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Adding a New Feature End-to-End

The standard workflow​

  1. Define the model struct(s) in src/core/src/models/<domain>.rs.
  2. Implement repository functions in src/core/src/repositories/<domain>.rs (all SQL + ownership checks).
  3. Add thin #[tauri::command] functions in src/core/src/commands/<domain>.rs.
  4. Register each new command in tauri::generate_handler![...] in src/core/src/lib.rs.
  5. Add typed wrapper functions in src/ui/lib/tauri.ts — the only place the frontend calls invoke().
  6. Build UI components/pages that consume the new wrapper via the service layer (src/ui/services/).
  7. Add Rust integration tests (src/core/tests/) and, where relevant, Vitest tests (src/ui/test/, colocated __tests__/).

See Backend Architecture, Frontend Architecture, and Writing New Tests for the conventions each step should follow.

Worked example: export_test_to_zip (shipped in 1.0.0-beta.8)​

RELEASES.md records the real implementation sequence for this feature, in chronological order (oldest → newest commit):

  1. docs: add export test to zip spec — the product spec (docs/spec/export-test-to-zip.md) landed first.
  2. core: add zip crate dependency for test export — added the zip crate to Cargo.toml.
  3. core: add export_service to build importable test JSON and zip bundles — the service layer (src/core/src/services/export_service.rs) that assembles JSON + collects media.
  4. core: register export_service module — wired the new service module into src/core/src/services/mod.rs.
  5. core: register export command module — added commands::export to src/core/src/commands/mod.rs.
  6. core: add export_test_to_zip Tauri command — the thin command wrapper (src/core/src/commands/export.rs).
  7. core: wire up export_test_to_zip in invoke_handler — registered in lib.rs's generate_handler!.
  8. ui: add exportTestToZip invoke wrapper and ExportResult type — the typed wrapper landed in src/ui/lib/tauri.ts.
  9. ui: add exportContent helper to contentService — a service-layer helper wrapping the raw IPC call with UI-facing concerns (toasts, etc.).
  10. ui: add Export action to Content Library 3-dot menu — the actual UI entry point, positioned between Edit and Delete.
  11. core: nest export zip contents inside a slug-named folder — refined the zip layout based on early testing.
  12. Add tauri-plugin-dialog dependency for export file picker → Regenerate Tauri ACL schemas for tauri-plugin-dialog → Register tauri-plugin-dialog in app builder — added native Save-As dialog support, including regenerating Tauri's ACL/capabilities schema (required whenever a new plugin is added — see File System & Native Dialog Integration).
  13. Split export service into build_export + default_export_dir for file picker → Wire native Save As dialog into export_test_to_zip command — connected the dialog to the export flow.
  14. Update exportTestToZip to return ExportResult | null on cancel → Propagate nullable export result through exportContent → Handle cancelled export (null result) without error toast — handled the case where the admin cancels the save dialog, without treating cancellation as an error.

This sequence is a good template for planning any new feature that spans both layers: spec → dependency → service → command → registration → frontend wrapper → frontend UI → refinement/edge cases. See Exporting Tests as ZIP Archives for the finished feature's full behavior.