fix(persistence): Migrate settings to persistent user data directory

Addresses a critical bug where `settings.json` was being deleted during auto-updates, leading to loss of user data.

This change:
- Ensures `settings.json` is always stored in the OS-standard, persistent user data directory.
- Implements a one-time migration process for existing users to move their `settings.json` from the application executable's directory to the new, safe location.
- Updates documentation to reflect the new data storage strategy and migration.

Author: beNative

CHANGELOG.md

@@ -2,6 +2,11 @@
 
 All notable changes to this project will be documented in this file.
 
+## [0.2.2]
+
+### Fixed
+- **CRITICAL:** Fixed a major bug where `settings.json` was deleted during an auto-update, causing all user settings and repositories to be lost. The application now correctly stores all user data in the standard persistent user data directory. A one-time migration process has been added to automatically move existing settings for users updating from older versions.
+
 ## [0.2.1]
 
 ### Added

FUNCTIONAL_MANUAL.md

@@ -119,6 +119,8 @@ Click the **cog icon** in the header to access global settings.
     -   **Check for Pre-Releases:** If enabled, the auto-updater will include beta and other pre-release versions when checking for updates.
     -   **Enable Debug Logging:** Controls the verbose internal logging used by the Debug Panel. Disabling this may improve performance.
 
+**Note on Data Safety:** All settings and repository configurations are stored in a safe location on your computer. This means your data will be automatically preserved when the application updates to a new version.
+
 ## 6. The Debug Panel
 
 For advanced troubleshooting, a debug panel is available. You can open it by clicking the **"Debug"** button in the status bar at the very bottom of the window, or by pressing `Ctrl+D` (or `Cmd+D` on macOS).

README.md

@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@ This application provides a simple, powerful dashboard to manage and automate th
 -   **Advanced Debugging:** A powerful debug console with log filtering and a save-to-file feature for in-depth troubleshooting.
 -   **Reliable Auto-Updates:** Get notified with a clear banner when a new version is ready and install it with a single click.
 -   **Easy Configuration:** Add new repositories and configure them through a simple, unified form.
+-   **Persistent & Safe Configuration:** All your settings and repository configurations are stored safely in a persistent location, ensuring they are never lost during application updates.
 -   **Global Settings:** Customize the application theme, icon set, notifications, and behavior like enabling pre-release updates or choosing your preferred web browser.
 -   **Cross-Platform:** Works on Windows, macOS, and Linux.
 

TECHNICAL_MANUAL.md

@@ -45,10 +45,17 @@ The application is split into three main processes, which is standard for Electr
 ## 3. State Management and Data Flow
 
 -   **Primary State:** The root `App.tsx` component manages the entire application state, including the list of repositories, global settings, the active view, and the state of modals and panels. UI-specific state, such as the position and visibility of the right-click `ContextMenu`, is also managed here to ensure a single source of truth.
--   **Persistence:** All application data, including repositories and global settings, is persisted to a single `settings.json` file in the application's user data directory. A `SettingsProvider` context handles loading this data on startup and saving it whenever it changes.
 -   **VCS State:** `App.tsx` also holds state for `detailedStatuses` and `branchLists` which are fetched periodically and after tasks complete to keep the UI in sync with the file system.
 -   **Parallel Task Execution:** To support running multiple tasks concurrently, a unique `executionId` is generated for each task run. This ID is passed between the renderer and main processes, allowing log output (`task-log`) and completion events (`task-step-end`) to be correctly routed to the appropriate repository and UI components without conflict.
 
+### Data Persistence
+
+All application data, including repositories and global settings, is persisted to a single `settings.json` file.
+
+-   **Location:** The file is stored in the standard application user data directory for your operating system (e.g., `%APPDATA%` on Windows, `~/Library/Application Support` on macOS). This ensures that user settings are preserved across application updates.
+-   **Management:** A `SettingsProvider` context handles loading this data on startup and saving it whenever it changes.
+-   **Migration:** A one-time migration process runs on startup to move `settings.json` for users updating from versions prior to `0.2.2`, where the file was incorrectly stored next to the application executable.
+
 ## 4. Development Workflow
 
 1.  **Installation:** Run `npm install` to install all dependencies.

electron/main.ts

@@ -1,5 +1,3 @@
-
-
 import { app, BrowserWindow, dialog, ipcMain, shell } from 'electron';
 import { autoUpdater } from 'electron-updater';
 import path, { dirname } from 'path';
@@ -22,24 +20,52 @@ if (require('electron-squirrel-startup')) {
   app.quit();
 }
 
-// --- Portable App Data Path ---
-const getAppDataPath = () => {
-  // For portable app behavior, store data next to the executable in production.
-  // In development, continue using the default userData path to avoid cluttering the project root.
-  return app.isPackaged ? path.dirname(app.getPath('exe')) : app.getPath('userData');
+// --- App Data Path Configuration ---
+// User data is stored in the standard OS-specific location, which is persistent across updates.
+const userDataPath = app.getPath('userData');
+
+// --- One-time Migration for Pre-0.2.2 Settings ---
+const migrateSettingsIfNeeded = async () => {
+  // This is for users updating from v0.2.1 or older, where settings.json was stored next to the executable.
+  if (!app.isPackaged) return; // Migration only needed for packaged apps.
+
+  const oldSettingsPath = path.join(path.dirname(app.getPath('exe')), 'settings.json');
+  const newSettingsPath = path.join(userDataPath, 'settings.json');
+
+  try {
+    // If the new settings file already exists, migration is complete or not needed.
+    await fs.access(newSettingsPath);
+    return;
+  } catch (e) {
+    // New file doesn't exist, proceed to check for the old one.
+  }
+
+  try {
+    // Check if the old settings file exists.
+    await fs.access(oldSettingsPath);
+    
+    // If it exists, copy it to the new location.
+    await fs.mkdir(userDataPath, { recursive: true });
+    await fs.copyFile(oldSettingsPath, newSettingsPath);
+    console.log(`[Migration] Successfully migrated settings from ${oldSettingsPath} to ${newSettingsPath}`);
+  } catch (e) {
+    // This is expected for new installations where the old file doesn't exist.
+    // console.log('[Migration] No old settings file found to migrate.');
+  }
 };
 
+
 let mainWindow: BrowserWindow | null = null;
 let logStream: fsSync.WriteStream | null = null;
 
 const getLogFilePath = () => {
   const now = new Date();
   const timestamp = now.toISOString().replace(/:/g, '-').replace(/\..+/, '');
-  const logDir = path.join(getAppDataPath(), 'logs');
+  const logDir = path.join(userDataPath, 'logs');
   return path.join(logDir, `git-automation-dashboard-log-${timestamp}.log`);
 };
 
-const settingsPath = path.join(getAppDataPath(), 'settings.json');
+const settingsPath = path.join(userDataPath, 'settings.json');
 let globalSettingsCache: GlobalSettings | null = null;
 
 const DEFAULTS: GlobalSettings = {
@@ -98,8 +124,11 @@ const createWindow = () => {
 // This method will be called when Electron has finished
 // initialization and is ready to create browser windows.
 app.on('ready', async () => {
+  // Run migration before anything else that might access settings.
+  await migrateSettingsIfNeeded();
+  
   // Ensure logs directory exists before creating a window or log file
-  const logDir = path.join(getAppDataPath(), 'logs');
+  const logDir = path.join(userDataPath, 'logs');
   fs.mkdir(logDir, { recursive: true }).catch(err => {
       console.error("Could not create logs directory.", err);
   });
@@ -191,6 +220,7 @@ ipcMain.handle('get-all-data', async () => {
 
 ipcMain.on('save-all-data', async (event, data: { globalSettings: GlobalSettings, repositories: Repository[] }) => {
     try {
+        await fs.mkdir(userDataPath, { recursive: true });
         await fs.writeFile(settingsPath, JSON.stringify(data, null, 2));
         globalSettingsCache = data.globalSettings; // Invalidate cache
     } catch (error) {

package.json

@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 {
   "name": "git-automation-dashboard",
-  "version": "0.2.1",
+  "version": "0.2.2",
   "description": "A dashboard to manage and automate the workflow for a set of Git repositories.",
   "main": "dist/main.js",
   "author": "AI Assistant",