vhs-tape-record

---

name: vhs-tape-record description: Authors a <slug>/.vhs/*.tape VHS demo file and wires it into .github/workflows/vhs.yml so CI re-renders the GIF. Sets Set Theme "TokyoNight", 800x480 dims, Type "php examples/<demo>.php" boilerplate. Use when user says 'add a demo', 'record VHS', 'new tape', 'regenerate GIF', or creates/edits a file under <slug>/.vhs/. Capabilities: scaffolds the .tape file, adds the slug to the workflow all=(...) array, registers required non-default PHP extensions (ext-ssh2/ext-gd/ext-ffi) in extensions:. Do NOT use for non-visual primitive libs (candy-pty, FFI bindings, codecs) — they're matrix-exempt; do NOT use for changes to the rendered .gif itself (CI overwrites it). paths:

• '**/.vhs/*.tape'
• .github/workflows/vhs.yml

---

vhs-tape-record

Critical

• .github/workflows/vhs.yml is HAND-MAINTAINED. Adding a .tape file is NOT enough — if the lib's slug is missing from the all=(...) array (and from extensions: when it needs non-default PHP extensions), CI silently skips the lib and the .gif never re-renders. Verify both edits before claiming completion.
• Matrix-exempt libs — candy-pty, raw FFI bindings, codecs, and other non-visual primitives MUST NOT be added to the matrix. If the lib has no TUI output, refuse and tell the user the lib is matrix-exempt (call this out in the PR body too).
• Author the examples/<demo>.php file FIRST. A .tape that runs Type "php examples/<demo>.php" against a missing script renders an empty GIF. Confirm <slug>/examples/<demo>.php exists and exits cleanly under ~3 seconds before recording.
• Never edit the rendered .gif directly — .github/workflows/vhs.yml overwrites it on every push touching <slug>/.vhs/.

Instructions

1. Confirm the lib qualifies. Visual/TUI libs only — components, prompts, charts, dashboards, spinners. If the lib is candy-pty, an FFI binding, a parser, or a codec, STOP. Tell the user: "<slug> is matrix-exempt — non-visual primitives don't get VHS demos." Verify by reading <slug>/README.md and checking for screen-output APIs. Verify before proceeding.

2. Author the example script. Create <slug>/examples/<demo>.php if it does not already exist. Top of file: <?php declare(strict_types=1); require __DIR__ . '/../vendor/autoload.php';. The script must self-terminate in under ~3 seconds (no while (true) loops without a break). Run it once locally to confirm it exits cleanly: cd <slug> && php examples/<demo>.php. Verify the script exits with status 0 before proceeding.

3. Create the .tape file at <slug>/.vhs/<demo>.tape. Use this canonical skeleton (mirrors existing tapes under sugar-bits/.vhs/, candy-shine/.vhs/, etc.):

   Output <demo>.gif
   
   Set Theme "TokyoNight"
   Set FontSize 14
   Set Width 800
   Set Height 480
   Set Padding 20
   
   Type "php examples/<demo>.php"
   Enter
   Sleep 2s
   

   • Output is relative to the .tape file — emit a bare filename, never an absolute path.
   • Keep the theme TokyoNight unless the demo is about theming (then use the theme being demoed).
   • For interactive demos, replace Sleep 2s with a scripted sequence: Sleep 500ms · Type "j" · Sleep 300ms · Enter · Sleep 2s.
   • Widen to 1000–1200 ONLY if the demo wraps at 800; never go below 800x480.

   Verify the file parses by running vhs <slug>/.vhs/<demo>.tape locally if vhs is on PATH. If not, move on — CI will catch syntax errors.

4. Add the slug to .github/workflows/vhs.yml in the all=(...) bash array. The array is alphabetical within prefix groups (Candy first, then Honey, then Sugar, then super-candy). Read the file, locate all=(, insert <slug> in the correct group. Verify the slug is present before proceeding.

5. Register non-default PHP extensions if the example requires any. Open .github/workflows/vhs.yml, find the step that calls shivammathur/setup-php (or the matrix's extensions: key). The default set typically includes mbstring, intl, tokenizer. Add any of these the lib needs:

   • ssh2 — ext-ssh2 (used by candy-wish, sugar-skate)
   • gd — ext-gd (image rendering)
   • ffi — ext-ffi (FFI bindings — but recall non-visual FFI libs are exempt)
   • shmop — ext-shmop (shared memory; gate with os: ubuntu-latest if Windows-incompatible)
   • sockets — ext-sockets (networking demos)

   Match the existing format in the file (comma-separated string, e.g. extensions: mbstring, intl, ssh2). Verify the extension is listed before proceeding.

6. Reference the rendered GIF from the lib's README.md under a ## Demo heading using the canonical URL pattern:

   ## Demo
   
   ![<demo>](https://raw.githubusercontent.com/detain/sugarcraft/master/<slug>/.vhs/<demo>.gif)
   

   Skip this step if the README already has a demo block and you're only adding a secondary tape. Verify the README still renders (preview the markdown).

7. Commit the new files. Stage <slug>/.vhs/<demo>.tape, <slug>/examples/<demo>.php, .github/workflows/vhs.yml, and (if touched) <slug>/README.md. Do NOT stage a .gif — CI generates it on push. Confirm pre-commit hook handles the Caliber refresh (per CLAUDE.md). The first push triggers .github/workflows/vhs.yml; the resulting .gif lands in a follow-up commit by the CI bot.

Examples

User says: "Add a VHS demo for the new Sparkline mode in sugar-charts."

Actions taken:

1. Confirm sugar-charts is visual — yes, it's a chart lib.
2. Read sugar-charts/examples/ to see the existing example layout, then create sugar-charts/examples/sparkline.php rendering a 60-sample sparkline that prints and exits.
3. Run cd sugar-charts && php examples/sparkline.php — confirm clean exit.
4. Create sugar-charts/.vhs/sparkline.tape:

   Output sparkline.gif
   
   Set Theme "TokyoNight"
   Set FontSize 14
   Set Width 800
   Set Height 480
   Set Padding 20
   
   Type "php examples/sparkline.php"
   Enter
   Sleep 2s
   

5. Edit .github/workflows/vhs.yml — sugar-charts is already in all=(...), so no array edit needed. No extra extensions needed.
6. Append the GIF reference to sugar-charts/README.md under the existing ## Demo heading.
7. Stage + commit + push. CI rebuilds the GIF on the next workflow run.

Result: A new sparkline.gif appears at sugar-charts/.vhs/sparkline.gif after the vhs.yml workflow completes, embedded in the README.

---

User says: "Record a tape for candy-wish showing an interactive SSH session."

Actions taken:

1. Confirm candy-wish is visual — yes, TUI SSH wish-server demo.
2. Create candy-wish/examples/ssh-session.php (or reuse an existing example). The demo must self-terminate (e.g. exit after 2 seconds in-script).
3. Create candy-wish/.vhs/ssh-session.tape with scripted keystrokes:

   Output ssh-session.gif
   
   Set Theme "TokyoNight"
   Set FontSize 14
   Set Width 1000
   Set Height 600
   Set Padding 20
   
   Type "php examples/ssh-session.php"
   Enter
   Sleep 1s
   Type "hello"
   Sleep 500ms
   Enter
   Sleep 2s
   

4. Edit .github/workflows/vhs.yml:
   • Confirm candy-wish is in all=(...) — add it if missing.
   • Add ssh2 to the extensions: list since candy-wish requires ext-ssh2.
5. Add the GIF reference to candy-wish/README.md.
6. Commit + push.

Result: Workflow renders candy-wish/.vhs/ssh-session.gif with the keystrokes baked in.

Common Issues

• "Workflow ran but no GIF appeared." The lib is missing from the all=(...) array in .github/workflows/vhs.yml. Re-read the file, confirm the slug literal is in the array, push a fix commit.

• "GIF rendered but is empty / blank screen." The examples/<demo>.php script is missing, throws an uncaught exception, or doesn't produce visible output before Sleep 2s elapses. Run the script locally: cd <slug> && php examples/<demo>.php — fix any errors, increase Sleep if the script needs more time, or add an explicit final render call.

• "Workflow fails with extension not found or Class \"SSH2\" not found." The required PHP extension is missing from .github/workflows/vhs.yml's extensions: key. Add the bare extension name (e.g. ssh2, not ext-ssh2) to the comma-separated list.

• "VHS errors unknown command "Set Themes"." Tape grammar is case-sensitive and singular: Set Theme, not Set Themes; Type, not type; Enter, not enter. Re-check the tape against the canonical skeleton in step 3.

• "GIF renders but text is cut off on the right." Width too small. Bump Set Width 800 to 1000 or 1200. Keep height proportional (Set Height ~ 60% of width).

• "composer validate --strict fails after my edits." Unrelated — --strict flags every "sugarcraft/*": "@dev" path-repo. Drop --strict (per CLAUDE.md Gotchas).

• "Tape runs forever / GIF is 10MB." The example script has an infinite loop or hangs on stdin. Either add a hard timeout inside the script (pcntl_alarm(3)), or have the script auto-exit after N frames. Don't try to fix this with a shorter Sleep — the tape will still record the hung process up to the sleep duration.

• "User asked for a VHS demo on candy-pty / an FFI binding." Refuse politely: "candy-pty is matrix-exempt — it's a non-visual primitive (PTY allocator). VHS demos are reserved for libs with TUI output. Add a ## Why no demo note to its README if needed."