## Thinking Path
> - Paperclip is the open source app people use to manage AI agents for
work
> - Its UI is the operator's daily surface: task lists, boards, budgets,
agent status — all built on shadcn components and Tailwind
> - Visual values (colors, spacing, type sizes, radii) were hardcoded at
~1,600 call sites: the same "small gray label" was 9/10/11px depending
on the file, charts disagreed with chips about status colors, two
toggle-switch implementations coexisted in two greens, and there was no
visual regression coverage
> - This made the UI drift-prone and made any restyle a
hundreds-of-files project, which discourages design iteration
> - This pull request extracts visual values into a single token layer
in `ui/src/index.css`, adds a Storybook visual regression suite backed
by external immutable baseline archives, and then applies a deliberate
retune reviewed change-by-change on screenshot diffs
> - The benefit is that Paperclip's look becomes a config surface:
retheming is a token edit reviewed as a snapshot diff, drift is blocked
by a token gate, and future UI PRs can prove exactly what changed
visually without committing hundreds of PNGs
## Linked Issues or Issue Description
No existing public issue covers this work (searched "design tokens",
"visual regression", "design system" across issues and PRs). Related in
spirit: Refs #8982 (theming a hardcoded panel — a one-off instance of
the same problem class this PR addresses systematically).
**Problem (feature-request form):** UI visual values are hardcoded per
call site with no source of truth and no regression coverage;
consistency depends on reviewer memory, and restyling requires mass file
edits.
**Proposed solution (this PR):** a single token layer + enforcement gate
+ externally stored visual snapshot suite, then an intentional restyle
on top of that foundation.
## What Changed
- **Token extraction (zero visual change, machine-verified during
development):** committed codemods (`scripts/codemod-*.mjs`) moved
~1,600 hardcoded color/type/spacing/radius/shadow/misc values into named
tokens in a non-inline `:root` block of `ui/src/index.css`.
- **Visual regression suite:** `pnpm test:storybook-visual` covers 255
stories × light/dark = 510 Playwright screenshots at `maxDiffPixels: 0`,
plus new primitive-coverage stories and deterministic-render fixes.
- **External visual baselines:** committed PNG snapshots were removed.
`tests/storybook-visual/baseline-manifest.json` pins an immutable
archive URL/hash/size/count, and `scripts/storybook-visual-baseline.mjs`
handles `download`, `verify`, `pack`, and trusted maintainer `upload`
flows.
- **Opt-in visual CI artifacts:** added a `Storybook Visual` workflow
that runs on manual dispatch or PRs labeled `storybook-visual`,
downloads/verifies the baseline, runs Playwright, and uploads Playwright
report/test-result artifacts for review. Normal PR runs do not mutate
baseline objects.
- **Token gate:** `pnpm check:token-gates` — zero hex literals, zero
arbitrary bracket values, zero raw font-sizes in `ui/src/components/**`
and `ui/src/pages/**`, with a documented inline allowlist for legitimate
opt-outs.
- **Theme retune (intentional, snapshot-reviewed):** new base theme
values; radius ladder derived from a single `--radius` knob; micro-type
cluster collapsed to a named ladder (`--text-nano/micro/compact` +
Tailwind `text-xs`/`text-sm`); letter-spacing collapsed to named steps.
- **One status-color vocabulary:** charts, quota/budget bar fills,
RUNNING/live chips, and liveness indicators all use the canonical
`--status-*` hues. Light-mode legibility fixes for red alert surfaces
that used dark-tuned text classes.
- **One switch:** `ToggleSwitch` restyled to the registry capsule form,
second hand-rolled implementation removed, and all call sites unified.
- **Docs:** `DESIGN.md` is the design contract; `doc/design/` holds
audit reports, decision logs, and updated guidance for external baseline
review/update workflows.
- Dead code removed (`agentStatusBadge` duplicate map), byte-identical
contrast constants consolidated, semantic renames
(`--project-seed`/`--project-none`, `--liveness-blue`).
## Verification
- `pnpm check:token-gates` — 3/3 gates CLEAN during the design-system
run
- `pnpm typecheck` && `pnpm --filter @paperclipai/ui build` — green
during the design-system run
- `node --test scripts/__tests__/storybook-visual-baseline.test.mjs` —
pass after external-baseline rework
- `pnpm exec tsc --noEmit --pretty false --module NodeNext
--moduleResolution NodeNext --target ES2022 --types
node,@playwright/test tests/storybook-visual/playwright.config.ts
tests/storybook-visual/storybook-visual.spec.ts` — pass after
external-baseline rework
- `git diff --check origin/pr/9134..HEAD` — pass after external-baseline
rework
- `find tests/storybook-visual -type f -name '*.png' -print | wc -l` —
`0`
- `node scripts/storybook-visual-baseline.mjs verify` — intentionally
fails closed until the first trusted maintainer publishes the baseline
archive and updates `baseline-manifest.json`
## Risks
- **Large but shallow:** the PR still touches many UI files due to
mechanical token extraction and retune work, but committed PNG snapshot
churn has been removed from the branch.
- **Baseline publication required before the visual suite can pass in
clean clones:** the manifest currently has placeholder archive metadata.
A trusted maintainer must publish the first immutable archive, then
update `baseline-manifest.json`.
- **Rendering platform variance:** the external baseline should be
captured in the documented Linux/Chromium environment. Future CI runs
verify against the pinned archive and fail closed on checksum/count
mismatch.
- **Visual CI is opt-in while stabilizing:** add the `storybook-visual`
label or dispatch the workflow manually to produce downloadable
Playwright report/test-result artifacts.
- **Scheduled follow-ups, deliberately out of scope:** Tailwind palette
classes map to semantic tokens in a dedicated pass; card/pill component
consolidation; ESLint ratchet. Tracked in
`doc/design/DECISION-SHEET.md`.
## Model Used
Claude Fable 5 (Anthropic, `claude-fable-5`, Mythos-class tier) with
extended thinking, running in Claude Code with tool use; mechanical
phases delegated to Claude Sonnet subagents. Follow-up external-baseline
rework assisted by OpenAI Codex (`gpt-5` coding agent with repository,
terminal, and GitHub tool use). All bulk rewrites executed via
deterministic, idempotent scripts committed in `scripts/`; intentional
visual changes were human-reviewed on screenshot contact sheets.
## Checklist
- [x] I have included a thinking path that traces from project context
to this change
- [x] I have specified the model used (with version and capability
details)
- [x] I have checked ROADMAP.md and confirmed this PR does not duplicate
planned core work
- [x] I have searched GitHub for duplicate or related PRs and linked
them above
- [x] I have either (a) linked existing issues with `Fixes: #` / `Closes
#` / `Refs #` OR (b) described the issue in-PR following the relevant
issue template
- [x] I have not referenced internal/instance-local Paperclip issues or
links (only public GitHub `#NNN` / `github.com/paperclipai/paperclip`
URLs)
- [x] My branch name describes the change (e.g. `docs/...`, `fix/...`)
and contains no internal Paperclip ticket id or instance-derived details
- [x] I have run targeted local verification and documented the
intentional baseline-publication failure above
- [x] I have added or updated tests where applicable
- [x] I have updated relevant documentation to reflect my changes
- [x] I have considered and documented any risks above
- [ ] All Paperclip CI gates are green *(pending new CI run after this
rework)*
- [ ] Greptile is 5/5 with no open P2s, recommendations, or follow-ups
*(pending review)*
- [x] I will address all Greptile and reviewer comments before
requesting merge
🤖 Generated with [Claude Code](https://claude.com/claude-code) and
OpenAI Codex
---------
Co-authored-by: Claude Fable 5 <noreply@anthropic.com>
Co-authored-by: Dotta <bippadotta@protonmail.com>
Co-authored-by: Paperclip <noreply@paperclip.ing>
## Thinking Path
> - Paperclip is the open source control plane people use to manage AI
agents for work.
> - Environment variables and secrets sit in the configuration surfaces
that let agents, projects, routines, and company environments run with
the right runtime inputs.
> - The previous editor was a single legacy component with cramped row
behavior, weak secret conversion affordances, and duplicated handling
across several call sites.
> - Operators need a clearer editor that handles text values, secret
references, draft rows, and sensitive-value warnings consistently
wherever environment variables are configured.
> - This pull request replaces the legacy editor with a reusable
environment variables editor and migrates the existing configuration
surfaces to it.
> - The benefit is a more reliable editing workflow with targeted test
coverage around row state, dotenv parsing, secret selection, and
affected page integrations.
## Linked Issues or Issue Description
No public GitHub issue exists, so this PR describes the issue inline
following the feature request template.
### Subsystem affected
ui/ — React + Vite board UI
### Problem or motivation
Environment variables are edited in several Paperclip configuration
surfaces, including agent config, project properties, stage secrets,
routine sections, company environments, and company settings. The legacy
editor made common operator work difficult: rows could feel cramped,
secret conversion was inconsistent, draft rows and imported dotenv data
were easy to mishandle, and sensitive-value warnings did not have a
consistent place in the workflow.
### Proposed solution
Introduce a reusable environment variables editor component that
consistently supports text values, secret references, draft rows, dotenv
import parsing, sensitive-value hints, secret picking, secret creation,
and conversion to stored secrets. Migrate the existing
environment-variable call sites to the shared editor so behavior and
tests live in one component family.
### Alternatives considered
Keeping the existing `EnvVarEditor` and patching individual call sites
would preserve duplication and leave each surface responsible for its
own row and secret handling. This PR instead centralizes the behavior so
future fixes cover all migrated surfaces.
### Roadmap alignment
Checked `ROADMAP.md`; this does not duplicate a named roadmap item. It
supports the existing local-first and deployment-oriented product
direction by improving the UI where operators configure runtime
environment values.
### Additional context
The PR includes targeted tests for the editor model, dotenv parsing,
sensitive-value detection, component behavior, affected page
integrations, and Greptile review regressions around external saves and
bulk import immutability.
## What Changed
- Replaced the legacy `EnvVarEditor` with a reusable
`environment-variables-editor` component family.
- Added editor model helpers for draft rows, dotenv parsing,
sensitive-value detection, secret picking, secret creation, and
conversion to secret references.
- Migrated agent config, project properties, stage secrets, routine
editable sections, company environments, company settings, design guide
examples, and Storybook stories to the new editor.
- Added targeted tests for the editor model, parsing, sensitive-value
detection, component behavior, and affected company environment/settings
integrations.
- Fixed the company settings test harness to use the repo’s
`flushSync`-based React test helper pattern under the current React
build.
- Addressed Greptile feedback by flushing pending editor drafts before
enclosing form submits or external save-button clicks, cloning
bulk-import rows before mutation, and deferring the overflow
store-as-secret popover open path.
## Verification
- `pnpm exec vitest run
ui/src/components/environment-variables-editor/EnvironmentVariablesEditor.test.tsx
ui/src/pages/CompanyEnvironments.test.tsx
ui/src/components/AgentConfigForm.render.test.tsx` — passed, 3 files /
40 tests.
- Earlier focused Vitest coverage for model, dotenv parsing, sensitive
detection, company environments, and company settings passed, 6 files /
78 tests.
- `pnpm --filter @paperclipai/ui typecheck` — passed.
- GitHub PR checks on head `0aa49c6f8afed1f62d9e26da07fc466fbf299850` —
passed; CI checks green, security review neutral, Greptile check
success.
- Greptile review — 5/5 confidence on head
`0aa49c6f8afed1f62d9e26da07fc466fbf299850`; 0 unresolved review threads.
## Risks
- Medium UI risk: several environment-variable entry surfaces now share
the new editor, so regressions could affect multiple configuration
workflows at once.
- Secret conversion, draft-row behavior, external save flushing, and
bulk import behavior are covered by targeted tests, but reviewer
attention should still focus on manual editing flows, focus retention,
and save/cancel affordances.
- No database or API contract changes.
> For core feature work, check [`ROADMAP.md`](ROADMAP.md) first and
discuss it in `#dev` before opening the PR. Feature PRs that overlap
with planned core work may need to be redirected — check the roadmap
first. See `CONTRIBUTING.md`.
## Model Used
- OpenAI Codex, GPT-5-based coding agent with tool use and local command
execution; medium reasoning mode. Exact context-window metadata is not
exposed in this runtime.
## Checklist
- [x] I have included a thinking path that traces from project context
to this change
- [x] I have specified the model used (with version and capability
details)
- [x] I have checked ROADMAP.md and confirmed this PR does not duplicate
planned core work
- [x] I have searched GitHub for duplicate or related PRs and linked
them above
- [x] I have either (a) linked existing issues with `Fixes: #` / `Closes
#` / `Refs #` OR (b) described the issue in-PR following the relevant
issue template
- [x] I have not referenced internal/instance-local Paperclip issues or
links (only public GitHub `#NNN` / `github.com/paperclipai/paperclip`
URLs)
- [x] My branch name describes the change (e.g. `docs/...`, `fix/...`)
and contains no internal Paperclip ticket id or instance-derived details
- [x] I have run tests locally and they pass
- [x] I have added or updated tests where applicable
- [x] I have updated relevant documentation to reflect my changes
- [x] I have considered and documented any risks above
- [x] All Paperclip CI gates are green
- [x] Greptile is 5/5 with no open P2s, recommendations, or follow-ups
- [x] I will address all Greptile and reviewer comments before
requesting merge
---------
Co-authored-by: Claude Opus 4.8 <noreply@anthropic.com>
Co-authored-by: Paperclip <noreply@paperclip.ing>
## Thinking Path
> - Paperclip is the open source app people use to manage AI agents for
work
> - The new issue dialog lets operators create follow-up tasks and
optionally reuse an existing execution workspace
> - Reusing a workspace depends on a searchable selector that can
include workspace names, branches, and local paths
> - The selector previously treated all matched text equally, so hidden
path text could outrank the visible workspace label and unrelated fuzzy
letter matches could leak into results
> - The reusable workspace popover also needed to stay inside the modal
so scrolling and layering behave like the rest of the dialog
> - This pull request improves the shared searchable select scoring and
applies it to reusable execution workspace choices
> - The benefit is a more predictable workspace reuse flow when an
operator searches by branch, task name, or workspace label
## Linked Issues or Issue Description
No public GitHub issue found for this selector bug.
### Pre-submission checklist
- [x] I have searched existing open and closed issues and this is not a
duplicate.
- [x] I am on the latest released version of Paperclip (or can reproduce
on `master`).
- [x] I have confirmed the error originates in Paperclip itself — not in
my agent adapter, API provider, or local configuration.
### What happened?
Workspace searches could rank hidden path matches ahead of direct
visible label matches, and broad fuzzy matching could match letters
spread across unrelated workspace metadata.
### Expected behavior
Direct label/name matches should sort ahead of weaker hidden metadata
matches, and fuzzy matching should stay constrained enough to avoid
unrelated workspace results.
### Steps to reproduce
1. Open the new issue dialog.
2. Choose reuse existing execution workspace.
3. Search for a term that appears in one workspace label and only in
another workspace path.
4. Observe that the path-only match can rank ahead of the direct visible
label match.
### Paperclip version or commit
Current `master` before this change.
### Deployment mode
Local dev (`pnpm dev`).
### Installation method
Built from source (`pnpm dev` / `pnpm build`).
### Agent adapter(s) involved
- [x] Not adapter-specific (core bug)
### Database mode
Not database-related.
### Access context
Board (human operator).
### Node.js version
Not version-specific.
### Operating system
Not OS-specific.
### Relevant logs or output
No logs; this is client-side selector behavior.
### Relevant config (if applicable)
None.
### Additional context
This PR also keeps the reusable workspace selector popover inside the
modal and contains command-list scroll events to keep the dialog
interaction stable.
### Privacy checklist
- [x] I have reviewed all pasted output for PII (usernames, file paths,
API keys, tokens, company names) and redacted where necessary.
## What Changed
- Added fuzzy scoring helpers for searchable text fields, including
field weights for visible labels versus secondary search metadata.
- Updated `SearchableSelect` to sort filtered results by score while
preserving original order for ties and custom filters.
- Updated reusable execution workspace matching to prefer visible
labels, then descriptions, then hidden search text.
- Kept the reusable workspace selector popover inside the new issue
modal and contained wheel/touch scrolling in the command list.
- Added unit/component coverage for selector ranking, reusable workspace
matching, modal popover containment, and scroll containment classes.
## Verification
- `pnpm exec vitest run ui/src/lib/searchable-select.ts
ui/src/lib/reusable-execution-workspaces.test.ts
ui/src/components/SearchableSelect.test.tsx
ui/src/components/NewIssueDialog.test.tsx`
- `pnpm --filter @paperclipai/ui typecheck`
## Risks
Low risk. The change is scoped to client-side searchable selector
ranking and modal popover behavior. The main behavior shift is that
searches are intentionally less permissive for unrelated fuzzy letter
spreads, which should reduce noisy results but could hide a result
someone previously reached through very loose matching.
## Model Used
OpenAI Codex, GPT-5-based coding agent with repository file access,
shell/tool execution, and medium reasoning effort. Exact hosted model
build and context window were not surfaced in this environment.
## Checklist
- [x] I have included a thinking path that traces from project context
to this change
- [x] I have specified the model used (with version and capability
details)
- [x] I have checked ROADMAP.md and confirmed this PR does not duplicate
planned core work
- [x] I have searched GitHub for duplicate or related PRs and linked
them above
- [x] I have either (a) linked existing issues with `Fixes: #` / `Closes
#` / `Refs #` OR (b) described the issue in-PR following the relevant
issue template
- [x] I have not referenced internal/instance-local Paperclip issues or
links (only public GitHub `#NNN` / `github.com/paperclipai/paperclip`
URLs)
- [x] My branch name describes the change (e.g. `docs/...`, `fix/...`)
and contains no internal Paperclip ticket id or instance-derived details
- [x] I have run tests locally and they pass
- [x] I have added or updated tests where applicable
- [x] I have updated relevant documentation to reflect my changes
- [x] I have considered and documented any risks above
- [x] All Paperclip CI gates are green
- [x] Greptile is 5/5 with no open P2s, recommendations, or follow-ups
- [x] I will address all Greptile and reviewer comments before
requesting merge
---------
Co-authored-by: Paperclip <noreply@paperclip.ing>
scotttong
Dotta