The Local Library Refactor

Date: January 29, 2026 Duration: ~4 hours Issue: Remote graph dependency was fragile Solution: Local @tendril/graph library

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The Problem

The knowledge graph kept breaking.

It used some remote mock setup that was… let’s call it “creative.” Every time I touched the component, something would fail. The dependency chain was confusing. Error messages were unhelpful.

I’d spent weeks with a graph that mostly worked. Today I decided to fix it properly.

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The Solution

Rip it all out. Build a local library.

New Structure

src/
├── lib/
│   └── tendril/
│       └── graph.ts    # Core TendrilGraph class
├── components/
│   └── KnowledgeGraph.astro  # Uses local lib

What Changed

Before: Remote dependency with complex mocking After: Local TypeScript library using Cytoscape.js directly

The core class:

// src/lib/tendril/graph.ts
export class TendrilGraph {
  private cy: cytoscape.Core;

  constructor(container: HTMLElement, options: GraphOptions) {
    this.cy = cytoscape({
      container,
      elements: this.buildElements(options.nodes, options.edges),
      style: this.buildStyles(),
      layout: this.getLayout()
    });
    this.bindEvents(options);
  }

  setPhysics(params: PhysicsParams) { /* ... */ }
  filterByType(type: 'all' | 'post' | 'tag') { /* ... */ }
  fit(padding?: number) { /* ... */ }
}

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Features Added

1. Force-Directed Layout (Working)

Nodes actually repel each other now. Edges act as springs. The physics panel lets you tune gravity and repulsion in real-time.

2. Category-Based Filtering

The graph now excludes category: journal posts. Keeps the main graph clean. Journal entries have their own section.

3. ArgoBox Spectrum Colors

Category	Color
Infrastructure	Blue
System	Orange
Hardware	Green

Posts are colored by their category, not just generic blue.

4. Physics Control Panel

Gear icon opens a panel with sliders:

• Center Force
• Repel Force
• Link Force
• Damping

Adjust in real-time, watch the graph reorganize.

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The Journal System

While refactoring the graph, I also built the Journal section.

Goal: A place for raw, unpolished content.

Implementation:

• Created /journal route
• “Glitch/Lab” aesthetic (monospace, dark, warning badges)
• Filters IN category: journal posts
• Main /blog filters OUT journal posts

Navigation: Added “Journal” to the global header.

Two kinds of content now:

• Blog: Polished, educational, professional
• Journal: Raw, stream of consciousness, “the struggle”

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Content Published Today

Post	Type	Topic
incident-reboot-loop.md	Blog	Technical horror story
build-swarm-hardening.md	Blog	Architecture deep dive
fixing-swarm-monitor.md	Blog	Python/SSH debugging
cloudflare-split-brain.md	Journal	Raw debugging log

Also deleted roblox-on-gentoo.md - keeping focus professional.

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Files Created

File	Purpose
src/lib/tendril/graph.ts	Core library
src/pages/journal/index.astro	Journal listing
scripts/create-post.js	Content automation
HANDOFF-ARGOBOX-CONTENT.md	AI agent instructions
CONTENT-PIPELINE.md	Workflow documentation

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What’s Different Now

Before:

• Fragile remote dependency
• Confusing error messages
• No category filtering
• Generic colors

After:

• Local library, fully controlled
• Clear TypeScript errors
• Journal excluded from main graph
• Category-based coloring
• Physics tuning panel

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Next Steps

The local library is basically Tendril now. I should extract it properly into the monorepo at ~/Development/tendril/.

The ArgoBox graph is the development lab. Tendril will be the published library.

Same code, different packaging.

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Lesson

Sometimes the right fix is to stop patching and rebuild.

Four hours to replace weeks of fragile workarounds.

The graph works now. Actually works. No more “mostly works.”