out.success is True
+    assert out.results
+    strategies = [e.attrs.get("strategy") for e in out.results]
+    assert any(s in FUZZY_STRATEGY_SET for s in strategies if isinstance(s, str))
+    assert mcp_hints.TPL_NEIGHBORS_FUZZY_STRATEGY in out.hints
+    assert "brownfield/fallback strategy" in out.hints[0]
+
+
 def test_hints_search_weak_structural_signal_emits(monkeypatch, kuzu_graph) -> None:
     rows = [
         {
@@ -735,6 +830,7 @@ def test_hints_pagination_none_skips_page_derived_hints() -> None:
         ),
         (mcp_hints.TPL_RESOLVE_NONE_TRY_FIND_CLIENT, {"seed": "smartcare-assign-chat"}),
         (mcp_hints.TPL_RESOLVE_MANY_TIGHTEN, {"n": 10}),
+        (mcp_hints.TPL_NEIGHBORS_FUZZY_STRATEGY, {}),
     ],
 )
 def test_hints_template_rendered_length_leq_120(template: str, fmt: dict[str, Any]) -> None: