Breadboarding
Breadboarding transforms a workflow description into a complete map of affordances and their relationships. The output is always a set of tables showing numbered UI and Code affordances with their Wires Out and Returns To relationships. The tables are the truth. Mermaid diagrams are optional visualizations for humans.
Use Cases
1. Mapping an Existing System
You have a workflow you're trying to understand. Provide code repo(s) and a workflow description (always from the perspective of an operator trying to make an effect happen). Output: affordance tables + optional Mermaid.
2. Designing from Shaped Parts
You have a new system sketched as an assembly of parts (mechanisms) per shaping. Provide the parts list, the R (requirement/outcome), and optionally the existing system. Output: affordance tables + optional Mermaid.
3. Mixtures
An existing system that must remain as-is, plus new pieces or changes. Breadboard both together — existing affordances and new ones — showing how they connect.
Core Concepts
Places — A bounded context of interaction. The blocking test: can you interact with what's behind? No → different Place. Yes → same Place with local state changes. Places get IDs (P1, P2...) and can contain subplaces (P2.1, P2.2).
Affordances — Things you can act upon. UI affordances (U): inputs, buttons, displays. Code affordances (N): methods, subscriptions, stores, framework mechanisms.
Wiring — How affordances connect. Wires Out = control flow (what triggers what). Returns To = data flow (where output goes). Navigation wires go to Places, not to affordances inside them.
The Output: Affordance Tables
Every breadboard produces these tables:
Places Table
| # | Place | Description |
|---|---|---|
| P1 | Search Page | Main search interface |
| P2 | Detail Page | Individual result view |
UI Affordances Table
| # | Place | Component | Affordance | Control | Wires Out | Returns To |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| U1 | P1 | search-detail | search input | type | → N1 | — |
| U2 | P1 | search-detail | loading spinner | render | — | — |
Code Affordances Table
| # | Place | Component | Affordance | Control | Wires Out | Returns To |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| N1 | P1 | search-detail | activeQuery.next() | call | → N2 | — |
| N2 | P1 | search-detail | activeQuery subscription | observe | → N3 | — |
Data Stores Table
| # | Place | Store | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| S1 | P1 | results | Array of search results |
Column Definitions
| Column | Description |
|---|---|
| # | Unique ID (P1, P2... for Places; U1, U2... for UI; N1, N2... for Code; S1, S2... for Stores) |
| Place | Which Place this affordance belongs to (containment) |
| Component | Which component/service owns this |
| Affordance | The specific thing you can act upon |
| Control | The triggering event: click, type, call, observe, write, render |
| Wires Out | What this triggers: → N4, → P2 (control flow, including navigation) |
| Returns To | Where output flows: → N3 or → U2, U3 (data flow) |
References
Load these progressively as needed:
| File | Contains | Load When |
|---|---|---|
| concepts.md | Places, subplaces, place references, modes, containment vs wiring, navigation wiring | You need to determine Place boundaries or model containment |
| procedures.md | Step-by-step for mapping existing systems (11 steps) and designing from parts (8 steps) | Starting a breadboarding task |
| principles.md | Never use memory, mechanisms aren't affordances, two flows, data source rules, store placement | Reviewing or debugging a breadboard |
| catalog.md | Complete element/relationship reference, qualification criteria, verification checks | Quick lookup of what qualifies as what |
| visualization.md | Mermaid conventions, colors, lines, subgraphs, chunking, workflow annotations | Creating or reviewing Mermaid diagrams |
| slicing.md | Vertical slicing methodology, constraints, procedure, visualization | Breaking a breadboard into implementation slices |
| reflection.md | Design smell detection, naming test, splitting affordances, fixing wiring | Reviewing a breadboard for correctness |
| examples.md | Example A: mapping existing system, Example B: designing from parts + slicing | Need a worked example for reference |