From 3a06135dcdb55d66b3ca62018e2351e30a257e7f Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001
From: Cameron <cameron@pfiffer.org>
Date: Thu, 9 Jul 2026 22:45:23 -0700
Subject: [PATCH] Align ACTIONS dial columns
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Pad dial names to a fixed monospace width so bracketed values share
one column on the human root menu.

Defense: wiki/interface/context-menu.md status dials — dial rows are
two columns (name, current value in brackets). Presentation only.

Co-authored-by: Cursor <cursoragent@cursor.com>
---
 src/actions.rs                 | 28 +++++++++++++++++++++++++++-
 wiki/interface/context-menu.md |  9 +++++----
 2 files changed, 32 insertions(+), 5 deletions(-)

diff --git a/src/actions.rs b/src/actions.rs
index b77883a..ca9a028 100644
--- a/src/actions.rs
+++ b/src/actions.rs
@@ -270,6 +270,10 @@ impl DialId {
             DialId::Drift => "drift",
         }
     }
+
+    /// Pad width for the dial-name column so bracketed values line up
+    /// (monospace ACTIONS chrome). Longest name is `research`.
+    pub const NAME_WIDTH: usize = 8;
 }
 
 /// One selectable row on the human ACTIONS menu.
@@ -442,7 +446,13 @@ impl Sim {
             let value = self.dial_current_value(actions, dial);
             rows.push(HumanMenuRow::Dial {
                 id: dial,
-                label: format!("{} [ {} ]", dial.name(), value),
+                // Two columns: left-padded dial name, then the value.
+                label: format!(
+                    "{:<width$} [ {} ]",
+                    dial.name(),
+                    value,
+                    width = DialId::NAME_WIDTH
+                ),
             });
         }
         for a in actions {
@@ -2109,6 +2119,22 @@ mod tests {
                 );
             }
         }
+        let bracket_cols: Vec<_> = root
+            .iter()
+            .filter_map(|r| match r {
+                HumanMenuRow::Dial { label, .. } => Some(label.find('[').unwrap()),
+                _ => None,
+            })
+            .collect();
+        assert!(
+            bracket_cols.len() >= 2 && bracket_cols.iter().all(|&c| c == bracket_cols[0]),
+            "dial values share one column: {bracket_cols:?}"
+        );
+        assert_eq!(
+            bracket_cols[0],
+            DialId::NAME_WIDTH + 1,
+            "value column starts after the padded name"
+        );
 
         let job = s.human_menu(anchor, Some(DialId::Job));
         assert!(
diff --git a/wiki/interface/context-menu.md b/wiki/interface/context-menu.md
index ffe8b1d..2b70e0f 100644
--- a/wiki/interface/context-menu.md
+++ b/wiki/interface/context-menu.md
@@ -112,10 +112,11 @@ noise). Cameron adopted **status dials** (2026-07-09): the root answers
 
 - **Dial rows.** Mutually exclusive standing choices render as dial
   rows on the root: machine mode, day-job target (with standing-policy
-  state), research track, drift/masking policy. Each row shows the dial
-  name and the **current value in brackets** — e.g. `job [ Meet · auto ]`,
-  `mode [ day-job ]`. Enter opens a short picker of alternatives; Esc
-  returns to the root.
+  state), research track, drift/masking policy. Each row is two
+  monospace columns — dial name left-padded to a fixed width, then the
+  **current value in brackets** — so the `[`s line up:
+  `mode     [ day-job ]`, `job      [ Meet · auto ]`. Enter opens a
+  short picker of alternatives; Esc returns to the root.
 - **Current value is status.** Do not also list the current choice as a
   disabled "already in this mode" / "already the active…" sibling. The
   bracketed value is the status.
-- 
2.51.2