Keep serialized chapters out of standalone homepage columns

* Add published-series-aware standalone homepage column selector

* Exclude all serialized chapters from homepage standalone column listing

* Cover series card headline repeats and standalone column selection in both languages

* Correct regex syntax in bilingual series-column regression tests

Author: moraeal

scripts/test-home-duplicates.mjs

@@ -22,6 +22,10 @@ try {
   const { selectHotIssueCards } = await server.ssrLoadModule("/src/data/hotIssueSelection.ts");
   const { selectNewsTrackingCards } = await server.ssrLoadModule("/src/data/newsTracking.ts");
   const { selectLatestCivicWatchItems } = await server.ssrLoadModule("/src/data/civicWatchFeed.ts");
+  const { getEditorialSeries } = await server.ssrLoadModule("/src/data/editorialSeries.ts");
+  const { getColumnsNewestFirst } = await server.ssrLoadModule("/src/data/columns.ts");
+  const { selectHomeStandaloneColumns } = await server.ssrLoadModule("/src/data/homeColumnSelection.ts");
+
 
   assert.equal(canonicalHomePath("/en/columns/example/?utm_source=test#top"), "/columns/example");
   assert.equal(getHomeTopic("/en/news/olympic-park-protest-115-days/"),
@@ -56,6 +60,31 @@ try {
   assert.deepEqual(selectLatestCivicWatchItems(civic, new Set(["/en/news/olympic-park-protest-115-days/"]), 8).map((item) => item.to),
     [fixtures[1].to, fixtures[3].to], "Civic-watch exclusions must canonicalize aliases");
 
+  // A new published chapter automatically leaves the standalone homepage
+  // column desk even if it is not the most recently published series chapter.
+  const standaloneFixtures = [
+    { slug: "series-chapter-1" },
+    { slug: "series-chapter-2" },
+    { slug: "standalone-1" },
+    { slug: "standalone-2" },
+    { slug: "standalone-3" },
+  ];
+  const serializedFixtures = [{ chapters: [
+    { path: "/columns/series-chapter-1" },
+    { path: "/en/columns/series-chapter-2/?ref=series" },
+  ] }];
+  assert.deepEqual(
+    selectHomeStandaloneColumns(standaloneFixtures, serializedFixtures, new Set(), 2).map((c) => c.slug),
+    ["standalone-1", "standalone-2"],
+    "Published series chapters must never take slots in the homepage column desk",
+  );
+  assert.deepEqual(
+    selectHomeStandaloneColumns(standaloneFixtures, serializedFixtures, new Set([getHomeTopic("/columns/standalone-1")]), 2).map((c) => c.slug),
+    ["standalone-2", "standalone-3"],
+    "Excluded chapters and claimed articles must be skipped before limiting",
+  );
+  assert.equal(standaloneFixtures.length, 5, "Filtering cannot delete published column records");
+
   // The carousel intentionally adds off-screen DOM clones for wraparound;
   // these are one desk, not repeat placements. Deduplicate within a section,
   // then reject any article identity found in another homepage section.
@@ -68,6 +97,30 @@ try {
         React.createElement(LanguageProvider, null, React.createElement(Home))));
     const sections = [...html.matchAll(/<section\b[^>]*>[\s\S]*?<\/section>/g)];
     assert(sections.length >= 6, "Homepage sections must render");
+
+    // Series cards display an actual chapter headline without linking directly
+    // to its article. Checking article hrefs alone misses that visible repeat.
+    const language = route === "/" ? "ko" : "en";
+    const series = getEditorialSeries(language);
+    const serializedPaths = new Set(series.flatMap((item) =>
+      item.chapters.map((chapter) => canonicalHomePath(chapter.path)),
+    ));
+    assert(serializedPaths.size > 0, `${route}: expected published editorial series chapters`);
+    assert(getColumnsNewestFirst().some((column) =>
+      serializedPaths.has(`/columns/${column.slug}`)),
+      `${route}: regression scenario must contain series chapters in the full columns archive`);
+    const columnsSection = sections.find((section) => section[0].includes('>COLUMNS</p>'));
+    assert(columnsSection, `${route}: standalone column desk must exist`);
+    const renderedColumns = [...columnsSection[0].matchAll(/<a\b[^>]*href="([^"]+)"/g)]
+      .map((match) => canonicalHomePath(match[1]))
+      .filter((path) => /^\/columns\/[^/]+$/.test(path));
+    assert(renderedColumns.length >= 3, `${route}: excluding series must preserve a useful standalone column desk`);
+    assert(renderedColumns.every((path) => !serializedPaths.has(path)),
+      `${route}: serialized article repeated in standalone columns: ${renderedColumns.filter((path) => serializedPaths.has(path)).join(", ")}`);
+    const seriesSection = sections.find((section) => section[0].includes('id="editorial-series-title"'));
+    assert(seriesSection && seriesSection[0].includes('href="/series/'),
+      `${route}: editorial series navigation must remain available`);
+
     const seen = new Map();
     let checked = 0;
     for (const [sectionIndex, match] of sections.entries()) {

src/data/homeColumnSelection.ts

@@ -0,0 +1,26 @@
+import type { EditorialSeries } from "./editorialSeries";
+import { canonicalHomePath, claimHomeStories } from "./homeTopics";
+
+// A serialized article belongs to the Editorial Series homepage desk, even
+// when it is not the newest chapter shown on the series card. Keep it in the
+// full /columns archive; only the homepage's standalone column desk excludes it.
+// Derive this at render time from the published series registry so every new
+// approved chapter is protected automatically, without maintaining a slug list.
+export function selectHomeStandaloneColumns<T extends { slug: string }>(
+  columns: readonly T[],
+  series: readonly Pick<EditorialSeries, "chapters">[],
+  claimedTopics: Set<string>,
+  limit = 5,
+): T[] {
+  const seriesArticlePaths = new Set(series.flatMap((item) =>
+    item.chapters.map((chapter) => canonicalHomePath(chapter.path)),
+  ));
+  return claimHomeStories(
+    columns.filter((column) =>
+      !seriesArticlePaths.has(canonicalHomePath(`/columns/${column.slug}`)),
+    ),
+    (column) => `/columns/${column.slug}`,
+    claimedTopics,
+    limit,
+  );
+}

src/pages/Home.tsx

@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@ import { getTaxCommentaryEdition, taxCommentaries } from "../data/taxCommentarie
 import { getFeaturedContentCandidates } from "../data/featuredContent";
 import { getLatestArticles } from "../data/latestArticles";
 import { getEditorialSeries } from "../data/editorialSeries";
+import { selectHomeStandaloneColumns } from "../data/homeColumnSelection";
 import { claimHomeStory, claimHomeStories, getHomeTopic } from "../data/homeTopics";
 import { seedLanguageTerms } from "../data/seedLanguageTerms";
 import { topicTaxonomy } from "../data/topicTaxonomy";
@@ -314,11 +315,12 @@ export default function Home() {
     .sort((a, b) => newestInSection({ path: a.to, date: a.date }, { path: b.to, date: b.date }));
 
   const commentaryItems = claimHomeStories(commentaryCandidates, (item) => item.to, claimedHomePaths, 3);
-  // The same shared claim registry powers every homepage article desk.
-  // Only unclaimed articles fill the column slots, with no hardcoded exclusions.
-  const journalColumns = claimHomeStories(
+  // Every published serialized chapter is reserved for the Editorial Series.
+  // Standalone columns fill the remaining desk slots; the full /columns archive
+  // continues to include all approved chapters and unrelated articles.
+  const journalColumns = selectHomeStandaloneColumns(
     allJournalColumns,
-    (column) => `/columns/${column.slug}`,
+    editorialSeries,
     claimedHomePaths,
     5,
   ).map((column) => ({ ...column, to: `/columns/${column.slug}` }));