Redesign sidebar

[sebailfico]

Let's discuss this here

[markoceri]

Based on previous discussions, Miner and Miner Controller can be merged. Considering that there can't be a miner without a controller, and having a controller without a miner wouldn't make sense, this can currently only be done from the frontend by creating a single configuration process for the miner/miner controller that saves both.

The same goes for Energy Source and Energy Monitor, which can be merged by creating a single configuration process.

reference #27

[markoceri]

After a thorough dive with @riccardoaran, the most widely accepted hypothesis was to modify the menu items as follows:

• Energy: A single menu item that includes all the system's energy elements, unifying the configuration for the Energy Source, Energy Monitor, and Forecast Provider, which will form an entity we could call the Energy System.
• Mining: A single menu item that includes the Miner and Miner Controllers, creating an entity we could call the Mining System. In the future, the single menu item may be expanded to include information from the mining pool — as soon as the Mining Performance Analysis component is implemented in the core.

The hypotheses under consideration also led to the name "Energy Plant", a much more comprehensive and fitting name, which conveys the idea of ​​an energy production plant, but this name is closer to an industrial context. The basic idea, and the spirit of Edge Mining, is to associate mining with everything that revolves around the home environment, even in the terminology.

We were also considering alternative names for Optimization Unit and Optimization Policies. The idea was to simplify the terminology, so:

• Optimization Policies could become Policies.
• Optimization Unit could become Unit.

While removing "Optimization" from "Policies" still conveys the meaning of what they do, removing optimization from "Unit" doesn't convey the same sense of meaning. Policies are, in fact, a collection of rules that allow a miner to be turned on and off, and the name conveys this idea well. The "Optimization Unit" is a container that aggregates policies, miners, energy systems, and notifiers into a single container, allowing each element to be connected to each other with the aim of optimizing energy waste. A candidate that simplifies the name could be "Smart Unit", which conveys the idea of ​​an intelligent unit that allows the elements to communicate, but the term "smart" is widely used in often different contexts and hasn't convinced us much.

We’d love to hear your thoughts on this direction, especially regarding whether unifying the Energy and Mining elements under these macro categories feels like the right move for the UI flow. We are also still weighing the terminology: while "Energy Plant" is technically fitting, we’re concerned it might sound a bit too industrial for the home-centric spirit we’re aiming for, so we’d welcome any alternatives that feel more residential. Similarly, we’re curious to know if you think "Smart Unit" hits the right balance of simplicity, or if we should stick with "Optimization Unit" — unless you have a different name in mind that captures the essence of energy coordination without being too wordy. Let us know what you think! @sebailfico @GitGab19

[riccardoaran]

Hi team, and thanks @markoceri for having already put together a recap of our deep conversation yesterday.

After thinking a lot about the UI terminology, I’ve decided that I don’t want to change the terms Marco introduced (such as energy monitor, energy source, mining controller, etc.), but rather define higher‑level groups that contain them. This way we can introduce a new terminology that goes hand in hand with simplifying the configuration flow.

The word “system” seems to best represent the grouping of the elements in the energy and mining categories, because they are in fact systems composed of several parts. For this reason I’m proposing the terms “energy system” and “mining system” as sets of smaller elements that together form a complete, usable system.

So, conceptually:

Energy Monitor + Energy Source + Forecast Provider = Energy System
Miner + Miner Controller = Mining System

A system includes all hardware and software elements that communicate with each other. If in the future we add more elements, the system name will stay the same and simply include the new components.

In the sidebar this could translate into showing only the top‑level entries “Energy” and “Mining”. Inside each of them, we would have buttons like “Add Energy System” and “Add Mining System”, which would open a full configuration view that includes all the elements listed above.

[riccardoaran]

Regarding Optimization Units and Optimization Policies, I’ve come to the conclusion that simplifying the terms without changing them radically is the best choice, also for smoother internal communication.

“Optimization Policies” would become “Policies” and “Optimization Units” would become “Units”. They work as a kind of shorthand for Marco’s original full terms, without distorting their meaning.

I’m also not a fan of the word “Smart”, because it feels generic and overused in many current contexts.

[riccardoaran]

Since I’ve noticed that the "optimization unit" and its simplification into "units" are what bring the most doubts and complications, I’ll try to clarify my idea with this dictionary definition:

In English, the word "unit" has a specific meaning that goes beyond a simple element or component. In many real-world contexts, a unit refers to a self-contained, fully operational entity made up of multiple parts that work together toward a single purpose.

This is exactly what an Optimization Unit is in Edge Mining: it brings together an Energy System, a Mining System, a Policy, notifiers, and other components into a single, operational configuration. It is the top-level concept — the point where everything converges and the system becomes actionable.

For this reason, "Units" as a UI label is not generic or vague. It carries a precise meaning: a complete, self-contained configuration that unifies all the other elements of the system.

[riccardoaran]

To conclude, this is my proposed terminology for the UI, and specifically for the sidebar:

• Dashboard
• Units
• Policies
• Energy
• Mining
• External Services
• Notifiers