UX second pass: icon-only header, pane-toggle cue, schema columns, facet cleanup

This commit is contained in:
2026-06-13 10:13:40 +03:00
parent e0806bf3db
commit 92bfe888b5
14 changed files with 124 additions and 154 deletions
+5 -2
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@@ -210,8 +210,11 @@ UI by swapping one set of values. Borrowed from Carbon's layering model:
action is filled. Worked examples: the **editor toolbar** (Publish is the lone
primary; Extract/Revert are secondary, and collapse to icons when narrow — see
[arch 10 §8](10-interaction-and-feedback.md)), and the **header** (Datasets /
Import / Export / About are ghost; a divider then sets off the soft-accent Donate
and the ghost theme toggle).
Import / Export / About are **icon-only** IconButtons per Carbon's UI-shell
header — global actions as a right-aligned icon row — with accessible names
that carry scope, e.g. "Export workspace" vs the preview's per-chart "Export";
a divider then sets off the soft-accent Donate, which keeps its text label —
a solicitation needs the word — and the ghost theme toggle).
- **Hover is variant-specific:** filled buttons (primary/danger) **darken**
(`--accent-hover` / a slight brightness drop); outlined/ghost buttons **gain a
fill one elevation step above their surface** — on `--bg` → `--layer-01`, on a
@@ -231,6 +231,13 @@ last-focused control on re-entry.
- The **Datasets** control is a plain **command button** (no `aria-pressed`) in the _same_
toolbar — APG permits mixed control types — set off from the toggles by a visual divider (and
optionally a nested `role="group"`), but kept in the roving sequence as its last element.
- The **pressed (pane-visible) state has its own visual cue**: an inset accent edge bar plus the
full-strength glyph on the filled chip (the activity-bar convention). A fill alone cannot be
the state cue — hover uses the same one-step fill, so a fill-only pressed state is
indistinguishable from hovering an off toggle (the collision class arch 09 names for hover);
and a bar, not a border, keeps the strip boxless per the arch 09 box-discipline rule. The
unlabeled glyph rail itself is the established activity-bar convention (NN/g #4) — toggles
carry tooltips per Carbon's icon-button rule; no visible labels.
- **Focus**: show/hide is only ever initiated **from the strip**, so the activating toggle
already holds focus when its pane disappears and **retains it** (the button stays, flips to
not-pressed) — no orphaned focus, no restoration logic. The strip is **never itself hidden**,
@@ -252,7 +259,10 @@ the Draft/Published view) is a **radio group**, never a row of `aria-pressed` to
**toggle switch** was also weighed and rejected: APG defines `role="switch"` as on/off of a
**single** setting, but Draft/Published selects between two **named peer views** with no
natural "on" side — a radio group is the right semantics. Reserve the switch for genuine
on/off settings. Consulted via /council → APG switch / radio-group / tabs.)_
on/off settings. Consulted via /council → APG switch / radio-group / tabs.)_ A per-option
`title` (tooltip for a terse label) doubles as the option's accessible name, so it must
**lead with the visible label** ("Original — the natural size from the spec"), or
speech-input users can't address the control they see (WCAG 2.5.3 label-in-name).
**Resolved — selectable lists.** A row the user selects must be a real `<button>` (or a
proper option), not a click handler on `<li>` (mouse-only, no keyboard, no role). It is
@@ -453,6 +463,14 @@ in the keyboard order, never a heading. **The boundary is set where the list is
module that decides the option order marks the divider-carrying option (e.g.
`chartThemeOptions` stamps the first preset); a consumer must never recompute a group
boundary by index arithmetic, which silently misplaces when the producer's ordering changes.
A value list may carry an **action row** (the VS Code theme-picker pattern — e.g. "Edit
themes…" inside the chart-theme picker): permissible because options are real buttons, not
listbox options (APG's no-interactive-children listbox constraint doesn't apply); the row's
label ends in "…" (the opens-further-UI convention) and sets the option's `hasPopup` so AT
hears `aria-haspopup` — no special visual styling beyond an adjacent group divider. The
default trigger caps its value label at **16ch with ellipsis**, so a long value (a preset or
user-named theme) can't blow out a crowded pane header; the full label remains in the open
list and the trigger's accessible name.
The single-open registry means **disclosures cannot nest**: a SelectControl inside a
settings popover would close — and unmount — its own parent on open. A control that needs
its own popover sits beside the gear in the pane header, never inside the panel.
@@ -494,6 +512,15 @@ Datasets (⌘/Ctrl+K), or check the dataset name in your spec."_ — instead of
must match the actual cause (NN/g #9, GOV.UK error-message). The thrown
`DatasetNotFoundError` carries `datasetName` so the surface can name it.
**Resolved — no affordance for unbuilt features.** A visible placeholder promising future
functionality (the Chart Builder's dashed "+ row facet · LATER" shelf slots, removed
2026-06-13) is roadmap language shipped to users: it speaks our planning vocabulary, not
theirs (NN/g #2), and competes with the working controls around it (NN/g #8). A gated or
later-phase feature gets **no placeholder, tag, or disabled stub** until it ships — disabled
states are for _temporarily unavailable_ actions, not unbuilt ones. Design the layout so the
future control can land without rework (e.g. shelf slots are row-shaped), and keep the
roadmap in `docs/`, not in the UI.
**Resolved — service-worker update prompt & persistent storage (web.dev seat).** The build
uses `registerType: 'prompt'`, so a new service worker waits and never takes over a running
session on its own — the app **must** tell the user, or "ask before updating" silently means
+9 -8
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@@ -25,18 +25,19 @@ Behavior:
A fixed header spans the top of the app.
- **Left side**: the app icon, the app title ("Astrolabe"), and a version badge showing the current app version.
- **Right side**: a row of text entry points. Each opens a destination:
- **Right side**: a row of **icon-only** utility entry points (each with a tooltip and an accessible name), then — set off by a divider — the text-labelled Donate button and the theme toggle. Each opens a destination:
| Entry point | Opens |
| ----------- | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| Import | A file-picker dialog to choose a previously exported file; the chosen file is imported (see _Import & Export_). |
| Export | Immediately produces a downloaded file containing all snippets and datasets (see _Import & Export_). |
| Datasets | The Datasets manager modal (see _Datasets_). |
| About | The About & Help modal (keyboard shortcuts, about, and privacy information). Labelled "About"; privacy lives inside. |
| Donate | The Donate modal. |
| Entry point | Opens |
| ---------------- | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| Datasets | The Datasets manager modal (see _Datasets_). |
| Import workspace | A file-picker dialog to choose a previously exported file; the chosen file is imported (see _Import & Export_). |
| Export workspace | Immediately produces a downloaded file containing all snippets and datasets (see _Import & Export_). |
| About | The About & Help modal (keyboard shortcuts, about, and privacy information); privacy lives inside. |
| Donate | The Donate modal. The one text-labelled, soft-accent button — the solicitation keeps its word. |
Notes:
- The utilities are icon-only so the header reads as quiet chrome (Carbon UI-shell header: global actions are a right-aligned icon row). The accessible names scope the workspace-level Import/Export ("Export workspace") apart from the preview pane's per-chart "Export" — the two were previously both labelled "Export" at once.
- Import and Export act directly (file dialog / file download); they do not open in-app modals.
- The Datasets, About, and Donate entry points each open a modal (see _Modal System_).
- **Settings are not a header entry point.** A design review (see _Settings_) distributed
+8 -59
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@@ -8,65 +8,9 @@ record the resolution into the contract (`docs/architecture/09`+`10` and the rel
## Open
- **Two visible "Export" buttons** (`App.tsx` header — workspace export;
`ChartExport.tsx` in the preview header — per-chart export). Same label,
different scope, both visible at once. Candidate fix: rename one ("Export
chart" / "Export workspace") or differentiate via grouping.
- **"LATER" facet placeholders in Chart Builder shelves**
(`ChartBuilderModal.module.css``.facetSlot`/`.facetTag`). Internal roadmap
language shipped to users. Either hide the affordance until faceting works or
write user-facing copy.
- **Default snippet names are timestamps** ("Snippet 2026-06-10 18:04:37") — the
library reads like a downloads folder next to builder-generated names ("Bar
chart of count by Ship Mode"). Candidate: derive a content-based name from the
spec (mark + encoded fields) when the user never renames.
- **Fit-mode tab labels** ("Original / Width / Height / Full", `LivePreview.tsx`)
are terse for a first-time user; tooltips likely suffice.
- **Donate is the most saturated element on screen** (header soft-accent wash) —
visually outranks Publish/Build Chart. Decide whether intentional.
- **Left rail affordance** (`PaneToggleStrip.tsx`): three unlabeled glyphs + a
tall empty strip; pane toggles aren't discoverable without hovering.
- **Pane toggle pressed state = hover state** (`PaneToggleStrip.module.css`).
The pressed chip is a `--layer-02` fill — the same fill the strip's IconButtons
use on hover — so hovering an off toggle looks identical to an on toggle at
rest. (The pressed chip's `--border-strong` border used to disambiguate; it was
dropped in the box-discipline pass.) Candidate cues: a filled/accent glyph,
an inset edge marker, or restoring a border for the on state only.
- **Dataset detail schema density** (`DatasetsModal.tsx`): one field per row
makes a 25-column dataset a long scroll before the preview table; a denser
two-column field list would fit overview + schema + preview on one screen.
- **Chart theme picker placement & header crowding** (`LivePreview.tsx` — ChartThemeControl).
The picker sits in the preview header because nesting a SelectControl inside the
PreviewSettings popover is impossible today (one-open-popover registry: the select would
close/unmount its own parent). Header now holds Fit + theme + export + gear; at narrow
pane widths the long trigger labels ("FiveThirtyEight", "Urban Institute") may crowd it.
Council questions: does the picker deserve header prominence (the "transform your chart"
showcase) or settings-cluster placement (a persistent global pref); should the popover
registry learn nesting; should the preset block also carry a group _heading_ (a
divider now bounds it — 2026-06-12, user-decided; `SelectControl` `dividerBefore`)?
- **"Edit themes…" action row inside the value picker** (`LivePreview.tsx`
ChartThemeControl). A non-value action lives inside a single-select disclosure (the
VS Code theme-picker pattern), placed after the custom-themes block and before the
preset roster (first-use feedback: at the very bottom it was invisible without
scrolling). The ours-vs-presets divider (2026-06-12) now bounds it below; remaining
council questions: should the action row itself be styled distinctly from the value
rows; is a mid-list row that opens a modal instead of selecting surprising to AT
users?
- **Theme Builder config editor is a plain textarea** (`ThemeBuilderModal.tsx`). Monaco
(with the Vega-Lite config schema for completions) would match the main editor but is
heavy inside a modal and untested in that mounting. Revisit whether the builder deserves
a Monaco instance, and whether the gallery's canvas charts need text alternatives
beyond the per-card captions.
_(empty — the 2026-06-13 batch resolved all eleven open items; resolutions live in
spec §01B/§02/§03D, arch 09 §5 (header worked example), and arch 10 §5 (toggle-strip
pressed cue, SelectControl action row + trigger cap, no-affordance-for-unbuilt-features).)_
## Deferred (not design debts, revisit on demand)
@@ -74,3 +18,8 @@ record the resolution into the contract (`docs/architecture/09`+`10` and the rel
be a progressive enhancement on top of the chooser model, not a replacement. Revisit if
real usage asks for it (likely alongside Phase 4 faceting, where drag-to-shelf reads most
naturally).
- **Theme Builder config editor stays a plain textarea** (decided 2026-06-13) — a second
Monaco mount is heavy inside a modal for an occasional surface; the parse error is the
feedback channel that matters. Revisit only if real usage asks for config completions.
The gallery's per-card captions stand as the canvas charts' text alternative.
+19 -23
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@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@ import { ModalShell } from './components/ModalShell';
import { Onboarding } from './components/Onboarding';
import { PaneSplitHandle } from './components/PaneSplitHandle';
import { Icon } from './components/Icon';
import { IconButton } from './components/IconButton';
import { PaneToggleStrip } from './components/PaneToggleStrip';
import { ResizeHandle } from './components/ResizeHandle';
import { SnippetLibrary } from './components/SnippetLibrary';
@@ -77,46 +78,41 @@ export function App() {
<span className={styles.version}>v{__APP_VERSION__}</span>
<span className={styles.spacer} />
{/* Header actions establish a hierarchy (Carbon button/usage → one
high-emphasis action per region; utilities in dashboards/toolbars read
better at low emphasis). The utilities are ghost (borderless) buttons
with a leading icon for scanning; a divider then sets off Donate — the
one solicitation, given a soft-accent wash — and the theme toggle. */}
<Button
variant="ghost"
high-emphasis action per region; Carbon UI-shell header → global
actions are a right-aligned row of icon-only buttons). The utilities
are IconButtons — tooltips carry the full action, accessible names
scope it ("Export workspace" vs the preview pane's per-chart
"Export") — then a divider sets off Donate — the one solicitation,
given a soft-accent wash — and the theme toggle. */}
<IconButton
label="Datasets"
onClick={() => openModal('datasets')}
aria-keyshortcuts="Meta+K Control+K"
title="Datasets (⌘/Ctrl+K)"
>
<Icon name="dataset" />
Datasets
</Button>
<Button
variant="ghost"
</IconButton>
<IconButton
label="Import workspace"
onClick={() => fileInputRef.current?.click()}
title="Import a workspace JSON file"
>
<Icon name="import" />
Import
</Button>
{/* TODO: two controls labelled "Export" are visible at once (this
workspace export + the preview pane's per-chart export) — rename or
differentiate (docs/ux-second-pass.md). */}
<Button
variant="ghost"
</IconButton>
<IconButton
label="Export workspace"
onClick={() => exportWorkspace()}
title="Export your workspace to a JSON file"
>
<Icon name="export" />
Export
</Button>
<Button
variant="ghost"
</IconButton>
<IconButton
label="About"
onClick={() => openModal('about')}
title="About, keyboard shortcuts, and privacy information"
>
<Icon name="info" />
About
</Button>
</IconButton>
<span className={styles.headerDivider} aria-hidden="true" />
<Button variant="soft-accent" onClick={() => openModal('donate')} title="Support Astrolabe">
Donate
+3 -1
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@@ -70,7 +70,9 @@ export function AboutModal() {
yourself.
</li>
<li>After the first load, the app works fully offline.</li>
<li>Use Import / Export to move your library between devices.</li>
<li>
Use the header&rsquo;s import / export buttons to move your library between devices.
</li>
</ul>
</section>
</div>
@@ -1007,25 +1007,3 @@
opacity: 0.5;
cursor: not-allowed;
}
/* Reserved faceting placeholder (Phase 4) — non-interactive, signals where it'll live. */
.facetSlot {
display: flex;
align-items: center;
gap: var(--space-2);
min-width: 150px;
min-height: var(--control-height);
padding: var(--space-1) var(--space-3);
border: var(--border-width) dashed var(--border);
color: var(--text-placeholder);
font-size: 12px;
user-select: none;
}
.facetTag {
padding: 0 var(--space-2);
border: var(--border-width) solid var(--border);
font-size: 10px;
text-transform: uppercase;
letter-spacing: 0.03em;
}
+4 -17
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@@ -620,24 +620,13 @@ function MarksCard() {
);
}
/** A reserved, non-interactive shelf slot for faceting (small multiples) — Phase 4.
* Shown so the layout telegraphs where row/column faceting will live. */
// TODO: the "later" tag is internal roadmap language shown to users — hide the
// affordance until faceting ships, or reword for users (docs/ux-second-pass.md).
function FacetSlot({ kind }: { kind: 'column' | 'row' }) {
return (
<div className={styles.facetSlot} title="Faceting → small multiples (coming later)">
<span>+ {kind} facet</span>
<span className={styles.facetTag}>later</span>
</div>
);
}
/**
* The on-chart **Columns** (X) and **Rows** (Y) shelves stacked above the preview,
* Tableau-style — position is a property of the chart, so its controls sit on the
* chart. Each shelf holds the axis slot plus a reserved faceting placeholder. A Swap
* X/Y action flips the two axes.
* chart. A Swap X/Y action flips the two axes. The slot rows are shelf-shaped so
* Phase 4 faceting can add a second slot per shelf without a layout change, but
* no placeholder ships before the feature does (an affordance promising unbuilt
* functionality is a promise, not a feature — NN/g #2/#8).
*/
function OnChartShelves() {
const swapXY = useChartBuilderStore((s) => s.swapXY);
@@ -653,14 +642,12 @@ function OnChartShelves() {
<span className={styles.shelfName}>Columns</span>
<div className={styles.shelfSlots}>
<ChannelSlot channel="x" hint="Add a field for the X axis" />
<FacetSlot kind="column" />
</div>
</div>
<div className={styles.shelfStrip}>
<span className={styles.shelfName}>Rows</span>
<div className={styles.shelfSlots}>
<ChannelSlot channel="y" hint="Add a field for the Y axis" />
<FacetSlot kind="row" />
</div>
</div>
</div>
+11 -5
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@@ -235,12 +235,17 @@
color: var(--text);
}
/* Two-up multi-column flow (min 220px per column, so a narrow pane falls back
to one): a wide schema reads down-then-over and a 25-field dataset no longer
buries the preview table below a full-screen scroll (NN/g #8;
docs/ux-second-pass.md resolution 2026-06-13). */
.columns {
list-style: none;
margin: 0;
padding: 0;
display: flex;
flex-direction: column;
columns: 220px 2;
column-gap: 0;
column-rule: var(--border-width) solid var(--border);
border: var(--border-width) solid var(--border);
}
@@ -250,10 +255,11 @@
justify-content: space-between;
gap: var(--space-3);
padding: var(--space-2) var(--space-3);
}
.column + .column {
break-inside: avoid;
/* Hairline between rows; the negative margin tucks each column's first border
under the container border (a `+`-sibling border would double there). */
border-top: var(--border-width) solid var(--border);
margin-top: calc(-1 * var(--border-width));
}
.columnName {
+15 -9
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@@ -41,10 +41,12 @@ import styles from './LivePreview.module.css';
/** The four fit modes in display order (spec §04 → Fit / Sizing Modes). */
const FIT_OPTIONS: ReadonlyArray<SegmentedOption<FitMode>> = [
{ value: 'default', label: 'Original' },
{ value: 'width', label: 'Width' },
{ value: 'height', label: 'Height' },
{ value: 'full', label: 'Full' },
// `title` doubles as the accessible name, so it leads with the visible label
// (WCAG 2.5.3 label-in-name; see SegmentedOption.title).
{ value: 'default', label: 'Original', title: 'Original — the natural size from the spec' },
{ value: 'width', label: 'Width', title: 'Width — fit to the pane width' },
{ value: 'height', label: 'Height', title: 'Height — fit to the pane height' },
{ value: 'full', label: 'Full', title: 'Full — fill the pane' },
];
/**
@@ -81,9 +83,11 @@ function FitControl() {
* snippet's own `config` still overrides it property by property. Lives in the
* header, not inside PreviewSettings: SelectControl and SettingsPopover share
* the one-open-popover registry, so a select nested in the popover would close
* (and unmount) its own parent on open.
* (and unmount) its own parent on open (the contract: arch 10 §5 — a control
* needing its own popover sits beside the gear, never inside the panel). The
* trigger's 16ch label cap keeps long preset/custom names from crowding a
* narrow header.
*/
// TODO: header placement/crowding parked for the batched council pass (docs/ux-second-pass.md).
/** Sentinel option that opens the Theme Builder instead of selecting a theme. */
const EDIT_THEMES = 'edit-themes';
type ThemePickerValue = ChartThemeSelection | typeof EDIT_THEMES;
@@ -103,14 +107,16 @@ function ChartThemeControl() {
// the entries it manages. The roster boundary itself (the divider) is set by
// chartThemeOptions where the order is decided, so the splice is the only
// index this component owns. The first preset is the divider-carrying option,
// so splicing right before it needs no count arithmetic.
// TODO: action row inside a value picker (visual separation? AT surprise?)
// parked for the batched council pass (docs/ux-second-pass.md).
// so splicing right before it needs no count arithmetic. The row needs no
// special styling: SelectControl options are real buttons (not listbox
// options), the "…" is the opens-further-UI convention, and `hasPopup`
// announces the dialog to AT.
const firstPreset = list.findIndex((o) => o.dividerBefore);
list.splice(firstPreset === -1 ? list.length : firstPreset, 0, {
value: EDIT_THEMES,
label: 'Edit themes…',
detail: 'Create and manage custom themes',
hasPopup: 'dialog',
});
return list;
}, [customThemes]);
@@ -17,14 +17,17 @@
}
/* The controls are shared IconButtons; only the toggle-on state is local.
Shown pane: the toggle is "on" — full-strength glyph on a filled chip.
Shown pane: the toggle is "on" — full-strength glyph on a filled chip plus an
accent edge bar (the activity-bar cue). The bar is the state cue the fill
alone can't be: hover uses the same --layer-02 fill, so a fill-only pressed
state is indistinguishable from hovering an off toggle (arch 09: state
indication needs its own 3:1 cue, never a hover collision). An inset bar,
not a border — boxless per the arch 09 box-discipline rule.
(.strip prefix outranks the primitive's base background/color.) */
/* TODO: the pressed chip (--layer-02 fill) is identical to the IconButton hover
fill on this surface, so hovering an off toggle looks the same as an on toggle
at rest — the pressed state needs its own cue (docs/ux-second-pass.md). */
.strip .pressed {
color: var(--text);
background: var(--layer-02);
box-shadow: inset 3px 0 0 var(--accent);
}
.divider {
@@ -42,6 +42,10 @@
.triggerLabel {
min-width: 0;
/* Cap the trigger so a long value (a preset or user theme name) can't blow
out a crowded pane header at narrow widths; the full label stays available
in the open list and the trigger's aria-label (arch 10 §5). */
max-width: 16ch;
overflow: hidden;
text-overflow: ellipsis;
}
+7
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@@ -41,6 +41,12 @@ export interface SelectControlOption<V extends string> {
* the user's themes and the preset roster.
*/
dividerBefore?: boolean;
/**
* For an action row that opens a dialog instead of picking a value (e.g. the
* theme picker's "Edit themes…"): sets `aria-haspopup` so AT announces that
* activating discloses further UI, matching the "…" label convention.
*/
hasPopup?: 'dialog';
}
export interface SelectControlProps<V extends string> {
@@ -162,6 +168,7 @@ export function SelectControl<V extends string>({
type="button"
className={`${styles.option} ${selected ? styles.selected : ''}`}
aria-current={selected || undefined}
aria-haspopup={o.hasPopup}
onClick={() => choose(o.value)}
>
<span className={styles.optionLabel}>
+4 -3
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@@ -233,9 +233,10 @@ export function ThemeBuilderModal() {
<label className={styles.label} htmlFor="theme-config">
Config (Vega-Lite JSON)
</label>
{/* TODO: plain textarea vs a Monaco instance (config-schema completions), and
text alternatives for the canvas gallery beyond the captions — parked for
the batched council pass (docs/ux-second-pass.md). */}
{/* A plain textarea, deliberately not Monaco: a second Monaco mount
is heavy inside a modal for an occasional surface, and the parse
error below is the feedback channel that matters here. Revisit
only if real usage asks for config completions. */}
<textarea
id="theme-config"
className={styles.configText}