feat: add conversation export in JSON, Markdown, and text formats

code/backend/api/chat_history.py

@@ -1,8 +1,9 @@
 import os
+import json
 import logging
 from uuid import uuid4
 from dotenv import load_dotenv
-from flask import request, jsonify, Blueprint
+from flask import request, jsonify, Blueprint, Response
 from openai import AsyncAzureOpenAI
 from backend.batch.utilities.chat_history.auth_utils import (
     get_authenticated_user_details,
@@ -508,3 +509,167 @@ async def generate_title(conversation_messages):
         logger.exception(f"Error generating title: {str(e)}")
         # Fallback: return the content of the second to last message if something goes wrong
         return messages[-2]["content"] if len(messages) > 1 else "Untitled"
+
+
+def _format_as_json(conversation, messages):
+    """Format conversation and messages as a JSON string."""
+    export_data = {
+        "conversation_id": conversation.get("id", ""),
+        "title": conversation.get("title", "Untitled"),
+        "created_at": conversation.get("createdAt", ""),
+        "updated_at": conversation.get("updatedAt", ""),
+        "messages": [
+            {
+                "role": msg.get("role", ""),
+                "content": msg.get("content", ""),
+                "created_at": msg.get("createdAt", ""),
+                "id": msg.get("id", ""),
+            }
+            for msg in messages
+            if msg.get("role") != "tool"
+        ],
+    }
+    return json.dumps(export_data, indent=2, ensure_ascii=False)
+
+
+def _format_as_markdown(conversation, messages):
+    """Format conversation and messages as Markdown."""
+    title = conversation.get("title", "Untitled")
+    created = conversation.get("createdAt", "")
+    lines = [
+        f"# {title}",
+        "",
+        f"**Date:** {created}",
+        "",
+        "---",
+        "",
+    ]
+    for msg in messages:
+        role = msg.get("role", "unknown")
+        if role == "tool":
+            continue
+        content = msg.get("content", "")
+        timestamp = msg.get("createdAt", "")
+        role_label = "User" if role == "user" else "Assistant"
+        lines.append(f"### {role_label}")
+        if timestamp:
+            lines.append(f"*{timestamp}*")
+        lines.append("")
+        lines.append(content)
+        lines.append("")
+        lines.append("---")
+        lines.append("")
+    return "\n".join(lines)
+
+
+def _format_as_text(conversation, messages):
+    """Format conversation and messages as plain text."""
+    title = conversation.get("title", "Untitled")
+    created = conversation.get("createdAt", "")
+    lines = [
+        f"Conversation: {title}",
+        f"Date: {created}",
+        "=" * 50,
+        "",
+    ]
+    for msg in messages:
+        role = msg.get("role", "unknown")
+        if role == "tool":
+            continue
+        content = msg.get("content", "")
+        timestamp = msg.get("createdAt", "")
+        role_label = "User" if role == "user" else "Assistant"
+        lines.append(f"[{role_label}] {timestamp}")
+        lines.append(content)
+        lines.append("-" * 50)
+        lines.append("")
+    return "\n".join(lines)
+
+
+EXPORT_FORMATTERS = {
+    "json": ("application/json", ".json", _format_as_json),
+    "markdown": ("text/markdown", ".md", _format_as_markdown),
+    "text": ("text/plain", ".txt", _format_as_text),
+}
+
+
+@bp_chat_history_response.route("/history/export", methods=["POST"])
+async def export_conversation():
+    config = ConfigHelper.get_active_config_or_default()
+    if not config.enable_chat_history:
+        return jsonify({"error": "Chat history is not available"}), 400
+
+    try:
+        authenticated_user = get_authenticated_user_details(
+            request_headers=request.headers
+        )
+        user_id = authenticated_user["user_principal_id"]
+
+        request_json = request.get_json(silent=True)
+        if request_json is None:
+            return jsonify({"error": "A JSON request body is required"}), 400
+        conversation_id = request_json.get("conversation_id", None)
+        if not conversation_id:
+            return jsonify({"error": "conversation_id is required"}), 400
+
+        export_format = request_json.get("format", "json").lower()
+        if export_format not in EXPORT_FORMATTERS:
+            return (
+                jsonify(
+                    {
+                        "error": f"Invalid format '{export_format}'. Supported formats: json, markdown, text"
+                    }
+                ),
+                400,
+            )
+
+        conversation_client = init_database_client()
+        if not conversation_client:
+            return jsonify({"error": "Database not available"}), 500
+
+        await conversation_client.connect()
+        try:
+            conversation = await conversation_client.get_conversation(
+                user_id, conversation_id
+            )
+            if not conversation:
+                return (
+                    jsonify(
+                        {
+                            "error": f"Conversation {conversation_id} was not found. It either does not exist or the logged in user does not have access to it."
+                        }
+                    ),
+                    400,
+                )
+
+            messages = await conversation_client.get_messages(
+                user_id, conversation_id
+            )
+
+            content_type, file_ext, formatter = EXPORT_FORMATTERS[export_format]
+            exported_content = formatter(conversation, messages)
+
+            safe_title = "".join(
+                c if c.isalnum() or c in (" ", "-", "_") else "_"
+                for c in conversation.get("title", "conversation")
+            ).strip()[:50]
+            filename = f"{safe_title or 'conversation'}{file_ext}"
+
+            return Response(
+                exported_content,
+                mimetype=content_type,
+                headers={
+                    "Content-Disposition": f'attachment; filename="{filename}"'
+                },
+            )
+        except Exception as e:
+            logger.exception(
+                f"Error exporting conversation: user_id={user_id}, conversation_id={conversation_id}, error={e}"
+            )
+            raise
+        finally:
+            await conversation_client.close()
+
+    except Exception as e:
+        logger.exception(f"Exception in /history/export: {e}")
+        return jsonify({"error": "Error while exporting conversation"}), 500

code/frontend/src/api/api.ts

@@ -268,6 +268,51 @@ export const historyDeleteAll = async (): Promise<Response> => {
   return response;
 };
 
+export const historyExport = async (
+  convId: string,
+  format: "json" | "markdown" | "text" = "json"
+): Promise<void> => {
+  try {
+    const response = await fetch("/api/history/export", {
+      method: "POST",
+      body: JSON.stringify({
+        conversation_id: convId,
+        format: format,
+      }),
+      headers: {
+        "Content-Type": "application/json",
+      },
+    });
+
+    if (!response.ok) {
+      const errorData = await response.json();
+      throw new Error(errorData.error || "Export failed");
+    }
+
+    const blob = await response.blob();
+    const contentDisposition = response.headers.get("Content-Disposition");
+    let filename = `conversation.${format === "markdown" ? "md" : format === "text" ? "txt" : "json"}`;
+    if (contentDisposition) {
+      const match = contentDisposition.match(/filename="(.+)"/);
+      if (match) {
+        filename = match[1];
+      }
+    }
+
+    const url = window.URL.createObjectURL(blob);
+    const link = document.createElement("a");
+    link.href = url;
+    link.download = filename;
+    document.body.appendChild(link);
+    link.click();
+    document.body.removeChild(link);
+    window.URL.revokeObjectURL(url);
+  } catch (err) {
+    console.error("Error exporting conversation:", err);
+    throw err;
+  }
+};
+
 export async function getFrontEndSettings(): Promise<FrontEndSettings> {
   try {
     const response = await fetch("/api/history/frontend_settings", {

code/frontend/src/components/ChatHistoryListItemCell/ChatHistoryListItemCell.tsx

@@ -1,10 +1,12 @@
 import * as React from "react";
 import { useEffect, useRef, useState } from "react";
 import {
+  ContextualMenu,
   DefaultButton,
   Dialog,
   DialogFooter,
   DialogType,
+  IContextualMenuItem,
   IconButton,
   ITextField,
   ITooltipHostStyles,
@@ -16,7 +18,7 @@ import {
 } from "@fluentui/react";
 import { useBoolean } from "@fluentui/react-hooks";
 
-import { historyRename, historyDelete } from "../../api";
+import { historyRename, historyDelete, historyExport } from "../../api";
 import { Conversation } from "../../api/models";
 import _ from 'lodash';
 
@@ -56,6 +58,9 @@ export const ChatHistoryListItemCell: React.FC<
   const [renameLoading, setRenameLoading] = useState(false);
   const [errorRename, setErrorRename] = useState<string | undefined>(undefined);
   const [textFieldFocused, setTextFieldFocused] = useState(false);
+  const [showExportMenu, setShowExportMenu] = useState(false);
+  const [errorExport, setErrorExport] = useState(false);
+  const exportButtonRef = useRef<HTMLDivElement | null>(null);
   const textFieldRef = useRef<ITextField | null>(null);
   const isSelected = item?.id === selectedConvId;
   const tooltipId = 'tooltip'+ item?.id;
@@ -167,6 +172,44 @@ export const ChatHistoryListItemCell: React.FC<
     e.stopPropagation();
     toggleDeleteDialog();
   };
+
+  const onClickExport = (e: React.MouseEvent<HTMLButtonElement>) => {
+    e.preventDefault();
+    e.stopPropagation();
+    setShowExportMenu(true);
+  };
+
+  const onExport = async (format: "json" | "markdown" | "text") => {
+    setShowExportMenu(false);
+    try {
+      await historyExport(item.id, format);
+    } catch {
+      setErrorExport(true);
+      setTimeout(() => setErrorExport(false), 5000);
+    }
+  };
+
+  const exportMenuItems: IContextualMenuItem[] = [
+    {
+      key: "json",
+      text: "Export as JSON",
+      iconProps: { iconName: "Code" },
+      onClick: () => onExport("json"),
+    },
+    {
+      key: "markdown",
+      text: "Export as Markdown",
+      iconProps: { iconName: "MarkDownLanguage" },
+      onClick: () => onExport("markdown"),
+    },
+    {
+      key: "text",
+      text: "Export as Text",
+      iconProps: { iconName: "TextDocument" },
+      onClick: () => onExport("text"),
+    },
+  ];
+
   const isButtonDisabled = isGenerating && isSelected;
   return (
     <Stack
@@ -275,6 +318,24 @@ export const ChatHistoryListItemCell: React.FC<
                 >{truncatedTitle} </TooltipHost></div>
             {(isSelected || isHovered) && (
               <Stack horizontal horizontalAlign="end">
+                <div ref={exportButtonRef}>
+                  <IconButton
+                    className={styles.itemButton}
+                    iconProps={{ iconName: "Download" }}
+                    title="Export"
+                    onClick={onClickExport}
+                    onKeyDown={(e) =>
+                      e.key === " " ? onClickExport(e as any) : null
+                    }
+                    aria-label="export conversation"
+                  />
+                </div>
+                <ContextualMenu
+                  items={exportMenuItems}
+                  hidden={!showExportMenu}
+                  target={exportButtonRef.current}
+                  onDismiss={() => setShowExportMenu(false)}
+                />
                 <IconButton
                   className={styles.itemButton}
                   disabled={isButtonDisabled}
@@ -307,6 +368,15 @@ export const ChatHistoryListItemCell: React.FC<
           Error: could not delete item
         </Text>
       )}
+      {errorExport && (
+        <Text
+          styles={{
+            root: { color: "red", marginTop: 5, fontSize: 14 },
+          }}
+        >
+          Error: could not export conversation
+        </Text>
+      )}
       <Dialog
         hidden={hideDeleteDialog}
         onDismiss={toggleDeleteDialog}