Research workspace/project models in writing, note-taking, and IDE tools

[sigilabcodex]

Purpose

Document lessons from writing apps, note-taking systems, IDE workspace models, and document/project formats to guide TRURL's workspace model and writer-first UX.

This issue is grounded in the local research document created at:

docs/research/workspace-and-writing-tools-review.md

Scope

Compare references such as:

• Scrivener
• Ulysses
• Manuskript
• novelWriter
• Zettlr
• iA Writer
• Typora
• MarkText
• Quarto
• Obsidian
• Logseq
• Dendron
• Foam
• VS Code multi-root workspaces
• JetBrains project/module model
• GitBook / BookStack
• Pandoc defaults files
• TextBundle / TextPack

Questions

• How does each tool represent a project or workspace?
• Does it use open folders, a database, or a proprietary package?
• How does it represent chapters, scenes, research, notes, assets, and exports?
• How does it handle metadata?
• How does it handle versions, snapshots, history, or Git?
• How approachable is it for non-technical writers?
• What should TRURL learn from it?
• What should TRURL avoid?

Acceptance criteria

• Research document exists under docs/research/.
• Includes comparison matrix.
• Includes direct TRURL design lessons.
• Includes workspace manifest lessons.
• Includes writer-first UX recommendations.
• Includes risks and anti-patterns.
• Includes recommended follow-up issues.

Product principle

TRURL should be writer-first on the surface and Git-aware underneath: hide operational complexity, not editorial truth.