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PaperClipAI/doc/design/RUN3-PROMPT.md
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c07e650cd7 feat(ui): single-source design tokens, visual regression suite, and theme retune (#9134)
## Thinking Path

> - Paperclip is the open source app people use to manage AI agents for
work
> - Its UI is the operator's daily surface: task lists, boards, budgets,
agent status — all built on shadcn components and Tailwind
> - Visual values (colors, spacing, type sizes, radii) were hardcoded at
~1,600 call sites: the same "small gray label" was 9/10/11px depending
on the file, charts disagreed with chips about status colors, two
toggle-switch implementations coexisted in two greens, and there was no
visual regression coverage
> - This made the UI drift-prone and made any restyle a
hundreds-of-files project, which discourages design iteration
> - This pull request extracts visual values into a single token layer
in `ui/src/index.css`, adds a Storybook visual regression suite backed
by external immutable baseline archives, and then applies a deliberate
retune reviewed change-by-change on screenshot diffs
> - The benefit is that Paperclip's look becomes a config surface:
retheming is a token edit reviewed as a snapshot diff, drift is blocked
by a token gate, and future UI PRs can prove exactly what changed
visually without committing hundreds of PNGs

## Linked Issues or Issue Description

No existing public issue covers this work (searched "design tokens",
"visual regression", "design system" across issues and PRs). Related in
spirit: Refs #8982 (theming a hardcoded panel — a one-off instance of
the same problem class this PR addresses systematically).

**Problem (feature-request form):** UI visual values are hardcoded per
call site with no source of truth and no regression coverage;
consistency depends on reviewer memory, and restyling requires mass file
edits.
**Proposed solution (this PR):** a single token layer + enforcement gate
+ externally stored visual snapshot suite, then an intentional restyle
on top of that foundation.

## What Changed

- **Token extraction (zero visual change, machine-verified during
development):** committed codemods (`scripts/codemod-*.mjs`) moved
~1,600 hardcoded color/type/spacing/radius/shadow/misc values into named
tokens in a non-inline `:root` block of `ui/src/index.css`.
- **Visual regression suite:** `pnpm test:storybook-visual` covers 255
stories × light/dark = 510 Playwright screenshots at `maxDiffPixels: 0`,
plus new primitive-coverage stories and deterministic-render fixes.
- **External visual baselines:** committed PNG snapshots were removed.
`tests/storybook-visual/baseline-manifest.json` pins an immutable
archive URL/hash/size/count, and `scripts/storybook-visual-baseline.mjs`
handles `download`, `verify`, `pack`, and trusted maintainer `upload`
flows.
- **Opt-in visual CI artifacts:** added a `Storybook Visual` workflow
that runs on manual dispatch or PRs labeled `storybook-visual`,
downloads/verifies the baseline, runs Playwright, and uploads Playwright
report/test-result artifacts for review. Normal PR runs do not mutate
baseline objects.
- **Token gate:** `pnpm check:token-gates` — zero hex literals, zero
arbitrary bracket values, zero raw font-sizes in `ui/src/components/**`
and `ui/src/pages/**`, with a documented inline allowlist for legitimate
opt-outs.
- **Theme retune (intentional, snapshot-reviewed):** new base theme
values; radius ladder derived from a single `--radius` knob; micro-type
cluster collapsed to a named ladder (`--text-nano/micro/compact` +
Tailwind `text-xs`/`text-sm`); letter-spacing collapsed to named steps.
- **One status-color vocabulary:** charts, quota/budget bar fills,
RUNNING/live chips, and liveness indicators all use the canonical
`--status-*` hues. Light-mode legibility fixes for red alert surfaces
that used dark-tuned text classes.
- **One switch:** `ToggleSwitch` restyled to the registry capsule form,
second hand-rolled implementation removed, and all call sites unified.
- **Docs:** `DESIGN.md` is the design contract; `doc/design/` holds
audit reports, decision logs, and updated guidance for external baseline
review/update workflows.
- Dead code removed (`agentStatusBadge` duplicate map), byte-identical
contrast constants consolidated, semantic renames
(`--project-seed`/`--project-none`, `--liveness-blue`).

## Verification

- `pnpm check:token-gates` — 3/3 gates CLEAN during the design-system
run
- `pnpm typecheck` && `pnpm --filter @paperclipai/ui build` — green
during the design-system run
- `node --test scripts/__tests__/storybook-visual-baseline.test.mjs` —
pass after external-baseline rework
- `pnpm exec tsc --noEmit --pretty false --module NodeNext
--moduleResolution NodeNext --target ES2022 --types
node,@playwright/test tests/storybook-visual/playwright.config.ts
tests/storybook-visual/storybook-visual.spec.ts` — pass after
external-baseline rework
- `git diff --check origin/pr/9134..HEAD` — pass after external-baseline
rework
- `find tests/storybook-visual -type f -name '*.png' -print | wc -l` —
`0`
- `node scripts/storybook-visual-baseline.mjs verify` — intentionally
fails closed until the first trusted maintainer publishes the baseline
archive and updates `baseline-manifest.json`

## Risks

- **Large but shallow:** the PR still touches many UI files due to
mechanical token extraction and retune work, but committed PNG snapshot
churn has been removed from the branch.
- **Baseline publication required before the visual suite can pass in
clean clones:** the manifest currently has placeholder archive metadata.
A trusted maintainer must publish the first immutable archive, then
update `baseline-manifest.json`.
- **Rendering platform variance:** the external baseline should be
captured in the documented Linux/Chromium environment. Future CI runs
verify against the pinned archive and fail closed on checksum/count
mismatch.
- **Visual CI is opt-in while stabilizing:** add the `storybook-visual`
label or dispatch the workflow manually to produce downloadable
Playwright report/test-result artifacts.
- **Scheduled follow-ups, deliberately out of scope:** Tailwind palette
classes map to semantic tokens in a dedicated pass; card/pill component
consolidation; ESLint ratchet. Tracked in
`doc/design/DECISION-SHEET.md`.

## Model Used

Claude Fable 5 (Anthropic, `claude-fable-5`, Mythos-class tier) with
extended thinking, running in Claude Code with tool use; mechanical
phases delegated to Claude Sonnet subagents. Follow-up external-baseline
rework assisted by OpenAI Codex (`gpt-5` coding agent with repository,
terminal, and GitHub tool use). All bulk rewrites executed via
deterministic, idempotent scripts committed in `scripts/`; intentional
visual changes were human-reviewed on screenshot contact sheets.

## Checklist

- [x] I have included a thinking path that traces from project context
to this change
- [x] I have specified the model used (with version and capability
details)
- [x] I have checked ROADMAP.md and confirmed this PR does not duplicate
planned core work
- [x] I have searched GitHub for duplicate or related PRs and linked
them above
- [x] I have either (a) linked existing issues with `Fixes: #` / `Closes
#` / `Refs #` OR (b) described the issue in-PR following the relevant
issue template
- [x] I have not referenced internal/instance-local Paperclip issues or
links (only public GitHub `#NNN` / `github.com/paperclipai/paperclip`
URLs)
- [x] My branch name describes the change (e.g. `docs/...`, `fix/...`)
and contains no internal Paperclip ticket id or instance-derived details
- [x] I have run targeted local verification and documented the
intentional baseline-publication failure above
- [x] I have added or updated tests where applicable
- [x] I have updated relevant documentation to reflect my changes
- [x] I have considered and documented any risks above
- [ ] All Paperclip CI gates are green *(pending new CI run after this
rework)*
- [ ] Greptile is 5/5 with no open P2s, recommendations, or follow-ups
*(pending review)*
- [x] I will address all Greptile and reviewer comments before
requesting merge

🤖 Generated with [Claude Code](https://claude.com/claude-code) and
OpenAI Codex

---------

Co-authored-by: Claude Fable 5 <noreply@anthropic.com>
Co-authored-by: Dotta <bippadotta@protonmail.com>
Co-authored-by: Paperclip <noreply@paperclip.ing>
2026-07-07 16:22:16 -05:00

4.8 KiB

Run 3 — Component convergence: guide + /goal prompt

Executes the approved component-convergence scope from DECISION-SHEET.md: C5 (hand-rolled cards → Card, pills → Badge), C11 (sidebar agents rows → SidebarNavItem), C2/C3 (investigate-first items), plus the AgentDetail story coverage gap.

Which directory?

If PR #9134 has merged to master (preferred): create a fresh worktree from the main checkout —

cd ~/Projects/DEV/paperclip
git fetch origin && git worktree add ../paperclip-run3 -b design/component-convergence origin/master
cd ../paperclip-run3 && pnpm install

If #9134 is still open: reuse the existing worktree (it has everything installed and the baselines present) on a stacked branch —

cd ~/Projects/DEV/paperclip-design-simplify
git checkout -b design/component-convergence

Either way: launch claude from inside that directory, type /goal, paste the block below. The session inherits DESIGN.md and these docs automatically.

What to expect

  • Mostly unattended, roughly a day. Unlike Run 1, small visible deltas are expected (a border tone here, 1px of padding there) — the guardrails force every one to be exported for your review and individually revertable.
  • After the goal clears: open doc/design/run3-review/ (before/after images for every story the run changed), skim, and revert any commit whose look you reject. Each conversion is its own commit.

The /goal paste block

Converge Paperclip's duplicated hand-rolled UI onto the shared
primitives, per the approved scope in doc/design/DECISION-SHEET.md
items C2, C3, C5, C11. DESIGN.md is the source of truth; read
doc/design/CHANGING-THE-UI.md and doc/design/RUN3-PROMPT.md first.
Work only in this worktree/branch; never touch master. Small
reviewable commits: one component-conversion unit per commit.

SCOPE
1. C5a: every hand-rolled card container (rounded-* + border +
   bg-card pattern) in ui/src/components/** and ui/src/pages/**
   converts to the Card primitive, preserving layout and behavior.
2. C5b: every hand-rolled pill span converts to Badge (or the
   status-chip system where it encodes status), same preservation.
3. C11: SidebarAgents rows render via SidebarNavItem (keep agent
   status dot + wake affordances; dot uses --status-agent-running).
   Apply one collapsibility policy across sidebar sections and
   record it in DECISION-SHEET.md C11.
4. C2/C3: investigate (do not merge by default): C2 WorkspaceFileBrowser
   vs FileTree tree models; C3 the four entity pickers. Write verdicts
   with evidence into COMPONENT-INVENTORY.md. Execute a merge ONLY if
   the verdict is copy-paste drift with identical data shapes and the
   merge preserves behavior; otherwise document keep-as-is rationale.
5. Add a Storybook story for the AgentDetail page (realistic fixture,
   light+dark) so it joins the visual suite.

VERIFICATION DISCIPLINE (small visual deltas are EXPECTED)
- Before starting: run the suite once to confirm 510/510 green.
- Per conversion commit: run the affected stories; if pixels changed,
  copy each changed story's expected/actual/diff triplet into
  doc/design/run3-review/<story>/ and note the story ids + one-line
  justification in the commit message. Deltas must be small
  (primitive-level: borders, radii, padding) — a layout shift or
  color-meaning change means STOP that conversion, revert it, and
  record it under "Needs human decision" in DECISION-SHEET.md.
- A site that cannot adopt the primitive without breaking behavior:
  skip it, comment why inline, list it in the report.

DONE WHEN (all verified in this worktree)
1. rg finds no hand-rolled card-container or pill-span patterns in
   ui/src/components/** or ui/src/pages/** outside documented inline
   allowlist comments; converted sites import Card/Badge/SidebarNavItem.
2. C2/C3 verdicts written in COMPONENT-INVENTORY.md; C11 policy
   recorded in DECISION-SHEET.md.
3. AgentDetail story exists and renders in the suite.
4. pnpm check:token-gates 3/3 CLEAN; pnpm typecheck green;
   pnpm --filter @paperclipai/ui build exit 0.
5. Full visual suite passes against the updated baseline, and
   doc/design/run3-review/ contains the triplets for every story
   whose baseline changed, committed.
6. All vitest suites for touched components pass, assertions updated
   in lockstep where they referenced old markup/classes.

GUARDRAILS
- Preserve behavior exactly: props, handlers, a11y roles, test ids.
- No new dependencies. No palette-class conversions (Run 4's job).
- Never re-baseline a diff you cannot justify in the commit message.
- If a phase cannot complete, stop and report rather than partially
  applying it.

After the run

  1. Review doc/design/run3-review/ — approve or git revert per commit.
  2. Check the "Needs human decision" additions in DECISION-SHEET.md.
  3. Merge (or stack the PR), then Run 4 (palette classes) and the ESLint ratchet are all that remain.