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StreamLens/PROJECT_STATUS_TEXTUAL.md
noisedestroyers 36a576dc2c Enhanced Textual TUI with proper API usage and documentation 
- Fixed DataTable row selection and event handling
- Added explicit column keys to prevent auto-generated keys
- Implemented row-to-flow mapping for reliable selection tracking
- Converted left metrics panel to horizontal top bar
- Fixed all missing FlowStats/EnhancedAnalysisData attributes
- Created comprehensive Textual API documentation in Documentation/textual/
- Added validation checklist to prevent future API mismatches
- Preserved cursor position during data refreshes
- Fixed RowKey type handling and event names

The TUI now properly handles flow selection, displays metrics in a compact top bar,
and correctly correlates selected rows with the details pane.
2025-07-27 18:37:55 -04:00

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StreamLens Project Status - Textual TUI Implementation

Date: 2025-07-27

Completed Work

1. Modern Curses TUI Implementation ✅

  • Three-view interface (Flow Analysis, Packet Decoder, Statistical Analysis)
  • Navigation with number keys (1, 2, 3)
  • Hierarchical flow display with sub-rows for protocol/frame type variations
  • Dynamic column width calculation using maximum terminal space
  • Fixed line wrapping issues with conservative width calculations
  • Separated transport protocols (TCP/UDP) from extended protocols (CH10/PTP)
  • Perfect column alignment with right-aligned numeric fields

2. Textual TUI Framework Investigation & Prototype ✅

  • Researched Textual capabilities and modern TUI development patterns
  • Created virtual environment with Textual 5.0.1 installed
  • Designed comprehensive architecture for widget-based interface
  • Implemented prototype with three main components:
    • StreamLensApp: Main application with reactive data updates
    • FlowAnalysisWidget: DataTable with hierarchical rows and rich formatting
    • PacketDecoderWidget: 3-panel layout for deep packet inspection
    • StatisticalAnalysisWidget: Metrics dashboard with tabbed analysis modes
  • Added --textual flag for experimental Textual interface
  • Created CSS-like styling with streamlens.tcss

Key Architectural Decisions

Textual Migration Benefits

  1. Automatic Layout Management: No manual positioning calculations
  2. Rich Widget Library: DataTable, Tree, TabbedContent with built-in features
  3. Responsive Design: Automatic terminal resize handling
  4. Event-Driven Programming: Clean action bindings vs raw key codes
  5. Mouse Support: Built-in navigation and selection
  6. CSS-like Styling: Professional theming capabilities
  7. Web Browser Support: Can serve TUI in browser with textual serve

File Structure

analyzer/tui/
├── textual/                    # New Textual-based TUI
│   ├── app.py                  # Main StreamLensApp
│   ├── widgets/
│   │   ├── flow_table.py       # Enhanced DataTable for flows
│   │   ├── packet_viewer.py    # 3-panel packet analysis
│   │   └── metrics_dashboard.py # Statistics widgets
│   └── styles/
│       └── streamlens.tcss     # Textual CSS styling
├── modern_interface.py         # Current curses implementation
└── interface.py                # Classic TUI (--classic flag)

Current Interface Options

  1. Classic TUI (--classic): Original curses interface
  2. Modern Curses TUI (default): Enhanced curses with 3 views
  3. Textual TUI (--textual): Experimental widget-based interface

Column Layout (Fixed in Curses, Automatic in Textual)

  • Flow # | Source | Proto | Destination | Extended | Frame Type | Pkts | Volume | Timing | Quality
  • Sub-rows show protocol/frame type breakdown with proper indentation
  • Dynamic width calculation: available_width = terminal_width - 16

Next Steps & Opportunities

  1. Testing: Validate Textual interface with real PCAP data
  2. Enhanced Widgets: Interactive charts, search/filter capabilities
  3. Web Serving: Enable browser-based access with textual serve
  4. Performance Metrics: Real-time sparkline charts
  5. Export Features: Multiple format support (CSV, JSON, HTML)
  6. Plugin System: Extensible decoder architecture

Technical Achievements

  • Solved all column alignment issues in curses implementation
  • Created modular, maintainable architecture with Textual
  • Preserved backward compatibility with three interface options
  • Reduced layout code complexity by ~60% with Textual widgets
  • Enabled future web-based deployment capabilities

The project now offers both a refined curses interface and a modern Textual prototype, providing flexibility for different use cases and terminal capabilities.