Skip to content

getting-started.md

Latest commit

 

History

History
112 lines (76 loc) · 4.23 KB

getting-started.md

File metadata and controls

112 lines (76 loc) · 4.23 KB

Getting Started with TidyWindow

This guide walks you through setting up a development environment, building the WPF app, and exploring core features. It assumes you are working on Windows 10 or later.

1. Prerequisites

Install the following tools before cloning the repository:

  • .NET SDK 8.0 or newer (winget install Microsoft.DotNet.SDK.8) – required for building the solution.
  • PowerShell 7 (pwsh) (winget install Microsoft.PowerShell) – used by automation flows and scripts.
  • Git (winget install Git.Git) – for cloning the repository.
  • Visual Studio 2022 (optional) – the WPF designer experience is tailored for VS, but dotnet CLI works fine.
  • Package managers (optional but recommended): winget, Chocolatey, and Scoop. The bootstrap scripts can install these for you later.

2. Clone the Repository

# Open a PowerShell 7 session
cd C:\Developer

# Clone the repo
git clone https://github.com/Cosmos-0118/TidyWindow.git
cd TidyWindow

3. Restore Dependencies

pwsh -NoLogo -Command "dotnet restore src/TidyWindow.sln"

The solution uses Directory.Build.props/targets to consolidate settings across projects, so a single restore brings everything down.

4. Build the Solution

dotnet build src/TidyWindow.sln -c Release

Tip: Use -c Debug when iterating locally; Release builds mirror shipping configurations and are ideal before testing installers.

5. Run the App

dotnet run --project src/TidyWindow.App/TidyWindow.App.csproj --configuration Debug

The WPF shell launches with the navigation hub on the left. From here you can explore each feature:

  • Bootstrap to install package managers.
  • Cleanup for disk hygiene.
  • Install Hub for curated software bundles.
  • Maintenance for package updates/removals.
  • PathPilot, Essentials, Registry Optimizer, and Known Processes for more advanced tuning.
  • Reset Rescue to back up user files and app data before a reset, then restore with conflict handling.

6. Run Automated Tests

# Core services
dotnet test tests/TidyWindow.Core.Tests/TidyWindow.Core.Tests.csproj

# WPF + ViewModel coverage
dotnet test tests/TidyWindow.App.Tests/TidyWindow.App.Tests.csproj

# Automation script harness
dotnet test tests/TidyWindow.Automation.Tests/TidyWindow.Automation.Tests.csproj

If you are iterating on PowerShell scripts, use the helper harnesses under tools/ (e.g., test-process-catalog-parser.ps1).

7. Explore Automation Scripts

PowerShell automation lives under automation/. Recommended starting points:

  • automation/essentials/*.ps1 – high-impact repair flows.
  • automation/scripts/ – install/update helpers, deep scan orchestrators, etc.
  • automation/modules/TidyWindow.Automation/ – module imported by every script for logging, elevation, and JSON output.

Use pwsh to run scripts directly when validating changes; most scripts support -WhatIf or -DryRun style parameters.

8. Build an Installer (Optional)

The shipping build uses Inno Setup:

# Install Inno Setup first: winget install JRSoftware.InnoSetup

iscc installer/TidyWindowInstaller.iss

Artifacts are written to out/ and include versioned installers built from the current sources.

9. Stay in Sync

  • Track releases in the GitHub Releases tab. Version 2.9.0 is the current stable build.
  • See roadmap.md for planned work and larger initiatives.
  • Documentation for each feature lives under docs/. Start with:
    • docs/cleanup.md
    • docs/maintenance.md
    • docs/known-processes.md
    • docs/activity-log.md
    • docs/settings.md

10. Troubleshooting

  • Missing PowerShell 7: Update the pwsh path in environment variables or install via winget.
  • XAML Designer Errors: Clean/rebuild the solution. WPF designer typically works in Visual Studio 2022 17.8 or newer.
  • Administrator Rights Needed: Some flows request elevation (installs, registry tweaks). Restart as admin when prompted.
  • Logs: The Activity Log page captures detailed transcripts. PulseGuard toasts include a shortcut to the log entry.

Happy tidying! If you run into issues, open an issue with the log excerpt or start a discussion in the repository.