RUSTLE/Development Plan ucxl Browser using Rust and Tauri.md

Here’s a detailed development plan for a Rust + Tauri-based UXCL Browser (uxcl-browser), focused on delivering a solid MVP and a clean long-term path. It covers architecture, scope, milestones, and concrete tasks you can hand to a small team.

Goals, scope, and success criteria MVP scope (first 12 weeks, adjustable): A Rust core that implements UCXL protocol interactions (parsing UCXL URIs, envelope operations like GET/PUT/POST/ANNOUNCE/DELETE, basic envelope history/store). A Tauri-based UI shell with a web frontend (React or Svelte) that talks to the Rust core via a secure IPC bridge. Core UI screens: Dashboard (overview), Envelope Viewer (JSON/details), Action Toolbar (GET/PUT/POST/ANNOUNCE/DELETE), and Logs/Console. Local storage for envelopes/history (in-memory with optional on-disk persistence for MVP). Linux-native look-and-feel with decent cross-distro packaging support (AppImage and Flatpak). Basic security posture: sandboxed UI, strict IPC surface, input validation, CSP. Non-goals for MVP: Cross-platform parity in visuals beyond Linux initially (Windows/macOS can come later). Advanced encryption or hardware security modules in MVP (focus on solid core and secure IPC first). Success metrics: Buildable AppImage/Flatpak artefacts for Pop!_OS within 12 weeks. Sub-1-second IPC latency for typical UCXL commands in a dev machine. Positive developer feedback on code structure and testability. Passes a basic security hygiene review (no untrusted code paths, input validation, minimal privileges). Reference architecture Core rust crate (uxcl-core) Responsibilities: UCXL URI parsing, envelope data models, envelope operations (GET/PUT/POST/ANNOUNCE/DELETE), in-memory envelope store, simple transport layer (mock or real UCXI interactions), async runtime. Public API example (high level): UCxlEnvelope, UCxlCommand (enum of GET/PUT/POST/ANNOUNCE/DELETE), UCxlResult Async functions: execute_command(cmd, params) -> Result<Response, UCxlError> EnvelopeStore trait with CRUD methods UI layer (Tauri app) Frontend: Single-page app (SPA) built with React or Svelte, TypeScript. IPC: Define a small, versioned set of commands sent from UI to Rust core, with strict input/output schemas (e.g., UiToCoreCommand and CoreToUiResponse). UI panels: Address bar for UCXL URIs Envelope list/history panel Envelope detail viewer (formatted JSON and raw) Action bar for GET/PUT/POST/ANNOUNCE/DELETE Logs panel Security: Tauri sandbox, content security policy, only permit necessary APIs; frontend code isolated from direct filesystem/network access. Data flow UI issues commands via IPC to uxcl-core Core performs the operation and responds with structured data UI renders results and appends to logs Packaging and deployment Linux-first packaging: AppImage and Flatpak (target Pop!_OS), with optional Debian packaging later CI builds for Linux, with artifact publishing Tech stack decisions Core: Rust (stable, safe, fast) Async runtime: Tokio (or async-std if you prefer; Tokio is more common and robust) Data formats: serde with serde_json for envelope payloads Networking/IO: reqwest or hyper for any local/remote UCXI endpoints Persistence: in-memory store initially; optional on-disk store via sled or a simple JSON store UI: Tauri with a React or Svelte frontend Web framework: React (with Vite) or SvelteKit Styling: CSS variables, lib/adwaita color tokens if you want a GNOME-like look Build and packaging Rust toolchain (rustup), cargo workspaces Tauri CLI for building the native app AppImage and Flatpak for Linux packaging Testing Unit tests in Rust for core logic Integration tests for IPC surface UI end-to-end tests (optional; can start with Playwright or Cypress in a later phase) Repository layout (starter) UXCL workspace uxcl-core/ (Rust library) Cargo.toml src/lib.rs (core API) src/envelope.rs (data models) src/store.rs (in-memory store) uxcl-tauri-app/ (Tauri project) src-tauri/Cargo.toml (backend integration) src-tauri/tauri.conf.json src/ (frontend assets built by Vite) uxcl-workspace Cargo.toml (workspace members) Simple example: uxcl-core = lib uxcl-tauri-app = bin (tauri app) that depends on uxcl-core MVP features by milestone (12–16 weeks plan) Milestone 1 — Foundation (weeks 1–2) Setup repository, CI pipeline, and coding standards Implement uxcl-core skeleton UCXL URI parsing scaffold Basic Envelope data model and in-memory store Async command handling scaffold Initialize uxcl-tauri-app with a minimal Tauri scaffold Establish IPC contract (UiToCoreCommand, CoreToUiResponse) Deliverables: Working monorepo skeleton Basic unit tests for core parsing and envelope data model Milestone 2 — Core functionality (weeks 3–5)

Implement core operations: GET, PUT, POST, ANNOUNCE, DELETE Wire up in-memory envelope store with simple persistence mock IPC: implement a sample command round-trip (UI sends GET, core returns envelope) Basic error handling and validation Deliverables: Core library with full command surface Basic IPC integration test README with API surface Milestone 3 — UI scaffolding and MVP UI (weeks 4–7)

Build out MVP UI screens Address bar, envelope list/history, envelope viewer, action toolbar, logs Integrate frontend with IPC Implement minimal UX flows for common tasks Add CSP and sandbox configuration Deliverables: Functional UI shell with IPC to core Wireframes and a simple UI kit Initial accessibility considerations (keyboard navigation, contrast) Milestone 4 — UX polish and security hardening (weeks 6–9)

Improve UI/UX: responsive layout, polishing, error messages Harden security: input validation, restricted IPC surface, secure defaults Add basic unit/integration tests for IPC layer Implement simple local persistence strategy (optional on-disk store) Deliverables: Hardened UI and IPC Documentation on security model and data flow Milestone 5 — Packaging, CI, and testing (weeks 9–12)

Set up Linux packaging: AppImage and Flatpak pipelines Implement end-to-end tests (UI or IPC-level tests) Add cargo-audit/clippy/rustfmt checks in CI Prepare release notes and developer onboarding docs Deliverables: Automated packaging artifacts for Linux CI that builds, tests, and packages on push Milestone 6 — MVP release candidate and feedback loop (weeks 12–16)

Polish features based on internal feedback Add simple user settings (storage location, log level) Prepare for beta testing, gather feedback, plan iterations Deliverables: Release candidate build for Linux Feedback channel and roadmap for next iteration UI/UX design approach Focus on clarity and minimalism: Consistent typography and spacing Clear status indicators for envelope operations Console/logs pane with filtering and search Screens concept Dashboard: quick overview of recent envelopes and status Envelopes: list with sortable columns (id, status, timestamp) Envelope detail: JSON viewer with pretty-print toggle; raw view Actions: clearly labeled GET/PUT/POST/ANNOUNCE/DELETE buttons with confirmations Logs: filterable and copyable logs Accessibility basics: keyboard navigation, ARIA roles, sufficient color contrast Testing strategy Unit tests (Rust core) Tests for URI parsing, envelope data validation, command execution Integration tests (IPC) End-to-end test that issues a command from UI to core and validates response UI tests (optional in early phase) Playwright or Cypress tests for core flows (optional for MVP) Security/testing hygiene Dependency audits (cargo audit) Validate inputs across UI and core Code signing plan in later stage Security and compliance Isolation: Tauri sandbox, minimal privileges for the frontend Data validation: strict validation on all UCXL inputs CSP: implement content security policy for the webview Dependency management: pin versions, CI scans for vulnerabilities Data at rest: plan for protecting stored envelopes (encryption later if needed) CI/CD and quality gates Linux-focused CI for MVP: Build and test Rust core Build Tauri app for Linux (AppImage/Flatpak) Run basic UI IPC tests Run cargo fmt, cargo clippy, cargo audit Automatic artifact creation: Generate AppImage and Flatpak manifests Publish artifacts to a suitable artifact store or GitHub Releases Packaging and release plan Target Pop!_OS (and Ubuntu derivatives) for MVP Primary packaging formats: AppImage, Flatpak Deb packaging can follow if needed; ensure runtime dependencies are available Release notes focusing on MVP capabilities and how to test locally Risks and mitigations Risk: UCXL core complexity grows beyond simple in-memory store Mitigation: design core with clean interfaces and allow swapping in a database or mock UCXI transport later Risk: UI/IPC surface grows too large Mitigation: lock scope to essential MVP commands; add additional commands only when needed Risk: Linux packaging headaches Mitigation: rely on established tooling (Tauri bundling, Flatpak) and keep packaging logic modular Risk: Security validation gaps Mitigation: implement strict input validation, CSP, sandboxed UI, code reviews focused on IPC Roles and responsibilities (small team) Product/UX Lead: define UX flow, wireframes, and acceptance criteria Rust Core Developer: implement ucxl-core, data models, IPC surface, tests Frontend Developer: build SPA, integrate with IPC, ensure good UX DevOps/CI Engineer: set up CI, packaging pipelines, automated tests QA/Security Reviewer: review security posture, run basic tests, ensure compliance Next steps (immediate actions) Create the monorepo structure with uxcl-core and uxcl-tauri-app Set up initial CI workflow (Linux build and tests) Create a minimal UCXL core with URI parsing and a simple envelope struct Generate the Tauri app scaffold and wire it to call a sample core function Define the IPC contract: UiToCoreCommand, CoreToUiResponse, with a couple of initial commands (e.g., GET envelope) Prepare wireframes and design tokens for the UI