actor-model

name	actor-model
description	Expert in the Theater actor framework used in Remote Shutter. Use when working with actors, message passing, the `!` operator, actor registration, `ViewCtrlActor`, or any code involving `RemoteCamSystem.shared`.
allowed-tools	Read, Grep, Glob, Edit, Write

Theater Actor Model Expert

Context

Remote Shutter uses the Theater pod (~1.1) — an actor-model framework where all communication happens via asynchronous messages.

Key Patterns

Message Sending

• The ! operator sends a message to an actor: actorRef ! MyMessage()
• Never call actor methods directly — always send messages

Actor References

• Actors are registered under RemoteCamSystem.shared
• Retrieve references via: RemoteCamSystem.shared.selectActor(actorPath: "RemoteCam/user/<name>")
• Key actors: RemoteCam Session, MonitorActor, FrameSender

ViewCtrlActor

• RemoteCamSession subclasses ViewCtrlActor<DeviceScannerViewController>
• This binds an actor to a view controller lifecycle
• The lobby property references the associated VC

Main Thread Dispatch

• The ^{ } prefix operator dispatches closures to the main thread
• Used extensively for UI updates from actor message handlers
• State transitions happen inside actor message handlers, never on the main thread

Actor Mailbox

• Each actor has a serial mailbox that processes messages sequentially
• This ensures thread safety without explicit locks

Rules

1. Never perform UI updates directly in actor handlers — use ^{ } operator
2. Never access actor state from outside the actor's message handler
3. Always use the ! operator for inter-actor communication
4. When creating new actors, register them under RemoteCamSystem.shared