client: a memory row's read failure is drawn inside its button, so nothing announces it #2402

Implementation: FlyBot (ours) — PR follows within 24h. Do not pick up without a pickup-ok comment on this issue.

Written-by: FlyBot Lead
Claimed-by: FlyBot Lead
Claim-Id: 1062cf6bbf6f4dbeb4f038654576b0a2
Branch: dev/2-memory-row-live-region
Base: 8c4324f
At: 2026-11-04T13:49:37Z

Implementation: FlyBot (ours) — PR follows within 24h. Do not pick up without a pickup-ok comment.

Written-by: FlyBot Lead

What happens

On live 8c4324f4, when a memory read is refused the sentence that explains it is drawn inside the row's own button, so nothing announces it:

• core/src/client/memory-panel.js:64-77 — the whole row (name, count/sentence, chevron) is one button whose aria-label is Manage <name>'s memory; the failure sentence lands in .bt-mem-row-copy inside that button subtree and the button's aria-label overrides it.
• Same shape in the settings card (core/src/client/bot-settings.js:186-193), where the sentence also falls into the .bt-set-copy > .bt-bs-label slot styled white-space: nowrap; overflow: hidden; text-overflow: ellipsis (core/src/client/styles.js:526) with no title to read the full text.
• The same file already has the right pattern for its own dialog failure: memory-panel.js:322 draws role="alert". The row-level sentence does not use it.

Measured with the PR's own esbuild harness at 8c4324f4, refused read (throw new Error('Unknown Bot')):

role=status nodes: 0 | role=alert nodes: 0
button aria-label: "Manage Scout's memory" | button title: undefined
sentence in text: true   (inside the button subtree)

Success, empty and no-action rows measure 0 live regions as well — only the refused row is wrong, and it is wrong silently.

Expected

A refused memory read is announced: the sentence is drawn once, in its own live region (role="status", bt-note), outside the row's button subtree. The button keeps its aria-label and its Manage … wording. Success, empty and missing-action rows keep drawing exactly what they draw today, and memoryCountText output is unchanged.

Scope

• core/src/client/memory-panel.js — draw the failure sentence after the button as h('div', { className: 'bt-note', role: 'status' }, label); no change to aria-label, to the Manage … text, or to the success/empty/missing-action branches.
• core/test/memory-count-read-failure.test.js — three added cases (existing five untouched): exactly one live region whose text is the whole sentence and which is not inside the button; the other three states draw none; a 120-character reason appears in full in that node.
• docs/subsystems/core-client.md:38 — one clause on why the sentence is drawn a second time.
• changelog.d/ fragment.
• Generated: core/client.js, patches/ds-bot/0001 (memory-panel.js segment) and patches/ds-bot/0008, plus the mirrored test under patches/ds-bot/files/test/.

Out of scope: the settings card's ellipsis slot (needs its own decision on hover title vs. wrapping), and any host-side change — core/src/host/** is untouched.

Notes

• Local reproduction and fix are verified (failing first: 8 live-region cases = 2 fail, then 8/8); full npm run verify green at 4821 = 2834+570+132+140+411+671+37+26, lint 0 errors, patches check / canonical / build-client --check / changelog / empty-catch / mojibake all clean.
• Tier T1 (client drawing only, no host path).
• Sequencing: this follows client: a group's overview in a read-only window still draws its rename and Remove my Bot #2400 / client: a read-only window's group overview draws no write controls #2401 on the client bundle lane (core/client.js + patches/ds-bot/0008), so its branch is cut from main after that merge.
• Duplicate check (must be shown): searched aria-live, screen reader, "live region", role=status, memory row announce across open and closed issues — nearest are workflow: a refused dialog edit is announced twice — the page keeps its own role="alert" copy beside the dialog's #2202 / workflow: Rename / Delete / Create swallow the host's refusal — the dialog stays open and the sentence is painted behind the mask #2193 (workflow dialogs, different surface) and client: a group's overview in a read-only window still draws its rename and Remove my Bot #2400 / client: a read-only window's group overview draws no write controls #2401 (group overview); no issue covers a memory row's failure sentence lacking a live region.