softr-vibe-coding 1.6.0 → 1.8.0

package/CHANGELOG.md

@@ -4,6 +4,12 @@ All notable changes to this skill are documented here. Versions follow [Semantic
 
 Entries from 1.3.1 onward are generated automatically from git commit subjects between version bumps (see `.github/workflows/publish.yml`). Entries before 1.3.1 were backfilled by hand from the existing commit history.
 
+## [1.8.0] - 2026-06-04
+- Expand references/native-chrome-styling.md to the full native shell — add Footer (semantic <footer> target + 160px/overflow-wrap contact-column email-wrap fix), floating "island" header/footer treatment, and Page background (Softr stacks the same fill on html/body/#page-content/inner-wrapper, so paint on html + clear the stack, EXCLUDING the .softr-topbar subtree so the dropdown panel survives) + a Console background-finder snippet; broaden SKILL.md Reference Guides row + README; add anti-patterns row for the page-background stacking; bump to 1.8.0
+
+## [1.7.0] - 2026-06-04
+- Add references/native-chrome-styling.md — restyle Softr's native header/top bar/nav/dropdowns via global Custom Code CSS (target stable .softr-* / ARIA-Radix selectors instead of regenerated f8f11e5_* hashes, the dropdown column-grid blank-space fix, icon/label color-inherit, restyle-vs-replace tradeoffs); add SKILL.md scope note + Reference Guides row; add two anti-patterns rows; update README; bump to 1.7.0
+
 ## [1.6.0] - 2026-06-03
 - Document useNavigationBlocker for form-dirty navigation guards in Softr SPA mode
 

package/README.md

@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@ This Claude skill teaches Claude Code how to generate complete, polished Softr V
 - **All 14 Softr data sources** — Airtable, Softr Database, Google Sheets, HubSpot, Notion, Coda, monday.com, SmartSuite, ClickUp, Xano, Supabase, BigQuery, SQL Database, and REST API — each with field mapping, rate limits, and gotchas
 - **Helper blocks & cross-block patterns** — Invisible helper blocks for multi-table access via `window` globals + `CustomEvent`, `useWindowData` hook, breadcrumb navigation, saved views architecture
 - **Advanced integrations** — Shadow DOM CSS isolation for third-party libraries (Leaflet, Mapbox, TinyMCE, Quill, FullCalendar)
+- **Native shell styling** — re-skin Softr's native top bar, **footer**, nav, dropdowns, and **page background** via global Custom Code CSS (stable selectors vs. hashed classes, floating "island" header/footer, the dropdown grid fix, the multi-layer page-background stacking, restyle-vs-replace) — distinct from blocks
 - **UI/UX design guidelines** — 26 sections covering visual hierarchy, color, typography, spacing, motion design, accessibility, responsive patterns, and an AI slop anti-pattern checklist
 - **Self-validation** — Claude checks for Softr bundler compatibility (no optional chaining, correct imports, container wrappers, `getFieldValue()` wrapping, hooks ordering) before delivering code
 - **Premium visual baseline** — Every block ships polished from v1: gradient backgrounds, card elevation, loading skeletons, empty states, error states
@@ -184,6 +185,10 @@ softr-vibe-coding/
 │   │                                 # install, scope limitations)
 │   ├── advanced-integrations.md      # Shadow DOM CSS isolation (69 lines)
 │   │                                 # Leaflet, Mapbox, TinyMCE, Quill, FullCalendar
+│   ├── native-chrome-styling.md      # Restyle Softr's native shell (header, footer,
+│   │                                 # nav, dropdowns, page background) via global
+│   │                                 # Custom Code CSS — stable selectors, floating
+│   │                                 # islands, dropdown grid fix, multi-layer page-bg
 │   ├── anti-patterns.md              # Categorized violation catalog (86 lines)
 │   │                                 # Data access, mutations, hooks, layout,
 │   │                                 # permissions, helper blocks

package/SKILL.md

@@ -20,6 +20,8 @@ allowed-tools: Read Write Glob Grep Bash
 
 You generate complete, production-ready Softr Vibe Coding blocks as JSX files. A Vibe Coding block is a JavaScript file with a default-exported React component that runs exclusively in the browser inside a Softr app.
 
+> **Scope note — blocks vs. native chrome.** A block is page *content*, rendered inside a shadow DOM. Softr's global **header / top bar / nav / dropdown menus** are native chrome (configured in Studio, rendered in the main document) — you **cannot** build or replace them as a block. To restyle them, add CSS to Settings → Custom Code → Code inside header. See [references/native-chrome-styling.md](references/native-chrome-styling.md).
+
 ## Your Workflow
 
 1. **Detect the brand source (always run first, before any block work).** Check if a `./DESIGN.md` file exists in the project folder you're about to work in.
@@ -155,6 +157,7 @@ For advanced patterns beyond data fetching, load the relevant reference when the
 | Small reusable patterns — `localStorage` cross-page state, clipboard copy button | [references/common-patterns.md](references/common-patterns.md) |
 | Writing Airtable Automation Scripts / Scripting Extension scripts / Airtable formulas — companion to Softr blocks for cross-table cascades and computed values | [references/airtable-automations.md](references/airtable-automations.md) |
 | AI-assisted Softr DB schema discovery / field-ID lookup / record reads via the official Softr MCP server (sibling to the in-block `useRecords` workflow) | [references/softr-database-mcp.md](references/softr-database-mcp.md) |
+| Restyling Softr's **native shell — header / footer / nav / dropdowns / page background** (not a block; it's Softr chrome, done with global Custom Code CSS): stable selectors vs. hashed classes, floating "island" header+footer, the dropdown blank-space grid fix, the multi-layer page-background stacking, restyle-vs-replace | [references/native-chrome-styling.md](references/native-chrome-styling.md) |
 
 ## Code Structure
 

package/package.json

@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 {
   "name": "softr-vibe-coding",
-  "version": "1.6.0",
+  "version": "1.8.0",
   "description": "Claude Code skill for generating production-ready Softr Vibe Coding blocks (JSX). Installs into ~/.claude/skills/ and auto-updates on each Claude Code session.",
   "bin": {
     "softr-vibe-coding": "./bin/cli.js"

package/references/anti-patterns.md

@@ -63,6 +63,9 @@ Run through this catalog before delivering any block. Every row is a violation o
 | Painting `backgroundColor: BRAND_CANVAS` on a Vibe Coding block's outer wrapper when `custom-code-header.html` already sets `body { background-color: var(--brand-canvas) !important }` | Don't double-paint. If the body bg is already the brand canvas, the block leaves its own backgroundColor unset and the page bg shows through. Painting the same color twice produces a visible seam — Softr's content wrapper sits between `<body>` and the Vibe Coding block, and the two backgrounds composite slightly differently due to sub-pixel rendering, transparency stacking, or wrapper paddings. Set fontFamily and color on the block's wrapper (those don't inherit cleanly through shadow DOM), but **leave backgroundColor unset** — let the page bg flow through. The exception: if the block needs a brand-tinted *section* (e.g., a card-style admin shell that's different from the page bg), paint that bg explicitly on its specific container, not on the outer wrapper. |
 | `document.getElementById(...)` / `document.querySelector(...)` to find an element inside the block — for example, a hidden `<input type="file">` triggered by a visible "Upload" button via `getElementById('myInput').click()` | Vibe Coding blocks render inside a shadow DOM. The global `document` traversal stops at the shadow boundary, so id/selector lookups for elements inside the block return `null`. The user-visible symptom is a control that does nothing — no error, no file picker, no focus, no scroll — because the chained `.click()` / `.focus()` / `.scrollIntoView()` was called on `null`. Use a **React `useRef`** instead: `var inputRef = useRef(null)`, then `<input ref={inputRef} />` and `<button onClick={function() { if (inputRef.current) inputRef.current.click(); }}>`. Refs hold direct node references and don't depend on DOM traversal, so they work regardless of which DOM tree the node lives in. This applies to every "trigger a hidden element" pattern: hidden file inputs, programmatic focus, scroll-into-view, `.click()` on a non-visible button. |
 | Using `window.addEventListener("beforeunload", ...)` as the only unsaved-changes guard in a form block | Softr is a SPA. Internal nav (Softr's nav bar, sidebar links, `<NavigationAction>`) changes the route via the client-side router — `beforeunload` only fires on full page unload (tab close, refresh, external link), so the warning silently misses every in-app navigation. Use `useNavigationBlocker(isDirty)` from `@/lib/use-navigation-blocker` instead; it covers SPA nav AND browser unload with one API. Softr's Vibe Coding bundler often wires this automatically when a form is detected as dirty — you only need to add it manually for advanced cases (multi-step forms, custom dirty tracking, blocking on non-form state). See [common-patterns.md](common-patterns.md#navigation-blocker-for-unsaved-changes). |
+| Targeting Softr's hashed build classes (e.g. `.f8f11e5_m9ntthp`) when restyling the native header/nav from `custom-code-header.html` | Softr regenerates the hash on every deploy, so the rule silently dies. Target stable hooks: `.softr-topbar`, `.softr-nav-link`, `.softr-nav-button`, `.softr-nav-logo`, `#topbar-root`; for dropdown menus (no `softr-*` class) use the Radix/ARIA attrs `[role="menu"]` / `[role="menuitem"]` / `[role="group"]` / `[aria-expanded="true"]`, scoped under `.softr-topbar`. The native header is Softr chrome (main document), not a block — it can't be built as a Vibe Coding block. See [native-chrome-styling.md](native-chrome-styling.md). |
+| Softr nav dropdown panel shows a tall blank gap below the items, and `height: auto` won't shrink it | The items sit in a CSS grid Softr sets to `grid-auto-flow: column` with pre-sized empty row tracks (`grid-template-rows: 60px 60px…`). Override the flow on `.softr-topbar [role="menu"] [role="group"]`: `grid-auto-flow: row !important; grid-template-rows: none !important; grid-auto-rows: auto !important` (leave `grid-template-columns` to preserve the menu width). Verified June 2026. See [native-chrome-styling.md](native-chrome-styling.md). |
+| Setting the page background on `body` (or any single element) — it appears to do nothing | Softr paints the SAME page fill on `html`, `body`, `#page-content`, AND a deeper class-less wrapper div, stacked — so styling one gets covered. Paint your backdrop on `html`, then clear the duplicates above it: `body`, `#page-content`, and `#page-content div` — but EXCLUDE the header subtree with `:not(.softr-topbar):not(.softr-topbar *)` (it renders inside `#page-content`, and `#page-content`'s id specificity would otherwise flatten the dropdown panel). Verified June 2026. See [native-chrome-styling.md](native-chrome-styling.md). |
 
 ## Permissions
 

package/references/native-chrome-styling.md

@@ -0,0 +1,219 @@
+# Styling Softr's Native Shell (Header · Footer · Page Background) via Custom Code
+
+**This is NOT about Vibe Coding blocks.** Softr's top bar, navigation, dropdown menus, footer, and the page background are part of the *native app shell* — configured in Softr Studio and rendered in the **main document**, not inside a block's shadow DOM. You **cannot** build or replace them as a Vibe Coding block. To re-skin them, add **CSS to Settings → Custom Code → Code inside header** (the same place brand fonts/tokens live, i.e. the `custom-code-header.html` produced by `building-design-md`). Pure CSS — no markup, no JS — and the native chrome stays in place, so Softr's auth-aware nav (account menu, sign-out, user-group gating) keeps working.
+
+This doc covers the **header / nav / dropdowns**, the **footer**, the **floating "island" treatment** for both, and the **page background** — which is trickier than it looks, because Softr stacks the same fill on several layers.
+
+> **Mirror of the block rule.** Global `custom-code-header.html` CSS reaches native chrome (main document) but **not** blocks (shadow DOM). Inside a block you apply brand styles inline; for native chrome you apply them with this global CSS. (See [anti-patterns.md](anti-patterns.md) for the block side.)
+
+## Selector discipline — the #1 rule
+
+Softr's rendered markup carries two kinds of classes:
+
+- **Hashed build classes** like `f8f11e5_m9ntthp` — **NEVER target these.** Softr regenerates the hash on every deploy, so your rules silently die.
+- **Stable hooks** — target these instead:
+
+| Element | Stable selector |
+|---|---|
+| Sticky root wrapper | `#topbar-root` |
+| The bar itself | `.softr-topbar` (also `[data-testid="topbar"]`) |
+| Logo image | `.softr-nav-logo` |
+| Nav links (Home, etc.) | `.softr-nav-link` |
+| Nav buttons / dropdown triggers | `.softr-nav-button` |
+| Overflow "…" trigger | `.softr-nav-category` |
+| Active / current link | `.softr-nav-link[data-active="true"]` |
+| Open dropdown trigger | `.softr-nav-button[aria-expanded="true"]` |
+
+**Dropdown menus have NO `softr-*` class** — they're **Radix UI**, so target ARIA / Radix attributes (stable across deploys):
+
+| Element | Stable selector |
+|---|---|
+| Menubar (the row of items) | `[role="menubar"]` |
+| Open dropdown panel | `[role="menu"]` (+ `[data-state="open"]`, `[data-side="bottom"]`) |
+| A menu item | `[role="menuitem"]` |
+| Items group inside the panel | `[role="group"]` |
+| Keyboard-highlighted item | `[role="menuitem"][data-highlighted]` |
+
+Scope dropdown rules under `.softr-topbar` (Softr renders the header menu *inside* the nav) so they don't bleed into other Radix menus elsewhere in the app. Use `!important` + the `.softr-topbar` scope to beat Softr's own class rules.
+
+## Recipe: restyle the top bar
+
+```css
+/* Bar surface */
+.softr-topbar {
+  background-color: #02006C !important;          /* your brand deep color */
+  border-bottom: 1px solid #1E1666 !important;
+  box-shadow: 0 6px 20px rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.25) !important;
+}
+
+/* Nav items: brand font, pill, your text color */
+.softr-topbar .softr-nav-link,
+.softr-topbar .softr-nav-button {
+  font-family: var(--brand-font-display) !important;
+  color: #FFFFFF !important;
+  border-radius: 9999px !important;
+}
+
+/* Icons (currentColor SVGs) + labels carry their OWN color — force them to follow the link.
+   Without this, labels render in Softr's default muted grey even after you set `color`. */
+.softr-topbar .softr-nav-link *,
+.softr-topbar .softr-nav-button * { color: inherit !important; }
+
+/* Spacing — pills can end up touching; margin works regardless of the menubar's display type */
+.softr-topbar [role="menubar"] .softr-nav-link,
+.softr-topbar [role="menubar"] .softr-nav-button { margin: 0 4px !important; }
+
+/* Single out ONE item as a CTA by its href (the only stable way to target one nav item) */
+.softr-topbar .softr-nav-link[href*="your-form-host"] {
+  background: #9B23D0 !important;
+  color: #FFFFFF !important;
+  box-shadow: var(--brand-shadow-cta-glow) !important;
+}
+```
+
+### Gotchas (verified June 2026)
+
+- **Nav font defaults to Inter.** Your brand `@font-face`/`<link>` loads globally, but the bar's `font-family` is set on Softr's classes — you must target `.softr-nav-link` / `.softr-nav-button` to change it.
+- **Icon + label color** comes from Softr's classes, so a plain `color:` on the link often doesn't take — use the `* { color: inherit !important }` trick above (SVGs use `currentColor`, so they follow too).
+- **Custom code renders on the PUBLISHED app only — not in the Studio editor.** The header looks unchanged in the builder; always verify on the live app.
+- **Account avatar on a dark bar:** Softr's logged-in account button can blend into a dark bar — give it a contrasting ring if you darken the surface.
+
+## Gotcha: dropdown panel has a tall blank gap below the items
+
+Softr lays dropdown items in a **CSS grid** with `grid-auto-flow: column` and a **fixed set of pre-sized row tracks** (`grid-template-rows: 60px 60px 60px…`). With only 2–3 items the extra rows stay empty → a tall panel with dead space. **`height: auto` does NOT fix it** — the grid template defines those tracks. Override the flow instead:
+
+```css
+.softr-topbar [role="menu"],
+.softr-topbar [role="menu"] > div,
+.softr-topbar [role="menu"] [role="group"] {
+  height: auto !important;
+  min-height: 0 !important;
+  grid-auto-flow: row !important;       /* one item per row */
+  grid-template-rows: none !important;  /* drop the reserved empty tracks */
+  grid-auto-rows: auto !important;
+}
+/* leave grid-template-columns alone — it sets the menu width */
+```
+
+Center each item's text and drop the empty description slot Softr reserves:
+
+```css
+.softr-topbar [role="menu"] [role="menuitem"] { display: flex !important; align-items: center !important; }
+.softr-topbar [role="menu"] [role="menuitem"] div:empty { display: none !important; }
+```
+
+## Floating "island" header
+
+To turn a full-bleed bar into a floating, rounded "island" (inset from the edges): make the sticky root + Softr's Studio wrappers transparent so only the bar paints, then constrain + round + shadow the bar itself.
+
+```css
+/* The sticky root and its Studio wrappers paint full-width — clear them so only the
+   bar shows, floating over the page. */
+#topbar-root,
+#topbar-root > div,
+#topbar-root > div > div { background: transparent !important; }
+
+#topbar-root { padding: 24px 16px 0 !important; }   /* gap above + at the sides */
+
+.softr-topbar {
+  max-width: 1200px !important;
+  margin: 0 auto !important;          /* center the island */
+  border-radius: 22px !important;
+  box-shadow: 0 12px 30px rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.28) !important;
+}
+
+/* Optional: group the nav cluster toward the right-of-center */
+.softr-topbar [role="menubar"] { justify-content: flex-end !important; }
+```
+
+## Footer
+
+**The native footer has NO `softr-*` class — only `f8f11e5_*` hashes.** Target the semantic **`<footer>`** element instead. Safe: Vibe Coding blocks are shadow-DOM isolated, so `footer { … }` reaches only Softr's native footer, never a block.
+
+```css
+footer {
+  max-width: 1200px !important;
+  margin: 24px auto !important;            /* inset → elevated "island" card */
+  border-radius: 22px !important;
+  background-color: #02006C !important;    /* e.g. navy, to match a navy header island */
+  color: #FFFFFF !important;
+  box-shadow: 0 14px 34px rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.18) !important;
+}
+footer * { color: inherit !important; }    /* recolor all footer text/links white in one shot */
+```
+
+**Footer contact column wraps the email mid-word.** Softr pins that column to a fixed `width: 160px` with `overflow-wrap: break-word`, so a long email splits across lines. Fix by no-wrapping the links (target by their stable `tel:` / `mailto:` href) and letting the column grow to content:
+
+```css
+footer a[href^="tel:"],
+footer a[href^="mailto:"] { white-space: nowrap !important; }
+footer [role="list"],
+footer [role="list"] > div,
+footer [role="list"] > div > div {
+  width: auto !important;
+  min-width: max-content !important;
+  max-width: none !important;
+}
+```
+
+## Page background
+
+**The trickiest one — Softr paints the SAME fill on FOUR stacked layers:** `html`, `body`, `#page-content` (stable id; classes `content spr-content-root`), AND a deeper **class-less wrapper div** nested a few levels inside `#page-content`. Style any one layer and the ones above cover it — this is why setting `body` alone appears to "do nothing."
+
+**Pattern: paint the backdrop on the bottom layer (`html`), then clear the duplicate fills off everything stacked above it.**
+
+```css
+/* 1. Paint the backdrop on the bottom layer. A layered "combo" reads premium:
+      soft glow + faint dot-grid + base gradient. background-image order = top→bottom. */
+html {
+  background-color: #F0F3FC !important;   /* fallback base */
+  background-image:
+    radial-gradient(75rem 42rem at 50% -12%, rgba(155, 35, 208, 0.08), transparent 60%),  /* glow */
+    radial-gradient(rgba(2, 0, 108, 0.045) 1px, transparent 1.6px),                        /* dot-grid */
+    linear-gradient(180deg, #E7EAFB 0%, #F2F4FD 45%, #FAFBFF 100%) !important;             /* gradient */
+  background-size: 100% 100%, 24px 24px, 100% 100% !important;
+  background-repeat: no-repeat, repeat, no-repeat !important;
+  background-attachment: fixed !important;   /* calm while content scrolls */
+}
+
+/* 2. Clear the duplicate fills stacked above <html> so the backdrop shows through —
+      but EXCLUDE the header subtree (see gotcha). The inner content wrapper is
+      class-less and nested deep, so clear ALL divs inside #page-content. */
+body,
+#page-content { background-color: transparent !important; background-image: none !important; }
+#page-content div:not(.softr-topbar):not(.softr-topbar *) {
+  background-color: transparent !important;
+  background-image: none !important;
+}
+```
+
+**Gotcha — don't clear the header into oblivion.** The header (`#topbar-root` → `.softr-topbar`, *including its dropdown panel*) renders **inside** `#page-content`, so a blanket `#page-content div { background: transparent }` flattens the dropdown's white panel too. And `#page-content`'s **id specificity (1,0,1) out-specifies** class/attr rules like `.softr-topbar [role="menu"]` (0,2,0) — so the clear wins silently and your earlier menu styling vanishes. Always exclude the header subtree: `:not(.softr-topbar):not(.softr-topbar *)`. (Cards are shadow-DOM blocks → their backgrounds are untouched; the footer is a `<footer>`, not a div → safe.)
+
+## Finding the element to target
+
+**Transient menus** (close on blur) — DevTools can't right-click them. Freeze: in the Console run `setTimeout(function () { debugger; }, 4000)`, open the menu within 4s, then — paused — element-pick the panel and read the **Computed** tab. Resume with the ▶ button. ("Emulate a focused page" in the Elements `:hov` menu is a lighter alternative.)
+
+**Which element paints a background** — the element-picker keeps grabbing a *transparent* overlay sitting on top, so scan instead. Paste this in the Console; it lists `html`, `body`, and every large element with a real background color (tag / id / class / color / size), so you can spot the actual painter and its stable hook:
+
+```js
+(function () {
+  var hits = [];
+  var all = document.querySelectorAll('html, body, body *');
+  for (var i = 0; i < all.length; i++) {
+    var el = all[i], bg = getComputedStyle(el).backgroundColor, r = el.getBoundingClientRect();
+    if (bg !== 'rgba(0, 0, 0, 0)' && bg !== 'transparent' &&
+        (el === document.documentElement || el === document.body || (r.width > 1200 && r.height > 400))) {
+      hits.push({ tag: el.tagName.toLowerCase(), id: el.id || '',
+        cls: (typeof el.className === 'string' ? el.className : ''),
+        bg: bg, size: Math.round(r.width) + 'x' + Math.round(r.height) });
+    }
+  }
+  console.table(hits);
+})();
+```
+
+## Restyle vs. replace
+
+**Restyle the native bar (recommended):** robust, global, keeps Softr's auth-aware nav (account menu, user-group-gated items) and stays editable in Studio.
+
+**Replace it** (hide `#topbar-root`, inject a fully custom HTML/JS header globally): only if you need structure the native nav can't do — e.g. multi-column mega-menus with icon cards. It's **fragile**: you lose Softr's logged-in account menu + user-group gating, you must re-init the JS on every SPA route change (Softr swaps pages without a full reload), and the custom header won't render in the Studio editor. Steer users to restyle unless the structure genuinely requires replacement.