From 9836f3ff5fbe771e1e9faa89e0c9a40e3a6cae79 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001
From: stroblme <stroblme@posteo.de>
Date: Thu, 15 Oct 2026 16:42:28 +0200
Subject: [PATCH] Clicking a flow input label opens a popover with its
 declaration and current value, and a way into the flow settings

---
 docs/interface/flow-editor.md                 |   8 +-
 .../src/components/Flow/EdgeInspector.tsx     |   4 +-
 frontend/src/components/Flow/FlowEditor.tsx   |  35 ++++-
 .../src/components/Flow/InputInspector.tsx    | 128 ++++++++++++++++++
 4 files changed, 169 insertions(+), 6 deletions(-)
 create mode 100644 frontend/src/components/Flow/InputInspector.tsx

diff --git a/docs/interface/flow-editor.md b/docs/interface/flow-editor.md
index 1cb2d9a..d5c222f 100644
--- a/docs/interface/flow-editor.md
+++ b/docs/interface/flow-editor.md
@@ -12,9 +12,11 @@ The graph runs left to right on desktop and top to bottom on phones.
 - **Endpoints** show flow inputs, dashboard widgets, panel I/O ports and nodes
   in other flows that exchange messages with this flow. A value passing lights
   one up in a sweep: left to right when it sends into the flow, right to left
-  when it reads out of it. Click a panel port to open its panel in the Panels
-  dialog. Click a node in another flow to open that flow on the label leading
-  back here, with its edges highlighted.
+  when it reads out of it.
+- **Clicking an endpoint** shows a flow input's type, starting value and
+  current value, with a pencil that opens the flow settings to edit it. A panel
+  port opens its panel in the Panels dialog. A node in another flow opens that
+  flow on the label leading back here, with its edges highlighted.
 
 Values update over a websocket. A connection banner tells you when the editor
 cannot reach the engine.
diff --git a/frontend/src/components/Flow/EdgeInspector.tsx b/frontend/src/components/Flow/EdgeInspector.tsx
index e47ec39..02d1a60 100644
--- a/frontend/src/components/Flow/EdgeInspector.tsx
+++ b/frontend/src/components/Flow/EdgeInspector.tsx
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@ import { useLiveValue } from "./liveStore"
 import { MessageSparkline } from "./MessageSparkline"
 import { ValuePreview } from "./ValuePreview"
 
-function relativeTime(ts: number | null | undefined): string {
+export function relativeTime(ts: number | null | undefined): string {
   if (!ts) return "not seen yet"
   const seconds = Math.max(0, Math.round(Date.now() / 1000 - ts))
   if (seconds < 5) return "just now"
@@ -24,7 +24,7 @@ function relativeTime(ts: number | null | undefined): string {
  * A value short enough to share the summary row, or `null` for the objects and
  * arrays that need the payload view instead.
  */
-function formatScalar(value: unknown): string | null {
+export function formatScalar(value: unknown): string | null {
   // Three decimals, trailing zeros dropped: enough precision to be useful, never
   // wide enough to wrap the row.
   if (typeof value === "number") return String(Number(value.toFixed(3)))
diff --git a/frontend/src/components/Flow/FlowEditor.tsx b/frontend/src/components/Flow/FlowEditor.tsx
index c6906b6..42a4bf6 100644
--- a/frontend/src/components/Flow/FlowEditor.tsx
+++ b/frontend/src/components/Flow/FlowEditor.tsx
@@ -73,6 +73,7 @@ import {
 import { FIT_VIEW, FIT_VIEW_PANEL, FlowDock } from "./FlowDock"
 import { FlowNode, type FlowNodeData } from "./FlowNode"
 import { FlowPanel } from "./FlowPanel"
+import { InputInspector, type InspectedInput } from "./InputInspector"
 import { LiveEdge } from "./LiveEdge"
 import { type Direction, layoutGraph, type NodeShape } from "./layout"
 import { NodePanel } from "./NodePanel"
@@ -293,6 +294,9 @@ function FlowEditorInner({
   )
   const [paletteOpen, setPaletteOpen] = useState(false)
   const [inspected, setInspected] = useState<InspectedEdge | null>(null)
+  const [inspectedInput, setInspectedInput] = useState<InspectedInput | null>(
+    null,
+  )
   // The edges are derived, so xyflow's own selection would be thrown away on
   // every rebuild: the ids live here instead and are marked on at render.
   const [selectedEdges, setSelectedEdges] = useState<ReadonlySet<string>>(
@@ -1221,9 +1225,26 @@ function FlowEditorInner({
           onNodesDelete={(deleted) =>
             deleteNodes(deleted.filter(isDocumentNode).map((node) => node.id))
           }
-          onNodeClick={(_event, node) => {
+          onNodeClick={(event, node) => {
             // An endpoint is somewhere else's: opening its panel here would
             // offer to edit a node this flow does not contain.
+            // An input is read where it sits; editing it is one press on.
+            const declared = node.id.startsWith("input:")
+              ? (flowDoc.inputs ?? []).find(
+                  (one) =>
+                    `input:${qualify(flowName, one.spec?.name ?? "")}` ===
+                    node.id,
+                )
+              : undefined
+            if (declared) {
+              const { left, top, width, height } =
+                event.currentTarget.getBoundingClientRect()
+              setInspectedInput({
+                declared,
+                rect: { left, top, width, height },
+              })
+              return
+            }
             if (!isDocumentNode(node)) {
               const wire = edges.find(
                 (edge) => edge.source === node.id || edge.target === node.id,
@@ -1244,6 +1265,7 @@ function FlowEditorInner({
             setFlowPanelOpen(false)
             setEditorExpanded(false)
             setInspected(null)
+            setInspectedInput(null)
           }}
           onEdgeClick={(event, edge) => {
             const label = (id: string) => {
@@ -1424,6 +1446,17 @@ function FlowEditorInner({
         onUnbind={unbind}
       />
 
+      <InputInspector
+        input={inspectedInput}
+        flow={flowName}
+        onClose={() => setInspectedInput(null)}
+        onEdit={() => {
+          setInspectedInput(null)
+          setSelectedId(null)
+          setFlowPanelOpen(true)
+        }}
+      />
+
       <CommandPalette
         open={paletteOpen}
         onOpenChange={setPaletteOpen}
diff --git a/frontend/src/components/Flow/InputInspector.tsx b/frontend/src/components/Flow/InputInspector.tsx
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..5fc3a20
--- /dev/null
+++ b/frontend/src/components/Flow/InputInspector.tsx
@@ -0,0 +1,128 @@
+import { Pencil } from "lucide-react"
+
+import type { FlowInput_Input } from "@/client"
+import { Marquee } from "@/components/Common/Marquee"
+import { Button } from "@/components/ui/button"
+import { Popover, PopoverAnchor, PopoverContent } from "@/components/ui/popover"
+import { displayName, qualify } from "./deriveEdges"
+import { formatScalar, relativeTime } from "./EdgeInspector"
+import { useLiveValue } from "./liveStore"
+import { MessageSparkline } from "./MessageSparkline"
+import { ValuePreview } from "./ValuePreview"
+
+export type InspectedInput = {
+  /** The declared input, as the flow document holds it. */
+  declared: FlowInput_Input
+  /** The label clicked, in viewport pixels, which the popover hangs off. */
+  rect: { left: number; top: number; width: number; height: number }
+}
+
+/**
+ * One flow input, read where its label sits: what it is declared as, and what
+ * it holds now. Editing it is the flow panel's job, one press away.
+ */
+export function InputInspector({
+  input,
+  flow,
+  onClose,
+  onEdit,
+}: {
+  input: InspectedInput | null
+  flow: string
+  onClose: () => void
+  onEdit: () => void
+}) {
+  const spec = input?.declared.spec ?? {}
+  const name = spec.name ?? ""
+  const live = useLiveValue(input ? qualify(flow, name) : undefined)
+
+  if (!input) return null
+
+  const initial = input.declared.initial
+  const scalar = live === undefined ? null : formatScalar(live.value)
+
+  return (
+    <Popover open onOpenChange={(open) => !open && onClose()}>
+      <PopoverAnchor
+        style={{ position: "fixed", ...input.rect }}
+        className="pointer-events-none"
+      />
+      <PopoverContent
+        align="center"
+        collisionPadding={8}
+        className="w-72 p-3"
+        data-testid="input-inspector"
+      >
+        <div className="flex items-center gap-1.5 text-sm">
+          <Marquee text={name} className="flex-1 font-mono font-medium" />
+          <span className="shrink-0 text-xs text-muted-foreground">
+            {input.declared.origin ?? "run"} input
+          </span>
+          <Button
+            variant="ghost"
+            size="icon-sm"
+            className="-my-1 -mr-1 shrink-0 text-muted-foreground"
+            onClick={onEdit}
+            aria-label="Edit in the flow settings"
+            title="Edit in the flow settings"
+            data-testid="edit-input"
+          >
+            <Pencil />
+          </Button>
+        </div>
+
+        <dl className="mt-2 grid grid-cols-[auto_1fr] gap-x-3 gap-y-1 text-xs">
+          <dt className="text-muted-foreground">Type</dt>
+          <dd className="font-mono">{spec.dtype ?? "float"}</dd>
+          <dt className="text-muted-foreground">Starts at</dt>
+          <dd className="min-w-0 font-mono">
+            {initial === null || initial === undefined ? (
+              <span className="text-muted-foreground">nothing</span>
+            ) : (
+              <ValuePreview value={initial} dtype={spec.dtype} />
+            )}
+          </dd>
+          <dt className="text-muted-foreground">Now</dt>
+          <dd className="flex min-w-0 items-baseline gap-2">
+            {live === undefined ? (
+              <span className="text-muted-foreground">nothing yet</span>
+            ) : scalar === null ? (
+              <ValuePreview
+                value={live.value}
+                name={qualify(flow, name)}
+                dtype={spec.dtype}
+                className="min-w-0 flex-1 font-mono"
+              />
+            ) : (
+              <span className="min-w-0 truncate font-mono font-medium">
+                {scalar}
+              </span>
+            )}
+            {live?.ts ? (
+              <span className="shrink-0 text-muted-foreground">
+                {relativeTime(live.ts)}
+              </span>
+            ) : null}
+          </dd>
+        </dl>
+
+        {typeof live?.value === "number" || typeof live?.value === "boolean" ? (
+          <div className="mt-2">
+            <MessageSparkline
+              flow={flow}
+              name={displayName(flow, qualify(flow, name))}
+              dtype={spec.dtype}
+            />
+          </div>
+        ) : null}
+
+        {live?.source && live.source.kind !== "node" ? (
+          <p className="mt-2 text-sm text-muted-foreground">
+            Last set from {live.source.label}
+            {live.source.detail ? ` (${live.source.detail})` : ""}.
+          </p>
+        ) : null}
+      </PopoverContent>
+    </Popover>
+  )
+}