feat(launcher): implement force-sync and chronological download priority

Onsite operators can now manually trigger a full pre-sync of all location
materials via a "Force Sync Location" button in the Launcher config.
This ensures podium Macs have all content cached before an event starts.

- Added trigger__force_location_sync to launcher session store.
- Implemented force_location_sync() in background sync engine to perform
  recursive metadata fetches for all sessions in a location.
- Optimized download queue with a 4-tier chronological sort:
  1. Event/Location assets (Global)
  2. Sessions by start time (Earliest first)
  3. Presentations by start time (Sequential order)
  4. File creation date (First-in fairness for on-time uploads)
- Updated module and native integration documentation.

Co-Authored-By: Claude Sonnet 4.6 <noreply@anthropic.com>

.ae_brief

@@ -1,22 +1,15 @@
 # Aether Project Brief: aether_app_sveltekit
-**Last Updated:** 2026-02-09 22:03:56
+**Last Updated:** 2026-05-21 22:25:05
 **Current Agent:** mcp_agent
 
 ## 🛠️ What I Just Did
-Addressed multiple Svelte compiler warnings:
-1. Converted ~30 decorative labels to spans (a11y).
-2. Applied Svelte 5 untrack() pattern to initial state from props.
-3. Fixed CSS scoping for TipTap editor.
-4. Added rel="noopener noreferrer" to external links.
-5. Commited changes in two atomic batches.
+Implemented "Force Sync Location" feature. Optimized file download order with a 4-tier chronological sort (Global > Session > Presentation > Creation Date). Added UI button for onsite operators. Updated project documentation. Verified with npm run check.
 
 ## 🚧 Current Blockers
-None. Remaining svelte-check warnings (219) require more granular ID/for linking in complex forms.
+None.
 
 ## ➡️ Exact Next Steps
-1. Granular fix for remaining 68 label/ID associations in address/person forms.
-2. Systematic application of untrack() for remaining state-from-props warnings.
-3. Clean up unused TipTap CSS selectors identified by svelte-check.
+User to review changes. Ready for onsite testing/deployment.
 
 ---
 *Generated by ae_brief*

documentation/MODULE__AE_Events_PressMgmt_Launcher.md

@@ -169,8 +169,8 @@ per event via config.
 1. **Presenter checks in** — staff looks up their session(s) in Pres Mgmt
 2. **File upload** — staff or presenter uploads file to the correct presenter/session record
 3. **File verification** — staff opens the file on a practice station to confirm it renders
-4. **Launcher sync** — file appears in the Launcher within the next polling cycle
-5. **Presenter proceeds to room** — podium kiosk already has the file cached
+4. **Launcher Sync** — file appears in the Launcher within the next polling cycle. Staff can use the **Force Sync Location** button in the Launcher config to immediately queue all files for the room's schedule.
+5. **Presenter proceeds to room** — podium kiosk already has the file cached.
 
 ---
 
@@ -280,6 +280,18 @@ For production onsite use, **Native mode on Mac laptops** is the target. The Ele
 app pre-caches all session files in the background so presentations open instantly without
 a network round-trip at the moment of launch.
 
+### Download Priority & Room Readiness
+
+To ensure the podium is ready for the day's first sessions, the Launcher sync engine uses a
+4-tier chronological sorting priority:
+
+1.  **Global Assets:** Event and Location level files (branding, walk-in slides) are cached first.
+2.  **Session Schedule:** Files for the earliest sessions in the room are prioritized.
+3.  **Presentation Order:** Within a session block, speakers are prioritized by their scheduled start time.
+4.  **First-In Fairness:** When times are equal, older uploads are prioritized over late revisions.
+
+Operators can manually trigger a full pre-sync of all location materials via the **Force Sync Location** button in the Launcher configuration (Sync Engine section).
+
 ### Native Mode — Electron App
 
 - **Repo:** `~/OSIT_dev/aether_app_native_electron/`

documentation/PROJECT__AE_Events_Launcher_Native_integration.md

@@ -72,10 +72,15 @@ Files are stored persistently using their SHA-256 hash to prevent filename colli
 - **Filename:** `{hash}.file`
 
 ### 4.2 Background Sync (File Warming)
-When a user navigates to a session in the Launcher UI, the `LauncherBackgroundSync` component:
-1.  Extracts all `event_file_id` values for that session.
-2.  Checks the native cache via `aetherNative.check_cache`.
-3.  Triggers background downloads for missing files via `aetherNative.download_to_cache`.
+When a user navigates to a session in the Launcher UI, the `LauncherBackgroundSync` component warms the cache for that specific session. To ensure full room readiness, a **Force Sync Location** trigger is available in the configuration UI.
+
+1.  **Metadata Fetch:** The system fetches all sessions, presentations, and presenters for the current location into the local database (Dexie).
+2.  **Chronological Priority:** Missing files are added to the download queue and sorted to prioritize the event schedule:
+    -   **Tier 1: Global Assets** — Event and Location level files (virtual time 0).
+    -   **Tier 2: Session Schedule** — Earliest sessions are prioritized first.
+    -   **Tier 3: Presentation Order** — Within a session, speakers are prioritized by their start time.
+    -   **Tier 4: Integrity & Fairness** — Tie-breakers use `created_on` (oldest first) to ensure on-time uploads are cached before last-minute revisions.
+3.  **Download:** Triggers background downloads via `aetherNative.download_to_cache` sequentially to preserve network bandwidth and ensure file integrity.
 
 ### 4.3 Safe Handover (Launch Sequence)
 When a user clicks "Open", the system follows a non-destructive sequence:

src/lib/stores/ae_events_stores__launcher_defaults.ts

@@ -119,6 +119,9 @@ export interface LauncherSessState {
     trigger_reload__event_session_obj_li: string | null;
     trigger_reload__event_location_obj_id: string | null;
     trigger_reload__event_location_obj_li: string | null;
+
+    trigger__force_location_sync: any;
+
     trigger__ws_connect: any;
     trigger__ws_disconnect: any;
 }
@@ -254,6 +257,8 @@ export const launcher_sess_defaults: LauncherSessState = {
     trigger_reload__event_location_obj_id: null,
     trigger_reload__event_location_obj_li: null,
 
+    trigger__force_location_sync: null,
+
     trigger__ws_connect: null,
     trigger__ws_disconnect: null
 };

src/routes/events/[event_id]/(launcher)/cfg_components/launcher_cfg_sync_timers.svelte

@@ -1,8 +1,8 @@
 <script lang="ts">
 import { ae_loc } from '$lib/stores/ae_stores';
-import { events_loc } from '$lib/stores/ae_events_stores';
+import { events_loc, events_sess } from '$lib/stores/ae_events_stores';
 import Launcher_Cfg_Section from './launcher_cfg_section.svelte';
-import { Pause, Play, RefreshCw } from '@lucide/svelte';
+import { CloudDownload, Pause, Play, RefreshCw } from '@lucide/svelte';
 interface Props {
     on_expand?: () => void;
 }
@@ -41,6 +41,16 @@ let { on_expand }: Props = $props();
         </button>
     </div>
 
+    <!-- Force Sync: fetches all child metadata for the location to trigger pre-caching -->
+    <button
+        type="button"
+        onclick={() => ($events_sess.launcher.trigger__force_location_sync = true)}
+        class="btn btn-sm preset-filled-primary-500 hover:preset-filled-primary-600 mb-3 w-full transition-all"
+        title="Fetch all sessions, presentations, and presenters for this room to force-sync all files to this machine.">
+        <CloudDownload size="1.2em" class="mr-2" />
+        Force Sync Location
+    </button>
+
     {#if $events_loc.launcher.sync_intervals}
         <div class="grid grid-cols-1 gap-3">
             <!-- Technical Timers (Edit Mode Only) -->

src/routes/events/[event_id]/(launcher)/launcher_background_sync.svelte

@@ -248,6 +248,18 @@ $effect(() => {
     }
 });
 
+// Force Sync Trigger: fetches ALL child metadata for ALL sessions in the room.
+// WHY: by default, the launcher only warms presentation/presenter caches for the
+// *selected* session to save bandwidth. Onsite operators use this trigger to
+// force-fetch everything ahead of time so the file sync loop can pre-cache
+// every slide deck for the entire day.
+$effect(() => {
+    if ($events_sess.launcher.trigger__force_location_sync) {
+        $events_sess.launcher.trigger__force_location_sync = false;
+        force_location_sync();
+    }
+});
+
 /**
  * API Refresh: Event
  */
@@ -377,7 +389,40 @@ async function run_sync_cycle() {
             .anyOf(all_for_ids)
             .toArray();
 
-        const cacheable_files = files.filter((file_obj) => !is_url_file(file_obj));
+        const cacheable_files = files.filter(
+            (file_obj) => !is_url_file(file_obj)
+        );
+
+        // Optimized Chronological Sync Order
+        // 1. Prioritize Event/Location level files (Global assets).
+        // 2. Prioritize by Session start time (Urgent schedule priority).
+        // 3. Prioritize by Presentation start time (Within a session).
+        // 4. Prioritize by created_on (Oldest first — "Not penalizing" on-time uploads).
+        cacheable_files.sort((a, b) => {
+            const time_a_sess = a.event_session_start_datetime
+                ? new Date(a.event_session_start_datetime).getTime()
+                : 0;
+            const time_b_sess = b.event_session_start_datetime
+                ? new Date(b.event_session_start_datetime).getTime()
+                : 0;
+            if (time_a_sess !== time_b_sess) return time_a_sess - time_b_sess;
+
+            const time_a_pres = a.event_presentation_start_datetime
+                ? new Date(a.event_presentation_start_datetime).getTime()
+                : 0;
+            const time_b_pres = b.event_presentation_start_datetime
+                ? new Date(b.event_presentation_start_datetime).getTime()
+                : 0;
+            if (time_a_pres !== time_b_pres) return time_a_pres - time_b_pres;
+
+            const created_a = a.created_on
+                ? new Date(a.created_on).getTime()
+                : 0;
+            const created_b = b.created_on
+                ? new Date(b.created_on).getTime()
+                : 0;
+            return created_a - created_b;
+        });
 
         sync_stats.total = cacheable_files.length;
         let cached_count = 0;
@@ -554,6 +599,45 @@ async function refresh_location_config() {
         console.error('Sync: Location refresh FAILED:', err);
     }
 }
+
+/**
+ * Force Location Sync
+ * Fetches ALL sessions and their children (presentations, presenters, files)
+ * for the current location into Dexie.
+ */
+async function force_location_sync() {
+    const location_id = $events_slct.event_location_id;
+    if (!location_id) return;
+
+    if (log_lvl)
+        console.log(`Sync: FORCING full sync for location: ${location_id}`);
+
+    try {
+        // 1. Fetch all sessions with all children (recursive loads handled by load_ae_obj_li)
+        await events_func.load_ae_obj_li__event_session({
+            api_cfg: $ae_api,
+            for_obj_type: 'event_location',
+            for_obj_id: location_id,
+            inc_presentation_li: true,
+            inc_presenter_li: true,
+            inc_file_li: true, // Also get session-level files
+            view: 'alt',
+            hidden: 'all',
+            try_cache: true,
+            log_lvl: 1
+        });
+
+        if (log_lvl)
+            console.log(
+                'Sync: Force metadata fetch complete. File sync cycle will follow.'
+            );
+
+        // 2. Trigger the file sync cycle immediately to start downloads
+        run_sync_cycle();
+    } catch (err) {
+        console.error('Sync: Force location sync FAILED:', err);
+    }
+}
 </script>
 
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