Instruction file imported from Mithun-750/Dasi (.cursor/rules/09-settings-system.mdc). Copyright stays with the author.

Dasi Settings System

The settings system provides a comprehensive configuration interface for the application. It's built using PyQt6 and follows a tab-based architecture with consistent UI patterns.

Core Components

Main Entry Points

• SettingsManager (src/ui/settings/settings_manager.py): Core settings management

  • Handles settings persistence
  • Provides access to application configuration
  • Implements signals for settings changes

• SettingsWindow (src/ui/settings/settings_window.py): Main settings window

  • Coordinates tab management
  • Handles save/cancel/reset operations
  • Manages undo/redo functionality

Settings Tabs

Settings are organized in specialized tabs:

1. GeneralTab (src/ui/settings/general_tab.py):

   • Application behavior settings
   • UI preferences
   • Startup options

2. ModelsTab (src/ui/settings/models_tab.py):

   • AI model configuration
   • Provider settings
   • Default model selection

3. ApiKeysTab (src/ui/settings/api_keys_tab.py):

   • Provider API key management
   • Key validation
   • Secure storage

4. WebSearchTab (src/ui/settings/web_search_tab.py):

   • Web search provider configuration
   • Search behavior settings
   • Result presentation options

5. ToolsTab (src/ui/settings/tools_tab.py):

   • Tool availability management
   • Tool configuration
   • Tool permission settings

6. PromptChunksTab (src/ui/settings/prompt_chunks_tab.py):

   • Prompt template management
   • Chunk configuration
   • Context settings

UI Consistency Guidelines

Checkbox Implementation

• Use Qt.CheckState.Checked and Qt.CheckState.Unchecked consistently
• Always connect checkboxes to appropriate change handlers
• Maintain visual alignment of checkboxes within sections
• Use clear, concise labels with proper capitalization

Layout and Padding

• Maintain consistent padding (10px) between UI elements
• Use consistent spacing (15px) between different settings groups
• Align related controls horizontally and vertically
• Group related settings with clear visual separation
• Use QFormLayout for label-value pairs

Save/Cancel/Reset UI

• Always place buttons in consistent order: Save, Cancel, Reset
• Position at bottom of the dialog with 15px margin
• Use standard button sizes across all dialogs
• Implement proper validation before save operations
• Provide visual feedback for unsaved changes
• Reset should only affect the current tab's settings

Section Headers

• Use QGroupBox for logical grouping of related settings
• Maintain consistent header styling
• Use sentence case for section titles
• Add tooltips to section headers for additional explanation

Settings Validation

• Validate input immediately when possible
• Show clear error messages near the relevant field
• Prevent save operations with invalid settings
• Provide visual indicators for validation errors

Example Implementation

# Standard tab setup
def _setup_ui(self):
    """Set up the tab UI with consistent layout."""
    layout = QVBoxLayout(self)
    layout.setContentsMargins(10, 10, 10, 10)
    layout.setSpacing(15)
    
    # Settings groups
    self._create_general_settings_group(layout)
    self._create_advanced_settings_group(layout)
    
    # Bottom buttons
    self._create_button_panel(layout)
    
    layout.addStretch(1)
    self.setLayout(layout)

# Consistent button implementation
def _create_button_panel(self, parent_layout):
    """Create the standard button panel."""
    button_layout = QHBoxLayout()
    
    self.reset_button = QPushButton("Reset")
    self.cancel_button = QPushButton("Cancel")
    self.save_button = QPushButton("Save")
    
    button_layout.addWidget(self.reset_button)
    button_layout.addStretch(1)
    button_layout.addWidget(self.cancel_button)
    button_layout.addWidget(self.save_button)
    
    parent_layout.addLayout(button_layout)
    
    # Connect signals
    self.reset_button.clicked.connect(self._reset_settings)
    self.cancel_button.clicked.connect(self._cancel_changes)
    self.save_button.clicked.connect(self._save_settings)

Settings Persistence

Settings are stored in a JSON format with proper validation on load/save. Each tab is responsible for validating its own settings before saving. The main SettingsManager coordinates the overall persistence and change notification system.

For detailed implementation examples, refer to the individual tab files in the src/ui/settings/ directory.