step 2

CMakeLists.txt

@@ -126,6 +126,8 @@ set(APP_SOURCES
 	"${APP_DIR}/runtime/live/RuntimeLiveState.cpp"
 	"${APP_DIR}/runtime/live/RuntimeLiveState.h"
 	"${APP_DIR}/runtime/persistence/PersistenceRequest.h"
+	"${APP_DIR}/runtime/persistence/PersistenceWriter.cpp"
+	"${APP_DIR}/runtime/persistence/PersistenceWriter.h"
 	"${APP_DIR}/runtime/presentation/RuntimeStateJson.cpp"
 	"${APP_DIR}/runtime/presentation/RuntimeStateJson.h"
 	"${APP_DIR}/runtime/presentation/RuntimeStatePresenter.cpp"
@@ -347,6 +349,7 @@ add_executable(RuntimeSubsystemTests
 	"${APP_DIR}/runtime/coordination/RuntimeCoordinator.cpp"
 	"${APP_DIR}/runtime/live/CommittedLiveState.cpp"
 	"${APP_DIR}/runtime/snapshot/RenderSnapshotBuilder.cpp"
+	"${APP_DIR}/runtime/persistence/PersistenceWriter.cpp"
 	"${APP_DIR}/runtime/store/LayerStackStore.cpp"
 	"${APP_DIR}/runtime/store/RuntimeConfigStore.cpp"
 	"${APP_DIR}/runtime/store/RuntimeStore.cpp"

apps/LoopThroughWithOpenGLCompositing/runtime/persistence/PersistenceWriter.cpp

@@ -0,0 +1,44 @@
+#include "PersistenceWriter.h"
+
+#include <windows.h>
+
+#include <filesystem>
+#include <fstream>
+
+bool PersistenceWriter::WriteSnapshot(const PersistenceSnapshot& snapshot, std::string& error) const
+{
+	if (snapshot.targetPath.empty())
+	{
+		error = "Persistence snapshot target path is empty.";
+		return false;
+	}
+
+	std::error_code fsError;
+	std::filesystem::create_directories(snapshot.targetPath.parent_path(), fsError);
+
+	const std::filesystem::path temporaryPath = snapshot.targetPath.string() + ".tmp";
+	std::ofstream output(temporaryPath, std::ios::binary | std::ios::trunc);
+	if (!output)
+	{
+		error = "Could not write file: " + temporaryPath.string();
+		return false;
+	}
+
+	output << snapshot.contents;
+	output.close();
+	if (!output.good())
+	{
+		error = "Could not finish writing file: " + temporaryPath.string();
+		return false;
+	}
+
+	if (!MoveFileExA(temporaryPath.string().c_str(), snapshot.targetPath.string().c_str(), MOVEFILE_REPLACE_EXISTING | MOVEFILE_WRITE_THROUGH))
+	{
+		const DWORD lastError = GetLastError();
+		std::filesystem::remove(temporaryPath, fsError);
+		error = "Could not replace file: " + snapshot.targetPath.string() + " (Win32 error " + std::to_string(lastError) + ")";
+		return false;
+	}
+
+	return true;
+}

apps/LoopThroughWithOpenGLCompositing/runtime/persistence/PersistenceWriter.h

@@ -0,0 +1,11 @@
+#pragma once
+
+#include "PersistenceRequest.h"
+
+#include <string>
+
+class PersistenceWriter
+{
+public:
+	bool WriteSnapshot(const PersistenceSnapshot& snapshot, std::string& error) const;
+};

apps/LoopThroughWithOpenGLCompositing/runtime/store/RuntimeStore.cpp

@@ -7,7 +7,6 @@
 #include <mutex>
 #include <random>
 #include <sstream>
-#include <windows.h>
 
 namespace
 {
@@ -99,6 +98,23 @@ std::string RuntimeStore::BuildPersistentStateJson() const
 	return RuntimeStatePresenter::BuildRuntimeStateJson(*this);
 }
 
+PersistenceSnapshot RuntimeStore::BuildRuntimeStatePersistenceSnapshot(const PersistenceRequest& request) const
+{
+	std::lock_guard<std::mutex> lock(mMutex);
+	return BuildRuntimeStatePersistenceSnapshotLocked(request);
+}
+
+PersistenceSnapshot RuntimeStore::BuildRuntimeStatePersistenceSnapshotLocked(const PersistenceRequest& request) const
+{
+	PersistenceSnapshot snapshot;
+	snapshot.targetKind = PersistenceTargetKind::RuntimeState;
+	snapshot.targetPath = mConfigStore.GetRuntimeStatePath();
+	snapshot.contents = SerializeJson(mCommittedLiveState.BuildPersistentStateValue(mShaderCatalog), true);
+	snapshot.reason = request.reason;
+	snapshot.generation = request.sequence;
+	return snapshot;
+}
+
 bool RuntimeStore::PollStoredFileChanges(bool& registryChanged, bool& reloadRequested, std::string& error)
 {
 	try
@@ -270,10 +286,7 @@ bool RuntimeStore::SaveStackPresetSnapshot(const std::string& presetName, std::s
 		return false;
 	}
 
-	JsonValue root = JsonValue::MakeObject();
+	return mPersistenceWriter.WriteSnapshot(BuildStackPresetPersistenceSnapshot(presetName), error);
-	root = mCommittedLiveState.BuildStackPresetValue(mShaderCatalog, presetName);
-
-	return WriteTextFile(mConfigStore.GetPresetRoot() / (safeStem + ".json"), SerializeJson(root, true), error);
 }
 
 bool RuntimeStore::LoadStackPresetSnapshot(const std::string& presetName, std::string& error)
@@ -465,7 +478,20 @@ bool RuntimeStore::LoadPersistentState(std::string& error)
 
 bool RuntimeStore::SavePersistentState(std::string& error) const
 {
-	return WriteTextFile(mConfigStore.GetRuntimeStatePath(), SerializeJson(mCommittedLiveState.BuildPersistentStateValue(mShaderCatalog), true), error);
+	return mPersistenceWriter.WriteSnapshot(BuildRuntimeStatePersistenceSnapshotLocked(PersistenceRequest::RuntimeStateRequest("SavePersistentState")), error);
+}
+
+PersistenceSnapshot RuntimeStore::BuildStackPresetPersistenceSnapshot(const std::string& presetName) const
+{
+	const std::string safeStem = LayerStackStore::MakeSafePresetFileStem(presetName);
+
+	PersistenceSnapshot snapshot;
+	snapshot.targetKind = PersistenceTargetKind::StackPreset;
+	snapshot.targetPath = mConfigStore.GetPresetRoot() / (safeStem + ".json");
+	snapshot.contents = SerializeJson(mCommittedLiveState.BuildStackPresetValue(mShaderCatalog, presetName), true);
+	snapshot.reason = "SaveStackPreset";
+	snapshot.generation = 0;
+	return snapshot;
 }
 
 bool RuntimeStore::ScanShaderPackages(std::string& error)
@@ -493,38 +519,6 @@ std::string RuntimeStore::ReadTextFile(const std::filesystem::path& path, std::s
 	return buffer.str();
 }
 
-bool RuntimeStore::WriteTextFile(const std::filesystem::path& path, const std::string& contents, std::string& error) const
-{
-	std::error_code fsError;
-	std::filesystem::create_directories(path.parent_path(), fsError);
-
-	const std::filesystem::path temporaryPath = path.string() + ".tmp";
-	std::ofstream output(temporaryPath, std::ios::binary | std::ios::trunc);
-	if (!output)
-	{
-		error = "Could not write file: " + temporaryPath.string();
-		return false;
-	}
-
-	output << contents;
-	output.close();
-	if (!output.good())
-	{
-		error = "Could not finish writing file: " + temporaryPath.string();
-		return false;
-	}
-
-	if (!MoveFileExA(temporaryPath.string().c_str(), path.string().c_str(), MOVEFILE_REPLACE_EXISTING | MOVEFILE_WRITE_THROUGH))
-	{
-		const DWORD lastError = GetLastError();
-		std::filesystem::remove(temporaryPath, fsError);
-		error = "Could not replace file: " + path.string() + " (Win32 error " + std::to_string(lastError) + ")";
-		return false;
-	}
-
-	return true;
-}
-
 std::vector<std::string> RuntimeStore::GetStackPresetNamesLocked() const
 {
 	std::vector<std::string> presetNames;

apps/LoopThroughWithOpenGLCompositing/runtime/store/RuntimeStore.h

@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@
 #include "HealthTelemetry.h"
 #include "CommittedLiveState.h"
 #include "LayerStackStore.h"
+#include "PersistenceWriter.h"
 #include "RenderSnapshotBuilder.h"
 #include "RuntimeConfigStore.h"
 #include "RuntimeJson.h"
@@ -30,6 +31,7 @@ public:
 
 	bool InitializeStore(std::string& error);
 	std::string BuildPersistentStateJson() const;
+	PersistenceSnapshot BuildRuntimeStatePersistenceSnapshot(const PersistenceRequest& request) const;
 	bool PollStoredFileChanges(bool& registryChanged, bool& reloadRequested, std::string& error);
 
 	bool CreateStoredLayer(const std::string& shaderId, std::string& error);
@@ -82,14 +84,16 @@ public:
 private:
 	bool LoadPersistentState(std::string& error);
 	bool SavePersistentState(std::string& error) const;
+	PersistenceSnapshot BuildRuntimeStatePersistenceSnapshotLocked(const PersistenceRequest& request) const;
+	PersistenceSnapshot BuildStackPresetPersistenceSnapshot(const std::string& presetName) const;
 	bool ScanShaderPackages(std::string& error);
 	std::string ReadTextFile(const std::filesystem::path& path, std::string& error) const;
-	bool WriteTextFile(const std::filesystem::path& path, const std::string& contents, std::string& error) const;
 	std::vector<std::string> GetStackPresetNamesLocked() const;
 	void MarkRenderStateDirtyLocked();
 	void MarkParameterStateDirtyLocked();
 
 	RenderSnapshotBuilder mRenderSnapshotBuilder;
+	PersistenceWriter mPersistenceWriter;
 	RuntimeConfigStore mConfigStore;
 	ShaderPackageCatalog mShaderCatalog;
 	CommittedLiveState mCommittedLiveState;

docs/PHASE_6_BACKGROUND_PERSISTENCE_DESIGN.md

@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@ Phases 1-5 separate durable state, coordination policy, render-facing snapshots,
 ## Status
 
 - Phase 6 design package: proposed.
-- Phase 6 implementation: Step 1 complete.
+- Phase 6 implementation: Step 2 complete.
 - Current alignment: `RuntimeStore` owns durable serialization, config, package metadata, preset IO, and persistence requests; `CommittedLiveState` owns the current committed/session layer state; and `RuntimeCoordinator` publishes typed persistence requests for persisted mutations. The remaining issue is that actual disk writes are still synchronous store work rather than queued, debounced, atomic background writes.
 
 Current persistence footholds:
@@ -201,9 +201,16 @@ Move file-write mechanics behind a helper while keeping serialization ownership
 
 Initial target:
 
-- `RuntimeStore` can build serialized runtime-state snapshots
+- [x] `RuntimeStore` can build serialized runtime-state snapshots
-- `PersistenceWriter` writes the snapshot
+- [x] `PersistenceWriter` writes the snapshot
-- existing synchronous save path can call through the writer/helper during transition
+- [x] existing synchronous save path can call through the writer/helper during transition
+
+Current implementation:
+
+- `RuntimeStore::BuildRuntimeStatePersistenceSnapshot(...)` captures serialized runtime-state content and target path.
+- `PersistenceWriter::WriteSnapshot(...)` owns the temp-file and replace write mechanics.
+- `RuntimeStore::SavePersistentState(...)` still behaves synchronously, but now writes through `PersistenceWriter`.
+- Stack preset saves also use `PersistenceWriter` synchronously; preset async policy remains a later decision.
 
 ### Step 3. Add Debounced Background Worker
 

tests/RuntimeSubsystemTests.cpp

@@ -236,6 +236,13 @@ void TestRuntimeCoordinatorPersistenceEvents()
 		Expect(store.InitializeStore(error), "runtime store initializes in isolated fixture");
 		Expect(error.empty(), "runtime store initialization has no error");
 
+		const PersistenceRequest snapshotRequest = PersistenceRequest::RuntimeStateRequest("unit-test");
+		const PersistenceSnapshot snapshot = store.BuildRuntimeStatePersistenceSnapshot(snapshotRequest);
+		Expect(snapshot.targetKind == PersistenceTargetKind::RuntimeState, "runtime store builds a runtime-state persistence snapshot");
+		Expect(snapshot.reason == "unit-test", "runtime-state persistence snapshot preserves request reason");
+		Expect(snapshot.targetPath.filename().string() == "runtime_state.json", "runtime-state persistence snapshot targets the runtime state file");
+		Expect(snapshot.contents.find("\"layers\"") != std::string::npos, "runtime-state persistence snapshot contains serialized layer state");
+
 		RuntimeEventDispatcher dispatcher(64);
 		std::vector<RuntimeEvent> seenEvents;
 		dispatcher.SubscribeAll([&seenEvents](const RuntimeEvent& event) {