SignalWeave

SignalWeave is a cross-platform .NET 8 desktop and CLI alternative to BasicProp. The project is open source, runs on Windows, Linux, and macOS through Avalonia, and is built around a compatibility-first core so the original BasicProp workflows can be reproduced without locking the project to a single OS.

Current status: the checked-in BasicProp 1.3 parity checklist is fully closed, with local probe-backed sign-off and a verified remote GitHub publish-matrix run.

Why this shape

Rebuilding every BasicProp screen and workflow in one pass would produce a brittle prototype. SignalWeave instead starts with the parts that matter for long-term parity:

• BasicProp-style text configuration parsing
• text pattern files with sequence resets for simple recurrent networks
• feed-forward and simple recurrent network execution
• training controls for learning rate, momentum, update mode, random range, and stopping rules
• saved weight snapshots
• output testing and hierarchical clustering over model activations
• a desktop shell plus a scriptable CLI

Current parity snapshot

Implemented now:

• feed-forward and simple recurrent network definitions
• config parser with aliases for common BasicProp-style field names
• pattern parser with reset sequence markers
• training with online (pattern) and batch updates
• sum-squared-error and cross-entropy output losses
• error history suitable for plotting
• test-all and test-one execution
• weight save/load
• output and hidden-state hierarchical clustering
• desktop workbench with a BasicProp-style control panel, live network view, editor tabs, testing, clustering, and weight inspection
• dedicated desktop network-configuration dialog with feed-forward and SRN modes, including 2-layer, 3-layer, and 4-layer feed-forward paths
• screenshot-verified feed-forward and SRN configuration tabs with BasicProp-style layer-count and bias controls
• 4-layer feed-forward topology now flows through the live desktop summary, network diagram, and weight-inspection utilities
• native desktop file workflows for network save/load, pattern load, and weight save/load
• utility views for weight maps, pattern/output inspection, projected 3D plotting, time-series plotting, and hidden-activation export
• BasicProp-style visual touches including weight-value legend, Hinton-like weight cells, and axis-based error plotting
• dedicated secondary windows for weights, patterns/outputs, and plot utilities from the top-level menus
• popup utility windows with BasicProp-style layer controls and axis labels
• dedicated JAR-aligned time-series plot window with Output, Add plot, and Dismiss controls
• dedicated JAR-aligned Plot Setup window for 3D/surface plotting with X, Y, Z, Show Plot, and Dismiss
• dedicated JAR-aligned PatternPlot window with per-pattern selector and stacked Outputs / Targets / Inputs charts
• JAR decompile verification for PatternPlot, TimeSeriesPlotter, and SurfacePlotter now matches the implemented utility-window sizes and control surfaces
• full checked-in BasicProp probe coverage now runs through scripts/parity-signoff.sh, which builds the solution, executes the core regression suite, compiles the probe, and runs every committed .bppr experiment
• checked-in BasicProp golden fixtures for 2-layer, 3-layer, 3-layer batch, 3-layer cross-entropy, 3-layer momentum, stop-rule, and 4-layer feed-forward training parity
• checked-in BasicProp multi-step online feed-forward fixture to verify repeated pattern-mode updates against the reference JAR
• checked-in BasicProp SRN fixtures for forward outputs, sequential-training weights, and batch-training weights
• reset-aware SRN trace capture in the BasicProp probe for consistent hidden-state parity checks
• full JAR-backed parity sign-off across the checked-in probe suite and core regression fixtures
• screenshot-backed main-window and weight-window parity checks against the local BasicProp reference bundle
• successful remote GitHub release workflow publish-matrix run with bundled artifacts for all supported desktop targets

Deliberate differences:

• legacy BasicProp file compatibility is out of scope by project decision
• SignalWeave uses native signalweave-project/v2 and signalweave-checkpoint/v1 formats instead of the retired BasicProp file formats

Product lines

• Classic: the current BasicProp-style desktop experience in src/SignalWeave.Classic.Desktop
• Modern: a separate desktop product line for the next workflow/UI in src/SignalWeave.Modern.Desktop, centered on a single project-file workflow

Both apps share the same engine and general logic through src/SignalWeave.Core.

Modern workflow direction:

• one project file stores network settings, embedded patterns, current weights, completed cycles, and Modern control-panel state
• Modern no longer needs separate load/save actions for network settings, weights, or patterns
• the network settings surface lives inside the main window as a control-panel tab instead of a popup dialog
• detailed Modern usage docs live in:
  • docs/modern-ui-guide.md
  • docs/modern-user-manual.md

Projects

• src/SignalWeave.Core: parsers, engine, clustering, sample assets
• src/SignalWeave.Cli: terminal workflow
• src/SignalWeave.Classic.Desktop: BasicProp-style Avalonia desktop app
• src/SignalWeave.Modern.Desktop: new product-line Avalonia desktop app
• tests/SignalWeave.Core.Tests: parser and trainer tests

CLI examples

dotnet run --project src/SignalWeave.Cli -- summary --network samples/xor.swcfg --patterns samples/xor.pat
dotnet run --project src/SignalWeave.Cli -- train --network samples/xor.swcfg --patterns samples/xor.pat --weights weights.json --seed 42
dotnet run --project src/SignalWeave.Cli -- test-all --network samples/xor.swcfg --patterns samples/xor.pat --weights weights.json
dotnet run --project src/SignalWeave.Cli -- cluster --network samples/xor.swcfg --patterns samples/xor.pat --weights weights.json --mode outputs
dotnet run --project src/SignalWeave.Cli -- pack-project --network samples/xor.swcfg --patterns samples/xor.pat --output xor.swproj.json
dotnet run --project src/SignalWeave.Cli -- pack-checkpoint --network samples/xor.swcfg --patterns samples/xor.pat --weights weights.json --output xor.swcheckpoint.json --cycles 5000
dotnet run --project src/SignalWeave.Cli -- summary --project xor.swproj.json
dotnet run --project src/SignalWeave.Cli -- train --project xor.swproj.json --checkpoint-out xor.swcheckpoint.json
dotnet run --project src/SignalWeave.Cli -- summary --checkpoint xor.swcheckpoint.json

Desktop

dotnet run --project src/SignalWeave.Classic.Desktop
dotnet run --project src/SignalWeave.Modern.Desktop

The Classic desktop app ships with built-in XOR and SRN demos and now exposes a BasicProp-like workflow surface:

• top-level Network, Weights, Patterns, Utilities, and Help menus
• startup with a default feed-forward network, no loaded patterns, and the original BasicProp-style prompt to load patterns before running simulations
• desktop dialogs for configuring networks and loading/saving SignalWeave files
• native desktop workflows for loading/saving signalweave-project/v2 and signalweave-checkpoint/v1 documents
• progress state now follows cumulative completed training cycles more closely across repeated Train runs
• per-step training progress now updates the progress display during active learning instead of only changing at the start and end of a run
• the error-progress plot now updates live during active learning instead of only after the run completes
• right-side training/test control panel with BasicProp-like defaults, button layout, and BasicProp-style continue text only during active training
• explicit controller activity states now keep Train / continue aligned with BasicProp, so test actions no longer flip the train button to continue
• train/test actions now enter a real busy state so the control-panel labels, combos, Batch Update checkbox, pattern selector, and run buttons disable during active controller work more like BasicProp’s SimControl.checkControls()
• the X-entropy checkbox now stays enabled during controller activity, matching the BasicProp 1.3 control surface more closely
• SimControl.checkControls() has now been checked directly against the BasicProp JAR decompile for the controller-managed enable/disable set and Test one threshold behavior
• screenshot-verified four-panel main shell matching the original BasicProp layout more closely: Network, Control panel, Console, and Error progress
• visible top-level menus now match the BasicProp 1.3 shell more closely, with only the original Network, Weights, Patterns, Utilities, and single-item Help surface
• the four-panel main desktop workbench is now treated as complete parity surface; remaining gaps there are fidelity items, not missing shell workflow
• main window title and weight legend now follow the BasicProp shell more closely instead of using SignalWeave-specific defaults
• live network diagram colored by weight sign and magnitude, now verified from actual rendered desktop screenshots
• main network nodes now render as BasicProp-like unlabeled boxes with tighter BasicProp-style spacing instead of SignalWeave-style annotated editor nodes
• 2-layer, 3-layer, and 4-layer-aware topology summaries, diagram layout, and weight-layer inspection
• BasicProp-style training console wording (Training steps / Training finished)
• BasicProp-style Test All / Test One console output wording and menu gating
• test-one gating that follows the original controller behavior: enabled through 24 patterns, then disabled above that while the combo collapses to the pattern-source name
• pattern loading bound to the currently configured network state rather than an editor reparse
• BasicProp-style Failed to load patterns note for bad pattern files
• network saving bound to the currently loaded configured network state rather than an editor reparse
• successful network/pattern/weight file actions now stay quiet in the main console, matching BasicProp more closely
• network-definition apply/load paths now clear stale console output instead of leaving old notes/results visible
• BasicProp-style Batch Update behavior in the desktop control panel: still visible/enabled on the surface, but automatically cleared for SRNs in the applied runtime
• BasicProp-style pattern selector text in the main control panel
• cycle-based progress-bar behavior that no longer invents a separate Loaded weights state or use the selected learning-step count as the idle maximum
• weight legend and error plot styling that tracks the original BasicProp layout more closely
• modal Invalid value dialogs plus BasicProp-style note routing into the detached messages window
• BasicProp-style note prefix formatting (Note:) in controller-driven desktop feedback
• note-style controller feedback now appends to the desktop console instead of replacing the current console text
• note-style controller feedback now renders with proper Note: ... spacing in the main console
• BasicProp-style No can do! modal feedback when train/test actions are attempted with zero loaded patterns
• split Weights menu entries for feed-forward and SRN loading, with BasicProp-style wrong-menu notes
• menu-driven pop-up windows for weights, patterns/outputs, time-series plots, and 3D plots
• patterns and outputs are viewable both as a detailed table window and through the dedicated per-pattern chart workflow
• visible utility-menu access to output clustering and hidden-state clustering through dedicated text-report windows
• desktop pattern loading and clustering utilities are now fully reachable through the visible controller/menu workflow
• the visible menu labels now mirror the BasicProp wording more closely by removing extra ellipses and non-reference top-level actions
• network configuration Apply now updates the live desktop state without closing the dialog
• network configuration styling now follows the BasicProp dialog more closely, with centered OK / Apply / Cancel buttons and tighter slider/bias layout
• weight display now uses a matrix-sized Hinton-style frame with numeric layer selectors plus Rec for SRN recurrent weights, BasicProp-style target-row/source-column orientation, a compact BasicProp-like bottom control strip, a live Refresh action against the current engine weights, and screenshot-backed popup verification against the BasicProp reference window
• utility-window launches stay quiet in the main console, matching BasicProp more closely
• in-place analysis/refresh actions also stay quiet unless they actually produce user-facing output or a note
• reset and hidden-activation export no longer emit synthetic console lines
• a detached message-log window under Help, mirroring the original BasicProp message-frame workflow
• restored Help -> Messages and Help -> Clear Messages actions so the detached message window is reachable from the visible desktop shell
• hidden-activation export from the desktop app through a save dialog using the BasicProp getHiddenActs() helper semantics and raw concatenated .dat rows
• screenshot-driven main-shell cleanup now trims some wasted network-pane space while keeping the existing diagram visible

The Modern desktop app uses a single-project workflow instead:

• top toolbar for New, Load, Save, and Save As
• left workspace tabs for Network Graph, Weights, and Analysis
• right workflow tabs for Network, Training, Tests, Patterns, and Summary
• bottom Console and Error graph panels
• project-first save/load using .swproj.json

Quick start for Modern:

1. Start the app:

dotnet run --project src/SignalWeave.Modern.Desktop

2. Click 📂 Load
3. Open samples/seventeen-patterns-7x7-modern.swproj.json
4. Open Training and click Train #1
5. Open Tests and click Test all
6. Inspect the result in:

• Network Graph
• Weights
• Analysis

Full step-by-step instructions are in:

• docs/modern-ui-guide.md
• docs/modern-user-manual.md

Release automation

• .github/workflows/ci.yml runs restore, release build, and core tests on Linux, Windows, and macOS.
• .github/workflows/release.yml publishes self-contained bundles for either the Classic or Modern desktop line depending on the release tag prefix.
• release tags are product-specific:
  • classic-vX.Y.Z
  • modern-vX.Y.Z
• the GitHub release workflow is now verified from a successful remote workflow_dispatch publish-matrix run: 22874465646
• scripts/parity-signoff.sh is the local release-gate command for the Classic line: it builds the solution, runs the core parity tests, compiles and executes every checked-in BasicProp probe, then publishes and archives the Classic desktop bundles for linux-x64, win-x64, osx-x64, and osx-arm64.
• validated local publish examples:

dotnet publish src/SignalWeave.Classic.Desktop/SignalWeave.Classic.Desktop.csproj -c Release -r linux-x64 --self-contained true -o artifacts/signalweave-classic-desktop-linux-x64
dotnet publish src/SignalWeave.Classic.Desktop/SignalWeave.Classic.Desktop.csproj -c Release -r win-x64 --self-contained true -o artifacts/signalweave-classic-desktop-win-x64
dotnet publish src/SignalWeave.Modern.Desktop/SignalWeave.Modern.Desktop.csproj -c Release -r linux-x64 --self-contained true -o artifacts/signalweave-modern-desktop-linux-x64
dotnet publish src/SignalWeave.Modern.Desktop/SignalWeave.Modern.Desktop.csproj -c Release -r win-x64 --self-contained true -o artifacts/signalweave-modern-desktop-win-x64

Full local sign-off:

./scripts/parity-signoff.sh

Samples

The samples/ directory contains starter network and pattern files:

• xor.swcfg and xor.pat
• echo-srn.swcfg and echo-srn.pat
• seventeen-patterns-7x7-modern.swproj.json

Compatibility note

SignalWeave targets BasicProp 1.3 behavioral parity using the local reference JAR in /home/simon/temp/BasicProp/basicProp-1.3.jar. Legacy BasicProp file compatibility is intentionally out of scope.

Delivery docs

• docs/basicprop-compatibility.md: scope and compatibility basis
• docs/basicprop-engine-notes.md: observed BasicProp 1.3 runtime semantics
• docs/reference-assets.md: local BasicProp reference bundle inventory
• docs/parity-checklist.md: parity status by engine, UI, and utilities
• docs/e2e-backlog.md: milestone backlog and implementation tasks
• docs/signalweave-schema.md: native project and checkpoint schema definitions
• docs/product-lines.md: Classic/Modern product-line and release strategy
• docs/modern-ui-todo.md: Modern-specific backlog for porting analysis and utility workflows
• docs/modern-ui-guide.md: step-by-step guide for loading, training, testing, analyzing, and saving Modern projects
• docs/modern-user-manual.md: full Modern reference manual covering every section, setting, and workflow surface