Cherry Studio is a desktop application that supports multiple Large Language Model (LLM) providers, offering versatile AI model integration for users across Windows, Mac, and Linux. Developed by the kangfenmao organization, the project is actively maintained and popular, with significant community engagement. The project is in a dynamic state with ongoing feature enhancements and bug fixes, indicating a positive trajectory towards improved functionality and user experience.
Significant API Integration Challenges: Issues with API connections and model support (#557, #552) highlight ongoing efforts to improve compatibility.
UI/UX Enhancements: User-driven demands for better interfaces are evident in issues like markdown handling (#543).
Active Community Contributions: The project encourages community involvement, reflected in diverse issue submissions.
Recent Feature Additions: New capabilities such as custom CSS loading (PR #548) and Japanese localization (PR #533) enhance customization and accessibility.
Non-standard Licensing: The use of an "Other" license may pose legal uncertainties.
Recent Activity
Team Members and Activities
亢奋猫 (kangfenmao)
48 commits in the last 14 days.
Focused on new features like Jina provider integration and bug fixes related to model settings.
zxkmm (sommermorgentraum)
1 commit in the last 14 days.
Implemented custom CSS loading for UI customization.
littlepenguin66
2 commits in the last 14 days.
Added Japanese localization and worked on WebDav auto-sync settings.
Tan Xiang (TanXiang7o)
2 commits in the last 14 days.
Enhanced locale support with "Switch Model" messages and fixed shortcut tips.
adfnekc
1 commit in the last 14 days.
Added metrics for token generation speed statistics.
duanyongcheng77 (Major Judge)
1 commit in the last 14 days.
Improved file upload functionality by allowing multiple uploads.
Patterns and Themes
Recent activities focus on enhancing user experience through new features like custom CSS loading and internationalization efforts.
Bug fixes are frequent, indicating active maintenance and responsiveness to issues.
Collaborative work across components such as settings, providers, and knowledge management systems is evident.
Risks
API Integration Issues: Persistent challenges with API connections (#557, #552) could hinder user experience if not resolved promptly.
Licensing Concerns: The non-standard "Other" license may introduce legal risks or limit adoption by cautious users or organizations.
Complexity of Features: The addition of numerous features could lead to increased complexity, potentially impacting maintainability or introducing new bugs.
Of Note
Custom API Parameters Feature (PR #564): This open PR introduces significant flexibility for API interactions but contains a notable bug that requires attention.
Unmerged Pull Requests: Several PRs were closed without merging, suggesting possible shifts in project priorities or unresolved technical challenges.
Quantified Reports
Quantify issues
Recent GitHub Issues Activity
Timespan
Opened
Closed
Comments
Labeled
Milestones
7 Days
48
25
118
26
1
30 Days
155
88
389
100
1
90 Days
338
200
887
264
1
All Time
507
348
-
-
-
Like all software activity quantification, these numbers are imperfect but sometimes useful. Comments, Labels, and Milestones refer to those issues opened in the timespan in question.
Rate pull requests
3/5
The pull request addresses a specific UI issue by limiting the maximum width of message content to improve readability in full-screen mode and adds an overflow property to handle long inline code. While these changes are beneficial, they are relatively minor and straightforward, involving only a few lines of CSS and JSX modifications. The implementation is simple and does not introduce any significant new functionality or complexity. Additionally, the PR does not address the need for configuration options or buttons to control width, as suggested in the comments, indicating room for further improvement.
[+] Read More
3/5
The pull request introduces a feature for custom API parameters with a user interface for adding, deleting, and managing these parameters. It supports multiple data types and includes multilingual support. However, it has a known bug with the number input component, which affects usability. The changes are significant but not exemplary due to the bug and lack of resolution. Overall, it is an average contribution with room for improvement.
PRs: created by that dev and opened/merged/closed-unmerged during the period
Quantify risks
Project Risk Ratings
Risk
Level (1-5)
Rationale
Delivery
4
The Cherry Studio project faces significant delivery risks due to a substantial backlog of 159 open issues, which could impede timely feature releases and bug fixes. Critical issues like API integration challenges (#557, #552) and model support (#546) are yet unresolved, directly impacting the project's core functionalities. The high volume of changes by a single developer ('亢奋猫') without thorough review increases the risk of introducing bugs and technical debt, further complicating delivery timelines.
Velocity
3
The project's velocity is moderate, with active development indicated by 48 commits from '亢奋猫' in the past 14 days. However, the closure rate of issues (59% over 90 days) suggests a growing backlog, which could slow down progress. The presence of unresolved bugs in recent pull requests (e.g., PR #564) also indicates potential bottlenecks that could affect overall velocity.
Dependency
4
Cherry Studio's reliance on external systems like Electron and various AI model providers poses significant dependency risks. Any disruptions or changes in these external services could severely impact functionality. The complex dependency tree in package.json further heightens this risk, as updates or deprecations could lead to compatibility issues.
Team
3
The team shows active engagement with contributions from multiple developers, but the high concentration of commits by '亢奋猫' suggests potential risks of burnout or over-reliance on key individuals. Effective coordination is needed to manage community contributions and prevent conflicts or communication breakdowns.
Code Quality
3
Code quality is moderate, with ongoing efforts to enhance user experience through UI improvements and internationalization. However, unresolved usability bugs in features like custom API parameters (PR #564) highlight areas needing improvement. The large volume of changes by a single developer also raises concerns about maintainability and potential security flaws if not adequately reviewed.
Technical Debt
4
Technical debt is accumulating due to a growing backlog of issues and the rapid pace of development without comprehensive testing. Frequent bug fixes indicate ongoing challenges in maintaining code stability. The reliance on patches for certain dependencies further complicates future updates and integrations.
Test Coverage
4
Test coverage appears insufficient given the presence of unresolved bugs affecting new features (e.g., PR #564). The rapid development pace necessitates robust testing frameworks to ensure stability across different environments and prevent regressions.
Error Handling
4
Error handling is a concern as highlighted by issues like #563, where multiple API keys fail without automatic switching. This indicates gaps in error management processes that could lead to system failures or degraded user experiences if not addressed.
Detailed Reports
Report On: Fetch issues
Recent Activity Analysis
Cherry Studio's GitHub repository has seen a flurry of activity, with numerous issues being opened and closed recently. The project currently has 159 open issues, indicating active development and community engagement.
Notable Issues and Themes
API and Model Integration: Several issues (#557, #552, #546) highlight challenges with API integration and model support, particularly with Gemini and other AI models. Users report difficulties in connecting to APIs or using specific models, which suggests ongoing efforts to enhance compatibility and user experience.
User Interface and Experience: Issues like #543 and #538 focus on UI/UX improvements, such as better handling of markdown rendering and the ability to send images without accompanying text. These issues reflect a user-driven demand for more intuitive and flexible interfaces.
Functionality Enhancements: Requests for new features, such as the ability to customize font sizes (#414) or support for additional AI models (#546), indicate a desire for greater personalization and expanded capabilities within the application.
Bug Fixes: Several issues (#552, #545) address bugs that affect the application's performance, such as unexpected redirects or rendering errors. These reports are crucial for maintaining software reliability and user trust.
Community Contributions: The repository encourages community involvement through coding, bug fixing, and feature suggestions, as seen in the diverse range of issues submitted by users.
Issue Details
#563: A question about adding multiple API keys to a single model. Priority is medium, created 1 day ago.
#562: A feature request for user-defined topic summary prompts. Created 1 day ago.
#560: A bug report about WebDAV backup errors on Windows v0.9.1. Created 1 day ago.
#559: A bug report about connection failures with OpenAI's official key on Windows v0.9.1. Created 1 day ago.
#558: A bug report about errors encountered when uploading files to a knowledge base on macOS v0.9.1. Created 1 day ago.
These issues represent a mix of feature requests, bug reports, and questions about existing functionalities, reflecting the project's dynamic nature and the community's active participation in its development process.
Report On: Fetch pull requests
Analysis of Pull Requests for kangfenmao/cherry-studio
Summary: This pull request introduces a feature to add custom API parameters, including a configuration interface and support for multiple data types (string, number, boolean). It also adds multilingual support. However, there's a notable issue with the numeric input component where increment/decrement buttons are not functioning correctly.
Comments: The creator has acknowledged the bug, and there is a suggestion to organize parameter configurations into functions within BaseProvider.
Significance: This PR is crucial as it enhances the flexibility of API interactions within Cherry Studio by allowing custom parameters. The bug needs to be addressed promptly to ensure smooth functionality.
PR #506: feat: limit the maximum width of message content.
State: Open
Created: 8 days ago
Summary: This PR aims to improve readability by setting a maximum width for message content and adding horizontal scroll bars for long inline code in Markdown.
Comments: The maintainer has suggested additional design changes, such as adding controls for width configuration, indicating ongoing work on this feature.
Significance: Enhancing readability is important for user experience, especially in full-screen mode. The ongoing design improvements should be monitored.
Recently Closed Pull Requests
PR #548: Add capabilities for user to load custom CSS
State: Closed (Merged)
Created: 2 days ago, Closed 1 day ago
Summary: This feature allows users to load custom CSS, providing greater customization options for the application's appearance.
Significance: This enhancement empowers users to tailor the UI to their preferences, potentially increasing user engagement and satisfaction.
Summary: Intended to add metrics fields for token generation speed and initial character delay statistics. However, it was closed without merging.
Significance: The closure without merging suggests unresolved issues or redundancy with other features. Understanding the reasons could provide insights into project priorities or technical challenges.
Both were closed without being merged, indicating potential issues or changes in project direction that rendered these contributions unnecessary or obsolete.
Conclusion
The open pull requests (#564 and #506) are significant as they introduce new functionalities and improvements that align with Cherry Studio's goals of enhancing flexibility and user experience. The recently closed PRs reflect active development in expanding localization and customization features. Monitoring the progress of open PRs and understanding the reasons behind unmerged ones can provide valuable insights into project management and development priorities.
Purpose: This file configures the Electron Builder, which is responsible for packaging and distributing the application.
Structure: The file is well-organized, specifying configurations for different platforms (Windows, macOS, Linux) with appropriate settings for each.
Exclusions: It uses a comprehensive list of file and directory exclusions, ensuring unnecessary files are not included in the build. This is crucial for reducing the size of the final package.
Platform-specific Configurations:
Windows: Uses NSIS for installer creation with customizable options like desktop shortcut and installation directory.
macOS: Specifies entitlements and targets both ARM64 and x64 architectures.
Linux: Targets AppImage format, which is common for cross-distro compatibility.
Publishing: Uses a generic provider with a specified URL for updates, indicating a straightforward update mechanism.
Quality: The configuration is detailed and seems to cover all necessary aspects for a multi-platform application.
Purpose: Contains metadata about the project, including dependencies, scripts, and configurations.
Dependencies:
A mix of production (dependencies) and development (devDependencies) packages are listed. Notably includes Electron-related packages and various loaders for handling different file types.
Uses Yarn workspaces, indicating a monorepo setup which can help manage multiple packages efficiently.
Scripts: A comprehensive set of scripts for building, testing, and releasing the application across different platforms. This includes specific scripts for type checking and linting, which are essential for maintaining code quality.
Versioning and Publishing: Includes scripts for versioning (release) and publishing artifacts (publish), suggesting a well-thought-out release process.
Quality: The package.json is extensive and well-maintained, reflecting good practices in dependency management and script organization.
Purpose: Manages settings related to assistant models, allowing customization of AI interactions.
State Management: Uses React hooks to manage various settings states such as temperature, context count, etc., providing real-time feedback through sliders and switches.
Interactivity:
Provides tooltips for additional context on settings options using Ant Design's Tooltip.
Implements reset functionality to revert settings to defaults easily.
Quality: The component is user-friendly with intuitive controls that enhance user experience in configuring assistant models.
Purpose: Script related to downloading npm packages based on platform specifications as part of the build process.
Functionality:
Downloads platform-specific npm packages using URLs directly from npm registry based on provided platform argument or defaults to all platforms if none specified.
Quality: The script is straightforward but effective in automating package downloads necessary for building platform-specific binaries.
Purpose: Defines CI/CD workflows for releases using GitHub Actions across multiple operating systems (macOS, Windows, Ubuntu).
Steps Include:
Checkout repository code
Setup Node.js environment
Cache dependencies using Yarn
Build artifacts per OS
Release draft creation using GitHub Release Action
Security Considerations:
Utilizes secrets management for sensitive information like tokens and passwords during builds/releases.
Quality: The workflow is comprehensive covering all major steps required in a CI/CD pipeline ensuring consistent builds across platforms.
Overall, the source code files demonstrate strong adherence to modern development practices with attention to detail in configuration management, state handling, UI design consistency, and CI/CD automation.
Report On: Fetch commits
Development Team and Recent Activity
Team Members and Activities
亢奋猫 (kangfenmao)
Commits: 48 in the last 14 days.
Recent Work:
Implemented new features such as Jina provider, Windows platform support for node file detection, and embedding tag to settings.
Fixed various bugs including model settings params step size, Azure OpenAI embedding, and image sending functionality.
Refactored knowledge base engine to use libsql and improved project structure.
Collaborated on multiple files, primarily focusing on enhancing the knowledge base, settings, and provider configurations.
zxkmm (sommermorgentraum)
Commits: 1 in the last 14 days.
Recent Work:
Added capabilities for users to load custom CSS, contributing to the display settings of the application.
littlepenguin66
Commits: 2 in the last 14 days.
Recent Work:
Added Japanese localization for i18n.
Worked on WebDav auto-sync settings synchronization.
Tan Xiang (TanXiang7o)
Commits: 2 in the last 14 days.
Recent Work:
Added "Switch Model" message to multiple locales and updated tooltip in MessageMenubar.
Fixed shortcut tips.
adfnekc
Commits: 1 in the last 14 days.
Recent Work:
Added metrics field to messages for token generation speed statistics.
duanyongcheng77 (Major Judge)
Commits: 1 in the last 14 days.
Recent Work:
Enabled multiple file uploads by allowing repeated clicks on the upload button.
Patterns and Themes
The majority of recent activities are centered around enhancing user experience through new features like custom CSS loading, Jina provider integration, and Windows support for node file detection.
There is a strong focus on internationalization with efforts to add Japanese localization and improve translation features.
Bug fixes are frequent, indicating active maintenance and responsiveness to issues. These include adjustments to model settings, embedding functionalities, and UI improvements.
The team demonstrates collaborative work across various components such as settings, providers, and knowledge management systems.
The project is actively evolving with regular updates to dependencies and improvements in project structure.
Conclusions
The development team is actively engaged in both feature development and bug fixing. There is a clear emphasis on enhancing user experience through new functionalities and internationalization efforts. The project shows signs of healthy collaboration among team members with a focus on maintaining code quality and addressing user-reported issues promptly.