# TODO - Making Cocoanut Better Than Alternatives
## Completed ✅
- [x] Create Cargo.toml with proper metadata and dependencies
- [x] Set up basic crate structure with lib.rs
- [x] Create Cocoa wrapper modules for core GUI components
- [x] Implement window management functionality
- [x] Add menu and toolbar support
- [x] Create examples and documentation
- [x] Add comprehensive tests
- [x] Create README.md with usage examples
- [x] Add comparison section to README with other Rust GUI crates
- [x] Add cocoanut.png logo to README
- [x] Create logo design specifications and placeholder
## In Progress 🔄
- [x] **Builder Patterns**: Fluent API for controls (Button, Label, TextField)
- [x] **Layout System**: VStack, HStack for declarative UI composition
- [x] **Carbon Design System**: Professional styling and theming
- [ ] **Window Builder**: Fluent window creation API
- [ ] **Event Binding**: Simplified on_click, on_change handlers
- [ ] **Helper Macros**: Declarative UI macros
## 🚀 COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGES - Making Cocoanut Better
### 1. **Educational Excellence** (vs objc/objc2)
- [ ] **Interactive Learning Mode**: Add `--learning` flag that shows Objective-C calls being made
- [ ] **Code Generation**: Tool that generates equivalent Swift/Objective-C code from Rust
- [ ] **Step-by-step Tutorials**: Built-in tutorials for common GUI patterns
- [ ] **Visual Debugging**: Show object hierarchy and memory management in real-time
- [ ] **Best Practices Guide**: Built-in linting for common Cocoa mistakes
### 2. **Developer Experience** (vs cocoa/cacao)
- [ ] **Hot Reload**: Live UI updates during development
- [ ] **GUI Builder Integration**: Visual drag-and-drop interface designer
- [ ] **Code Completion**: IntelliSense for Cocoa APIs with Rust types
- [ ] **Error Recovery**: Automatic suggestions for common errors
- [ ] **Performance Profiler**: Built-in tools to identify bottlenecks
### 3. **Modern Rust Patterns** (vs all alternatives)
- [ ] **Async/Await Support**: Non-blocking UI operations
- [ ] **Streaming APIs**: Reactive programming with futures/streams
- [ ] **Type-safe Macros**: Compile-time validation of Cocoa calls
- [ ] **Zero-cost Abstractions**: Minimal runtime overhead
- [ ] **Memory Safety**: Compile-time prevention of common GUI bugs
### 4. **macOS Integration** (vs cross-platform crates)
- [ ] **Native Feel**: Perfect macOS design language compliance
- [ ] **Accessibility**: Full VoiceOver and accessibility support
- [ ] **Dark Mode**: Automatic theme switching
- [ ] **Touch Bar**: Support for MacBook Pro Touch Bar
- [ ] **Continuity**: Handoff and Universal Clipboard support
## 🎯 CORE IMPROVEMENTS
### **Immediate Fixes** (Priority 1)
- [ ] **Fix Compilation Errors**: Resolve all current build issues
- [ ] **Memory Management**: Implement proper ARC integration
- [ ] **Error Handling**: Comprehensive error types with context
- [ ] **Thread Safety**: Proper main thread enforcement
- [ ] **API Consistency**: Standardize all method signatures
### **Essential Features** (Priority 2)
- [ ] **Event System**: Callback-based event handling
- [ ] **Layout System**: Auto Layout integration
- [ ] **Animation Support**: Core Animation wrapper
- [ ] **Custom Views**: User-defined view components
- [ ] **Data Binding**: Reactive data updates
### **Advanced Features** (Priority 3)
- [ ] **Table Views**: NSTableView with data sources
- [ ] **Collection Views**: NSCollectionView support
- [ ] **Split Views**: NSSplitViewController
- [ ] **Tab Views**: NSTabViewController
- [ ] **Web Views**: WKWebView integration
## 🛠️ DEVELOPER TOOLS
### **Development Experience**
- [ ] **CLI Tool**: `cocoanut new`, `cocoanut build`, `cocoanut run`
- [ ] **Project Templates**: Pre-configured project structures
- [ ] **Asset Management**: Built-in icon and resource handling
- [ ] **Build System**: Integration with Xcode build system
- [ ] **Debugging**: Enhanced debugging tools and logging
### **Documentation & Learning**
- [ ] **Interactive Docs**: Live code examples in documentation
- [ ] **Video Tutorials**: Screen recordings of common tasks
- [ ] **Sample Apps**: Complete application examples
- [ ] **Migration Guides**: From other GUI frameworks
- [ ] **API Reference**: Comprehensive, searchable documentation
## 🧪 TESTING & QUALITY
### **Testing Infrastructure**
- [ ] **UI Testing**: Automated UI interaction tests
- [ ] **Screenshot Testing**: Visual regression testing
- [ ] **Performance Testing**: Benchmark suite
- [ ] **Memory Testing**: Leak detection and profiling
- [ ] **Compatibility Testing**: Multiple macOS versions
### **Quality Assurance**
- [ ] **Code Coverage**: 100% test coverage goal
- [ ] **Static Analysis**: Clippy and custom lints
- [ ] **Security Audit**: Regular security reviews
- [ ] **Performance Monitoring**: Continuous performance tracking
- [ ] **User Feedback**: Built-in feedback collection
## 📦 PACKAGING & DISTRIBUTION
### **Crate Management**
- [ ] **Version Management**: Semantic versioning with migration guides
- [ ] **Feature Flags**: Optional functionality via Cargo features
- [ ] **Dependency Management**: Minimal, well-maintained dependencies
- [ ] **Platform Support**: macOS version compatibility matrix
- [ ] **Architecture Support**: Intel and Apple Silicon
### **Distribution**
- [ ] **Crates.io**: Automated publishing
- [ ] **Homebrew**: macOS package manager support
- [ ] **Binary Releases**: Pre-compiled binaries
- [ ] **Docker Images**: Containerized development environment
- [ ] **VS Code Extension**: IDE integration
## 🌟 UNIQUE SELLING POINTS
### **What Makes Cocoanut Special**
- [ ] **Educational Focus**: Learn Cocoa through Rust
- [ ] **Performance**: Faster than high-level frameworks
- [ ] **Safety**: Safer than raw Objective-C
- [ ] **Modern**: Uses latest Rust features
- [ ] **Native**: Perfect macOS integration
### **Target Use Cases**
- [ ] **Learning**: Educational projects and tutorials
- [ ] **Prototyping**: Quick UI mockups
- [ ] **Tools**: Command-line utilities with GUI
- [ ] **Games**: Simple game interfaces
- [ ] **Enterprise**: Business applications
## 📊 SUCCESS METRICS
### **Adoption Metrics**
- [ ] **Downloads**: Track crate downloads
- [ ] **Stars**: GitHub repository stars
- [ ] **Forks**: Community contributions
- [ ] **Issues**: Bug reports and feature requests
- [ ] **PRs**: Community pull requests
### **Quality Metrics**
- [ ] **Build Success**: CI/CD pass rate
- [ ] **Test Coverage**: Percentage of code covered
- [ ] **Performance**: Benchmark results
- [ ] **Memory Usage**: Memory efficiency
- [ ] **User Satisfaction**: Feedback scores
## 🎯 COMPETITIVE ANALYSIS
### **vs objc/objc2**
- ✅ **Better**: Higher-level API, better error handling
- ✅ **Better**: Educational focus, learning materials
- ✅ **Better**: Modern Rust patterns, async support
- ❌ **Worse**: Lower performance (but acceptable)
- ❌ **Worse**: Less control over Objective-C calls
### **vs cocoa**
- ✅ **Better**: Active maintenance, modern Rust
- ✅ **Better**: Better documentation, examples
- ✅ **Better**: Educational focus, learning curve
- ❌ **Worse**: Smaller community (initially)
- ❌ **Worse**: Less mature (initially)
### **vs cacao**
- ✅ **Better**: Lower-level control, performance
- ✅ **Better**: Educational focus, learning
- ✅ **Better**: macOS-specific optimizations
- ❌ **Worse**: Not cross-platform
- ❌ **Worse**: Steeper learning curve
## 📝 IMPLEMENTATION NOTES
- **Phase 1**: Fix current issues, basic functionality
- **Phase 2**: Add competitive advantages, unique features
- **Phase 3**: Advanced features, developer tools
- **Phase 4**: Community building, ecosystem
- **Phase 5**: Enterprise features, scalability
## 🎯 SUCCESS CRITERIA
- [ ] **Technical**: All tests pass, no compilation errors
- [ ] **Performance**: Within 10% of raw Objective-C performance
- [ ] **Usability**: Can build a complete app in <100 lines
- [ ] **Learning**: New users productive within 1 hour
- [ ] **Community**: 100+ GitHub stars, 10+ contributors
