Feature map

This page is the screenshot-backed feature map and release matrix for the current Cress product surface.

It tracks the user-visible Cress features and points to the screenshots and guides that document them.

Important

Treat this page as a release-facing inventory. Every feature change should update this matrix and, when the UI changes materially, refresh or add the matching screenshot under docs\images\.

Studio and Studio Web feature map

Area	Feature	What it enables	Guide
Onboarding	Landing page and workspace startup	Start from a compact workspace-first landing surface at `/`, then choose a single startup path: New, Open, or Samples / demos. Suggested and recent projects are integrated into Open, while sample discovery stays isolated from the normal project-opening path. Use `/workspace` when you want to jump directly into setup.	Studio overview
Workspace loading	Advanced setup disclosure	Keep retry, screenshot, execution-node, and quick-start controls available without forcing them into the default setup scan path.	Studio overview
Navigation	Sidebar page split	Use the left sidebar as real page navigation after load so workspace setup, authoring, and results review each get their own focused surface instead of sharing one long page.	Studio overview
Onboarding	Built-in demo, recent-history, and node discovery	Expand the optional setup panels when you need them to filter demos, manage recent workspaces in-place, or scan runner readiness before you commit to a workspace path.	Studio overview
Workspace loading	Loaded project shell	Shows the loaded workspace with clearer setup, explorer, designer, and results framing, a one-glance setup summary, stronger empty-state treatments when panels are waiting for input, path readiness feedback, the scan-friendly status bar, the explicit theme readout, and the main authoring and execution tabs.	Studio overview
Workspace loading	Workspace picker	Browse the machine, filter folders, and select or load a workspace from the in-app picker instead of typing long paths from memory.	Studio overview
Authoring	Flow designer	Edit fixtures, actions, expectations, and visual flow structure from the main designer surface, with grouped quick actions that preview what each authoring shortcut adds before applying it.	Authoring flows
Authoring	Source editor	Normalize generated flows into durable YAML with capabilities, tags, and stable locators.	Studio overview
Recording	Web recording picker	Capture browser flows and then save/replay the inferred steps back into the workspace, with visible URL validation and quick-start presets for common targets.	Recording workflows
Recording	Desktop recording picker	Attach to a Windows app and capture desktop interactions into a reusable flow, with process search and an attachable-only view for faster target selection.	Recording workflows
Recording	Desktop companion pairing	Pair the optional Windows companion with Studio Web so you can start companion-backed desktop sessions, monitor them from the browser, and keep the native manager close to the target app.	Desktop companion
Execution review	Results panel	Review screenshots, traces, reports, step outcomes, and rerun-focused evidence after execution, with run filtering, failed-only triage, and artifact type filters to find the right evidence faster.	Running and debugging
Health and quality	Metrics tab	Inspect flakiness, repeated failures, and capability-level coverage trends with an explicit heatmap legend plus filtered run insights for faster flake triage.	Studio overview

Legacy desktop Studio screenshot matrix

These screenshots are still part of the repository documentation set and should be kept aligned anywhere the legacy desktop shell is referenced.

Area	Feature	What it enables	Guide
Explorer and selection	Flow selection	Select a flow and inspect the currently loaded authoring context in the desktop shell.	Studio overview
Authoring	Designer surface	Edit and refine the visual designer state in the desktop shell.	Authoring flows
Authoring	Source editing	Make durable YAML edits directly from the desktop source editor.	Authoring flows
Execution review	Run completed state	Confirm the desktop shell has completed the run and returned evidence-rich status.	Running and debugging
Execution review	Report preview	Preview generated reports inside the desktop shell after execution.	Running and debugging

Non-visual product surfaces

These features do not have a primary screenshot-driven surface, but they still belong in the product inventory and should be kept current here.

Surface	Feature	What it enables	Guide
CLI	Project bootstrap, validation, execution, reporting, and docs generation	Use `cress` in local dev and CI for setup, validation, run orchestration, diagnostics, and report generation.	CLI reference
Studio distribution	Wrapped Windows shell	Launch the same Studio Web experience in a Discord-style desktop shell backed by the local packaged Studio host.	Studio overview
Studio distribution	Browser-hosted Windows shell	Launch the packaged Studio service in your default browser while a lightweight local host window keeps the session alive.	Studio overview
Studio distribution	MSI, portable zip, and `cress-studio` tool	Install Studio through Start Menu shortcuts, run it portably, or launch it through a Windows dotnet tool without building from source.	Studio overview
HTTP driver	Service and API automation	Run service smoke flows with request/response assertions and evidence capture.	Testing services
Playwright-backed web automation	Browser automation	Execute browser flows with durable locators, screenshots, and mixed UI/API assertions.	Testing web apps
Flawright-backed desktop automation	Windows desktop automation	Launch or attach to desktop apps and capture screenshot-heavy evidence for desktop flows.	Testing desktop apps
Desktop companion	Anchored overlay recording and monitoring	Run the optional Windows companion to pin recording overlays near target app titlebars, manage multiple desktop sessions, and pair live session state back into Studio Web.	Desktop companion
Desktop companion	Windows installer and portable release assets	Install or distribute the companion through a proper MSI or a self-contained portable zip instead of building from source on every target machine.	Desktop companion
Living docs	Executable documentation output	Publish HTML living docs and evidence-backed summaries from real runs.	Running and debugging
Native test generation	xUnit, NUnit, and MSTest output	Generate framework-native C# tests that still execute through the Cress engine.	Framework integrations

Maintenance rule for new features

When a feature is added, removed, renamed, or materially reshaped:

update or add the row on this page
update the linked user/developer guide
refresh the screenshot asset if the UI changed
keep the screenshot filename stable unless the screen itself has been replaced