Add visual feedback to the handoff lifecycle via TUI status indicator

Author: ofriw

handoff/command.ts

@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@
 
 import type { ExtensionAPI } from "@earendil-works/pi-coding-agent";
 import type { AgenticodingState } from "../state.js";
+import { STATUS_KEY_HANDOFF } from "../tui.js";
 
 export function registerHandoffCommand(pi: ExtensionAPI, state: AgenticodingState): void {
 	pi.registerCommand("handoff", {
@@ -27,6 +28,14 @@ export function registerHandoffCommand(pi: ExtensionAPI, state: AgenticodingStat
 				toolCalled: false,
 			};
 
+			// Show live progress indicator in footer
+			if (ctx.hasUI && ctx.ui.theme) {
+				ctx.ui.setStatus(
+					STATUS_KEY_HANDOFF,
+					ctx.ui.theme.fg("accent", "\uD83E\uDD1D Handoff in progress"),
+				);
+			}
+
 			pi.sendUserMessage(
 				`Handoff direction: ${direction}\n\nPrepare a real handoff in the current session and current context. Before calling the handoff tool, capture any reusable state in the ledger if needed. Then complete the picture in a concise but sufficiently detailed handoff brief and call the handoff tool in this turn. Preserve the important knowledge that is still only present in the current context so the next clean context can start well without re-deriving it. Use any structure that makes the next work unambiguous. Include findings, current state, unresolved questions, failed paths worth avoiding, next steps, refs, constraints, and spawn ideas when useful. Reference ledger entries by name when relevant.`,
 				ctx.isIdle() ? undefined : { deliverAs: "followUp" },

handoff/compact.ts

@@ -5,16 +5,17 @@
  * pre-handoff messages in LLM context.
  */
 
-import type { ExtensionAPI, SessionEntry } from "@earendil-works/pi-coding-agent";
+import type { ExtensionAPI, ExtensionContext, SessionEntry } from "@earendil-works/pi-coding-agent";
 import type { AgenticodingState } from "../state.js";
+import { STATUS_KEY_HANDOFF } from "../tui.js";
 
 function getImpossibleKeptId(branchEntries: SessionEntry[]): string {
 	const leaf = branchEntries[branchEntries.length - 1];
 	return `${leaf?.id ?? "handoff"}-handoff-cut`;
 }
 
 export function registerHandoffCompaction(pi: ExtensionAPI, state: AgenticodingState): void {
-	pi.on("session_before_compact", async (event) => {
+	pi.on("session_before_compact", async (event, ctx: ExtensionContext) => {
 		const pending = state.pendingHandoff;
 		if (!pending) {
 			return;
@@ -23,6 +24,11 @@ export function registerHandoffCompaction(pi: ExtensionAPI, state: AgenticodingS
 		state.pendingHandoff = null;
 		state.pendingRequestedHandoff = null;
 
+		// Clear the handoff progress indicator now that compaction is consuming it
+		if (ctx.hasUI) {
+			ctx.ui.setStatus(STATUS_KEY_HANDOFF, undefined);
+		}
+
 		return {
 			compaction: {
 				summary: pending.task,

handoff/tool.ts

@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@
 import type { ExtensionAPI } from "@earendil-works/pi-coding-agent";
 import { Type } from "typebox";
 import type { AgenticodingState } from "../state.js";
+import { STATUS_KEY_HANDOFF } from "../tui.js";
 
 const MAX_INLINE_ENTRIES = 3;
 const MAX_INLINE_CHARS = 4000;
@@ -137,6 +138,9 @@ export function registerHandoffTool(
 					if (state.pendingRequestedHandoff) {
 						state.pendingRequestedHandoff.toolCalled = false;
 					}
+					if (ctx.hasUI) {
+						ctx.ui.setStatus(STATUS_KEY_HANDOFF, undefined);
+					}
 				},
 			});
 

watchdog.ts

@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@
 
 import type { ExtensionAPI, ExtensionContext } from "@earendil-works/pi-coding-agent";
 import type { AgenticodingState } from "./state.js";
+import { STATUS_KEY_HANDOFF } from "./tui.js";
 
 /** Build a nudge string with the exact percent interpolated. */
 export function buildNudge(percent: number): string {
@@ -47,6 +48,9 @@ export function registerWatchdog(pi: ExtensionAPI, state: AgenticodingState): vo
 			requestedHandoff.enforcementAttempts += 1;
 			if (!requestedHandoff.toolCalled) {
 				state.pendingRequestedHandoff = null;
+				if (ctx.hasUI) {
+					ctx.ui.setStatus(STATUS_KEY_HANDOFF, undefined);
+				}
 			}
 		}