hristudio/docs/work_in_progress.md

Work in Progress

Recent Changes Summary (December 2024)

Plugin System Implementation

Plugin Management System

Complete plugin system for robot platform integration with study-specific installations.

Core Features:

• Plugin browsing and installation interface
• Repository management for administrators
• Study-scoped plugin installations
• Trust levels (official, verified, community)
• Plugin action definitions for experiment integration

Files Created:

• src/app/(dashboard)/plugins/ - Plugin pages and routing
• src/components/plugins/ - Plugin UI components
• src/components/admin/repositories-* - Repository management
• Extended src/server/api/routers/admin.ts with repository CRUD
• Added pluginRepositories table to database schema

Database Schema:

• plugins table with robot integration metadata
• studyPlugins table for study-specific installations
• pluginRepositories table for admin-managed sources

Navigation Integration:

• Added "Plugins" to sidebar navigation (study-scoped)
• Admin repository management in administration section
• Proper breadcrumbs and page headers following system patterns

Technical Implementation:

• tRPC routes for plugin CRUD operations
• Type-safe API with proper error handling
• Follows EntityForm/DataTable unified patterns
• Integration with existing study context system

---

Admin Page Redesign

System Administration Interface

Complete redesign of admin page to match HRIStudio design patterns.

Layout Changes:

• Before: Custom gradient layout with complex grid
• After: Standard PageHeader + card-based sections
• System overview cards with metrics
• Recent activity feed
• Service status monitoring
• Quick action grid for admin tools

Components Used:

• PageHeader with Shield icon and administrator badge
• Card-based layout for all sections
• Consistent typography and spacing
• Status badges and icons throughout

---

Complete Experiment Designer Redesign

Background

The experiment designer was completely redesigned to integrate seamlessly with the HRIStudio application's existing design system and component patterns. The original designer felt out of place and used inconsistent styling.

Key Changes Made

1. Layout System Overhaul

• Before: Custom resizable panels with full-page layout
• After: Standard PageHeader + Card-based grid system
• Components Used:
  • PageHeader with title, description, and action buttons
  • Card, CardHeader, CardTitle, CardContent for all sections
  • 12-column grid layout (3-6-3 distribution)

2. Visual Integration

• Header: Now uses unified PageHeader component with proper actions
• Action Buttons: Replaced custom buttons with ActionButton components
• Status Indicators: Badges integrated into header actions area
• Icons: Each card section has relevant icons (Palette, Play, Settings)

3. Component Consistency

• Height Standards: All inputs use h-8 sizing to match system
• Spacing: Uses standard space-y-6 and consistent card padding
• Typography: Proper text hierarchy matching other pages
• Empty States: Compact and informative design

4. Technical Improvements

• Simplified Drag & Drop: Removed complex resizable panel logic
• Better Collision Detection: Updated for grid layout structure
• Function Order Fix: Resolved initialization errors with helper functions
• Clean Code: Removed unused imports, fixed TypeScript warnings

Code Structure Changes

Layout Before:

<DndContext>
  <div className="flex h-full flex-col">
    <div className="bg-card flex items-center justify-between border-b">
      {/* Custom header */}
    </div>
    <ResizablePanelGroup>
      <ResizablePanel>{/* Palette */}</ResizablePanel>
      <ResizablePanel>{/* Canvas */}</ResizablePanel>
      <ResizablePanel>{/* Properties */}</ResizablePanel>
    </ResizablePanelGroup>
  </div>
</DndContext>

Layout After:

<DndContext>
  <div className="space-y-6">
    <PageHeader 
      title={design.name}
      description="Design your experiment protocol using visual blocks"
      icon={Palette}
      actions={/* Save, Export, Badges */}
    />
    <div className="grid grid-cols-12 gap-6">
      <div className="col-span-3">
        <Card>{/* Block Library */}</Card>
      </div>
      <div className="col-span-6">
        <Card>{/* Experiment Flow */}</Card>
      </div>
      <div className="col-span-3">
        <Card>{/* Properties */}</Card>
      </div>
    </div>
  </div>
</DndContext>

Files Modified

• src/components/experiments/designer/EnhancedBlockDesigner.tsx - Complete redesign
• src/components/ui/data-table.tsx - Fixed control heights
• src/components/experiments/experiments-data-table.tsx - Fixed select styling
• src/components/participants/participants-data-table.tsx - Fixed select styling
• src/components/studies/studies-data-table.tsx - Fixed select styling
• src/components/trials/trials-data-table.tsx - Fixed select styling

---

Data Table Controls Standardization

Problem

Data table controls (search input, filter selects, columns dropdown) had inconsistent heights and styling, making the interface look unpolished.

Solution

• Search Input: Already had h-8 - ✅
• Filter Selects: Added h-8 to all SelectTrigger components
• Columns Dropdown: Already had proper Button styling - ✅

Tables Fixed

• Experiments data table
• Participants data table
• Studies data table (2 selects)
• Trials data table

---

System Theme Enhancements

Background

The overall system theme was too monochromatic with insufficient color personality.

Improvements Made

Color Palette Enhancement

• Primary Colors: More vibrant blue (oklch(0.55 0.08 240)) instead of grayscale
• Background Warmth: Added subtle warm undertones to light mode
• Sidebar Blue Tint: Maintained subtle blue character as requested
• Chart Colors: Proper color progression (blue → teal → green → yellow → orange)

Light Mode:

--primary: oklch(0.55 0.08 240);        /* Vibrant blue */
--background: oklch(0.98 0.005 60);     /* Warm off-white */
--card: oklch(0.995 0.001 60);          /* Subtle layering */
--muted: oklch(0.95 0.008 240);         /* Slight blue tint */

Dark Mode:

--primary: oklch(0.65 0.1 240);         /* Brighter blue */
--background: oklch(0.12 0.008 250);    /* Soft dark with blue undertone */
--card: oklch(0.18 0.008 250);          /* Proper contrast layers */
--muted: oklch(0.22 0.01 250);          /* Subtle blue-gray */

Results

• Much more personality and visual appeal
• Better color hierarchy and element distinction
• Professional appearance maintained
• Excellent accessibility and contrast maintained

---

Breadcrumb Navigation Fixes

Problems Identified

1. Study-scoped pages linking to wrong routes (missing context)
2. Form breadcrumbs linking to non-existent entities during creation
3. Inconsistent study context across different data tables

Solutions Implemented

Study Context Awareness

• ExperimentsDataTable: Dashboard → Studies → [Study Name] → Experiments
• ParticipantsDataTable: Dashboard → Studies → [Study Name] → Participants
• TrialsDataTable: Dashboard → Studies → [Study Name] → Trials

Form Breadcrumbs Fixed

• ExperimentForm: Uses study context when available, falls back to global
• ParticipantForm: Links to study-scoped participants when in study context
• TrialForm: Links to study-scoped trials when available

Smart Link Logic

• ✅ With href: Renders as clickable <BreadcrumbLink>
• ✅ Without href: Renders as non-clickable <BreadcrumbPage>
• ✅ Conditional availability: Only provides href when target exists

---

Technical Debt Cleanup

Block Designer Fixes

1. Nested Block Drag & Drop: Added proper SortableContext for child blocks
2. Collision Detection: Enhanced for better nested block handling
3. Helper Functions: Fixed initialization order (findBlockById, removeBlockFromStructure)
4. Background Colors: Matched page theme properly

Permission System

• Added Administrator Bypass: System admins can now edit any experiment
• Study Access Check: Enhanced to check both study membership and system roles

API Enhancement

• Visual Design Storage: Added visualDesign field to experiments update API
• Database Integration: Proper saving/loading of block designs

---

Current Status

Completed

• Complete experiment designer redesign with unified components
• All data table control styling standardized
• System theme enhanced with better colors
• Breadcrumb navigation completely fixed
• Technical debt resolved

Production Ready

• All TypeScript errors resolved
• Consistent styling throughout application
• Proper error handling and user feedback
• Excellent dark mode support
• Mobile/tablet friendly drag and drop

Improvements Achieved

• Visual Consistency: Complete - All components now use unified design system
• User Experience: Significant improvement in navigation and usability
• Code Quality: Clean, maintainable code with proper patterns
• Performance: Optimized drag and drop with better collision detection
• Accessibility: WCAG 2.1 AA compliance maintained throughout

---

Documentation Status

All changes have been documented and the codebase is ready for production deployment. The experiment designer now feels like a natural, integrated part of the HRIStudio platform while maintaining all its powerful functionality.