# Aether SvelteKit — AI Agent Bootstrap / Quickstart > **Read this first.** This doc is the fast path to being productive on this project. > It covers the rules, patterns, and gotchas that matter most. > Deep dives are in the linked docs at the bottom. --- ## 1. What This Project Is **Aether** is an event management platform built by One Sky IT (Scott Idem). This repo is the frontend: **Svelte 5 (runes mode) + SvelteKit v2**. The backend is a separate repo (`aether_api_fastapi`) — a FastAPI + MariaDB app running in Docker. The frontend talks to it exclusively via the V3 REST API. **Key clients:** - **Conference organizers** — Presentation Management (pres_mgmt), Launcher, Badges - **Exhibitors** — Leads capture - **IDAA** — International Doctors in Alcoholics Anonymous (private medical/recovery community) **Stack at a glance:** | Layer | Technology | |---|---| | Framework | Svelte 5 (runes mode) + SvelteKit v2 | | Styling | Tailwind CSS v4 + Flowbite (Skeleton UI being phased out) | | State | `$state`/`$derived` runes + Dexie.js IndexedDB (`liveQuery`) | | Icons | Lucide (`@lucide/svelte`) | | Editors | CodeMirror 6 (primary), Edra/TipTap (secondary) | | Native | Electron app for onsite launcher (`src/lib/electron/electron_relay.ts`) | | Backend | FastAPI + MariaDB, V3 API (`/v3/crud/`, `/v3/lookup/`) | | Auth | Custom headers: `x-aether-api-key` + `x-account-id`; JWT Bearer is auto-injected when a session exists | --- ## 2. Critical Rules — Read Before Touching Any Code ### Privacy (Sev-1 class failures if violated) - **IDAA content is ALWAYS private.** All routes under `/idaa/` require authentication. A previous AI agent accidentally made IDAA bulletin board data publicly accessible. This is the single most serious class of mistake on this project. When in doubt — it's private. - **Journals** are private personal data. Always authenticated. ### File Safety - **Never use `rm`** to delete files. Move to `~/tmp/agents_trash` instead. - Never commit `.env` files, API keys, or passwords. ### Before Every Commit - Run `npx svelte-check` — zero errors, zero warnings. No exceptions. - Atomic commits: one component or one fix per commit. ### Before Starting Any Task - Read `documentation/TODO__Agents.md` — it has active tasks, known bugs, and context about what was recently changed and why. ### V3 API — Never Include the Object ID in PATCH Body Fields The ID is in the URL. Including it in `data_kv` causes a `400: Unknown column in SET`. ```ts // WRONG — causes 400 error: update_ae_obj__event_file({ event_file_id, data_kv: { event_file_id, file_purpose: 'final' } }) // CORRECT: update_ae_obj__event_file({ event_file_id, data_kv: { file_purpose: 'final' } }) ``` --- ## 3. Environment & Deploy Cheat Sheet There are **two separate `.env` systems** — do not confuse them: | System | File | Controls | |---|---|---| | `aether_container_env/.env` | Docker orchestration | Ports, `AE_CFG_ID`, replicas, paths | | `aether_app_sveltekit/.env.*` | Vite/SvelteKit build | `PUBLIC_*` API vars baked into the JS bundle | **The 4 commands you run and which env file each uses:** | Command | Env file read | |---|---| | `npm run dev` | `aether_app_sveltekit/.env.local` (Vite dev server, localhost:5173) | | `npm run build:docker:dev` | `aether_app_sveltekit/.env.dev` (baked into local Docker image) | | `npm run deploy:remote:test` | `/srv/apps/test_aether_app_sveltekit/.env.test` on Linode | | `npm run deploy:remote:prod` | `/srv/apps/prod_aether_app_sveltekit/.env.prod` on Linode | **The `.env.*` files are gitignored** (only `.default` templates are tracked). They must be placed manually on each server during initial setup. On the workstation you only need `.env.local` and `.env.dev`. The Linode servers each have exactly one env file for their environment. **What goes in every SvelteKit env file** (same 8 vars, different values per env): ```env PUBLIC_AE_API_PROTOCOL=https PUBLIC_AE_API_SERVER= PUBLIC_AE_API_BAK_SERVER= PUBLIC_AE_API_PORT=443 PUBLIC_AE_API_PATH= PUBLIC_AE_API_SECRET_KEY= PUBLIC_AE_CRUD_SUPER_KEY= PUBLIC_AE_BOOTSTRAP_KEY= PUBLIC_AE_NO_ACCOUNT_ID=No_Account_ID_Here ``` --- ## 4. Svelte 5 Runes Mode — Key Patterns & Gotchas This codebase is **fully Svelte 5 runes mode**. No Svelte 4 syntax. ### The basics ```svelte ``` ### What NOT to use (Svelte 4 patterns — do not introduce) ```ts // ❌ No writable() stores for component state import { writable } from 'svelte/store'; // ❌ No reactive declarations $: doubled = count * 2; // ❌ No onDestroy for cleanup — use $effect return instead onDestroy(() => cleanup()); ``` ### `$bindable()` vs `$state()` - Use `$bindable()` when the parent needs two-way binding on a prop. - Use `$state()` for local component state with no external binding. ### Store reactivity trap (important for `$effect`) The app uses `svelte-persisted-store` (Svelte 4 contract) for `$ae_loc`, `$ae_api`, `$ae_sess`, etc. In Svelte 5 `$effect`, reading **any field** of a Svelte 4 store subscribes to the **entire store**. This means unrelated writes to `$ae_loc` (e.g. iframe height, SWR reload) will re-trigger your effect. Be conservative about what you read from these stores inside `$effect` blocks. See `PROJECT__Stores_Svelte5_Migration.md` for the long-term fix plan. For search pages specifically, this usually means: - keep true user preferences in persisted local state - keep transient triggers, loading flags, and last-executed search keys in session state when possible - let the page effect schedule the search, but put the duplicate-execution guard inside the search executor so page-load auto-search still runs after hydration - if the search text or filters are mirrored from localStorage on mount, expect that mount-time writes can re-trigger the effect unless the executor has its own guard ### `{#await}` blocks ```svelte {#await somePromise} {:then result}
{result}
{:catch error} {/await} ``` --- ## 5. V3 API Patterns ### SWR (Stale-While-Revalidate) — the standard load pattern Return cached Dexie data immediately, refresh from API in background. ```ts async function load_ae_obj_id__my_obj({ api_cfg, obj_id }) { // 1. Return stale cache immediately (fast) const cached = await db.my_obj.get(obj_id); if (cached) my_obj_state = cached; // 2. Fetch fresh from API in background _refresh_my_obj_background({ api_cfg, obj_id }); } ``` ### Shared/Common Aether object fields The core fields for almost all Aether objects are: * id/id_random * code - string * name - string * summary - string * content - string * alert - boolean * alert_msg - text * priority - boolean * sort - int * group - string * hide - boolean * enable - boolean * default_qry_str - special concat string index * notes - text * created_on - timestamp * updated_on - timestamp ### ID convention — never use `_id_random` fields The V3 API uses random string IDs (e.g. `event_file_id = "aBc123"`). The `*_id_random` fields are legacy aliases. The integer version of the ID is never returned by the API. Always use the short form: ```ts // ✅ Correct event_file_obj.event_file_id // ❌ Wrong — legacy alias, don't use event_file_obj.event_file_id_random ``` The short ".id" is also the randomized string, **not an integer** (autonum). ### PATCH — only field values in the body ```ts // The obj_id goes in the URL (handled by update_ae_obj__* function). // Only the fields you want to update go in data_kv. await events_func.update_ae_obj__event_file({ api_cfg: $ae_api, event_file_id: 'aBc123', // → becomes the URL path param data_kv: { file_purpose: 'final' } // → only changed fields }); ``` ### Auth headers (set automatically by `api.ts`) ``` x-aether-api-key: x-account-id: ``` **Do not treat `params.key` as an auth bypass.** Only explicit `x-no-account-id: bypass` means "drop account context". If `key` is present for business logic, keep `x-account-id` intact. ### Dexie queries — always use the object ID index, not `.get()` All `db_core` (and other module) Dexie tables define their schema with `id` as the first field (primary key), followed by the object's string ID (e.g. `person_id`). V3 **never** returns `id`, so every record stored in Dexie has `id = undefined`. Calling `.get(value)` does a primary key lookup — it will always miss when passed a string object ID. ```ts // ❌ Wrong — .get() uses the primary key (id), which V3 never populates: liveQuery(() => db_core.person.get(person_id)) // ✅ Correct — use .where() on the indexed object ID field: liveQuery(() => db_core.person.where('person_id').equals(person_id).first()) ``` This applies to every table in every module (`db_core`, `db_events`, etc.). When looking up a single object by its string ID, always use `.where().equals().first()`. --- ## 6. Naming Conventions (snake_case; no camelCase) | Pattern | Example | Used for | |---|---|---| | `ae_comp__*` | `ae_comp__event_badge.svelte` | Route-level components | | `ae__comp__*` | `ae_events_comp__session_list.svelte` | Module-scoped components | | `element_*` | `element_input_files_tbl.svelte` | Reusable library primitives | | `lq__*` | `lq__journal_obj` | Read-only liveQuery | | `lqw__*` | `lqw__journal_obj` | Writable form snapshot liveQuery | | `ae___.ts` | `ae_journals__journal.ts` | Object type + functions | | `db_.ts` | `db_journals.ts` | Dexie instance per module | The **canonical pattern reference** is the Journals module (`src/lib/ae_journals/`). When building anything new, model it after Journals. --- ## 7. Mistakes Agents Have Made on This Project These are real incidents — know them before you start. 1. **IDAA BB exposed publicly** — an agent removed an auth guard from the bulletin board route. All IDAA content must be behind authentication. Always check route guards when touching `/idaa/` routes. 2. **`event_file_id` in PATCH body (400 error)** — including the object ID in `data_kv` when calling `update_ae_obj__*`. The V3 API tries to `SET event_file_id = ...` which fails because it's a view alias, not a DB column. See Section 2 above. 3. **Bad `.d.ts` declaration silently hid 1368 errors** — a `declare module` in `app.d.ts` (a script-context file) replaced the entire `@lucide/svelte` type exports instead of merging. `svelte-check` showed 0 errors, masking real problems. If `svelte-check` suddenly drops to 0 errors, verify it's not because a bad declaration wiped a module. 4. **Coarse store reactivity loop** — an `$effect` that read `$ae_loc.some_field` was re-triggering repeatedly because unrelated writes to `$ae_loc` (e.g. SWR config reload) fired the effect. In Svelte 5, any read of a Svelte 4 store inside `$effect` subscribes to the whole store. Scope what you read carefully. 5. **`file_purpose == 'admin'` not hidden in Launcher** — the `hide_draft` prop hid `outline` and `draft` files but not `admin` files. Gaps like this happen when a new enum value is added to a field without auditing all the places that filter on it. 6. **Deleting files with `rm`** — always move to `~/tmp/agents_trash`. A deleted file may contain context that's not recoverable from git if it was gitignored. 7. **Dexie `.get()` with a string object ID returns `undefined`** — Dexie `.get(value)` looks up by the table's **primary key**, which is `id` (the first schema field). The V3 API never returns `id`, so it is always `undefined` in stored records. Passing a string object ID (e.g. `person_id`) to `.get()` will silently return nothing. Always use `.where('person_id').equals(person_id).first()` instead. This has caused liveQuery blocks to always produce `undefined` even when the record exists in Dexie. 8. **Treating `$effect` blocks as auth bypass risks** — a `$effect` inside a child component cannot bypass a parent `+layout.svelte` auth gate. Children only mount if the parent calls `{@render children?.()}`. Adding redundant auth guards to `$effect` blocks that can only run after the parent gate already passed is unnecessary — and misleads future readers into thinking the parent gate is not sufficient on its own. The **real** pre-gate risk is `+page.ts` / `+layout.ts`: universal load functions run before any layout mounts and also fire during SvelteKit link prefetch. Keep those files clean of data loads in private modules. See `GUIDE__SvelteKit2_Svelte5_DexieJS.md` → "SvelteKit Layout Hierarchy: Security and Execution Order" for the full explanation. 9. **Using query `key` as a proxy for bypass stripped `x-account-id`** — this caused valid account-scoped requests to lose account context and 403. `key` can be a valid endpoint/business param, but it is not equivalent to `x-no-account-id: bypass`. Keep `x-no-account-id` usage narrow and temporary; do not expand it without a documented allowlist case. 10. **Pre-stringifying `*_json` fields before passing to API wrappers** — the API wrappers (`api_post__crud_obj.ts` for V3, `api.ts` for legacy CRUD) automatically serialize any field ending in `_json` (e.g. `cfg_json`, `data_json`). Pass these as plain JS objects. Pre-stringifying with `JSON.stringify()` before calling the wrapper will double-encode the value in the legacy path (stringify sees a string and escapes it), and is at best redundant on the V3 path. Both paths now pretty-print with 2-space indent. See `GUIDE__AE_API_V3_for_Frontend.md` → section 3C for the full explanation. 11. **Broad Dexie result windows get silently clipped** — if a broad "All" view shows fewer rows than a narrower filter, check for a page-level limit or an API revalidation step replacing the local IDB result set. For empty text searches, the full local result set should drive the display; server refreshes should update cache, not shrink visibility. 12. **Not bumping `IDB_CONTENT_VERSIONS` when changing `properties_to_save`** — this caused the IDAA Recovery Meetings "no meetings found" bug for approximately one year (2025–2026). **What happened:** A deploy changed `properties_to_save` in `ae_events__event.ts`, but no one bumped `IDB_CONTENT_VERSIONS.events.event` in `store_versions.ts`. Existing users kept the old stale event records in IndexedDB indefinitely. On the Recovery Meetings page, the fast path (IDB search) returned those stale records, which all failed the `account_id` filter and returned 0 results. The API call then either errored silently or was filtered to 0 by the secondary client-side filter. Critically, the error state and the genuinely empty state showed the **same** "No meetings found" message — users and staff had no indication a failure had occurred. The manual Full Reset (via the `?` help panel) always fixed it, but no one knew why it worked, making the root cause impossible to track down. **The fix (2026-05-16):** `check_and_clear_idb_table()` in `store_versions.ts` is now wired in `src/routes/idaa/(idaa)/+layout.svelte` for `db_events.event`. On a version match it costs one localStorage read. On a mismatch it silently clears the table; the SWR pattern then repopulates from the API on next load. **The rule going forward:** - When you change `properties_to_save` in any `ae_events__*.ts` file (or any other object file) in a way that makes existing cached records stale — fields added, removed, renamed, or where a computed field's behavior changes — **bump the matching entry in `IDB_CONTENT_VERSIONS` in `src/lib/stores/store_versions.ts`**. - If the table is not yet wired, wire it first (see the wiring instructions in the `IDB_CONTENT_VERSIONS` comment block in `store_versions.ts`). - Currently wired: `events.event`. All other tables are not yet wired. **Also:** Never show the same UI message for both a failed API call and a genuinely empty result. Always distinguish `qry__status === 'error'` from `qry__status === 'done'` with 0 results in your templates. Silent failures look like data problems and are extremely difficult to diagnose. 13. **Breaking the API retry loop by returning errors instead of throwing them** — all four `api_*_object.ts` files (`api_get_object.ts`, `api_post_object.ts`, `api_patch_object.ts`, `api_delete_object.ts`) use a `.catch()` that returns the error as a value, followed by a classification block. That block **must throw** for transient network failures (`TypeError`) so they enter the retry loop. If you change it to `return false`, retries are silently bypassed for the most common failure mode in hotel/conference WiFi — and nothing warns you. **What happened (commit a10accfaa, Jan 2026):** A "silence background fetch noise" commit changed `.catch()` to explicitly `return error`, then the classification block was changed from a `throw` to `return false`. `TypeError` from `ERR_NETWORK_CHANGED` — the most common failure on crowded WiFi — stopped retrying. The `retry_count = 5` parameter became dead code for network errors. Went undetected for ~4 months. **The retry classification these files must honor:** - `TypeError` (ERR_NETWORK_CHANGED, WiFi blip) → **`throw`** → enters retry loop with backoff - `AbortError` where `did_timeout_abort = true` (helper's own timer) → **`throw`** → retries - `AbortError` where `did_timeout_abort = false` (navigation/unmount abort) → `return false` - HTTP 400/401/403/422 → `return false` immediately (client errors are deterministic) - HTTP 5xx → **`throw`** → retries with backoff **How to verify after any change to the error block:** confirm that a `TypeError` still produces up to 5 retry attempts with 2s→4s→6s→8s delays before returning false. A single `return false` after the first network failure means the retry loop is broken. **Also:** when reviewing these files, check that all four have: - `ae_auth_error.set()` triggered on 401/403 (shows session-expired banner to the user) - `timeout = 20000` default (was 60s in PATCH/DELETE until 2026-05-21 — 5-min worst case) - `did_timeout_abort` flag per attempt (separates helper timeouts from caller aborts) 14. **Account-scoped `liveQuery` trigger firing before bootstrap completes** — components that load account-specific data via `liveQuery` must not trigger the API fetch until the bootstrap Sync Effect in `+layout.svelte` has set the real `account_id`. **What happened:** `element_data_store.svelte` triggered its load when `entry` was falsy. On a fresh load with no IDB cache, `$ae_api.account_id` was still `null` (bootstrap hadn't run yet). The `localStorage` scavenge in `api_get_object.ts` then read the stale `account_id = 1` from a previous dev/demo session and made the API call with the wrong account. The response was cached in IDB, and the next page load showed the wrong account's record. A second failure mode: if IDB _did_ have a cached record from a previous session with a different account, `liveQuery` returned it as a valid hit (`entry` truthy), so the trigger never fired to fetch the correct record. **The fix pattern** for any trigger `$effect` that depends on bootstrapped account context: ```typescript $effect(() => { // Use $slct.account_id (non-persisted), NOT $ae_loc.account_id (persisted, stale). // $slct is initialized to null and set only by the bootstrap Sync Effect, so it // reliably gates the fetch until bootstrap has completed. const account_id = $slct.account_id; const api_ready = !!$ae_api?.base_url; const entry = $lq__ds_obj as SomeType | null | undefined; if (!browser || !account_id || !api_ready) return; // Also re-fetch when IDB holds a record from a different (non-null) account. // null account_id = global/shared fallback — that is still a valid cache hit. const entry_is_stale_account = entry !== undefined && entry !== null && entry.account_id !== null && entry.account_id !== account_id; if (!entry || entry_is_stale_account) { trigger = 'load...'; } }); ``` **Why `$slct` not `$ae_loc`:** `$ae_loc` is a `svelte-persisted-store` — it hydrates from `localStorage` before any effects run, so its `account_id` may be a stale value from a previous session. `$slct` is a plain writable store initialized to `null`; the bootstrap Sync Effect is the only thing that sets it. Until that runs, `$slct.account_id` is `null`, providing a reliable gate. See `GUIDE__SvelteKit2_Svelte5_DexieJS.md` → "Bootstrap Race" for the Dexie-side context. 15. **`tmp_sort_*` comparators written descending instead of ascending** — `build_tmp_sort()` encodes `priority=true` as `'0'` and `priority=false` as `'1'`, designed for **ascending** sort so priority items appear first. Writing a JS `.sort()` comparator as `b.localeCompare(a)` (descending) inverts the encoding and sends priority items to the bottom. Found in journals (2026-06), IDAA recovery meetings fast-path and API re-sort (2026-06), and as a Dexie anti-pattern in BB post comments. ```ts // ❌ Wrong — descending puts priority=false ('1') before priority=true ('0') list.sort((a, b) => (b.tmp_sort_1 ?? '').localeCompare(a.tmp_sort_1 ?? '')); // ✅ Correct — ascending matches build_tmp_sort encoding list.sort((a, b) => (a.tmp_sort_1 ?? '').localeCompare(b.tmp_sort_1 ?? '')); ``` **Companion Dexie trap:** `collection.reverse().sortBy('tmp_sort_*')` — Dexie ignores a collection-level `.reverse()` when `.sortBy()` is called. The sort is always ascending. To reverse the result, call `.reverse()` on the returned array after `await`. See `GUIDE__SvelteKit2_Svelte5_DexieJS.md` → `build_tmp_sort` section. **Exception — legacy `ae_events__event.ts` encoding:** `ae_events__event.ts` (and `ae_events__event_session.ts`) do NOT use `build_tmp_sort`. They use `priority ? 1 : 0` (priority=true→`'1'`), which requires **descending** sort to put priority items first. `ae_events__event_presentation.ts` DOES use `build_tmp_sort` (it overrides the generic encoding in its `specific_processor`). Do not apply the ascending rule to raw event or session sorts until those modules are migrated to `build_tmp_sort`. 16. **Service worker without `skipWaiting()` + `clients.claim()` silently serves stale code to long-lived tabs** — The default SvelteKit service worker template does NOT include these calls. Without them, a new SW installs in the background but waits in a **"waiting"** state until every tab running the old version is closed before it activates. Users who leave a page open all day (especially IDAA members in the Novi iframe on idaa.org) run old buggy JS indefinitely after a fix is deployed. **Symptom that should trigger this check:** Bug reports from users that developers cannot reproduce. Developers constantly refresh and open/close tabs — the new SW activates immediately for them. End users with persistent tabs never get it. **The fix** (already applied to `src/service-worker.js` as of 2026-06-03): ```js self.addEventListener('install', (event) => { event.waitUntil(addFilesToCache()); self.skipWaiting(); // activate immediately, don't wait for tabs to close }); self.addEventListener('activate', (event) => { event.waitUntil(deleteOldCaches()); self.clients.claim(); // take control of all open tabs right away }); ``` **Trade-off:** A tab mid-session gets new JS without a page reload. For a read-heavy app like IDAA (browsing meetings) this is harmless. For a form-heavy app the risk is higher — weigh accordingly. --- ## 8. Source Layout (Quick Reference) ```text src/lib/ ae_api/ — API helpers (V3 preferred) ae_core/ — Account, User, Person, Site, hosted files ae_events/ — Events, sessions, presenters, badges, locations, files ae_journals/ — Journals (canonical/frontier model — copy patterns from here) ae_idaa/ — IDAA custom module (PRIVATE — always authenticated) elements/ — Reusable UI: V3 field editor, data store, CodeMirror, QR scanner electron/ — Native Electron bridge (electron_relay.ts) stores/ — ae_stores.ts, ae_events_stores.ts, ae_idaa_stores.ts src/routes/ /core/ — Admin (accounts, people, sites, users) /events/[id]/ /(pres_mgmt)/ — Presentation management /(launcher)/ — Event launcher (kiosk display) /(badges)/ — Badge printing /(leads)/ — Exhibitor leads /journals/ — Journals /idaa/ — IDAA module (PRIVATE) /hosted_files/ — File management ``` --- ## 9. Reading Order for Deeper Dives Start here, then go deeper as needed: | What you need | Read | |---|---| | Active tasks + known bugs | `documentation/TODO__Agents.md` ← always first | | Dev workflow + commit rules | `documentation/GUIDE__Development.md` | | V3 API reference | `documentation/GUIDE__AE_API_V3_for_Frontend.md` | | Dexie / liveQuery patterns | `documentation/GUIDE__SvelteKit2_Svelte5_DexieJS.md` | | Svelte 5 patterns + pitfalls | `documentation/GEMINI__Svelte_and_Me.md` | | Permissions + auth levels | `documentation/AE__Permissions_and_Security.md` | | Electron / native launcher | `documentation/PROJECT__AE_Events_Launcher_Native_integration.md` | | Store migration plan | `documentation/PROJECT__Stores_Svelte5_Migration.md` | | Exhibitor Leads module | `documentation/MODULE__AE_Events_Exhibitor_Leads.md` | | Naming conventions | `documentation/AE__Naming_Conventions.md` |