Welcome screen with recent repositories and a folder picker when gites starts outside a repository

src/App.vue

@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@ import LabelStack from "./components/LabelStack.vue";
 import PreviewPanel from "./components/PreviewPanel.vue";
 import RepoMenu from "./components/RepoMenu.vue";
 import Sidebar from "./components/Sidebar.vue";
+import Welcome from "./components/Welcome.vue";
 
 const ROW_H = 28;
 const MESSAGE_FONT = '13px "Inter", "Noto Sans", system-ui, sans-serif';
@@ -106,17 +107,22 @@ function startDrag(e: PointerEvent, axis: "x" | "y") {
 let filtersLoadedFor: string | null = null;
 
 let loading = false;
+/** False until the first load answers, so the welcome screen does not flash up at start. */
+const started = ref(false);
 
 async function load() {
   // The window gets focus often; one reload at a time is enough.
   if (loading) return;
   loading = true;
   try {
-    await applyRepo(await invoke<RepoData>("load_repo"));
+    // null: gites was started outside a repository and none is open yet.
+    const data = await invoke<RepoData | null>("load_repo");
+    if (data) await applyRepo(data);
   } catch (e) {
     error.value = String(e);
   } finally {
     loading = false;
+    started.value = true;
   }
 }
 
@@ -536,6 +542,14 @@ onUnmounted(() => {
         <button @click="menuOpen = true">Open a repository…</button>
       </div>
 
+      <Welcome
+        v-else-if="!repo && started"
+        :recents="settings.recents"
+        @pick="openRepo"
+        @browse="browse"
+        @remove="(p) => (settings.recents = settings.recents.filter((x) => x !== p))"
+      />
+
       <div v-else class="center">
 
       <DiffView

src/components/Welcome.vue

@@ -0,0 +1,51 @@
+<script setup lang="ts">
+defineProps<{ recents: string[] }>();
+const emit = defineEmits<{ pick: [path: string]; browse: []; remove: [path: string] }>();
+
+// Paths on Windows use backslashes.
+const name = (p: string) => p.split(/[\\/]/).filter(Boolean).pop() ?? p;
+</script>
+
+<template>
+  <div class="welcome">
+    <div class="card">
+      <img src="/logo.svg" class="logo" alt="" />
+      <h2>Open a repository</h2>
+      <template v-if="recents.length">
+        <div class="head">Recent repositories</div>
+        <div class="list">
+          <div v-for="p in recents" :key="p" class="item">
+            <button class="open" :title="`open ${p}`" @click="emit('pick', p)">
+              <span class="name">{{ name(p) }}</span>
+              <span class="path">{{ p }}</span>
+            </button>
+            <button class="x" title="remove from the list" @click="emit('remove', p)">×</button>
+          </div>
+        </div>
+      </template>
+      <button class="browse" @click="emit('browse')">Choose a folder…</button>
+      <p class="hint">You can also start gites with a path: <code>gites ~/code/my-project</code></p>
+    </div>
+  </div>
+</template>
+
+<style scoped>
+.welcome { flex: 1; min-width: 0; display: flex; align-items: flex-start; justify-content: center; overflow: auto; padding: 12vh 24px 24px; }
+.card { width: min(560px, 100%); display: flex; flex-direction: column; gap: 12px; }
+.logo { width: 112px; height: 112px; align-self: center; }
+h2 { margin: 0 0 4px; font-size: 20px; }
+.head { font-size: 11px; text-transform: uppercase; letter-spacing: 0.08em; color: var(--text-dim); }
+.list { display: flex; flex-direction: column; border: 1px solid var(--border); border-radius: 8px; padding: 4px; background: var(--bg-side); }
+.item { display: flex; align-items: center; border-radius: 6px; }
+.item:hover, .item:focus-within { background: var(--bg-hover); }
+.open { flex: 1; min-width: 0; display: flex; align-items: baseline; gap: 10px; border: none; padding: 7px 10px; text-align: left; background: none; }
+.open:hover { background: none; }
+.name { font-weight: 600; flex: none; }
+.path { flex: 1; min-width: 0; color: var(--text-dim); font: 11.5px ui-monospace, monospace; overflow: hidden; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap; }
+.x { border: none; padding: 2px 10px; color: var(--text-dim); opacity: 0; }
+.item:hover .x, .item:focus-within .x { opacity: 1; }
+.browse { align-self: flex-start; padding: 6px 14px; color: var(--accent); border-color: color-mix(in srgb, var(--accent) 50%, var(--border)); }
+.hint { margin: 4px 0 0; color: var(--text-dim); font-size: 12px; }
+.hint code { font-family: ui-monospace, monospace; color: var(--text); }
+button:focus-visible { outline: 1px solid var(--accent); outline-offset: -1px; }
+</style>