Developer Guide

Last updated: 2026-03-12 v04

developer_en.html

This document describes how developers should understand, extend, and maintain the MyAnythingList system.

1. Development Philosophy

• Preserve simplicity.
• Preserve human-readable text.
• Prefer transparent behavior over hidden logic.
• Document decisions clearly.

2. Core System Components

Playlist text
   ↓
URL discovery
   ↓
Command parsing
   ↓
Tile model creation
   ↓
Thumbnail / QR resolution
   ↓
Grid rendering

3. Playlist Parser

The parser extracts valid URLs from any UTF-8 text.

Rules:

• URLs may appear anywhere in text.
• Lines beginning with # are comments.
• Commands use the syntax #_Command().

Example:

My research notes:

https://example.com/article

#_ReplaceThumbnailWithImage("cover.jpg")

4. Command System

Commands extend playlist behavior.

Examples:

#_ReplaceThumbnailWithImage("image.jpg")
#_LoadImage("panel.png")
#_LoadImageHideLinks("poster.png")

Commands apply to the most recent URL unless otherwise defined.

5. UI State Architecture

Startup rendering order

Developers should optimize initial work in this order: visible tile shell, visible QR and text geometry, visible thumbnail or URL art, then off-screen work. A visible tile may continue improving after first paint, but it should never begin in an obviously wrong state.

Runtime state is controlled by configuration variables.

Examples:

• ShowControls
• ShowGear
• AutoHideGear
• ShowQR
• ShowTypes
• ShowURLs

These values may be set through:

• startup configuration
• URL parameters
• UI interaction

6. Thumbnail System

URL art implementation discipline

• Treat the live URL-art tile as canonical. Export code should reuse the same measurements and line-fitting logic wherever possible.
• Do not let export rendering drift into a separate approximate typography system.
• When the footer URL is visible, do not sink the main URL art underneath it; reserve the footer band and fit the main text into the remaining tile area.
• When URL length is within normal bounds, scale text to show the full URL exactly inside the tile.

Thumbnail sources are prioritized:

Command thumbnail
→ Uploaded thumbnail
→ Platform thumbnail
→ Fallback image

Rules:

• QR images must never replace thumbnails.
• Uploaded images must affect only the intended tile.

7. Contribution Guidelines

• Every materially relevant prompt must produce a documentation update in the same iteration.
• Missing an explicit prior requirement from the conversation or attached handoff artifacts is a spec-tracking failure.
• When in doubt, search the handoff materials and previously updated docs before assuming a rule does not exist.

• Preserve existing behavior unless explicitly redesigned.
• Update documentation when behavior changes.
• Favor readability over cleverness.

8. Long-Term Goal