CubicSDR/docs/PLAN.md

CubicSDR Improvement Plans

Detailed implementation plans for each recommendation. See RECOMMENDATIONS.md for the full evaluation and summary.

Architecture Documentation

Design documents covering the system architecture are in docs/design/:

Core Architecture

Document	Description
Architecture Overview	Directory layout, key classes, quick reference
Signal Flow	Data path from SDR hardware to audio output
Threading Model	Thread inventory, synchronization, lifecycle
Modem System	Plugin architecture, factory pattern, available modems

Subsystem Deep Dives

Document	Description
Audio Subsystem	Controller/bound mixing, WAV recording, device management
Visual Rendering	Canvas hierarchy, GLFont, ColorTheme, rendering flow
Visual Data Pipeline	VisualProcessor, distribution modes, FFT/scope processing
Configuration System	AppConfig/DeviceConfig, DataTree serialization, sessions
Bookmark System	BookmarkMgr, groups/ranges/recents, persistence
SDR Device Layer	SDREnumerator, SDRDeviceInfo, manual devices

Plans

Plan	Risk	Effort	Dependencies
Fix .gitignore	None	5 min	None
Add Unit Tests	Low	2-3 days	None
Replace reinterpret_cast Type Punning	Low	1 day	None
Modernize CMake	Low-Medium	1-2 days	None
Split AppFrame.cpp	Low	1 day	None
Resolve Open TODOs	Low	1 day	split-appframe, replace-reinterpret-cast
Replace Raw new/delete with Smart Pointers	Medium	1 day	None
Remove MSVC C4996 Suppression	Medium	1-2 days	None
Add CI Test Execution	Low	2 hours	add-unit-tests
Update Vendored Dependencies	High	3-5 days	None
Reorganize Design Docs	Low	1 day	None

Source Fixes & Documentation

Discrete tasks not covered by the implementation plans above, tracked here as the single source for their next-step list.

Source Code Fixes

#	Action	Risk	Effort	Notes
1	Fix 17m band range in BookmarkMgr.cpp	Low	5 min	Change to ITU 18.068-18.168 MHz. Check if adjacent bands need adjustment.
2	Fix CMakeLists.txt source/header mismatches	None	10 min	5 entries in wrong category. Doesn't break build but misrepresents structure.

Documentation Improvements

#	Action	Risk	Effort	Notes
3	Add CONTRIBUTING.md	None	1 hr	Build instructions, code style, PR process. Currently missing.
4	Add CHANGELOG.md	None	1 hr	Version history. Currently missing.
5	Add Doxygen config	None	2 hr	API docs generation. Currently missing.
6	Improve README.md	None	30 min	Add inline build instructions (currently only on external wiki).

Recommended Execution Order

Execute in this order to minimize risk and satisfy dependencies:

1. Fix .gitignore — Zero risk, immediate value, unblocks clean builds
2. Add Unit Tests — Foundational; enables test-driven work on subsequent plans
3. Add CI Test Execution — Locks in test infrastructure before code changes
4. Replace reinterpret_cast — Low risk, standalone, improves correctness
5. Modernize CMake — Low-medium risk, standalone, enables better build practices
6. Split AppFrame.cpp — Low risk, standalone, reduces cognitive load for later work
7. Reorganize Design Docs — Low risk, documentation only, standalone, reduces cross-doc drift
8. Resolve TODOs — Depends on AppFrame split and reinterpret_cast replacement
9. Replace Raw new/delete — Medium risk; do after tests exist to catch regressions
10. Remove C4996 Suppression — Medium risk; requires touching many files
11. Update Vendored Dependencies — Highest risk; do last, requires extensive testing