Workspace File System Integration
Date
2026-03-21
Context
Mohio’s first desktop shell was still static. It needed a real local-first workflow so users could open a folder, browse Markdown files from disk, and move through the app using a workspace model instead of placeholder navigation.
Change
- Added local workspace selection in the Electron main process, including directory picking and Markdown file-tree enumeration for
.md, .markdown, and .mdx documents.
- Added a shared typed workspace contract between the main process, preload bridge, and renderer so the app can load the current workspace, open a workspace, and react to workspace changes from both UI actions and the
File menu.
- Added a
File > Open Folder... menu item with the CmdOrCtrl+O shortcut and wired it so menu-based workspace changes refresh the renderer immediately.
- Replaced the static left sidebar with a real workspace browser that lists Markdown files in a nested folder tree.
- Added expandable and collapsible folder rows with chevrons that point right when collapsed and down when expanded.
- Tightened the workspace tree spacing into a denser, more Notion-like left-navigation rhythm for faster scanning.
- Simplified the empty workspace state into a single centered folder-selection CTA with minimal copy.
- Removed duplicate workspace context from the left sidebar once the active workspace was already shown in the top bar.
- Hid the
New document action until a workspace is open.
- Simplified the main document panel so the selected document title remains the primary visible identifier without showing the file path underneath.
- Added or updated tests for workspace enumeration, menu behavior, shared API behavior, and renderer interaction around tree state and workspace loading.
- Updated the architecture and design documentation to reflect the new workspace integration, collapsible navigation tree, and denser left-sidebar direction.
Decision
Implemented direct local workspace selection and a filesystem-backed tree before adding higher-level document actions so the product could establish its core local-first model first. Chose a dense collapsible tree and simplified empty states over more ambitious navigation features to make the shell immediately usable without adding premature complexity.
Affected Areas
desktop/src/main/desktop/src/preload/desktop/src/shared/desktop/src/renderer/docs/architecture.mddocs/design.md
Impact
Mohio now has a usable first-pass workspace flow: users can open a local folder, browse its Markdown documents in a collapsible navigation tree, and interact with a cleaner shell that only exposes actions that make sense for the current workspace state.