Files
gridcraft/docs/control-protocol.md
T
Brandon ThomasandClaude Opus 5.5 d7c77e94cd Review fix-up: locale-independent defaults, lenient saved language, listed commands
- UiState::default() is English: tests, the kittest harness and the
  snapshot example no longer depend on the host's locale. The desktop app
  alone starts from the system language, when ui.json names no supported
  language (first run, an older file, an unknown value).
- An unknown or malformed saved language reads as English instead of
  failing the whole UiState and resetting every other preference.
- app.language.set takes {"language": "ja"} (with `code` as an alias, the
  name the PR description used); the View combo now uses it via
  Language::code(). The app.language.* commands are listed by
  engine.commands with the other UI commands and documented in
  docs/control-protocol.md.
- Home's text "Orientation" (方向) and Page Layout's print "Orientation"
  (印刷の向き) get separate keys through a `context|label` key form.
- Japanese: Hide Rows → 行を表示しない, Trace Dependents → 参照先のトレース;
  translate the display-theme combo merged in from main.
- system_theme test: the View tab now has two combo boxes; pick the theme one.

Co-Authored-By: Claude Opus 5.5 <noreply@anthropic.com>
2026-10-10 12:44:57 -04:00

3.2 KiB

GridCraft control protocol

Start the desktop app with a control port:

gridcraft --control 7979            # or GRIDCRAFT_CONTROL_PORT=7979

Then send newline-delimited JSON to 127.0.0.1:7979. Every request line gets one reply line:

{"id": 1, "method": "engine.execute", "params": {"command": "cell.set", "params": {"cell": "B2", "input": "=SUM(A1:A9)"}}}
{"id": 1, "ok": true, "result": {"cell": "B2", "value": "45"}}

Errors come back as {"id": …, "ok": false, "error": "…"}.

Methods

Method Params What it does
engine.execute {command, params} Runs any engine command (see engine.commands or gridcraft-cli commands)
engine.commands Every command: id, label, ribbon path, shortcut, params doc, enabled
engine.journal Commands run so far (replayable)
document.inspect Workbook summary: sheets, used ranges, tables, charts, names, selection, undo labels
sheet.read {range?, sheet?, formulas?, formatted?} Values (or formulas / displayed text) of a range
cell.get {cell?} One cell: value, formula, displayed text, style, merge, comment, link
ui.inspect UI state: ribbon tab, editor, open dialog, message, grid rect, scroll, perf
ui.click / ui.drag / ui.move {x, y, toX?, toY?, button?, count?, shift?, cmd?, alt?} Real pointer input in window points
ui.cell.click / ui.cell.drag {cell} / {from, to} Pointer input at a cell's centre (works in point mode while editing)
ui.key / ui.text {key, shift?, cmd?, alt?, ctrl?} / {text} Keyboard input (typing in the grid starts editing)
ui.edit.begin / ui.edit.text / ui.edit.commit / ui.edit.cancel {text?} / {move?: down|right|up|left|none} Drive the cell editor
ui.ribbon {tab} Switch ribbon tab
ui.dialog / ui.dialog.set / ui.dialog.confirm / ui.dialog.cancel {name} / {field, value} Open, fill in and confirm dialogs
ui.screenshot {path?} PNG of the window (base64 when no path)
ui.set {dark?, formulaBar?, ribbonCollapsed?} UI preferences
ui.resize / ui.focus {width, height} Window control
app.open / app.save / app.quit {path} / {path?} Files and lifetime

Any other method name that is a command id (e.g. home.bold) runs that command.

Use engine.execute with {command: "view.theme", params: {mode: "system"}} to choose the display theme; mode accepts "system", "light", or "dark". System follows live OS appearance changes and falls back to Light when the platform supplies no preference. The saved choice remains System; new users still start in Light. The legacy view.darkMode command and ui.set {dark} select a fixed Light or Dark theme.

{command: "app.language.set", params: {language: "ja"}} switches the interface language (code is accepted as an alias for language); app.language.english and app.language.japanese are shortcuts. Only interface chrome is translated, never command ids or document text. The choice is saved in ui.json; with nothing saved the desktop app follows the system language.

For a headless equivalent (no window), use gridcraft-cli mcp or gridcraft-cli run; see mcp.md and cli.md.