fix(restheadspec): normalize empty results to objects instead of arrays

* Ensure result.Data reflects DB-generated defaults after insert.
* Update result.Data with current DB state after update.

pkg/common/recursive_crud.go

@@ -125,6 +125,13 @@ func (p *NestedCUDProcessor) ProcessNestedCUD(
 			result.AffectedRows = 1
 			result.Data = regularData
 
+			// Re-select the inserted row so result.Data reflects DB-generated defaults.
+			if row, err := p.processSelect(ctx, tableName, id); err != nil {
+				logger.Warn("Select after insert failed: table=%s, id=%v, error=%v", tableName, id, err)
+			} else if len(row) > 0 {
+				result.Data = row
+			}
+
 			// Process child relations after parent insert (to get parent ID)
 			if err := p.processChildRelations(ctx, "insert", id, relationFields, result.RelationData, modelType, parentIDs); err != nil {
 				logger.Error("Failed to process child relations after insert: table=%s, parentID=%v, relations=%+v, error=%v", tableName, id, relationFields, err)
@@ -146,9 +153,16 @@ func (p *NestedCUDProcessor) ProcessNestedCUD(
 			result.AffectedRows = rows
 			result.Data = regularData
 
+			// Re-select the updated row so result.Data reflects current DB state.
+			if row, err := p.processSelect(ctx, tableName, result.ID); err != nil {
+				logger.Warn("Select after update failed: table=%s, id=%v, error=%v", tableName, result.ID, err)
+			} else if len(row) > 0 {
+				result.Data = row
+			}
+
 			// Process child relations for update
 			if err := p.processChildRelations(ctx, "update", data[pkName], relationFields, result.RelationData, modelType, parentIDs); err != nil {
-				logger.Error("Failed to process child relations after update: table=%s, parentID=%v, relations=%+v, error=%v", tableName, data[pkName], relationFields, err)
+				logger.Error("Failed to process child relations after update: table=%s, parentID=%v, relations=%+v, error=%v", tableName, data[pkName], regularData, err)
 				return nil, fmt.Errorf("failed to process child relations: %w", err)
 			}
 		} else {
@@ -294,6 +308,20 @@ func (p *NestedCUDProcessor) processInsert(
 	return id, nil
 }
 
+// processSelect fetches the row identified by id from tableName into a flat map.
+// Used to populate result.Data with the actual DB state after insert/update.
+func (p *NestedCUDProcessor) processSelect(ctx context.Context, tableName string, id interface{}) (map[string]interface{}, error) {
+	pkName := reflection.GetPrimaryKeyName(tableName)
+	var row map[string]interface{}
+	if err := p.db.NewSelect().
+		Table(tableName).
+		Where(fmt.Sprintf("%s = ?", QuoteIdent(pkName)), id).
+		Scan(ctx, &row); err != nil {
+		return nil, fmt.Errorf("select after write failed: %w", err)
+	}
+	return row, nil
+}
+
 // processUpdate handles update operation
 func (p *NestedCUDProcessor) processUpdate(
 	ctx context.Context,

pkg/restheadspec/empty_result_test.go

@@ -9,29 +9,29 @@ import (
 	"github.com/bitechdev/ResolveSpec/pkg/common"
 )
 
-// Test that normalizeResultArray returns empty array when no records found without ID
+// Test that normalizeResultArray returns empty object when no records found (single-record mode)
 func TestNormalizeResultArray_EmptyArrayWhenNoID(t *testing.T) {
 	handler := &Handler{}
 
 	tests := []struct {
-		name             string
+		name            string
-		input            interface{}
+		input           interface{}
-		shouldBeEmptyArr bool
+		shouldBeEmptyObj bool
 	}{
 		{
-			name:             "nil should return empty array",
+			name:            "nil should return empty object",
-			input:            nil,
+			input:           nil,
-			shouldBeEmptyArr: true,
+			shouldBeEmptyObj: true,
 		},
 		{
-			name:             "empty slice should return empty array",
+			name:            "empty slice should return empty object",
-			input:            []*EmptyTestModel{},
+			input:           []*EmptyTestModel{},
-			shouldBeEmptyArr: true,
+			shouldBeEmptyObj: true,
 		},
 		{
-			name:             "single element should return the element",
+			name:            "single element should return the element",
-			input:            []*EmptyTestModel{{ID: 1, Name: "test"}},
+			input:           []*EmptyTestModel{{ID: 1, Name: "test"}},
-			shouldBeEmptyArr: false,
+			shouldBeEmptyObj: false,
 		},
 		{
 			name: "multiple elements should return the slice",
@@ -39,7 +39,7 @@ func TestNormalizeResultArray_EmptyArrayWhenNoID(t *testing.T) {
 				{ID: 1, Name: "test1"},
 				{ID: 2, Name: "test2"},
 			},
-			shouldBeEmptyArr: false,
+			shouldBeEmptyObj: false,
 		},
 	}
 
@@ -47,25 +47,25 @@ func TestNormalizeResultArray_EmptyArrayWhenNoID(t *testing.T) {
 		t.Run(tt.name, func(t *testing.T) {
 			result := handler.normalizeResultArray(tt.input)
 
-			// For cases that should return empty array
+			// For cases that should return empty object
-			if tt.shouldBeEmptyArr {
+			if tt.shouldBeEmptyObj {
-				emptyArr, ok := result.([]interface{})
+				emptyObj, ok := result.(map[string]interface{})
 				if !ok {
-					t.Errorf("Expected empty array []interface{}{}, got %T: %v", result, result)
+					t.Errorf("Expected empty object map[string]interface{}{}, got %T: %v", result, result)
 					return
 				}
-				if len(emptyArr) != 0 {
+				if len(emptyObj) != 0 {
-					t.Errorf("Expected empty array with length 0, got length %d", len(emptyArr))
+					t.Errorf("Expected empty object with length 0, got length %d", len(emptyObj))
 				}
 
-				// Verify it serializes to [] and not null
+				// Verify it serializes to {} and not null
 				jsonBytes, err := json.Marshal(result)
 				if err != nil {
 					t.Errorf("Failed to marshal result: %v", err)
 					return
 				}
-				if string(jsonBytes) != "[]" {
+				if string(jsonBytes) != "{}" {
-					t.Errorf("Expected JSON '[]', got '%s'", string(jsonBytes))
+					t.Errorf("Expected JSON '{}', got '%s'", string(jsonBytes))
 				}
 			}
 		})
@@ -138,12 +138,12 @@ func TestSendResponseWithOptions_NoDataFoundHeader(t *testing.T) {
 		t.Errorf("Expected X-No-Data-Found header to be 'true', got '%s'", mockWriter.headers["X-No-Data-Found"])
 	}
 
-	// Check status code is 200
+	// Check status code is 204 when no records found
-	if mockWriter.statusCode != 200 {
+	if mockWriter.statusCode != 204 {
-		t.Errorf("Expected status code 200, got %d", mockWriter.statusCode)
+		t.Errorf("Expected status code 204, got %d", mockWriter.statusCode)
 	}
 
-	// Verify the body is an empty array
+	// Verify the body is an empty array (list request, SingleRecordAsObject not set)
 	if mockWriter.body == nil {
 		t.Error("Expected body to be set, got nil")
 	} else {

pkg/restheadspec/handler.go

@@ -2502,14 +2502,16 @@ func (h *Handler) sendResponseWithOptions(w common.ResponseWriter, data interfac
 		w.SetHeader("X-No-Data-Found", "true")
 	}
 
-	w.WriteHeader(http.StatusOK)
-
 	// Normalize single-record arrays to objects if requested
 	if options != nil && options.SingleRecordAsObject {
 		data = h.normalizeResultArray(data)
 	}
 
-	// Return data as-is without wrapping in common.Response
+	if dataLen == 0 {
+		w.WriteHeader(http.StatusNoContent)
+	} else {
+		w.WriteHeader(http.StatusOK)
+	}
 
 	if err := w.WriteJSON(data); err != nil {
 		logger.Error("Failed to write JSON response: %v", err)
@@ -2520,7 +2522,7 @@ func (h *Handler) sendResponseWithOptions(w common.ResponseWriter, data interfac
 // Returns the single element if data is a slice/array with exactly one element, otherwise returns data unchanged
 func (h *Handler) normalizeResultArray(data interface{}) interface{} {
 	if data == nil {
-		return []interface{}{}
+		return map[string]interface{}{}
 	}
 
 	// Use reflection to check if data is a slice or array
@@ -2535,15 +2537,15 @@ func (h *Handler) normalizeResultArray(data interface{}) interface{} {
 			// Return the single element
 			return dataValue.Index(0).Interface()
 		} else if dataValue.Len() == 0 {
-			// Keep empty array as empty array, don't convert to empty object
+			// Single-record request with no result → empty object
-			return []interface{}{}
+			return map[string]interface{}{}
 		}
 	}
 
 	if dataValue.Kind() == reflect.String {
 		str := dataValue.String()
 		if str == "" || str == "null" {
-			return []interface{}{}
+			return map[string]interface{}{}
 		}
 
 	}
@@ -2552,9 +2554,6 @@ func (h *Handler) normalizeResultArray(data interface{}) interface{} {
 
 // sendFormattedResponse sends response with formatting options
 func (h *Handler) sendFormattedResponse(w common.ResponseWriter, data interface{}, metadata *common.Metadata, options ExtendedRequestOptions) {
-	// Normalize single-record arrays to objects if requested
-	httpStatus := http.StatusOK
-
 	// Handle nil data - convert to empty array
 	if data == nil {
 		data = []interface{}{}
@@ -2566,8 +2565,10 @@ func (h *Handler) sendFormattedResponse(w common.ResponseWriter, data interface{
 	dataLen := reflection.Len(data)
 
 	// Add X-No-Data-Found header when no records were found
+	httpStatus := http.StatusOK
 	if dataLen == 0 {
 		w.SetHeader("X-No-Data-Found", "true")
+		httpStatus = http.StatusNoContent
 	}
 
 	// Apply normalization after header is set