feat(shell): two homes — masthead follows brand_href, opt-in app_link topbar link

.rubocop.yml

@@ -124,6 +124,9 @@ Metrics/ClassLength:
     # feature grid + a doc index. Each part is a small focused method; the class
     # is long only because it renders several sections, like the OpenAPI ones above.
     - "app/components/docs_ui/landing.rb"
+    # Same shape: the whole document chrome (head, theme-restore script, drawer,
+    # topbar, App Home link) as small focused methods — length is section count.
+    - "app/components/docs_ui/shell.rb"
 
 Metrics/MethodLength:
   Max: 25

README.md

@@ -157,11 +157,15 @@ diff Dockerfile "$(bundle show docs-kit)/lib/generators/docs_kit/install/templat
 # config/initializers/docs_kit.rb
 DocsKit.configure do |c|
   c.brand        = "phlex-reactive"
-  c.brand_href   = "/docs"                                  # brand link target (default "/")
+  c.brand_href   = "/docs"                                  # the DOCS home: brand, sidebar, and "← Docs home" masthead link (default "/")
   c.title_suffix = "phlex-reactive"
   c.themes       = %w[dark light synthwave retro cyberpunk dracula night nord sunset]
   c.version_badge = -> { "v#{Phlex::Reactive::VERSION}" }   # optional
 
+  # Docs embedded in a bigger app? The way BACK to it — a labeled link rendered
+  # once in the topbar, right after the brand. Unset (default) renders nothing.
+  c.app_link = { href: "/", label: "Back to the app" }
+
   # Repo/social links in the topbar (next to the theme switcher).
   c.topbar_links = [
     { href: "https://github.com/you/phlex-reactive", label: "GitHub", icon: :github },
@@ -181,13 +185,15 @@ registry maps a heading to its authored pages (`Doc.nav_items`); a page that
 isn't written yet is skipped, so there are no dead links. Register a page with
 one line (see [Add a page](#add-a-page)) and it appears in the sidebar.
 
-### Brand link and dark code themes
+### The two homes, the brand link, and dark code themes
 
-Three knobs cover what sites used to shim by subclassing `DocsUI::Shell`:
+These knobs cover what sites used to shim by subclassing `DocsUI::Shell` or
+overriding route helpers:
 
 | Knob | Default | What it does |
 |------|---------|--------------|
-| `c.brand_href` | `"/"` | The href of the topbar brand link. Set it (e.g. `"/docs"`) instead of subclassing `Shell` to copy-paste `#topbar`. |
+| `c.brand_href` | `"/"` | The **docs home** — the href of the topbar brand, the sidebar brand, and each page's "← Docs home" masthead link. Set it (e.g. `"/docs"`) when the docs live under a subpath, instead of subclassing `Shell` or overriding `root_path`. |
+| `c.app_link` | `nil` | The **app home** — an opt-in `{ href:, label: }` link back to the application hosting the docs, rendered once in the topbar right after the brand (e.g. `{ href: "/", label: "Back to the app" }`). Unset renders nothing, so a standalone docs site is unchanged. External hrefs open in a new tab with `rel=noopener`. |
 | `c.code_theme_dark` | `nil` | A second Rouge theme for **dark** daisyUI themes. `nil` keeps the single-theme behavior (fully backwards compatible). When set, `DocsUI::Code` also emits this theme's CSS scoped under `[data-theme=X] .code-highlight` for each shipped dark theme, so code blocks stay readable when the switcher flips to a dark theme. |
 | `c.dark_themes` | daisyUI's built-in dark theme names | Which theme names count as dark for `code_theme_dark`. Intersected with `c.themes` at render time, so only shipped themes emit CSS. Override to name custom dark themes (e.g. `%w[zazu-dark]`). |
 

app/components/docs_ui/page.rb

@@ -65,7 +65,7 @@ def view_template
         # "Markdown" action sits opposite "← Home"; it's chrome too, so it lives
         # inside the skipped nav and never appears in the .md twin.
         nav(class: "mb-6 flex items-center justify-between gap-4", data: { md_skip: true }) do
-          a(href: root_path, class: "link link-hover text-sm opacity-70") { "← Home" }
+          a(href: home_href, class: "link link-hover text-sm opacity-70") { "← Docs home" }
           render DocsUI::MarkdownAction.new(request.path) if markdown_action?
         end
 
@@ -92,5 +92,12 @@ def lead = nil
     def content
       raise NotImplementedError, "#{self.class} must implement #content"
     end
+
+    private
+
+    # The masthead "← Docs home" target: config.brand_href (the DOCS home, like
+    # the topbar/sidebar brand links) — never the host's root_path helper, which
+    # on an app-embedded site is the application root, not the docs landing.
+    def home_href = DocsKit.configuration.brand_href
   end
 end

app/components/docs_ui/shell.rb

@@ -157,6 +157,7 @@ def topbar
           label(for: DRAWER_ID, class: "btn btn-square btn-ghost btn-sm lg:hidden",
                 aria_label: "Open menu") { render DocsUI::Icon.new("menu", class: "size-5") }
           a(href: config.brand_href, class: "btn btn-ghost text-lg font-bold") { config.brand }
+          app_home_link
         end
         render DocsUI::SearchBox.new if config.search_enabled?
         div(class: "flex-none items-center") do
@@ -167,5 +168,22 @@ def topbar
         end
       end
     end
+
+    # The opt-in App Home link (config.app_link) — the way back to the hosting
+    # app, rendered once, right after the brand. Nothing renders when unset, so
+    # the topbar stays byte-identical for a site that never configures it.
+    # External hrefs open in a new tab with rel=noopener (same posture as
+    # DocsUI::TopbarLinks); a site-relative href opens in place.
+    def app_home_link
+      link = config.app_link
+      return unless link
+
+      a(
+        href: link.href,
+        class: "link link-hover text-sm opacity-70",
+        target: (link.external? ? "_blank" : nil),
+        rel: (link.external? ? "noopener noreferrer" : nil)
+      ) { link.label }
+    end
   end
 end

lib/docs_kit/configuration.rb

@@ -184,6 +184,15 @@ def nav=(value)
     # Read the effective map via #api_clients (which merges), never @api_clients.
     attr_writer :api_clients
 
+    # The opt-in "App Home" link — the way back to the application that hosts
+    # the docs, rendered ONCE in the topbar right after the brand (e.g.
+    # "Back to the app" on a docs site embedded in a bigger app). A Hash
+    # ({ href:, label: }) or a DocsKit::TopbarLink; #app_link normalizes it.
+    # Defaults to nil → no link renders and the topbar is byte-identical to
+    # before. Distinct from #brand_href, which is the DOCS home (the brand,
+    # sidebar, and page-masthead links). Read via #app_link, never @app_link.
+    attr_writer :app_link
+
     # External links rendered in the topbar next to the theme switcher — a repo
     # link, a chat invite, a social profile. Each entry is a Hash
     # ({ href:, label:, icon: }) or a DocsKit::TopbarLink; #topbar_links
@@ -262,10 +271,19 @@ def initialize
       @api_base_url = "https://api.example.com"
       @api_auth_header = nil
       @api_clients = {}
+      @app_link = nil
       @topbar_links = []
       @openapi = nil
     end
 
+    # The normalized App Home link (a DocsKit::TopbarLink), or nil when unset —
+    # absent config, absent link, exactly like every other opt-in knob.
+    def app_link
+      return if @app_link.nil?
+
+      DocsKit::TopbarLink.from(@app_link)
+    end
+
     # The normalized topbar links (DocsKit::TopbarLink list), in declaration
     # order. Each configured Hash/TopbarLink is coerced via TopbarLink.from, so
     # the Shell only ever sees value objects. Blank/nil config yields [].

lib/generators/docs_kit/install/templates/docs_kit.rb.erb

@@ -21,6 +21,12 @@ Rails.application.config.to_prepare do
     # docs live under a subpath:
     # c.brand_href = "/docs"
 
+    # Docs embedded in a bigger app? Add the way BACK to that app — a labeled
+    # link rendered once in the topbar, right after the brand. brand_href is the
+    # DOCS home (brand, sidebar, and the page masthead's "← Docs home" all
+    # follow it); app_link is the APP home. Unset (the default) renders nothing.
+    # c.app_link = { href: "/", label: "Back to the app" }
+
     # Repo/social links in the topbar, next to the theme switcher. Each renders
     # as an icon-only button; `icon` is a shipped brand mark (:github, :gitlab,
     # :discord, :x, :rubygems, :bluesky, :mastodon, :slack, :whatsapp, :telegram,

spec/docs_kit/configuration_spec.rb

@@ -16,6 +16,36 @@
     end
   end
 
+  describe "#app_link" do
+    it "defaults to nil (no App Home link renders)" do
+      expect(described_class.new.app_link).to be_nil
+    end
+
+    it "normalizes a symbol-keyed Hash into a DocsKit::TopbarLink" do
+      DocsKit.configure { |c| c.app_link = { href: "/", label: "Back to the app" } }
+
+      link = DocsKit.configuration.app_link
+      expect(link).to be_a(DocsKit::TopbarLink)
+      expect(link.href).to eq("/")
+      expect(link.label).to eq("Back to the app")
+    end
+
+    it "normalizes a string-keyed Hash (a YAML/JSON-loaded config) the same way" do
+      DocsKit.configure { |c| c.app_link = { "href" => "/app", "label" => "App Home" } }
+
+      link = DocsKit.configuration.app_link
+      expect(link.href).to eq("/app")
+      expect(link.label).to eq("App Home")
+    end
+
+    it "passes an existing DocsKit::TopbarLink through unchanged" do
+      value = DocsKit::TopbarLink.new(href: "/", label: "Back to the app")
+      DocsKit.configure { |c| c.app_link = value }
+
+      expect(DocsKit.configuration.app_link).to be(value)
+    end
+  end
+
   describe "#tagline" do
     it "defaults to nil (the llms.txt blockquote line is omitted)" do
       expect(described_class.new.tagline).to be_nil

spec/docs_ui/page_spec.rb

@@ -97,6 +97,46 @@ def content = nil
     stdout
   end
 
+  # The masthead "← Docs home" link follows config.brand_href — the DOCS home —
+  # never the host app's root_path helper (on an app-embedded site root_path is
+  # the app dashboard, which bounced anonymous readers off the docs; see
+  # issue #62). Exercised through #home_href in the same
+  # isolated child process (Page needs Rails to load).
+  define_method(:resolve_home_href) do |config: ""|
+    script = <<~RUBY
+      $LOAD_PATH.unshift "#{gem_root}/lib"
+      require "active_support/all"
+      require "action_dispatch"
+      require "phlex/rails"
+      require "daisy_ui"
+      module Rails
+        def self.application
+          @app ||= Class.new do
+            def routes = @routes ||= ActionDispatch::Routing::RouteSet.new
+          end.new
+        end
+      end
+      require "docs_kit"
+      DocsKit.configure { |c| #{config} }
+      klass = Class.new(DocsUI::Page) { def content = nil }
+      print klass.allocate.send(:home_href).inspect
+    RUBY
+    stdout, stderr, status = Open3.capture3(RbConfig.ruby, "-e", script)
+    raise "child process failed: #{stderr}" unless status.success?
+
+    stdout
+  end
+
+  describe "DocsUI::Page#home_href (the masthead \"← Docs home\" target)" do
+    it "defaults to \"/\" — the same destination root_path resolved to on a standalone site" do
+      expect(resolve_home_href).to eq('"/"')
+    end
+
+    it "follows config.brand_href so an app-embedded site points it at the docs landing" do
+      expect(resolve_home_href(config: 'c.brand_href = "/docs"')).to eq('"/docs"')
+    end
+  end
+
   describe "DocsUI::Page.description (the per-page SEO description)" do
     it "returns an explicitly set description" do
       expect(resolve_description(body: %(description "Add the gem and render."))).to eq('"Add the gem and render."')

spec/docs_ui/shell_spec.rb

@@ -81,6 +81,54 @@ def view_template = topbar
     end
   end
 
+  # The opt-in App Home link (config.app_link) — the way back to the hosting
+  # app, rendered ONCE, right after the brand anchor. Absent config → absent
+  # link, so a site that sets nothing keeps a byte-identical topbar.
+  describe "the topbar App Home link" do
+    let(:topbar_only) do
+      Class.new(described_class) do
+        def view_template = topbar
+      end
+    end
+
+    it "renders no App Home link by default" do
+      html = topbar_only.new.call
+
+      expect(html).not_to include("Back to")
+    end
+
+    it "renders the configured link after the brand anchor" do
+      DocsKit.configure do |c|
+        c.brand = "Docs"
+        c.brand_href = "/docs"
+        c.app_link = { href: "/", label: "Back to the app" }
+      end
+      html = topbar_only.new.call
+
+      brand = html.index('href="/docs"')
+      app = html.index("Back to the app")
+      expect(brand).to be_truthy
+      expect(app).to be > brand
+      expect(html).to include('href="/"')
+    end
+
+    it "opens an external App Home href in a new tab with rel=noopener" do
+      DocsKit.configure { |c| c.app_link = { href: "https://app.example.com", label: "Back to the app" } }
+      html = topbar_only.new.call
+
+      expect(html).to include('target="_blank"')
+      expect(html).to include("noopener")
+    end
+
+    it "opens a site-relative App Home href in place (no target/rel)" do
+      DocsKit.configure { |c| c.app_link = { href: "/", label: "Back to the app" } }
+      html = topbar_only.new.call
+
+      expect(html).not_to include('target="_blank"')
+      expect(html).not_to include("noopener")
+    end
+  end
+
   # The topbar search form is the JS-off search entry point: a plain GET form to
   # config.search_path with an input named "q". It renders only when search is
   # enabled, so a site can opt out with c.search = false.

spec/generators/install_generator_spec.rb

@@ -390,6 +390,14 @@ def capture_stream
       expect(initializer).to match(/openapi\.ya?ml/)
     end
 
+    it "documents the optional app_link knob (commented, so it's opt-in)" do
+      initializer = read("config/initializers/docs_kit.rb")
+
+      # Commented by default — a standalone docs site has no app to link back to.
+      expect(initializer).to include("# c.app_link = ")
+      expect(initializer).to include("Back to the app")
+    end
+
     it "documents the optional topbar_links knob (commented, so it's opt-in)" do
       initializer = read("config/initializers/docs_kit.rb")