diff --git a/spec/frontend/work_items/critical/priority_1_core_search_spec.js b/spec/frontend/work_items/critical/priority_1_core_search_spec.js
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+++ b/spec/frontend/work_items/critical/priority_1_core_search_spec.js
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+/**
+ * PRIORITY 1: Core Search Functionality Tests
+ * These 8 tests catch the most common user-facing bugs in search
+ */
+
+import { GlSearchBoxByType, GlAlert } from '@gitlab/ui';
+import { shallowMount } from '@vue/test-utils';
+import Vue, { nextTick } from 'vue';
+import VueApollo from 'vue-apollo';
+import createMockApollo from 'helpers/mock_apollo_helper';
+import waitForPromises from 'helpers/wait_for_promises';
+import WorkItemsList from '~/work_items/components/work_items_list.vue';
+import getWorkItemsQuery from '~/work_items/graphql/work_items.query.graphql';
+import { WORK_ITEM_STATE_ENUM } from '~/work_items/constants';
+import { workItemsListResponse } from '../mock_data';
+
+Vue.use(VueApollo);
+
+describe('Priority 1: Core Search Functionality', () => {
+ let wrapper;
+ let mockApollo;
+ const mockWorkItemsQueryHandler = jest.fn().mockResolvedValue(workItemsListResponse);
+
+ const createComponent = ({
+ searchQuery = '',
+ filters = {},
+ workItemsQueryHandler = mockWorkItemsQueryHandler,
+ } = {}) => {
+ mockApollo = createMockApollo([[getWorkItemsQuery, workItemsQueryHandler]]);
+ wrapper = shallowMount(WorkItemsList, {
+ apolloProvider: mockApollo,
+ propsData: { searchQuery, filters },
+ provide: {
+ fullPath: 'test-project',
+ hasIssueWeightsFeature: true,
+ hasOkrsFeature: true,
+ },
+ });
+ };
+
+ const findSearchBox = () => wrapper.findComponent(GlSearchBoxByType);
+ const findAlert = () => wrapper.findComponent(GlAlert);
+
+ beforeEach(() => {
+ window.alert = jest.fn();
+ });
+
+ afterEach(() => {
+ wrapper.destroy();
+ mockWorkItemsQueryHandler.mockClear();
+ });
+
+ describe('Critical search scenarios', () => {
+ it('TEST-1: handles exact phrase search with quotes', async () => {
+ createComponent();
+ const searchTerm = '"exact phrase match"';
+
+ findSearchBox().vm.$emit('input', searchTerm);
+ await nextTick();
+
+ expect(mockWorkItemsQueryHandler).toHaveBeenCalledWith(
+ expect.objectContaining({
+ searchTerm,
+ fullPath: 'test-project',
+ })
+ );
+ });
+
+ it('TEST-2: handles wildcard pattern matching', async () => {
+ createComponent();
+ const searchTerm = '*bug*';
+
+ findSearchBox().vm.$emit('input', searchTerm);
+ await nextTick();
+
+ expect(mockWorkItemsQueryHandler).toHaveBeenCalledWith(
+ expect.objectContaining({
+ searchTerm,
+ fullPath: 'test-project',
+ })
+ );
+ });
+
+ it('TEST-3: handles boolean operators with parentheses', async () => {
+ createComponent();
+ const searchTerm = 'epic AND (bug OR feature)';
+
+ findSearchBox().vm.$emit('input', searchTerm);
+ await nextTick();
+
+ expect(mockWorkItemsQueryHandler).toHaveBeenCalledWith(
+ expect.objectContaining({
+ searchTerm,
+ fullPath: 'test-project',
+ })
+ );
+ });
+
+ it('TEST-4: handles escape sequences for literal characters', async () => {
+ createComponent();
+ const searchTerm = '\\[blocked\\]';
+
+ findSearchBox().vm.$emit('input', searchTerm);
+ await nextTick();
+
+ expect(mockWorkItemsQueryHandler).toHaveBeenCalledWith(
+ expect.objectContaining({
+ searchTerm,
+ fullPath: 'test-project',
+ })
+ );
+ });
+
+ it('TEST-5: handles mixed Unicode, emoji, and Latin text', async () => {
+ createComponent();
+ const searchTerm = '🐛 工作 bug العمل';
+
+ findSearchBox().vm.$emit('input', searchTerm);
+ await nextTick();
+
+ expect(mockWorkItemsQueryHandler).toHaveBeenCalledWith(
+ expect.objectContaining({
+ searchTerm,
+ fullPath: 'test-project',
+ })
+ );
+ });
+
+ it('TEST-6: handles empty search with multiple active filters', async () => {
+ const filters = {
+ state: WORK_ITEM_STATE_ENUM.opened,
+ labelNames: ['bug', 'critical'],
+ assigneeUsernames: ['user1', 'user2'],
+ };
+
+ createComponent({
+ searchQuery: '',
+ filters,
+ });
+
+ await waitForPromises();
+
+ expect(mockWorkItemsQueryHandler).toHaveBeenCalledWith(
+ expect.objectContaining({
+ searchTerm: '',
+ ...filters,
+ fullPath: 'test-project',
+ })
+ );
+ });
+
+ it('TEST-7: sanitizes XSS attempts in search', async () => {
+ createComponent();
+ const xssAttempt = '';
+
+ findSearchBox().vm.$emit('input', xssAttempt);
+ await nextTick();
+
+ expect(mockWorkItemsQueryHandler).toHaveBeenCalledWith(
+ expect.objectContaining({
+ searchTerm: xssAttempt,
+ fullPath: 'test-project',
+ })
+ );
+
+ // Verify no script execution
+ expect(window.alert).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+
+ // Verify the search value is properly escaped in the DOM
+ expect(wrapper.html()).not.toContain('