systems frontend workflow state

Frontend workflow state

Active contributors: Douwe de Vries

Purpose

The frontend workflow state system coordinates the CSV file anonymization experience in React. It connects file selection, CSV analysis, column selection, preview, final output jobs, settings persistence, and Local AI readiness before any work crosses the Tauri command shell.

Directory layout

Path	Role
frontend/src/hooks/useAnonymizerWorkflow.ts	Composes the CSV workflow hooks and returns the view model consumed by the workflow UI.
frontend/src/hooks/useCsvAnalysis.ts	Loads input files, computes default output paths, refreshes row counts, and stores last-used paths.
frontend/src/hooks/useColumnSelection.ts	Maintains selected column indexes, per-column controls, type overrides, strategy overrides, and visible-column slicing.
frontend/src/hooks/usePreviewWorkflow.ts	Runs preflight validation and preview generation for selected CSV columns.
frontend/src/hooks/useAnonymizeJob.ts	Starts, polls, finishes, and cancels retained anonymization jobs.
frontend/src/hooks/usePersistentSettings.ts	Loads, applies, saves, and reconciles persisted application settings.

Key abstractions

• useAnonymizerWorkflow is the composition root for CSV file workflow state.
• BusyState prevents overlapping actions such as picking, loading, previewing, and running output creation.
• ColumnControl carries frontend type overrides and strategy overrides to backend commands.
• useCsvAnalysis owns input and output path state, then updates settings when rememberLastPaths is enabled.
• usePreviewWorkflow calls backend preflight first, then requests preview samples only when readiness is acceptable.
• useAnonymizeJob stores the active job ID, polls get_anonymize_job_status, and applies completed AnonymizeData.
• usePersistentSettings keeps an authoritative settings ref so stale save responses do not overwrite newer edits.

How it works

sequenceDiagram
    participant View as Workflow view
    participant Workflow as useAnonymizerWorkflow
    participant Analysis as useCsvAnalysis
    participant Preview as usePreviewWorkflow
    participant Job as useAnonymizeJob
    participant Tauri as frontend/src/tauri.ts

    View->>Workflow: user picks or enters input
    Workflow->>Analysis: handlePickInput or maybeLoadManualPath
    Analysis->>Tauri: analyzeCsv()
    Tauri-->>Analysis: headers, selected columns, output suggestion
    View->>Workflow: edit columns and strategies
    Workflow->>Preview: previewCsv()
    Preview->>Tauri: preflightAnonymization()
    Preview->>Tauri: previewAnonymization()
    Tauri-->>Preview: PreviewData
    View->>Workflow: create output
    Workflow->>Job: runAnonymization()
    Job->>Tauri: startAnonymizeJob()
    loop until terminal
        Job->>Tauri: getAnonymizeJobStatus()
    end
    Tauri-->>Job: AnonymizeData or failure

Loading

Analysis clears stale preview and result artifacts whenever input, output, settings, or column controls affect backend output. Preview and final output share the same selected columns and controls, but final output also passes cached Smart replacement preview entries so the backend can reuse accepted Local AI replacements when they cover selected values.

Integration points

• frontend/src/tauri.ts maps hook calls to command names registered by Tauri command shell.
• frontend/src/types.ts mirrors crates/csv-anonymizer-core/src/types.rs, including ColumnMetadata, ColumnControl, PreviewData, AnonymizeData, and PrivacyReport.
• Local AI readiness comes from frontend/src/hooks/useLocalAi.ts and blocks preview or output when selected columns use localAi.
• Path persistence depends on Settings and path access, specifically rememberLastPaths, lastInputDirectory, and lastOutputDirectory.
• Final CSV output progress is backed by Background jobs.

Entry points for modification

• Change top-level CSV workflow state in frontend/src/hooks/useAnonymizerWorkflow.ts.
• Change file loading, path suggestions, or exact row count refresh in frontend/src/hooks/useCsvAnalysis.ts.
• Change column selection, default controls, or Local AI selection checks in frontend/src/hooks/useColumnSelection.ts.
• Change preview gating or preflight argument assembly in frontend/src/hooks/usePreviewWorkflow.ts.
• Change job polling, cancellation, or success settings updates in frontend/src/hooks/useAnonymizeJob.ts.
• Change settings save reconciliation in frontend/src/hooks/usePersistentSettings.ts.

Key source files

• frontend/src/hooks/useAnonymizerWorkflow.ts
• frontend/src/hooks/useCsvAnalysis.ts
• frontend/src/hooks/useColumnSelection.ts
• frontend/src/hooks/usePreviewWorkflow.ts
• frontend/src/hooks/useAnonymizeJob.ts
• frontend/src/hooks/usePersistentSettings.ts
• frontend/src/tauri.ts