Troubleshooting

Having issues? Start here. This section covers the most common problems and how to resolve them.

Quick fixes

Symptom	Likely cause	Solution
DSL parser reports errors	Syntax issue in .dsl file	See Validation Errors
A view doesn’t appear	Missing or duplicate view key	See Missing Views
Extension editor opens blank	Frontend bundle not built	See VS Code Webview Issues
Layout looks different each time	Layout engine or positions not saved	Save with Ctrl+S; check the layout engine is set per view in the Inspector
Inspector changes not applying	Element not selected or not saved	Click the element, make changes, click Save
Export produces empty image	No elements in current view	Check include rules in the view definition

Detailed guides

• Validation Errors — DSL syntax and semantic errors
• Missing Views — Views not showing in the panel
• VS Code Webview Issues — Extension editor problems
• MCP Diagnostics — AI client and MCP server connection issues

Still stuck?

If none of the above helps:

1. Check the browser developer tools console (F12) for JavaScript errors.
2. In VS Code, run ArchTect: Show Copilot Diagnostics to capture environment info.
3. Open an issue on GitHub with:
   • What you expected to happen
   • What actually happened
   • Your DSL file (or a minimal reproduction)
   • Browser/VS Code version