CLAUDE.md

Instructions for Claude Code when working on this project.

Project Overview

Astrolabe is a lightweight, browser-based snippet manager for Vega-Lite visualizations. Pure vanilla JavaScript, no build tools, retro Windows 2000 aesthetic.

Architecture

Frontend-only: HTML/CSS/JavaScript with CDN dependencies (Monaco Editor, Vega-Embed)
Storage:
- Snippets: localStorage (id, name, created, modified, spec, draftSpec, comment, tags, datasetRefs, meta)
- Datasets: IndexedDB (unlimited size, multi-format: JSON/CSV/TSV/TopoJSON, inline & URL sources)
Structure: Three resizable panels (snippet library, Monaco editor, live preview) + Dataset Manager modal
Deployment: Web app files in /web folder; /project-docs folder contains development documentation
No build tools: Open web/index.html directly in browser (needs local server for IndexedDB)

Current Status

Version: 1.0.0 (Feature-complete MVP) Deployment: Live at astrolabe-viz.com Mode: Maintenance and iterative improvements

Core Capabilities

Snippet management with draft/published workflow
Dataset library (IndexedDB) with multi-format support (JSON, CSV, TSV, TopoJSON)
Dataset reference resolution in Vega-Lite specs
User settings and theme system (Light, Dark Experimental)
Import/export functionality for snippets and datasets
Real-time search and multi-field sorting
Cross-platform keyboard shortcuts
Toast notification system
Storage monitoring with visual warnings
URL state management (shareable links, browser navigation)
Bidirectional snippet ↔ dataset linking
Table preview with type detection
Extract inline data to datasets

See project-docs/architecture.md for complete technical details.

Development Mode

Development is iterative based on:

Bug reports and fixes
User feedback and feature requests
Performance optimization
Cross-browser compatibility improvements
Code quality enhancements

When implementing changes:

Treat each issue/enhancement as an independent task
Group related bugfixes in a single commit
Update CHANGELOG.md for user-facing changes
Test thoroughly across different browsers when possible
Maintain backward compatibility with existing data

Development Principles

Lean: No frameworks, no build step, minimal dependencies
Maintainable: Clean code organization with logical separation of concerns
Simple: Favor code removal over addition; avoid over-engineering
Local-first: All data stored in browser, no server dependencies

General coding instructions (important)

Astrolabe is a project with minimalistic philosophy; it tries to avoid external dependencies and complexity, if possible. This means that whatever new feature, refactor, or bug fix is being considered, the solution should not be over-engineered unless absolutely necessary. The importance and complexity of a feature defines allowed number of lines of code dedicated to it.
Pay attention to the existing code base style and approaches and try to adhere to the existing style instead of bringing your own vision.
When updating documentation, do not record intermediate changes - write them always as a matter-of-fact information.
When working on the code, if you notice any opportunities to better bring the project to the state above - bring this to user's attention and ask for approval to implement the suggested changes.

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