docs: add plan for #208 constructor injection

11 steps: narrow constructor per class (Inject → Parser → ScanEntries →
Writer → Dialogues → Reader), then Ctrl.initServices(logger), Startup
wiring, and 14 test files. Amendment: initServices takes ILogger not
channel — better SRP and test compat.

#208

Author: pajoma

docs/plans/2026-05-17-208-constructor-injection.md

@@ -0,0 +1,179 @@
+---
+issue: "#208"
+date: 2026-05-17
+slug: 208-constructor-injection
+spec: docs/specs/2026-05-17-208-constructor-injection.md
+---
+
+# Plan: Decompose `Ctrl` god object via constructor injection (#208)
+
+## Approach
+
+Remove `public ctrl: JournalController` from each action/UI constructor and replace it with the specific sub-interfaces the class actually uses. `Ctrl.initServices(logger: ILogger)` becomes the single composition step — it creates all action objects in dependency order and passes narrow sub-interfaces. `Startup.registerLoggingChannel` triggers it by creating `ConsoleLogger` first, then passing it to `initServices`.
+
+**Amendment vs spec:** The spec said `initServices(channel: vscode.OutputChannel)`; this plan changes the signature to `initServices(logger: ILogger)`. Reason: `Ctrl` should not know about `vscode.OutputChannel`; pushing `ConsoleLogger` construction into `Startup` is better SRP. Tests can pass `TestLogger` directly. Behaviour is identical.
+
+Main trade-off: 14 test files all do `ctrl.logger = new TestLogger(false)` — they must be updated to `ctrl.initServices(new TestLogger(false))` instead. The change is mechanical but touches many files.
+
+## Steps
+
+### Step 1 — `ConsoleLogger`: remove `ctrl`, accept `config: IConfiguration`
+
+`src/util/logger.ts` constructor change:
+```typescript
+// Before: constructor(public ctrl: JournalController, public channel: vscode.OutputChannel)
+// After:  constructor(private config: IConfiguration, public channel: vscode.OutputChannel)
+```
+Remove the `ctrl` field entirely; the constructor already copies `ctrl.config.isDevelopmentModeEnabled()` into `this.devMode` — copy from `config` directly now. No other body changes needed.
+
+### Step 2 — `Inject`: remove `ctrl`, accept narrow params
+
+`src/actions/inject.ts`:
+- Constructor: `constructor(private config: IConfiguration, private logger: ILogger)`
+- Remove `public ctrl` field
+- Replace all `this.ctrl.config.` → `this.config.`
+- Replace all `this.ctrl.logger.` → `this.logger.`
+
+### Step 3 — `Parser`: remove `ctrl`, accept narrow params
+
+`src/actions/parser.ts`:
+- Constructor: `constructor(private config: IConfiguration, private logger: ILogger)`
+- Replace all `this.ctrl.config.` → `this.config.`
+- Replace all `this.ctrl.logger.` → `this.logger.`
+
+### Step 4 — `ScanEntries`: remove `ctrl`, accept narrow params
+
+`src/provider/features/scan-entries.ts`:
+- Constructor: `constructor(private config: IConfiguration, private logger: ILogger)`
+- Replace all `this.ctrl.config.` → `this.config.`
+- Replace all `this.ctrl.logger.` → `this.logger.`
+
+### Step 5 — `Writer`: remove `ctrl`, accept narrow params
+
+`src/actions/writer.ts`:
+- Constructor: `constructor(private config: IConfiguration, private logger: ILogger, private inject: IInject)`
+- Replace all `this.ctrl.config.` → `this.config.`
+- Replace all `this.ctrl.logger.` → `this.logger.`
+- Replace all `this.ctrl.inject.` → `this.inject.`
+
+### Step 6 — `Dialogues`: remove `ctrl`, accept narrow params
+
+`src/ext/dialogues.ts`:
+- Constructor: `constructor(private config: IConfiguration, private logger: ILogger, private parser: IParser)`
+- The scanner field is created internally: change `new ScanEntries(this.ctrl)` → `new ScanEntries(config, logger)` (Step 4 makes this possible)
+- `getScanner()` return type and body unchanged
+- Replace all `this.ctrl.config.` → `this.config.`
+- Replace all `this.ctrl.logger.` → `this.logger.`
+- Replace all `this.ctrl.parser.` → `this.parser.`
+
+### Step 7 — `Reader`: remove `ctrl`, accept narrow params
+
+`src/actions/reader.ts`:
+- Constructor: `constructor(private config: IConfiguration, private logger: ILogger, private writer: IWriter, private ui: IDialogues)`
+- Replace all `this.ctrl.config.` → `this.config.`
+- Replace all `this.ctrl.logger.` → `this.logger.`
+- Replace all `this.ctrl.writer.` → `this.writer.`
+- Replace all `this.ctrl.ui.` → `this.ui.`
+
+### Step 8 — `Ctrl`: add `initServices`, remove construction from constructor
+
+`src/util/controller.ts`:
+- **Constructor**: remove the five `new J.Actions.*` and `new J.Extension.Dialogues` lines; keep only `this._config = new Configuration(vscodeConfig)`
+- **Add** `initServices(logger: ILogger): void` that creates all services in dependency order:
+  ```
+  1. this._logger = logger
+  2. this._inject = new Inject(this._config, logger)
+  3. this._writer = new Writer(this._config, logger, this._inject)
+  4. this._parser = new Parser(this._config, logger)
+  5. this._ui     = new Dialogues(this._config, logger, this._parser)
+  6. this._reader = new Reader(this._config, logger, this._writer, this._ui)
+  ```
+- **Import** the concrete classes directly: `import { Parser } from '../actions/parser'`, `import { Writer } from '../actions/writer'`, etc. (replace `J.Actions.*` and `J.Extension.*` references inside `initServices`)
+- **Remove** the `logger` setter (setter injection replaced by `initServices`)
+- **Keep** all getters unchanged
+- `_logger` field type stays `Logger | undefined`; getter guard unchanged
+
+Note: `controller.ts` still has `import * as J from '../.'` (barrel) for the field types in the class body (#201 work). This is acceptable for now; the barrel import is only for type references.
+
+### Step 9 — `Startup`: trigger `initServices` from `registerLoggingChannel`
+
+`src/ext/startup.ts`, `registerLoggingChannel` method only:
+```typescript
+// Before:
+ctrl.logger = new J.Util.ConsoleLogger(ctrl, channel);
+ctrl.logger.debug("...");
+return ctrl;
+
+// After:
+const logger = new J.Util.ConsoleLogger(ctrl.config, channel);
+ctrl.initServices(logger);
+ctrl.logger.debug("...");
+return ctrl;
+```
+No other changes to `Startup`.
+
+### Step 10 — Tests: replace two-line pattern with `initServices`
+
+Every test file that does:
+```typescript
+const ctrl = new J.Util.Ctrl(config);
+ctrl.logger = logger;
+```
+changes to:
+```typescript
+const ctrl = new J.Util.Ctrl(config);
+ctrl.initServices(logger);
+```
+
+Files affected (14): `commands-entry.test.ts`, `commands-inject.test.ts`, `commands-note.test.ts`, `commands-prev-next.test.ts`, `commands-weekly.test.ts`, `input.test.ts`, `issue-168-entry-granularity.test.ts`, `issue-185-weekly-sync.test.ts`, `issue-51-remote-create.test.ts`, `notes-sync.test.ts`, `phase1-regression.test.ts`, `read-templates.test.ts`, `scan-entries-cache.test.ts`, `week-input.test.ts`.
+
+`scan-entries-cache.test.ts` additionally creates `new ScanEntries(ctrl)` — change to `new ScanEntries(ctrl.config, ctrl.logger)`.
+
+### Step 11 — Verify
+
+```bash
+npm run compile       # zero errors
+npm run lint          # zero new warnings
+npm test              # 126 tests pass
+grep -rn "this\.ctrl" src/actions/ src/ext/dialogues.ts src/util/logger.ts src/provider/features/scan-entries.ts
+# must return no output
+```
+
+## Test scenarios
+
+**T1 — Compile validates all parameter types (unit: TypeScript)**
+After each step, run `npm run compile` to confirm no type errors. TypeScript rejects a `config: IConfiguration` where `ILogger` is expected, so mismatches surface immediately.
+
+**T2 — `Ctrl.initServices` correctly wires services (integration)**
+`npm test` passes all 126 tests. Tests create `new Ctrl(config); ctrl.initServices(testLogger)` — identical runtime path to production, just with `TestLogger` instead of `ConsoleLogger`.
+
+**T3 — Barrel-free constructor params (static)**
+`grep -rn "this\.ctrl" src/actions/ src/ext/dialogues.ts src/util/logger.ts src/provider/features/scan-entries.ts` → no output.
+
+**T4 — `logger` getter guard still active (unit)**
+Before `initServices` is called, `ctrl.logger` throws `"Tried to access undefined logger"`. Confirmed by compile check: getter body is unchanged.
+
+**T5 — `Startup` initialisation path unchanged (integration)**
+Extension activate path: `Ctrl(config)` → `initialize()` → `registerLoggingChannel()` → `initServices(logger)` → all getters populated → commands registered. Covered by T2 (full suite exercises this path through Extension Host).
+
+## Dependencies
+
+No other PRs or branches must land first. #201 (barrel removal in `controller.ts`) is a parallel track and can land in either order.
+
+## Risk
+
+| Risk | Coverage |
+|---|---|
+| Missing constructor arg → tsc error | T1 (compile after each step) |
+| Test file misses `initServices` call → `undefined` service at runtime | T2 (test failures) |
+| `Dialogues` creates wrong `ScanEntries` args → runtime crash | T2 |
+| `logger` getter called before `initServices` → error thrown | T4 |
+| `Startup` wiring broken → extension won't activate | T5 |
+
+## Rollback
+
+`git revert <commit>` — pure structural refactor, no data migrations.
+
+## Reference spec
+
+[docs/specs/2026-05-17-208-constructor-injection.md](../specs/2026-05-17-208-constructor-injection.md)