META: SPA frontend implementation tracker — close the backend↔SPA gap for full Django-admin deprecation

[MartinCastroAlvarez]

Goal

A consumer (production-Django pilot) wants to deprecate the legacy Django admin entirely and run only the React SPA at /admin2/. The backend has shipped most features; the SPA shell renders registry / list / detail / create / update / delete. But several backend surfaces have no SPA implementation yet — the SPA either ignores the metadata or renders a placeholder. This meta-issue tracks the remaining frontend work, each as a discrete pickup.

Each row: backend status (shipped) → SPA status (the gap) → acceptance criterion.

Frontend implementation gaps

#	Surface	Backend	SPA gap	Acceptance
1	list_filter sidebar drawer + chip row	✅ #99 (filters[] in list response)	SPA doesn't render the filter sidebar / chips / URL state	N-7
2	date_hierarchy drill-down strip	✅ #80 (date_hierarchy in list response)	SPA doesn't render the year→month→day strip	N-8
3	list_editable inline cell editing	✅ #103 (bulk PATCH endpoint + editable column flag)	SPA renders the flag but no click-to-edit cell → bulk PATCH	E-12
4	actions bulk-actions menu	✅ #101 (actions[] + runner endpoint)	SPA doesn't render the actions menu / selection checkboxes	E-?
5	M2M widget (filter_horizontal/vertical)	✅ #107 (many_to_many descriptor + widget hint)	SPA renders read but no dual-list write widget	E-11
6	Inlines render (Tabular/Stacked)	✅ #109 (inlines[] in detail response)	SPA doesn't render inline tables / card stacks	E-13 / #54
7	FileField / ImageField render	✅ #110 ({name,url,size} descriptor)	SPA doesn't render thumbnail / Replace / Clear	E-14
8	Session-expiry re-login modal	✅ #95 (session_expired envelope) + #79 (contract)	SPA doesn't render the focus-trapped re-login modal	N-5
9	Dark mode	🟡 #102 (UX contract)	no SPA implementation	#84 / V-6..V-8
10	Mobile patterns (FAB / bottom-sheet / swipe)	🟡 #102 (UX contract)	no SPA implementation	#85 / R-6..R-10
11	PWA (manifest + SW + cache-on-logout)	🟡 #102 (UX contract)	no SPA implementation	#86 / I-1..I-6

Plus the Django-admin-parity gaps already filed: #133 (filter-as-you-type sidebar), #136 (alphabetical sort), #138 (get_app_list groupings), #147 (parity audit).

How to pick up

1. Claim a row on the Project board + comment here.
2. The wire data is already in the API response — verify with GET /api/v1/<app>/<model>/ (list) or /<pk>/ (detail).
3. UI contract lives in docs/ux/ (theming.md / responsive.md / pwa.md / states.md).
4. Components: generic → @dar/ui; model-aware → @dar/list / @dar/details. Data flows only through @dar/data (CLAUDE.md §7).

Definition of "ready to deprecate the legacy admin"

A consumer can delete path("admin/", admin.site.urls) and lose zero workflows. That means rows 1–8 above must be ✅ (the v0.2 polish rows 9–11 are desirable but not deprecation-blocking).

[MartinCastroAlvarez]

Customer-swap-readiness assessment (coordinator, 2026-05-27)

Goal: a consumer can turn OFF django.contrib.admin and replace it with django-admin-react. That's the real "done". Mapping the 11 open issues to whether each blocks the swap so the build order targets the swap, not polish.

🛑 SWAP-BLOCKERS — must close before a consumer can replace the admin

Issue	Why it blocks the swap
#54 inlines write-half	Most real admins use inlines (parent + child edited together). Read-half shipped (#109); without the write-half, editing any model with inlines is impossible in the SPA — a hard blocker for heavy models. P0.
#153 delete cascade-confirm	Today the SPA delete is a bare confirm — no cascade preview. An operator deleting a row can silently take down dozens of related rows. Data-safety blocker: a consumer can't responsibly swap a destructive admin without it. Backend (delete-preview, #164) + the shared Modal (#206) are done — this is now a frontend wiring task. P0.
#154 save-flow buttons	Operators rely on Save / Save-and-continue / Save-and-add-another for real data entry. Only single "Save" exists. Backend save_options (#169) done; frontend buttons pending. Workflow blocker for data-entry-heavy admins. P1→P0 for swap.

🟡 PARITY POLISH — improves the experience, does NOT block the swap

Issue	Note
#84 dark mode	Desktop admin is fully usable in light; dark is a preference, not a blocker.
#85 mobile patterns (FAB/swipe/etc.)	Sidebar drawer shipped (#176); the rest is mobile-nice-to-have. Admins are desktop-first.
#86 PWA frontend	Installability is additive; not needed to replace the admin.
#87 screenshot variants	Docs polish.
#184 FK navigation	Done (#215/#217).
#218 column reorder	Follow-up polish on the customizer (#196, done).

Meta-trackers (close last)

#144 post-flip hardening, #147 parity audit, #160 (this) — close when the blockers + polish land.

Recommended build order for the swarm

1. Support Django inlines (TabularInline / StackedInline) in detail view and writes #54 inlines write-half (P0, the biggest swap-blocker).
2. Delete confirmation page + cascade preview (Django admin parity) #153 delete cascade-confirm modal (P0, data-safety; fully unblocked — backend + shared Modal exist).
3. Save flow buttons — Save / continue / add another / save as new (Django admin parity) #154 save-flow buttons (P0-for-swap; backend done).

Once those three land, a consumer can responsibly flip django.contrib.admin off. The rest (#84/#85/#86/#87/#218) is post-swap polish.

— coordinator, driving toward the swap.