# SQLite DB Worker

This document records the current non-EPG SQLite worker implementation in the
Electron app.

Related:

- [Category Management](./category-management.md)
- [Workspace Shell](./workspace-shell.md)

## Summary

- Heavy non-EPG SQLite work no longer runs on Electron's main thread.
- A dedicated long-lived database worker now handles the slow Xtream and
  playlist database operations that were freezing the UI.
- Renderer APIs stay stable. The main change is that progress and long-running
  state now flow through a request-scoped `DB_OPERATION_EVENT` contract instead
  of a single global progress event.

## Goals

The worker cutover addresses three concrete problems:

1. Main-process UI stalls during large SQLite operations.
2. Xtream import progress events were global and unsafe for concurrent jobs.
3. EPG and non-EPG writers needed shared SQLite concurrency settings so they
   can coexist without `SQLITE_BUSY` regressions.

## Current Ownership

### Main-process runtime wiring

These files own worker lifecycle and IPC bridging:

1. `apps/electron-backend/src/app/services/database-worker-client.ts`
2. `apps/electron-backend/src/app/events/database/category.events.ts`
3. `apps/electron-backend/src/app/events/database/content.events.ts`
4. `apps/electron-backend/src/app/events/database/playlist.events.ts`
5. `apps/electron-backend/src/app/events/database/xtream.events.ts`
6. `apps/electron-backend/src/main.ts`

### Worker runtime

These files own the worker protocol and the SQLite work itself:

1. `apps/electron-backend/src/app/workers/database-worker.types.ts`
2. `apps/electron-backend/src/app/workers/database.worker.ts`
3. `apps/electron-backend/src/app/workers/database.worker-connection.ts`
4. `apps/electron-backend/src/app/workers/worker-runtime-paths.ts`

### Pure database operation modules

Keep SQL-heavy logic here so the worker entry remains a thin dispatcher:

1. `apps/electron-backend/src/app/database/operations/category.operations.ts`
2. `apps/electron-backend/src/app/database/operations/content.operations.ts`
3. `apps/electron-backend/src/app/database/operations/playlist.operations.ts`
4. `apps/electron-backend/src/app/database/operations/xtream.operations.ts`

## Worker Architecture

### Request flow

1. Renderer calls the existing preload API such as `window.electron.dbSaveContent`.
2. `ipcMain.handle(...)` in the Electron backend builds a payload and delegates
   to `DatabaseWorkerClient`.
3. `DatabaseWorkerClient` lazily starts one long-lived `worker_threads` worker
   and correlates requests with a generated `requestId`.
4. The worker executes SQLite work and sends back either:
    1. `ready`
    2. `event`
    3. `response`
5. The main process resolves the IPC request and forwards worker events back to
   the originating renderer process.

### Why one long-lived worker

- It avoids worker startup cost on every search/delete/import.
- It centralizes failure handling and restart behavior.
- It mirrors the existing EPG worker approach without multiplying writable
  SQLite owners.

### Packaged worker bootstrap

Packaged Electron builds do not load worker scripts and native modules from the
same place:

1. worker scripts live under `Resources/dist/apps/electron-backend/workers`
2. unpacked native modules live under one of the approved
   `app.asar.unpacked/.../node_modules` locations

Both the EPG worker and the DB worker now share the same runtime helper:

1. `resolveWorkerRuntimeBootstrap(...)` for main-process worker launch
2. `loadNativeModuleFromSearchPaths(...)` for worker-side native module loading

The helper uses `process.resourcesPath` as the primary packaged base and keeps
`path.dirname(app.getAppPath())` only as a fallback.

## Worker Message Contract

The worker contract lives in
`apps/electron-backend/src/app/workers/database-worker.types.ts`.

### Core message types

1. `DbWorkerRequestMessage`
2. `DbWorkerResponseMessage`
3. `DbWorkerEventMessage`
4. `DbOperationEvent`

### Progress event contract

The worker now emits request-scoped events with:

- `operationId`
- `operation`
- `playlistId`
- `status`
- optional `phase`
- optional `current`
- optional `total`
- optional `increment`

Current shipped operation names:

1. `save-content`
2. `delete-xtream-content`
3. `restore-xtream-user-data`
4. `delete-playlist`
5. `delete-all-playlists`

The event is forwarded to the renderer as `DB_OPERATION_EVENT`.

### Cancellation contract

Long-running Xtream and playlist operations now support best-effort
cancellation.

Renderer requests cancellation via:

1. `DB_CANCEL_OPERATION`
2. `window.electron.dbCancelOperation(operationId)`
3. `DatabaseService.cancelOperation(operationId)`

If a worker operation is canceled:

1. the worker emits a final `cancelled` event
2. the request rejects with an `AbortError`
3. the UI clears its busy state without treating the operation as success

Cancellation is cooperative and chunk-based. Already committed SQLite batches
stay committed.

## Renderer Contract

The preload bridge keeps the existing database methods but adds scoped worker
events.

### Important preload APIs

1. `onDbOperationEvent(callback)`
2. `dbSaveContent(playlistId, streams, type, operationId?)`
3. `dbDeleteXtreamContent(playlistId, operationId?)`
4. `dbRestoreXtreamUserData(..., operationId?)`
5. `dbDeletePlaylist(playlistId, operationId?)`
6. `dbDeleteAllPlaylists(operationId?)`
7. `dbCancelOperation(operationId)`
8. legacy compatibility:
    1. `onDbSaveContentProgress(callback)`
    2. `removeDbSaveContentProgress()`

`DatabaseService.saveXtreamContent(...)` now generates an `operationId`,
subscribes to `onDbOperationEvent`, filters by that `operationId`, and only
falls back to the legacy progress API if the newer event channel is missing.

`DatabaseService` also owns:

1. `createOperationId(...)`
2. `cancelOperation(operationId)`
3. `isDbAbortError(error)`

## Migrated Operations

The worker now owns all heavy non-EPG SQLite paths plus the remaining portal
state handlers that still used direct main-thread SQLite access.

### Categories

1. `DB_HAS_CATEGORIES`
2. `DB_GET_CATEGORIES`
3. `DB_SAVE_CATEGORIES`
4. `DB_GET_ALL_CATEGORIES`
5. `DB_UPDATE_CATEGORY_VISIBILITY`

### Content

1. `DB_HAS_CONTENT`
2. `DB_GET_CONTENT`
3. `DB_SAVE_CONTENT`
4. `DB_GET_CONTENT_BY_XTREAM_ID`
5. `DB_SEARCH_CONTENT`
6. `DB_GLOBAL_SEARCH`
7. `DB_GET_GLOBAL_RECENTLY_ADDED`

### Playlist metadata

1. `DB_CREATE_PLAYLIST`
2. `DB_UPSERT_APP_PLAYLIST`
3. `DB_UPSERT_APP_PLAYLISTS`
4. `DB_GET_APP_PLAYLISTS`
5. `DB_GET_APP_PLAYLIST`
6. `DB_GET_PLAYLIST`
7. `DB_UPDATE_PLAYLIST`
8. `DB_DELETE_PLAYLIST`
9. `DB_DELETE_ALL_PLAYLISTS`
10. `DB_GET_APP_STATE`
11. `DB_SET_APP_STATE`

### Xtream refresh helpers

1. `DB_DELETE_XTREAM_CONTENT`
2. `DB_RESTORE_XTREAM_USER_DATA`

### Favorites

1. `DB_ADD_FAVORITE`
2. `DB_REMOVE_FAVORITE`
3. `DB_IS_FAVORITE`
4. `DB_GET_FAVORITES`
5. `DB_GET_GLOBAL_FAVORITES`
6. `DB_GET_ALL_GLOBAL_FAVORITES`
7. `DB_REORDER_GLOBAL_FAVORITES`

### Recently viewed

1. `DB_GET_RECENTLY_VIEWED`
2. `DB_CLEAR_RECENTLY_VIEWED`
3. `DB_GET_RECENT_ITEMS`
4. `DB_ADD_RECENT_ITEM`
5. `DB_CLEAR_PLAYLIST_RECENT_ITEMS`
6. `DB_REMOVE_RECENT_ITEM`

### Playback positions

1. `DB_SAVE_PLAYBACK_POSITION`
2. `DB_GET_PLAYBACK_POSITION`
3. `DB_GET_SERIES_PLAYBACK_POSITIONS`
4. `DB_GET_RECENT_PLAYBACK_POSITIONS`
5. `DB_GET_ALL_PLAYBACK_POSITIONS`
6. `DB_CLEAR_PLAYBACK_POSITION`

## SQLite Concurrency Rules

EPG remains on its own worker, so both workers must use compatible SQLite
pragmas.

Applied now in both the shared connection path and worker-owned connections:

1. `foreign_keys = ON`
2. `journal_mode = WAL`
3. `busy_timeout = 5000`

Current sources:

1. `libs/shared/database/src/lib/connection.ts`
2. `apps/electron-backend/src/app/workers/database.worker-connection.ts`
3. `apps/electron-backend/src/app/workers/epg-parser.worker.ts`

## UI Behavior Changes

### Search

Xtream search now guards against stale async responses:

1. local playlist search uses a monotonically increasing request version
2. global search uses a separate request version in the dialog component
3. clearing search invalidates older pending results

This prevents an older worker response from repainting over a newer query or a
cleared search state.

### Xtream type-aware content lookup

Xtream UI flows must treat `xtream_id` as only partially unique.

Current contract:

1. `xtream_id` can collide across `live`, `movie`, and `series` within the same
   playlist.
2. Any DB-backed lookup that starts from an Xtream result card, favorite button,
   recent-item update, continue-watching flow, or detail route must resolve
   content by:
   - `playlist_id`
   - `xtream_id`
   - `content.type`
3. Mixed Xtream collection identity must key entries by `type + xtream_id`,
   not `xtream_id` alone. This includes favorites maps, recent-item lists,
   dashboard collection payloads, and other UI state keyed off persisted
   Xtream content.

Why this matters:

- Search results are already type-filtered, so resolving favorites by only
  `playlist_id + xtream_id` can favorite the wrong persisted row when IDs
  collide.
- Continue-watching / recently-viewed flows that resolve by only
  `playlist_id + xtream_id` can store the wrong persisted row when a series or
  movie ID collides with a live entry.
- Mixed favorites maps keyed only by `xtream_id` can mark an unrelated live row
  as favorited when the actual favorite is a movie or series with the same
  numeric ID.
- Mixed recent/favorites collection items keyed only by `xtream_id` can cause
  local UI state to remove, reorder, or reactivate the wrong Xtream entry when
  different content types collide.

Current implementation paths:

1. `apps/electron-backend/src/app/database/operations/content.operations.ts`
2. `libs/portal/xtream/data-access/src/lib/with-favorites.feature.ts`
3. `libs/portal/xtream/data-access/src/lib/with-recent-items.ts`
4. `libs/portal/xtream/feature/src/lib/portal-channels-list/portal-channels-list.component.ts`
5. `libs/portal/shared/util/src/lib/collection/unified-recent-data.service.ts`
6. `libs/portal/shared/util/src/lib/collection/unified-favorites-data.service.ts`

### Busy states

The UI now has explicit long-running state for destructive operations:

1. recent playlist rows show row-level refresh/delete spinners
2. Xtream import overlay shows phase text and a cancel action
3. Xtream playlist rows show request-scoped progress and cancel actions
4. busy rows block repeat clicks while an operation is in flight
5. settings "remove all playlists" owns its own spinner/disabled state and
   consumes request-scoped DB operation events for progress text while the
   worker deletes playlist data

These changes matter because once SQLite work leaves the main thread, the
renderer can actually paint the loading state instead of freezing.

## Build And Packaging Notes

### Worker bundling

`apps/electron-backend/build-worker.js` now bundles both:

1. `epg-parser.worker.ts`
2. `database.worker.ts`

The worker build also aliases:

1. `database-schema`
2. `database-path-utils`

These aliases avoid importing the shared database barrel from inside the worker,
which would otherwise pull in runtime code that assumes the main Electron
process environment.

### Worker path resolution

`DatabaseWorkerClient` resolves:

1. development path from `__dirname`
2. packaged path from `process.resourcesPath/dist/apps/electron-backend/workers/...`
3. fallback packaged path from `path.dirname(app.getAppPath())`

### Packaged artifact verification

`tools/packaging/verify-electron-package-layout.mjs` verifies packaged worker
artifacts for:

1. Linux unpacked resources
2. macOS app bundles
3. Windows unpacked app resources

The script checks:

1. `epg-parser.worker.js`
2. `database.worker.js`
3. `better-sqlite3` in one approved unpacked node_modules location
4. Snap packaging compatibility settings for `better-sqlite3`:
    - `snap.base = core22`
    - Snap launch args keep the X11 fallback
    - Snap and the other non-Flatpak Linux artifacts build on Ubuntu 22.04, while Flatpak builds on a separate Ubuntu 24.04 CI runner

### Development rebuild rule

Worker-backed database logic is executed from the compiled bundle at:

1. `dist/apps/electron-backend/workers/database.worker.js`

Do not assume a source edit is active in the live app. If a fix touches:

1. `apps/electron-backend/src/app/database/operations/`
2. `apps/electron-backend/src/app/workers/`
3. `apps/electron-backend/src/app/events/database/`
4. preload-backed DB methods consumed by the renderer

then the safe workflow is:

1. rebuild the worker bundle, or the full `electron-backend` target if preload,
   main-process, or web output also changed
2. confirm the new `dist/` artifact exists or has a fresh timestamp
3. restart the Electron process
4. only then rerun CDP/manual checks or Electron E2E

A running Electron app keeps using the worker bundle it already loaded at
startup. This is a common reason a worker fix appears "not working" in manual
verification even when the source patch is correct.

## Testing

### Unit coverage added

`apps/electron-backend/src/app/services/database-worker-client.spec.ts`
covers:

1. worker ready -> request -> response flow
2. event forwarding to a pending request
3. serialized worker error propagation
4. `AbortError` propagation for cancelled work
5. cancel message routing to the live worker
6. worker exit recovery and fresh worker startup

`apps/electron-backend/src/app/events/epg.events.spec.ts` covers:

1. shared worker bootstrap usage for the EPG worker
2. `nativeModuleSearchPaths` forwarding into workerData
3. actionable worker-path resolution failures

`apps/electron-backend/src/app/workers/worker-runtime-paths.spec.ts` covers:

1. packaged and development worker path resolution
2. packaged native-module search path ordering
3. aggregated native module resolution errors

### Electron responsiveness coverage

`apps/electron-backend-e2e/src/xtream-responsiveness.e2e.ts` covers:

1. large Xtream import shows the overlay promptly
2. DB worker progress events advance during import
3. renderer animation frames continue while import/delete are in progress
4. large Xtream playlist delete shows row-level busy UI and completes cleanly

`apps/electron-backend-e2e/src/electron-test-fixtures.ts` now also captures:

1. `DB_OPERATION_EVENT` history in the renderer
2. a requestAnimationFrame counter for repaint assertions

For deterministic E2E timing, tests may set:

```bash
IPTVNATOR_DB_WORKER_BATCH_DELAY_MS=20
```

This delay is test-only and disabled by default.

### Useful verification commands

```bash
pnpm exec jest --config apps/electron-backend/jest.config.ts --runInBand apps/electron-backend/src/app/services/database-worker-client.spec.ts apps/electron-backend/src/app/events/epg.events.spec.ts apps/electron-backend/src/app/workers/worker-runtime-paths.spec.ts
pnpm nx run electron-backend:build-worker
pnpm exec tsc -p apps/electron-backend/tsconfig.app.json --noEmit
pnpm exec tsc -p apps/web/tsconfig.app.json --noEmit
pnpm nx run electron-backend-e2e:e2e -- --project=electron --grep "Electron Xtream Responsiveness"
pnpm run verify:package-layout -- macos arm64
pnpm run verify:package-layout -- linux
pnpm run verify:package-layout -- windows
```

### Electron runtime validation

```bash
pnpm nx serve electron-backend
agent-browser --cdp 9222 tab list
agent-browser --cdp 9222 tab 1
agent-browser --cdp 9222 snapshot -i -c -d 3
pnpm run smoke:packaged -- macos arm64
```

When worker-backed behavior changed, rebuild and restart before reconnecting:

```bash
pnpm nx run electron-backend:build-worker
CI=1 NX_TASKS_RUNNER_DYNAMIC_OUTPUT=false pnpm nx run electron-backend:build --skip-nx-cache
stat -f "%Sm %N" dist/apps/electron-backend/workers/database.worker.js
```

Then restart the Electron process and reconnect to `127.0.0.1:9222`.

### Electron freeze tracing

When a renderer route freezes before DevTools become usable, start Electron with
one of these opt-in trace flags and inspect the terminal output:

```bash
IPTVNATOR_TRACE_STARTUP=1 pnpm run serve:backend
```

Available trace flags:

1. `IPTVNATOR_TRACE_STARTUP=1`
   Enables the broad startup trace set: BrowserWindow lifecycle, renderer
   bridge calls, DB worker requests/events, and SQL tracing.
2. `IPTVNATOR_TRACE_IPC=1`
   Logs `window.electron.*` method calls crossing the preload bridge so you can
   see whether the renderer is still reaching Electron main.
3. `IPTVNATOR_TRACE_DB=1`
   Logs `DatabaseWorkerClient` request dispatch, completion timing, and emitted
   `DB_OPERATION_EVENT` payloads.
4. `IPTVNATOR_TRACE_SQL=1`
   Logs SQLite statements for the shared main-process connection and the DB
   worker connection using `better-sqlite3` verbose hooks.
5. `IPTVNATOR_TRACE_WINDOW=1`
   Logs BrowserWindow loading, navigation, `unresponsive`, and
   `render-process-gone` transitions.
6. `IPTVNATOR_TRACE_RENDERER_CONSOLE=1`
   Mirrors renderer console messages into the Electron terminal output when the
   renderer itself is the thing getting wedged.

### Electron E2E troubleshooting

If a production-mode Electron or Electron E2E launch shows `ERR_FILE_NOT_FOUND`
for hashed `chunk-*.js`, `main-*.js`, or `styles-*.css` assets:

1. treat `dist/apps/web` as stale first
2. rerun a deterministic production build, for example:

```bash
CI=1 NX_TASKS_RUNNER_DYNAMIC_OUTPUT=false pnpm nx run electron-backend:build --skip-nx-cache
```

3. verify `dist/apps/web/index.html` uses `<base href="./">` before relaunching
   Electron in file-backed mode

## Current Limitations

These are intentionally still out of scope for this first cut:

1. request cancellation
2. moving network-heavy Xtream fetches off the current path
3. migrating every remaining small SQLite IPC handler to the worker
4. richer delete progress reporting for bulk destructive operations
5. repo-wide Angular/Jest cleanup for the currently failing web test baseline

## Extending The Worker

When adding another heavy SQLite operation:

1. Put SQL-heavy logic in `apps/electron-backend/src/app/database/operations/`.
2. Add the channel name to `database-worker.types.ts`.
3. Handle it in `database.worker.ts`.
4. Proxy the IPC handler through `DatabaseWorkerClient`.
5. If the renderer needs progress, emit a request-scoped `DbOperationEvent`.
6. Reuse existing preload/service APIs where possible instead of creating a new
   renderer-facing contract.
7. Re-run the worker unit test and at least one Electron runtime smoke.