I've been away playing a musical so haven't been able to chime in lately.
I just wanted to add a note about figured bass. Figured bass only indicates the notes to be used above a bass. It does so by indicating the intervals to be used above the bass (all within a 9th). It does not indicate the voicing or doublings involved. That was the reason for such books on thorough bass / figured bass by the likes of C. P. E. Bach (The True Art of Keyboard Playing -- I'll not give the German name. It takes about a half page.)