InsForge Dev Dashboard

Use this skill for dashboard work in the InsForge repository.

Scope

• packages/dashboard/src/**
• packages/dashboard/package.json
• packages/dashboard/README.md
• packages/dashboard/*.config.*
• frontend/src/**
• frontend/package.json

Working Rules

1. Respect the shared-package versus host-app boundary.

   • This dashboard is built with React and TypeScript.
   • packages/dashboard/ is the source of truth for the dashboard product.
   • The package must support both self-hosting and cloud-hosting modes.
   • Keep self-hosting-only bootstrap, local env defaults, and shell styling in frontend/.
   • Do not let packages/dashboard/ depend on frontend/.
   • If both modes need a capability, define it in the package API first.

2. Preserve dashboard data-flow conventions.

   • Follow the flow service -> hook -> UI.
   • Use apiClient for HTTP calls so auth refresh and error handling stay consistent.
   • Put request logic in services, data fetching and mutation state in hooks, and rendering/orchestration in UI components and pages.
   • Reuse existing contexts, host abstractions, and hooks before creating new global state.

3. Reuse the existing component layers.

   • Use @insforge/ui for generic primitives.
   • Use shared dashboard components when the pattern is already present.
   • Keep reusable dashboard UI in packages/dashboard/.
   • Only add UI to frontend/ when it is specific to the local self-hosting shell.
   • Keep package styles scoped to the dashboard container.

4. Keep the package surface aligned with shared contracts.

   • Import cross-package types and Zod-derived shapes from @insforge/shared-schemas.
   • When backend payloads change, update the related services, hooks, UI, and exported types together.
   • Keep packages/dashboard/src/index.ts and packages/dashboard/src/types aligned with the public package API.
   • Never use the TypeScript any type. Prefer precise prop, state, API, and hook result types.

Frontend Testing

Use the lowest test layer that covers the risk. Add one focused regression test for bug fixes when practical.

Conventions:

• npm --workspace @insforge/dashboard run test runs the full Vitest suite: unit plus component.
• GitHub Actions splits dashboard checks into unit, component, and UI jobs in .github/workflows/frontend-tests.yml. Update the workflow when adding or renaming test scripts.
• Unit tests should avoid React rendering and network mocking. Test data transformations directly.
• Component tests use Testing Library with packages/dashboard/src/test/setup.ts. Mock hooks, services, and host context at the package boundary; assert user-visible behavior and callback effects, not implementation details or CSS class strings.
• UI smoke tests use Playwright against the local frontend/ shell. Mock backend API routes in packages/dashboard/tests/ui/fixtures/; every mocked route must either fulfill, fallback, or abort. Do not leave requests pending after a test branch.
• Prefer one clear test per user-observable behavior over broad snapshot tests. Avoid brittle assertions tied to copy that is not part of the behavior being protected.

Local debug: viewing cloud-hosting-only UI in self-hosting

Use when previewing UI gated on useIsCloudHostingMode(), isInsForgeCloudProject(), or a PostHog feature flag (e.g. the CTest dashboard variant, dashboard-v3-experiment === 'c_test', the CLI connect panel) while running the local frontend/ self-hosting shell.

The lowest-friction approach is to temporarily hardcode the three gates below to true/the new branch, then restart the Vite dev server. These edits bypass real host/project detection and MUST be fully reverted before committing — landing them breaks both self-hosting and cloud-hosting users.

Hardcodes

1. packages/dashboard/src/lib/config/DashboardHostContext.tsx — useIsCloudHostingMode() → return true; (was useDashboardHost().mode === 'cloud-hosting').
2. packages/dashboard/src/lib/utils/utils.ts — isInsForgeCloudProject() → return true; (was the .insforge.app hostname check).
3. If the UI is also feature-flag-gated, hardcode the consumer. For CTest: AppRoutes.tsx → const DashboardHomePage = CTestDashboardPage; and, if relevant, the matching branch in AppLayout.tsx for <ConnectDialogV2>.

Mark every hardcode with a trailing // LOCAL DEBUG: <original expression> comment so revert is a mechanical search.

Revert checklist — run all before committing

1. git grep -n "LOCAL DEBUG" packages/dashboard/src/ returns zero matches.
2. Each gate is restored to its original expression, not just an equivalent value (the mode === 'cloud-hosting' comparison, the hostname check, the getFeatureFlag(...) call must all be back).
3. Any imports deleted during debug (commonly DashboardPage, getFeatureFlag, ConnectDialog) are restored.
4. cd packages/dashboard && npm run lint && npm run typecheck both pass.
5. git diff of the four files above shows only intended changes — no return true;, no missing imports.

Rationalizations to reject

Locale / language preference

The dashboard has a language preference layer (selector + cloud sync) and bundled react-i18next translations for the chrome, overview page, and Backend Advisor (lib/i18n/, namespace chrome). Feature pages beyond those are still English — extend the same namespace as they get translated.

• lib/contexts/LocaleContext.tsx — LocaleProvider / useLocale / SUPPORTED_LOCALES / normalizeLocale. Resolution order: cloud account preference → insforge-locale localStorage → navigator.language → en. Mirrors the ThemeContext pattern.
• components/LanguageSelect.tsx — endonym-labelled selector; rendered in AppHeader (self-host) and the AppSidebar bottom in cloud-hosting mode (the header is hidden inside the iframe).
• Cloud sync contract (@insforge/shared-schemas cloud-events): parent → child USER_INFO carries optional preferredLocale; child → parent UPDATE_PREFERRED_LOCALE { locale } is fire-and-forget and the shell persists it to users.preferred_locale via the profile API (plumbed through the onUpdatePreferredLocale host prop).
• Version-skew tolerance is a contract: old shells ignore unknown message types; old dashboards ignore extra USER_INFO fields. Never make either side require the locale fields.
• Adding a language: extend SUPPORTED_LOCALES + LOCALE_LABELS, and keep the list aligned with the cloud marketing site's src/i18n/routing.ts (insforge-cloud repo) or the account preference will name a locale one surface can't render. Route locale-ish input through normalizeLocale.
• Self-host mode must work with zero cloud callbacks (localStorage only); extend lib/contexts/__tests__/LocaleContext.test.tsx when touching this.
• Every key added to lib/i18n/locales/en.json must exist in all four locale files — lib/i18n/__tests__/localeParity.test.ts fails CI otherwise (plural suffixes normalized; zh carries only _other).
• Never translate user-generated names (tables, buckets) — only static ids. See the note in components/FeatureSidebar.tsx.

Validation

• cd packages/dashboard && npm run test:unit when changing pure helpers or reducers
• cd packages/dashboard && npm run test:component when changing React component behavior
• cd packages/dashboard && npm run test:ui when changing routing, auth, host-mode integration, or browser-only behavior
• cd packages/dashboard && npm run typecheck
• cd packages/dashboard && npm run build
• cd frontend && npm run build when the local self-hosting shell changes

For shared contract changes, also validate packages/shared-schemas/ and the affected backend surface.