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0006-primitive-node-copy-paste-lifecycle.md

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6. PrimitiveNode Copy/Paste Lifecycle

Date: 2026-02-22

Status

Proposed

Context

PrimitiveNode creates widgets dynamically on connection. When copied, the clone has no this.widgets, so LGraphNode.serialize() drops widgets_values from the clipboard data. This causes secondary widget values (e.g., control_after_generate) to be lost on paste. See WIDGET_SERIALIZATION.md for the full mechanism.

Related: #1757, #8938

Options

A. Minimal fix: override serialize() on PrimitiveNode

Override serialize() to fall back to this.widgets_values (set during configure()) when the base implementation omits it due to missing this.widgets.

  • Pro: No change to connection lifecycle semantics. Lowest risk.
  • Pro: Doesn't affect workflow save/load (which already works via onAfterGraphConfigured).
  • Con: Doesn't address the deeper design issue — primitives are still empty on copy.

B. Clone-configured-instance lifecycle

On copy, the primitive is a clone of the configured instance (with widgets intact). On disconnect or paste without connections, it returns to empty state.

  • Pro: Copy→serialize captures widgets_values correctly. Matches OOP expectations.
  • Pro: Secondary widget state survives round-trips without special-casing.
  • Con: input.widget[CONFIG] allows extensions to make PrimitiveNode create a different widget than the target. Widget config is derived at connection time, not stored, so cloning the configured state may not be faithful.
  • Con: Deserialization ordering — configure() runs before links are restored. PrimitiveNode needs links to know what widgets to create. onAfterGraphConfigured() handles this for workflow load, but copy/paste uses a different code path.
  • Con: Higher risk of regressions in extension compatibility.

C. Projection model (like Subgraph widgets)

Primitives act as a synchronization mechanism — no own state, just a projection of the target widget's resolved value.

  • Pro: Cleanest conceptual model. Eliminates state duplication.
  • Con: Primitives can connect to multiple targets. Projection with multiple targets is ambiguous.
  • Con: Major architectural change with broad impact.

Decision

Pending. Option A is the most pragmatic first step. Option B can be revisited after Option A ships and stabilizes.