Restore and share firmware picker selections through URLs

docs/_javascript/firmware_picker.js

@@ -792,6 +792,52 @@
     }).filter(Boolean)));
   }
 
+  function selectionUrl(url, filters, automaticChipFamily) {
+    const result = new URL(url);
+    FACET_FIELDS.forEach(function (field) {
+      result.searchParams.delete(field);
+      if (filters[field]) result.searchParams.set(field, filters[field]);
+    });
+    result.searchParams.delete("chipAuto");
+    if (filters.hardwareFamily || filters.hardware) {
+      result.searchParams.set("chipAuto", automaticChipFamily ? "1" : "0");
+    }
+    return result.href;
+  }
+
+  function selectionFromUrl(url, profiles) {
+    const params = new URL(url).searchParams;
+    const requested = {};
+    const filters = {};
+    const unavailable = [];
+    FACET_FIELDS.forEach(function (field) {
+      requested[field] = params.get(field) || "";
+    });
+    // Handwritten links may specify just the exact hardware variant.
+    if (requested.hardware && !requested.hardwareFamily) {
+      const profile = profiles.find(function (item) {
+        return item.hardware === requested.hardware;
+      });
+      if (profile) requested.hardwareFamily = profile.hardwareFamily;
+    }
+    const automaticChipFamily = params.get("chipAuto") === "1" ||
+      (params.get("chipAuto") !== "0" && !requested.chipFamily &&
+        Boolean(requested.hardwareFamily || requested.hardware));
+    if (automaticChipFamily) requested.chipFamily = "";
+    // Validate in picker order so a stale variant cannot discard valid hardware.
+    FACET_FIELDS.forEach(function (field) {
+      const value = requested[field];
+      if (!value) return;
+      if ((field !== "hardware" || filters.hardwareFamily) &&
+          facetValues(profiles, filters, field).includes(value)) {
+        filters[field] = value;
+      } else {
+        unavailable.push(field + "=" + value);
+      }
+    });
+    return { filters: filters, automaticChipFamily: automaticChipFamily, unavailable: unavailable };
+  }
+
   function humanizeHardware(value) {
     return String(value || "").replace(/_/g, " ").replace(/\s+/g, " ").trim();
   }
@@ -1249,6 +1295,9 @@
     const search = root.querySelector('[data-field="asset-search"]');
     const assetResults = root.querySelector('[data-role="asset-results"]');
     const clearButton = form.querySelector('[data-action="clear"]');
+    const shareLink = root.querySelector('[data-role="share-link"]');
+    const copyLinkButton = root.querySelector('[data-action="copy-link"]');
+    const linkStatus = root.querySelector('[data-role="link-status"]');
     const controls = {};
     FACET_FIELDS.forEach(function (field) {
       controls[field] = form.querySelector('[data-field="' + field + '"]');
@@ -1258,6 +1307,53 @@
     let automaticChipFamily = false;
     const groupPrefix = "firmware-picker-" + (++pickerInstanceCount);
 
+    function updateSelectionUrl() {
+      const url = selectionUrl(global.location.href, filters, automaticChipFamily);
+      if (url !== global.location.href) {
+        try {
+          global.history.replaceState(global.history.state, "", url);
+        } catch (error) {
+          // Some local-file viewers block History API writes. The share link
+          // still carries the complete selection on the public web picker.
+        }
+      }
+      if (shareLink) {
+        const base = global.location.protocol === "file:"
+          ? root.getAttribute("data-share-url") : url;
+        shareLink.href = selectionUrl(base || url, filters, automaticChipFamily);
+        shareLink.hidden = false;
+      }
+      if (copyLinkButton) copyLinkButton.disabled = false;
+    }
+
+    function restoreSelectionUrl() {
+      if (!catalog.profiles.length) return;
+      const restored = selectionFromUrl(global.location.href, catalog.profiles);
+      FACET_FIELDS.forEach(function (field) {
+        filters[field] = restored.filters[field] || "";
+      });
+      automaticChipFamily = restored.automaticChipFamily;
+      if (linkStatus) linkStatus.textContent = restored.unavailable.length
+        ? "Some linked choices are unavailable or incompatible in the current release: " +
+          restored.unavailable.join(", ") + ". Review the remaining choices before downloading."
+        : "";
+      refreshFacets();
+    }
+
+    if (copyLinkButton && shareLink) copyLinkButton.addEventListener("click", function () {
+      const copy = global.navigator.clipboard && global.navigator.clipboard.writeText;
+      if (!copy) {
+        linkStatus.textContent = "Copy the address bar, or copy the ‘Link to these settings’ link.";
+        return;
+      }
+      global.navigator.clipboard.writeText(shareLink.href).then(function () {
+        linkStatus.textContent = "Link copied.";
+      }).catch(function () {
+        linkStatus.textContent = "Copy the address bar, or copy the ‘Link to these settings’ link.";
+      });
+    });
+    global.addEventListener("popstate", restoreSelectionUrl);
+
     function matchingProfiles(ignoredField) {
       return catalog.profiles.filter(function (profile) {
         return profileMatchesFacets(profile, filters, ignoredField);
@@ -1387,6 +1483,7 @@
       if (chipSummary) chipSummary.textContent = "Optional: chip family" +
         (filters.chipFamily ? " — " + labelFor("chipFamily", filters.chipFamily) : "");
       render();
+      updateSelectionUrl();
     }
 
     function render() {
@@ -1498,6 +1595,7 @@
       const target = event.target;
       const field = target.dataset.choiceField || target.dataset.field;
       if (!FACET_FIELDS.includes(field)) return;
+      if (linkStatus) linkStatus.textContent = "";
       if (field === "chipFamily") {
         automaticChipFamily = false;
         // A deliberate family switch takes precedence over an old board.
@@ -1519,6 +1617,7 @@
       event.preventDefault();
       if (!catalog.profiles.length) return;
       automaticChipFamily = false;
+      if (linkStatus) linkStatus.textContent = "";
       FACET_FIELDS.forEach(function (field) {
         filters[field] = "";
       });
@@ -1572,7 +1671,7 @@
           releaseSetStatus.appendChild(link);
         }
         clearButton.disabled = false;
-        refreshFacets();
+        restoreSelectionUrl();
       })
       .catch(function (error) {
         status.textContent =
@@ -1619,6 +1718,8 @@
     profileMatchesFacets: profileMatchesFacets,
     facetValues: facetValues,
     uniqueValues: uniqueValues,
+    selectionUrl: selectionUrl,
+    selectionFromUrl: selectionFromUrl,
     canonicalAsset: canonicalAsset,
     resolveProfileAssets: resolveProfileAssets,
     shouldShowCandidateResults: shouldShowCandidateResults,

docs/_stylesheets/firmware_picker.css

@@ -144,6 +144,19 @@
   grid-column: 1 / -1;
 }
 
+.firmware-picker-form-actions {
+  display: flex;
+  flex-wrap: wrap;
+  align-items: center;
+  gap: 0.65rem;
+}
+
+.firmware-picker-form-actions [data-role="link-status"] {
+  flex-basis: 100%;
+  margin: 0;
+  overflow-wrap: anywhere;
+}
+
 .firmware-picker-form-actions button {
   min-height: 2.35rem;
   padding: 0.4rem 0.75rem;

docs/firmware_picker.md

@@ -17,7 +17,7 @@ The picker reads public release metadata from GitHub. It does not upload device
 information. Hardware names, target names, and download links come directly
 from the published firmware assets.
 
-<div class="firmware-picker" data-firmware-picker data-release-repo="mikecarper/MeshCore" data-controls-url="../_data/firmware_controls.json">
+<div class="firmware-picker" data-firmware-picker data-release-repo="mikecarper/MeshCore" data-controls-url="../_data/firmware_controls.json" data-share-url="https://mikecarper.github.io/MeshCore/firmware_picker/">
   <div class="firmware-picker-intro" role="note">
     <strong>Current release set</strong>
     <p data-role="release-set">Loading release information...</p>
@@ -31,7 +31,8 @@ from the published firmware assets.
 
   <p class="firmware-picker-order-note">
     Pick in any order. Use <strong>Any</strong> to clear one choice, or clear
-    everything with the button below.
+    everything with the button below. The address bar updates with your choices;
+    copy its URL to reopen or share the same selection.
   </p>
 
   <form class="firmware-picker-form" data-role="form">
@@ -111,6 +112,9 @@ from the published firmware assets.
 
     <div class="firmware-picker-form-actions firmware-picker-wide">
       <button type="reset" data-action="clear" disabled>Clear all choices</button>
+      <button type="button" data-action="copy-link" disabled>Copy link to settings</button>
+      <a data-role="share-link" hidden>Link to these settings</a>
+      <p data-role="link-status" aria-live="polite"></p>
     </div>
   </form>
 
@@ -183,6 +187,30 @@ Companion; choose the existing `heltec_v4_repeater_bridge_espnow` firmware to
 make that board the LoRa/ESP-NOW gateway. Use its exact merged artifact when
 changing roles or partition layouts.
 
+## Share a selection
+
+Select any combination of choices, then copy the address bar or use **Copy link
+to settings**. Opening the link restores those choices after the release
+catalog loads. Partial selections work too, so you can share a board and role
+while leaving other choices open. **Clear all choices** removes the picker
+parameters from the URL. Changes update the current browser-history entry
+without reloading the page or adding a Back-button entry for every click.
+
+For example, [RAK3401 repeater with internal storage](?hardware=RAK_3401&role=repeater&ota=lora-receiver&variant=no-external-sensors)
+preselects that board, role, OTA capability, and storage profile.
+
+The query parameters are `chipFamily`, `hardwareFamily`, `hardware`, `role`,
+`logging`, `ota`, `mode`, `feature`, `variant`, and `install`. Values use the
+picker's internal identifiers rather than the displayed labels. The generated
+link also records `chipAuto` so automatic chip-family selection or an explicit
+**Any** choice behaves the same after reopening. Existing section anchors and
+unrelated query parameters are preserved.
+
+Links use the current release catalog. If a linked choice is no longer available
+or conflicts with another choice, the picker identifies it and asks you to
+review the remaining selections. The downloadable HTML's **Copy link to
+settings** button creates a public website link that other people can open.
+
 ## FULL versus standard
 
 For a new installation, use the FULL / complete profile when it exists and the