TODO.md

@@ -19,6 +19,8 @@ trial run of the finished image: https://git.eeqj.de/sneak/dnswatcher/issues/149
 
 # Completed Steps
 
+- 2026-10-02: the dashboard lists each nameserver's record types in one fixed
+  order, the README's, then any other type, not a random one (closes #226).
 - 2026-10-02: the dashboard and `/api/v1/status` show why a nameserver query or
   a certificate check failed, which only the state file showed (closes #225).
 - 2026-10-02: a name's CNAME is stored once per nameserver, not once per record

internal/handlers/dashboard.go

@@ -1,11 +1,14 @@
 package handlers
 
 import (
+	"cmp"
 	"embed"
 	"fmt"
 	"html/template"
+	"maps"
 	"math"
 	"net/http"
+	"slices"
 	"strings"
 	"time"
 
@@ -122,16 +125,37 @@ func joinStrings(items []string, sep string) string {
 }
 
 // formatRecords formats a map of record type → values into a
-// compact display string.
+// compact display string. Record types are listed in the order the
+// README lists them, any other type after them in alphabetical order,
+// so rows of nameservers with the same records read the same.
 func formatRecords(records map[string][]string) string {
 	if len(records) == 0 {
 		return "-"
 	}
 
+	order := []string{"A", "AAAA", "CNAME", "MX", "TXT", "SRV", "CAA", "NS"}
+
+	position := func(rtype string) int {
+		i := slices.Index(order, rtype)
+		if i < 0 {
+			return len(order)
+		}
+
+		return i
+	}
+
+	rtypes := slices.Collect(maps.Keys(records))
+	slices.SortFunc(rtypes, func(a, b string) int {
+		return cmp.Or(
+			cmp.Compare(position(a), position(b)),
+			strings.Compare(a, b),
+		)
+	})
+
 	var parts []string
 
-	for rtype, values := range records {
+	for _, rtype := range rtypes {
-		for _, v := range values {
+		for _, v := range records[rtype] {
 			parts = append(parts, rtype+": "+v)
 		}
 	}

internal/handlers/dashboard_test.go

@@ -80,6 +80,45 @@ func TestFormatRecords(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 }
 
+// TestFormatRecordsTypeOrder checks that record types are listed in
+// the README's order (A, AAAA, CNAME, MX, TXT, SRV, CAA, NS), with
+// any other type after them in alphabetical order.
+func TestFormatRecordsTypeOrder(t *testing.T) {
+	t.Parallel()
+
+	got := handlers.FormatRecords(map[string][]string{
+		"SOA":   {"ns1.example.com. hostmaster.example.com. 1 2 3 4 5"},
+		"NS":    {"ns1.example.com.", "ns2.example.com."},
+		"CAA":   {`0 issue "letsencrypt.org"`},
+		"DNAME": {"example.net."},
+		"TXT":   {"v=spf1 -all"},
+		"SRV":   {"10 5 443 www.example.com."},
+		"MX":    {"10 mail.example.com."},
+		"CNAME": {"www.example.com."},
+		"AAAA":  {"2001:db8::1"},
+		"A":     {"192.0.2.1"},
+	})
+
+	want := strings.Join([]string{
+		"A: 192.0.2.1",
+		"AAAA: 2001:db8::1",
+		"CNAME: www.example.com.",
+		"MX: 10 mail.example.com.",
+		"TXT: v=spf1 -all",
+		"SRV: 10 5 443 www.example.com.",
+		`CAA: 0 issue "letsencrypt.org"`,
+		"NS: ns1.example.com.",
+		"NS: ns2.example.com.",
+		"DNAME: example.net.",
+		"SOA: ns1.example.com. hostmaster.example.com. 1 2 3 4 5",
+	}, ", ")
+
+	if got != want {
+		t.Errorf("FormatRecords lists types out of order:\n got %q\nwant %q",
+			got, want)
+	}
+}
+
 // dashboardRow returns the table row of page that contains name.
 func dashboardRow(t *testing.T, page string, name string) string {
 	t.Helper()