Optimize database queries

SCRATCHPAD.md

@@ -11,13 +11,13 @@
 - A first modern integration slice now exists under [`tests/integration/subtrack_mapping`](/home/osgw/.local/src/codex/ffx/tests/integration/subtrack_mapping). Remaining test-suite cleanup is now mostly about migrating and shrinking the legacy harness surface under [`tests/legacy`](/home/osgw/.local/src/codex/ffx/tests/legacy).
 - FFX logger setup now reuses named handlers, and fallback logger access no longer mutates handlers in ordinary constructors and helpers.
 - The process wrapper now uses `subprocess.run(...)` with centralized command formatting plus stable timeout and missing-command error mapping.
+- Active ORM controllers now use single-query accessors instead of paired `count()` plus `first()` lookups.
 
 ## Focused Snapshot
 
 - Highest-leverage application optimizations:
   - Lazy-load CLI command dependencies so lightweight commands do not import most of the app.
   - Collapse repeated `ffprobe` calls into a single probe result per source file.
-  - Replace `query.count()` plus `first()` patterns with single-query ORM accessors.
   - Cache or precompile filename pattern regexes instead of scanning every pattern for every file.
 
 - Highest-leverage repo and workflow optimizations:
@@ -35,16 +35,7 @@
   - Faster startup for scripting and tooling commands.
   - Less coupling between maintenance commands and the runtime stack.
 
-2. Repeated database queries via `count()` plus `first()`
-- Controllers such as [`src/ffx/show_controller.py`](/home/osgw/.local/src/codex/ffx/src/ffx/show_controller.py), [`src/ffx/pattern_controller.py`](/home/osgw/.local/src/codex/ffx/src/ffx/pattern_controller.py), and [`src/ffx/database.py`](/home/osgw/.local/src/codex/ffx/src/ffx/database.py) often do `q.count()` and then `q.first()`.
-- Optimization:
-  - Replace with `first()`, `one_or_none()`, or existence checks that do not issue two queries.
-  - Standardize this across all controllers.
-- Expected value:
-  - Lower SQLite query volume.
-  - Simpler controller code.
-
-3. Filename pattern matching scales linearly across all patterns
+2. Filename pattern matching scales linearly across all patterns
 - [`src/ffx/pattern_controller.py`](/home/osgw/.local/src/codex/ffx/src/ffx/pattern_controller.py) loads every pattern and runs `re.search` against each filename on every lookup.
 - Optimization:
   - Cache compiled regexes in process memory.
@@ -54,7 +45,7 @@
   - Faster per-file setup when many patterns exist.
   - More predictable matching behavior.
 
-4. Media probing does two separate `ffprobe` subprocesses per file
+3. Media probing does two separate `ffprobe` subprocesses per file
 - [`src/ffx/file_properties.py`](/home/osgw/.local/src/codex/ffx/src/ffx/file_properties.py) calls `ffprobe` once for format data and once for stream data.
 - Optimization:
   - Use one probe call that requests both format and streams.
@@ -63,7 +54,7 @@
   - Less subprocess overhead.
   - Faster inspect and convert flows.
 
-5. Crop detection is always a full extra ffmpeg scan
+4. Crop detection is always a full extra ffmpeg scan
 - [`src/ffx/file_properties.py`](/home/osgw/.local/src/codex/ffx/src/ffx/file_properties.py) runs a dedicated `ffmpeg -vf cropdetect` pass for each file when crop detection is requested.
 - Optimization:
   - Cache crop results for repeated runs on the same source.
@@ -71,7 +62,7 @@
 - Expected value:
   - Lower latency on repeated experimentation.
 
-6. Tooling overlap and naming drift
+5. Tooling overlap and naming drift
 - There are still overlapping workstation-setup entrypoints across [`tools/configure_workstation.sh`](/home/osgw/.local/src/codex/ffx/tools/configure_workstation.sh), [`tools/setup.sh`](/home/osgw/.local/src/codex/ffx/tools/setup.sh), and newer CLI maintenance commands.
 - Optimization:
   - Decide which scripts remain canonical.
@@ -81,7 +72,7 @@
   - Less operator confusion.
   - Fewer duplicated procedures to maintain.
 
-7. Placeholder UI surfaces should either ship or disappear
+6. Placeholder UI surfaces should either ship or disappear
 - [`src/ffx/help_screen.py`](/home/osgw/.local/src/codex/ffx/src/ffx/help_screen.py) and [`src/ffx/settings_screen.py`](/home/osgw/.local/src/codex/ffx/src/ffx/settings_screen.py) are placeholders.
 - Optimization:
   - Either remove them from the active UI surface or complete them.
@@ -90,7 +81,7 @@
   - Leaner interface.
   - Lower UX ambiguity.
 
-8. Large Textual screens repeat configuration and controller loading
+7. Large Textual screens repeat configuration and controller loading
 - Screens such as [`src/ffx/media_details_screen.py`](/home/osgw/.local/src/codex/ffx/src/ffx/media_details_screen.py), [`src/ffx/pattern_details_screen.py`](/home/osgw/.local/src/codex/ffx/src/ffx/pattern_details_screen.py), and [`src/ffx/show_details_screen.py`](/home/osgw/.local/src/codex/ffx/src/ffx/show_details_screen.py) repeat setup patterns and local metadata filtering extraction.
 - Optimization:
   - Extract a shared screen base or helper for common config/controller/bootstrap logic.
@@ -99,7 +90,7 @@
   - Lower maintenance overhead.
   - Easier UI iteration.
 
-9. Several helper functions are unfinished or dead-weight
+8. Several helper functions are unfinished or dead-weight
 - [`src/ffx/helper.py`](/home/osgw/.local/src/codex/ffx/src/ffx/helper.py) contains `permutateList(...): pass`.
 - There are many combinator and conversion placeholders across tests and migrations.
 - Optimization:
@@ -109,7 +100,7 @@
   - Smaller mental model.
   - Less time spent re-evaluating inactive paths.
 
-10. Test suite shape is expensive to understand and likely expensive to run
+9. Test suite shape is expensive to understand and likely expensive to run
 - The project still carries a large legacy matrix of combinator files under [`tests/legacy`](/home/osgw/.local/src/codex/ffx/tests/legacy), several placeholder `pass` implementations, and at least one suspicious filename with an embedded space: [`tests/legacy/disposition_combinator_2_3 .py`](/home/osgw/.local/src/codex/ffx/tests/legacy/disposition_combinator_2_3 .py).
 - A first focused replacement slice now exists in [`tests/integration/subtrack_mapping/test_cli_bundle.py`](/home/osgw/.local/src/codex/ffx/tests/integration/subtrack_mapping/test_cli_bundle.py), so the remaining work is migration and consolidation rather than creating the modern test shape from scratch.
 - Optimization:
@@ -120,7 +111,7 @@
   - Faster contributor onboarding.
   - Easier CI adoption later.
 
-11. Process resource limiting semantics could be clearer
+10. Process resource limiting semantics could be clearer
 - [`src/ffx/process.py`](/home/osgw/.local/src/codex/ffx/src/ffx/process.py) prepends `nice` and `cpulimit` directly when values are set.
 - Optimization:
   - Validate and document effective behavior for combined `nice` + `cpulimit`.
@@ -129,7 +120,7 @@
   - Fewer surprises in production-like runs.
   - Easier support for user-reported performance behavior.
 
-12. Import-time dependency coupling makes maintenance commands brittle
+11. Import-time dependency coupling makes maintenance commands brittle
 - Even after recent CLI maintenance additions, the top-level CLI module still imports most application modules before Click dispatch.
 - Optimization:
   - Push imports for ORM, Textual, TMDB, ffmpeg helpers, and descriptors behind the commands that actually need them.
@@ -137,7 +128,7 @@
   - Maintenance commands such as setup and upgrade stay usable when optional runtime dependencies are broken.
   - Better separation between media runtime code and maintenance tooling.
 
-13. Regex and string utility cleanup
+12. Regex and string utility cleanup
 - [`src/ffx/helper.py`](/home/osgw/.local/src/codex/ffx/src/ffx/helper.py) still emits a `SyntaxWarning` for `RICH_COLOR_PATTERN`.
 - Optimization:
   - Convert regex literals to raw strings where appropriate.
@@ -146,7 +137,7 @@
   - Cleaner runtime output.
   - Less warning noise during dry-run maintenance commands.
 
-14. Database startup always runs schema creation and version checks
+13. Database startup always runs schema creation and version checks
 - [`src/ffx/database.py`](/home/osgw/.local/src/codex/ffx/src/ffx/database.py) runs `Base.metadata.create_all(...)` and version checks every time a DB-backed context is created.
 - Optimization:
   - Measure startup cost and consider separating bootstrapping from ordinary command execution.
@@ -171,7 +162,6 @@
 1. Triage the list into quick wins, medium refactors, and long-horizon cleanup.
 2. Tackle the cheapest high-impact items first:
    - regex raw-string warning cleanup,
-   - `count()` plus `first()` query cleanup,
    - single-call `ffprobe` refactor.
 3. Decide whether maintenance/tooling command imports should be split from media-runtime imports before adding more CLI maintenance surface.