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OpenNoodl/dev-docs/tasks/phase-3-editor-ux-overhaul/TASK-002B-github-advanced-integration

GIT-004: GitHub Project Management Integration

Overview

Transform Nodegex from a "coding tool with Git" into a collaborative development hub where teams can manage their entire project workflow without leaving the editor. This feature enables viewing, creating, and managing GitHub Issues, Pull Requests, and Discussions directly from both the Nodegex Editor and Dashboard.

The killer feature: Link GitHub issues directly to visual components, enabling unprecedented traceability between project management and implementation.

Phase: 3 (Dashboard UX & Collaboration)
Priority: HIGH (key differentiator)
Total Effort: 70-90 hours across 6 sub-tasks
Risk: Medium (OAuth complexity, GitHub API rate limits)


Strategic Value

Market Differentiation

No major low-code platform offers this level of GitHub integration:

Platform Git Support Issues/PRs Component Linking
Retool
Bubble
Webflow Basic
FlutterFlow Basic
Nodegex Full Full Unique

Target Users

  • Development Teams: Manage sprints without context-switching
  • Professional Associations: Track member portal features and bugs
  • Agencies: Client-facing issue tracking within projects
  • Open Source Projects: Contributor-friendly development environment

Feature Scope

Editor Integration (Primary)

Full-featured GitHub panel in the editor sidebar for active development work.

┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│  Nodegex Editor                                             │
├─────────────┬───────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│  Sidebar    │  Canvas / Node Editor                         │
│  ─────────  │                                               │
│  Components │  ┌─────────────────────────────────────┐      │
│  ─────────  │  │ Component Context Menu:             │      │
│  Properties │  │ ─────────────────────────           │      │
│  ─────────  │  │ • 📋 Create Issue from Component    │      │
│  Version    │  │ • 🔗 Link to Existing Issue (#42)   │      │
│  Control    │  │ • 👁️ View Linked Issues (3)         │      │
│  ─────────  │  │ • 🐛 Quick Bug Report               │      │
│  ┌────────┐ │  └─────────────────────────────────────┘      │
│  │GitHub  │ │                                               │
│  │Panel   │◄──── NEW: Issues, PRs, Discussions             │
│  │        │ │                                               │
│  └────────┘ │                                               │
└─────────────┴───────────────────────────────────────────────┘

Dashboard Integration (Secondary)

Overview widgets for project health and team awareness.

┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│  Nodegex Dashboard                                          │
├─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│                                                             │
│  ┌─────────────────┐  ┌─────────────────┐                   │
│  │ Project A       │  │ Project B       │                   │
│  │ ───────────     │  │ ───────────     │                   │
│  │ 🔴 5 Open Issues│  │ 🟢 0 Open Issues│                   │
│  │ 🟡 2 Open PRs   │  │ 🟡 1 Open PR    │                   │
│  │ 💬 3 New Discuss│  │ 💬 0 Discussions│                   │
│  └─────────────────┘  └─────────────────┘                   │
│                                                             │
│  ┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐    │
│  │ 🔔 Recent Activity                                  │    │
│  │ ─────────────────────────────────────────────────── │    │
│  │ • Issue #42 assigned to you (Project A) - 2h ago   │    │
│  │ • PR #15 ready for review (Project B) - 5h ago     │    │
│  │ • New comment on Issue #38 (Project A) - 1d ago    │    │
│  └─────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘    │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘

Sub-Task Breakdown

GIT-004A: GitHub OAuth & Client Foundation (8-12 hours)

Prerequisite for all other sub-tasks.

Upgrade from PAT-based authentication to full GitHub App OAuth flow, and create a reusable GitHub API client.

Scope:

  • GitHub App registration guidance/documentation
  • OAuth authorization flow in Electron
  • Secure token storage (upgrade from current GitStore pattern)
  • GitHubClient service with rate limiting and error handling
  • Token refresh handling

Files to Create:

packages/noodl-editor/src/editor/src/services/github/
├── GitHubAuth.ts              # OAuth flow handler
├── GitHubClient.ts            # REST API wrapper (@octokit/rest)
├── GitHubTypes.ts             # TypeScript interfaces
├── GitHubTokenStore.ts        # Secure token persistence
└── index.ts

Files to Modify:

packages/noodl-editor/src/editor/src/views/panels/VersionControlPanel/
  components/GitProviderPopout/GitProviderPopout.tsx
  - Add "Connect GitHub Account" button for OAuth
  - Show connection status

packages/noodl-git/src/git.ts
  - Integrate with new GitHubClient for authenticated operations

Success Criteria:

  • User can authenticate via GitHub OAuth from editor
  • Token stored securely and persists across sessions
  • Token refresh works automatically
  • GitHubClient can make authenticated API calls
  • Rate limiting handled gracefully with user feedback

GIT-004B: Issues Panel - Read & Display (10-14 hours)

View GitHub issues for the connected repository.

Scope:

  • New sidebar panel: GitHubPanel with tabbed interface
  • Issues list with filtering (open/closed, labels, assignees)
  • Issue detail view (body, comments, labels, assignees)
  • Markdown rendering for issue bodies
  • Search/filter within issues
  • Pagination for large issue lists

Files to Create:

packages/noodl-editor/src/editor/src/views/panels/GitHubPanel/
├── GitHubPanel.tsx
├── GitHubPanel.module.scss
├── components/
│   ├── IssuesTab/
│   │   ├── IssuesList.tsx
│   │   ├── IssueItem.tsx
│   │   ├── IssueDetail.tsx
│   │   ├── IssueFilters.tsx
│   │   └── IssueDetail.module.scss
│   └── TabNavigation.tsx
├── hooks/
│   ├── useGitHubPanel.ts
│   └── useIssues.ts
└── types.ts

Files to Modify:

packages/noodl-editor/src/editor/src/router.setup.ts
  - Register GitHubPanel with SidebarModel

packages/noodl-editor/src/editor/src/models/sidebar/sidebarmodel.tsx
  - Add GitHub panel configuration

Dependencies:

  • react-markdown for rendering issue bodies
  • @octokit/rest (from GIT-004A)

Success Criteria:

  • GitHub panel appears in sidebar when repo is connected
  • Issues list loads and displays correctly
  • Filters work (open/closed, labels, assignees, search)
  • Issue detail shows full content with markdown rendering
  • Comments display in chronological order
  • Pagination works for repos with many issues
  • Loading states and error handling implemented

GIT-004C: Pull Requests Panel - Read & Display (10-14 hours)

View GitHub pull requests for the connected repository.

Scope:

  • PRs tab in GitHubPanel
  • PR list with status indicators (draft, review requested, approved, changes requested)
  • PR detail view (description, commits, checks status)
  • Review status display (approvals, requested changes)
  • Link to view diff (opens in browser or future in-editor diff)
  • Merge conflict indicators

Files to Create:

packages/noodl-editor/src/editor/src/views/panels/GitHubPanel/
├── components/
│   └── PullRequestsTab/
│       ├── PRsList.tsx
│       ├── PRItem.tsx
│       ├── PRDetail.tsx
│       ├── PRStatusBadge.tsx
│       ├── PRChecksStatus.tsx
│       └── PRDetail.module.scss
├── hooks/
│   └── usePullRequests.ts

Success Criteria:

  • PRs tab displays all open PRs
  • Status badges show draft/review/approved/changes requested
  • PR detail shows description, commits list, checks status
  • Merge conflict warnings display prominently
  • "View on GitHub" link works
  • Review status shows who approved/requested changes

GIT-004D: Create & Update Issues (12-16 hours)

Full CRUD operations for GitHub issues from within Nodegex.

Scope:

  • Create Issue dialog with title, body (markdown editor), labels, assignees
  • Edit existing issues (title, body, status)
  • Add comments to issues
  • Change issue status (open/closed)
  • Quick Bug Report from component context menu (pre-fills component info)
  • Issue templates support (load from repo's .github/ISSUE_TEMPLATE/)

Files to Create:

packages/noodl-editor/src/editor/src/views/panels/GitHubPanel/
├── components/
│   └── IssuesTab/
│       ├── CreateIssueDialog.tsx
│       ├── CreateIssueDialog.module.scss
│       ├── EditIssueDialog.tsx
│       ├── AddCommentForm.tsx
│       └── MarkdownEditor.tsx       # Simple markdown input with preview
├── hooks/
│   └── useIssueActions.ts

Files to Modify:

packages/noodl-editor/src/editor/src/views/nodegrapheditor/
  - Add context menu items for component-linked issue creation

Success Criteria:

  • Create Issue dialog opens from panel header
  • Can set title, body, labels, assignees
  • Markdown preview works in body editor
  • Issue templates load if available in repo
  • Can edit existing issues
  • Can add comments
  • Can close/reopen issues
  • Quick Bug Report from component context menu works
  • Newly created issues appear in list immediately

GIT-004E: Component Linking System (14-18 hours)

THE KILLER FEATURE: Link GitHub issues to visual components for unprecedented traceability.

Scope:

  • Component metadata extension for issue links
  • "Link Issue" dialog from component context menu
  • "Create Issue from Component" with auto-populated context
  • Visual indicators on components with linked issues
  • Issue detail shows linked components (clickable to navigate)
  • Component detail shows linked issues
  • Bidirectional navigation

Architecture:

// Component metadata extension (in project.json)
interface ComponentMetadata {
  name: string;
  // ... existing fields
  github?: {
    linkedIssues: number[];      // Issue numbers
    linkedPRs: number[];         // PR numbers
    lastModifiedBy?: string;     // GitHub username
  };
}

// Issue display shows linked components
interface LinkedComponent {
  componentName: string;
  componentPath: string;        // For navigation
  linkType: 'mentioned' | 'implements' | 'fixes';
}

Files to Create:

packages/noodl-editor/src/editor/src/services/github/
├── ComponentLinking.ts          # Link management logic
└── ComponentLinkingTypes.ts

packages/noodl-editor/src/editor/src/views/panels/GitHubPanel/
├── components/
│   ├── LinkIssueDialog.tsx
│   ├── LinkedComponentsList.tsx
│   └── ComponentIssueBadge.tsx   # Visual indicator for canvas

Files to Modify:

packages/noodl-editor/src/editor/src/models/projectmodel.ts
  - Add methods for component GitHub metadata

packages/noodl-editor/src/editor/src/views/nodegrapheditor/
  - Add visual indicators for components with linked issues
  - Add context menu items for linking

packages/noodl-editor/src/editor/src/views/panels/PropertyPanel/
  - Show linked issues section in component properties

User Flows:

  1. Link Existing Issue to Component:

    • Right-click component → "Link to Issue"
    • Search/select from open issues
    • Choose link type (mentions, implements, fixes)
    • Component shows badge, issue shows component link
  2. Create Issue from Component:

    • Right-click component → "Create Issue"
    • Dialog pre-fills: component name, path, screenshot option
    • Creates issue and links automatically
  3. Navigate from Issue to Component:

    • In issue detail, "Linked Components" section
    • Click component name → navigates to component in editor
  4. Quick Bug Report:

    • Right-click component → "Report Bug"
    • Streamlined dialog with component context
    • Auto-labels as "bug"

Success Criteria:

  • Can link issues to components via context menu
  • Can create issue from component with pre-filled context
  • Components show visual indicator when issues linked
  • Issue detail shows linked components
  • Can navigate from issue to component
  • Links persist in project.json
  • Quick Bug Report works with minimal friction
  • Can unlink issues from components

GIT-004F: Dashboard Widgets & Notifications (12-16 hours)

Project health overview and activity feed in the Dashboard.

Scope:

  • Project card enhancements: issue/PR counts, health indicators
  • Activity feed widget: recent issue/PR activity across projects
  • Notification badges for items needing attention
  • "Assigned to me" quick filter
  • Click-through to editor with correct panel open

Files to Create:

packages/noodl-editor/src/editor/src/views/Dashboard/
├── components/
│   ├── GitHubProjectStats.tsx      # Stats for project cards
│   ├── GitHubActivityFeed.tsx      # Cross-project activity
│   ├── GitHubNotificationBadge.tsx # Attention needed indicator
│   └── GitHubActivityFeed.module.scss
├── hooks/
│   └── useDashboardGitHub.ts       # Aggregate GitHub data

Files to Modify:

packages/noodl-editor/src/editor/src/views/Dashboard/ProjectCard/
  - Add GitHub stats display
  - Add notification badges

packages/noodl-editor/src/editor/src/views/Dashboard/Dashboard.tsx
  - Add activity feed widget section

Dashboard Features:

  1. Project Card Stats:

    ┌─────────────────────────┐
    │ My Project              │
    │ ─────────────           │
    │ Last edited: 2 days ago │
    │ ─────────────           │
    │ 🔴 5 Open Issues        │
    │ 🟡 2 PRs need review    │
    │ 💬 1 New discussion     │
    └─────────────────────────┘
    
  2. Activity Feed:

    • Shows recent activity across all connected projects
    • Filterable by type (issues, PRs, discussions)
    • "Assigned to me" filter
    • Click to open project and navigate to item
  3. Notification Badges:

    • Red badge on project card when attention needed
    • Attention triggers: assigned issues, review requests, mentions

Success Criteria:

  • Project cards show GitHub stats when connected
  • Activity feed displays recent cross-project activity
  • Notification badges appear for items needing attention
  • Clicking activity opens correct project and panel
  • "Assigned to me" filter works
  • Stats update when dashboard refreshes
  • Handles projects without GitHub gracefully

Technical Architecture

Service Layer

packages/noodl-editor/src/editor/src/services/github/
├── GitHubAuth.ts           # OAuth flow, token management
├── GitHubClient.ts         # API wrapper with rate limiting
├── GitHubTypes.ts          # TypeScript interfaces
├── GitHubTokenStore.ts     # Secure persistence
├── ComponentLinking.ts     # Component ↔ Issue linking logic
└── index.ts                # Public exports

State Management

Use React hooks with GitHubClient as the data source:

// Example hook pattern
function useIssues(repoOwner: string, repoName: string) {
  const [issues, setIssues] = useState<GitHubIssue[]>([]);
  const [loading, setLoading] = useState(true);
  const [error, setError] = useState<Error | null>(null);
  
  const client = useGitHubClient();
  
  useEffect(() => {
    client.issues.list({ owner: repoOwner, repo: repoName })
      .then(setIssues)
      .catch(setError)
      .finally(() => setLoading(false));
  }, [repoOwner, repoName]);
  
  return { issues, loading, error, refetch };
}

GitHub API Permissions Required

Repository permissions:
  - Issues: Read and write
  - Pull requests: Read and write
  - Discussions: Read and write
  - Contents: Read (for PR diffs, templates)
  - Metadata: Read

User permissions:
  - Email addresses: Read (for user identification)

Rate Limiting Strategy

GitHub API has limits (5000 requests/hour for authenticated users). Strategy:

  1. Caching: Cache issue/PR lists for 30 seconds
  2. Conditional requests: Use ETags for "not modified" responses
  3. Pagination: Load in batches, don't fetch all at once
  4. User feedback: Show rate limit status, warn when approaching

Dependencies

NPM Packages to Add

{
  "@octokit/rest": "^20.0.0",       // GitHub API client
  "@octokit/auth-oauth-app": "^7.0.0", // OAuth flow
  "react-markdown": "^9.0.0",       // Markdown rendering
  "remark-gfm": "^4.0.0"            // GitHub Flavored Markdown
}

Blocked By

  • Phase 0: Foundation Stabilization (webpack/React issues)
  • GIT-002/003: Existing GitHub integration tasks (if not complete)

Blocks

  • Future: GitHub Actions integration
  • Future: Code review workflow in editor

Implementation Order

GIT-004A: OAuth & Client Foundation
    │
    ├──► GIT-004B: Issues Panel (Read)
    │        │
    │        └──► GIT-004D: Issues (Create/Update)
    │                 │
    │                 └──► GIT-004E: Component Linking
    │
    └──► GIT-004C: PRs Panel (Read)
             │
             └──► GIT-004F: Dashboard Widgets

Recommended sequence:

  1. GIT-004A (Foundation) - Required first
  2. GIT-004B (Issues Read) - Core value, quick win
  3. GIT-004D (Issues Write) - Enables productivity
  4. GIT-004E (Component Linking) - Killer feature
  5. GIT-004C (PRs Read) - Parallel with above if capacity
  6. GIT-004F (Dashboard) - Polish layer

Testing Strategy

Unit Tests

  • GitHubClient API wrapper methods
  • Component linking logic
  • Token storage/refresh

Integration Tests

  • OAuth flow (mock GitHub responses)
  • Issue CRUD operations
  • Component metadata persistence

Manual Testing Checklist

  • Fresh OAuth authorization
  • Token refresh after expiry
  • Issue list with 100+ issues (pagination)
  • Create/edit/close issue cycle
  • Link issue to component, navigate back
  • Dashboard with multiple projects
  • Offline behavior / error states
  • Rate limit handling

Risks & Mitigations

Risk Impact Probability Mitigation
GitHub API rate limits Medium Medium Caching, conditional requests, user feedback
OAuth complexity in Electron High Medium Follow GitHub Desktop patterns, thorough testing
Token security concerns High Low Use OS keychain via electron-store encryption
Large repos performance Medium Medium Pagination, virtual lists, lazy loading
GitHub API changes Low Low Pin @octokit version, integration tests

Future Enhancements (Out of Scope)

  • GitHub Actions: View/trigger workflows from editor
  • PR Review in Editor: Full diff view, approve/request changes
  • Discussions Full CRUD: Currently read-only planned
  • GitHub Projects: Kanban board integration
  • Webhooks: Real-time updates (requires server component)
  • Multi-repo Support: Track issues across multiple repos

Success Metrics

  1. Adoption: 50% of team projects connect GitHub within 3 months
  2. Engagement: Average 5+ issues created per active project per month
  3. Retention: Component linking used in 30% of connected projects
  4. Satisfaction: Positive feedback on reduced context-switching

References