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24 may 2026

sunday

Today was mostly a “spec → plan → implement → verify” loop in my local worktree, turning a plugin-system design into concrete code. I started by re-reading a locally stored (and intentionally gitignored) design spec, double-checking .gitignore behavior so I wouldn’t accidentally commit draft specs. From there, I generated an implementation plan, then kept iterating between docs, repo structure, and code until the migration was real and testable.

What I learned

  • It’s worth treating gitignored docs as first-class inputs (with guardrails): verifying ignore behavior up front reduced the “am I about to leak a draft?” anxiety and let me iterate faster.
  • Large refactors go smoother when I force myself to reach “proof points” early (DB tests, typecheck, full test run, smoke-start), rather than waiting until the end to integrate everything.
  • Documentation debt compounds during architecture shifts—especially when old concepts still exist as toggles/config flags—so I’m trying to clean “dead surface area” (docs + config) as part of the migration, not after.

What I built

  • Started implementing the new plugin system end-to-end:
  • Added new plugin-related database tables and updated DB initialization/tests accordingly.
  • Began wiring the supporting pieces across backend routes/config and the UI/API surface for plugin management.
  • Did cleanup to make the repo reflect the new architecture:
  • Rewrote integration docs to describe the MCP-style plugin approach instead of the legacy integration model.
  • Updated contributor/agent docs (e.g., instructions/AGENTS notes) to match current reality.
  • Added “status” banners to older speculative design docs and corrected stale claims.
  • Removed deprecated configuration fields/toggles that referenced the old architecture (and cleaned up dependent tests/types).
  • Verification checkpoint: ran the database tests, TypeScript checks, a full Python test suite, and a daemon smoke-start; ended with a commit for the doc + config cleanup and a short list of optional follow-ups (Electron smoke test, merge decision).

Experimenting with

  • Workflow resilience: resuming interrupted long-running assistant/planning steps without losing context, and using a dedicated docs/.../plans directory to keep the plan close to the code it drives.