Phase 12: Scaffold Removal ​

Status: Complete Spec ID prefix: SCAFPhase: 12 Completed: 2026-02-28

Overview ​

This refactoring phase removed the scaffold/starter template feature and replaced it with a simpler fileStubs setting. Previously, challenges could define a separate scaffold (starter code) distinct from the reference solution. This added complexity to the data model, editor initialization, and authoring workflow without providing sufficient value -- most challenges either had identical scaffolds (just empty files) or no scaffold at all. The replacement is a boolean fileStubs setting: when enabled (default), the editor creates empty files at expected paths; when disabled, the editor starts with a blank canvas.

Dependencies ​

• [EDIT-02] (EditorStore initFromChallenge with fileStubs parameter)
• [DSST-07] (UserSettings with fileStubs field)
• [AUTH-07] (Spring Boot UserSettings JPA entity with fileStubs column)
• [CLI-07], [CLI-08] (CLI scaffolding respects fileStubs)

User Flows ​

Starting a Challenge with File Stubs (Default) ​

1. User opens a challenge
2. EditorStore calls initFromChallenge(challenge, challengeId, true)
3. Empty files are created at all expected file paths from the challenge's expectedFiles
4. File tree shows the expected structure
5. User writes code in the pre-created files

Starting a Challenge without File Stubs ​

1. User disables fileStubs in settings
2. User opens a challenge
3. EditorStore calls initFromChallenge(challenge, challengeId, false)
4. No files are created -- editor starts blank
5. User creates files manually as needed

Acceptance Criteria ​

File Stubs Setting ​

• [ ] SCAF-01 -- UserSettings.fileStubs is a boolean field that defaults to true.
• [ ] SCAF-02 -- When fileStubs is true, initFromChallenge() creates empty files at expected paths from the challenge data.
• [ ] SCAF-03 -- When fileStubs is false, initFromChallenge() creates no files (blank canvas).
• [ ] SCAF-04 -- The fileStubs setting persists in both localStorage and Spring Boot user_settings table.

Scaffold Removal ​

• [ ] SCAF-05 -- Challenge JSON no longer contains a scaffold or starterTemplate field. The files field is the reference solution.
• [ ] SCAF-06 -- The Spring Boot Challenge JPA entity uses referenceSolution for reference solutions with no scaffold-related columns.
• [ ] SCAF-07 -- The author challenge editor has no "Scaffold" tab -- only Metadata, Solution, Assertions, and Validate.

CLI Compatibility ​

• [ ] SCAF-08 -- CLI initChallengeFiles() respects the fileStubs configuration, creating empty stubs (true) or an empty directory (false).

Technical Context ​

Key Files ​

Patterns and Decisions ​

• Simplification over flexibility -- the scaffold feature added data model complexity (separate scaffold field, scaffold tab in editor, scaffold/solution distinction in the author UI) for a use case that was almost always "empty files at expected paths." The fileStubs boolean captures the same intent with zero per-challenge configuration.
• expectedFiles derived from assertions -- the set of expected file paths is derived from the assertion set's perFile keys, not stored separately. This eliminates the need for a scaffold to declare which files exist.
• No migration needed -- challenge JSON never had a widely-used scaffold field. The files field has always been the reference solution. The only change is removing UI and code paths that referenced scaffold.

Test Coverage ​

Unit Tests ​

Open Questions ​

• None at this time.