werkator/docs/plan

GitTally Rewrite Plan

This directory contains the step-by-step plan for rewriting legacy/gitTally (bash) as the Kotlin/Spring application in this repository. Each step file is self-contained and sized for one focused Claude Code session.

How to Execute a Step

Start a fresh Claude Code session and prompt, for example: "Execute docs/plan/01-build-state-domain.md". The executing session should:

1. Read this file, 00-legacy-analysis.md, and the step file.
2. Read the referenced parts of legacy/gitTally only if the step file says so.
3. Implement with tests, following CLAUDE.md conventions.
4. Run ./gradlew ktlintFormat and then ./gradlew build until green.
5. Update the step's checkbox below and note deviations inside the step file.

Guiding Principles

• The legacy script defines intended behavior, but it is buggy — treat it as a reference, not a spec.
• Fix the two known legacy defects by design, not by patching:
  • Build status must be observable while a build runs (event-driven status transitions, async build execution).
  • The web UI must never get stuck loading (JSON status endpoints with explicit error states instead of regex-rewritten HTML).
• Do not port orphaned or half-implemented legacy config options (see 00-legacy-analysis.md).
• Every step leaves the build green and the application runnable.
• Config keys added by a step must be updated in three places: GitTallyConfig, the InitCommand templates, and docs/configuration.md.

Proposed Architecture Decisions

These are proposals baked into the steps. Revisit them in an ADR if a step uncovers problems.

• Build results are persisted as a JSON file under .git/gittally/, behind a BuildResultRepository interface (no database, but replaceable).
• Builds run concurrently up to builds.maxConcurrent (default 1), but never more than one build per branch at a time. Each branch builds in its own reusable git worktree under .git/gittally/worktrees/, checked out detached at the requested commit — never in the primary checkout. A later step must decide (possibly per config) whether a new commit on a branch cancels that branch's running build or waits for it; for now new builds queue behind the running one.
• Artifacts stay on the filesystem, served by the Spring server.
• The web UI is server-rendered HTML plus small JavaScript polling JSON endpoints (no SPA framework).
• The watcher is a Spring-managed scheduled component, decoupled from the build executor via the result repository and events.
• nginx/Let's Encrypt container management is NOT ported; deployment behind an existing reverse proxy is documented instead. Revised after step 12 (ADR 0005): an opt-in managed nginx/TLS container is required for Hostsharing container hosts — see step 13.

Steps

Foundation:

• 01-build-state-domain.md — build result domain model and persistent repository
• 02-git-gateway.md — full git access layer (fetch, branches, commits, checkout)
• 03-gitea-client.md — Gitea API client for commit statuses

Core engine:

• 04-build-executor.md — async build execution with logs, cancellation, status transitions
• 05-artifact-store.md — artifact persistence, naming, retention
• 06-watcher.md — branch watching, scheduling, auto-builds

Server and UI:

• 07-server-mode.md — server subcommand, REST/JSON endpoints, artifact serving
• 08-web-ui.md — HTML views with robust live updates
• 09-system-metrics.md — system resource monitoring page

Completion:

• 10-cli-commands.md — CLI build/status commands
• 11-docker-build-runtime.md — optional Docker build execution
• 12-deployment.md — systemd service, migration from legacy, docs

Added after the initial plan (ADR 0005):

• 13-nginx-tls.md — opt-in managed nginx/TLS container for hosts without a reverse proxy

Added after the 2026-08-10 overhead measurements on vm2176:

• 14-build-phase-timing-and-overhead.md — per-build phase timing, overhead budget warning, ownership/metrics fixes

Steps 01–03 are independent of each other. Steps 04–06 depend on 01–03. Steps 07–09 depend on 04–06. Steps 11 and 12 are optional/deferrable; 10 only needs 04–06. Step 13 depends on 07, 11, and 12.