Prototype

UX Prototype Screen Switcher

Manages reusable prototype infrastructure that adds a screen switcher dropdown to the Podman Desktop window titlebar. Each prototype defines named screens with typed override data and optional timed phase transitions.

When invoked

Determine what the user needs:

1. Set up - install the infrastructure files and help wire a new prototype
2. Tear down - remove the infrastructure after a prototype ships

Set up

Step 1 - Install infrastructure files

Check whether these files already exist. If they do, skip to Step 2.

1. Create the store at packages/renderer/src/stores/prototype.ts Copy the contents from references/prototype-store.ts (in this skill's directory).

2. Create the selector at packages/renderer/src/lib/ui/PrototypeSelector.svelte Copy the contents from references/PrototypeSelector.svelte (in this skill's directory).

3. Patch TitleBar at packages/renderer/src/lib/ui/TitleBar.svelte

   • Add import: import PrototypeSelector from './PrototypeSelector.svelte'; (place it alphabetically among the relative imports, after any /@/ imports)
   • In the <!-- right --> section, add items-center to the div's classes (skip if the class is already present)
   • Add <PrototypeSelector /> as the first child of that div, before WindowControlButtons

   The right section should look like:

   <!-- right -->
   <div class="flex flex-row grow justify-end items-center">
     <PrototypeSelector />
     {#if platform !== 'darwin'}
       <WindowControlButtons platform={platform} />
     {/if}
   </div>
   

Step 2 - Wire the prototype

Ask the user for:

• Prototype name - short title shown in the titlebar (e.g. "Badge visibility")
• Screens - list of named states to switch between
• Override shape - what data each screen provides to the consuming component
• Timelines (optional) - which screens have timed phase transitions

Then create the registration in the appropriate component. Pattern:

import { onDestroy } from 'svelte';

import { registerPrototype, unregisterPrototype } from '/@/stores/prototype';

interface MyOverride {
  // the user's override shape
}

const override = registerPrototype<MyOverride>({
  name: 'Prototype name here',
  screens: [
    { value: 'idle', label: 'Idle state' },
    { value: 'active', label: 'Active state' },
  ],
  overrides: {
    idle: {
      /* ... */
    },
    active: {
      /* ... */
    },
  },
});

onDestroy(unregisterPrototype);

To consume the override reactively in the component:

let currentState: MyOverride | undefined;
const unsubscribe = override.subscribe(value => {
  currentState = value;
});
onDestroy(unsubscribe);

Phase transitions

For screens that should auto-advance through phases on a timer, add timelines and phase-keyed overrides using the screenValue:phaseNumber convention:

registerPrototype({
  // ...
  overrides: {
    animated: { status: 'starting' }, // phase 0 (default)
    'animated:1': { status: 'running' }, // phase 1 (after 3s)
    'animated:2': { status: 'complete' }, // phase 2 (after 8s)
  },
  timelines: {
    animated: [
      { delay: 3000, phase: 1 },
      { delay: 8000, phase: 2 },
    ],
  },
});

Step 3 - Verify

1. Run pnpm typecheck:renderer - should pass with 0 errors
2. Run pnpm lint:check - no new errors in the changed files
3. Run pnpm watch - confirm the titlebar shows the selector when the prototype is registered

Tear down

When a prototype has shipped as a real feature and the switcher is no longer needed:

1. Remove registerPrototype() / unregisterPrototype() calls from the prototype's component(s)

2. Remove the prototype's override interface and config object

3. Check if any other prototype still uses the infrastructure:

   grep -r "registerPrototype\|unregisterPrototype" packages/renderer/src/ --include="*.ts" --include="*.svelte"
   

4. If no other prototype uses it, remove the infrastructure:

   • Delete packages/renderer/src/stores/prototype.ts
   • Delete packages/renderer/src/lib/ui/PrototypeSelector.svelte
   • Revert packages/renderer/src/lib/ui/TitleBar.svelte:
     • Remove the PrototypeSelector import
     • Remove <PrototypeSelector /> from the right section
     • Remove items-center from the right section div

5. Verify clean removal:

   grep -r "prototype" packages/renderer/src/stores/ --include="*.ts"
   grep -r "PrototypeSelector" packages/renderer/src/ --include="*.svelte"
   grep -r "registerPrototype\|unregisterPrototype" packages/renderer/src/
   

   All three should return zero results.

Branch hygiene

The infrastructure files (prototype.ts, PrototypeSelector.svelte) and TitleBar patch live in real production paths. They should only be committed to a prototype feature branch, never to main. When the prototype work is done:

• If the files were committed: use tear-down above, then commit the removals.
• If the files were never committed: git checkout -- <path> or delete from the working tree before opening a PR.