show_dont_tell

Evolves [context_scope_v1.context_scope] from a * * source-oriented * * model ( " where did this context come from? " ) to a * * decision-oriented * * model ( " what information helps a human or AI make the next decision? " ). v1 [context_scope_v1.context_dimensions] remain valid * producers * ( workspace, current file, open files, file history, edit history, manual, git ). v2 separates those producers from extracted signals, synthesized knowledge, presentation views, and consumers — so new analyses can be added without inventing new dimensions each time. Primary UI principle: [ui.show_dont_tell] — make project health, momentum, relationships, and intent legible at a glance. Host fact chips ( " 17 modified files " ) remain useful; widgets below are the preferred default for conveying meaning. Surfaces: extend [activitybar.scope_pane] / [context_scope_v1.scope_pane_design], Ideas Summary ( [ideas_summary_doc.ideas_summary] ), and graph overlays ( [graphical_graph_doc.graphical_graph] ) — same signals, different projections.

Extracted facts. Answer: " What useful information exists? " One source may emit many signals ( e. g. git → development history, not only staged / unstaged ). Families: - [requirement_signals] - [file_signals] - [development_history_signals] - [project_activity_signals] - [semantic_signals] - [quality_signals] - [user_signals] - [relationship_signals] - [temporal_signals] - [risk_signals] - [architecture_signals] - [requirement_lifecycle_signals] - [base_signals] Signals are evidence; [synthesized_context] merges them into actionable knowledge.

Signals merged into decision-oriented knowledge not tied to a single source. Example projection on a requirement: - Importance, Confidence, Stability, Recent Activity - Dependencies, Implementations, Tests, Documentation - AI Risk Synthesis powers [show_dont_tell] widgets and [features_ai.ai_integration] exports — preference for compact synthesized facts over raw dimension dumps ( [context_scope_v1.ai_context_export] ).

Horizontal lifecycle ribbon for a requirement ( or focused entity ), not a single " last modified " label. Show milestones along a line toward Now — e. g. created, first implementation, last reviewed, current edit, last test — so maturity and recent activity are visible in one glance. Consumes [requirement_lifecycle_signals] and [temporal_signals]. Fits [context_scope_v1.scope_pane_design]. focus_hero and [requirement_card].

Compact sparkline of edit intensity over time for a requirement, file, folder, or subsystem ( e. g. ▁ ▁ ▂ ▁ ▁ ▇ █ ▆ ▂ ▁ ▁ ). Hover reveals synthesized story ( stable / large rewrite / quiet since ). Consumes [development_history_signals] and [project_activity_signals].

Spatial dependency summary instead of " Parents: 4 / Children: 12 ". Compact compass ( ↑ parents, → children, ← siblings, ↓ dependents ) and / or a filled * * Dependency Load * * bar showing centrality growth. Consumes [requirement_signals] and [relationship_signals]. Surfaced on focus hero and graph node details. Click any arm or the centre toggles a reference table below the compass ( Dir / Role / Idea / Status ) per ["../activitybar-panels/current_context_scope.rq".dependency_pulse_table].

Segmented meter + percent ( e. g. Stable █ █ █ █ █ █ █ █ █ ░ 91 % ) derived from edit frequency, age, dependency churn, and issue count — not raw git status. AI and humans use it as a confidence cue for change. Pair with [confidence_card] and [risk_signals].

Slow ↔ Fast bar from edits / week ( or equivalent ). Complements [churn_heat_bar] ( shape over time ) with a single magnitude readout.

Four-quadrant wheel: Specify · Implement · Test · Review. Segments fill as evidence accumulates from [requirement_lifecycle_signals] and [quality_signals]. Compact lifecycle for engineering projects.

GitHub-issue-style compact card for search results and lists: name, stability chip, meter %, last edited, ref / impl / test counts, urgency flag ( e. g. recently changing ). Composes [stability_meter], [churn_heat_bar], [dependency_pulse] as optional rows — not all at once by default ( token / UI density ).

Pre-edit checklist card: High / Medium / Low confidence with check / warn rows ( stable, reviewed, tested, high fanout, … ) and a confidence %. Shown before AI modify workflows ( [features_ai.ai_integration] ) and on focus when synthesis is available.

Ready-to-assist gauge: requirements ✓, implementation ✓, history ✓, tests ✕, risk low — plus readiness %. Tells the user whether AI has enough synthesized context before [features_ai.ai_add_to_context] / export. Pairs with [context_fingerprint] ( what is in context ) vs readiness ( is it enough / safe ).

Workspace-top ribbon of recent activity density ( yesterday / today bursts ). Shows momentum, not a file list. Consumes [project_activity_signals] and [user_signals].

Synthesized workspace health widget — the engineering " dashboard " glance: Stable / Risk / Momentum / Knowledge / Recent Change, or compact meters for Project Health, Momentum, Risk, Confidence. Consumes [synthesized_context] across [risk_signals], [project_activity_signals], [quality_signals], and [base_signals] ( per-base readiness when multiple bases exist ). Belongs in activity bar workspace lens / Ideas Summary index panel — not as competing hero noise on every focus.

Compact bars of what the current AI / composed context actually contains: Files, Requirements, History, Architecture, Git, Diagnostics, Coverage. Lets the user see expansion when LLM reports " context expanded " ( [context_scope_v1.ai_context_export], [features_ai.ai_integration] ). Hover / info / drill-down affordances: ["./activitybar-panels/current_context_scope.rq".tooltip_detail], ["./activitybar-panels/current_context_scope.rq".fingerprint_axis_drilldown].

Tiny layered minimap ( UI / Services / Core / Infra … ) with current focus highlighted and bar width for effort concentration. Consumes [architecture_signals] and [project_activity_signals]. Links out to Ideas Summary graph rather than duplicating full layout.

Graph-node encoding of churn / risk / discussion / instability ( size rings ○ ◎ ⬤ or green → red ). Same signal set as [activity_constellation]. Applies to [activitybar.miniature_graph_pane] and [graphical_graph_doc.graphical_graph].

On select / focus, fade in affected neighbours; opacity ∝ downstream impact. Consumes [relationship_signals] and [risk_signals]. Works in miniature graph and Ideas Summary graph.

Spatial glow of nodes by activity ( GitHub-contribution feel, but layout- aware ). Shows hotspots without a separate legend dump. Complements [hotspot_overlay]; prefer one encoding per surface to avoid competing visual channels.

Time slider across the graph ( e. g. 2023 → Now ). Nodes and edges appear / disappear; dependencies animate. Extremely powerful for architectural storytelling; performance-capped neighbourhoods only in the activity bar; fuller replay in Ideas Summary. Consumes [temporal_signals], [requirement_lifecycle_signals], [relationship_signals].

Compact spatial alternative to a full graph: related concepts laid out by semantic closeness ( distance encodes similarity ). Click focuses; " Open in Graph " hands off to [graphical_graph_doc.graphical_graph]. Consumes [semantic_signals] and [relationship_signals].

Stacked coverage bars: Requirements / Implementation / Tests / Docs — prefer filled bars over bare percentages. Consumes [quality_signals] and [requirement_signals]. Pair with [traceability_matrix].

Compact Req × Impl × Test ( and optional Docs ) check matrix for a local neighbourhood or subsystem. Exposes gaps immediately. Neighbourhood-scoped only — full-workspace matrices stay in Ideas Summary with pagination / filters per [ideas_summary_doc.ideas_summary].

Horizontal author share bars ( bus-factor at a glance ). Consumes [development_history_signals] ownership and [risk_signals] ( e. g. single_contributor ).

Per-folder or per-subsystem bars of conceptual richness ( Authentication █ █ █ █ █ █ █ █ █ █ vs Payments █ █ █ ). Consumes [semantic_signals]; useful in Ideas Summary folders / index panel.

Polar / radar chart of context richness axes ( Tests, Docs, Dependencies, History, AI, … ). Filled polygon shows what the current [context_scope_v1.context_footprint] actually covers.

Conceptual change summary instead of ( or above ) line diffs: Added / Changed / Removed ideas or policies, plus impact count ( e. g. 17 requirements ). Higher signal for AI and review than textual diffs alone. Consumes [semantic_signals], [relationship_signals], [development_history_signals].

related_requirements, parents, children, incoming / outgoing references, linked implementation files, coverage status, requirement age, stability, priority, verification state, orphaned, cycles, missing references.

active file, related files, recently viewed, recently edited, high churn, frequently opened, ownership, generated / test / implementation / specification / documentation classification.

Prefer actionable history over staged / unstaged alone. development_context ( git reimagined ): current branch, active issue, release version, commits, authors, change frequency / velocity, historical and semantic hotspots, last meaningful modification, first introduction, ownership concentration, refactor / merge likelihood, stability score. First UI consumer beyond create / modify dates: [context_scope_v1.git_context] / ["activitybar-panels/current_context_scope.rq".git_history_lens] — focus commit trail and authors; working-tree staging demoted to secondary.

currently changing subsystem, hot / cold modules, high activity area, merge conflicts nearby, active branch, recent issue cluster, recent requirement churn, release / milestone affected.

concept clusters, shared vocabulary, duplicate / near-duplicate / similar requirements, contradictions, implicit dependencies, missing abstraction, large / isolated concepts.

missing documentation, large files / requirements, broken references, failing diagnostics, lint / parse / test / build failures, coverage gaps.

manual pins, recent focus, navigation history, editing intent, copied context, AI conversation history, last searched, last graph traversal, frequently revisited.

Enables queries: what changed this week, why this requirement changed, newly introduced risks, recent architectural evolution.

Multi-base facts for [context_signals] / [synthesized_context]: active_base_id, active_base_root, active_base_ready, idea / edge counts for the active base, sibling_bases ( id, path, ready, counts ), discovery_empty ( prompt create-base ). Consumed by [activitybar.workspace_pane], Ideas Summary base switcher, and [project_weather].