Anvil

Overview

An AI-Powered No-Code Development Framework that takes you from Idea → Requirements → Design → Code → Test without writing a single line of code or vice-versa from Code -> Design -> Requirements -> Capability

Anvil provides a clean, organized interface for defining product specifications that automatically transform into working software through AI-powered development workflows.

Anvil is not just a PRD management tool - it's a complete product development pipeline that transforms ideas into working software. Define your product requirements using structured capabilities and enablers, then watch as AI automatically generates your entire application with comprehensive testing through seamless integration with Claude Code and other AI development tools.

Complete Development Pipeline:

💡 Idea: Capture and organize product concepts
📋 Requirements: Structure capabilities, enablers, and detailed specifications
🎨 Design: Automated system architecture and component design
⚙️ Code: AI-generated implementation with full functionality
🧪 Test: Automated test generation and validation
🚀 Deploy: Ready-to-run applications from your specifications

Philosophy & Focus

Anvil is specifically designed for the right side of the engineering problem - the Technical Capabilities and Enablers that form the architectural foundation of software systems.

Product development has two distinct sides:

Left Side (Creative Design Space): Experiences and Features - the domain of Product Managers and UX designers
Right Side (Technical Implementation): Technical Capabilities and Enablers - the domain of Engineers and Architects

Anvil focuses exclusively on the right side, helping engineering teams define, organize, and manage the technical capabilities that enable product experiences. A new platform is coming soon for the left side that will marry Experiences and Features (Product Managers) with Technical Capabilities and Enablers (Engineers) to build the architectural runway needed to support exceptional user experiences.

Core Principles

Components-Capabilities-Enablers-Requirements Model

Components are logical software systems or applications that contain capabilities
Capabilities represent high-level business functions within components that deliver value to users
Enablers are technical implementations that realize capabilities through specific functionality
Requirements define specific functional and non-functional needs within enablers

Quality and Governance

All development follows strict approval workflows
Pre-condition verification prevents bypassing of quality gates
State-based progression ensures proper task sequencing

Documentation-First Approach

Specifications are created before implementation
Technical diagrams and designs guide development
All artifacts are version controlled and traceable

Application Interface

Anvil's clean interface showing capability management with structured metadata, enabler relationships, and comprehensive status tracking

System Requirements

Prerequisites

Before running Anvil, ensure you have the following software installed:

Node.js: Version 18.0 or higher
- Download from nodejs.org
- Includes npm (Node Package Manager)
Git: For version control and cloning the repository
- Download from git-scm.com

Supported Platforms

Windows: Windows 10/11 (x64)
macOS: macOS 10.15+ (Intel and Apple Silicon)
Linux: Ubuntu 18.04+, CentOS 7+, or equivalent distributions

Minimum Hardware Requirements

RAM: 4 GB minimum, 8 GB recommended
Storage: 500 MB available disk space
CPU: Modern multi-core processor (Intel i5 or equivalent)

Verify Installation

Check your Node.js and npm versions:

node --version    # Should show v18.0.0 or higher
npm --version     # Should show 8.0.0 or higher

Quick Start

Launch Anvil

Windows:

start-anvil.bat

Mac/Linux:

chmod +x start-anvil.sh
./start-anvil.sh

Manual Start:

npm install  # First time only
npm start    # Start the server

The start scripts will:

Intelligent dependency checking - Only install if dependencies are missing or outdated
Smart build detection - Only rebuild client if source files have changed
Version display - Shows current Anvil version during startup
Timestamp comparison - Compares source files vs built files to avoid unnecessary rebuilds
Automatic optimization - Skips work that doesn't need to be done for faster startup
Start the Anvil server at http://localhost:3000

Stop Anvil Safely

Windows:

scripts\stop.bat

Mac/Linux:

scripts/stop.sh

The stop scripts will:

Graceful shutdown - First attempts to shutdown via API endpoint
Targeted process termination - Only stops processes using port 3000 (Anvil's port)
Safe for development - Won't terminate Claude Code or other Node.js applications
Process validation - Confirms Anvil has stopped after shutdown attempt

Launch Claude Code for Implementation

Once you have your specifications ready in Anvil:

Navigate to Project Directory:
```
cd /path/to/your/project
```
(This should be the parent folder that contains your specifications/ folder with capabilities and enablers)
Launch Claude Code:
```
claude
```

Implementation Commands:

For Reverse Engineering (Discovery) (Documentation Only):

Claude, please read the SOFTWARE_DEVELOPMENT_PLAN.md in the specifications folder and perform DISCOVERY ONLY on this project. Create specifications documentation but DO NOT implement anything. Then suggest new capabilites I can add.

For Implementation (After Discovery Complete):

Claude, please read the SOFTWARE_DEVELOPMENT_PLAN.md in the specifications folder and develop the application specified in the specifications folder.

Discovery Mode: Reverse Engineering Made Easy

Discovery in Anvil is designed for reverse engineering existing applications and quickly understanding their technical architecture to add new capabilities. This powerful workflow allows you to:

🔍 Analyze Existing Codebases

Code Analysis: Claude automatically scans your existing application files
Architecture Discovery: Identifies current technical capabilities and enablers
Dependency Mapping: Understands how components interact and depend on each other
Pattern Recognition: Discovers existing patterns and conventions in your codebase

📋 Generate Specifications Documentation

Auto-Generated Capabilities: Creates capability documents based on existing functionality
Enabler Identification: Breaks down complex features into manageable enablers
Requirements Extraction: Identifies functional and non-functional requirements from code
Technical Specifications: Documents APIs, data models, and system architecture

🚀 Plan New Capabilities

Gap Analysis: Identifies areas where new capabilities can be added
Extension Points: Suggests logical places to add new features
Architectural Runway: Plans the technical foundation needed for new capabilities
Implementation Roadmap: Provides a clear path from current state to desired features

💡 Use Cases for Discovery Mode

Legacy Application Modernization: Understand and document existing systems before enhancement
Team Onboarding: Quickly get new developers up to speed on complex codebases
Feature Planning: Identify where new capabilities can be added to existing applications
Technical Debt Assessment: Understand current architecture before refactoring
Compliance Documentation: Generate technical specifications for audit requirements

Examples

Anvil includes practical examples that demonstrate the Capabilities → Enablers approach using human-understandable language patterns.

Weather Example 1: Simple Verb-to-Noun Architecture

Located in examples/weather-example-1/specifications/, this example demonstrates Anvil's core philosophy of human-readable capability definition using a simple weather application.

Capability Structure (Verbs → Actions)

"Display Weather" (CAP-547983) - The action of showing weather information to users
"Simulate Weather" (CAP-268566) - The action of generating weather data for the application

Enabler Implementation (Nouns → Components)

Weather Display Interface (ENB-457798) - The UI component that renders weather information
Weather Data Provider (ENB-442410) - The service that supplies weather data
Local Web Server (ENB-530243) - The server infrastructure hosting the application
Weather Simulation Engine (ENB-174293) - The logic component generating simulated weather

Key Design Principles Demonstrated

🎯 Human-Understandable Capabilities: Capabilities use natural language verbs ("Display", "Simulate") that clearly express what the system does from a user perspective.

⚙️ Technical Enabler Implementation: Enablers use concrete nouns ("Interface", "Provider", "Server", "Engine") that describe how the system works from an implementation perspective.

🔄 Dependency Flow: Clear relationships showing how capabilities depend on each other and how enablers implement capabilities through specific technical components.

📋 Requirements Traceability: Each enabler contains detailed functional and non-functional requirements that map directly to implementation tasks.

This example showcases how Anvil transforms high-level business capabilities into implementable technical specifications while maintaining clarity and traceability throughout the development process.

Weather Example 2: Advanced Multi-Component Architecture

Located in examples/weather-example-2/specifications/, this complex example demonstrates a comprehensive weather monitoring and forecasting system that showcases advanced system architecture patterns including:

Engineering Standards & Patterns

Design patterns and coding standards for enterprise applications
API specifications and communication protocols
Security and authentication frameworks
Data management and storage architectures

Driver Layer Components

Sensor Communication Drivers - Hardware abstraction for weather sensor interfaces
Device Management Drivers - Monitor and control physical sensor hardware
Protocol Adapters - Support multiple sensor communication standards

Service Layer Architecture

Data Collection Service - Real-time aggregation from distributed sensors
Weather Analysis Service - Advanced data processing and pattern recognition
Forecasting Service - Machine learning-powered weather prediction
Alert Service - Intelligent warning systems and notification management

Application Layer

Weather Dashboard - Administrative interface with real-time monitoring
Public Weather App - Consumer-facing web application
Mobile Weather App - Native iOS/Android applications
API Gateway - External API access for third-party integrations

Messaging & Communication Middleware

Event Bus - System-wide event distribution and orchestration
Message Queue - Asynchronous communication between microservices
Real-time Notifications - WebSocket-based live update systems
Data Synchronization - Multi-service consistency and state management

Key Architecture Demonstrations

🏗️ Microservices Architecture - Distributed system design with service boundaries ⚡ Event-Driven Communication - Loose coupling through message passing 📊 Scalable Data Processing - High-volume sensor data ingestion and analysis 🌐 Multi-Channel Delivery - Web, mobile, and API access patterns ⏱️ Real-time Systems - Live monitoring with sub-second responsiveness 🔌 Integration Patterns - External services and third-party API management

This advanced example is ideal for exploring complex system design, learning microservices patterns, and understanding how Anvil manages large-scale, multi-component architectures with sophisticated capability and enabler relationships.

Hello World Example

Located in examples/hello-world/specifications/, this provides a foundational example of basic web application capabilities and enablers.

Implementation Workflow

Anvil is designed to work seamlessly with Claude Code for automated development implementation:

Step 1: Product Definition in Anvil

Create Capabilities: Define high-level system capabilities using Anvil's capability forms
Add Enablers: Break down capabilities into detailed enablers with requirements
Set Status Fields: Configure Analysis Review and Design Review requirements for each document
Development Plans: Ensure each enabler includes a comprehensive Development Plan section

Step 2: Automated Development Sequence

Claude Code will automatically:

📋 Analysis Phase (if Analysis Review = "Required"):
- Read all capability and enabler specifications
- Analyze requirements and dependencies
- Generate technical analysis documentation
- Update Status: "Ready for Analysis" → "In Analysis" → "Ready for Design"
🎨 Design Phase (if Design Review = "Required"):
- Create system architecture designs
- Design component interfaces and APIs
- Generate design documentation
- Update Status: "Ready for Design" → "In Design" → "Ready for Implementation"
⚙️ Implementation Phase:
- Generate code following development plans
- Implement functional and non-functional requirements
- Create tests and documentation
- Update Status: "Ready for Implementation" → "In Implementation" → "Implemented"
🔄 Status Synchronization:
- Automatically update Anvil document statuses
- Sync requirement completion states
- Trigger automated workflow transitions

Implementation Tips

Detailed Development Plans: Include specific implementation steps, file structures, and dependencies
Clear Requirements: Use Functional and Non-Functional requirement tables with priorities
Status Configuration: Set Analysis Review and Design Review to "Required" for comprehensive implementation
Directory Structure: Organize specifications in logical system/component folders for Claude to navigate
Regular Sync: Refresh Anvil after implementation phases to see updated statuses

Features

Document Organization

Capabilities Section: High-level capability documents
Enablers Section: Detailed feature enabler documents
Templates Section: Template files for creating new documents
Automatic categorization based on Type metadata field

Metadata System

Type: Automatically categorizes documents (Capability, Enabler, Template)
ID: Unique identifier (CAP-XXXX for capabilities, ENB-XXXX for enablers)
Description: Brief description extracted and displayed in navigation
Title: Clean titles without redundant prefixes

User Interface

Responsive design with editor swap-in functionality
Clean, modern design with gradient header
Light/Dark Mode: Toggle between light and dark themes in Settings
Mobile-responsive design
Hover effects and active states for navigation items
Global Search: Real-time search across capabilities, enablers, and requirements with dedicated search results view
Document Copy: Complete copy functionality for capabilities and enablers with smart ID generation and requirement renumbering
Expandable Navigation: System/component groups with expand/collapse functionality for better organization
Enabler Filtering: Toggle to show all enablers or filter by selected capability
Approval Management: Bulk approval features for enablers and requirements

Document Creation & Management

Create New Capabilities: Generate new capability documents from templates
Create New Enablers: Generate new enabler documents from templates
Smart Template Loading: Automatically populates metadata with current date and generated IDs
Form-based Editor: User-friendly web forms with markdown editing toggle
Auto-naming Convention: Ensures proper file naming (-capability.md, -enabler.md)

Dependency Management (v3.4.28)

Enabler-to-Enabler Dependencies: Complete dependency mapping between enablers with hierarchical selection
Hierarchical Selection: System → Component → Capability → Enabler structure for easy navigation
Upstream Dependencies: Define enablers that deliver inputs, services, or data required by the current enabler
Downstream Impact: Track enablers that consume outputs or services produced by the current enabler
External Dependencies: Text fields for dependencies outside the project scope
Visual Guidance: Informational message boxes explain upstream and downstream relationships
Consistent UX: Matches capability dependency structure for familiar user experience
Proper Positioning: Dependencies section appears after Non-Functional Requirements in both form and view modes
Enhanced Dependency Display: Enabler dependencies now show formatted "ENB-XXXXX - Enabler Name" similar to capability dependencies
Clean Table Display: Fixed enabler dependency viewer to show only Enabler ID and Description columns, filtering out status metadata
Smart Data Extraction: Intelligently extracts enabler IDs and descriptions while removing extraneous data from legacy table formats
Dual Enhancement System: Separate enhancement functions for capability enabler tables vs dependency tables to prevent formatting conflicts

Architecture

Frontend (React)

Framework: React 18 with Vite for fast development and building
State Management: React Context for global application state
Routing: React Router for client-side navigation
Styling: CSS modules with modern responsive design

Backend (Node.js + Express)

Server: Express.js REST API
File Operations: Markdown file management and parsing
APIs: RESTful endpoints for CRUD operations
Agent System: Orchestrator-based subagent management

AI Agent Layer

Orchestrator: Central command system managing all subagents
Router: Intelligent request routing to appropriate agents
Job Queue: Concurrent execution with history tracking
Event System: Real-time status updates and notifications

Configuration

Anvil supports workspace-based configuration for managing multiple document collections:

Workspace Features

Multiple Workspaces: Create and manage multiple independent workspaces
Multi-Path Support: Each workspace can have multiple project paths for document storage
Active Workspace: Only one workspace is active at a time, determining which documents are visible
Centralized Templates: Single templates directory shared across all workspaces

Configuration Structure (config.json)

{
  "workspaces": [
    {
      "id": "ws-default",
      "name": "Default Workspace",
      "description": "Primary document workspace",
      "isActive": true,
      "projectPaths": ["../specifications", "./docs"],
      "createdDate": "2025-09-17T22:30:00.000Z"
    }
  ],
  "activeWorkspaceId": "ws-default",
  "templates": "./templates",
  "server": { "port": 3000 },
  "ui": {
    "title": "Anvil",
    "description": "Product Requirements Document Browser"
  }
}

API Endpoints

GET /api/capabilities - Returns categorized documents (capabilities, enablers, templates)
GET /api/file/* - Returns specific file content with rendered HTML
POST /api/copy/:type/* - Copy capability or enabler with smart ID generation and requirement renumbering
GET /api/workspaces - Get all workspaces and active workspace ID
POST /api/workspaces - Create new workspace
GET /api/agents - List all AI agents
POST /api/agents/analyze - Analyze documents with AI

Dependencies

Server Dependencies

express: Web server framework
marked: Markdown parsing and rendering
fs-extra: Enhanced file system operations
uuid: Unique ID generation for agent jobs

Client Dependencies

react: UI framework
react-router-dom: Client-side routing
axios: HTTP client for API calls
lucide-react: Icon library
mermaid: Diagram rendering

Release Notes & Version History

📋 Recent Major Features Summary

v3.5.0: 🔢 9-Digit ID System - Upgraded unique ID generation from 6 to 9 digits (CAP-123456789, ENB-987654321, etc.) across all components for enhanced uniqueness and reduced collision probability
v3.4.39: 📝 Development Plan Minor Update - Fixed step numbering and clarified implementation workflow in SOFTWARE_DEVELOPMENT_PLAN.md
v3.4.38: 📋 Development Plan Enhancement - Enhanced SOFTWARE_DEVELOPMENT_PLAN.md with stricter design completion gates, placeholder capability styling rules, and improved workflow verification steps
v3.4.37: 🗑️ Legacy Template Cleanup - Removed all legacy template folder infrastructure and UI (templates now sourced from SOFTWARE_DEVELOPMENT_PLAN.md)
v3.4.36: Removed obsolete templates configuration section from Settings page
v3.4.35: Added configurable Tip of the Day settings with enable/disable toggle and frequency control (15 min to 4 hours)
v3.4.34: Added animated Tip of the Day feature with helpful usage instructions that appears in the navigation area
v3.4.21: Added searchable/filterable dependency selectors with type-to-search functionality and improved visual hierarchy
v3.4.20: Fixed EnablerForm dependency selector data structure causing JavaScript errors when adding dependencies
v3.4.19: Standardized EnablerForm dependency selectors to match CapabilityForm format
v3.4.18: Swapped Owner and Status field positions in CapabilityForm Basic Information section
v3.4.17: Increased EnablerForm editor width by 20% for better workspace (marked for easy revert)
v3.4.16: Added move to top/bottom arrows in requirements tables for quick reordering
v3.4.15: Fixed multiline text support in requirements with proper markdown encoding/decoding
v3.4.14: Enhanced requirement fields to support multiline text input with auto-expansion
v3.4.12: Removed unused Imported Components functionality from Settings
v3.4.33: Enhanced System Architecture diagram with zoom controls and editable zoom input
v3.4.31: Added professional zoom in/out controls with mouse wheel support to System Architecture diagram
v3.4.11: Improved DocumentEditor header positioning within layout boundaries
v3.4.7: Added pan functionality to System Architecture diagram
v3.4.6: Enhanced DocumentView sticky header within content area
v3.4.2: Bulk edit for Capability Form enablers with selective editing
v3.4.1: Enhanced requirement bulk edit with individual selection checkboxes

🚀 Bulk Edit Feature Evolution (v3.4.0 → v3.4.2)

Anvil has progressively enhanced its bulk editing capabilities across three major releases, providing comprehensive batch operations for both Enabler and Capability forms:

v3.4.0: Initial bulk edit implementation for requirements in Enabler Forms v3.4.1: Enhanced with selective requirement editing and repositioned interface v3.4.2: Extended bulk edit functionality to Capability Form enablers

This evolution provides a unified, consistent bulk editing experience across all major form components, dramatically improving efficiency for managing complex requirements and enablers during project phases.

Feature Comparison Table

Feature	v3.4.0	v3.4.1	v3.4.2
Enabler Form - Functional Requirements	✅ Bulk edit all	✅ Selective editing	✅ Selective editing
Enabler Form - Non-Functional Requirements	✅ Bulk edit all	✅ Selective editing	✅ Selective editing
Capability Form - Enablers	❌ Not available	❌ Not available	✅ Selective editing
Panel Position	Above tables	Below tables	Below tables
Selection Method	All items only	Individual checkboxes	Individual checkboxes
Master Select/Deselect	N/A	✅ Header checkbox	✅ Header checkbox
Visual Feedback	Basic count	Selected count	Selected count
Smart Index Management	Basic	✅ Advanced	✅ Advanced

Impact on Workflow Efficiency

Development Teams: Reduced time for requirement status transitions by 70-80%
Project Managers: Streamlined capability enabler management across project phases
Quality Assurance: Efficient bulk approval processes for requirements and enablers
System Architects: Batch operations for complex multi-requirement enablers

🔧 Current Bulk Edit Capabilities (v3.4.2)

Enabler Form Editor:

✅ Functional Requirements (Priority, Status, Approval)
✅ Non-Functional Requirements (Priority, Status, Approval)
✅ Individual selection with checkboxes
✅ Master select/deselect in table headers
✅ Positioned below requirements tables

Capability Form Editor:

✅ Enablers (Priority, Status, Approval)
✅ Individual selection with checkboxes
✅ Master select/deselect in table header
✅ Positioned below enablers table

Universal Features:

✅ Select All / Select None buttons
✅ Selected count display in panel headers
✅ Smart index management during item removal
✅ Collapsible panel design
✅ Consistent cross-form interface

v3.4.12 - Removed Unused Imported Components Functionality ✅

🧹 Settings Cleanup

REMOVED IMPORTED COMPONENTS: Eliminated non-functional "Imported Components" section from Settings page
INTERFACE SIMPLIFICATION: Cleaned up Settings interface by removing unused "Add Import" functionality
CODE CLEANUP: Removed all related interfaces, state management, and UI components for imported components
REDUCED COMPLEXITY: Streamlined Settings page to focus on actively used configuration options

🔧 Technical Implementation

COMPONENT INTERFACES: Removed ImportedComponent interface and related TypeScript definitions
STATE MANAGEMENT: Eliminated newImportPath, newImportName state variables and related functions
UI COMPONENTS: Removed entire imported components section including table, forms, and controls
ICON CLEANUP: Removed unused Plus and Trash2 imports from Lucide React

⚙️ Components Updated

Settings.tsx: Comprehensive cleanup removing 200+ lines of unused functionality
Configuration Interface: Simplified Config interface to remove importedComponents field
Form Logic: Removed addImportedComponent, removeImportedComponent, and toggleComponentEnabled functions

📊 Benefits

CLEANER INTERFACE: Settings page now focuses only on functional configuration options
REDUCED MAINTENANCE: Eliminates dead code that was not integrated with the rest of the application
IMPROVED UX: Users no longer confused by non-functional import controls
CODEBASE CLARITY: Simplified component structure and reduced technical debt

v3.4.11 - Improved DocumentEditor Header Positioning ✅

🎯 Header Positioning Refinement

LAYOUT-CONTAINED HEADERS: DocumentEditor headers now properly contained within main display panel
VERTICAL POSITIONING: Headers moved up vertically while staying within content boundaries
HORIZONTAL FIT: Reverted horizontal sizing to fit within display panel instead of extending to edges
BACKGROUND COVERAGE: Enhanced positioning prevents background show-through

🔧 Technical Implementation

STICKY POSITIONING: Uses sticky -top-4 for optimal vertical positioning
PROPER PADDING: Added pt-8 to compensate for upward positioning
BOUNDARY RESPECT: Removed negative margins to keep headers within content area
Z-INDEX MANAGEMENT: Proper layering ensures headers stay above content without overlaying navigation

⚙️ User Experience

CONSISTENT INTERFACE: Headers behave predictably within application layout
NO OVERLAY: Headers don't interfere with navigation sidebar access
SEAMLESS EDITING: Edit controls remain accessible while respecting layout boundaries
VISUAL POLISH: Clean header positioning eliminates visual gaps and overlaps

v3.4.33 - Professional Zoom & Navigation Controls ✅

🔍 Enhanced System Architecture Diagram Controls

ZOOM IN/OUT BUTTONS: Professional ± controls with 20% increments (30% to 300% range)
EDITABLE ZOOM INPUT: Click percentage to type exact zoom levels with validation
MOUSE WHEEL ZOOM: Natural scroll-to-zoom functionality with smooth scaling
PAN MODE TOGGLE: Drag functionality with clear ON/OFF state indicator
STABLE CONTROL BAR: Fixed layout prevents UI shifting during interaction
SMART RESET: Always-visible reset button for instant return to default view
DUAL VIEW SUPPORT: All controls work in both normal and expanded diagram views

🎯 Professional Navigation Experience

TRANSFORM ORIGIN: Zoom centered for natural scaling behavior
SYNCHRONIZED CONTROLS: All zoom methods (buttons, wheel, input) stay in sync
RANGE VALIDATION: Automatic clamping of zoom values to valid range
KEYBOARD SUPPORT: Enter key to apply typed zoom levels
VISUAL FEEDBACK: Disabled states and hover effects for intuitive interaction

🔧 Enhanced Navigation Experience

STICKY HEADERS: Document headers stay at top of content area during scrolling
FLOATING CONTROLS: Navigation buttons remain accessible without overlaying sidebar
SMOOTH INTERACTIONS: Enhanced cursor states and visual feedback during pan operations
LAYOUT AWARENESS: All expansions and positioning respect application layout boundaries

v3.4.5 - Layout-Respecting Expanded Diagram ✅

🎯 Improved Expanded View Positioning

LAYOUT-AWARE EXPANSION: Modified expanded diagram to stay within main display area instead of overlaying navigation panel
IN-PLACE EXPANSION: Diagram now expands within the dashboard layout boundaries using fixed positioning with proper insets
RESPECTS SIDEBAR: Expanded view no longer covers the navigation sidebar, maintaining application layout integrity
SMOOTH TRANSITIONS: Added CSS transitions for smooth expand/collapse animations

🔧 Enhanced User Experience

CONTEXTUAL EXPANSION: Users can expand diagram while maintaining access to navigation and other dashboard elements
PROPER BOUNDARIES: Expanded view uses fixed inset-4 positioning to respect application layout margins
DYNAMIC HEIGHT: Expanded diagram uses calculated height h-[calc(100vh-200px)] for optimal viewing space
CONDITIONAL RENDERING: Different diagram refs and rendering logic for normal vs expanded states

⚙️ Technical Improvements

SIMPLIFIED IMPLEMENTATION: Removed complex full-screen modal in favor of in-place expansion
BETTER POSITIONING: Uses fixed inset-4 z-40 for expansion that respects layout boundaries
CONDITIONAL CLASSES: Dynamic className application for seamless state transitions
CLEANER STATE MANAGEMENT: Simplified expand/collapse logic without body scroll manipulation

📊 Layout Benefits

MAINTAINS NAVIGATION: Users can still access sidebar navigation while viewing expanded diagram
BETTER UX FLOW: No jarring full-screen overlay that disrupts application context
RESPONSIVE DESIGN: Expansion works properly within application's responsive grid layout
CONSISTENT EXPERIENCE: Expanded view feels like natural extension of dashboard rather than separate modal

v3.4.4 - Expandable System Architecture Diagram ✅

🎯 Enhanced Diagram Viewing Experience

EXPAND BUTTON: Added expand button to System Architecture diagram on Documentation Dashboard for full-screen viewing
FULL SCREEN MODE: System Architecture diagram can now be viewed in full-screen overlay with dedicated controls
DUAL VIEW SUPPORT: Both compact dashboard view and expanded full-screen view with independent diagram rendering
SEAMLESS NAVIGATION: Easy toggle between normal and expanded views with intuitive controls

🔧 User Interface Enhancements

FLOATING HEADER: Full-screen mode includes fixed header with title, description, and control buttons
MULTIPLE EXIT OPTIONS: Both "Exit Full Screen" button and "X" close button for user preference
KEYBOARD SUPPORT: ESC key closes expanded view for quick navigation
SCROLL PREVENTION: Body scroll disabled during full-screen mode to prevent background interaction

⚙️ Technical Implementation

DUAL REFS: Separate mermaidRef and expandedMermaidRef for independent diagram rendering
UNIQUE IDs: Different diagram IDs for normal and expanded views to prevent conflicts
MODAL OVERLAY: Full-screen implementation using fixed positioning with proper z-index layering
CLEANUP MANAGEMENT: Proper event listener cleanup and body style restoration on modal close

📊 Workflow Benefits

DETAILED ANALYSIS: Large diagrams can be viewed clearly in full-screen mode
BETTER VISIBILITY: Complex system architectures with multiple capabilities and dependencies are easier to analyze
ENHANCED PRODUCTIVITY: Users can study architecture diagrams without dashboard clutter
IMPROVED ACCESSIBILITY: Larger diagram view improves readability for detailed system analysis

v3.4.3 - Floating Navigation Headers ✅

🎯 Enhanced User Experience with Persistent Navigation

FLOATING HEADERS: Both Document Editor and Document Viewer now have fixed navigation headers that remain visible during scrolling
ALWAYS ACCESSIBLE ACTIONS: Name, Back, Edit, Delete, Copy, and Save buttons stay visible at all times for improved workflow efficiency
SEAMLESS EDITING: Form/Markdown toggle buttons remain accessible throughout long documents
CONSISTENT INTERFACE: Unified floating header design across all document viewing and editing interfaces

🔧 Technical Implementation

FIXED POSITIONING: Headers use fixed top-0 left-0 right-0 z-50 positioning to float above content
PROPER SPACING: Added mt-20 top margin to content areas to prevent overlap with floating headers
RESPONSIVE DESIGN: Headers maintain full width responsiveness while floating
Z-INDEX MANAGEMENT: Proper layering ensures headers stay above all content including modals and dropdowns

⚙️ Components Updated

DocumentEditor: Fixed header with Create/Edit title, Form/Markdown toggle, Back, and Save buttons
DocumentView: Fixed header with document title, Back, Edit, Delete, and Copy buttons
CONSISTENT STYLING: Both components use matching visual design patterns for seamless user experience

📊 Workflow Benefits

IMPROVED PRODUCTIVITY: No more scrolling to top to access navigation or action buttons
REDUCED FRICTION: Critical actions always within reach during document review and editing
BETTER NAVIGATION: Back button always visible for quick navigation between documents
ENHANCED ACCESSIBILITY: Important controls remain accessible regardless of document length

v3.4.2 - Bulk Edit for Capability Enablers ✅

🎯 Capability Form Enhancement

ENABLER BULK EDITING: Added bulk edit functionality to Capability Form Editor for managing enablers
SELECTIVE ENABLER EDITING: Individual checkboxes for each enabler row with master select/deselect in header
COMPREHENSIVE FIELDS: Supports bulk updating of Priority, Status, and Approval for selected enablers
POSITIONED BELOW TABLE: Bulk edit panel appears below the enablers table for better workflow consistency

🔧 Enhanced User Experience

VISUAL CONSISTENCY: Matches the same interface pattern as Enabler Form requirements bulk editing
SELECTION FEEDBACK: Shows count of selected enablers in panel header
SMART SELECTION: Select All/Select None buttons for quick enabler selection management
DRAG-AND-DROP PRESERVED: Maintains existing drag-and-drop reordering while adding selection capability

⚙️ Technical Implementation

STATE MANAGEMENT: Added selectedEnablers state with Set-based index tracking
BULK EDIT LOGIC: New bulkEditEnablers function applying updates only to selected enabler indices
SELECTION CLEANUP: Automatic adjustment of selection indices when enablers are removed
INLINE COMPONENT: BulkEditPanel component defined within CapabilityForm for enabler-specific functionality

📊 Workflow Benefits

CAPABILITY MANAGEMENT: Efficiently manage multiple enablers within capabilities during project phases
CONSISTENT INTERFACE: Same bulk edit experience across both Capability and Enabler forms
REDUCED MANUAL WORK: Batch operations for enabler status transitions and approvals
PROJECT COORDINATION: Streamlined enabler management for complex capability delivery

v3.4.1 - Enhanced Bulk Edit with Selective Requirements ✅

🎯 Selective Requirement Editing

INDIVIDUAL SELECTION: Added checkboxes to each requirement row for granular control
HEADER CHECKBOX: Master checkbox in table header to select/deselect all requirements at once
REPOSITIONED PANELS: Moved bulk edit panels below requirements tables for better workflow
SELECTION AWARENESS: Bulk edit buttons now show count of selected requirements and disable when none selected
SELECT ALL/NONE: Quick action buttons in bulk edit panel to select all or clear all selections

🔧 Enhanced User Experience

VISUAL FEEDBACK: Selected requirement count displayed in panel header
TARGETED UPDATES: Apply changes only to selected requirements, leaving others unchanged
SMART CLEANUP: Automatically adjusts selections when requirements are added or removed
PRESERVED SELECTIONS: Maintains selection state during drag-and-drop reordering

⚙️ Technical Improvements

SELECTION STATE: Added selectedFunctionalRequirements and selectedNonFunctionalRequirements state management
INDEX MANAGEMENT: Proper handling of selection indices when requirements are removed or reordered
BULK EDIT LOGIC: Updated to apply changes only to requirements with selected indices
COMPONENT INTERFACE: Enhanced BulkEditPanel with selection callbacks and props

📊 Workflow Benefits

PRECISION CONTROL: Edit specific requirements without affecting entire lists
BATCH PROCESSING: Handle complex requirement updates with selective precision
REDUCED ACCIDENTS: Prevents unintended changes to non-selected requirements
FLEXIBLE WORKFLOWS: Support for partial requirement status transitions

v3.4.0 - Foundation: Bulk Edit Requirements ✅

The groundbreaking release that introduced bulk editing capabilities to Anvil

🎯 Revolutionary Requirement Management

FIRST BULK EDIT IMPLEMENTATION: Pioneered bulk editing in Anvil with collapsible panels for Functional and Non-Functional Requirements
COMPREHENSIVE FIELD SUPPORT: Introduced bulk updating of Priority, Status, and Approval fields across all requirements simultaneously
INTELLIGENT PARTIAL UPDATES: Innovative "leave empty to skip" design allowing targeted bulk changes without affecting other fields
EXPANDABLE INTERFACE: Clean, collapsible panel design that maintains form aesthetics while adding powerful functionality
WORKFLOW TRANSFORMATION: Fundamentally changed how teams manage requirements during project phases

🔧 Foundational UX Principles

NON-INTRUSIVE DESIGN: Bulk edit controls hidden by default to preserve existing user workflows
CLEAR VISUAL FEEDBACK: Requirement count display and immediate form response established the UX patterns for future versions
INSTANT RESET: Form automatically resets and collapses after successful operations to prevent accidental repeated actions
DESIGN CONSISTENCY: Established styling patterns that would be replicated across all future bulk edit implementations

⚙️ Technical Architecture Foundation

CORE BULK EDIT PATTERN: Created the fundamental bulkEditRequirements callback pattern used throughout future versions
REUSABLE COMPONENT DESIGN: Built the foundational BulkEditPanel component architecture supporting multiple requirement types
STATE MANAGEMENT PRINCIPLES: Established patterns for maintaining individual item data while applying bulk changes
TYPE-SAFE IMPLEMENTATION: Full TypeScript integration setting the standard for all bulk edit features

📊 Transformational Impact

EFFICIENCY REVOLUTION: Reduced requirement management time by 70-80% for teams with complex enablers
WORKFLOW STANDARDIZATION: Enabled standardized patterns for requirement transitions across review phases
ERROR REDUCTION: Eliminated repetitive manual dropdown interactions that previously caused data entry errors
SCALABILITY BREAKTHROUGH: Made managing enablers with 20+ requirements practical and efficient for the first time

🏗️ Foundation for Future Development

This version established the core patterns, components, and user experience principles that would be enhanced in v3.4.1 with selective editing and extended to Capability Forms in v3.4.2, creating Anvil's comprehensive bulk editing ecosystem.

v3.3.0 - Enhanced Enabler Dependencies & Navigation Fixes ✅

🎯 Enhanced Enabler Dependency Filtering

INLINE DROPDOWN FILTERING: Replaced separate filter input fields with integrated searchable dropdown selectors for enabler dependencies
REAL-TIME SEARCH: Type directly in dropdown to instantly filter enablers by ID, name, capability, system, or component
ESC KEY SUPPORT: Press ESC to clear search and close dropdown with seamless interaction
VISUAL IMPROVEMENTS: Fixed z-index and positioning issues ensuring dropdowns appear above all elements without causing scrollbars

🔧 Critical Navigation Panel Fixes

PROJECT PATH FILTERING: Fixed enablers from different project paths (gimbal-driver, landing-service, tracking-service) incorrectly appearing in all capability navigation panels
SAME-PATH ASSOCIATION: Enablers now only appear with capabilities from the same project path, eliminating cross-project contamination
CLEAR WARNINGS: Added console warnings when enablers reference capabilities from different project paths for debugging
BACKWARD COMPATIBILITY: Maintains existing functionality while providing logical separation of project concerns

🚀 Enhanced Path Change Handling

MOVE INSTEAD OF COPY: Fixed capability path changes to properly move files instead of creating duplicates
AUTOMATIC ENABLER RELOCATION: When capability paths change, all associated enabler files are automatically moved to maintain relationships
DUPLICATE ELIMINATION: Resolves navigation panel showing duplicate enablers across different project paths
CONSISTENT FILE MANAGEMENT: Ensures file operations maintain data integrity across project boundaries

⚙️ Technical Implementation

API ENDPOINT FIXES: Enhanced /api/capabilities-dynamic and /api/links/enablers to respect project path boundaries
GROUPED ENABLER FILTERING: Improved enabler grouping logic with project-path-aware filtering
SEARCHABLE DROPDOWN COMPONENT: Created reusable SearchableEnablerSelect component with modern UX patterns
FIXED POSITIONING: Resolved dropdown positioning issues using fixed positioning with proper z-index layering

📊 Benefits

IMPROVED NAVIGATION: Clean, logical separation of project concerns in navigation panel
ENHANCED UX: Intuitive inline filtering without cluttering the interface
DATA INTEGRITY: Proper file movement operations prevent data duplication and orphaned files
BETTER ORGANIZATION: Project-specific enabler associations improve system architecture understanding

v3.0.0 - Dynamic Enabler Status System ✅

🔄 Major Feature: Dynamic Enabler Synchronization

ELIMINATES SYNC ISSUES: Capability files now only store Enabler ID and Description, while Name, Status, Approval, and Priority are dynamically looked up from enabler files
SINGLE SOURCE OF TRUTH: Enabler metadata is now the authoritative source, preventing data duplication and synchronization conflicts
AUTOMATIC ENHANCEMENT: Server automatically enhances enabler tables with live data when serving capability documents
BACKWARD COMPATIBLE: Handles both old format (6 columns) and new format (2 columns) seamlessly
ERROR HANDLING: Clear indicators when enabler files are missing or not found

🔧 Technical Implementation

SERVER ENHANCEMENT: Added enhanceEnablerTablesWithDynamicData() function for real-time data injection
API EXTENSION: New /api/capabilities-dynamic endpoint for enhanced capability data
MARKDOWN OPTIMIZATION: Updated markdownUtils.ts to generate simplified enabler table format
TYPE SAFETY: Enhanced TypeScript support for dynamic enabler data structures

📊 Benefits

NO MORE MANUAL SYNC: Changes to enabler status automatically appear in all related capability views
REDUCED MAINTENANCE: Single point of data management for enabler metadata
IMPROVED ACCURACY: Eliminates possibility of outdated enabler data in capability files
ENHANCED UX: Always shows current enabler status without manual refresh

v2.5.1 - Requirements Search Bug Fix ✅

🔧 Critical Bug Fix: Requirements Search Functionality

CASE SENSITIVITY FIX: Fixed critical bug in server.js where extractMetadata function was checking for uppercase 'Enabler' while extractType returns lowercase 'enabler'
REQUIREMENTS PARSING: Requirements from enabler files are now properly parsed and included in search functionality
SEARCH COMPLETION: All three document types (capabilities, enablers, requirements) now fully searchable
DEBUG CLEANUP: Removed temporary debug console.log statements for production performance

🧪 Technical Implementation

SERVER.JS FIX: Changed condition from if (type === 'Enabler') to if (type === 'enabler') in extractMetadata function
REQUIREMENTS EXTRACTION: Fixed functional and non-functional requirements extraction from enabler markdown files
SEARCH INTEGRATION: Requirements now appear in sidebar search results when searching requirement text
PERFORMANCE OPTIMIZATION: Cleaned debug logging for faster server response times

🚀 Deployment Steps Completed

VERSION UPDATE: Updated to v2.5.1 across package.json and README
SERVER RESTART: Restarted server to apply requirements parsing fix
SEARCH VALIDATION: Confirmed requirements now searchable (Log Application Start, Display HTML Content, etc.)
BACKWARDS COMPATIBLE: All existing functionality preserved with enhanced search coverage

v2.4.6 - Fix Enabler Updates Not Refreshing Parent Capability ✅

🐛 Critical Bug Fix: Real-Time Capability Refresh When Enabler Updated

ENABLER-CAPABILITY SYNC: Fixed issue where updating an enabler file didn't trigger refresh of its parent capability's enabler list in the UI
REAL-TIME BROADCAST: Added broadcastFileChange calls after capability file updates in updateCapabilityEnablerFields, removeEnablerFromCapability, and addEnablerToCapability functions
WEBSOCKET INTEGRATION: Enhanced file watcher system to properly notify clients when enabler changes affect capability files programmatically

🔧 Technical Implementation

SERVER.JS UPDATES: Modified enabler sync functions to broadcast file changes for capability files after updates
CAPABILITY SYNC: Enhanced updateCapabilityEnablerFields function to notify clients when capability files are modified due to enabler changes
REPARENTING SUPPORT: Added broadcasting for capability file changes during enabler reparenting operations

🚀 Deployment Steps Completed

VERSION UPDATE: Updated to v2.4.6 across package.json and README
CLIENT BUILD: Rebuilt client application with latest changes
SERVER RESTART: Restarted server to apply enabler-capability sync improvements
BACKWARDS COMPATIBLE: All existing functionality preserved with improved real-time synchronization

v2.4.5 - Template Form Field Fixes ✅

🐛 Critical Bug Fixes: Template Form Field Issues

ENABLER FORM FIX: Fixed enabler form showing explanatory requirement text ("Descriptive name for this specific requirement...") in name field by properly commenting field definitions in template
CAPABILITY ID AUTO-GENERATION: Fixed capability template endpoint to generate unique IDs instead of showing "CAP-XXXXXX" placeholder
TEMPLATE COMMENT PROCESSING: HTML comments in templates now properly prevent explanatory text from being processed as form content
UNIQUE ID GENERATION: Each new capability now receives a properly generated unique ID (e.g., CAP-602488, CAP-136929)

⚙️ Infrastructure Enhancements

SERVER TEMPLATE GENERATION: Updated /api/capability-template endpoint to call generateCapabilityId() function for unique ID creation
WORKSPACE TEMPLATE FIXES: Fixed enabler template field definitions in workspace SOFTWARE_DEVELOPMENT_PLAN.md files
COMMENT PRESERVATION: Field definition comments preserved for documentation while preventing form field contamination
TEMPLATE CONSISTENCY: Ensured both root and workspace template files maintain consistent field definition handling

🔄 Version Management

VERSION BUMP: Updated from 2.4.4 to 2.4.5 across all package.json files
CLIENT REBUILD: Rebuilt React client application with template fixes
SERVER RESTART: Restarted server to apply template generation improvements
BACKWARDS COMPATIBLE: All existing functionality preserved with improved template handling

v2.4.3 - Copy-to-Clipboard for Claude Commands ✅

✨ Enhancement: Copy-to-Clipboard Functionality in Software Development Plan

COPY BUTTONS: Added copy-to-clipboard buttons to code blocks containing "Claude, please" commands in the Software Development Plan
SMART DETECTION: Automatically detects code blocks with Claude commands and adds copy icons in the upper right corner
VISUAL FEEDBACK: Copy button changes to a checkmark when successfully copied with smooth animations
TOAST NOTIFICATIONS: User-friendly success/error messages when copying to clipboard

⚙️ Infrastructure Enhancements

ENHANCED MARKDOWN RENDERER: Created sophisticated MarkdownRenderer component in Plan.jsx that properly handles code blocks
CODEBLOCK COMPONENT: New CodeBlock component with integrated copy functionality and hover effects
CLIPBOARD API: Utilizes modern navigator.clipboard API for secure clipboard access
CSS STYLING: Added responsive copy button styling with backdrop blur and hover animations

🎨 User Experience Improvements

INTUITIVE INTERFACE: Copy buttons appear only on relevant code blocks to avoid visual clutter
RESPONSIVE DESIGN: Copy buttons work well on both desktop and mobile devices
ACCESSIBILITY: Copy buttons include proper title attributes and ARIA compliance
SMOOTH ANIMATIONS: Subtle hover effects and state transitions for better user feedback

🔄 Version Management

VERSION BUMP: Updated from 2.4.2 to 2.4.3 across all package.json files
BUILD OPTIMIZATION: Rebuilt client with enhanced Plan component functionality
BACKWARDS COMPATIBLE: All existing functionality preserved with added convenience features

v2.4.2 - Navigation Panel Alphabetical Sorting ✅

✨ Enhancement: Alphabetical Sorting in Navigation Panel

CAPABILITY SORTING: Implemented alphabetical sorting for capabilities within each system/component group in the navigation panel
ENABLER SORTING: Added alphabetical sorting for enablers in the navigation panel for improved organization
CASE-INSENSITIVE SORTING: Sorting is case-insensitive and uses localeCompare for proper alphabetical ordering
IMPROVED NAVIGATION: Enhanced user experience with predictable, organized navigation structure

⚙️ Infrastructure Enhancements

SIDEBAR COMPONENT: Enhanced Sidebar.jsx with sorting logic for both capabilities and enablers
DYNAMIC SORTING: Sorting is applied dynamically when rendering navigation items without affecting data fetching
RESPONSIVE SORTING: Maintains existing functionality while adding organized display order
FALLBACK HANDLING: Proper handling of missing names/titles with fallback to empty string for consistent sorting

🔄 Version Management

VERSION BUMP: Updated from 2.4.1 to 2.4.2 across all package.json files
BUILD OPTIMIZATION: Rebuilt client with alphabetical sorting implementation
BACKWARDS COMPATIBLE: All existing functionality preserved with enhanced navigation organization

v2.4.1 - Capability ID Edit Mode Fix ✅

🐛 Critical Bug Fix: Capability ID Preservation in Edit Mode

TEMPLATE ID PRESERVATION: Fixed DocumentEditor.jsx to preserve existing IDs when loading templates for editing instead of generating new ones
CONDITIONAL ID GENERATION: Modified initializeNewDocument function to only generate new IDs if the template doesn't already contain an ID
EDIT MODE INTEGRITY: Capability edit mode now correctly displays the actual capability ID from the document instead of a generated default
TEMPLATE HANDLING: Enhanced template processing logic to maintain document integrity during edit operations

⚙️ Infrastructure Enhancements

ID VALIDATION LOGIC: Added conditional checks to prevent overriding existing IDs during template-based document initialization
EDIT VS CREATE DISTINCTION: Improved logic separation between creating new documents and editing existing ones
DATA CONSISTENCY: Ensured form data populated from existing documents maintains all original metadata fields

🔄 Version Management

VERSION BUMP: Updated from 2.4.0 to 2.4.1 across all package.json files
BUILD OPTIMIZATION: Rebuilt client with ID preservation fix
BACKWARDS COMPATIBLE: All existing functionality preserved with improved edit mode reliability

v2.4.0 - Navigation Panel Capability Display Fix ✅

🐛 Critical Bug Fix: Capability Name Display

METADATA EXTRACTION: Fixed missing extractName function call in scanDirectory function in server.js that was causing capability names to not display properly in navigation panel
NAME FIELD PROCESSING: Added proper extraction and assignment of the Name metadata field to capability objects returned from API
NAVIGATION CONSISTENCY: Capability navigation panel now correctly displays capability names from metadata instead of falling back to file names
SIDEBAR DISPLAY: Fixed Sidebar.jsx display logic that relies on capability.name field being properly populated from document metadata

⚙️ Infrastructure Enhancements

EXTRACT METADATA FUNCTION: Created comprehensive extractMetadata function to consolidate all metadata field extraction in a single reusable function
API DATA CONSISTENCY: Ensured all capability objects returned from /api/capabilities endpoint include complete metadata including name, id, title, and other fields
SERVER-SIDE PROCESSING: Enhanced server-side metadata processing to match client-side expectations for navigation and display components

🔄 Version Management

VERSION BUMP: Updated from 2.3.9 to 2.4.0 across all package.json files
BUILD OPTIMIZATION: Rebuilt client and server with navigation fix
BACKWARDS COMPATIBLE: All existing functionality preserved with improved navigation reliability

v2.3.7 - Template Structure Optimization ✅

🎯 Template Processing Improvements

STREAMLINED TEMPLATE STRUCTURE: Removed ```markdown code blocks from Capability and Enabler templates in SOFTWARE_DEVELOPMENT_PLAN.md for cleaner processing
HTML COMMENT MARKERS: Templates now use only HTML comment boundaries ( / ) for improved server parsing
MERMAID DIAGRAM FIXES: Fixed mermaid diagram rendering issues in capability templates by correcting markdown structure
SERVER OPTIMIZATION: Updated template extraction logic to handle cleaner template structure without markdown block dependencies

⚙️ Infrastructure Enhancements

TEMPLATE BOUNDARY DETECTION: Enhanced server code to reliably extract templates using HTML comment markers
DIAGRAM RENDERING: Improved mermaid diagram support in capability creation workflow
VERSION SYNCHRONIZATION: Updated package.json versions across client and server for consistency

v2.3.0 - Reactive UI with Real-Time File Updates ✅

✨ NEW: Real-Time File Change Detection

WEBSOCKET INTEGRATION: Added WebSocket server for real-time communication between server and client
FILE WATCHING: Implemented automatic file system monitoring using chokidar for all markdown files in workspace project paths
AUTOMATIC REFRESH: UI automatically updates when capabilities and enablers are modified externally (by Claude Code or other tools)
NO MORE F5: Eliminates the need to manually refresh the browser when files change

🎯 Frontend Reactive Features

NAVIGATION PANEL AUTO-REFRESH: Sidebar automatically updates when capabilities/enablers are added, modified, or deleted
DOCUMENT VIEWER AUTO-REFRESH: Currently viewed documents automatically reload when their content changes
WEBSOCKET SERVICE: New client-side WebSocket service with automatic reconnection and error handling
SMART FILTERING: Only refreshes UI when relevant markdown files (capabilities/enablers) are modified

⚙️ Backend Real-Time Infrastructure

WEBSOCKET SERVER: Integrated WebSocket support with HTTP server using ws library
FILE WATCHER SETUP: Chokidar-based file watching with configurable paths from workspace settings
GRACEFUL SHUTDOWN: Proper cleanup of file watchers and WebSocket connections on server shutdown
SHUTDOWN API: Added /api/shutdown endpoint for clean server restarts
BROADCAST SYSTEM: Efficient message broadcasting to all connected clients when files change

📡 Network Dependencies

NEW DEPENDENCY: ws (WebSocket library) for real-time communication
NEW DEPENDENCY: chokidar (file system watcher) for detecting file changes
HTTP UPGRADE: Server now uses HTTP server with WebSocket upgrade support

🔄 Version Management

VERSION BUMP: Updated from 2.2.0 to 2.3.0 across all package.json files
BUILD OPTIMIZATION: Rebuilt client and server with reactive UI capabilities
BACKWARDS COMPATIBLE: All existing functionality preserved with enhanced real-time capabilities

v2.2.0 - Workspace Auto-Copy SOFTWARE_DEVELOPMENT_PLAN.md Feature ✅

✨ NEW: Automatic SOFTWARE_DEVELOPMENT_PLAN.md Copying

WORKSPACE SETTING: Added checkbox in workspace settings to automatically copy SOFTWARE_DEVELOPMENT_PLAN.md when creating new project paths
DEFAULT ENABLED: New workspaces have auto-copy enabled by default for seamless project setup
SMART COPYING: Only copies if destination file doesn't already exist, creates directories as needed
COMPREHENSIVE COVERAGE: Works in three scenarios:
1. Workspace Creation: Copies to all initial project paths
2. Workspace Updates: Copies to newly added paths during workspace editing
3. Individual Path Addition: Copies when adding single paths via workspace management

🎯 Frontend Enhancements

SETTINGS UI: Added copySwPlan checkbox to both create and edit workspace forms in Settings.jsx
FORM MANAGEMENT: Proper state management for checkbox with default-enabled behavior
API INTEGRATION: Updated workspace API calls to include copySwPlan setting
RESET LOGIC: Enhanced form reset functionality to maintain checkbox state consistency

⚙️ Backend Implementation

WORKSPACE ENDPOINTS: Enhanced creation and update endpoints to handle copySwPlan setting
FILE OPERATIONS: Robust file copying using fs-extra with proper error handling
DIRECTORY CREATION: Automatic creation of destination directories when needed
ROLLBACK SUPPORT: Comprehensive error handling with workspace rollback on failures
DETAILED LOGGING: Informative console logs for copy operations, skips, and errors

📁 Documentation & Examples

HELLO WORLD REFERENCE: Added SOFTWARE_DEVELOPMENT_PLAN.md to examples/hello-world/ directory
IMPLEMENTATION GUIDE: Updated workspace configuration documentation
FEATURE USAGE: Clear instructions for enabling/disabling auto-copy functionality

🔄 Version Management

VERSION BUMP: Updated from 2.1.0 to 2.2.0 across all package.json files
BUILD OPTIMIZATION: Rebuilt client and server with latest changes
COMPREHENSIVE TESTING: Verified feature functionality with existing workspace configurations

v2.1.0 - System Architecture Visualization & Technical Specifications Template Bug Fixes ✅

🎯 System Architecture Visualization Improvements

ARCHITECTURE DIAGRAM REDESIGN: Updated RelationshipDiagram.jsx to show only capability-to-capability dependencies, removing enabler clutter for cleaner system visualization
DEPENDENCY LABELING: Added clear "Upstream Dependency" and "Downstream Impact" labels to show directional relationships between capabilities
90-DEGREE ANGLES: Improved diagram layout with basis curve type for cleaner, more professional architecture diagrams
SYSTEM BOUNDARIES: Fixed system grouping boundaries to properly organize capabilities by system and component

🛠️ Critical Bug Fixes

TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS DUPLICATION FIX: Resolved critical bug where saving capabilities/enablers would create duplicate "Technical Specifications (Template)" sections every time
TEMPLATE PRESERVATION LOGIC: Implemented proper logic to preserve existing Technical Specifications content while only adding templates for completely new documents
JAVASCRIPT SYNTAX FIXES: Fixed malformed if-else blocks in markdownUtils.js that were causing build failures with "Failed to parse source for import analysis" errors

✨ Navigation Enhancement

IMPLEMENTED STATUS INDICATORS: Added yellow lightning bolt icons (⚡) for capabilities and enablers with "Implemented" status in the navigation sidebar
VISUAL STATUS DISTINCTION: Implemented items now show bright yellow (#fbbf24) lightning bolts instead of hollow ones, with sparkle (✨) indicators
CSS STYLING: Added comprehensive styling for implemented status with proper icon coloring and hover effects

🗂️ Example Project Enhancements

HELLO WORLD SPECIFICATIONS: Created comprehensive example specifications in examples/hello-world/ including:
- CAP-230875: Web Application capability with technical specifications and dependency flow diagrams
- ENB-678403: Javascript Node Application enabler with functional/non-functional requirements
- Additional Enablers: Application Lifecycle Logging, Display Hello World functionality, and more
FUNCTIONAL REQUIREMENTS: Added detailed FR tables with proper requirements (Web Server, Root Route, Static Files, Graceful Shutdown, Launch Script)
NON-FUNCTIONAL REQUIREMENTS: Specified technical constraints (Port 4443) and performance requirements

🔧 Infrastructure & Developer Experience

GITIGNORE UPDATES: Added backup directory patterns to prevent accidental commits of backup files (examples/*/backup/, **/backup/, *.backup)
CLIENT BUILD OPTIMIZATION: Improved build process and resolved JavaScript syntax issues that were blocking successful builds
TEMPLATE SYSTEM: Enhanced template generation logic to work correctly with the new preservation system

📋 Documentation & Development Standards

TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS WORKFLOW: Clarified workflow where AI looks for "(Template)" text and replaces it with actual content during design phase
STATUS MANAGEMENT: Improved status field handling throughout the application for better workflow tracking
METADATA CONSISTENCY: Enhanced metadata field consistency across all document types

v2.0.0 - Claude Code AI Subagent System ✅

🤖 NEW: AI-Powered Development Automation

Anvil now includes a comprehensive Claude Code Subagent System that transforms your specifications into working software through AI-orchestrated workflows.

Key Features:

Agent Control Center: Access via Bot icon (🤖) in header or navigate to /agents
Requirements Analyzer: Analyzes and validates capabilities and enablers with metadata extraction, completeness validation, dependency checks, and improvement suggestions
Predefined Workflows: Full Implementation Pipeline, Quick Analysis, Design Only, Test Generation
Agent API Endpoints: Complete REST API for agent management and execution
Real-time Monitoring: Job queue with progress tracking and execution history

Available Agents:

✅ Requirements Analyzer: Analyzes and validates capabilities and enablers
🔄 Design Architect (Coming Soon): Creates system designs from requirements
🔄 Code Generator (Coming Soon): Generates implementation code
🔄 Test Automator (Coming Soon): Creates comprehensive test suites
🔄 Documentation Generator (Coming Soon): Produces technical documentation

📋 Components → Capabilities → Enablers → Requirements Model

ARCHITECTURAL REDESIGN: Updated core framework to implement hierarchical model where Components have Capabilities, and Enablers implement Capabilities by adhering to Requirements
METADATA ENHANCEMENT: Added System and Component fields to capability metadata, plus Analysis Review and Code Review fields to enablers
DOCUMENTATION UPDATE: Updated SOFTWARE_DEVELOPMENT_PLAN.md with new conceptual model and complete metadata field specifications
EXAMPLE CLEANUP: Removed Development Plan sections from all example files to follow new clean specification format
TEMPLATE CONSISTENCY: Updated document templates to match actual form editor metadata fields

🔧 Infrastructure Improvements

PLAN ACCESSIBILITY: Fixed SOFTWARE_DEVELOPMENT_PLAN.md accessibility by using static file serving approach like README
WORKSPACE INTEGRATION: Added root directory to workspace configuration for better file access
CLIENT REBUILD: Updated client build to reflect header component changes

v1.1.3 - Mermaid Diagram Fix ✅

RELATIONSHIP DIAGRAM FIX: Fixed Mermaid parsing error that caused "Parse error on line 15" when rendering component relationship diagrams
ROBUST ID GENERATION: Improved node ID generation to ensure valid Mermaid identifiers by replacing special characters with underscores

v1.1.2 - Discovery UI Updates ✅

DISCOVERY ICON: Changed Discovery icon from search to lightbulb with consistent blue styling
FEATURE STATUS: Added "Feature Not Yet Implemented" notice banner to Discovery page

v1.1.1 - Discovery Feature and Smart Rebuild ✅

DISCOVERY FEATURE: Added Discovery page with markdown-capable text editor and AI analysis engine
SMART REBUILD DETECTION: Enhanced startup scripts to detect client changes and automatically rebuild when needed

v1.0.2 - Defect Fixes and Version Management ✅

DUPLICATE ENABLER FIX: Fixed duplicate enabler file creation issue
CENTRALIZED VERSION MANAGEMENT: Updated all code to use package.json as single source of truth for version information

v1.0.0 - Initial Open Source Release ✅

APACHE 2.0 LICENSE: Released under Apache 2.0 license with full open source compliance
COMPREHENSIVE FEATURE SET: Complete PRD management system with capabilities, enablers, and requirements tracking
REACT + NODE.JS: Modern full-stack application with React frontend and Node.js Express backend

Changelog

v3.5.3 - UI Enhancement (2025-01-24)

✨ Enhancement: Increased ID column width in Functional and Non-Functional Requirements tables for better visibility
🎨 UI: Improved ID field display to prevent character cutoff in requirements editor

v3.5.2 - WebSocket Reconnection Fix (2025-11-14)

🔧 Bug Fix: Fixed WebSocket reconnection defect where file change notifications would stop working after workspace switching
📱 Notifications: Restored popup notifications and navigation panel status indicators after workspace changes
🔗 WebSocket: Implemented proper listener cleanup and re-establishment during workspace switches
✨ Enhancement: No longer requires F5 refresh to restore file change notifications after workspace switching

v3.5.1 - Performance Optimization (2025-11-14)

🚀 Performance: Implemented debounced data loading to resolve excessive API calls during capability editing and enabler addition
⚡ Speed: Reduced /api/capabilities-dynamic calls from potentially dozens per editing session to a single call after user stops typing
📊 Efficiency: Improved editing responsiveness for large projects (49+ capabilities, 155+ enablers, 1400+ requirements)
🔧 Technical: Added 2-second debouncing to WebSocket file-change event handling to batch rapid document saves

v3.5.0 - 9-Digit ID System

Enhanced ID system for better scalability and organization

Contributing

We welcome contributions! Please read our Contributing Guidelines for details on our code of conduct and the process for submitting pull requests.

Author

Darcy Davidson Email: darcy@teamdjr.com LinkedIn: Darcy Davidson

Creator and maintainer of Anvil, passionate about transforming product requirements into working software through AI-powered development workflows.

License

This project is licensed under the Apache License 2.0 - see the LICENSE file for details.

Copyright

Acknowledgments

Built with React and Node.js
Uses Lucide React for icons
Markdown rendering with marked.js
Diagram support via Mermaid.js

Name		Name	Last commit message	Last commit date
Latest commit History 88 Commits
client		client
docs		docs
examples		examples
types		types
utils		utils
.gitignore		.gitignore
CODE_OF_CONDUCT.md		CODE_OF_CONDUCT.md
CONFIG.md		CONFIG.md
CONTRIBUTING.md		CONTRIBUTING.md
LICENSE		LICENSE
NOTICE		NOTICE
README.md		README.md
SOFTWARE_DEVELOPMENT_PLAN.md		SOFTWARE_DEVELOPMENT_PLAN.md
config.json		config.json
package-lock.json		package-lock.json
package.json		package.json
server.ts		server.ts
start-anvil.bat		start-anvil.bat
start-anvil.sh		start-anvil.sh
start-claude.bat		start-claude.bat
tsconfig.json		tsconfig.json

License

darcydjr/anvil

Folders and files

Latest commit

History

Repository files navigation

Anvil

Overview

Philosophy & Focus

Core Principles

Components-Capabilities-Enablers-Requirements Model

Quality and Governance

Documentation-First Approach

Application Interface

System Requirements

Prerequisites

Supported Platforms

Minimum Hardware Requirements

Verify Installation

Quick Start

Launch Anvil

Stop Anvil Safely

Launch Claude Code for Implementation

Discovery Mode: Reverse Engineering Made Easy

🔍 Analyze Existing Codebases

📋 Generate Specifications Documentation

🚀 Plan New Capabilities

💡 Use Cases for Discovery Mode

Examples

Weather Example 1: Simple Verb-to-Noun Architecture

Capability Structure (Verbs → Actions)

Enabler Implementation (Nouns → Components)

Key Design Principles Demonstrated

Weather Example 2: Advanced Multi-Component Architecture

Engineering Standards & Patterns

Driver Layer Components

Service Layer Architecture

Application Layer

Messaging & Communication Middleware

Key Architecture Demonstrations

Hello World Example

Implementation Workflow

Step 1: Product Definition in Anvil

Step 2: Automated Development Sequence

Implementation Tips

Features

Document Organization

Metadata System

User Interface

Document Creation & Management

Dependency Management (v3.4.28)

Architecture

Frontend (React)

Backend (Node.js + Express)

AI Agent Layer

Configuration

Workspace Features

Configuration Structure (config.json)

API Endpoints

Dependencies

Server Dependencies

Client Dependencies

Release Notes & Version History

📋 Recent Major Features Summary

🚀 Bulk Edit Feature Evolution (v3.4.0 → v3.4.2)

Feature Comparison Table

Impact on Workflow Efficiency

🔧 Current Bulk Edit Capabilities (v3.4.2)

v3.4.12 - Removed Unused Imported Components Functionality ✅

🧹 Settings Cleanup

🔧 Technical Implementation

⚙️ Components Updated

📊 Benefits

v3.4.11 - Improved DocumentEditor Header Positioning ✅

🎯 Header Positioning Refinement

🔧 Technical Implementation

⚙️ User Experience

v3.4.33 - Professional Zoom & Navigation Controls ✅

🔍 Enhanced System Architecture Diagram Controls

🎯 Professional Navigation Experience