Elevating Praxis: The Full Plures Framework

by Alex Johnson 44 views

Hey there! Let's dive into something exciting – the evolution of Praxis within the Plures ecosystem. Currently, Praxis is a key component, but the goal is to transform it into the central, all-encompassing framework. Think of it as the brain of the operation, coordinating everything from databases to user interfaces.

Understanding the Core Transformation: Praxis as the Unified Framework

This isn't just a simple update; it's a fundamental shift. We're talking about elevating Praxis to the top spot, making it the primary framework that ties together PluresDB, Unum, ADP, State-Docs, CodeCanvas, and the Svelte-Tauri-template runtime. This means Praxis will be responsible for a wide range of critical functions:

  • Declarative Schemas: Defining how your data is structured.
  • Logic/State Machines: Managing the flow and behavior of your application.
  • Component Generation: Creating reusable UI elements.
  • Local-First Data Modeling: Designing data that works seamlessly offline and online.
  • Documentation Generation: Automatically creating helpful documentation.
  • Visual Design (Canvas): Providing a visual workspace for design.
  • Orchestration (DSC/MCP): Managing the different parts of your application.
  • Runtime Environment (Web/Desktop/Mobile): Running your application on various platforms using Svelte and Tauri.

Imagine Praxis as the conductor of an orchestra, ensuring every instrument (component) plays in harmony. This elevation is about creating a streamlined, efficient, and powerful framework for building complex applications.

Objectives: The Roadmap to the New Praxis

Let's break down the key steps to make this transformation happen. We have several objectives to help us get there. This structured approach will ensure a smooth transition and a solid foundation for the new Praxis.

1. Establishing Praxis as the Framework Identity

The first step is to clearly define Praxis as the primary application framework within the Plures ecosystem. This involves:

  • Clear Documentation: Creating detailed documentation that explains Praxis's mission and value proposition. This ensures everyone understands what Praxis is and why it's essential.
  • Integration Clarity: Explaining how existing repositories like PluresDB, Unum, and ADP will integrate with the new Praxis framework. This ensures that the various parts of the Plures ecosystem work together seamlessly.

2. Creating the New Praxis Repository Structure

We need to reorganize the Praxis repository to reflect its new role as a unified framework. This will involve a carefully planned structure, with the following key directories:

  • /praxis: The main directory holding everything together.
    • /core: This will contain the essential components of Praxis, including schema definitions, logic engines, component generators, and runtime environments.
    • /integrations: This directory will house integrations with existing Plures components like PluresDB, Unum, and ADP. This ensures that Praxis can work seamlessly with these components.
    • /cli: A command-line interface for interacting with Praxis.
    • /templates: Pre-built templates to kickstart application development.
    • /examples: Example applications to demonstrate how Praxis works.
    • /docs: Documentation for all aspects of Praxis.

This structure provides a clean and organized way to manage the various components of Praxis, making it easier for developers to understand and contribute to the project.

3. Implementing the Praxis Schema

At the heart of Praxis will be its schema format, which acts as the blueprint for various components. This schema will be used to generate:

  • PluresDB Models: Define the structure of your data for PluresDB.
  • Logic Machines: Create the logic and state machines that drive your application.
  • Svelte Components: Generate user interface components for your application.
  • DSC/MCP Definitions: Define orchestration rules for your application.
  • Documentation: Automatically generate documentation based on the schema.
  • Canvas Metadata: Provide data for the visual design environment. \nThe schema acts as the single source of truth, making it easy to generate various components and ensure consistency across the entire application.

4. Adding the Praxis Component Factory

The Component Factory is a CLI-based tool that will transform schemas into working components. This generator will take a schema as input and produce:

  • Svelte Components: User interface elements for your application.
  • Logic Machines: Logic and state machines to manage your application's behavior.
  • Data Store Bindings: Connections to your data stores.
  • Documentation: Automatically generated documentation.
  • Canvas Artifacts: Metadata for the visual design environment.
  • DSC Definitions: Orchestration rules for your application.

This will speed up development and reduce the amount of manual work required to build components.

5. Integrating Code Canvas as the Visual IDE

Code Canvas will become a visual IDE for Praxis, allowing users to:

  • Schema Editing: Visually edit schemas.
  • Logic Editing: Edit logic and state machines.
  • Component Previews: Preview components as they are being created.
  • Orchestrator Visualization: Visualize and manage the application's orchestration.
  • Documentation Navigation: Easily navigate through the generated documentation.

This visual IDE will streamline the development process and make it easier for developers to create and manage complex applications.

6. Building the Praxis CLI

A powerful CLI will be developed to streamline common tasks. Here are some of the commands that will be available:

  • praxis create app: Create a new application.
  • praxis create component: Create a new component.
  • praxis generate: Generate components, documentation, and more.
  • praxis canvas: Open the visual design environment.
  • praxis orchestrate: Manage the application's orchestration.

These commands will automate repetitive tasks and make it easier for developers to work with Praxis.

7. Adding Official Templates

To help developers get started quickly, we'll provide several official templates:

  • Basic App: A basic application template.
  • Fullstack / Orchestrator: A template for building full-stack applications with orchestration capabilities.
  • Component Starter: A template to help you start building a new component.
  • Distributed/DSC-enabled template: A template for building distributed applications with DSC.

These templates will provide a starting point for different types of applications and help developers save time and effort.

8. Document All Core Concepts with State-Docs

Comprehensive documentation is vital. State-Docs will be used to document:

  • Schema Format: How to define schemas.
  • Component Lifecycle: How components work.
  • Data Layer: How the data layer functions.
  • Orchestrator Integration: How to integrate with the orchestrator.
  • Canvas Usage: How to use the visual design environment.
  • API References: Comprehensive API references.

This will ensure that developers have all the information they need to understand and use Praxis.

9. Provide Demo Applications

To showcase the capabilities of Praxis, we'll provide demo applications, including:

  • Offline-first Chat: A chat application that works offline.
  • Knowledge Canvas: A visual knowledge management tool.
  • Self-orchestrating Node Onboarding Example: An example of how to onboard nodes.

These demo applications will help developers understand how to use Praxis to build real-world applications.

Acceptance Criteria: What Success Looks Like

  • Praxis is clearly documented as the main framework.
  • The repository is reorganized into the new framework structure.
  • The schema → component pipeline is working.
  • The CLI is operational with basic scaffolding.
  • The Canvas integration is functional.
  • Templates are available for initial development.
  • Reference examples build and run successfully.

This comprehensive plan will transform Praxis into a powerful, unified framework for the Plures ecosystem. It's an exciting journey, and we can't wait to see what amazing applications developers build with Praxis! Keep an eye on our progress, and feel free to reach out with any questions or ideas.

For more detailed information and updates, check out the official Plures documentation and community forums.

Plures Official Website