fix(REV-008): delete the dead GroupConfig; spec the token finding as REV-009

Stream D2/D3. GroupConfig keyed on 'net.noodl.visual.group', which is not a node
type — the real one is 'Group' — so it had never applied to anything. Deleted
rather than repointed, and tara's ImageConfig not ported, because activating
either would stamp var(--surface), var(--space-4) and friends onto new nodes and
nothing defines those.

That is the wider finding, written up as REV-009: the style-token system was
never connected. StyleTokensInjector is not constructed anywhere, so no tokens
reach a preview; the ten tokens that did ship use a different vocabulary from the
one ElementConfigs references, which exists only in the phase-9 design docs. And
ElementConfigs is live — every new Text node is persisted with
fontFamily: var(--font-sans) and four more values that resolve to nothing.

ElementConfigRegistry.test had the same identifier confusion: its TEXT_TYPE was
'net.noodl.visual.text', matching no config, so its 'no sizes' assertion passed
for the wrong reason. Now split into a registered-type case ('Text') and an
unregistered-type case.

705 specs, 0 failures. typecheck:editor clean.

Author: richardosborne14

dev-docs/reviews/MERGE-NOTES-cline-dev-tara.md

@@ -55,6 +55,15 @@ and the three `net.noodl.controls.*` configs are correct.
 something to smuggle into a merge commit. Porting it and fixing `GroupConfig`
 should be a small deliberate task.
 
+**Resolved in REV-008 (2026-07-22): both deleted, neither ported.** Repointing the
+identifiers would have activated configs whose variants reference `var(--surface)`,
+`var(--space-4)` and similar — and nothing defines those. The token system they
+were written against was never wired up: `StyleTokensInjector` is not constructed
+anywhere, and the tokens that *did* ship use a different vocabulary. `GroupConfig`
+is gone from the tree; `ImageConfig` stays recoverable from `d67ee72` if the wider
+question is ever settled. See
+[REV-009](../tasks/phase-12-reanimation/REV-009-STYLE-TOKENS-NEVER-WIRED.md).
+
 ## Other resolutions
 
 **`LocalProjectsModel.ts`** (the only genuine code conflict). The "create project
@@ -100,10 +109,19 @@ Merged cleanly, no conflicts, independent of the ElementConfigs fight:
   `packages/noodl-editor/tsconfig.json` but not in the root `tsconfig.json`, plus a
   `LauncherPageMetaData` export missing from noodl-core-ui. Worth a follow-up.
 
-## Not verified
-
-The merge is structurally sound and the suite is green, but the editor was not
-launched against it. StyleTokens and the embedded template system have no
-automated coverage — the suite exercises neither. Someone should create a project
-from the launcher and confirm the hello-world template and token injection behave
-before this is relied on.
+## Not verified — resolved by REV-008
+
+The merge was structurally sound and the suite green, but the editor had not been
+launched against it, and StyleTokens and the embedded template system had no
+automated coverage. REV-008 (2026-07-22) closed that:
+
+- **Embedded template system — works.** `tests/models/EmbeddedTemplate.test.ts`
+  covers it: the provider writes a `project.json` with components, a root
+  component, and a `graph` object on each component (the missing-`graph` crash in
+  LEARNINGS.md). `runtimeVersion` round-trips as `react19`, so the hand-resolved
+  combination in `newProject` — tara's template flow plus cline-dev's react19 —
+  is now guarded.
+- **StyleTokens — does not work.** `StyleTokensInjector` is never constructed, so
+  no tokens are ever injected, and the tokens that shipped use a different
+  vocabulary from the one ElementConfigs references. Written up as
+  [REV-009](../tasks/phase-12-reanimation/REV-009-STYLE-TOKENS-NEVER-WIRED.md).

dev-docs/tasks/phase-12-reanimation/REV-009-STYLE-TOKENS-NEVER-WIRED.md

@@ -0,0 +1,139 @@
+# REV-009: The style-token system is not connected to anything
+
+## Metadata
+
+| Field | Value |
+|-------|-------|
+| **ID** | REV-009 |
+| **Phase** | Phase 12 — Reanimation (Revival Horizon 0) |
+| **Priority** | 🟡 Medium — nothing is visibly broken, but a shipped subsystem does nothing and a live one writes invalid CSS |
+| **Difficulty** | 🟡 Medium — the code is small; the decision is a product one |
+| **Estimated Time** | 1–2 days |
+| **Prerequisites** | None. Found during REV-008 Stream D1. |
+| **Branch** | `task/rev-009-style-tokens` |
+| **Recommended executor** | 🟠 **Opus 4.8** — the work is small but the call on what the design system *is* is not mechanical |
+
+## Objective
+
+Decide whether the STYLE-001 / STYLE-002 design-token system is finished or
+retired, and make the code say so. Today it is neither: half of it is dead code,
+the other half is live and writing CSS values that resolve to nothing.
+
+## What was found
+
+REV-008 set out to verify the StyleTokens work that arrived with the
+`cline-dev-tara` merge — flagged in
+[MERGE-NOTES-cline-dev-tara.md](../../reviews/MERGE-NOTES-cline-dev-tara.md) as
+having zero automated coverage. It does not work, for three independent reasons.
+
+### 1. The injector is never constructed
+
+`packages/noodl-viewer-react/src/style-tokens-injector.ts` exports
+`StyleTokensInjector`, whose constructor injects a `<style>` element of CSS
+custom properties into the viewer document. Nothing anywhere calls `new
+StyleTokensInjector(...)`:
+
+```bash
+grep -rn "new StyleTokensInjector" packages/   # no matches
+```
+
+Its only importer is itself. **No tokens are ever injected into a preview.**
+
+### 2. The two halves use different token vocabularies
+
+Even if it were wired up, the names would not line up.
+
+| Source | Tokens |
+|---|---|
+| `StyleTokensInjector.getDefaultTokens()` and `models/StyleTokens/DefaultTokens.ts` | `--primary --background --foreground --border --space-sm --space-md --space-lg --radius-md --shadow-sm --shadow-md` (10) |
+| `models/ElementConfigs/configs/*.ts` | `--font-sans --text-base --text-xs --font-normal --leading-normal --foreground --primary --primary-foreground --secondary --radius-md --space-3 --surface --space-4 --border-1 --border-subtle --radius-lg --shadow-md --muted …` |
+
+The overlap is `--foreground`, `--primary`, `--radius-md`, `--shadow-md`. The
+vocabulary the configs actually use — the Tailwind-style scale with `--space-4`,
+`--font-sans`, `--surface` — appears **only in the phase-9 task documents**
+(`dev-docs/tasks/phase-9-styles-overhaul/STYLE-001-token-system-enhancement/README.md`),
+never in shipped code. STYLE-002 was written against the token set STYLE-001's
+design document promised; STYLE-001 shipped a different, smaller one.
+
+### 3. ElementConfigs is live and stamping unresolvable values
+
+This is the part that is not merely dead. `NodePicker.utils.ts` calls
+`ElementConfigRegistry.applyDefaults(node, type.name)` on every node creation, and
+`TextConfig` is keyed on `'Text'`, which **is** the real node type. So every new
+Text node gets written into `project.json` with:
+
+```js
+fontFamily: 'var(--font-sans)',
+fontSize:   'var(--text-base)',
+fontWeight: 'var(--font-normal)',
+lineHeight: 'var(--leading-normal)',
+color:      'var(--foreground)',
+```
+
+None of which are defined at runtime. The three `net.noodl.controls.*` configs
+are equally live and equally affected.
+
+Note this is *not* purely cosmetic: the values are persisted into the user's
+project file, so retiring the tokens later means those projects still carry them.
+
+### Already actioned in REV-008
+
+`GroupConfig` keyed on `net.noodl.visual.group`, which is not a node type — the
+real one is `Group`. It had therefore never applied to anything, and was deleted
+rather than repointed, precisely because activating it would have stamped the
+undefined `var(--surface)` / `var(--space-4)` vocabulary onto the most-used node
+in the product. Tara's `ImageConfig` had the same defect and was not ported.
+`TextConfig`'s own identifier is correct, which is why it is live.
+
+## The decision to make
+
+Three coherent end states. Pick one deliberately; the current state is none of
+them.
+
+**A. Finish it.** Instantiate `StyleTokensInjector` in the viewer, and reconcile
+the vocabularies — most likely by expanding `DefaultTokens.ts` to the full scale
+the phase-9 design document specifies, since that is what the configs already
+expect. Largest option, and the one that makes the property panel's variant and
+size dropdowns actually mean something.
+
+**B. Retire STYLE-002's tokenisation, keep the layout fixes.** Strip the `var(…)`
+defaults from `TextConfig` and the control configs, leaving the parts that are
+real bug fixes — `TextConfig` documents `width: auto` + flex participation as
+fixing text pushing siblings off-screen in row layouts. Delete
+`style-tokens-injector.ts` and the StyleTokens model, or leave them clearly
+marked unused.
+
+**C. Retire the whole thing.** Remove ElementConfigs, its registry, and the
+property-panel variant/size UI that consumes it, along with the StyleTokens
+model. Smallest surface left behind.
+
+## Steps
+
+1. Confirm the finding in a running preview: create a project, add a Text node,
+   and read `getComputedStyle` on the rendered element via
+   `npm run cdp -- eval --target=viewer`. Expect the `var()` references to
+   resolve to nothing. (REV-008 established this statically; a live confirmation
+   costs one dev-loop launch and removes all doubt.)
+2. Make the call above. Record it here.
+3. Implement, with regression tests — `tests/models/ElementConfigRegistry.test.ts`
+   and `tests/models/EmbeddedTemplate.test.ts` are the existing surface.
+4. If option A: verify token injection end-to-end in a preview, not just in a
+   unit test. That is the specific gap that let this sit unnoticed.
+
+## Success criteria
+
+- [ ] One of A/B/C chosen, with the reasoning recorded
+- [ ] No shipped code references a CSS custom property that nothing defines
+- [ ] No exported class that nothing constructs
+- [ ] `npm run test:ci` green, `npm run typecheck:editor` clean
+- [ ] If tokens survive: injection verified in a running preview via CDP
+
+## References
+
+- `packages/noodl-viewer-react/src/style-tokens-injector.ts` — the uninstantiated injector
+- `packages/noodl-editor/src/editor/src/models/StyleTokens/DefaultTokens.ts` — the 10 shipped tokens
+- `packages/noodl-editor/src/editor/src/models/ElementConfigs/configs/` — the configs, and the vocabulary they expect
+- `packages/noodl-editor/src/editor/src/views/NodePicker/NodePicker.utils.ts` — where `applyDefaults` fires
+- [MERGE-NOTES-cline-dev-tara.md](../../reviews/MERGE-NOTES-cline-dev-tara.md) — how this arrived unverified
+- [REV-008-DEV-LOOP-HARDENING.md](./REV-008-DEV-LOOP-HARDENING.md) — Stream D, which surfaced it
+- `dev-docs/tasks/phase-9-styles-overhaul/` — the original STYLE-001/002 design intent

packages/noodl-editor/src/editor/src/models/ElementConfigs/ElementConfigRegistry.ts

@@ -14,7 +14,6 @@
 
 import { ButtonConfig } from './configs/ButtonConfig';
 import { CheckboxConfig } from './configs/CheckboxConfig';
-import { GroupConfig } from './configs/GroupConfig';
 import { TextConfig } from './configs/TextConfig';
 import { TextInputConfig } from './configs/TextInputConfig';
 import { ElementConfig, ResolvedVariant, VariantConfig } from './ElementConfigTypes';
@@ -176,11 +175,17 @@ function getSizeNames(nodeType: string): string[] {
 
 // ------------------------------------------------------------------
 // Register all built-in configs
+//
+// GroupConfig used to be here. It keyed on 'net.noodl.visual.group', which is
+// not a node type — the real one is 'Group' (packages/noodl-viewer-react/src/
+// nodes/visual/group.js) — so it never matched anything and had never applied
+// to a single node. Deleted rather than repointed in REV-008: activating it
+// would stamp var(--surface), var(--space-4) and friends onto every new Group
+// node, and nothing defines those. See REV-009.
 // ------------------------------------------------------------------
 
 register(ButtonConfig);
 register(CheckboxConfig);
-register(GroupConfig);
 register(TextConfig);
 register(TextInputConfig);
 

packages/noodl-editor/src/editor/src/models/ElementConfigs/configs/GroupConfig.ts

@@ -4,6 +4,5 @@
 
 export { ButtonConfig } from './ButtonConfig';
 export { CheckboxConfig } from './CheckboxConfig';
-export { GroupConfig } from './GroupConfig';
 export { TextConfig } from './TextConfig';
 export { TextInputConfig } from './TextInputConfig';

packages/noodl-editor/src/editor/src/models/ElementConfigs/configs/index.ts

@@ -9,6 +9,5 @@ export type { NodeModelLike } from './ElementConfigRegistry';
 // Config objects (useful for testing or direct access)
 export { ButtonConfig } from './configs/ButtonConfig';
 export { CheckboxConfig } from './configs/CheckboxConfig';
-export { GroupConfig } from './configs/GroupConfig';
 export { TextConfig } from './configs/TextConfig';
 export { TextInputConfig } from './configs/TextInputConfig';

packages/noodl-editor/src/editor/src/models/ElementConfigs/index.ts

@@ -17,8 +17,15 @@ function makeNode(): NodeModelLike {
 }
 
 const BUTTON_TYPE = 'net.noodl.controls.button';
-const TEXT_TYPE = 'net.noodl.visual.text';
-const GROUP_TYPE = 'net.noodl.visual.group';
+
+// Registered, but defines no sizes. Note the identifier is bare 'Text', not
+// 'net.noodl.visual.text' — this spec had the latter, which matches no node type
+// and no config, so the "no sizes" assertion below was passing for the wrong
+// reason. Same class of bug as the deleted GroupConfig. REV-008.
+const TEXT_TYPE = 'Text';
+
+// Deliberately not a registered type, for the unknown-type paths.
+const UNREGISTERED_TYPE = 'net.noodl.visual.group';
 
 // ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
 // applyVariant
@@ -87,10 +94,15 @@ describe('ElementConfigRegistry.applySize', () => {
     expect(node.parameters['_size']).toBe('lg');
   });
 
-  it('is a no-op for a node type with no sizes', () => {
+  it('is a no-op for a registered type with no sizes', () => {
+    const node = makeNode();
+    ElementConfigRegistry.applySize(node, TEXT_TYPE, 'sm');
+    expect(node.parameters).toEqual({});
+  });
+
+  it('is a no-op for an unregistered type', () => {
     const node = makeNode();
-    // Group has no sizes defined
-    ElementConfigRegistry.applySize(node, GROUP_TYPE, 'sm');
+    ElementConfigRegistry.applySize(node, UNREGISTERED_TYPE, 'sm');
     expect(node.parameters).toEqual({});
   });
 
@@ -118,7 +130,7 @@ describe('ElementConfigRegistry.getSizeNames', () => {
   });
 
   it('returns empty array for node types with no sizes', () => {
-    expect(ElementConfigRegistry.getSizeNames(GROUP_TYPE)).toEqual([]);
+    expect(ElementConfigRegistry.getSizeNames(UNREGISTERED_TYPE)).toEqual([]);
     expect(ElementConfigRegistry.getSizeNames(TEXT_TYPE)).toEqual([]);
   });