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AGENTS.md - VPN Tray Manager Development Guide

Project Overview

Xray-VPN-Manager is a Windows-only system tray application for managing multiple Xray-core VPN servers from a single subscription URL. Built in Rust with native Windows UI (no web/electron), it provides a lightweight way to enable/disable VPN servers with custom proxy ports.

Platform: Windows 10/11 only (uses Windows API extensively)
Language: Rust (edition 2024)
Architecture: Native Win32 GUI + Tokio async runtime for process management

Essential Commands

Build & Run

# Development build
cargo build

# Release build (optimized)
cargo build --release

# Run (shows console output - #![windows_subsystem = "windows"] commented out in main.rs:1)
cargo run

# Release run (production mode)
cargo run --release

Testing

No test suite currently exists. Manual testing required:

  1. Run app, check tray icon appears
  2. Open Settings, enter subscription URL and xray binary path
  3. Click Update to fetch servers
  4. Enable servers, set ports/proxy types
  5. Click Save and verify servers start
  6. Check tray menu shows running servers

Linting & Formatting

# Check code (standard Rust linting)
cargo check

# Format code
cargo fmt

# Run Clippy for additional lints
cargo clippy

Project Structure

VPN-Manager/
├── src/
│   ├── main.rs              # Entry point, tray icon, Windows message loop
│   ├── config.rs            # Config persistence (JSON in %APPDATA%)
│   ├── xray_manager.rs      # Xray process lifecycle management
│   ├── vpn/
│   │   └── mod.rs           # Subscription parsing, URI handling
│   └── ui/
│       ├── mod.rs           # UI module exports
│       ├── tray.rs          # Tray icon creation, menu rendering
│       └── settings_window.rs # Native Win32 settings window (1200+ LOC)
├── Cargo.toml               # Dependencies, Windows features
├── build.rs                 # Embeds app.manifest via app.rc
├── app.manifest             # Windows DPI awareness, compatibility
└── app.rc                   # Resource compiler input

Module Responsibilities

  • main.rs: Global state (TOKIO_RUNTIME, MENU_UPDATE_REQUESTED), server restart logic, Windows message pump
  • config.rs: Config struct, load/save to %APPDATA%\Xray-VPN-Manager\config.json
  • xray_manager.rs: Wraps v2parser::xray_runner::XrayRunner, manages server processes in XRAY_PROCESSES HashMap
  • vpn/mod.rs: Fetches subscription URLs (base64-encoded), parses URIs (vless, vmess, trojan, ss, socks), assigns local ports
  • ui/tray.rs: Creates tray icon (gold star), builds dynamic menu with running servers
  • ui/settings_window.rs: Complex native Win32 window with custom scrolling, file dialogs, dynamic server list

Configuration & Data Flow

Config File

Location: %APPDATA%\Xray-VPN-Manager\config.json

{
  "subscription_url": "https://example.com/sub",
  "xray_binary_path": "C:\\path\\to\\xray.exe",
  "server_settings": {
    "VLESS://server1.com:443": {
      "local_port": 1080,
      "proxy_type": "SOCKS",
      "enabled": true
    }
  }
}

Server Key Format: PROTOCOL://address:port (e.g., VLESS://server.com:443)

Data Flow

  1. Startup:

    • Load config from %APPDATA%
    • Fetch subscription URIs
    • Parse and assign ports (preserve saved settings)
    • Store in VPN_SERVERS global mutex
    • Start enabled servers via xray_manager::start_server()

  2. Settings Window:

    • User enters/updates subscription URL
    • Click "Update" → fetch and parse in background thread
    • Store in VPN_SERVERS, post WM_UPDATE_SERVERS message
    • Rebuild server list UI with checkboxes, port edits, proxy type combos
    • Click "Save" → build Config from UI state, save to JSON, call restart_xray_servers()

  3. Server Control:

    • restart_xray_servers() stops all, starts enabled ones
    • Updates tray menu via request_menu_update() (sets atomic flag)
    • Main loop checks flag and calls update_tray_menu()

Code Patterns & Conventions

Global State

Uses LazyLock (nightly-stabilized) for lazy static initialization:

pub static TOKIO_RUNTIME: LazyLock<tokio::runtime::Runtime> = LazyLock::new(|| {
    tokio::runtime::Runtime::new().expect("Failed to create tokio runtime")
});

pub static VPN_SERVERS: Mutex<Option<Vec<VpnServer>>> = Mutex::new(None);
pub static XRAY_PROCESSES: LazyLock<Mutex<HashMap<String, XrayRunner>>> = ...;
pub static MENU_UPDATE_REQUESTED: AtomicBool = AtomicBool::new(false);

Threading Model

  • Main thread: Windows message loop (synchronous, blocking GetMessageW)
  • Background threads: Subscription fetching, server start/stop (spawn via std::thread::spawn)
  • Async runtime: Tokio runtime for xray process management, accessed via TOKIO_RUNTIME.block_on(async { ... })

Error Handling

  • Functions return Result<T, String> (error messages as strings)
  • Silent failures common in networking code (vpn/mod.rs): Err(_) => {} without logging
  • Print statements (println!, eprintln!) for debugging (no structured logging)

Naming Conventions

  • Functions: snake_case (Rust standard)
  • Types: PascalCase (VpnServer, ServerSettings)
  • Constants: UPPER_SNAKE_CASE (ID_URL_EDIT, MARGIN, WM_UPDATE_SERVERS)
  • Control IDs: Sequential ranges (checkboxes: 2000+, port edits: 3000+, combos: 4000+, labels: 5000+)

Windows API Patterns

Uses windows crate (v0.58) with extensive feature flags:

#[cfg(windows)]
use windows::{
    Win32::{
        Foundation::{HWND, LPARAM, WPARAM},
        UI::WindowsAndMessaging::*,
    },
};
  • String encoding: UTF-16 conversion everywhere: "text\0".encode_utf16().collect::<Vec<u16>>()
  • Resource management: No explicit cleanup (relies on OS to clean up on process exit)
  • Unsafe: Almost all Win32 calls wrapped in unsafe { } blocks
  • Error handling: .ok(), .unwrap(), .expect() common (crashes on critical failures)

UI Control Layout

Constants define consistent spacing:

const MARGIN: i32 = 15;
const FONT_SIZE: i32 = 32;
const LABEL_HEIGHT: i32 = 45;
const CONTROL_HEIGHT: i32 = 45;
const ROW_HEIGHT: i32 = 55;

Dynamic widths calculated from window size in WM_SIZE handler.

Dependencies & External Tools

Key Rust Dependencies

  • tray-icon (0.21): Cross-platform tray icon (uses Windows native API)
  • windows (0.58): Direct Win32 API bindings (extensive feature list in Cargo.toml)
  • tokio (1.x): Async runtime for process management (rt-multi-thread, sync, macros)
  • serde/serde_json (1.x): Config serialization
  • reqwest (0.12): HTTP client for subscription fetching (blocking feature)
  • base64 (0.22): Decode subscription content
  • image (0.25): Image handling (unused in current code?)
  • v2parser (local path): Custom parser for VPN URIs (path: ../v2-uri-parser)

Critical External Dependency

v2parser is a local crate located at ../v2-uri-parser (relative to project root). Must exist for project to build.

Provides:

  • v2parser::parser::get_metadata(uri: &str) -> String (JSON string)
  • v2parser::parser::create_json_config(uri, socks_port, http_port) -> String
  • v2parser::xray_runner::XrayRunner (process management)

External Binaries

xray-core: User must download separately from https://github.com/XTLS/Xray-core/releases
Binary path configured in settings window and saved to config.

Architecture Details

Async Runtime Usage

Tokio runtime is created once at startup and used for:

  • Starting xray processes: TOKIO_RUNTIME.block_on(async { xray_manager::start_server(...).await })
  • Stopping processes: TOKIO_RUNTIME.block_on(async { xray_manager::stop_all_servers().await })

Important: Main thread blocks on async operations (no true concurrency for process management).

Process Management

Each enabled server spawns an xray process via v2parser::xray_runner::XrayRunner:

  • Stored in global XRAY_PROCESSES: HashMap<server_key, XrayRunner>
  • Server key format: PROTOCOL://address:port
  • Processes cleaned up on stop_server() or stop_all_servers()
  • All processes stopped on app exit (main.rs:154)

Tray Menu Updates

Two-step update mechanism:

  1. Call request_menu_update() to set MENU_UPDATE_REQUESTED atomic flag
  2. Main loop checks flag and calls update_tray_menu(tray_icon, settings_item, quit_item)
  3. Creates new menu with create_tray_menu_with_servers() and sets it via tray_icon.set_menu()

Why? tray-icon doesn't support callbacks, and menu must be updated from main thread.

Settings Window Lifecycle

  • Created on "Settings" menu item click
  • HWND stored in Arc<Mutex<Option<HWND>>> to prevent duplicates
  • Brings to front if already open (main.rs:140-151)
  • Custom window class "SettingsWindowClass" with white background
  • Custom scroll container class "ScrollContainerClass" with manual scroll handling

Common Gotchas

1. Windows-Only Build

Project will not compile on Linux/macOS due to:

  • #[cfg(windows)] everywhere
  • Direct Win32 API calls
  • Platform-specific dependencies

2. Edition 2024 Requirement

Cargo.toml specifies edition = "2024" (unreleased as of knowledge cutoff). May need Rust nightly or change to edition = "2021".

3. Local Dependency Path

v2parser = { path = "../v2-uri-parser" } must exist at that exact relative path. Not published on crates.io.

4. Windows Subsystem Flag

main.rs:1 has #![windows_subsystem = "windows"] commented out for debugging. In release:

  • Uncomment to hide console window
  • Comment to see stdout/stderr

5. Manifest Embedding

build.rs embeds app.manifest via embed-resource crate. Required for:

  • DPI awareness (PerMonitorV2)
  • Windows 10/11 compatibility flags
  • Non-admin execution (asInvoker)

6. UTF-16 Null Termination

All Windows API strings must be null-terminated:

let text: Vec<u16> = "Hello\0".encode_utf16().collect();  // ✅ Correct
let text: Vec<u16> = "Hello".encode_utf16().collect();    // ❌ Crashes or garbage

7. Control IDs Must Be Unique

Each window control needs unique ID for GetDlgItem():

  • Checkboxes: ID_SERVER_CHECKBOX_BASE + index (2000+)
  • Port edits: ID_SERVER_PORT_EDIT_BASE + index (3000+)
  • Combos: ID_SERVER_PROXY_COMBO_BASE + index (4000+)

ID collision causes controls to be unreachable.

8. Custom Message Range

Custom Windows messages start at WM_USER + 1:

const WM_UPDATE_SERVERS: u32 = WM_USER + 1;

Don't use values below WM_USER (conflicts with system messages).

9. Background Thread UI Updates

Cannot update UI from background threads. Use PostMessageW() to marshal to main thread:

std::thread::spawn(move || {
    let servers = fetch_and_process_vpn_list(&url);
    unsafe {
        PostMessageW(hwnd, WM_UPDATE_SERVERS, WPARAM(0), LPARAM(0));
    }
});

10. Scroll Container Children

Server list controls are children of scroll container, not main window. Must use:

GetDlgItem(container, control_id)  // ✅ Correct
GetDlgItem(hwnd, control_id)       // ❌ Returns error

Testing Approach

Manual Testing Checklist

  1. Tray Icon:

    • Icon appears in system tray (gold star)
    • Right-click shows menu (Settings, Exit)
    • Exit cleanly stops all processes

  2. Settings Window:

    • Opens on Settings click
    • Focuses if already open (no duplicates)
    • URL and Xray path persist from config
    • Browse button opens file dialog
    • Update fetches servers and populates list

  3. Server List:

    • Checkboxes toggle enabled state
    • Port edits accept numbers only
    • Proxy type combo shows SOCKS/HTTP
    • Scroll works with mouse wheel and scrollbar
    • Window resize adjusts layout

  4. Save Functionality:

    • Save writes to %APPDATA%\Xray-VPN-Manager\config.json
    • Servers restart on save
    • Tray menu updates with running servers
    • Settings persist after app restart

  5. Error Handling:

    • Invalid URL shows no error (silent failure)
    • Missing xray binary path causes start failures (check console)
    • Invalid port numbers handled gracefully

No Automated Tests

Currently no unit tests, integration tests, or CI/CD pipeline. All validation is manual.

Adding New Features

Adding a New Menu Item

  1. Create MenuItem in main.rs:

    let new_item = MenuItem::new("New Feature", true, None);

  2. Add to menu in ui/tray.rs:

    tray_menu.append(&new_item).unwrap();

  3. Handle event in main loop:

    if event.id == new_item.id() {
    // Handle click
}

Adding a Config Field

  1. Add to Config struct in config.rs:

    pub struct Config {
    pub subscription_url: String,
    pub xray_binary_path: String,
    pub new_field: String,  // Add this
    #[serde(default)]
    pub server_settings: HashMap<String, ServerSettings>,
}

  2. Update Default impl:

    fn default() -> Self {
    Config {
        // ...
        new_field: String::new(),
        // ...
    }
}

  3. Add UI control in settings_window.rs:

    • Define control ID constant
    • Create control in create_controls()
    • Read value in Save button handler

Adding a New VPN Protocol

  1. Update parse_vpn_uri() in vpn/mod.rs:

    let is_supported = uri.starts_with("vless://") 
    || uri.starts_with("newprotocol://");  // Add this

  2. Ensure v2parser crate supports the protocol (external dependency).

Debugging Tips

Enable Console Output

Ensure #![windows_subsystem = "windows"] is commented in main.rs:1.

Common Debug Points

  1. Subscription fetch fails:

    • Check URL is valid and returns base64-encoded content
    • Add println! in fetch_and_process_vpn_list() to see response

  2. Servers don't start:

    • Verify xray binary path exists
    • Check xray_manager::start_server() errors in console
    • Ensure v2parser generates valid config

  3. Menu doesn't update:

    • Verify request_menu_update() called
    • Check MENU_UPDATE_REQUESTED flag in main loop
    • Ensure VPN_SERVERS mutex populated

  4. Settings window controls missing:

    • Check control IDs are unique
    • Verify GetDlgItem() uses correct parent (container vs. hwnd)
    • Look for "Failed to create..." messages

  5. DPI scaling issues:

    • Verify app.manifest embedded (check build.rs runs)
    • Ensure SetProcessDpiAwarenessContext called at startup

Useful Print Statements

println!("Settings window created: {:?}", hwnd);
println!("URL entered: {}", url);
println!("Started server: {}", server.name);
eprintln!("Failed to start server {}: {}", server.name, e);

Already present in code for basic debugging.

Performance Considerations

UI Thread Blocking

Main thread blocks on:

  • GetMessageW() (Windows message pump)
  • TOKIO_RUNTIME.block_on() (async operations)

Keep async operations fast to avoid UI freezes.

Scroll Performance

Settings window with many servers (100+) may lag:

  • Each server creates 4-5 controls (checkbox, label, edit, combo)
  • Scroll handler moves all children on every scroll event
  • Consider virtualization if server count exceeds ~50

Subscription Fetch

Blocking HTTP call in background thread:

reqwest::blocking::get(url)

No timeout configured. May hang on slow/unresponsive servers.

Security & Safety

Unsafe Code

Extensive use of unsafe for Windows API:

  • String pointer conversions (PCWSTR::from_raw())
  • Window handles (HWND casting)
  • Message parameter packing (WPARAM, LPARAM)

Assumption: Windows API contracts upheld (e.g., null-terminated strings).

Process Execution

Executes arbitrary xray binary from user-configured path. No validation of binary integrity.

Network Requests

Fetches subscription URLs without TLS verification control. Uses reqwest defaults (should verify certificates).

Config Storage

Plaintext JSON in %APPDATA%. No encryption. Contains:

  • Subscription URLs (may include credentials in query params)
  • Server addresses/ports
  • Local proxy ports

Not suitable for highly sensitive credentials.

Future Improvements

Based on code analysis:

  1. Add tests: Unit tests for config, integration tests for subscription parsing
  2. Logging: Replace println! with structured logging (e.g., tracing, env_logger)
  3. Error handling: Return structured errors instead of String, display errors in UI
  4. Timeouts: Add request timeouts to reqwest::blocking::get()
  5. Virtualized list: For 50+ servers, implement virtual scrolling
  6. Tray menu callbacks: Investigate better tray update mechanism (polling is suboptimal)
  7. CI/CD: Add GitHub Actions for Windows builds
  8. Installer: Package as MSI/NSIS installer instead of bare .exe
  9. Auto-update: Check for new versions on startup
  10. Connection testing: Ping/test servers before enabling

Build Troubleshooting

"edition 2024 not found"

Change Cargo.toml:

edition = "2021"  # Change from 2024

"v2parser not found"

Ensure ../v2-uri-parser exists relative to project root. Clone or create it separately.

"embed-resource failed"

Ensure Windows SDK installed (required for rc.exe resource compiler).

Missing Windows features

If compile fails with missing types, add to Cargo.toml:

[target.'cfg(windows)'.dependencies]
windows = { version = "0.58", features = [
    # Add missing feature here
] }

Summary for AI Agents

When working in this codebase:

  1. Platform: Windows-only, will not compile elsewhere
  2. External dep: v2parser at ../v2-uri-parser required
  3. Testing: Manual only, no automated tests
  4. UI: Native Win32, complex custom controls in settings_window.rs
  5. Async: Tokio runtime used, but main thread blocks on operations
  6. State: Global mutexes (VPN_SERVERS, XRAY_PROCESSES) shared across threads
  7. Config: %APPDATA%\Xray-VPN-Manager\config.json, plaintext JSON
  8. Strings: Always UTF-16 with null terminator for Windows API
  9. IDs: Control IDs must be unique, use defined constants + index
  10. Updates: UI updates from background threads via PostMessageW()

Most complex file: ui/settings_window.rs (1200+ lines, custom scrolling, dynamic layout)
Most critical function: restart_xray_servers() in main.rs (stops/starts all servers)
Most fragile part: Windows API unsafe code (crashes if assumptions violated)

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