# ScadaLink Central UI — Design & UX Audit **Date:** 2026-05-12 **Branch at audit time:** `feature/templates-folder-hierarchy` (after `Sites.razor` redesign, commit `0805e18`) **Scope:** All Razor pages, layout, and shared components in `src/ScadaLink.CentralUI`. **Reference pattern:** `src/ScadaLink.CentralUI/Components/Pages/Admin/Sites.razor` — 2-column responsive card grid, header flex row, kebab menus, search filter, Bootstrap collapse for noisy details, `@key=` on iterated cards, "No X match the filter." and empty-state CTAs. ## Constraints (recap) - Blazor Server + Bootstrap 5 only. **No third-party component frameworks** (no MudBlazor / Radzen / Blazorise / Syncfusion). - Clean, corporate, internal-use aesthetic. Not flashy. - Form pages: vertical stacking; read-only fields first; subsections stacked; buttons at bottom. - Accessibility: aria-labels on icon buttons; labels paired with inputs; semantic headings; never use color as the only state cue. --- ## Severity summary | Severity | Count | Pages | |---|---|---| | **High** | 7 | LdapMappingForm · DataConnections (header/a11y) · SharedScripts · ExternalSystems · TemplateEdit · DebugView · EventLogs | | **Medium** | 11 | LdapMappings · ApiKeys · DataConnections · DataConnectionForm · ApiKeyForm (partial) · Templates · Topology · Deployments · Dashboard · Health · ParkedMessages · AuditLog · MainLayout / NavMenu · ConfirmDialog · Toast · global CSS | | **Low** | 7+ | Most form pages (TemplateCreate, ExternalSystemForm, SharedScriptForm, DbConnectionForm, ApiMethodForm, NotificationListForm) · Login error feedback · NotAuthorizedView · LoadingSpinner contrast · DataTable clear-button | **Suggested implementation order** (high impact / low risk first): 1. **Shared shell fixes** (ConfirmDialog scroll-lock + Escape + default button color, Toast `aria-live` + custom delay, NavMenu scroll container, login vertical centering) — these unblock everything else and are mostly small. 2. **List-page pattern roll-out:** apply the Sites.razor card grid + search + kebab template to LdapMappings, ApiKeys, SharedScripts. These are mechanical. 3. **DebugView guardrails:** scroll-lock, max-row cap, `aria-live`, filter — this is high-severity and isolated. 4. **EventLogs:** message expand, pagination clarity, filter accessibility. 5. **ExternalSystems + TemplateEdit refactors** — biggest scope, leave for last because they need design discussion before implementation. --- ## Cross-cutting findings (apply to many pages) These show up everywhere. Fix at the pattern level first, then tour every page once to apply: 1. **`

` page title in a flex header.** Sites.razor sets the standard at line 16. Currently Templates (`

`), Topology (`
`), Dashboard (`

`), and most form pages mix levels. Adopt `

` inside `d-flex justify-content-between align-items-center mb-3`. 2. **Search input above the list.** `max-width: 320px`, bound to `_search` with `@bind:event="oninput"`, plus the "No X match the filter." inline message. Missing on: LdapMappings, ApiKeys, SharedScripts, EventLogs, ParkedMessages (per-site only), AuditLog. 3. **Kebab (⋮) menu for less-frequent actions.** Edit stays as a primary button; Delete/Disable/Deploy move into the dropdown. Missing on: LdapMappings, ApiKeys, SharedScripts, TemplateEdit member rows, ParkedMessages. 4. **`@key="entity.Id"` on iterated rows / cards.** Prevents Bootstrap collapse state leaks (the bug caught in smoke on Sites). Apply anywhere `@foreach` renders elements with Bootstrap stateful classes (`show`, `collapsed`, `active`). 5. **State badges must not rely on color alone.** Add either icon + text or `aria-label="State: …"`. Affected: Health node Online/Offline, Topology Stale, Deployments row colors, DebugView Quality / Alarm State, AuditLog action badges. 6. **`TimestampDisplay` component consistency.** EventLogs / ParkedMessages / AuditLog use it; Health and DebugView format inline. Pick the component, give it a single rendering of "HH:mm:ss UTC" or relative+absolute, retrofit everywhere. 7. **Empty-state CTA when count is 0.** Sites.razor lines 53-60 are the template. Missing on: SharedScripts, Templates (tree), ExternalSystems tabs, ParkedMessages, AuditLog. 8. **`aria-label` on icon-only buttons** (`⋮`, `📋`, copy, expand/collapse). Almost universally missing today. 9. **Truncate-and-expand pattern.** AuditLog has the cleanest pattern (`View` toggle for state JSON). Apply to long message strings (EventLogs, ParkedMessages, Deployments errors) instead of mid-string CSS truncation. --- ## Admin section ### LdapMappings.razor — `/admin/ldap-mappings` — **Medium** **File:** `src/ScadaLink.CentralUI/Components/Pages/Admin/LdapMappings.razor` **What it does:** Lists LDAP group → role mappings with inline Edit/Delete and Site Scope hints. **Issues** 1. *Consistency:* Header (line 12) lacks the Sites flex layout + Bulk actions dropdown next to the primary Add button. 2. *Density:* 5-column table; "Site Scope Rules" cell jams multiple badges into a narrow column. 3. *Consistency:* No search filter. Sites uses one at lines 67-69. 4. *Consistency:* Edit + Delete rendered as twin buttons in the row; Sites uses kebab. 5. *Other:* "Site Scope Rules" preview in the row + the "(manage on edit page)" hint creates a confusing duality — the list page promises something it can't deliver. **Recommendations** 1. Add header flex layout + search input. 2. Replace Edit/Delete pair with `Edit` button + `⋮` dropdown containing Delete. 3. Either drop the Site Scope column from the list entirely (show a `n rule(s)` badge instead) or expand it into a collapse panel on the row. 4. If keeping table layout, add `@key="m.Id"`. --- ### LdapMappingForm.razor — `/admin/ldap-mappings/create` and `/{Id}/edit` — **High** **File:** `src/ScadaLink.CentralUI/Components/Pages/Admin/LdapMappingForm.razor` **What it does:** Create/edit a single mapping, plus a secondary panel for Site Scope Rules in edit mode. **Issues** 1. *Form-layout:* Two distinct sub-forms on one page (mapping basics + scope rules) with no visual separation. Scope rules only become editable after Save, but the UI doesn't communicate that workflow. 2. *Hierarchy:* Both sections use `

` inside `card-title`; no primary/secondary hierarchy. 3. *Form-layout:* Scope-rule entry uses a nested table inside the card; visually heavy. 4. *Accessibility:* Role `` with no read-only styling cue beyond gray. 2. *Hierarchy:* "Backup endpoint" `
` uses `border-bottom`; primary endpoint has no parallel heading. Hierarchy is one-sided. 3. *Density:* "Add Backup Endpoint" button buried inside the card with no signposting that backup is optional. 4. *Accessibility:* No `form-text` on Primary Endpoint / Site / failover knobs. **Recommendations** 1. Use `` for the Site field in edit mode and add a small explanatory line ("Site is locked after creation"). 2. Mirror the heading pattern: both Primary and Backup get `
` headers; Backup also gets a clear "Optional" badge. 3. Add `form-text` help under each tuning knob (PublishingIntervalMs, SamplingIntervalMs, FailoverRetryCount, etc.). --- ### ApiKeys.razor — `/admin/api-keys` — **Medium** **File:** `src/ScadaLink.CentralUI/Components/Pages/Admin/ApiKeys.razor` **What it does:** Lists API keys with Edit / Disable-Enable / Delete actions; masked key value. **Issues** 1. *Consistency:* No search filter. 2. *Density:* 5-column table; Status column is redundant with the Disable/Enable button. 3. *Consistency:* Three buttons in the Actions cell (Edit / Disable / Delete) — should be Edit + kebab. 4. *Other:* No `@key="k.Id"` on rows. **Recommendations** 1. Add search filter and `@key`. 2. Drop the Status column; let the kebab item read "Disable" or "Enable" depending on state. 3. Either keep the table and adopt the kebab pattern, or move to the Sites card grid — for ~5 keys per environment the table is fine; for 50+ the card grid would scan better. --- ### ApiKeyForm.razor — `/admin/api-keys/create` and `/{Id}/edit` — **Low** **File:** `src/ScadaLink.CentralUI/Components/Pages/Admin/ApiKeyForm.razor` **What it does:** Create an API key (showing the secret once) or rename an existing one. **Issues** 1. *Form-layout:* Header has conditional "Back to API Keys" vs "Back" text. 2. *Other:* Copy button on the one-shot secret reveal is wired to a comment / no-op. 3. *Density:* Form is one field but wrapped in card-inside-card. **Recommendations** 1. Fixed header: `← Back · Add / Edit API Key`. 2. Implement the copy via `IJSRuntime` + `navigator.clipboard.writeText` (mirror Sites.razor's `CopyAsync`). 3. Remove redundant card nesting; render the input + buttons directly in `
`. --- ## Design section Files discovered: ``` Components/Pages/Design/Templates.razor @page /design/templates Components/Pages/Design/TemplateCreate.razor @page /design/templates/create Components/Pages/Design/TemplateEdit.razor @page /design/templates/{Id:int} Components/Pages/Design/SharedScripts.razor @page /design/shared-scripts Components/Pages/Design/SharedScriptForm.razor @page /design/shared-scripts/{create|edit} Components/Pages/Design/ExternalSystems.razor @page /design/external-systems Components/Pages/Design/ExternalSystemForm.razor @page /design/external-systems/{create|edit} Components/Pages/Design/DbConnectionForm.razor @page /design/db-connections/{create|edit} Components/Pages/Design/ApiMethodForm.razor @page /design/api-methods/{create|edit} Components/Pages/Design/NotificationListForm.razor @page /design/notification-lists/{create|edit} ``` ### Templates.razor — **Medium** **What it does:** Folder-tree view of templates with context-menu CRUD. **Issues** 1. *Hierarchy:* Page title is `
` (line 53) — should be `

` in flex header. 2. *Consistency:* `btn-group-sm` of outline buttons for Expand/Collapse — push these into a Bulk actions dropdown. 3. *Accessibility:* Context-menu buttons (lines 271-288) lack `aria-label`. 4. *Density:* Treeview height is hardcoded `calc(100vh - 160px)` with no scroll affordance. 5. *Other:* No breadcrumb when an edit page navigates away from the tree context. **Recommendations** 1. Promote heading, adopt flex header pattern. 2. Move Expand/Collapse into the Bulk actions dropdown. 3. Add aria-labels on every context-menu button (interpolate node name). 4. Add a top breadcrumb on TemplateEdit so users know which folder they're editing inside. --- ### SharedScripts.razor — **High** **What it does:** Table of shared scripts with name, code preview, parameters, returns. **Issues** 1. *Consistency:* Table instead of card grid — and code preview is rendered as truncated monospace inline, which is unreadable beyond ~40 chars. 2. *Density:* 6 columns (ID, Name, Code preview, Parameters, Returns, Actions). ID is internal-only. 3. *Consistency:* No search, no empty-state CTA. 4. *Accessibility:* Truncated code preview has no `title=` tooltip. **Recommendations** 1. Migrate to a card grid (col-lg-6) mirroring Sites: title = Name, body = small code snippet (first 80 chars) + parameter/return counts as chips, footer = Edit + ⋮ Delete. 2. Drop ID column entirely. 3. Add search by name + code substring. 4. Add "No shared scripts configured. Create your first script." CTA. --- ### ExternalSystems.razor — **High** **What it does:** Tabbed hub for External Systems, DB Connections, Notification Lists, Inbound API Methods, SMTP Config, API Keys. **Issues** 1. *Density:* Six subsections on one page with no search per tab; SMTP form crams 6+ inputs in one `row g-2 align-items-end` flex row. 2. *Consistency:* Tabs use mixed renderings — External Systems / DB / API Methods use tables; Notification Lists and SMTP use cards. Same-level data, inconsistent shape. 3. *Form-layout:* SMTP form violates the vertical-stacking rule. 4. *Hierarchy:* Subsection headings are `

` with badge counts — heading level is too small. 5. *Accessibility:* Tab buttons lack `role="tab"` / `aria-selected`. 6. *Other:* No per-tab empty state. **Recommendations** 1. Split SMTP off as a standalone `/admin/smtp` (it's a single-row global config, not list data). 2. Unify all tabs on the same card-grid pattern. 3. Reformat the remaining SMTP page to vertical-stacked fields per `feedback_form_layout`. 4. Add `role="tablist"` / `role="tab"` / `aria-selected` and `aria-controls` on the tab nav. 5. Add per-tab search + empty-state CTAs. --- ### TemplateEdit.razor — **High** **What it does:** Edit a template's properties plus Attributes / Alarms / Scripts / Compositions in tabs. **Issues** 1. *Density:* Template Properties card uses a 4-column row; Parent Template renders as `form-control-plaintext` next to live inputs, then a Save button at col-md-2. Save ends up mid-row instead of at the bottom. 2. *Form-layout:* "Add Attribute / Alarm / Script" inline forms use `row g-2 align-items-end` — the Scripts row stuffs 4 inputs + a textarea horizontally. 3. *Consistency:* Card headers inconsistent — some "card-title" h6 inside `card-body`, some bare h6 above a section. 4. *Hierarchy:* Validation result alerts mix strong-heading + bare `
  • ` items. 5. *Accessibility:* Lock-state badges render as cryptic single letters "L"/"U" with no `aria-label`. Tabs lack `role="tab"` / `aria-selected`. 6. *Other:* Per-row Delete buttons scattered; many tables. **Recommendations** 1. Reflow Template Properties to vertical-stack (col-12 each), put Save at the bottom following the form-layout rule. 2. Reformat add-forms into a card with stacked col-12 inputs; Scripts gets a full-width Monaco-ish textarea (rows≥10) below the metadata fields. 3. Replace L/U badges with full text + `aria-label`: `Unlocked`. 4. Per-row kebab menu replacing Delete (with future Duplicate / Move options). 5. Add `role`/`aria-selected` to all tab buttons. --- ### TemplateCreate.razor — **Low** 1. Use `form-control` not `form-control-sm` for the primary Name field. 2. Replace the `←` arrow on the Back button with text `← Back` and add `aria-label="Back to Templates"`. --- ### ExternalSystemForm.razor — **Low** 1. Auth Config field: add a JSON example placeholder matching the chosen AuthType. --- ### SharedScriptForm.razor — **Low** 1. Add a small `bi-question-circle` icon next to Parameters / Return Definition linking to a tooltip with schema reference. 2. When syntax check fails, surface line/column position in the error message. --- ### DbConnectionForm.razor — **Low** 1. Add reassurance text under Connection String: "Stored encrypted; not displayed after save." (only if the back end actually does this; otherwise drop the claim.) --- ### ApiMethodForm.razor — **Low** 1. Script textarea bumped from rows=5 to rows≥10. 2. Add JSON example placeholders for Params and Returns. --- ### NotificationListForm.razor — **Low** 1. Resize the Name input to `form-control` (not `form-control-sm`). 2. Recipients `` → `table-light` for consistency. --- ## Deployment section Files discovered: ``` Components/Pages/Deployment/Topology.razor @page /deployment/topology (and /deployment/instances) Components/Pages/Deployment/Deployments.razor @page /deployment/deployments Components/Pages/Deployment/DebugView.razor @page /deployment/debug-view (+ InstanceCreate, InstanceConfigure, CreateAreaDialog, MoveAreaDialog, MoveInstanceDialog) ``` ### Topology.razor — **Medium** 1. *Hierarchy:* `
    ` page title (line 63) — promote to `

    ` in flex header. 2. *Accessibility:* Expand / Collapse / Refresh / Search / tree-kebab buttons all lack `aria-label`. Inline rename input has no label. 3. *Live-data UX:* No "pause live updates" toggle; tree can repaint while user is renaming or moving a node. 4. *Density:* Instance counts footer text — could be a summary card above the tree. 5. *State cues:* Stale badge is yellow-only; pair with text or icon. 6. *Consistency:* Diff modal is hand-rolled Bootstrap modal markup — should be a reusable `` mirroring ``. **Recommendations** 1. Promote heading, adopt flex header. 2. Add aria-labels everywhere (treat the kebab and rename input as the priority). 3. Add a "Live updates: on/off" toggle button next to Refresh; pause auto-refresh during edits. 4. Move counts to a small summary card above the tree. 5. Pair Stale badge with `aria-label="State: Stale"` and a 🟡 dot or "STALE" text. 6. Extract `` into `Components/Shared/`. --- ### Deployments.razor — **Medium** 1. *Density:* 8 columns (Deployment ID, Instance, Status, Deployed By, Started, Completed, Revision, Error). Both Deployment ID and Revision are truncated hashes; Error can be a stack trace. 2. *Live-data UX:* Auto-refresh runs every 10s with no pause control — if a user is reading an error message, the row can swap underneath them. 3. *Consistency:* Summary cards use `col-md-3` only (no `col-sm-6` fallback for tablet); cards are styled differently from Sites. 4. *Accessibility:* Spinner inside the status badge has no `role="status"` / `aria-label`. "Auto-refresh: 10s" text is decorative, not a control. 5. *State cues:* Row colors (`table-danger`, `table-info`) without an icon or stripe. 6. *Other:* Empty state is a single line of text. **Recommendations** 1. Collapse Error column into a `View error` button that pops a ``-style modal (or inline collapse row). 2. Add `Live updates: 10s [pause]` toggle. 3. Make summary cards `col-lg-3 col-md-6 col-12`. 4. Add aria-labels on the spinner and the toggle. 5. Add `border-start border-3 border-danger` or icon to failed rows. 6. Either fold Deployment ID + Revision into one cell or hide one behind the detail modal. --- ### DebugView.razor — **High** 1. *Live-data UX:* No scroll-lock on the streaming tables. Auto-scroll behavior is implicit. No max-row cap → tab can balloon in memory. 2. *Live-data UX:* Timestamps shown to milliseconds; noisy at sustained update rates. 3. *Live-data UX:* No stream filter (e.g., "only alarms with state=Active") — once subscribed, you watch everything. 4. *Accessibility:* Quality / Alarm State badges are color-only. No `aria-live="polite"` on the streaming table bodies. 5. *Consistency:* "Snapshot received at …" is a tiny muted footer; should be a header-level status strip. 6. *UX risk:* Page persists session in `localStorage` and auto-reconnects on refresh, with no user-visible notice. **Recommendations** 1. Add per-table `🔒 Lock scroll` toggle. 2. Cap rows at e.g. 200; add a `Clear` button. 3. Add per-table filter input. 4. Display timestamps as `HH:mm:ss` by default; `.fff` only inside an "Expanded row" view. 5. Add `aria-live="polite" aria-atomic="false"` on the streaming table bodies. 6. Pair every Quality and Alarm State badge with `aria-label`. 7. Replace the snapshot footer with a status strip: instance · connection state · last snapshot time. 8. On auto-reconnect, toast "Auto-reconnected to {instance}" with a `Start fresh` button. --- ## Monitoring section + Dashboard Files discovered: ``` Components/Pages/Dashboard.razor @page / Components/Pages/Monitoring/Health.razor @page /monitoring/health Components/Pages/Monitoring/EventLogs.razor @page /monitoring/event-logs Components/Pages/Monitoring/ParkedMessages.razor @page /monitoring/parked-messages Components/Pages/Monitoring/AuditLog.razor @page /monitoring/audit-log ``` ### Dashboard.razor — **Medium** 1. *Dashboard UX:* It is currently just a user-info card. For a central SCADA console the landing page should show system KPIs first (sites online/offline, errors, queue depths, parked-message count) — the things you'd want to see in <5 seconds. 2. *Hierarchy:* `

    ` heading; rest of the site is `

    `. 3. *Consistency:* Inline `style="max-width:500px"` instead of Bootstrap utilities. **Recommendations** 1. Repurpose as a "Glance" page: KPI cards across the top (Sites, Errors, Parked Messages, Latest deployments status), a sites-by-health small list, recent audit events. 2. Move the user-info card to a secondary panel or drop it (it's already in the top-right of the layout). 3. `

    ` → `

    ` for site-wide consistency, replace inline styles with utility classes. --- ### Health.razor — **Medium** 1. *KPI choices:* Sites Online + Sites Offline + Total Sites is redundant; Total Script Errors is global and not actionable. Promote "Sites with active errors" / "Cluster degraded" instead. 2. *Hierarchy:* Header is `

    ` left-aligned with no flex header; doesn't match Sites. 3. *Density:* Per-site cards use a 4-column inner grid that breaks on narrow viewports. 4. *Time format:* `HH:mm:ss` only, no timezone, no relative. 5. *State cues:* Online/Offline / Primary/Standby badges are color-only. **Recommendations** 1. Replace "Total Sites" KPI with "Sites with active errors" or "Cluster health %". 2. Adopt flex header layout. 3. Reduce per-site card to 2 columns (col-md-6) or wrap each subsection in a collapse à la Sites.razor "Cluster nodes". 4. Use `TimestampDisplay` with UTC suffix; consider adding a relative time hint ("3 minutes ago"). 5. Add `aria-label` and an icon to every Online/Offline/Primary/Standby badge. --- ### EventLogs.razor — **High** 1. *Density:* "Message" column truncates long error strings mid-string with no expand. 2. *Pagination:* "Load more" + continuation token, no total count shown. 3. *Filter affordance:* 7 filter inputs in one row; "Keyword" label is vague. 4. *Accessibility:* Labels are not linked to inputs via `for`/`id`; row colors are the primary severity cue. 5. *Time:* Uses `` — confirm it standardises with the other log pages. **Recommendations** 1. Apply AuditLog's `View` / `Hide` toggle pattern for the Message cell. 2. Switch to numeric pagination ("Page X of Y, N total") or surface a total count next to the Load More button. 3. Move the filter row into a Bootstrap collapse with label `Filter options (n active)`. 4. Add `id`/`for` pairings, `aria-label`s, and pair the row color with an icon stripe. 5. Standardise on `TimestampDisplay` across all log pages. --- ### ParkedMessages.razor — **Medium** 1. *Density:* Message ID is truncated to 12 chars with no copy or expand affordance. 2. *Density:* Error message field can be long; no expand. 3. *Accessibility:* Retry / Discard buttons have `title=` only, no `aria-label`. 4. *State:* No spinner / disabled affordance while a Retry is in flight. **Recommendations** 1. Render Message ID as a `` with a `📋 Copy` button or expand row showing the full ID + error. 2. Apply AuditLog's expand toggle for error messages. 3. Add `aria-label="Retry message {id}"` and `aria-label="Discard message {id}"`. 4. Replace each action button's normal/disabled state with a small spinner during the action. --- ### AuditLog.razor — **Medium** 1. *Pagination bug:* `Next` is disabled when `_entries.Count < _pageSize`; this misfires when the last page has exactly `_pageSize` rows (will show enabled Next that returns empty). 2. *Filter affordance:* 5 filter inputs in one row; no `Clear filters` button. 3. *Density:* Entity ID is a full GUID with no copy / expand. 4. *State expansion:* JSON detail has `max-height: 200px` with no "expand to full size" affordance. 5. *Accessibility:* `View`/`Hide` button has no `aria-label`. **Recommendations** 1. Fix the pagination logic: rely on a "has more" flag from the API, not a length compare. 2. Add a `Clear filters` button next to the filter row. 3. Add a copy button or expand-on-click for Entity ID. 4. Make the JSON detail panel resizable, or open in a ``-style modal when content exceeds 1 KB. 5. Add `aria-label` to the toggle (interpolate entry id). --- ## Layout, shared components, global CSS ### MainLayout.razor / NavMenu.razor / App.razor **Issues** 1. *Responsive:* Sidebar is fixed `min-width: 220px / max-width: 220px` in `App.razor` lines 13-14. No `d-none d-lg-flex` or hamburger toggle for narrow viewports. **High.** 2. *Scrolling:* `