hypersdk

HyperExport - New Huh-Based TUI

Overview

The interactive TUI has been completely rewritten using huh (Charm’s form library) instead of the complex Bubbletea implementation. This provides a simpler, more reliable, and more maintainable interface.

What Changed

Old Implementation (Bubbletea)

• File: interactive_tui.go (now renamed to interactive_tui.go.old)
• Size: 9000+ lines of code
• Complexity: 20+ phases/modes
• Issues: Complex state management, difficult to maintain, prone to panics
• Dependencies: Multiple bubbletea components with complex initialization

New Implementation (Huh)

• File: interactive_huh.go
• Size: ~470 lines of code (95% reduction!)
• Simplicity: 4 clear steps
• Benefits: Simple, reliable, easy to maintain
• Dependencies: Just huh for forms, minimal setup

Features

1. VM Selection

• Multi-select interface with filterable list
• Shows VM details: name, power state, CPU, RAM, storage
• Search/filter capability built-in
• Orange theme highlighting

2. Export Configuration

• Template selection (Quick Export, Production Backup, Development, Archive)
• Custom configuration options:
  • Output directory
  • Parallel downloads (1-8)
  • Export format (OVF/OVA)
  • Compression
  • Verification
• Conditional forms (advanced options only shown if requested)

3. Confirmation & Summary

• Clear summary of:
  • Selected VMs count
  • Total resources (CPU, RAM, storage)
  • Export settings
• Final confirmation before execution

4. Export Execution

• Progress indication with spinners
• Error handling with user choice to continue
• Detailed logging
• Success/failure reporting

Orange Theme

The TUI uses a consistent orange color scheme:

• Primary Orange: #FF9E64 - Vibrant peach/orange for highlights
• Secondary Orange: #E0AF68 - Golden amber for accents
• Deep Orange: #D35400 - Dark orange for contrast

Theme is applied to:

• Form borders
• Titles
• Selectors
• Selected options
• Summary boxes

Usage

build/hyperexport --interactive

Or with the --tui flag:

build/hyperexport --tui

Workflow

1. Connect - Automatically connects to vSphere
2. Load VMs - Fetches list of available VMs
3. Select - Multi-select interface to choose VMs
4. Configure - Choose template or customize export settings
5. Confirm - Review summary and confirm
6. Export - Executes exports with progress tracking

Code Structure

interactive_huh.go
├── runInteractiveHuh()      # Main entry point
├── selectVMs()               # VM selection interface
├── configureExport()         # Export configuration
├── confirmAndExecute()       # Summary and execution
└── Helper functions
    ├── printBanner()
    ├── truncate()
    ├── sanitizeFilename()

Error Handling

• Connection errors: Caught before entering TUI
• No VMs: Gracefully exits with message
• Export failures: Offers to continue with remaining VMs
• User cancellation: Clean exit at any step

Benefits Over Old Implementation

1. 95% less code - Easier to understand and maintain
2. No crashes - Simpler state management, no complex message passing
3. Better UX - Clear, focused workflow instead of confusing modes
4. Faster - Less overhead, no complex rendering logic
5. Maintainable - Simple forms instead of custom UI components
6. Modern - Uses latest Charm libraries (2026)

Migration Notes

Old Files Backed Up

• interactive_tui.go → interactive_tui.go.old
• tui_cloud.go → tui_cloud.go.old
• tui_cloud_test.go → tui_cloud_test.go.old
• tui_cloud_integration_test.go → tui_cloud_integration_test.go.old

Old Function

• runInteractiveTUI() → runInteractiveTUI_OLD() (commented out in main.go)

New Function

• runInteractiveHuh() - Active implementation

Dependencies

github.com/charmbracelet/huh v0.8.0        // Form library
github.com/charmbracelet/lipgloss          // Styling
github.com/pterm/pterm                      // Spinners & banners

Future Enhancements

Possible additions (all optional, keep it simple):

• Cloud upload configuration step
• Snapshot management (if needed)
• Batch export from file
• Export history viewer

Testing

Build and test:

go build -o build/hyperexport ./cmd/hyperexport
build/hyperexport --interactive

The TUI should:

1. Show HyperExport banner
2. Connect to vSphere
3. Load and display VMs
4. Allow multi-selection
5. Show configuration options
6. Execute exports with progress
7. Report success/failure

Troubleshooting

Q: Forms don’t show orange theme A: Theme is applied via WithTheme(theme) - make sure it’s passed to all forms

Q: Can’t select multiple VMs A: Use spacebar to select, enter to confirm

Q: How to search VMs? A: Forms are filterable - just start typing

Q: Want to cancel? A: Press ESC at any step, or select “No/Cancel” in confirmations

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