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CLAUDE.md

Important

: Always keep this document updated when functionality changes, entities are added/modified, new pages or services are created, or architectural patterns evolve.

This file provides guidance to Claude Code (claude.ai/code) when working with code in this repository.

Project Overview

CutList is a 1D bin packing optimization application that helps users optimize material cutting. It calculates efficient bin packing solutions to minimize waste when cutting stock materials into required parts.

The solution contains four projects:

Project Framework Purpose
CutList .NET 8.0 Windows Forms Original desktop UI (MVP pattern)
CutList.Core .NET 8.0 Class Library Domain models and packing algorithms (platform-agnostic)
CutList.Web .NET 8.0 Blazor Server Web-based UI + REST API, EF Core + SQL Server
CutList.Mcp .NET 10.0 Console (stdio) MCP server exposing CutList.Web's REST API as tools for Claude

Key Dependencies: Math-Expression-Evaluator (input parsing), Newtonsoft.Json (serialization), Entity Framework Core (data access), Bootstrap 5 + Bootstrap Icons (UI), ModelContextProtocol SDK (CutList.Mcp)

Build Commands

# Build entire solution
dotnet build CutList.sln

# Build specific projects
dotnet build CutList/CutList.csproj
dotnet build CutList.Core/CutList.Core.csproj
dotnet build CutList.Web/CutList.Web.csproj
dotnet build CutList.Mcp/CutList.Mcp.csproj

# Run applications
dotnet run --project CutList/CutList.csproj        # WinForms
dotnet run --project CutList.Web/CutList.Web.csproj # Blazor + REST API (default http://localhost:5270)

# EF Core migrations (always apply immediately after creating)
dotnet ef migrations add <Name> --project CutList.Web
dotnet ef database update --project CutList.Web

# Clean build
dotnet clean CutList.sln

Deploying CutList.Web as a Windows Service

powershell -ExecutionPolicy Bypass -File scripts/Deploy-CutListWeb.ps1 -ServiceName CutListWeb -InstallDir C:\Services\CutListWeb -Urls "http://*:5270" -OpenFirewall

Publishes, (re)creates the CutListWeb Windows service with auto-restart recovery, and optionally opens the firewall port. See docs/deploy-script-guide.md (global docs) for the template this follows.

Publishing CutList.Mcp

CutList.Mcp is an stdio MCP server, not a hosted service — it's published to ~/.claude/mcp/CutList.Mcp/ and registered in ~/.claude/settings.local.json (see global CLAUDE.md MCP Server Publishing table). It talks to CutList.Web's REST API at http://localhost:5270, so CutList.Web must be running (dev dotnet run or the deployed Windows service) for the MCP tools to work.

Architecture

CutList.Core — Domain & Algorithms

Key Domain Models:

  • BinItem: Item to be packed (label, length)
  • MultiBin: Stock bin type with length, quantity (-1 = unlimited), priority
  • Bin: Packed bin containing items, tracks remaining length
  • Tool: Cutting tool with kerf/blade width

Packing Engine:

  • MultiBinEngine coordinates packing across bin types
  • AdvancedFitEngine performs 1D bin packing (first-fit decreasing with optimization)
  • PackingStrategy.AdvancedFit is the standard strategy

Unit Handling:

  • ArchUnits — Converts feet/inches/fractions to decimal inches (accepts "12'", "6"", "12 1/2"", etc.)
  • FormatHelper — Converts decimals to mixed fractions for display
  • Internal calculations use inches; format on display

Patterns:

  • Result<T> for standardized error handling (Success/Failure instead of exceptions)
  • IEngineFactory for swappable algorithm implementations
  • Lower priority number = used first in bin selection

CutList (WinForms) — Desktop UI

  • MVP pattern: MainForm implements IMainView, MainFormPresenter orchestrates logic
  • Document holds application state
  • CutListService bridges UI models to core packing algorithms
  • DocumentService handles JSON file persistence

CutList.Web (Blazor Server) — Web UI + REST API

Database: SQL Server via Entity Framework Core (connection string: DefaultConnection)

Service Registration (Program.cs): All services registered as Scoped — MaterialService, StockItemService, JobService, CutListPackingService, ReportService, CatalogService. IDbContextFactory<ApplicationDbContext> is used (not a scoped DbContext directly) for Blazor Server circuit safety.

REST API (Controllers/): JobsController, MaterialsController, StockItemsController, CuttingToolsController, PackingController, CatalogController — Swagger/OpenAPI enabled in Development. This API is the integration surface CutList.Mcp calls into; the Blazor UI talks to the services directly and does not go through it.

Error handling: UseExceptionHandler("/Error", ...) in non-Development environments routes to Components/Pages/Error.razor.

Table actions: Every row-level action cell uses the shared table-actions class from wwwroot/css/app.css. It is an inline-flex non-wrapping control group, so Edit/Delete/Copy buttons remain side by side and do not increase table-row height.

Job title: The job-editor page uses the job-title class to keep long job names at a compact, readable heading size without changing the larger dashboard hero typography.

Overview: The root page uses OverviewService to show recently created jobs, headline planning counts, and the five stock configurations most frequently specified across job stock. The stock ranking is a planning-demand signal (distinct jobs configured for a material/length), not a count of on-hand inventory.

Material list semantics: The Results tab labels lengths not covered by the job's configured stock as a Material List, not a purchase list. It identifies required material; purchasing remains a separate decision outside the cut-list result.

CutList.Mcp — MCP Server

Stdio-transport MCP server (ModelContextProtocol SDK) exposing CutList.Web's REST API as tools for Claude Code. Registers tools via WithToolsFromAssembly; logging is disabled entirely so it doesn't interfere with the stdio transport.

  • ApiClient.cs — typed HttpClient wrapper for CutList.Web's REST API (BaseAddress hardcoded to http://localhost:5270)
  • JobTools.cs — job CRUD, parts/stock, optimization (OptimizeJob), cutting tools
  • InventoryTools.cs — materials, stock items (add_stock, etc.)
  • CutListTools.cs — static helpers shared across tool classes
  • Models.cs — shared DTOs distinct from CutList.Web's own DTOs (kept intentionally thin for MCP tool responses)

CutList.Web Entities

Material

  • Shape (MaterialShape enum): Round Bar, Round Tube, Flat Bar, Square Bar, Square Tube, Rectangular Tube, Angle, Channel, I-Beam, Pipe
  • Type (MaterialType enum): Steel, Aluminum, Stainless, Brass, Copper
  • Grade (string?), Size (string), Description (string?), IsActive (bool), SortOrder (int)
  • DisplayName: "{Shape} - {Size}"
  • Relationships: Dimensions (1:1 MaterialDimensions), StockItems (1:many), JobParts (1:many)

MaterialDimensions (TPC Inheritance)

Abstract base with TPC (Table Per Concrete type) mapping — each shape gets its own standalone table (DimAngle, DimChannel, DimFlatBar, DimIBeam, DimPipe, DimRectangularTube, DimRoundBar, DimRoundTube, DimSquareBar, DimSquareTube) with no base table. Each table has its own Id (shared sequence) and MaterialId FK. Each generates its own SizeString and SortOrder.

StockItem

  • MaterialId, LengthInches (decimal), IsActive
  • Unique constraint: (MaterialId, LengthInches)
  • Relationships: Material
  • No quantity tracking — a StockItem represents a length of material you can cut from, not a counted inventory record

CuttingTool

  • Name, KerfInches (decimal), IsDefault (bool), IsActive
  • Seeded: Bandsaw (0.0625"), Chop Saw (0.125"), Cold Cut Saw (0.0625"), Hacksaw (0.0625")

Job

  • JobNumber (auto-generated "JOB-#####", unique), Name, Customer, CuttingToolId, Notes
  • LockedAt (DateTime?) — set when materials ordered; IsLocked computed property
  • OptimizationResultJson (string?, nvarchar(max)) — serialized optimization results
  • OptimizedAt (DateTime?) — when optimization was last run
  • Relationships: Parts (1:many JobPart), Stock (1:many JobStock), CuttingTool

JobPart

  • JobId, MaterialId, Name, LengthInches (decimal), Quantity (int), SortOrder

JobStock

  • JobId, MaterialId, StockItemId?, LengthInches, Quantity (-1 = unlimited), IsCustomLength, Priority (lower = used first), SortOrder

CutList.Web Services

MaterialService

  • CRUD with soft delete, dimension management (CreateWithDimensionsAsync, UpdateWithDimensionsAsync)
  • Search by dimension (e.g., SearchRoundBarByDiameterAsync, SearchAngleByLegAsync) with tolerance
  • CreateDimensionsForShape(shape) factory method

StockItemService

  • CRUD with soft delete

JobService

  • Job CRUD: CreateAsync (auto-generates JobNumber), DuplicateAsync (deep copy), QuickCreateAsync
  • Lock/Unlock: LockAsync(id), UnlockAsync(id) — controls job editability
  • Parts: AddPartAsync, UpdatePartAsync, DeletePartAsync (all update job timestamp + clear optimization results)
  • Stock: AddStockAsync, UpdateStockAsync, DeleteStockAsync (all clear optimization results)
  • Optimization: SaveOptimizationResultAsync, ClearOptimizationResultAsync
  • Cutting tools: full CRUD with single-default enforcement

CutListPackingService

  • PackAsync(parts, kerfInches, jobStock?) — runs optimization per material group
  • Separates results into InStockBins (from catalog-sourced job stock) and ToBePurchasedBins
  • GetSummary(result) — calculates total bins, pieces, waste, efficiency %
  • SerializeResult(result) / LoadSavedResult(json) — JSON round-trip via DTO layer (SavedOptimizationResult etc.)

ReportService

  • FormatLength(inches), GroupItems(items) for print report formatting

CatalogService

  • ExportAsync() — dumps cutting tools and materials (with dimensions + stock items) into a shape-grouped CatalogData DTO for bulk export/import tooling
  • Backs the CatalogController REST endpoint and the scripts/ExportData data-loading workflow

CutList.Web Pages

Route Page Purpose
/ Home Welcome page with feature cards and workflow guide
/jobs Jobs/Index Job list with pagination, lock icons, Quick Create, Duplicate, Delete
/jobs/new Jobs/Edit New job form (details only)
/jobs/{Id} Jobs/Edit Tabbed editor (Details, Parts, Stock, Results); locked jobs show banner + disable editing
/materials Materials/Index Material list with MaterialFilter, pagination
/materials/new, /materials/{Id} Materials/Edit Material + dimension form (varies by shape)
/stock Stock/Index Stock items with MaterialFilter, pagination
/stock/new, /stock/{Id} Stock/Edit Stock item form
/tools Tools/Index Cutting tools CRUD
/Error Error Unhandled exception page (registered via UseExceptionHandler)

Shared Components

Component Purpose
ConfirmDialog Modal confirmation for destructive actions (Show/Hide methods, OnConfirm callback)
LengthInput Architectural unit input — parses "12'", "6"", "12 1/2""; reformats on blur; two-way binding via Value or NullableValue
Pager Pagination with "Showing X-Y of Z", prev/next, smart page window with ellipsis
MaterialFilter Reusable filter: Shape, Type, Grade dropdowns + search text; used on Materials, Stock pages

Key Patterns & Conventions

  • Nullable reference types enabled — handle nulls explicitly
  • Soft deletes — Materials, StockItems, CuttingTools use IsActive flag
  • Job locking — LockedAt timestamp set via a manual Lock Job action (always available, regardless of whether the job needs purchases); Edit page disables all modification via <fieldset disabled>, hides add/edit/delete buttons; Unlock button to re-enable editing
  • Pagination — All list pages use Pager with pageSize = 25
  • ConfirmDialog — All destructive actions use the shared ConfirmDialog component
  • Material selection flow — Shape dropdown -> Size dropdown -> Length input -> Quantity (conditional dropdowns)
  • Stock priority — Lower number = used first; -1 quantity = unlimited
  • Job stock — Jobs must have stock explicitly configured (catalog-sourced StockItem rows or custom-length rows); there is no fallback to auto-discovered inventory
  • Optimization persistence — Results saved as JSON in Job.OptimizationResultJson; DTO layer (SavedOptimizationResult etc.) handles serialization since Core types use encapsulated collections; results auto-cleared when parts, stock, or cutting tool change
  • Job lock flow — Optimize job -> Lock Job (manual action, available whether or not purchases are needed) -> job becomes read-only until Unlock
  • Timestamps — CreatedAt defaults to GETUTCDATE(); UpdatedAt set on modifications
  • Collections — Encapsulated in Core; use AsReadOnly(), access via Add* methods
  • Priority system — Lower priority bins used first in packing algorithm
  • UI ↔ MCP split — The Blazor UI calls services directly (in-process); CutList.Mcp and any other external integration go through the REST API in Controllers/. Keep both paths in sync when changing service method signatures used by controllers.

Supporting Scripts (scripts/)

  • Deploy-CutListWeb.ps1 — publishes and installs CutList.Web as a Windows Service (see Build Commands above)
  • ExportData/ — standalone console project that exercises CutList.Web's data layer to import/export catalog seed data (e.g. Data/SeedData/oneals-catalog.json)

Key Files

File Purpose
CutList.Core/Nesting/AdvancedFitEngine.cs Core 1D bin packing algorithm
CutList.Core/Nesting/MultiBinEngine.cs Multi-bin type orchestration
CutList.Core/ArchUnits.cs Architectural unit parsing/conversion
CutList.Core/Formatting/FormatHelper.cs Display formatting
CutList.Web/Data/ApplicationDbContext.cs EF Core context with all DbSets and configuration
CutList.Web/Services/JobService.cs Job orchestration (CRUD, parts, stock, tools, lock/unlock)
CutList.Web/Services/CutListPackingService.cs Bridges web entities to Core packing engine
CutList.Web/Components/Pages/Jobs/Edit.razor Job editor (tabbed: Details, Parts, Stock, Results)
CutList.Mcp/ApiClient.cs HTTP client the MCP server uses to call CutList.Web's REST API
CutList.Mcp/Program.cs MCP server entrypoint (stdio transport, tool registration)
CutList/Presenters/MainFormPresenter.cs WinForms business logic orchestrator
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