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README.md
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# bDS2 # bDS2
bDS2 is the Elixir rewrite of bDS, the offline-first desktop blogging workspace in [../bDS](/Users/gb/Projects/bDS). The repository now contains a substantial BEAM application: Ecto persistence, filesystem-backed content workflows, rendering/generation/publishing pipelines, AI and MCP integrations, and a bundled desktop shell served by the Elixir runtime. bDS2 is the Elixir rewrite of bDS, the offline-first desktop blogging workspace. It is no longer just a rewrite scaffold: the repository now contains the main desktop runtime, Ecto persistence, filesystem-backed content workflows, rendering and publishing pipelines, Lua scripting, AI and MCP integration, and a Phoenix LiveView shell embedded in a native desktop window.
The Allium specifications in [specs/](/Users/gb/Projects/bDS2/specs) remain the behavioral contract for the rewrite. For current implementation status and the parity roadmap, see [PLAN.md](/Users/gb/Projects/bDS2/PLAN.md). The Allium specs in [specs/](/Users/gb/Projects/bDS2/specs) remain the behavioral contract for the rewrite. For end-user operation, see [DOCUMENTATION.md](/Users/gb/Projects/bDS2/DOCUMENTATION.md). For the scripting surface, see [API.md](/Users/gb/Projects/bDS2/API.md).
## Scope ## Current Status
The rewrite aims to preserve the product behavior of bDS while replacing the technical stack. The major architectural rework is in place.
Behaviour that should remain stable includes: - The desktop UI is served by Phoenix LiveView inside the desktop shell rather than by a separate handwritten frontend runtime.
- Assets use Phoenix-default Tailwind and esbuild tooling from [assets/](/Users/gb/Projects/bDS2/assets) into [priv/static/](/Users/gb/Projects/bDS2/priv/static).
- Core editorial flows are implemented in the main application: posts, media, tags, templates, scripts, imports, preview, generation, publishing, maintenance, AI, and MCP.
- Localization is now a first-class architectural concern rather than an afterthought: UI chrome and rendered site output have separate locale flows, and post/media translation workflows are built into the domain model.
- Offline-first editorial workflows. The rewrite still aims to preserve the product behavior of bDS while replacing the technical stack. The contract is product behavior, not the old implementation language or framework choices.
- Filesystem-backed content with stable frontmatter, media sidecars, templates, scripts, and menu formats.
- Project, post, media, translation, tag, template, generation, preview, publishing, AI, and MCP workflows.
- Generated site output, search behavior, metadata synchronization, and rebuild behavior where those are part of the product contract.
The following are intentionally not part of the behavioral contract: ## Architecture Overview
- The implementation language. ### Runtime
- Desktop container or UI framework.
- ORM choice.
- Internal state management, concurrency model, or runtime libraries.
## Scripting Direction [BDS.Application](/Users/gb/Projects/bDS2/lib/bds/application.ex) is the supervision root. It starts the Phoenix endpoint, database, preview and publishing workers, task supervisors, scripting jobs, and the desktop server/window adapters.
bDS2 should use Lua as its user-facing scripting language. At a high level, the stack is:
The reason is host fit, not language fashion: Lua has a better embedding story for the BEAM than Python does, while still being small, expressive, and suitable for user-authored macros, transforms, and utility scripts. The current direction is: - Native windowing through the `:desktop` integration.
- Phoenix endpoint and LiveView shell for the actual app UI.
- Ecto + SQLite for indexed state, editor state, and app data.
- Filesystem-backed project data for published content, media, sidecars, scripts, templates, generated output, and rebuild workflows.
- Lua script files as the persisted user script format. ### Desktop Shell
- A BEAM-hosted execution boundary with explicit host capabilities instead of unrestricted runtime access.
- Bounded but long-running script execution for user-authored code, with explicit progress reporting through host APIs.
The initial runtime baseline in this repository uses a dedicated Elixir scripting boundary with a Luerl-backed Lua adapter. The goal is to keep scripting integration native to the BEAM while making sandboxing and host capability exposure explicit at the application boundary. The desktop workbench lives under [lib/bds/desktop/](/Users/gb/Projects/bDS2/lib/bds/desktop). The main screen is [BDS.Desktop.ShellLive](/Users/gb/Projects/bDS2/lib/bds/desktop/shell_live.ex), with feature-specific editors and sidebar logic under [lib/bds/desktop/shell_live/](/Users/gb/Projects/bDS2/lib/bds/desktop/shell_live).
This keeps the scripting surface lightweight and aligned with the Elixir host application. Python remains a possible integration boundary for specialized tasks, but it is no longer the default scripting model for the rewrite. If you are tracing UI behavior, start there first:
## Repository Layout - LiveView event routing, workbench state, overlays, and menu handling live in the desktop shell modules.
- HEEx templates under the same tree now own most common layout and state styling.
- Monaco remains a vendor drop under [priv/ui/monaco/](/Users/gb/Projects/bDS2/priv/ui/monaco).
- [mix.exs](/Users/gb/Projects/bDS2/mix.exs): Mix project definition. ### Domain Modules
- [config/](/Users/gb/Projects/bDS2/config): Elixir and Ecto configuration.
- [lib/](/Users/gb/Projects/bDS2/lib): application bootstrap and shared runtime modules. Most application behavior lives under [lib/bds/](/Users/gb/Projects/bDS2/lib/bds):
- [priv/repo/](/Users/gb/Projects/bDS2/priv/repo): Ecto migrations.
- [specs/](/Users/gb/Projects/bDS2/specs): Allium specs distilled from the existing bDS product and being normalized for implementation-agnostic use. - posts, media, tags, templates, scripts, and project settings
- metadata, frontmatter, sidecars, rebuild, and maintenance
- rendering, generation, preview, and publishing
- AI runtimes, chat tooling, embeddings, and MCP
- scripting capabilities and generated API docs
The repo has been pushed toward smaller feature-focused modules rather than one large mixed runtime. For new work, prefer finding the owning feature module instead of adding more behavior to broad catch-all files.
### Storage Model
The database is important, but it is not the whole source of truth.
- Ecto models hold app state, indexes, editor state, and workflow data.
- The filesystem holds published content artifacts and sidecar metadata that must stay stable and reviewable.
- Rebuild and metadata-diff flows exist because database state and filesystem state are expected to stay in sync.
When you change persisted behavior, think in both directions: database writes and filesystem writes/readback.
## Localization And i18n
Localization now has two separate layers, and confusing them causes bugs.
### 1. UI Localization
UI chrome, menus, dashboard text, editor labels, and toasts use Gettext through [BDS.Gettext](/Users/gb/Projects/bDS2/lib/bds/gettext.ex) and the `ui` domain. Locale normalization lives in [BDS.I18n](/Users/gb/Projects/bDS2/lib/bds/i18n.ex), and the desktop shell binds the active UI locale through [BDS.Desktop.UILocale](/Users/gb/Projects/bDS2/lib/bds/desktop/ui_locale.ex).
In practice, this is the language of the app itself.
### 2. Render Localization
Rendered site output uses a separate locale flow. Archive labels, pagination text, template-facing render strings, and generated site language handling use the `render` Gettext domain and the project's `main_language` and `blog_languages` settings.
In practice, this is the language of the blog output, not necessarily the UI.
### 3. Content Translation
Posts and media have translation-aware workflows. Post translations and media metadata translations are modeled explicitly, and generation/preview/publishing use the project's configured languages when building output.
Relevant translation resources live under:
- [priv/gettext/](/Users/gb/Projects/bDS2/priv/gettext) for Gettext catalogs
- [priv/i18n/](/Users/gb/Projects/bDS2/priv/i18n) for additional locale data used by the app
If you touch i18n-sensitive behavior, check whether the change belongs to UI locale, render locale, or content translation. They are related, but they are not interchangeable.
## Frontend And Assets
Frontend source now follows the Phoenix asset layout:
- [assets/css/](/Users/gb/Projects/bDS2/assets/css) for Tailwind-based CSS modules
- [assets/js/](/Users/gb/Projects/bDS2/assets/js) for LiveView hooks, bridges, Monaco integration, and UI helpers
- [priv/static/assets/](/Users/gb/Projects/bDS2/priv/static/assets) for generated outputs
The rule of thumb is simple:
- common layout, spacing, state, and typography belong in HEEx and small shared UI primitives
- authored CSS stays for tokens and desktop-specific selectors
- JavaScript stays focused on LiveView hooks, editor integration, drag/drop, and browser APIs
## Repository Map
- [mix.exs](/Users/gb/Projects/bDS2/mix.exs): Mix project definition, aliases, releases, and dependencies
- [config/](/Users/gb/Projects/bDS2/config): runtime, dev, test, and asset configuration
- [lib/bds/](/Users/gb/Projects/bDS2/lib/bds): core application modules
- [lib/bds/desktop/](/Users/gb/Projects/bDS2/lib/bds/desktop): desktop endpoint, shell, menus, controllers, and window integration
- [assets/](/Users/gb/Projects/bDS2/assets): Tailwind and esbuild source
- [priv/repo/](/Users/gb/Projects/bDS2/priv/repo): Ecto migrations and snapshots
- [priv/gettext/](/Users/gb/Projects/bDS2/priv/gettext): UI and render translation catalogs
- [specs/](/Users/gb/Projects/bDS2/specs): Allium behavior specs
- [DOCUMENTATION.md](/Users/gb/Projects/bDS2/DOCUMENTATION.md): end-user guide
- [API.md](/Users/gb/Projects/bDS2/API.md): generated scripting API reference
## macOS Development Setup ## macOS Development Setup
If you are setting up a new macOS machine, start with the toolchain. If you are setting up a new macOS machine, install the toolchain first.
### 1. Install Xcode Command Line Tools ### 1. Install Xcode Command Line Tools
@@ -56,8 +126,6 @@ xcode-select --install
### 2. Install Homebrew ### 2. Install Homebrew
If Homebrew is not already installed:
```bash ```bash
/bin/bash -c "$(curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Homebrew/install/HEAD/install.sh)" /bin/bash -c "$(curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Homebrew/install/HEAD/install.sh)"
``` ```
@@ -69,36 +137,28 @@ brew update
brew install erlang elixir sqlite brew install erlang elixir sqlite
``` ```
Verify the installation: ### 4. Fetch Dependencies And Set Up The App
```bash
elixir --version
mix --version
sqlite3 --version
```
### 4. Fetch Dependencies
```bash ```bash
cd /Users/gb/Projects/bDS2 cd /Users/gb/Projects/bDS2
mix deps.get mix setup
mix assets.setup
``` ```
### 5. Create the Local Database ## Development Workflow
```bash Useful commands:
mix ecto.create
mix ecto.migrate
```
### 6. Run Tests
```bash ```bash
mix compile --warnings-as-errors
mix test mix test
mix dialyzer
mix assets.build
``` ```
## Development Notes Notes for developers:
- Use `mix test` for validation during development. - Specs in [specs/](/Users/gb/Projects/bDS2/specs) define the intended product behavior.
- The application behavior is defined by the Allium specs in [specs/](/Users/gb/Projects/bDS2/specs). - [DOCUMENTATION.md](/Users/gb/Projects/bDS2/DOCUMENTATION.md) is for end users, not implementation details.
- Use [PLAN.md](/Users/gb/Projects/bDS2/PLAN.md) for implementation status and the parity roadmap. - [API.md](/Users/gb/Projects/bDS2/API.md) is generated from the live scripting capability map and should stay in sync with runtime changes.
- When changing persistence or localization behavior, check both the database side and the filesystem/render side before assuming the change is complete.

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# Tailwind And Phoenix Asset Tooling For bDS2 Desktop
## Purpose
This document describes the target styling architecture for a Tailwind-integrated Phoenix LiveView desktop app in this repository.
It is written as a handoff for a coding agent that will perform the implementation.
This is not a migration guide from a public web app. It is a target-state guide for a Phoenix LiveView desktop shell with local assets, dense editor surfaces, overlays, resizable panes, and desktop-specific titlebar behavior.
## Verified Current State
The current app does not use the default Phoenix asset pipeline.
- CSS is served directly from `priv/ui/app.css`.
- JS is served directly from `priv/ui/live.js`.
- Static assets are served from `priv/ui` in `lib/bds/desktop/endpoint.ex`.
- The root layout links `/assets/app.css` in `lib/bds/desktop/layouts.ex`, but that path is currently backed by `priv/ui/app.css`, not by generated Phoenix assets.
- There is no `:tailwind` or `:esbuild` setup in `mix.exs`.
Relevant files:
- `lib/bds/desktop/endpoint.ex`
- `lib/bds/desktop/layouts.ex`
- `mix.exs`
- `priv/ui/app.css`
- `priv/ui/live.js`
## Official Phoenix Facts
The implementation target should follow Phoenix defaults where they fit the desktop shell.
Official Phoenix references:
- Phoenix Asset Management: https://hexdocs.pm/phoenix/asset_management.html
- Phoenix Components and HEEx: https://hexdocs.pm/phoenix/components.html
- Phoenix.Component reference: https://hexdocs.pm/phoenix_live_view/Phoenix.Component.html
Facts from Phoenix docs and generator templates:
- Phoenix v1.7+ defaults to Tailwind for CSS and esbuild for JS.
- The default CSS source entrypoint is `assets/css/app.css`.
- The default generated CSS output is `priv/static/assets/css/app.css`.
- The default generated JS output is `priv/static/assets/js/app.js`.
- Phoenix promotes function components and HEEx as the main rendering model.
- Phoenix does not prescribe per-component CSS modules. Tailwind-first HEEx plus shared source CSS is a valid Phoenix-default shape.
## Target Outcome
The target outcome is a solid Phoenix-default asset setup with Tailwind as the main styling system and a generated production stylesheet.
The target should look like this:
- Tailwind source lives in `assets/css/app.css` and imported CSS modules.
- The final stylesheet is generated into `priv/static/assets/css/app.css`.
- LiveView JS entrypoint lives in `assets/js/app.js` and builds to `priv/static/assets/js/app.js`.
- The desktop endpoint serves static assets from `priv/static`.
- Layouts reference the generated CSS and JS outputs.
- HEEx markup carries most layout, spacing, typography, responsive, and state classes.
- Authored CSS remains for global tokens, app-region behavior, pseudo-elements, scrollbars, Monaco integration, hard selectors, and overlay mechanics.
## Architecture Rules
### 1. Tailwind Owns The Common Case
Use Tailwind utility classes directly in HEEx for:
- flex and grid layout
- spacing
- typography
- borders and radii
- colors and opacity
- active, selected, disabled, and hover states
- responsive breakpoints
- overflow and truncation
Do not preserve large semantic wrapper classes when they only encode simple layout decisions.
Good examples to move into HEEx classes:
- tab rows
- button rows
- editor header layout
- metadata field layout
- sidebar list row spacing
- status bar item alignment
### 2. Authored CSS Owns The Desktop-Specific Case
Keep authored CSS source files for:
- `app-region` and `-webkit-app-region`
- pseudo-elements used for icons, handles, and active markers
- custom scrollbars
- Monaco/editor iframe or host integration
- absolute overlay stacks and backdrops
- drag and drop affordances
- complex attribute selectors
- hard-to-read repeated combinations that should become shared component classes
Do not force these into giant utility strings if readability drops.
### 3. Keep A Thin Semantic CSS Layer
It is acceptable to keep a small number of semantic component classes when they encode a repeated desktop UI primitive.
Examples of valid semantic classes in the target state:
- `.window-titlebar`
- `.resizable-panel-divider`
- `.overlay-root`
- `.monaco-host`
- `.panel-entry`
- `.btn-base`, `.btn-theme-primary`, `.btn-theme-danger`
These classes should be implemented in Tailwind source CSS using `@layer components` and should remain small, stable, and reusable.
### 4. Tokens Must Be Centralized
The current stylesheet relies heavily on VS Code-like CSS variables. Preserve that idea.
The new `assets/css/app.css` must define the design tokens once, using Tailwind v4 `@theme` plus any required raw CSS custom properties for runtime-driven values.
Examples from the current app that must survive:
- shell/background colors
- tab active/inactive colors
- status bar colors
- focus border color
- input background and border colors
- sidebar width
- assistant width
- font family and font size
### 5. Desktop Layout Constraints Must Stay Intact
The styling rewrite must preserve these runtime constraints:
- the app occupies full window width and height
- the shell uses `overflow: hidden` at the top level
- the main workbench uses `min-height: 0` and `min-width: 0` correctly
- resizable sidebars remain width-variable
- titlebar remains draggable except for interactive controls
- overlays render above the shell without breaking keyboard focus or pointer behavior
## Proposed Asset Layout
Use the standard Phoenix asset layout.
```text
assets/
css/
app.css
shell.css
sidebar.css
tabs.css
editor.css
forms.css
overlays.css
panel.css
assistant.css
menu_editor.css
media_editor.css
utilities.css
js/
app.js
...
priv/
static/
assets/
css/
js/
```
Recommended responsibilities:
- `assets/css/app.css`: Tailwind import, `@source`, tokens, base layer, imports
- `assets/css/shell.css`: app shell, titlebar, activity bar, pane shells, status bar
- `assets/css/sidebar.css`: sidebar filters, search, chips, calendar tree, load more
- `assets/css/tabs.css`: workbench tabs and editor tabs
- `assets/css/editor.css`: common editor frame, toolbar, meta column, shared form shell
- `assets/css/forms.css`: shared input, textarea, tag chip, picker, inline action primitives
- `assets/css/overlays.css`: overlay root, modal backdrop, dialog shells, gallery/lightbox
- `assets/css/panel.css`: panel tabs, panel entry cards, tasks, output, git log
- `assets/css/assistant.css`: assistant sidebar and chat-specific shared surfaces
- `assets/css/menu_editor.css`: menu tree, drag/drop indicators, picker lists
- `assets/css/media_editor.css`: media preview, linked post picker, detail forms
- `assets/css/utilities.css`: a very small set of custom utilities that are truly reused
## Proposed Phoenix Asset Tooling
The implementation should introduce the standard Phoenix aliases and configs.
### mix.exs
Add:
- `{:tailwind, "~> 0.3", runtime: Mix.env() == :dev}`
- `{:esbuild, "~> 0.10", runtime: Mix.env() == :dev}`
Add aliases similar to:
- `assets.setup`
- `assets.build`
- `assets.deploy`
### Versioning (mandatory)
The Elixir `:tailwind` wrapper still defaults to Tailwind v3. The plan in this document assumes **Tailwind v4** syntax (`@import "tailwindcss"`, `@theme`, `@source`, `@layer components`). Pin both tools explicitly in `config/config.exs`:
- `config :tailwind, version: "4.1.14"` (or current 4.1.x)
- `config :esbuild, version: "0.25.4"` (or current 0.25.x)
Without an explicit v4 pin the build will silently install Tailwind v3 and v4 directives will not resolve.
### No Node.js policy
The Elixir `:tailwind` and `:esbuild` wrappers download self-contained binaries and do **not** require Node.js. The implementation MUST stay Node-free unless a third-party Tailwind plugin is later required (in which case the custom `assets/build.js` route from the Phoenix asset_management guide is used). No `package.json` is added under `assets/`.
### config/config.exs
Configure Tailwind input and output paths.
Target output:
- `assets/css/app.css` -> `priv/static/assets/css/app.css`
Configure esbuild for:
- `assets/js/app.js` -> `priv/static/assets/js/app.js`
esbuild profile must include `--bundle --target=es2022 --outdir=../priv/static/assets/js --external:/fonts/* --external:/images/*` and `nodePaths: [Mix.Project.build_path() <> "/../../deps"]` so `phoenix`, `phoenix_html`, and `phoenix_live_view` resolve from `deps/` without an `npm install`.
### config/dev.exs
Add Phoenix watchers for:
- Tailwind `--watch`
- esbuild `--watch`
### No phx.digest in desktop builds
This is a desktop app served through an embedded WebView, not a public web app behind a CDN.
- Do NOT run `mix phx.digest` as part of `assets.deploy`.
- Output filenames stay stable (`app.css`, `app.js`) so the layout can link them by fixed path.
- `assets.deploy` for this repo is: `tailwind default --minify`, `esbuild default --minify`. Nothing else.
### endpoint/layout changes
Update the desktop endpoint and root layout to serve and link generated assets from `priv/static/assets` instead of `priv/ui`.
Specifically:
- Replace the existing `Plug.Static` for `/assets` with `from: {:bds, "priv/static/assets"}` and `only` listing the generated `css` and `js` directories.
- Drop the `/vendor/phoenix` and `/vendor/live_view` `Plug.Static` blocks; those scripts are now bundled by esbuild from `deps/`.
- Add a dedicated `Plug.Static` for `/monaco` pointing at `priv/ui/monaco` (or move it to `priv/static/monaco`). Monaco is a prebuilt vendor drop and MUST NOT be passed through esbuild.
- Remove the `<script src="/vendor/phoenix/...">` and `<script src="/vendor/live_view/...">` tags from `lib/bds/desktop/layouts.ex`. Keep only `/assets/app.css` and `/assets/app.js`.
## JS Pipeline
The JS pipeline mirrors the CSS pipeline.
### Entrypoint
`assets/js/app.js` is the single esbuild entrypoint. It:
- imports `phoenix`, `phoenix_html`, and `phoenix_live_view` (resolved from `deps/` via esbuild `nodePaths`)
- constructs the `LiveSocket` with the desktop CSRF token
- registers all hooks currently defined inline in `priv/ui/live.js`
- wires the native menu / titlebar / shortcut bridges
### Module layout
Split the current `priv/ui/live.js` (1.4k lines) into focused modules under `assets/js/`:
- `assets/js/app.js` - entrypoint, LiveSocket, hook registration
- `assets/js/hooks/` - one file per hook
- `assets/js/bridges/` - native menu, titlebar, shortcut bridges
- `assets/js/monaco/` - thin host glue only; do NOT bundle Monaco itself
### Monaco carve-out
Monaco is loaded as prebuilt assets from `/monaco/...` and is not part of the esbuild graph. The host glue in `assets/js/monaco/` only configures the loader URL and posts messages; it does not `import` Monaco modules.
### Vendor stripping
After the switch:
- `priv/ui/app.css` is deleted (its content has been redistributed under `assets/css/`).
- `priv/ui/live.js` is deleted.
- `priv/ui/monaco/` stays (or moves to `priv/static/monaco/`).
- The `phoenix` and `phoenix_live_view` dep static drops are no longer served.
## Iconography
The app keeps its existing **inline SVG** icon set. Do NOT adopt the Phoenix 1.8 Heroicons-via-Tailwind-plugin pattern.
Reasons:
- The target visual look is defined by the current bDS UI; its icons are part of that look.
- Inline SVG keeps icons under direct control for sizing, stroke, and currentColor styling via Tailwind utility classes.
- Avoiding the Heroicons git dep keeps the build Node-free and dependency-light.
Rules:
- Existing SVG icons stay where they are (HEEx components / inline `<svg>` markup).
- Icon size and color are controlled by Tailwind utilities on the wrapping element (`size-4`, `text-[var(--color-icon)]`, etc.) using `fill="currentColor"` or `stroke="currentColor"`.
- No `:heroicons` mix dep, no Tailwind icon plugin, no `assets/vendor/heroicons.js`.
- If a new icon is needed, add the SVG inline in the appropriate component module.
## HEEx Styling Strategy
### Prefer Utility Classes In Templates
Use utility classes in HEEx for:
- shell flex layout
- editor content spacing
- section stacks
- truncation and overflow
- standard button alignment
- grid column changes at breakpoints
- selected and hovered states that are directly tied to assign state
### Keep Dynamic Class Lists Explicit
LiveView templates should build classes with arrays where state is already in assigns.
Example pattern:
```elixir
class={[
"flex items-center gap-2 px-3 py-2 text-sm",
selected? && "bg-[var(--color-selected-bg)] text-white",
disabled? && "opacity-50 pointer-events-none"
]}
```
### Do Not Hide Structure Behind Giant Custom Class Trees
Avoid re-creating the current `app.css` by keeping every nested selector and merely moving it into `assets/css`.
If a selector exists only because the old CSS owned all layout, move that responsibility into HEEx.
## Tailwind Source Conventions
### app.css
`assets/css/app.css` should use Tailwind v4 import syntax.
`source(none)` disables Tailwind's automatic content detection so only directories listed via `@source` are scanned. Every directory that ships HEEx or class strings MUST be listed. Audit `lib/` for additional renderers (preview, generation, MCP surfaces) and add `@source` lines for any that emit class names consumed at build time.
Runtime-driven values (e.g. resizable panel widths that change via CSS variable assignment from JS) MUST stay as plain CSS custom properties under `:root` or a scoped selector. `@theme` values are baked at build time and are not appropriate for values mutated at runtime. Use `@theme` for stable design tokens (colors, font sizes, spacing scale extensions) that should produce utility classes; use `:root { --foo: … }` for everything that the app writes to at runtime.
Suggested structure:
```css
@import "tailwindcss" source(none);
@source "../css";
@source "../js";
@source "../../lib/bds/desktop";
@theme {
/* app tokens */
}
@layer base {
/* html, body, root shell defaults */
}
@import "./shell.css";
@import "./sidebar.css";
@import "./tabs.css";
@import "./editor.css";
@import "./forms.css";
@import "./panel.css";
@import "./assistant.css";
@import "./overlays.css";
@import "./menu_editor.css";
@import "./media_editor.css";
@import "./utilities.css";
```
### Component CSS Rules
When writing component CSS in imported files:
- use `@layer components` for shared semantic classes
- use `@layer utilities` only for narrowly reusable custom utilities
- keep selectors shallow
- avoid giant descendant chains unless required by generated HTML structure or overlay mechanics
- prefer `@apply` sparingly and only for stable component classes, not as a substitute for writing HEEx utilities
## Current UI Structure Reference
The implementation agent must use the current monolith as a source map, not as the final architecture.
The current stylesheet is `priv/ui/app.css` and is approximately 8.5k lines.
Use the following region map when carrying styling over.
### Current app.css region map
- Lines `1-140`: root variables, base element reset, buttons, top-level shell defaults
- Lines `141-415`: app shell and window titlebar
- `.app`, `.app-main`, `.app-content`
- `.window-titlebar*`
- Lines `416-623`: activity bar and sidebar shells
- `.activity-bar*`
- `.sidebar-shell*`, `.assistant-sidebar-shell*`
- `.sidebar*`, `.assistant-sidebar*`
- `.resizable-panel-divider`
- Lines `624-812`: workbench tab bar
- `.tab-bar*`, `.tab*`
- Lines `813-1100`: shared editor shell and editor tabs
- `.editor-shell`, `.editor-frame`, `.editor-main`, `.editor-meta`
- `.editor-toolbar*`
- `.post-editor .editor-header`, `.editor-tabs`, `.editor-tab*`
- Lines `1100-1700`: post editor forms and metadata/media panel
- `.post-editor .editor-content`
- `.post-editor .editor-field*`
- `.post-editor .post-editor-input`, `.post-editor-textarea`
- `.tag-input*`, `.tag-chip*`
- media insertion and post media list
- Line `1691` onward: first responsive collapse for editor/media layout
- Lines `1736-1833`: early shell/gallery overlay and insert-media grid rules
- Lines `1833+`: more mobile/narrow viewport adjustments
- Lines `1950-2263`: status bar and shell footer controls
- `.status-bar*`
- `.project-selector*`
- Lines `2264-2599`: overlay root and modal system
- `.overlay-root`
- `.ai-suggestions-modal*`
- `.insert-modal*`
- `.language-picker-modal*`
- `.confirm-delete-modal*`
- `.gallery-overlay*`
- Lines `2600-2876`: menu editor
- `.menu-editor-*`
- Lines `2889+`: media editor
- `[data-testid="media-editor"] *`
- Lines `3458+`: style/theme picker surface
- `.style-theme-*`
- Lines `4958`, `6722`, `8268`, `8514`: later breakpoint-specific adjustments for desktop shell and advanced editors
Treat those ranges as source material to be redistributed into the new Tailwind source layout.
## Current HEEx And Component Surface Reference
The styling rewrite needs to move with the component structure, not only with CSS selectors.
Important current rendering surfaces:
- `lib/bds/desktop/shell_live.ex`
- top-level workbench render entry
- `lib/bds/desktop/shell_live/sidebar_components.ex`
- sidebar search, archive tree, tag/category chips, nav/settings lists, load more
- `lib/bds/desktop/shell_live/panel_renderer.ex`
- tasks, output, git log, panel toolbars
- `lib/bds/desktop/shell_live/post_editor.ex`
- post editor render surface
- `lib/bds/desktop/shell_live/media_editor.ex`
- media editor render surface
- `lib/bds/desktop/shell_live/script_editor.ex`
- script editor render surface
- `lib/bds/desktop/shell_live/template_editor.ex`
- template editor render surface
- `lib/bds/desktop/shell_live/chat_editor.ex`
- assistant/chat surface
- `lib/bds/desktop/shell_live/menu_editor.ex`
- menu editor tree surface
Implementation rule:
- move simple layout and state styling into these HEEx/component surfaces
- keep authored CSS for shared primitives and complex desktop behavior
## Desktop-Specific Styling Rules
The app is a desktop shell, not a normal browser page.
The implementation must preserve:
- draggable titlebar regions
- non-draggable controls inside the titlebar
- local, app-like split-pane behavior
- fixed-height titlebar, tabs, and status bar rails
- overlay stacking over the shell
- editor and sidebar widths controlled by CSS variables where appropriate
- visual parity for assistant/sidebar/panel open and closed states
Do not optimize for tiny public web payloads at the expense of shell clarity.
Do optimize for maintainability, explicit component ownership, and predictable desktop behavior.
## Implementation Phases
### Phase 0: Tests And Validation Baseline
- Add a smoke test that requests `/assets/app.css` and `/assets/app.js` and asserts a 200 with non-empty body served from `priv/static/assets`.
- Add a render snapshot test for the top-level shell HEEx so class-string regressions during the rewrite are caught.
- Establish that every phase ends with clean `mix compile --warnings-as-errors`, `mix test`, and `mix dialyzer` runs (per repo AGENTS.md).
### Phase 1: Install Phoenix Asset Tooling
- add Tailwind and esbuild dependencies
- create `assets/css/app.css` and `assets/js/app.js`
- configure `config/config.exs`, `config/dev.exs`, and `mix.exs`
- switch endpoint/layouts to generated assets
- keep current visuals as close as possible
### Phase 2: Split The Monolith Into Source Modules
- move the current `priv/ui/app.css` into the proposed `assets/css/*.css` modules
- keep selectors mostly intact at first
- copy raw selectors only; do NOT rewrite to `@apply` in this phase
- defer all `@apply` and utility-extraction decisions to Phase 3
- verify the desktop shell still renders correctly
### Phase 3: Move Common Layout Into HEEx
- rewrite top-level shell markup, tabs, headers, and common forms to use Tailwind classes directly
- reduce selector nesting
- keep only the thin semantic CSS layer
### Phase 4: Normalize Shared Primitives
- standardize buttons
- standardize inputs and textareas
- standardize tabs and badges
- standardize panel entries and empty states
### Phase 5: Finish Desktop-Specific Surfaces
- overlays
- menu editor drag/drop states
- media preview/detail layouts
- assistant/chat surfaces
- narrow viewport behavior
## Acceptance Criteria
The rewrite is successful when:
- assets are built through Phoenix default tooling
- the desktop endpoint serves generated assets from `priv/static`
- the visual shell matches the existing app closely enough for feature work to continue
- the current `priv/ui/app.css` is no longer the source of truth
- the new styling is split into source modules with clear ownership
- HEEx markup owns common layout and state classes
- authored CSS is limited to tokens, desktop primitives, and complex selectors
- Tailwind v4 and esbuild versions are explicitly pinned in `config/config.exs`
- no Node.js / `package.json` is introduced under `assets/`
- no `mix phx.digest` step exists; generated asset filenames remain stable
- inline SVG iconography from the existing UI is preserved (no Heroicons dep)
- `mix compile --warnings-as-errors`, `mix test`, and `mix dialyzer` are clean after every phase
## Non-Goals
These are not goals of the rewrite:
- blindly replacing every old class with utilities in one pass
- preserving the exact old selector tree
- introducing CSS modules or a React-style styling system
- optimizing for generic web landing-page concerns
- changing product behavior unrelated to styling and asset delivery
## Guidance For The Coding Agent
When implementing this plan:
- start by wiring Phoenix asset tooling, not by rewriting 8k lines of CSS in place
- preserve runtime behavior first, then simplify
- move layout decisions to HEEx only when they become clearer there
- keep desktop-specific mechanics in CSS
- use the current `priv/ui/app.css` region map as a source index, not as a blueprint for the final architecture