feat(dashboards): redesign empty states and gallery, fix delete UX and stale-config bug

Empty canvas now shows clickable example prompts instead of a bare heading.
Gallery cards get deterministic mini-chart thumbnails, a dashboard-count
subtitle, and a richer true-empty state. Delete now uses an in-app confirm
popover and error toast instead of native window.confirm/alert, which read
as out-of-place browser chrome and can be silently suppressed in embedded
webviews. Also fixes a bug where a dashboard whose last saved state was a
chat-only reply (no html artifact) rendered the same empty canvas as a
brand-new dashboard despite chat history claiming it was built — now shown
as a distinct "nothing built here yet" state.

Author: notSumit25

src/components/sections/DashboardWorkspace.jsx

@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 import { useState, useEffect, useRef, useCallback } from 'react'
-import { LineChart, ArrowUp, ChevronLeft, Sparkles, Check, Loader2, Brain, PencilRuler, ClipboardCheck } from 'lucide-react'
+import { LineChart, ArrowUp, ChevronLeft, Sparkles, Check, Loader2, Brain, PencilRuler, ClipboardCheck, TrendingUp, Users, PieChart, Layers } from 'lucide-react'
 import DashboardArtifact from '@/components/DashboardArtifact'
 import ShareMenu from './ShareMenu'
 import { savedDashboardsAPI } from '@/lib/api/client'
@@ -9,6 +9,15 @@ import styles from './DashboardWorkspace.module.css'
 // Icon per agent step phase, so the live trace reads at a glance.
 const STEP_ICON = { grounding: Brain, planning: PencilRuler, validating: ClipboardCheck, done: Check }
 
+// Starting points shown on a brand-new, empty dashboard — concrete enough to click
+// and send immediately, so the first screen a user sees isn't just an empty prompt.
+const EXAMPLE_PROMPTS = [
+  { icon: TrendingUp, title: 'Revenue by month', prompt: 'Show revenue by month for the last 12 months, with a trend line and month-over-month change.' },
+  { icon: Users, title: 'Top customers', prompt: 'Show top customers by total spend, with their order count and average order value.' },
+  { icon: PieChart, title: 'Order breakdown', prompt: 'Show order status breakdown (completed, pending, cancelled) as a share of total orders.' },
+  { icon: Layers, title: 'Business overview', prompt: 'Build a dashboard with the most important KPIs and a couple of charts summarizing overall business health.' },
+]
+
 // Focused, chrome-less builder. Left = the agent (generate / refine); main = the
 // live dashboard canvas. The DeepSQL logo and breadcrumb return to the gallery.
 export default function DashboardWorkspace({ connectionId, dashboard, onClose }) {
@@ -56,7 +65,11 @@ export default function DashboardWorkspace({ connectionId, dashboard, onClose })
     }
     let cfg = {}
     try { cfg = typeof dashboard.dashboardConfig === 'string' ? JSON.parse(dashboard.dashboardConfig || '{}') : (dashboard.dashboardConfig || {}) } catch { cfg = {} }
-    setConfig({ ...cfg, updatedAt: dashboard.updatedAt || new Date().toISOString() })
+    // A saved row can carry a chat-only reply object (from an in-flight chat turn
+    // that was never a real build) instead of an artifact — rendering that as-is
+    // would silently show the pristine empty canvas with no explanation, right next
+    // to chat history that says "Done — built". Treat it as no build yet instead.
+    setConfig(cfg.html ? { ...cfg, updatedAt: dashboard.updatedAt || new Date().toISOString() } : null)
     chatSyncedRef.current = false
     // Restore the persisted per-dashboard chat thread if there is one, so the
     // build/edit conversation survives a refresh; otherwise open with a greeting.
@@ -116,8 +129,8 @@ export default function DashboardWorkspace({ connectionId, dashboard, onClose })
     }
   }, [connectionId])
 
-  function submit() {
-    const prompt = input.trim()
+  function submit(directPrompt) {
+    const prompt = (directPrompt ?? input).trim()
     if (!prompt || thinking) return
     setInput('')
     setMessages((m) => [...m, { role: 'user', text: prompt }])
@@ -243,7 +256,7 @@ export default function DashboardWorkspace({ connectionId, dashboard, onClose })
               onKeyDown={(e) => { if (e.key === 'Enter' && !e.shiftKey) { e.preventDefault(); if (!thinking) submit() } }}
               autoFocus
             />
-            <button className={styles.sendBtn} onClick={submit} disabled={thinking || !input.trim()} aria-label="Send"><ArrowUp size={16} /></button>
+            <button className={styles.sendBtn} onClick={() => submit()} disabled={thinking || !input.trim()} aria-label="Send"><ArrowUp size={16} /></button>
           </div>
         </aside>
 
@@ -252,10 +265,32 @@ export default function DashboardWorkspace({ connectionId, dashboard, onClose })
             <DashboardArtifact connectionId={connectionId} html={config.html} onError={(msg) => console.warn('Dashboard artifact error:', msg)} />
           ) : (
             <div className={styles.newCanvas}>
-              <span className={styles.newIcon}><Sparkles size={24} color="#534AB7" /></span>
-              <h2 className={styles.newTitle}>Build a dashboard</h2>
-              <p className={styles.newSub}>Describe what you want on the left and the DeepSQL agent builds it here — read-only, grounded on your data.</p>
-              <button className={styles.backLink} onClick={onClose}><ChevronLeft size={14} /> Back to dashboards</button>
+              <div className={styles.newCanvasInner}>
+                <span className={styles.newIcon}><Sparkles size={22} color="#534AB7" /></span>
+                <h2 className={styles.newTitle}>{isNew ? 'Build a dashboard' : 'Nothing built here yet'}</h2>
+                <p className={styles.newSub}>
+                  {isNew
+                    ? 'Describe what you want on the left and the DeepSQL agent builds it here — read-only, grounded on your data.'
+                    : 'This dashboard doesn’t have a build yet — the chat on the left may just be planning so far. Ask for a chart to get started.'}
+                </p>
+
+                <div className={styles.exampleGrid}>
+                  {EXAMPLE_PROMPTS.map(({ icon: Icon, title, prompt }) => (
+                    <button
+                      key={title}
+                      className={styles.exampleCard}
+                      onClick={() => submit(prompt)}
+                      disabled={thinking}
+                    >
+                      <span className={styles.exampleIcon}><Icon size={16} /></span>
+                      <span className={styles.exampleTitle}>{title}</span>
+                      <span className={styles.examplePrompt}>{prompt}</span>
+                    </button>
+                  ))}
+                </div>
+
+                <button className={styles.backLink} onClick={onClose}><ChevronLeft size={14} /> Back to dashboards</button>
+              </div>
             </div>
           )}
         </main>

src/components/sections/DashboardWorkspace.module.css

@@ -448,12 +448,22 @@
 .newCanvas {
   height: 100%;
   display: flex;
-  flex-direction: column;
   align-items: center;
   justify-content: center;
   text-align: center;
+  padding: 32px 24px;
+  background:
+    radial-gradient(ellipse 700px 420px at 50% 0%, rgba(83, 74, 183, 0.05), transparent 70%),
+    #fff;
+}
+
+.newCanvasInner {
+  display: flex;
+  flex-direction: column;
+  align-items: center;
   gap: 10px;
-  padding: 24px;
+  width: 100%;
+  max-width: 640px;
 }
 
 .newIcon {
@@ -465,11 +475,79 @@
   align-items: center;
   justify-content: center;
   margin-bottom: 4px;
+  box-shadow: 0 1px 2px rgba(83, 74, 183, 0.08);
 }
 
-.newTitle { font-size: 18px; font-weight: 600; letter-spacing: -0.012em; color: #111; margin: 0; }
+.newTitle { font-size: 19px; font-weight: 650; letter-spacing: -0.014em; color: #111; margin: 0; }
 .newSub { font-size: 13px; color: #777; max-width: 380px; line-height: 1.6; margin: 0; }
 
+.exampleGrid {
+  display: grid;
+  grid-template-columns: repeat(2, minmax(0, 1fr));
+  gap: 10px;
+  width: 100%;
+  margin: 18px 0 8px;
+}
+
+@media (max-width: 620px) {
+  .exampleGrid { grid-template-columns: 1fr; }
+}
+
+.exampleCard {
+  display: flex;
+  flex-direction: column;
+  align-items: flex-start;
+  gap: 6px;
+  text-align: left;
+  padding: 14px 15px;
+  border: 1px solid #ececec;
+  border-radius: 13px;
+  background: #fff;
+  cursor: pointer;
+  transition: border-color 180ms ease-out, transform 180ms cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.8, 0.2, 1), box-shadow 180ms ease-out;
+}
+.exampleCard:hover {
+  border-color: #cfcaf0;
+  transform: translateY(-2px);
+  box-shadow: 0 8px 18px -10px rgba(83, 74, 183, 0.25), 0 1px 3px rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.04);
+}
+.exampleCard:active { transform: translateY(-1px) scale(0.99); }
+.exampleCard:disabled { opacity: 0.5; cursor: default; transform: none; }
+
+@media (prefers-reduced-motion: reduce) {
+  .exampleCard { transition: border-color 180ms ease-out, box-shadow 180ms ease-out; }
+  .exampleCard:hover, .exampleCard:active { transform: none; }
+}
+
+.exampleIcon {
+  width: 28px;
+  height: 28px;
+  border-radius: 8px;
+  background: #EEEDFE;
+  color: #534AB7;
+  display: flex;
+  align-items: center;
+  justify-content: center;
+  flex-shrink: 0;
+}
+
+.exampleTitle {
+  font-size: 13px;
+  font-weight: 600;
+  letter-spacing: -0.005em;
+  color: #111;
+}
+
+.examplePrompt {
+  font-size: 12px;
+  line-height: 1.5;
+  color: #8a8a8a;
+  display: -webkit-box;
+  -webkit-line-clamp: 2;
+  -webkit-box-orient: vertical;
+  overflow: hidden;
+}
+
 .backLink {
   display: inline-flex;
   align-items: center;

src/components/sections/DashboardsHome.jsx

@@ -1,15 +1,10 @@
-import { useState, useEffect, useCallback } from 'react'
-import { Plus, Sparkles, Clock, RefreshCw, Trash2, Loader2 } from 'lucide-react'
+import { useState, useEffect, useCallback, useRef } from 'react'
+import { Plus, Sparkles, Clock, RefreshCw, Trash2, Loader2, LayoutDashboard, AlertTriangle } from 'lucide-react'
 import { savedDashboardsAPI } from '@/lib/api/client'
 import styles from './DashboardsHome.module.css'
 
-function parseConfig(d) {
-  try { return typeof d.dashboardConfig === 'string' ? JSON.parse(d.dashboardConfig || '{}') : (d.dashboardConfig || {}) }
-  catch { return {} }
-}
 // A dashboard is "live" once it's published to the web (has a public link).
 function statusOf(d) { return d.isPublic ? 'live' : 'draft' }
-function chartCount(d) { return (parseConfig(d).charts || []).length }
 
 function relTime(iso) {
   if (!iso) return ''
@@ -22,17 +17,35 @@ function relTime(iso) {
   return `${Math.round(h / 24)}d ago`
 }
 
-function Thumb({ charts }) {
-  if (charts <= 0) {
-    return <svg viewBox="0 0 160 64" width="100%" height="64" preserveAspectRatio="none" aria-hidden="true">
-      <path d="M2,46 L40,48 L78,38 L116,42 L158,24 L158,64 L2,64 Z" fill="#EEEDFE" />
-      <polyline points="2,46 40,48 78,38 116,42 158,24" fill="none" stroke="#7F77DD" strokeWidth="2" />
-    </svg>
-  }
-  const heights = [40, 62, 80, 55, 34]
+// A tiny hash of the dashboard's own id, so each card's thumbnail bars look
+// distinct and stable across reloads rather than identical or random.
+function seedFrom(id) {
+  let h = 0
+  for (let i = 0; i < (id || '').length; i++) h = (h * 31 + id.charCodeAt(i)) >>> 0
+  return h
+}
+
+// Dashboard content isn't parseable from dashboardConfig (it's an opaque HTML
+// artifact, not spec data) — so the thumbnail is a stylized mini-preview, not a
+// real render. Deterministic per-id bar heights keep the gallery from looking
+// like every card is the exact same placeholder.
+function Thumb({ id }) {
+  const seed = seedFrom(id)
+  // Unsigned shift + byte mask — a signed >> with a big shift/modulo combo can
+  // yield negative numbers in JS, which collapse a bar to 0 height.
+  const heights = [0, 1, 2, 3, 4].map((i) => 30 + (((seed >>> (i * 4)) & 0xff) % 60))
   return (
-    <div className={styles.thumbBars}>
-      {heights.map((h, i) => <span key={i} style={{ height: `${h}%`, background: i === 2 ? '#534AB7' : i % 2 ? '#7F77DD' : '#AFA9EC' }} />)}
+    <div className={styles.thumbMock}>
+      <div className={styles.thumbMockKpis}>
+        <span className={styles.thumbMockKpi} />
+        <span className={styles.thumbMockKpi} />
+        <span className={styles.thumbMockKpi} />
+      </div>
+      <div className={styles.thumbBars}>
+        {heights.map((h, i) => (
+          <span key={i} style={{ height: `${Math.round(h * 0.34)}px` }} className={i === 2 ? styles.thumbBarAccent : styles.thumbBar} />
+        ))}
+      </div>
     </div>
   )
 }
@@ -42,17 +55,33 @@ export default function DashboardsHome({ connectionId, onOpen }) {
   const [loading, setLoading] = useState(false)
   const [filter, setFilter] = useState('all')
   const [deletingId, setDeletingId] = useState(null)
+  // Id of the card showing its inline "delete this?" popover (native window.confirm
+  // reads as out-of-place browser chrome next to the rest of this redesigned UI, and
+  // some embedded/webview hosts suppress it outright, silently no-opping the delete).
+  const [confirmId, setConfirmId] = useState(null)
+  const [deleteError, setDeleteError] = useState(null)
+  const confirmRef = useRef(null)
+
+  useEffect(() => {
+    if (!confirmId) return
+    const onDocClick = (e) => { if (confirmRef.current && !confirmRef.current.contains(e.target)) setConfirmId(null) }
+    const onKey = (e) => { if (e.key === 'Escape') setConfirmId(null) }
+    document.addEventListener('mousedown', onDocClick)
+    document.addEventListener('keydown', onKey)
+    return () => { document.removeEventListener('mousedown', onDocClick); document.removeEventListener('keydown', onKey) }
+  }, [confirmId])
 
   const remove = useCallback(async (d, e) => {
     e?.stopPropagation()
     if (deletingId) return
-    if (!window.confirm(`Delete “${d.name || 'this dashboard'}”? This can’t be undone.`)) return
+    setConfirmId(null)
+    setDeleteError(null)
     setDeletingId(d.id)
     try {
       await savedDashboardsAPI.deleteDashboard(d.id)
       setDashboards((list) => list.filter((x) => x.id !== d.id))
     } catch (err) {
-      window.alert(`Couldn’t delete: ${err?.response?.data?.message || err?.message || 'error'}`)
+      setDeleteError(err?.response?.data?.message || err?.message || 'Couldn’t delete this dashboard.')
     } finally {
       setDeletingId(null)
     }
@@ -77,7 +106,12 @@ export default function DashboardsHome({ connectionId, onOpen }) {
   return (
     <div className={styles.root}>
       <header className={styles.header}>
-        <h1 className={styles.title}>Dashboards</h1>
+        <div className={styles.headerText}>
+          <h1 className={styles.title}>Dashboards</h1>
+          {dashboards.length > 0 && (
+            <p className={styles.subtitle}>{dashboards.length} dashboard{dashboards.length === 1 ? '' : 's'} for this connection</p>
+          )}
+        </div>
         <div className={styles.actions}>
           <button className={styles.ghost} onClick={load} title="Refresh" aria-label="Refresh">
             <RefreshCw size={15} className={loading ? styles.spin : undefined} />
@@ -96,6 +130,16 @@ export default function DashboardsHome({ connectionId, onOpen }) {
         ))}
       </div>
 
+      {!loading && dashboards.length === 0 ? (
+        <div className={styles.emptyState}>
+          <span className={styles.emptyIcon}><LayoutDashboard size={22} /></span>
+          <h2 className={styles.emptyTitle}>No dashboards yet</h2>
+          <p className={styles.emptySub}>Describe what you want to see and the DeepSQL agent will build it — grounded on your schema, verified against your data.</p>
+          <button className={styles.primary} onClick={() => onOpen('new')}>
+            <Plus size={15} /> New dashboard
+          </button>
+        </div>
+      ) : (
       <div className={styles.grid}>
         {shown.map((d) => (
           <div
@@ -106,16 +150,27 @@ export default function DashboardsHome({ connectionId, onOpen }) {
             onClick={() => onOpen(d)}
             onKeyDown={(e) => { if (e.key === 'Enter' || e.key === ' ') { e.preventDefault(); onOpen(d) } }}
           >
-            <button
-              className={styles.cardDelete}
-              onClick={(e) => remove(d, e)}
-              disabled={deletingId === d.id}
-              title="Delete dashboard"
-              aria-label={`Delete ${d.name || 'dashboard'}`}
-            >
-              {deletingId === d.id ? <Loader2 size={14} className={styles.spin} /> : <Trash2 size={14} />}
-            </button>
-            <div className={styles.thumb}><Thumb charts={chartCount(d)} /></div>
+            <div className={styles.deleteWrap} ref={confirmId === d.id ? confirmRef : undefined}>
+              <button
+                className={styles.cardDelete}
+                onClick={(e) => { e.stopPropagation(); if (!deletingId) setConfirmId(d.id) }}
+                disabled={deletingId === d.id}
+                title="Delete dashboard"
+                aria-label={`Delete ${d.name || 'dashboard'}`}
+              >
+                {deletingId === d.id ? <Loader2 size={14} className={styles.spin} /> : <Trash2 size={14} />}
+              </button>
+              {confirmId === d.id && (
+                <div className={styles.confirmPopover} onClick={(e) => e.stopPropagation()}>
+                  <p className={styles.confirmText}>Delete “{d.name || 'this dashboard'}”? This can’t be undone.</p>
+                  <div className={styles.confirmActions}>
+                    <button className={styles.confirmCancel} onClick={() => setConfirmId(null)}>Cancel</button>
+                    <button className={styles.confirmDelete} onClick={(e) => remove(d, e)}>Delete</button>
+                  </div>
+                </div>
+              )}
+            </div>
+            <div className={styles.thumb}><Thumb id={d.id} /></div>
             <div className={styles.cardBody}>
               <div className={styles.cardTop}>
                 <span className={styles.cardName}>{d.name || 'Untitled'}</span>
@@ -134,9 +189,18 @@ export default function DashboardsHome({ connectionId, onOpen }) {
           <span className={styles.ctaSub}>“Build a revenue dashboard for last quarter”</span>
         </button>
       </div>
+      )}
+
+      {!loading && dashboards.length > 0 && shown.length === 0 && (
+        <div className={styles.emptyNote}>No {filter} dashboards — try a different filter.</div>
+      )}
 
-      {!loading && shown.length === 0 && (
-        <div className={styles.emptyNote}>No dashboards here yet — create one, or ask the agent to build it.</div>
+      {deleteError && (
+        <div className={styles.errorToast}>
+          <AlertTriangle size={14} />
+          <span>{deleteError}</span>
+          <button className={styles.errorDismiss} onClick={() => setDeleteError(null)} aria-label="Dismiss">×</button>
+        </div>
       )}
     </div>
   )