The release branch keeps feat/uiux-redesign as the primary UX surface and only reapplies the hardening changes that still add value there. REPL turns now preserve raw user input, REPL-only unknown slash command guidance can suggest exit shortcuts alongside shared commands, slash completion includes /exit and /quit, and the shared help copy keeps the grouped redesign while making resume guidance a little clearer.
The release-facing README and 0.1.0 draft notes already matched the current release-doc wording, so no extra docs delta was needed in this convergence commit.
Constraint: Keep the redesigned startup/help/status surfaces intact for release/0.1.0
Constraint: Do not reintroduce blanket prompt trimming before runtime submission
Rejected: Port the hardening branch's editor-mode/config path wholesale | it diverged from the redesigned custom line editor and would have regressed the release UX
Rejected: Flatten grouped slash help back into per-command blocks | weaker fit for the redesign's operator-style help surface
Confidence: high
Scope-risk: moderate
Reversibility: clean
Directive: Keep REPL-only suggestions and completion candidates aligned when adding or removing /vim, /exit, or /quit behavior
Tested: cargo check
Tested: cargo test
Not-tested: Live provider-backed REPL turns and interactive terminal manual QA
This redesign pass tightens the first-run and interactive experience
without changing the core execution model. The startup banner is now a
compact readiness summary instead of a large logo block, help output is
layered into quick-start and grouped slash-command sections, status and
permissions views read like operator dashboards, and direct/interactive
error surfaces now point users toward the next useful action.
The REPL also gains cycling slash-command completion so discoverability
improves even before a user has memorized the command set. Shared slash
command metadata now drives grouped help rendering and lightweight
command suggestions, which keeps interactive and non-interactive copy in
sync.
Constraint: Pre-release UX pass had to stay inside the existing Rust workspace with no new dependencies
Constraint: Existing slash command behavior and tests had to remain compatible while improving presentation
Rejected: Introduce a full-screen TUI command palette | too large and risky for this release pass
Rejected: Add trailing-space smart completion for argument-taking commands | conflicted with reliable completion cycling
Confidence: high
Scope-risk: moderate
Reversibility: clean
Directive: Keep startup hints, grouped slash help, and completion behavior aligned with slash_command_specs as commands evolve
Tested: cargo check
Tested: cargo test
Tested: Manual QA of `claw --help`, piped REPL `/help` `/status` `/permissions` `/session list` `/wat`, direct `/wat`, and interactive Tab cycling in the REPL
Not-tested: Live network-backed conversation turns and long streaming sessions
The release-prep docs still framed the workspace as a Rust variant,
which understated the owner's current product position. This update
rewrites the README title and positioning so Claw Code is presented
as the current product surface, while keeping the legal framing clear:
Claude Code inspired, implemented clean-room in Rust, and not a direct
port or copy. The draft 0.1.0 release notes now mirror that language.
Constraint: Docs must reflect the current owner positioning without introducing unsupported product claims
Constraint: Legal framing must stay explicit that this is a clean-room Rust implementation, not a direct port or copy
Rejected: Leave release notes unchanged | would keep product-positioning language inconsistent across release-facing docs
Confidence: high
Scope-risk: narrow
Reversibility: clean
Directive: Keep future release-facing docs aligned on product naming and clean-room positioning before tagging releases
Tested: Reviewed README and docs/releases/0.1.0.md after edits; verified only intended docs files were staged
Not-tested: cargo check and cargo test (docs-only pass; no code changes)
