5.8 KiB
id, type, title, domain, repo, status, owner, topic_slug, planning_priority, planning_order, created, updated
| id | type | title | domain | repo | status | owner | topic_slug | planning_priority | planning_order | created | updated |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| RAIL-FAB-WP-0009 | workplan | Graph Explorer UI Refinement | railiance | railiance-fabric | active | codex | railiance | high | 9 | 2026-05-18 | 2026-05-18 |
RAIL-FAB-WP-0009 - Graph Explorer UI Refinement
Goal
Refine the interactive Fabric graph explorer user interface before extracting
it into a shared graph-explorer-engine repository. The shell is still local
to railiance-fabric, so this is the right moment to improve the interaction
model, visual hierarchy, orientation workflows, and large-graph ergonomics
while the engine boundary is still flexible.
This workplan intentionally comes before extraction. The goal is to learn from using the Fabric map against the current local registry, then turn the refined UI into a stronger reusable engine candidate.
Design Direction
The explorer should feel like an operational map, not a demo page. It should make the registered infrastructure legible at a glance, then let a user narrow into services, interfaces, dependencies, onboarding gaps, and saved operational views without losing context.
Refinement should focus on:
- a calmer, denser toolbar that still exposes the important controls
- clearer information architecture for the graph, selection details, orientation hints, saved views, and hidden elements
- map-first behavior where the graph remains the dominant surface
- useful empty, loading, and error states
- visual encodings that make repo/service/interface/dependency/binding layers distinguishable without becoming noisy
- better onboarding-gap and unresolved-dependency workflows
- URL and browser-local saved views that are understandable to a human user
- responsive behavior that remains usable on laptop and narrow screens
- keyboard, focus, contrast, and screen-reader basics
- explicit seams for a later repo-scoping adapter and shared engine extraction
Extraction Guardrail
Do not extract during this workplan. Extraction should wait until:
- the Fabric UI refinement has produced a clearer shell contract
- the repo-scoping adapter parity work has proven a second real host
- any UI assumptions that are Fabric-specific have been moved behind manifest fields, payload metadata, or host-provided mode definitions
Tasks
T01 - Baseline UI Review
id: RAIL-FAB-WP-0009-T01
status: in_progress
priority: high
Run the current graph explorer against the local registry and capture concrete UI friction before changing the implementation.
Acceptance notes:
- Start the local registry and open
/ui/graph-explorer. - Review desktop and narrow viewport behavior.
- Exercise search, filters, mode switching, selection, focus, manual overrides, saved views, copied state URLs, and reset behavior.
- Capture a concise refinement backlog in repo docs or the workplan.
- Identify which issues block real use and which can wait for extraction.
T02 - Layout And Information Architecture
id: RAIL-FAB-WP-0009-T02
status: todo
priority: high
Refine the toolbar, side panel, detail sections, saved-view controls, legend, hidden-summary surface, and orientation hints so the graph remains central and the controls are easier to scan.
Acceptance notes:
- Reduce visual clutter in the toolbar without hiding core workflows.
- Give selection details, orientation workflows, saved views, and legend predictable places.
- Make hidden/blurred overrides and active filters easy to understand.
- Keep the first screen as the working map, not documentation.
T03 - Visual Encoding And Graph Readability
id: RAIL-FAB-WP-0009-T03
status: todo
priority: high
Improve graph readability through better layer styling, labels, edge treatment, selection affordances, unresolved/onboarding markers, and layout defaults.
Acceptance notes:
- Layer colors are distinguishable and not dominated by one hue family.
- Node and edge labels do not overwhelm dense views.
- Selected, hovered, hidden, blurred, unresolved, and registered-only states are visually distinct.
- Default layout gives a useful first impression with the current registry data.
T04 - Orientation Workflow Polish
id: RAIL-FAB-WP-0009-T04
status: todo
priority: medium
Make the Fabric-specific orientation workflows easier to use for service dependencies, interface consumers, onboarding gaps, unresolved dependencies, and saved operational contexts.
Acceptance notes:
- Selecting a service shows a readable dependency/provider chain.
- Selecting an interface shows consumers and impact context.
- Registered-only repos are visible as actionable onboarding gaps.
- Saved local views have understandable names, status, and sharing behavior.
T05 - Accessibility, Responsiveness, And Failure States
id: RAIL-FAB-WP-0009-T05
status: todo
priority: medium
Harden the graph explorer UI for basic accessibility, responsive use, and failure handling before it becomes a candidate shared engine.
Acceptance notes:
- Controls have useful labels, focus order, and keyboard-accessible behavior.
- Text fits on narrow and desktop viewports.
- Loading, empty graph, fetch failure, and missing Cytoscape states are understandable.
- Tests cover the static UI wiring for new states and controls.
T06 - Repo-Scoping Adapter Readiness Review
id: RAIL-FAB-WP-0009-T06
status: todo
priority: medium
Review the refined UI against the repo-scoping parity checklist before creating the adapter workplan.
Acceptance notes:
- Identify remaining Fabric-specific assumptions in the UI shell.
- Confirm which controls should be manifest-driven before extraction.
- Update
docs/graph-explorer-operations.mdor contract docs with any refined engine boundary. - Recommend whether the next workplan should be repo-scoping adapter parity or one more Fabric-side UI hardening pass.