fix: address PR review feedback for chat history preservation

Author: tamercuba

lua/eca/commands.lua

@@ -550,7 +550,7 @@ function M.setup()
   vim.api.nvim_create_user_command("EcaChatClear", function()
     local sidebar = require("eca").get()
     if sidebar then
-      sidebar._welcome_message_applied = false
+      sidebar._welcome_message_applied = true
       sidebar._force_welcome = false
       local chat = sidebar.containers and sidebar.containers.chat
       if chat and chat.bufnr and vim.api.nvim_buf_is_valid(chat.bufnr) then

lua/eca/config.lua

@@ -17,7 +17,7 @@ M._defaults = {
     auto_start_server = false, -- Automatically start server on setup
     auto_download = true, -- Automatically download server if not found
     show_status_updates = true, -- Show status updates in notifications
-    preserve_chat_history = false, -- When true, chat history is preserved after toggling/closing the chat window
+    preserve_chat_history = false, -- When true, chat history is preserved across sidebar open/close cycles
   },
   context = {
     auto_repo_map = true, -- Automatically add repoMap context when starting new chat

lua/eca/sidebar.lua

@@ -161,7 +161,7 @@ function M:_close_windows_only()
 
   for name, container in pairs(self.containers) do
     if container and container.winid and vim.api.nvim_win_is_valid(container.winid) then
-      if preserve then
+      if preserve and name == "chat" then
         -- Close only the window, keep the buffer alive
         pcall(vim.api.nvim_win_close, container.winid, true)
         container.winid = nil
@@ -654,12 +654,9 @@ function M:_setup_containers()
 end
 
 function M:_refresh_container_content()
-  local preserve = Config.behavior and Config.behavior.preserve_chat_history
   -- Refresh content without full setup
   if self.containers.chat then
-    if not preserve then
-      self:_set_welcome_content()
-    end
+    self:_set_welcome_content()
   end
 
   if self.containers.config then

tests/test_chat_clear.lua

@@ -167,7 +167,7 @@ T["EcaChatClear"]["resets _welcome_message_applied and _force_welcome"] = functi
   child.cmd("EcaChatClear")
 
   local flags = child.lua_get("_G.get_sidebar_flags()")
-  eq(flags.welcome_message_applied, false)
+  eq(flags.welcome_message_applied, true)
   eq(flags.force_welcome, false)
 end
 
@@ -182,4 +182,57 @@ T["EcaChatClear"]["is idempotent when called twice"] = function()
   eq(child.lua_get("_G.get_chat_lines()"), { "" })
 end
 
+-- preserve_chat_history toggle cycle -----------------------------------------
+
+T["preserve_chat_history"] = MiniTest.new_set()
+
+T["preserve_chat_history"]["reuses same bufnr and keeps content across close/open"] = function()
+  setup_env(true)
+  flush(200)
+
+  child.lua("_G.fill_chat()")
+  local bufnr_before = child.lua_get("require('eca').get().containers.chat.bufnr")
+
+  child.lua([[require("eca").close_sidebar()]])
+  flush(100)
+  child.lua([[require("eca").open_sidebar({})]])
+  flush(200)
+
+  local bufnr_after = child.lua_get("require('eca').get().containers.chat.bufnr")
+  eq(bufnr_before, bufnr_after)
+  eq(child.lua_get("_G.chat_has_old_content()"), true)
+end
+
+T["preserve_chat_history"]["does not leak buffers across repeated toggles"] = function()
+  setup_env(true)
+  flush(200)
+
+  local buf_count_before = child.lua_get("#vim.api.nvim_list_bufs()")
+
+  for _ = 1, 5 do
+    child.lua([[require("eca").close_sidebar()]])
+    flush(100)
+    child.lua([[require("eca").open_sidebar({})]])
+    flush(200)
+  end
+
+  local buf_count_after = child.lua_get("#vim.api.nvim_list_bufs()")
+  -- Allow at most 1 extra buffer (nui internals), but definitely not 5+
+  eq(buf_count_after - buf_count_before <= 1, true)
+end
+
+T["preserve_chat_history"]["content is lost when preserve is disabled"] = function()
+  setup_env(false)
+  flush(200)
+
+  child.lua("_G.fill_chat()")
+
+  child.lua([[require("eca").close_sidebar()]])
+  flush(100)
+  child.lua([[require("eca").open_sidebar({})]])
+  flush(200)
+
+  eq(child.lua_get("_G.chat_has_old_content()"), false)
+end
+
 return T