# PLAN.md — ReaSampler milestone roadmap Living milestone roadmap for ReaSampler. Derived from CONTEXT.md's 11-step build order; CONTEXT.md remains the authoritative spec — this file is the tickable checklist, not a re-statement of the spec. When a point lands, doc-keeper removes it here and appends it to `COMPLETED.md`. **Conventions** - One checkbox `- [ ]` = one discrete, independently-landable point. - Each milestone opens with a **Goal** (one line) and a **Verify** criterion (the acceptance gate; precision invariants pulled in where one applies). - Verify-in-DAW points require a manual REAPER run; pure points are gated by CTest. - "See CONTEXT.md §…" points at the authoritative detail — do not duplicate it here. --- ## Milestone 9 — slots (MPC-style) > **Explicitly deferred (Daniel, 2026-07-26) — not silently dropped. Can be picked > up later if wanted.** An extra, not scheduled work. **Goal:** "Capture to slot N" / "insert slot N", MIDI-bindable. CONTEXT.md Build order 9. **Verify (in DAW):** Slot capture and slot insert fire from MIDI bindings; slot state persists via the index. - [ ] Slot model + slot↔sample assignment. - [ ] "Capture to slot N" / "insert slot N" actions, MIDI-bindable. ## Open questions to resolve during build Carried from CONTEXT.md §Open questions — keep visible until each is closed by a landed milestone. - **`parseInt` narrowing hardening:** `src/bank_model.cpp` `parseInt` casts `int64_t → int` via `static_cast` without a range check; integers that fit in int64 but exceed `INT_MAX` are implementation-defined. Hardening candidate — add bounds check before the cast when integer-field validation is in scope. - **Capture send/routing isolation (TODO):** The FX-scope capture neutralizes out-of-scope FX, gain, and pan — but NOT aux **sends**. So a downstream coloring send (e.g. a folder → reverb-track send) still routes and blends the reverb into an item/track capture, past the intended isolation point. A true item-level capture should be taken at the isolated graph point — the target scope's output before out-of-scope track FX/gain/pan **and** before out-of-scope aux/parallel sends. The hard part: distinguish **source routing that must be preserved** (e.g. a MIDI send T1→T2 where T2's synth is where a MIDI item's audio is actually produced — the "item level" for that MIDI item is T2's synth output) from **coloring sends that must be excluded** (folder→reverb). Repro: folder F1; T1 (MIDI) sends MIDI to T2 (synth); T1+T2 → F1; F1 sends to reverb T3; capturing the MIDI item on T1 currently includes the reverb, should be isolated to T2's synth output pre-F1 with the MIDI send preserved and the reverb send excluded. Likely approach: snapshot + mute out-of-scope tracks' aux sends during the render while preserving the main/source signal path — needs a rule for which sends are load-bearing. --- # Phase D2 — Two-canvas (item-level mode projection; additive to D1) > **Design View sub-phase.** Extends D1's track-level mode projection to **item > level** via REAPER 7 fixed lanes: on a track present in both stances, each mode > owns a fixed lane — the active mode's lane shows and plays, the inactive mode's is > hidden and silenced — so a Design take and an Arrange take can share the same > track and time position without colliding on the view. Nothing in D1 changes. > Runtime floor rises to **REAPER 7** for this sub-phase (no version-gate branch; > below v7 it is simply unavailable). Authoritative spec: **CONTEXT.md §Two-canvas > sub-phase (Phase D2 / Phase E)** and the surrounding §Design View — additive phase > spec. Product framing: `docs/product/design-view.md` §Two-canvas direction. When a > point lands, doc-keeper moves it to `COMPLETED.md`. > > **D2-W1 (pure lane extension), D2-W2 (shell: lane application + new-content > detection), D2-W3-A (lane minting + item→lane assignment + persist round-trip), > and D2-W3-B (item-level mode actions + W3-A polish) have all landed** — see > `COMPLETED.md`. **Phase D2 is functionally complete.** > > **Deferred:** panel UI indicator for per-track lane/mode state (a per-track > lane-split marker). The mode switch already shows the active mode; no natural > cheap home for a per-track indicator was found in the bank panel. Explicitly > deferred — not silently dropped. Can be picked up later if wanted. --- # Phase S — MIDI-playback instrument (native VST3 sampler; a second build artifact) > **New pillar, own lettered namespace, and — uniquely — a second build artifact.** > Every prior phase ships inside the one `reaper_reasampler` extension binary; Phase > S does not. A REAPER extension *cannot* be a MIDI-triggered instrument (it is not a > node in any track's signal chain), so the instrument is a **separate native VST3 > plugin** the user instantiates on an instrument track, reading ReaSampler's banks > and playing them MIDI-triggered. Namespaced **`S` (Sampler)** rather than "D" > (Daniel's call — "D" collides with Design View). Authoritative spec: **CONTEXT.md > §MIDI-playback instrument — additive phase spec (Phase S)**. Product framing + > the settled decision record (D1/D5/D6 locked, D-A..D-D settled 2026-07-26): > `docs/product/midi-playback.md`. When a point lands, doc-keeper moves it to > `COMPLETED.md`. > > **Locked (see `docs/product/midi-playback.md` §4):** D1 native VST3 (not JSFX); > D5 Windows-only / VST3-only / REAPER-only; D6 two products, tightly integrated via > the VST-host bridge (live `"reasampler"` ext-state, project-aware). **Settled forks > (2026-07-26):** D-A bare Steinberg VST3 SDK + LICE editor (no JUCE); D-B split seam > with root-note + loop-points added to `Sample` *now*; D-C Tier 0–1 committed (Tier 2 > held, Tier 3 optional-forever); D-D embedded TCP/MCP UI **scheduled** as a later > in-phase point (after the main editor exists). > > **Second build artifact (load-bearing, flagged up front):** Phase S produces a > *separate* VST3 binary alongside `reaper_reasampler`. The Steinberg VST3 SDK is a > **new vendored dependency** (vendor at the spike — an implementation-time > prerequisite, not done here), and CMake grows a second target with Windows VST3 > module-export/bundle wiring. Both are established by S1 so nothing downstream leans > on an unbuilt target. ## S1 — opening spike: VST3 skeleton + `IPlugView`↔LICE bridge (proof + second target) **Goal:** Stand up the second build artifact and prove the two least-trodden unknowns before the engine build leans on them: (1) a silent-but-loading VST3 `SingleComponentEffect` skeleton that REAPER hosts, and (2) an `IPlugView` that hosts a LICE-drawn surface. Converts §1a's experienced-estimates (Windows module-export names, factory-macro spellings, exact bridge marshalling) into verified fact. CONTEXT.md §Phase S (build shape, module architecture, API surface). **Prerequisite (implementation-time):** vendor the Steinberg VST3 SDK (a new submodule/dependency alongside `reaper-sdk` / `WDL`); confirm whether VSTGUI is bundled (moot for D-A but resolves the noted fallback rung). **Verify (in DAW):** the VST3 skeleton loads in REAPER on an instrument track, enumerates via `GetPluginFactory`, sets up an event-in + audio-out bus, and runs an empty `process` without error; an `IPlugView` opens and draws a LICE surface with a working hit-test; the VST-host bridge resolves `GetProjExtState` by name and reads a known `"reasampler"` value. Nothing plays yet — this is the loading/drawing/bridge proof. - [ ] CMake second target: a separate VST3 module artifact built alongside `reaper_reasampler` (Windows VST3 export/bundle wiring; `GetPluginFactory` + `InitDll`/`ExitDll` — **verify exact export names against the vendored SDK**). - [ ] `SingleComponentEffect` skeleton: factory + class registration, `initialize` declaring an event-input bus + an audio-output bus (no audio input), `setupProcessing`, `setActive`, empty `process`. Loads silently in REAPER. - [ ] `IPlugView`↔LICE bridge spike: open a plugin editor window hosting a LICE-drawn surface (window creation/sizing, host→draw/hit-test event routing), reusing the `bank_panel` LICE/SWELL competence. **The decision's one real unknown — prove it here.** (VSTGUI is the noted fallback only if this proves gnarlier than the panel work suggests.) - [ ] Bridge read spike: resolve `GetProjExtState`/`EnumProjExtState` by name over the host callback (`hostcb` opcode `0xdeadf00d`), fetch host project context (`0xdeadf00e`), and read a known `"reasampler"` ext-state value. **Verify opcodes + marshalling against `reaper_plugin.h` / `video_processor.h` / `reaper_plugin_functions.h`.** ## S2 — `Sample` intrinsic fields (root note + loop points; in the *extension*) **Goal:** Add the two bank-intrinsic seam fields to `Sample` — **root note** (MIDI note the sample was recorded at; distinct from the existing optional *musical key*) and **loop points** (sustain-loop start/end, sample-accurate, zero-crossing-aware) — as an additive field extension with JSON round-trip, populated at/after capture. This touches the **extension** codebase, is independently shippable, and lands early to close the backfill cliff before the instrument consumes the fields. CONTEXT.md §Phase S (seam fields, D-B). **Same additive shape as `provenance` (M1).** **Verify:** CTest green. Round-trip lossless across the new fields; pre-existing samples (no root note / loop points) deserialize with clean defaults (no loss, no migration break); capture populates root note where derivable and loop points where set; relative-paths-only unaffected; `BankIndex` behavior unchanged (purely additive). **Depends on:** nothing in Phase S (extension-only; can land before or in parallel with S1). - [ ] Add `rootNote` (optional MIDI note) + `loopStart`/`loopEnd` (optional sample-accurate loop points) to `Sample`; JSON serialize/deserialize with clean defaults for samples lacking them (additive, backward-compatible — mirror of how `provenance` was added). - [ ] Populate the fields on capture where derivable (root note) / settable (loop points); leave them cleanly empty otherwise. No existing `Sample` field changes. - [ ] Tests: full round-trip lossless including the new fields; a legacy `Sample` JSON (no new fields) parses with defaults and re-serializes without loss; additive invariant (no change to existing fields, dedup, tier, or `BankIndex` behavior). ## S3 — pure sampler core (voice engine / envelope / keymap / repitch) **Goal:** The REAPER-free **and** VST3-free sampler core — voice allocation/polyphony, amplitude envelope (ADSR), key→sample and velocity→sample mapping (the keymap), repitch/interpolation from root note, keymap resolution — unit-tested in CTest against known signals. **The heart of the phase (D3); the mirror of `bank_model`/`peaks`/`view_mode_model`/`bank_book`; test it hard.** The core is invariant under the build-shape choice — no VST3 or REAPER type at its boundary. CONTEXT.md §Phase S (pure core, module architecture). **Verify:** CTest green. Voice allocation is correct under polyphony (note-on/off, voice stealing where bounded); ADSR shape asserted against a known signal (mirror of `peaks`); repitch from root note produces the expected pitch ratio; keymap resolution maps a (note, velocity) to the correct sample/zone; the core takes and returns only plain data (no VST3/REAPER types) — enforced by the test target linking neither SDK. **Depends on:** S2 (consumes `rootNote` / loop points as core inputs). - [ ] Voice engine: polyphonic voice allocation (note-on/off, bounded voice stealing), per-voice state, mono-and-basic-polyphony sufficient for Tier 0. - [ ] Amplitude envelope (ADSR) math — asserted against a known signal. - [ ] Repitch/interpolation from root note (chromatic pitch ratio across the keyboard); loop-point-aware sustain for held notes. - [ ] Keymap model + resolution: key ranges/zones (Tier-1 shape) and the (note, velocity) → sample/zone query; Tier-0 chromatic-from-single-root as the degenerate case. - [ ] Tests: voice allocation under polyphony + stealing; ADSR envelope shape; repitch pitch-ratio correctness; keymap resolution (single-root chromatic + zoned); core boundary is plain-data-only (no VST3/REAPER types). ## S4 — Tier 0: "the bank plays" (single sample, chromatic) **Goal:** The honest MVP — one bank sample mapped chromatically across the keyboard from its root note, basic polyphony, a simple amp envelope, velocity→volume. Wire the S3 core into the S1 VST3 shell over the live-state seam (bridge-read bank + audio via the M4 project-relative path machinery). Editor deferrable behind a parameters-only default view. CONTEXT.md §Phase S (Tier 0, seams). **Delivers the core promise.** **Verify (in DAW):** on an instrument track, the VST3 plays a chosen bank sample MIDI-triggered, repitched chromatically from its root note, with basic polyphony, an amp envelope, and velocity→volume; it reads the live `"reasampler"` bank via the bridge and resolves the WAV audio the same project-relative way `persist` does; following the active project works; it never captures and never inserts into the arrange (read-only over the bank). **Depends on:** S1, S2, S3. - [ ] VST3 `process` marshalling: read MIDI note-on/off/velocity off the event bus, drive the S3 core, write per-voice audio to the output bus. - [ ] Live-state seam: read the bank index + selected sample's root note from `"reasampler"` ext-state via the bridge; resolve the WAV audio path the M4 project-relative way (shared convention with `persist`, not re-implemented). - [ ] Sample selection UI (minimal, in the `IPlugView` LICE editor or a parameters-only default view): choose which bank sample this instance plays. - [ ] Tier-0 playback: chromatic-from-root, basic polyphony, amp envelope, velocity→volume — plays in REAPER's routing/record/render path like any VSTi. ## S5 — Tier 1: "a keymap" (zoned multisamples, per-sample root notes) **Goal:** Multiple bank samples zoned across the keyboard (key ranges), each with its own root note — a captured *kit* (one-shots) or a *multisampled instrument* (same instrument sampled at several pitches) plays correctly. One sample per key-region. CONTEXT.md §Phase S (Tier 1). **Where the root-note + key-range seam fields earn their place.** **Verify (in DAW):** a keymap of several bank samples plays correctly zoned across the keyboard, each repitched from its own root note within its range; a captured kit and a multisampled instrument both play as expected; the keymap is authored in the instrument (performance map) while root notes come from the bank intrinsics (S2); editing the keymap does not touch the bank. **Depends on:** S4. - [ ] Keymap editor in the `IPlugView` LICE editor: assign bank samples to key ranges (low/high note per sample), each with its own root note (from S2 intrinsics, overridable in the performance map). - [ ] Tier-1 playback: zoned resolution — a note picks its zone's sample and repitches from that sample's root note; one sample per key-region. - [ ] Performance-map persistence: the keymap (zones, per-sample assignment) is the instrument's own state — held in the instrument (read/written over the live `"reasampler"` seam per D-B's data-ownership split), never written back as a bank intrinsic. ## S6 — embedded TCP/MCP UI (D-D — scheduled in-phase, after the editor) **Goal:** Render a compact keymap/level strip **inline in the track/mixer control panel** via `reaper_plugin_fx_embed.h` (`IReaperUIEmbedInterface`) — the same Cockos surface REAPER's own embedded FX use — so the instrument draws inline, not only in its own window. Composes with the S1/S5 LICE editor path (same LICE-class drawing). **Scheduled, not deferred (D-D settled 2026-07-26):** a real later point, sequenced last because it is polish over a Tier-0 need — but on the roadmap. CONTEXT.md §Phase S (embedded UI, D-D). **Verify (in DAW):** the instrument draws a compact inline strip in the TCP/MCP (not only its own editor window); the inline surface reflects and (where offered) edits the keymap/levels; the embed lifecycle is clean (open/close/resize); the same LICE drawing as the main editor is reused. **Depends on:** S5 (composes over the existing LICE editor). **Must-verify before build:** the `IReaperUIEmbedInterface` contract + embed message/lifecycle against `vendor/reaper-sdk/sdk/reaper_plugin_fx_embed.h`. - [ ] Implement `IReaperUIEmbedInterface` on the VST3; draw a compact keymap/level strip inline in the TCP/MCP using the same LICE surface as the editor. - [ ] Embed lifecycle (open/close/resize/hit-test inline) handled cleanly; reflects the live keymap/levels. ## Phase S — held and optional-forever (noted, not specified) - **Tier 2 — "expressive" (HELD).** Velocity layers, round-robin (anti-machine-gun), full ADSR, per-sample tuning/gain trim, sustain loops. The next depth increment once Tier 0–1 proves the instrument belongs — **its points are not drawn up here.** - **Tier 3 — "instrument polish" (optional-forever).** Filters, filter/pitch envelopes, LFOs, per-voice pan, choke groups, a modest FX slot. A direction to leave room for, never a commitment. ## Phase S — must-verify-before-build (carried from CONTEXT.md §Phase S) - **Steinberg VST3 SDK surface** — interface members, base-class overrides, factory-macro spellings, Windows module-export symbol names (`InitDll`/`ExitDll`/`GetPluginFactory`), and whether VSTGUI is bundled. Several are §1a experienced-estimates until S1 confirms them against the vendored SDK. - **VST-host bridge** — opcodes `0xdeadf00d` (resolve-by-name) / `0xdeadf00e` (host context) and the exact call marshalling, against `reaper_plugin.h` / `video_processor.h` / `reaper_plugin_functions.h`. - **`IReaperUIEmbedInterface`** — embed contract + message/lifecycle, against `reaper_plugin_fx_embed.h` (needed only at S6). --- # Phase L — Look-and-feel (system-wide visual design language) > **New pillar, own lettered namespace, taken up by a parallel team.** Phase L is the > whole-system look-and-feel effort: a shared LICE drawing kit and the surfaces that > adopt it, so ReaSampler and ReaSampler 9000 shed the flat "temple os" drawing for a > modern, sleek 2026 dark synth look. It answers Daniel's post-DAW-test verdict on the > instrument ("this looks like temple os… the VST is dogshit… scope it for the whole > system… does Cockos have a toolkit?"). Namespaced **`L` (Look-and-feel)** so it is > orthogonal to and ungated by the M/D/B/R/V/S pillars — a parallel team owns it while > Phase S feature work proceeds independently. Authoritative spec: **CONTEXT.md §Phase L > — visual design language (design-system spec)**. Product framing, the settled decision > record (DS-1/DS-2/DS-3 all SETTLED 2026-07-26), palette, and the three visual > directions: `docs/product/visual-design-language.md`. When a point lands, doc-keeper > moves it to `COMPLETED.md`. > > **L1 (shared LICE drawing kit — the foundation) and L2 (dock-panel layout redesign) > have landed** — `theme`/palette module, `component_geometry` geometry/hit-test helpers, > `draw_kit` shell, GDI `DrawText` retirement in `bank_panel` (L1); `action_bar` pure > task-grouped layout module, full M11-aware button inventory placed by task cluster, > `bank_panel` redesigned through the L1 kit (L2). See `COMPLETED.md`. **L3 and L4 remain** > — L3 gated on Phase S landing on dev; L4 (dock-panel button layout enhancement) ungated and > extension-side, sequencing after the in-flight palette revision merges to dev. > > **This section is self-contained for a team without Phase S context.** Where a point > touches a Phase S surface (the VST editor, the embed strip, the keyboard strip), the > gate is stated explicitly so the team does not chase files that are not on dev yet. > > **Settled decisions (Daniel, 2026-07-26 — see `docs/product/visual-design-language.md` > §6):** > - **DS-1 — toolkit: LICE + WDL free game, no external frameworks.** Draw the modern > look with LICE directly; reuse any useful WDL/vwnd piece (skin/image helpers, draw > idioms, a control like the scroll listbox) where it beats re-deriving — "don't > reinvent the wheel." Reject iPlug2 / JUCE / VSTGUI (external frameworks re-opening the > settled bare-SDK+LICE build shape). Keep hit-test geometry in pure CTest-covered > modules — do not import vwnd's retained-mode object model wholesale. > - **DS-2 — visual direction: Direction B ("Neon Console") + Direction C's spectral > keyboard strip. SETTLED 2026-07-26, REVISED 2026-07-26 (Daniel) — palette-only.** > *Neutral surfaces (revised):* the neutral ladder moved **from near-black up into REAPER's > mid-grey theme family** so the dock reads as part of REAPER, not a black slab — `bg/base` > ≈ `#2b2b2b`, `bg/panel` ≈ `#333333`, `bg/cell` ≈ `#3a3a3a`, `line/hairline` ≈ `#4a4a4a`, > `text/primary` ≈ `#dcdcdc`, `text/dim` ≈ `~#a0a0a0`+ (elevation-ladder discipline > unchanged). *Accent layer (revised):* now a **three-accent pastel system** — > `accent/primary` pastel lime green (live/active/selected), `accent/secondary` pastel teal > + `accent/tertiary` pastel purple (categorical distinctions) — replacing the original > single electric cyan. The spectral keyboard strip is a **pastel** sweep anchored on the > three accents. *Tight WCAG pairs to re-verify against the grey ladder:* `text/dim`-on-grey > (mid-grey-on-mid-grey, AA 4.5:1) and the three pastels-as-indicators on `bg/cell` (shrunk > from ~15:1 to ~6:1–7:1). **A stylish/bundled-font upgrade was considered and DECLINED > (Daniel):** no font bundling/redistribution — the kit keeps its current cached-font face, > no new typeface. The kit palette stays abstract (roles, one constants block — three accent > roles + grey neutrals), so the direction is a single-file change; final hex is locked > against the theme WCAG tests within the pastel intent. Detail: > `docs/product/visual-design-language.md` §2.1/§4/§6 + CONTEXT.md §Phase L. > - **DS-3 — dock-panel scope: a thorough layout redesign, not a light re-skin.** L2 lays > out the full button inventory (including M11's action-button additions) intuitively, > uncluttered, and useful — then applies the kit. Sequenced after M11 merges. ## L3 — VST editor + embed-strip restyle (GATED on Phase S landing on dev) **Goal:** Bring the ReaSampler 9000 VST editor (`IPlugView` LICE surface) and the S6 embed strip up to the settled-and-revised **B + three-accent pastel** look via the L1 kit: kit cached-font text (§3.1 — the kit's current face, no font change), kit component draws, the Neon-Console palette with **REAPER-grey neutrals** (`#2b2b2b`/`#333333`/`#3a3a3a`) and the **three pastel accents** (primary lime / secondary teal / tertiary purple), the **pastel spectral keyboard strip** as the signature surface (DS-2 revised), and hover/pressed/drag states throughout. CONTEXT.md §Phase L (VST restyle + the Phase S coordination contract). Product framing: `docs/product/visual-design-language.md` §5.3. **Verify (in DAW):** the VST editor + embed strip render in the settled B + three-accent pastel language through the L1 kit — kit AA cached-font text, gradient/rounded kit components, the pastel spectral keyboard strip, working hover/pressed/drag; the VST3 class UID is unchanged (a visual refresh is not a compat event). **Depends on:** L1 (the kit) **AND — GATE — Phase S landing on dev.** The VST editor, embed strip, and keyboard strip live in Phase S, which is **not on dev yet** (it exists on the phase-s worktree). **L3 cannot be built on dev until Phase S's editor/embed surfaces (≈ S1 / S6 / S10) merge to dev. The Phase L team must NOT chase these files on dev — they are not there.** Until then L3 is a planned, blocked point; L1 and L2 are the live Phase L work. > **Coordination contract with Phase S (load-bearing).** Phase S's S10–S13 build their > interaction UX with the **current** drawing and **adopt the L1 kit when it is available — > they are NOT gated on Phase L.** Whichever lands first (the L1 kit or the S10–S13 UX), > the kit is the **one source of drawing**: if S10–S13 reach dev before L1, they draw in > the current language and L3 restyles them; if L1 lands first, they are born in the kit. > Either way there is one kit and one look, and L3 is the point that completes the VST/embed > adoption and applies the settled B+spectral treatment. - [ ] Route the VST editor's + embed strip's text through the kit's cached-font `text()` (the kit's current face — §3.1, no font change); retire their raw GDI `DrawTextA` path. (Gated — Phase S surfaces must be on dev.) - [ ] Restyle the editor + embed components through the kit (buttons, sliders/ADSR, list rows, waveform, segmented controls) in the B (Neon Console) palette — **REAPER-grey neutrals** (`bg/base` `#2b2b2b` / `bg/panel` `#333333` / `bg/cell` `#3a3a3a`) with the **three pastel accents** (primary lime = live layer; secondary teal / tertiary purple = categorical); add hover/pressed/drag states. (Gated.) - [ ] Apply **Direction C's pastel spectral treatment to the keyboard strip** (hue-mapped zones as a pastel sweep anchored on the three accents, glow-on-active as a static drawn state — never a pulse, per the speed constraint) as the signature surface; VST3 class UID unchanged. (Gated.) ## L4 — dock-panel button layout enhancement (ungated, extension-side) **Goal:** Re-home the `bank_panel`'s L2 button inventory around *frequency and intent*, so the two acts the tool exists for (capture, placement) sit at the **top** where the eye lands, the Design View organize/switch verbs get a real button home at the **bottom**, and the footer carries the small persistent controls (the Arrange|Design toggle, Tail, Prune) in a coherent left-to-right order. This is a **layout re-home of buttons that fire existing actions** — no new actions, no capture/placement behavior change, no touching the "capture ≠ placement" principle. It is independent of L3 (which stays gated on Phase S); L4 is **ungated, extension-side only** (the dock panel lives on dev). Product framing: `docs/product/visual-design-language.md` §L4 (new) + CONTEXT.md §Phase L "L4 dock-panel button layout". The four layout moves (Daniel, 2026-07-26): 1. **Capture + placement clusters move to a TOP toolbar.** The capture cluster (capture item, capture track, batch items, batch razor, capture RT) and the placement cluster (insert, insert-conform) leave the current bottom L2 action bar and become a **top** toolbar — the first thing the eye meets, matching their frequency and the tool's purpose. 2. **The bottom toolbar is repurposed for Design View tagging + switching.** In the space the capture/placement buttons vacate, place the Design View action family as buttons: **tag / untag selected tracks for a mode, activate Arrange, activate Design, toggle active mode, show-both.** These are registered actions today (the Design View action family); L4 gives them a button home in the bottom toolbar. 3. **The Arrange|Design segmented toggle shrinks and moves to the footer.** The large top `[ Arrange | Design ]` segmented control shrinks to **just wide enough for its text comfortably** and moves into the **footer, to the LEFT of the Prune button** (see footer order below). The per-mode membership count travels with it (as a compact adjacent label). 4. **Tail becomes a real button.** The Tail footer affordance is a **click-zone** today (clicking cycles the tail setting) — inconsistent with the other footer controls. Convert it to a proper **button** drawn through the L1 kit like the others; click still cycles the tail setting, but it now reads and behaves as a button (rest/hover/pressed states). **Footer affordance order (left → right):** `[Arrange|Design]` toggle · Tail button · … · **Prune** (set apart at the right, `warn`). *Rationale:* the two view/session controls (mode toggle, tail) group at the left as the "how this panel/capture behaves" cluster; Prune stays isolated at the far right, visually separated and `warn`-colored, because it is the only byte-deleting affordance and must never sit adjacent to a benign toggle where a mis-click is cheap. Order reads left (benign, frequent) → right (destructive, rare). **Verify (in DAW):** the top toolbar fires every capture + placement action; the bottom toolbar tags/untags selected tracks and switches/toggles Arrange/Design/show-both; the footer shows a narrow `[Arrange|Design]` toggle at the left, a Tail button that cycles tail on click with button states, and the Prune button set apart at the right in `warn`; every surface draws through the L1 kit in the DS-2 grey+pastel palette; capture and placement still never auto-insert (the buttons only fire the existing, unchanged actions). **Depends on:** L1 (the kit) + L2 (the landed layout + `action_bar` module). **Ungated by Phase S** — extension-side (`bank_panel`) only. **Sequence AFTER the palette revision merges to dev** — the in-flight DS-2 grey+pastel palette branch also reworks `bank_panel` heavily; landing L4 concurrently would collide the same file. L4 begins once the palette revision is on dev. **Pure/shell discipline (unchanged):** all new toolbar/footer layout math goes in pure CTest-covered geometry modules — extend/mirror `action_bar` (toolbar row layout) and `mode_switch` (the now-narrow footer toggle); `bank_grid`/`tab_strip` stay owners of their own surfaces' hit-testing. The kit draws; geometry stays pure. - [ ] Top toolbar: re-home the capture cluster (item / track / batch items / batch razor / capture RT) + placement cluster (insert / insert-conform) from the bottom L2 bar to a top toolbar (pure row layout in `action_bar`; kit draw). Buttons fire the existing actions unchanged — no auto-insert. - [ ] Bottom toolbar: place the Design View action family as buttons (tag / untag selected for mode, activate Arrange, activate Design, toggle active mode, show-both), firing the existing registered Design View actions. - [ ] Footer: shrink the `[ Arrange | Design ]` segmented toggle to fit-its-text width and move it to the footer left of Prune (narrow-segment geometry in `mode_switch`); carry the per-mode count as a compact adjacent label. - [ ] Footer: convert the Tail click-zone into a proper kit button (rest/hover/pressed states; click cycles the tail setting as today). - [ ] Footer order: `[Arrange|Design]` · Tail · … · Prune (`warn`, set apart at the right); pure footer-strip layout covered by CTest. ## Phase L — sequencing ``` L1 (shared kit) ──► L2 (dock-panel layout redesign) [LANDED] ├─────────► L3 (VST editor + embed-strip restyle; GATED on Phase S landing on dev) └─────────► L4 (dock-panel button layout enhancement; ungated, extension-side; sequences AFTER the palette revision merges to dev) Phase S (separate team, ungated): S-work builds with current drawing, adopts L1 when it lands. ``` L1 and L2 have landed. L3 waits for Phase S to reach dev. L4 is ungated and extension-side but sequences after the in-flight palette-revision branch merges to dev (both rework `bank_panel`). Phase S feature work runs in parallel, ungated by Phase L. ## Phase L — must-verify-before-build - **LICE design-kit surfaces (L1)** — `LICE_GradRect`, `LICE_RoundRect`, AA `LICE_Line`/`LICE_FLine`/`LICE_ThickFLine`/`LICE_Circle`/`LICE_FillCircle`/ `LICE_DrawCBezier`, `LICE_FillTriangle`/`FillTrapezoid`/`FillConvexPolygon`, and the `LICE_CachedFont`/`LICE_IFont` font engine (`SetFromHFont`, AA `DrawText`, shadow/outline/ glow FX flags). Verified *present* in `vendor/WDL/WDL/lice/lice.h` + `lice_text.h` (design-language doc §1.1); **confirm exact signatures + the `LICE_CachedFont`↔`HFONT` lifecycle at build.** - **WDL/vwnd reuse assessment (DS-1)** — at build time, evaluate whether a vwnd piece beats re-deriving it: `virtwnd-slider.cpp` / `vwnd_slider_drawknobstack` as the slider/knob drawing reference, `virtwnd-listbox.cpp` as a candidate scroll listbox, `virtwnd-controls.h` for `WDL_STYLE_*` gradient hooks, `virtwnd-skin.h` for image-skin helpers. Reuse where useful; keep hit-test geometry pure regardless. - **M11 button inventory (L2)** — resolved at L2 build: inventory taken against dev after M11 merged; all buttons placed by task cluster in the landed `action_bar` module. - **L4 re-home surface (L4)** — resolved at L4 build against the **post-palette-revision** `bank_panel`: confirm the landed `action_bar` row-layout module and the `mode_switch` segmented-toggle geometry extend cleanly to a top toolbar + a narrow footer toggle, and that the Design View action family's command ids are all live for the bottom-toolbar buttons. **Do not build until the palette revision is on dev** (shared-file collision). --- # Phase Q — Quality (structural reorganization; zero-runtime-cost) > **New pillar, own lettered namespace, and — uniquely — the LAST structural pillar.** Phase > Q is a **pure structural refactor**: it reorganizes `src/` into a healthier shape (more > encapsulation, granular namespaces, `core/`/`shell/`/`app/` subdirectories) against a stated > quality bar — *"mtytel Vital is my code reference for quality"* — to bring the codebase > "into the realm of something I can stand to look at." It ships **no feature and changes no > behavior**: the test suite passing unchanged is the proof of correctness. Namespaced **`Q` > (Quality)** — M/D/B/R/V/S/L are all taken; `Q` names the *end* (the quality bar), the reorg > being the *means*. Authoritative spec: **CONTEXT.md §Phase Q — structural reorganization > (reorg spec)**. Product framing, the Vital-grounded target shape, the grep-verified SOLID > audit that is the evidence base, and the settled/recommended fork record (Q-1..Q-6): > `docs/product/code-organization.md`. When a point lands, doc-keeper moves it to > `COMPLETED.md`. > > **THE GATE (load-bearing — state first).** Phase Q is **gated on the tree being otherwise > quiescent.** It does not begin until **Phase S has merged to dev**, **Phase L (L2 + L3) has > merged to dev**, any **D2 residuals** are closed, and **M9** is landed-or-abandoned. *Why:* > Phase Q touches **nearly every file in `src/`** (relocate into subdirectories, re-namespace > every header, split the four largest TUs). Every large in-flight branch (Phase S on its > worktree, Phase L's `bank_panel`-touching L2/L3) is diffed against the *current flat layout*; > landing a rename-and-relocate-everything reorg mid-flight forces every open branch through the > worst conflict class (every hunk moved, every qualified reference changed) — a combinatorial > re-resolution, not a linear one. Phase Q is *last* precisely because it reshapes the ground > every other pillar stands on. Landing it early taxes every subsequent phase; landing it last > taxes nothing. **Do not begin any Q point until the gate is satisfied.** > > **Settled (Q-1, this-doc):** the phase is **`Q` (Quality)**; point-id family `Q1..Qn`, wave > prefixes `Q-W1..Q-W6`. **Recommended, Daniel's to call (Q-2..Q-6, see > `docs/product/code-organization.md` §6):** Q-2 JSON extraction in scope + first (rec: yes); > Q-3 directory shape `core/`/`shell/`/`app/` top-split with subsystem dirs beneath (rec: this > over pure-Vital subsystem-first — it makes the pure/shell invariant *structural*); Q-4 > sub-namespace to match sub-directory (rec: both); Q-5 split god-modules to the audit's named > seams, no finer (rec: yes); Q-6 OCP registration-table as the final wave (rec: in, last). > > **HARD CONSTRAINT — performance (see CONTEXT.md §Phase Q, `docs/product/code-organization.md` > §3).** The reorg must cost **zero runtime.** On the three hot paths — `peaks` envelope > compute, audition/preview, the realtime-capture tick — **no added virtual dispatch, no > header→TU indirection, no changed call/inline or branch shape.** `computeEnvelope` stays a > free function on `const std::vector&`; audition split stays a direct call-through; > the realtime idle tick stays a single pointer test; `FxBypassGuard` stays stack RAII. This is > an acceptance criterion on every point: *a split that would add a hot-path indirection is out > of scope — rework it or drop it.* > > **Every point is independently landable and CTest-green at EVERY step.** The CMake > per-module static-lib + per-module test-executable seams already draw the module boundaries; > a file move + namespace change is mechanically verifiable — `ctest --test-dir build` is green > or it isn't. **Green-CTest-at-every-point is an acceptance criterion.** Big-bang is rejected; > the reorg is risk-ordered waves (W1 safe opener → W2–W5 god-module splits → W6 OCP finish). ## Q-W1 — safe opener: extract `core/json` + impose the directory/namespace layout on clean modules **Goal:** The zero-god-module-risk opener. Two moves: (1) extract a pure **`core/json`** module (parser + serializer) and **delete the four hand-rolled `Parser`s** in `bank_model` / `bank_book` / `view_mode_model` / `owned_manifest` (the single largest DRY+SRP violation, and entirely off the hot paths); (2) impose the settled `core/`/`shell/`/`app/` directory layout + sub-namespaces (`reasampler::model`/`view`/`capture`/`audio`/`ui`/`reclaim`/`version`/`json`) on the **30 clean pure libs + the clean shells that need no splitting** — pure relocation, no logic change. Proves the wave discipline (relocate + encapsulate, CTest-green) before any god-module surgery. CONTEXT.md §Phase Q (json extraction; directory + namespace map). **Verify:** CTest green at every commit. The four duplicate `Parser`s are gone, replaced by one `core/json` consumed by all four models; round-trip serialization is byte-identical to before (no format change — a *structural* dedupe, not a behavior change). Every relocated clean module compiles and its test executable passes unmoved. `Sample` (model) vs `AudioSample` (audio) vs unified `Parser` (json) do not collide once sub-namespaced. No REAPER type crosses into any `core/` file; the CMake pure/shell enforcement still holds. **Depends on:** the GATE (tree quiescent). Nothing else in Phase Q. - [ ] Extract `core/json` (pure parser + serializer: parseString/parseInt/parseKey/skipValue + escape, plus emit helpers); unify under `reasampler::json`; guard the `Parser` name against cross-lib collision. Off all hot paths — safe to abstract freely. - [ ] Rewire `bank_model`, `bank_book`, `view_mode_model`, `owned_manifest` onto `core/json`; **delete the four duplicate `Parser`s.** Round-trip output byte-identical (dedupe, not reformat). - [ ] Relocate the 30 clean pure libs into `core/{model,view,capture,audio,ui,reclaim,version, json}/` and the clean shells into `shell/{capture,panel,view,persist,actions}/`; move `main.cpp` to `app/`. Update `CMakeLists.txt` `src/` paths only (no target-graph change). - [ ] Apply sub-namespaces matching the directories on every relocated *clean* module (the god-modules re-namespace their own new TUs as they split, W2–W5). Resolve `Sample`/ `AudioSample`/`Parser` homes. - [ ] Confirm CTest green + no hot-path change: `peaks`/audition/realtime-tick untouched by this wave (pure relocation of clean modules; `peaks` stays a free function). ## Q-W2 — split `bank_panel.cpp` (the biggest god-module, 2424 LOC) **Goal:** Split the largest god-module (8+ responsibilities) along the audit's named seams: `panel_render` / `panel_thumbnails` / `panel_audition` / `panel_input` / `panel_bank_ops` / `panel_window`. Split the fat `bank_panel.h` alongside (Interface Segregation). **Preserve the audition hot path as a direct call-through, never virtual.** `panel_bank_ops` becomes the single home for the bank-CRUD verbs that W4 will dedupe `actions.cpp` against. CONTEXT.md §Phase Q (bank_panel split seams; hot-path audition guardrail). See `docs/product/code-organization.md` §2.1, §5. **Verify:** CTest green at every commit. Each seam is its own TU under `shell/panel/`; the panel draws, thumbnails, auditions, handles input, does bank ops, and manages its window exactly as before (no behavior change — verify in DAW that the panel is visually and interactively unchanged). Audition/preview call path stays a **direct call-through** (no virtual dispatch, no added header→TU indirection on the preview path). The ~20-function public API is now segmented across the split headers. **Depends on:** Q-W1 (directory/namespace layout established). Independently landable. - [ ] Split rendering (`draw*`/`paint*`) → `panel_render`; thumbnail compute+cache → `panel_thumbnails`. - [ ] Split the audio audition/preview engine → `panel_audition` — **direct call-through, not virtual; preview idle path unchanged.** - [ ] Split input handling (mouse/key/wheel) + new-content detection → `panel_input`; window lifecycle + OS drag-out/drop-target → `panel_window`. - [ ] Extract bank-CRUD verbs → `panel_bank_ops` (the future single owner; W4 dedupes `actions.cpp` against it). Split `bank_panel.h` into per-seam headers (I). - [ ] Verify in DAW: panel unchanged; CTest green; no hot-path indirection added. ## Q-W3 — split `main.cpp` (hoist orchestration; leave main = pointers + entry + dispatch) **Goal:** Reduce `main.cpp` (1762 LOC) to its actual job — API pointers + `ReaperPluginEntry` + dispatch (~the owns-pointers ~120 lines) — by hoisting: `capture_orchestrator` (`RunCapture` / `captureAndIndexOne` / `renderOffline` / batch/recapture/realtime `Run*`), `scope_resolve` (`resolveRange`/`resolveRazorRange`/`collectSelectedTracks` + provenance assembly inputs), and `realtime_lifecycle` (the realtime-capture state machine + globals + selection guards). **`FxBypassGuard` moves out but stays a stack RAII object (precision-critical); the realtime idle tick stays a single pointer test.** CONTEXT.md §Phase Q (main split seams; FxBypassGuard + realtime-tick guardrails). See `docs/product/code-organization.md` §2.1, §3. **Verify:** CTest green at every commit. Capture (offline + realtime + batch + recapture) behaves identically in DAW; the null test still nulls, bit-identical repeats still match (the precision invariants `FxBypassGuard` protects are unchanged); capture ≠ placement holds (no hoisted `Run*` path gains an `InsertMedia` call). The realtime idle fast-path is still a single pointer test. `main.cpp` is now pointers + entry + dispatch only. **Depends on:** Q-W1. Independent of Q-W2. - [ ] Hoist capture orchestration → `capture_orchestrator` (`shell/capture/`); keep `FxBypassGuard` a **stack RAII** object as it moves (precision-invariant-critical). - [ ] Hoist scope/source resolution + provenance assembly inputs → `scope_resolve`. - [ ] Hoist the realtime-capture lifecycle state machine + globals + the two RAII selection guards → `realtime_lifecycle`; **idle tick stays a single pointer test.** - [ ] Leave `main.cpp` = API-pointer ownership + `ReaperPluginEntry` + dispatch; move to `app/`. - [ ] Verify in DAW: null test nulls, bit-identical repeats match, capture≠placement holds; CTest green; no realtime-tick branch-shape change. ## Q-W4 — split `actions.cpp` + dedupe bank verbs against `panel_bank_ops` **Goal:** Split the two unrelated command-id families in one TU (981 LOC) into `design_view_actions` / `bank_actions` / `prune_action`, and **dedupe** `actions.cpp`'s own `promptText`/`mintBankId` and bank verbs against the `panel_bank_ops` single-owner established in Q-W2. `prune_action` keeps the `doBankPruneFolder` deletion authority contract intact (routes to `persist`'s `prune_fs` after W5). CONTEXT.md §Phase Q (actions split seams; bank-verb dedupe). See `docs/product/code-organization.md` §2.1, §2.4. **Verify:** CTest green at every commit. Every action fires identically in DAW (Design View family; multi-bank create/rename/reorder/delete/evacuate/activate/move/copy/remove; prune). The bank-CRUD verbs have **one** implementation home (no `bank_panel`/`actions` duplication). Each bank verb still wraps its mutation in one batched undo point; the prune action still writes no ext state and opens no undo point. Command-id strings are **unchanged** (FOREVER-STABLE contract — a reorg must not touch a shipped command id). **Depends on:** Q-W2 (`panel_bank_ops` is the dedupe target). Independent of Q-W3. - [ ] Split → `design_view_actions` (toggle/activate/tag/untag/showBoth/moveItems), `bank_actions` (bank CRUD family), `prune_action` (`doBankPruneFolder` — the single file-deletion action). - [ ] Dedupe `actions.cpp`'s `promptText`/`mintBankId` + bank verbs against `panel_bank_ops` (one owner); do **not** change any command-id string. - [ ] Verify in DAW: all action families fire unchanged; one bank op = one Ctrl-Z; prune still no-undo/no-ext-state; CTest green. ## Q-W5 — split `persist.cpp` (isolate the single file-deletion authority into `prune_fs`) **Goal:** Split `persist.cpp` (766 LOC, 5 responsibilities) into `session` (lifecycle+poll, `BeginLoadProjectState` reload hook), `ext_state_io` (the ext-state ↔ JSON serialization bridge + GUID minting + folder relocation), and **`prune_fs`** (prune scanning + `deleteOrphanFile` via `SHFileOperationW`). The split **concentrates** the byte-deleting authority into one obvious module — it must never spread it. CONTEXT.md §Phase Q (persist split seams; deletion-authority isolation). See `docs/product/code-organization.md` §2.1, §7. **Verify:** CTest green at every commit. Session save/load/undo-reload, ext-state round-trip, folder relocation, and prune deletion all behave identically in DAW. **File deletion lives in exactly one module (`prune_fs`)** — the single-file-deletion-authority invariant is *improved* (concentrated), never diluted. Relative-paths-only persistence is unchanged. **Depends on:** Q-W1. Best after Q-W4 (so `prune_action` routes cleanly to `prune_fs`), but independently landable. - [ ] Split → `session` (lifecycle/poll + `projectconfig` reload hook), `ext_state_io` (serialization bridge + GUID minting + folder relocation). - [ ] Isolate prune scanning + `deleteOrphanFile` (`SHFileOperationW`) → **`prune_fs`** — the one file-deletion module; nothing else may delete bytes. - [ ] Verify in DAW: save/load/undo-reload/relocation/prune unchanged; deletion authority is one module; relative-paths-only holds; CTest green. ## Q-W6 — OCP registration-table + residual fat-header (I) splits **Goal:** Close the last SOLID wart: replace the ~350-line hand-written **non-table** action registration blocks (now isolated in `app/main.cpp` after Q-W3) with a **registration table**, so adding an action edits one place, not four parallel ones (OCP). Split any remaining fat headers (`capture.h`/`persist.h`) not already resolved by their TU splits (I). CONTEXT.md §Phase Q (OCP registration-table). See `docs/product/code-organization.md` §2.3, §6 (Q-6). **Verify:** CTest green at every commit. Every action still registers, appears in the Actions list, and fires via `hookcommand` exactly as before; command-id + display strings unchanged (FOREVER-STABLE, per-channel); unload still mirror-unregisters everything. Adding a hypothetical new action now touches the table only (demonstrated in review, not shipped). Remaining fat headers are segmented. **Depends on:** Q-W3 (registration code must be isolated first). Sequenced last; the most droppable point if the phase needs narrowing (Q-6). - [ ] Convert the hand-written `Register("command_id"/"gaccel"/"hookcommand")` blocks to a data-driven registration table; unload mirror-unregisters from the same table. - [ ] Split residual fat headers (`capture.h`/`persist.h` and any other) alongside their TUs (I). - [ ] Verify: all actions register/fire/unregister unchanged; command-id strings untouched; CTest green. ## Phase Q — sequencing ``` GATE: Phase S + Phase L (L2+L3) + D2 residuals + M9 all merged/closed to dev (tree quiescent) │ ▼ Q-W1 (safe opener: core/json extract + directory/namespace layout on clean modules) ├─► Q-W2 (split bank_panel) ──► Q-W4 (split actions + dedupe bank verbs vs panel_bank_ops) ├─► Q-W3 (split main.cpp; hoist orchestration) ──► Q-W6 (OCP registration-table + I splits) └─► Q-W5 (split persist; isolate prune_fs) [best after Q-W4] ``` W1 is the safe, high-leverage opener (all later waves assume the layout it establishes). The four god-module splits (W2–W5) are risk-ordered and mostly parallel-safe; W4 depends on W2's `panel_bank_ops`, W6 depends on W3's isolated registration code. Big-bang is rejected — every wave is independently landable and CTest-green. ## Phase Q — must-verify-before-build - **Hot-path call/inline shape** — before landing each split, confirm no virtual dispatch and no header→TU indirection was added on `peaks` envelope compute, audition/preview, or the realtime tick. `computeEnvelope` stays a free function on `const std::vector&`; audition stays a direct call-through; the idle tick stays a single pointer test. (CONTEXT.md §Phase Q, `docs/product/code-organization.md` §3.) - **Command-id + display strings are FOREVER-STABLE** — a reorg must not change a shipped `command_id` string, action display name, ext-state namespace, or VST3 class UID. Re-namespacing C++ symbols is orthogonal to these on-the-wire/on-disk contract strings; keep them byte-identical (per-channel, per the Phase V V4 contract). (CONTEXT.md §Phase Q.) - **Name-collision sweep on sub-namespacing** — `Sample` (model) vs `AudioSample` (audio) vs the unified `Parser` (json), and any other cross-lib name that collides once flattened into granular namespaces. Resolve by each symbol's new subsystem home before landing W1. (audit §2.4; `docs/product/code-organization.md` §6 Q-4.) - **The GATE** — do not begin any Q point until Phase S + Phase L (L2/L3) + D2 residuals + M9 are merged/closed and the tree is quiescent. Re-confirm quiescence against dev before W1.