# CLAUDE.md - Patherly / ResolutionFlow Project Context

> **Last Updated:** February 11, 2026

---

## Project Overview

**Patherly** (user-facing brand: **ResolutionFlow**) is a **SaaS product for MSP professionals**. It provides troubleshooting decision trees that guide engineers through proven troubleshooting paths, capture decisions and notes, and generate professional ticket documentation.

**Target Market:** MSP companies — IT service providers managing infrastructure and support for multiple clients.

**SaaS Context:** Multi-tenant design — teams represent MSP companies, trees shared within teams, tiered access (super_admin, team_admin, engineer, viewer).

### Branding

| Context | Name Used |
|---------|-----------|
| Repository / directory / database / Docker | `patherly` / `patherly_postgres` |
| Backend, frontend UI, production URLs | **ResolutionFlow** |

- **Design:** Monochrome dark-only — black backgrounds, white text with opacity, Inter font
- **CSS utilities:** `glass-card`, `glass-card-hover`, `glass-card-glow`, `glass-stat` (in `index.css`)
- **Logo:** Inline SVG in `BrandLogo.tsx`
- **Design system guide:** `docs/plans/Frontend/DESIGN_SYSTEM_GUIDE.md`

When adding new pages/components: use "ResolutionFlow" branding, monochrome design, `glass-card` containers, `text-white` hierarchy, white primary buttons, functional color only for status.

---

## Current State

- **Phase:** Phase 2.5 - Step Library Foundation (In Progress)
- **Backend:** Complete (25+ API endpoints, 100+ integration tests)
- **Frontend:** Core features complete, Tree Editor functional
- **Database:** PostgreSQL with Docker, 29+ migrations
- **Detailed status:** [CURRENT-STATE.md](CURRENT-STATE.md)

### What's In Progress

- Custom step continuation flow refinements (Phase 2.5)
- Tree forking from sessions with custom steps

---

## Tech Stack

### Backend
- **Framework:** Python FastAPI
- **Database:** PostgreSQL 16 (async via SQLAlchemy 2.0 + asyncpg)
- **Migrations:** Alembic
- **Auth:** JWT (python-jose) + bcrypt, refresh token rotation (JTI-based)
- **Validation:** Pydantic v2

### Frontend
- **Framework:** React 19 + Vite + TypeScript
- **Styling:** Tailwind CSS v3 — monochrome glass-morphism (dark-only)
- **State:** Zustand (with immer + zundo for undo/redo)
- **Routing:** React Router v7
- **API Client:** Axios with token refresh interceptor
- **Icons:** Lucide React

---

## Key Project Structure

```
patherly/
├── backend/
│   ├── app/
│   │   ├── main.py                 # FastAPI entry point
│   │   ├── api/endpoints/          # Route handlers (auth, trees, sessions, admin, steps, etc.)
│   │   ├── api/deps.py             # Auth dependencies
│   │   ├── api/router.py           # Route registration
│   │   ├── core/                   # config, database, permissions, security, audit, rate_limit
│   │   ├── models/                 # SQLAlchemy models
│   │   └── schemas/                # Pydantic schemas
│   ├── alembic/                    # Database migrations (001-029+)
│   ├── scripts/                    # seed_data.py, seed_trees.py
│   └── tests/                      # pytest integration tests
├── frontend/
│   ├── src/
│   │   ├── api/                    # Axios client + endpoint modules
│   │   ├── components/             # common, layout, tree-editor, session, library, step-library, ui
│   │   ├── hooks/                  # usePermissions, useSessionTimer, useKeyboardShortcuts
│   │   ├── pages/                  # All page components
│   │   ├── store/                  # Zustand stores (auth, treeEditor, userPreferences)
│   │   └── types/                  # TypeScript interfaces
│   └── tailwind.config.js
├── CLAUDE.md                       # This file
├── CURRENT-STATE.md                # Detailed feature status
├── LESSONS-LEARNED.md              # Bugs and fixes (READ THIS!)
└── docs/plans/                     # Design docs & implementation plans
```

---

## Environment Variables

### Backend (`backend/.env`)
```bash
APP_NAME=ResolutionFlow
DEBUG=true
DATABASE_URL=postgresql+asyncpg://postgres:postgres@localhost:5432/patherly
DATABASE_URL_SYNC=postgresql://postgres:postgres@localhost:5432/patherly
SECRET_KEY=<openssl rand -hex 32>
ACCESS_TOKEN_EXPIRE_MINUTES=5
REFRESH_TOKEN_EXPIRE_DAYS=7
REQUIRE_INVITE_CODE=true
```

### Frontend (`frontend/.env.local` - optional)
```bash
VITE_API_URL=http://localhost:8000
```

---

## Development Commands

```powershell
# Start PostgreSQL
docker start patherly_postgres

# Backend (from backend/)
.\venv\Scripts\Activate
uvicorn app.main:app --reload

# Frontend (from frontend/)
npm run dev

# Run tests (from backend/)
pytest --override-ini="addopts="

# First time only: create test database
docker exec -it patherly_postgres psql -U postgres -c "CREATE DATABASE patherly_test;"

# Frontend build
cd frontend && npm run build

# Database migrations
cd backend && alembic upgrade head
alembic revision --autogenerate -m "Description"

# Access PostgreSQL
docker exec -it patherly_postgres psql -U postgres -d patherly

# Seed data
cd backend && pip install httpx && python -m scripts.seed_trees
```

### URLs
- Frontend: http://localhost:5173
- Backend API: http://localhost:8000
- API Docs: http://localhost:8000/api/docs

---

## Critical Lessons Learned

**Full reference:** [LESSONS-LEARNED.md](LESSONS-LEARNED.md) — read before making changes!

### Top Gotchas (most commonly hit)

**1. DateTime Handling — Always timezone-aware:**
```python
# CORRECT
created_at = Column(DateTime(timezone=True), default=lambda: datetime.now(timezone.utc))
# NEVER use datetime.utcnow()
```

**2. SQLAlchemy Async — No lazy loading on new objects:**
```python
# WRONG — MissingGreenlet error
new_tree = Tree(...); db.add(new_tree); await db.flush()
new_tree.tags.append(tag)  # Lazy load fails!

# CORRECT — Use direct SQL for junction tables
await db.execute(tree_tag_assignments.insert().values(tree_id=new_tree.id, tag_id=tag.id))
```

**3. React State — Don't store object snapshots:**
```tsx
// WRONG — snapshot won't update
const [editingNode, setEditingNode] = useState(node)
// CORRECT — store ID, derive object
const [editingNodeId, setEditingNodeId] = useState(node.id)
const editingNode = editingNodeId ? findNode(editingNodeId, tree?.tree_structure) : null
```

**4. Modal Draft State — Exclude store-managed fields:**
```tsx
const { children, ...draftWithoutChildren } = draft
updateNode(node.id, draftWithoutChildren)  // Don't overwrite children
```

**5. Multiple FKs to same table — Specify `foreign_keys` on BOTH sides:**
```python
author = relationship("User", foreign_keys=[author_id], back_populates="trees")
```

**6. PostgreSQL NULL in UUID columns:**
```sql
SELECT 'tag', 'slug', NULL::uuid as team_id  -- Must cast NULL to uuid
```

**7. API Path Gotcha:** Frontend `apiClient` baseURL is `http://localhost:8000/api/v1` — use relative paths WITHOUT `/api/v1/` prefix (e.g., `/admin/users` not `/api/v1/admin/users`). Invite codes endpoint is `/invites` (NOT `/invite-codes`).

**8. CORS errors can mask 500s:** Check backend logs first. Also run `alembic upgrade head` after pulling changes.

**9. Public endpoints with optional auth:** Use manual `_get_optional_user(request, db)` helper, NOT `Optional[User]` param (FastAPI treats it as Pydantic field).

**10. React Router — Clear dirty state before navigation:**
```tsx
markSaved()  // Clear isDirty BEFORE navigate()
navigate(`/trees/${newTree.id}/edit`)
```

---

## RBAC & Permissions

- **Role hierarchy:** super_admin > team_admin > engineer > viewer
- **Team Admin:** `role='engineer'` + `is_team_admin=True` + valid `team_id`
- **Backend deps:** `get_current_active_user(user, db)` (any active + auto-downgrades expired trials), `require_engineer_or_admin` (blocks viewers), `require_admin` (super admin only)
- **Never use** `role == "admin"` — use `is_super_admin` instead
- **Frontend:** `usePermissions()` hook for all permission checks
- **Centralized:** `backend/app/core/permissions.py`, `frontend/src/hooks/usePermissions.ts`

---

## Monochrome Design System

- **Backgrounds:** `bg-black`, subtle radial gradients
- **Cards:** `glass-card rounded-2xl` (NOT `bg-card border-border`)
- **Buttons:** Primary: `bg-white text-black hover:bg-white/90`. Secondary: `border border-white/10 text-white/60 hover:bg-white/10`
- **Inputs:** `border-white/10 bg-black/50 text-white` + focus: `border-white/30 ring-white/20`
- **Text:** `text-white` → `text-white/70` → `text-white/40` → `text-white/30`
- **Borders:** `border-white/[0.06]` or `border-white/10`
- **Functional color only:** emerald-400 (success), red-400 (error), yellow-400 (warning), blue-400 (info)

---

## Frontend Patterns

- **Component guidelines:** Use `cn()` from `@/lib/utils`, Lucide icons (wrap in `<span>` for title), modals with fixed header/footer
- **Type organization:** Create in `types/`, export from `types/index.ts`, import with `import type { T } from '@/types'`
- **Scratchpad overlay:** `position: fixed`, `onOpenChange` callback for parent padding adjustment, `right-2` positioning
- **Custom step flow:** `CustomStepModal` → `PostStepActionModal` → `ContinuationModal` → custom step view. Key state: `pendingStep`, `pendingContinuationNodeId`, `customBranchMode`, `branchOriginNodeId`. Use `findCustomStep()` not `findNode()` for custom step UUIDs.

---

## Common Tasks

- **New endpoint:** Create in `endpoints/` → add to `router.py` → schema in `schemas/` → tests → frontend API client
- **New page:** Create in `pages/` → add route in `router.tsx` → nav link in `AppLayout.tsx`
- **Schema change:** Update model → `alembic revision --autogenerate -m "desc"` → review → `alembic upgrade head`
- **New frontend API module:** Types in `types/` → export from `types/index.ts` → client in `api/` → export from `api/index.ts`

---

## Coding Standards

### Python
- Type hints everywhere, async/await for DB, Pydantic for validation, `DateTime(timezone=True)` always

### TypeScript
- Interfaces for all data, `const` over `let`, functional components + hooks, reusable logic in custom hooks

### Git
- Format: `type: description` (feat, fix, refactor, docs, test, chore)
- Always include `Co-Authored-By: Claude Opus 4.6 <noreply@anthropic.com>`
- Always create feature branch BEFORE committing: `git checkout -b feat/feature-name`
- Large features: commit per phase with `npm run build` validation

---

## Deployment (Railway)

- **Production:** `resolutionflow.com` (frontend), `api.resolutionflow.com` (backend)
- Auto-deploys on push to `main`
- PR environments auto-created (need manual domain generation in Railway dashboard)
- PR envs need `VITE_API_URL` set with `https://` prefix on frontend service
- `ALLOW_RAILWAY_ORIGINS=true` enables CORS for `*.up.railway.app`
- Super admin utility: `backend/make_superadmin_simple.py list|<email>`

---

## Future Roadmap

- **Phase 3:** File attachments, offline mode, client context, analytics
- **Phase 4:** PSA integrations (ConnectWise, Kaseya), PowerShell automation, enterprise SSO

---

## Quick Reference

| What | Where |
|------|-------|
| API Docs | http://localhost:8000/api/docs |
| Detailed Status | [CURRENT-STATE.md](CURRENT-STATE.md) |
| Bugs & Fixes | [LESSONS-LEARNED.md](LESSONS-LEARNED.md) |
| Feature Specs | [04-FEATURE-SPECIFICATIONS.md](04-FEATURE-SPECIFICATIONS.md) |
| Design System | [docs/plans/Frontend/DESIGN_SYSTEM_GUIDE.md](docs/plans/Frontend/DESIGN_SYSTEM_GUIDE.md) |