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+# Spine — Mustache Template Rendering
+
+Replaces inline HTML generation with Mustache template rendering via
+`spine-render`. The mockup-A mustache template becomes the canonical
+index page template. A view-model builder function transforms `spine-books`
+plists into the template's expected context shape.
+
+## Architecture
+
+```
+spine.org ──→ [spine-books] ──→ book plists
+                                    │
+                    [spine-index-model] ──→ view model (ht)
+                                    │
+templates/index.mustache ───────────┼──→ [spine-render] ──→ HTML
+```
+
+## Template
+
+`spine-mockup-a-agenda.mustache` moves to `templates/index.mustache`.
+
+The template already contains:
+- Pico CSS v2.1.1 CDN link
+- Tabler Icons CDN link
+- All custom CSS in `<style>` block (agenda layout, pills, detail, dark mode)
+- Mustache sections: `{{#groups}}`, `{{#books}}`, `{{#detail}}`, `{{#notes}}`, `{{#minibuffer}}`
+- `minibuffer` section kept in the template but not populated (empty context → section omitted)
+
+## View model
+
+A new function `spine-index-model` takes the book plists and an optional
+selected-id, returns an `ht` hash table shaped for the template:
+
+```elisp
+(spine-index-model books &optional selected-id) → ht
+```
+
+```json
+{
+  "app_title": "spine",
+  "total_books": 5,
+  "reading_count": 1,
+  "groups": [
+    {
+      "label": "on deck",
+      "count": 3,
+      "books": [
+        {
+          "format_icon": "ti-book",
+          "status_class": "want",
+          "status_label": "want",
+          "title": "The Left Hand of Darkness",
+          "author": "Ursula K. Le Guin",
+          "tags_inline": null,
+          "rec_via": "Alex",
+          "rating_display": null,
+          "selected": false,
+          "detail": null
+        }
+      ]
+    }
+  ]
+}
+```
+
+### Field mappings
+
+| Plist key | Template field | Transform |
+|---|---|---|
+| `:status` | `groups[].label` | WANT→"on deck", READING→"reading", READ→"read", ABANDONED→"abandoned" |
+| `:status` | `status_class` / `status_label` | lowercased |
+| `:format` | `format_icon` | hardcover→`ti-book`, ebook→`ti-device-tablet`, audiobook→`ti-headphones`, nil→`""` |
+| `:tags` | `tags_inline` | `("scifi" "literary")` → `":scifi:literary:"` (string), nil→nil |
+| `:rec_by` | `rec_via` | direct string, nil→nil |
+| `:rating` | `rating_display` | "5"→"★★★★★", nil→nil |
+| `:id` = selected-id | `selected` | boolean |
+| `:notes` | `detail.notes` | list of `{date, text}` |
+| `:added` + `:format` | `detail.meta` | composite string |
+
+### Detail meta format
+
+```
+"started [2026-02-20] · hardcover"     (WANT/READING)
+"finished [2026-01-10] · ebook"         (READ, use most recent LOGBOOK date)
+""                                      (no dates)
+```
+
+### Group ordering
+
+`on deck` (WANT) → `reading` (READING) → `read` (READ) → `abandoned` (ABANDONED).
+Zero-book groups omitted.
+
+## Handler
+
+```elisp
+(defservlet index text/html (path query request)
+  (let ((books (spine-books)))
+    (if books
+        (insert (spine-render "index.mustache"
+                  (spine-index-model books (cadr (assoc "id" query)))))
+      (insert (spine-render-empty-state)))))
+```
+
+`spine-render-empty-state` keeps its current Pico-styled inline HTML
+(no Mustache needed for a single static message).
+
+## Templates directory
+
+`spine-mockup-a-agenda.mustache` → `templates/index.mustache`
+
+`spine-mockup-b-journal.mustache` stays in root as a reference/mockup
+for the future detail view.
+
+## Files changed
+
+| File | Change |
+|---|---|
+| `templates/index.mustache` | New — moved from root mockup |
+| `spine.el` | Add `spine-index-model`, update handler, remove old `spine-render-index` |
+| `spine-mockup-a-agenda.mustache` | Deleted (moved) |
+
+## Out of scope
+
+- Populating the `minibuffer` section (capture UI)
+- Mockup B / journal detail view
+- Cover image display
+
+## Acceptance
+
+- [ ] Index page renders via Mustache, not inline HTML
+- [ ] Pico CSS + Tabler Icons CDN links present
+- [ ] Groups: on deck, reading, read — correct order, zero-book groups omitted
+- [ ] Format shown as Tabler icon glyph
+- [ ] Status pills have distinct colors per state
+- [ ] `?id=...` expands matching book detail
+- [ ] Recommendation appears as "via {name}"
+- [ ] ERT tests still pass (model layer unchanged)