refactor: improve type coercion functions and enhance type hints across multiple files

backend/app/services/agent_provisioning.py

@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@ import re
 from contextlib import suppress
 from dataclasses import dataclass, field
 from pathlib import Path
-from typing import TYPE_CHECKING, Any, cast
+from typing import TYPE_CHECKING, Any
 from uuid import uuid4
 
 from jinja2 import Environment, FileSystemLoader, StrictUndefined, select_autoescape
@@ -452,7 +452,7 @@ async def _gateway_agent_files_index(
                     continue
                 name = item.get("name")
                 if isinstance(name, str) and name:
-                    index[name] = cast(dict[str, Any], item)
+                    index[name] = dict(item)
             return index
     except OpenClawGatewayError:
         pass

backend/app/services/board_group_snapshot.py

@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@
 from __future__ import annotations
 
 from collections import defaultdict
+from typing import TYPE_CHECKING
 from uuid import UUID
 
 from sqlalchemy import case, func
@@ -21,18 +22,21 @@ from app.schemas.view_models import (
     BoardGroupTaskSummary,
 )
 
+if TYPE_CHECKING:
+    from sqlalchemy.sql.elements import ColumnElement
+
 _STATUS_ORDER = {"in_progress": 0, "review": 1, "inbox": 2, "done": 3}
 _PRIORITY_ORDER = {"high": 0, "medium": 1, "low": 2}
 _RUNTIME_TYPE_REFERENCES = (UUID, AsyncSession)
 
 
-def _status_weight_expr() -> object:
+def _status_weight_expr() -> ColumnElement[int]:
     """Return a SQL expression that sorts task statuses by configured order."""
     whens = [(col(Task.status) == key, weight) for key, weight in _STATUS_ORDER.items()]
     return case(*whens, else_=99)
 
 
-def _priority_weight_expr() -> object:
+def _priority_weight_expr() -> ColumnElement[int]:
     """Return a SQL expression that sorts task priorities by configured order."""
     whens = [
         (col(Task.priority) == key, weight)

backend/app/services/board_snapshot.py

@@ -148,7 +148,7 @@ async def build_board_snapshot(session: AsyncSession, board: Board) -> BoardSnap
                 select(func.count(col(Approval.id)))
                 .where(col(Approval.board_id) == board.id)
                 .where(col(Approval.status) == "pending"),
-            ),
+            )
         ).one(),
     )
 

backend/app/services/template_sync.py

@@ -167,6 +167,9 @@ class _GatewayBackoff:
                 self._delay_s = min(self._delay_s * 2.0, self._max_delay_s)
                 continue
             self.reset()
+            if value is None:
+                msg = "Gateway retry produced no value without an error"
+                raise RuntimeError(msg)
             return value