@ashley-shrok/viewmodel-shell 1.4.0 → 1.5.0

package/dist/browser.js

@@ -265,6 +265,58 @@ export class BrowserAdapter {
             parent.appendChild(el);
             return;
         }
+        // 1.5.0 — SectionNode.link URL-wrapper variant (issue #21). When set,
+        // emit a wrapping <a href> element instead of <section> so every native
+        // browser link affordance works for free (middle-click / Ctrl/Cmd-click
+        // new tab, right-click context menu, drag-to-bookmarks, status-bar URL).
+        // Validation guarantees link + action and link + collapsible are
+        // mutually exclusive, and link cannot be nested inside another link or
+        // action — see validateSectionAction in server.ts.
+        if (n.link) {
+            const a = document.createElement("a");
+            a.className = `vms-section vms-section--linked${n.variant === "card" ? " vms-section--card" : ""}${n.layout && n.layout !== "stack" ? ` vms-section--${n.layout}` : ""}`;
+            a.href = n.link.url;
+            // Mirror LinkNode's external-attribute pattern (browser.ts ~line 666)
+            // byte-for-byte: target=_blank + rel=noopener noreferrer when external.
+            if (n.link.external) {
+                a.target = "_blank";
+                a.rel = "noopener noreferrer";
+            }
+            if (n.heading) {
+                const h = document.createElement("h2");
+                h.className = "vms-section__heading";
+                h.textContent = n.heading;
+                a.appendChild(h);
+            }
+            this.kids(n.children, a, on);
+            // Containment: clicks on nested interactive controls must NOT trigger
+            // the wrapper anchor's navigation. For non-anchor controls, stopPropagation
+            // is enough — the wrapper anchor's default navigation only fires on the
+            // anchor element itself, and stopPropagation prevents bubbled re-fires.
+            // For nested anchors (cell linkLabels), we additionally preventDefault on
+            // the click so a bubbled click cannot re-trigger the wrapper anchor's
+            // default navigation in browsers that handle nested <a> ambiguously. The
+            // catch-all `a[href]` selector includes the wrapper itself — skip it via
+            // `ctrl === a` so the wrapper's own click is NOT preventDefaulted.
+            //
+            // TODO: LinkNode-inside-section.link is left to the existing LinkNode
+            // renderer; spec-wise nested <a> is invalid HTML (issue #21 deliberately
+            // does NOT block it because the tree-validation rule only catches the
+            // sibling SectionNode-level case). A follow-up runtime warning when an
+            // inner LinkNode lives inside a section.link wrapper could surface this
+            // to consumers; until then, consumers can avoid the combo.
+            a.querySelectorAll(".vms-button, .vms-checkbox__input, .vms-checkbox, .vms-field__input, .vms-table__link, a[href]").forEach(ctrl => {
+                if (ctrl === a)
+                    return;
+                ctrl.addEventListener("click", (e) => {
+                    e.stopPropagation();
+                    if (ctrl instanceof HTMLAnchorElement)
+                        e.preventDefault();
+                });
+            });
+            parent.appendChild(a);
+            return;
+        }
         const el = document.createElement("section");
         el.className = `vms-section${n.variant === "card" ? " vms-section--card" : ""}${n.layout && n.layout !== "stack" ? ` vms-section--${n.layout}` : ""}${n.action ? " vms-section--clickable" : ""}`;
         if (n.heading) {

package/dist/index.d.ts

@@ -111,6 +111,51 @@ export interface SectionNode {
      *  Omitted = today's section rendering, byte-identical (no class drift, no
      *  extra attrs, no listeners). */
     action?: ActionEvent;
+    /** URL-link navigator variant of the clickable-card primitive — the sibling
+     *  of `action` (1.4.0). Set this to make the entire section a navigational
+     *  anchor: the BrowserAdapter emits a wrapping `<a href={url}>` element so
+     *  every NATIVE browser link affordance works for free — left-click navigate,
+     *  middle-click new tab, Ctrl/Cmd-click new tab, Shift-click new window,
+     *  right-click context menu, drag-to-bookmarks, status-bar URL preview, and
+     *  accessible link semantics. No JS substitute exists for those; browsers
+     *  implement them at the anchor-element level.
+     *
+     *  Reach for `link` (this field) when the card is conceptually a
+     *  NAVIGATIONAL target (docs tile, gallery item, launcher tile). Reach for
+     *  `action` (the sibling above) when the card is a DISPATCHER that runs
+     *  server-side work. Closes [issue #21](https://github.com/ashley-shrok/ViewModelShell/issues/21).
+     *
+     *  Wire shape — INLINE object `{ url, external? }`, not flat sibling fields.
+     *  When `external: true` is set, the renderer additionally adds
+     *  `target="_blank"` and `rel="noopener noreferrer"` (mirroring LinkNode's
+     *  external attribute pattern byte-for-byte). Clicks on nested ButtonNode /
+     *  CheckboxNode / FieldNode / LinkNode / cell `linkLabel` anchors INSIDE a
+     *  linked card do NOT also fire the wrapper anchor's navigation (the
+     *  renderer stops propagation on those targets; for nested anchors it
+     *  additionally `preventDefault`s the wrapper's default so the inner anchor
+     *  wins). No `role`, no `tabindex`, no `aria-label` — the anchor element
+     *  provides every link / keyboard / focus / a11y semantic natively.
+     *
+     *  Tree validation rejects four invalid combos at the server edge with
+     *  `invalid_tree`:
+     *    (a) `link` set together with `action` on the same section — a
+     *        SectionNode is either a dispatcher (action) or a navigator (link);
+     *        they create different user expectations of what a click means.
+     *        Pick one.
+     *    (b) `link` set together with `collapsible: true` on the same section —
+     *        same rationale as action+collapsible (the summary IS the click
+     *        target; a linked card makes the whole section the click target).
+     *    (c) a SectionNode with `link` nested inside another SectionNode with
+     *        `link` — HTML5 prohibits nested `<a>` elements.
+     *    (d) a SectionNode with `link` nested inside a SectionNode with `action`
+     *        (or vice versa) — click-ownership in the overlap is ambiguous.
+     *
+     *  Omitted = today's section rendering, byte-identical (no `<a>` wrapper,
+     *  no class drift, no extra attrs). */
+    link?: {
+        url: string;
+        external?: boolean;
+    };
     children: ViewNode[];
 }
 export interface ListNode {

package/dist/server.d.ts

@@ -16,12 +16,13 @@ export * from "./index.js";
  */
 export declare function validateActionNames(vm: ViewNode): void;
 /**
- * Walk a ViewNode tree and reject two invalid SectionNode.action combos:
- * (a) action + collapsible:true on the same section, and (b) a clickable
- * section nested inside another clickable section. Pure check — does not
- * mutate the tree.
+ * Walk a ViewNode tree and reject five invalid SectionNode.action / .link
+ * combos: (a) action + collapsible:true; (b) nested action-in-action or
+ * action-in-link; (c) action + link on the same section; (d) link +
+ * collapsible:true; (e) nested link-in-link or link-in-action. Pure check —
+ * does not mutate the tree.
  *
- * @throws Error when either invalid combo is found. The message names the
+ * @throws Error when any invalid combo is found. The message names the
  *   offending section(s) by heading (or `(headingless)`).
  */
 export declare function validateSectionAction(vm: ViewNode): void;

package/dist/server.js

@@ -174,68 +174,113 @@ function collectActions(node, enclosingForm, out) {
 function recordAction(action, enclosingForm, out) {
     out.push({ name: action.name, enclosingForm });
 }
-// ─── SectionNode.action shape check (1.4.0 / 260614-9hq) ─────────────────────
+// ─── SectionNode.action / .link shape checks (1.4.0 / 1.5.0) ─────────────────
 //
-// Two invalid combos a clickable-card primitive can produce at build time:
+// Five invalid combos a clickable-card or linked-card primitive can produce at
+// build time:
 //   (a) SectionNode.action set together with collapsible:true on the same
 //       section — a collapsible section's <summary> IS the click target; a
 //       clickable card makes the whole section the click target. Pick one.
 //   (b) A SectionNode with .action nested inside another SectionNode with
-//       .action — nested role="button" is an a11y violation, and
-//       click-ownership in the overlap is ambiguous.
-// A styling-only SectionNode { variant: "card" } (no .action) inside a
-// clickable card with internal buttons is VALID — only nested .action errors.
+//       .action OR .link — nested role="button"/nested-<a> is an a11y/HTML5
+//       violation, and click-ownership in the overlap is ambiguous.
+//   (c) (1.5.0) SectionNode.action set together with SectionNode.link on the
+//       same section — a section is either a dispatcher (action) or a
+//       navigator (link); they create different user expectations of a click.
+//   (d) (1.5.0) SectionNode.link set together with collapsible:true — same
+//       rationale as (a).
+//   (e) (1.5.0) A SectionNode with .link nested inside another SectionNode
+//       with .link OR .action — HTML5 prohibits nested <a> elements; the
+//       mixed case is ambiguous click-ownership.
+// A styling-only SectionNode { variant: "card" } (no .action and no .link)
+// inside a clickable or linked card with internal buttons is VALID — only
+// nested .action / .link errors.
 //
 // Mirrors viewmodel-shell-dotnet/ViewModels.cs's
 // ViewTreeValidation.ValidateSectionAction. The createAction wrapper invokes
 // this alongside validateActionNames so a server-built tree that violates
-// either rule surfaces as a 500 with code "invalid_tree" before the response
+// any rule surfaces as a 500 with code "invalid_tree" before the response
 // leaves the wire.
 /**
- * Walk a ViewNode tree and reject two invalid SectionNode.action combos:
- * (a) action + collapsible:true on the same section, and (b) a clickable
- * section nested inside another clickable section. Pure check — does not
- * mutate the tree.
+ * Walk a ViewNode tree and reject five invalid SectionNode.action / .link
+ * combos: (a) action + collapsible:true; (b) nested action-in-action or
+ * action-in-link; (c) action + link on the same section; (d) link +
+ * collapsible:true; (e) nested link-in-link or link-in-action. Pure check —
+ * does not mutate the tree.
  *
- * @throws Error when either invalid combo is found. The message names the
+ * @throws Error when any invalid combo is found. The message names the
  *   offending section(s) by heading (or `(headingless)`).
  */
 export function validateSectionAction(vm) {
     walkForSectionAction(vm, null);
 }
-function walkForSectionAction(node, outerClickable) {
+function walkForSectionAction(node, outerInteractive) {
     switch (node.type) {
         case "page": {
             const page = node;
             for (const child of page.children)
-                walkForSectionAction(child, outerClickable);
+                walkForSectionAction(child, outerInteractive);
             return;
         }
         case "section": {
             const section = node;
-            // (a) action + collapsible:true — invalid.
+            const hdr = section.heading && section.heading.length > 0
+                ? section.heading
+                : "(headingless)";
+            // (c) action + link on the same section — invalid. Checked FIRST so
+            // the most actionable message wins when the consumer accidentally sets
+            // both (they get told "pick action OR link" instead of any nested or
+            // collapsible message that follows from a still-ambiguous tree).
+            if (section.action != null && section.link != null) {
+                throw new Error(`SectionNode '${hdr}' has both Action and Link set. ` +
+                    "A SectionNode is either a dispatcher (action) or a navigator (link) — " +
+                    "they create different user expectations of what a click means. Pick one.");
+            }
+            // (d) link + collapsible:true — invalid.
+            if (section.link != null && section.collapsible === true) {
+                throw new Error(`SectionNode '${hdr}' has both Link and Collapsible: true set. ` +
+                    "A collapsible section's summary IS the click target; a linked card " +
+                    "makes the whole section the click target. Pick one.");
+            }
+            // (a) action + collapsible:true — invalid (existing, unchanged).
             if (section.action != null && section.collapsible === true) {
-                const hdr = section.heading && section.heading.length > 0
-                    ? section.heading
-                    : "(headingless)";
                 throw new Error(`SectionNode '${hdr}' has both Action and Collapsible: true set. ` +
                     "A collapsible section's summary IS the click target; a clickable card " +
                     "makes the whole section the click target. Pick one.");
             }
-            // (b) nested action-in-action — invalid.
-            if (section.action != null && outerClickable !== null) {
-                const innerHdr = section.heading && section.heading.length > 0
-                    ? section.heading
+            // (e) nested link-in-link / link-in-action — invalid.
+            if (section.link != null && outerInteractive !== null) {
+                const outerHdr = outerInteractive.heading && outerInteractive.heading.length > 0
+                    ? outerInteractive.heading
                     : "(headingless)";
-                const outerHdr = outerClickable.heading && outerClickable.heading.length > 0
-                    ? outerClickable.heading
+                if (outerInteractive.link != null) {
+                    throw new Error(`Nested SectionNode.Link: inner section '${hdr}' is inside linked outer ` +
+                        `section '${outerHdr}'. HTML5 prohibits nested <a> elements.`);
+                }
+                else {
+                    throw new Error(`SectionNode.Link inner section '${hdr}' is inside clickable outer ` +
+                        `SectionNode.Action '${outerHdr}'. Click-ownership in the overlap is ambiguous — ` +
+                        "a linked card inside a dispatcher card creates two competing primary interactions.");
+                }
+            }
+            // (b) nested action-in-action / action-in-link — invalid.
+            if (section.action != null && outerInteractive !== null) {
+                const outerHdr = outerInteractive.heading && outerInteractive.heading.length > 0
+                    ? outerInteractive.heading
                     : "(headingless)";
-                throw new Error(`Nested SectionNode.Action: inner section '${innerHdr}' is inside clickable outer ` +
-                    `section '${outerHdr}'. Nested role='button' elements are an accessibility violation, ` +
-                    "and click-ownership in the overlap is ambiguous. Use a styling-only inner section " +
-                    "(variant: 'card', no Action) with internal buttons instead.");
+                if (outerInteractive.action != null) {
+                    throw new Error(`Nested SectionNode.Action: inner section '${hdr}' is inside clickable outer ` +
+                        `section '${outerHdr}'. Nested role='button' elements are an accessibility violation, ` +
+                        "and click-ownership in the overlap is ambiguous. Use a styling-only inner section " +
+                        "(variant: 'card', no Action) with internal buttons instead.");
+                }
+                else {
+                    throw new Error(`SectionNode.Action inner section '${hdr}' is inside linked outer ` +
+                        `SectionNode.Link '${outerHdr}'. Click-ownership in the overlap is ambiguous — ` +
+                        "a dispatcher card inside a linked card creates two competing primary interactions.");
+                }
             }
-            const nextOuter = section.action != null ? section : outerClickable;
+            const nextOuter = (section.action != null || section.link != null) ? section : outerInteractive;
             for (const child of section.children)
                 walkForSectionAction(child, nextOuter);
             return;
@@ -243,28 +288,28 @@ function walkForSectionAction(node, outerClickable) {
         case "list": {
             const list = node;
             for (const child of list.children)
-                walkForSectionAction(child, outerClickable);
+                walkForSectionAction(child, outerInteractive);
             return;
         }
         case "list-item": {
             const li = node;
             for (const child of li.children)
-                walkForSectionAction(child, outerClickable);
+                walkForSectionAction(child, outerInteractive);
             return;
         }
         case "form": {
             const form = node;
             for (const child of form.children)
-                walkForSectionAction(child, outerClickable);
+                walkForSectionAction(child, outerInteractive);
             return;
         }
         case "modal": {
             const modal = node;
             for (const child of modal.children)
-                walkForSectionAction(child, outerClickable);
+                walkForSectionAction(child, outerInteractive);
             if (modal.footer) {
                 for (const child of modal.footer)
-                    walkForSectionAction(child, outerClickable);
+                    walkForSectionAction(child, outerInteractive);
             }
             return;
         }

package/dist/tui.js

@@ -292,6 +292,12 @@ export class TuiAdapter {
             else if (a.type === "link") {
                 this.navigate(a.href);
             }
+            else if (a.type === "section-link") {
+                // 1.5.0 — SectionNode.link parity for the TUI: focused pane Enter
+                // navigates to the section's URL via the same `navigate` verb that
+                // LinkNode uses. Mirrors the BrowserAdapter's <a href> wrapper.
+                this.navigate(a.url);
+            }
             else if (a.type === "copy-button") {
                 this.copy(a.text);
             }
@@ -586,6 +592,15 @@ function focusedPaneSummary(vm, index) {
     let hasInputs = false;
     let primaryActionable = null;
     let primaryCheckbox = null;
+    // 1.5.0 — when the pane IS a section with `link.url` set, surface it as a
+    // synthetic link-actionable BEFORE scanning descendants so Enter on the
+    // focused pane navigates via the wrapper anchor's URL (mirrors how the
+    // BrowserAdapter gives a `<a href>` wrapper native link semantics for free).
+    // Descendant LinkNode/Button/etc. can still win if no section-level link
+    // is set; the section-link only seeds primaryActionable when present.
+    if (pane.type === "section" && pane.link && pane.link.url.trim().length > 0) {
+        primaryActionable = { type: "section-link", url: pane.link.url };
+    }
     const scan = (node) => {
         if (node.type === "field")
             hasInputs = true;
@@ -687,6 +702,12 @@ function paneActivationHint(summary) {
             label = a.label;
         else if (a.type === "link")
             label = a.label;
+        else if (a.type === "section-link") {
+            // 1.5.0 — synthetic actionable from SectionNode.link. No `label` field;
+            // the section's heading is shown separately by StatusBar, so use the
+            // pane's heading when available (else generic "open").
+            label = summary.heading ?? "open";
+        }
         else
             label = a.label ?? "copy"; // copy-button
         // Truncate long labels so the status bar fits a single line cleanly.

package/package.json

@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 {
   "name": "@ashley-shrok/viewmodel-shell",
-  "version": "1.4.0",
+  "version": "1.5.0",
   "description": "A server-driven UI framework where the wire format is structured enough that agents can build full-stack apps without ever opening a browser and all UI tests are pure unit tests with no browser runtime. Server returns a JSON tree of typed nodes; a thin TypeScript adapter renders it to DOM. Backend-agnostic — a .NET reference backend ships with the repo, but any language can produce the JSON contract.",
   "type": "module",
   "license": "MIT",

package/styles/default.css

@@ -234,6 +234,23 @@ body {
   outline-offset: 2px;
 }
 
+/* ── Section: linked (1.5.0 — SectionNode.link URL-wrapper variant, issue #21) ──
+   Sibling of .vms-section--clickable, applied to a wrapping <a href> instead of
+   a <section role="button">. Mirrors the clickable rules for cursor + hover +
+   :focus-visible so a linked card has the same affordance shape as a dispatcher
+   card. Additionally resets the anchor-default text styling: without these
+   `color: inherit` + `text-decoration: none` rules a linked card would render
+   with browser-default blue underlined heading text, since the wrapper element
+   is now an <a>. The `:focus-visible` outline uses the same AA-passing
+   --vms-accent token gated by the existing pair coverage, so all 12 themes
+   pass the contrast guard without additional work. */
+.vms-section--linked { cursor: pointer; color: inherit; text-decoration: none; }
+.vms-section--linked:hover { box-shadow: 0 0 0 1px var(--vms-accent-dim); }
+.vms-section--linked:focus-visible {
+  outline: 2px solid var(--vms-accent);
+  outline-offset: 2px;
+}
+
 /* ── Section: collapsible (1.2.0 — client-side disclosure via native <details>) ──
    Open/closed state is DOM-local; the BrowserAdapter snapshots and restores it
    across server-driven re-renders the same way it does for focus and scroll.