280 lines
8.8 KiB
Markdown
280 lines
8.8 KiB
Markdown
# Ebox user guide
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[中文](ebox-user-guide.zh.md)
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Ebox is the low-level Text/Box layout and buffer-rendering package. This guide
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uses one public author grammar and keeps framework-integration details separate.
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See the [API reference](ebox-api-reference.en.md) for the complete function
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inventory.
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## 1. Load Ebox
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```elisp
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(require 'ebox)
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```
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Loading Ebox does not create a buffer, enable a mode in the current buffer, or
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build Rust.
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## 2. Learn one author model
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An Ebox document contains Text and Box nodes. The author grammar has exactly
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seven entries:
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| Entry | Meaning |
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| --- | --- |
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| `"text"` | Short form for one Text node. |
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| `(text ... "text")` | Text with explicit text properties. |
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| `(box ... CHILD...)` | A normal visual Box. |
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| `(row ... CHILD...)` | A Box with simple horizontal child layout. |
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| `(column ... CHILD...)` | A Box with simple vertical child layout. |
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| `(flex ... CHILD...)` | A Box with Flex child layout. |
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| `(grid ... CHILD...)` | A Box with Grid child layout. |
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Children are always nested directly. A layout form is a Box with a selected
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child-layout algorithm, not a different kind of visual object.
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```elisp
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(defvar ebox-guide-input
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(ebox-build
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'(column :padding (1 2)
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:border (1 solid "#8A93A6")
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(text :color "#263244" "Research notes")
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(row :item-gap 1
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(box :id "status" :background-color "#F4F6FB" "Inbox")
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(box :background-color "#EEF2FF" "Archive")))))
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```
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`ebox-build` returns an opaque `CanonicalEboxInput`. It keeps the canonical
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forest and its source generation together. Pass that value unchanged to the
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render and publication functions; ordinary author code does not extract or
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reassemble its internal nodes.
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Use `box` with geometry but no child when an empty rectangular area is needed.
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No extra node type is necessary.
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## 3. Choose the layout that states the intent
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Use `box` for ordinary content, `row` or `column` for direct one-axis
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composition, `flex` when free space or wrapping matters, and `grid` for
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two-dimensional tracks or explicit placement.
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### Row and column
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`row` and `column` accept `:item-gap` and `:cross-align`. Their children remain
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ordinary Text or Box nodes.
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```elisp
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(ebox-build
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'(row :item-gap 2 :cross-align center
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(box :width 12 "Left")
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(box :width 12 "Right")))
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```
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### Flex
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Flex container properties belong to `flex`. Participation properties belong
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directly to a child `box` because they describe the parent-child relationship.
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```elisp
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(ebox-build
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'(flex :width (480)
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:flex-flow (row wrap)
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:gap (1 (12))
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(box :flex (1 1 auto) "Primary")
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(box :flex-grow 2 "Secondary")))
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```
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### Grid
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Grid placement is one-based. Tracks may be fixed, `auto`, fractional,
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`minmax`, or `repeat` values. Placement properties also belong directly to a
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child `box`.
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```elisp
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(ebox-build
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'(grid :width (640)
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:grid-template-columns ((200) (fr 1) (fr 1))
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:grid-template-rows (1 1)
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:gap (1 (12))
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(box :grid-column (1 :span 3) "Header")
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(box :grid-column 1 :grid-row 2 "Navigation")
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(box :grid-column 2 :grid-row 2 "Main")
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(box :grid-column 3 :grid-row 2 "Aside")))
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```
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## 4. Use geometry and paint properties
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Horizontal numbers are character columns; a one-element list such as `(240)`
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is a pixel width. Vertical numbers are lines. Text accepts only font,
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foreground/background, and text-decoration properties. Padding, margin,
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border, size, `:outer`, overflow, visibility, and wrapping policy belong only
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to Box. Font and color on Box may feed inherited Text facts, but never give
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Text Box geometry.
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```elisp
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(ebox-build
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'(box :width (420)
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:padding (1 2)
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:margin (0 1)
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:border (1 solid "#8A93A6")
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:color "#263244"
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:background-color "#FFFFFF"
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"A readable panel"))
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```
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Use `:outer inline` or `:outer block` to state how a Box participates in its
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parent. The child-layout algorithm still comes from the form name.
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## 5. Render and publish
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`ebox-render` returns propertized text without changing a live buffer.
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`ebox-render-to-buffer` mounts a retained TP surface and returns its buffer.
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Both functions, and `ebox-display-buffer`, accept the opaque value returned by
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`ebox-build`.
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```elisp
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(ebox-render ebox-guide-input)
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(ebox-render-to-buffer "*Ebox Guide*" ebox-guide-input)
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```
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Build a fresh canonical input and use `ebox-commit` for an atomic update:
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```elisp
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(ebox-commit
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"*Ebox Guide*"
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(ebox-build
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'(column :padding (1 2)
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(text "Updated notes")
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(box :key body "The new input is caller-owned."))))
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```
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Validation, rendering, or publication failure leaves the previous buffer and
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runtime state intact. `ebox-buffer-update-report` returns a defensive copy of
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the last successful update report.
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## 6. Query and update a mounted surface
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`:id`, `:class`, and `:key` are author metadata. Selectors use ECSS semantics.
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Resolve an `:id` to an opaque, surface-scoped handle before a direct update:
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```elisp
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(let ((handle (ebox-region-resolve "*Ebox Guide*" "status")))
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(ebox-region-update handle :color "#166534"))
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```
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`ebox-selector-query-buffer` returns document-ordered matches from a mounted
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buffer. `ebox-selector-update-buffer` applies one style update to all editable
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matches. Numeric region ids are diagnostic render metadata, not stable update
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handles.
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## 7. Resize and scroll
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A finite height plus `:overflow scroll` creates a scroll window. Ebox buffer
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mode installs keyboard and wheel commands that route through the innermost
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scroll owner before falling back to ordinary Emacs scrolling.
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```elisp
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(ebox-build
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'(box :id log :width (420) :height 8 :overflow scroll
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"line 1\nline 2\nline 3\nline 4\nline 5\nline 6\nline 7\nline 8\nline 9"))
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```
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Visible mounted buffers follow their display window. Integrations may apply an
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explicit viewport with:
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```elisp
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(ebox-rerender-buffer-with-context
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(get-buffer "*Ebox Guide*") 800 30)
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```
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## 8. Standalone `.ebox` files
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A `.ebox` file contains one unquoted structural form:
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```elisp
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(column :padding '(1 2)
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(text :color "#263244" "Title")
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(box :width '(240) "Body"))
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```
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The sibling `ebox-playground` evaluates property expressions before calling
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`ebox-build`. Quote list and symbol constants in a `.ebox` file, as shown
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above. When calling `ebox-build` directly, pass inert data as in the earlier
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examples.
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## 9. Typed integration API
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Frameworks that already normalize author input may bypass the list DSL. This
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is an integration API, not a second author grammar. One source builder owns
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the complete source generation. Each TextNode or BoxNode receives an opaque
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handle from that builder and node-owned facts projected from the same
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normalized declarations. The framework then seals the builder and transports
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the forest and source index together as one `CanonicalEboxInput`.
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```elisp
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(let* ((builder (ebox-source-builder-create))
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(root-declarations nil)
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(left-declarations nil)
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(right-declarations nil)
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(root-handle
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(ebox-source-builder-bind
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builder :declarations root-declarations))
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(left-handle
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(ebox-source-builder-bind
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builder :declarations left-declarations))
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(right-handle
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(ebox-source-builder-bind
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builder :declarations right-declarations))
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(left
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(ebox-text-create
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:value "Left"
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:source-handle left-handle
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:owned-facts
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(ebox-canonical-facts-from-declarations
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'text left-declarations)))
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(right
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(ebox-text-create
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:value "Right"
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:source-handle right-handle
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:owned-facts
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(ebox-canonical-facts-from-declarations
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'text right-declarations)))
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(root
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(ebox-box-create
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:layout (ebox-row-layout-create
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:item-gap 1 :cross-align 'center)
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:children (list left right)
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:source-handle root-handle
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:owned-facts
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(ebox-canonical-facts-from-declarations
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'row root-declarations))))
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(ebox-canonical-input-create
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(list root)
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(ebox-source-builder-finish builder)))
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```
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`ebox-source-builder-create`, `ebox-source-builder-bind`,
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`ebox-source-builder-finish`, `ebox-canonical-facts-from-declarations`, the
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typed node/layout constructors, and `ebox-canonical-input-create` belong to
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this integration boundary. Here `:layout`, `:children`, `:source-handle`, and
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`:owned-facts` are evaluated constructor fields. They are not author
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properties and do not extend the seven-entry grammar.
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## 10. Optional native reflow and verification
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The Rust module is optional and Ebox never builds it while loading:
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```elisp
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(ebox-native-status)
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(ebox-native-build)
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```
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From the repository root:
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```sh
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make docs-contract-tests EMACS=/Applications/Emacs.app/Contents/MacOS/Emacs
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make dsl-tests EMACS=/Applications/Emacs.app/Contents/MacOS/Emacs
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make check EMACS=/Applications/Emacs.app/Contents/MacOS/Emacs
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```
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