#123 Epic: yWriter Import Integration

[Anonymous]

Originally created by: smith-and-web

Summary

Import yWriter 7 (.yw7) projects into Kindling, with special focus on converting Goal/Conflict/Outcome fields into scene beats.

Background

yWriter is a free novel-writing software created by Simon Haynes (Spacejock Software). It's popular among fiction writers for its scene-based organization and detailed scene planning fields (Goal, Conflict, Outcome).

Market Context:

• Free software with loyal user base
• Strong overlap with Kindling's target audience (structured plotters)
• yWriter users often need better export options (a known pain point)
• Scene Goal/Conflict/Outcome fields align perfectly with Kindling's beat scaffolding concept

File Format

Format: Single XML file
Extension: .yw7
Complexity: Low-Medium (single file, well-structured XML)
Encoding: UTF-8 or UTF-16 (iOS version may use UTF-16)

Key Data Mappings

yWriter Element	Maps To Kindling
<CHAPTER>	Chapter
<SCENE>	Scene
<Desc> (scene)	Synopsis / Beat source
<Goal> + <Conflict> + <Outcome>	Scene beats (primary scaffolding!)
<SceneContent>	Prose (if any exists)
<CHARACTER>	Character reference
<LOCATION>	Location reference
<ITEM>	Could map to Location or custom entity
<ViewpointCharacter>	Scene POV metadata

Parsing Considerations

1. Encoding: iOS yWriter creates UTF-16 files; desktop uses UTF-8
2. ID References: IDs are integers, referenced as semicolon-delimited strings
3. Scene Types: Type 0=Normal (import), Type 1=Notes (optional), Type 2=ToDo (optional)
4. Rich Text: Scene content uses yWriter markup: [i]italic[/i], [b]bold[/b]

Rust Crate Recommendations

quick-xml = "0.31"      # XML parsing
encoding_rs = "0.8"     # Handle UTF-16 encoding

Child Issues

High Priority

• [x] [#124] - US-YW1: Import yWriter 7 Project (core parsing)
• [x] [#125] - US-YW2: Import Scene Goal/Conflict/Outcome as Beats
• [x] [#126] - US-YW3: Import Scene Content as Prose
• [x] [#127] - US-YW4: Import Characters from yWriter
• [x] [#128] - US-YW5: Import Locations from yWriter
• [x] [#129] - US-YW11: Preview Before Import

Medium Priority

• [x] [#130] - US-YW6: Import Items from yWriter
• [x] [#131] - US-YW7: Handle Scene Types and Status
• [x] [#132] - US-YW10: Import Project Metadata
• [x] [#133] - US-YW12: Handle yWriter Markup Conversion

Lower Priority

• [x] [#134] - US-YW8: Import Scene Timeline Data
• [x] [#135] - US-YW9: Handle Action vs Reaction Scenes

Open Questions

1. Items handling: Should Items be a separate entity type, or merge with Locations as "World Elements"?
2. Beat labeling: Should GCO beats be labeled explicitly ("Goal:", "Conflict:", "Outcome:") or generically?
3. Reaction scenes: Should Reaction scenes auto-convert GCO to "Response/Dilemma/Decision" labels?
4. Export back to yWriter: Should round-trip capability be planned?

[Anonymous]

Ticket changed by: smith-and-web

• status: open --> closed