feat: tab-scoped ai chat. (#111)

Author: knightedcodemonkey

docs/ai-chat-context-and-payload-strategy.md

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+# AI Chat Context and Payload Strategy
+
+This document describes the current AI chat request construction approach in @knighted/develop, including context shaping, tool usage, payload-size controls, and known improvement opportunities.
+
+## Current Approach
+
+### 1. System prompt and mode-aware policy
+
+Each request includes a system prompt with policy guidance, then augments that prompt with mode-aware constraints:
+
+- Render mode guidance (DOM vs React)
+- Style mode guidance (css, module, less, sass)
+- DOM-mode JSX guidance for @knighted/jsx runtime
+- Explicit React-avoidance in DOM mode unless migration is requested
+- Dialect preservation guidance (avoid cross-dialect rewrites unless requested)
+
+Primary implementation:
+
+- src/modules/github/chat/payload.js
+
+### 2. Repository context
+
+Each request includes repository targeting context as a dedicated system message:
+
+- Selected repository full name
+- Repository URL
+- Default branch
+- Policy to treat selected repository as default unless overridden
+
+Primary implementation:
+
+- src/modules/github/chat/drawer.js
+
+### 3. Editor context (Send tab content)
+
+When enabled, the drawer includes active tab context as a system message:
+
+- Render mode and style mode
+- Active tab label/path
+- Available tab targets list (id/path/name/language), currently capped to 20
+- Active tab source code block
+
+This context is designed to support dynamic proposal targeting by tab id/path and reduce ambiguity.
+
+Primary implementation:
+
+- src/modules/github/chat/active-tab-context.js
+- src/modules/github/chat/drawer.js
+
+### 4. Tooling model
+
+AI proposal actions currently use a function tool:
+
+- propose_editor_update
+
+Contract:
+
+- target: tab id or path
+- content: full replacement tab content
+- language: optional disambiguation hint
+- rationale: optional explanation
+
+Primary implementation:
+
+- src/modules/github/chat/proposals.js
+- src/modules/github/chat/tab-target-resolver.js
+- src/modules/github/chat/drawer.js
+
+### 5. Apply and undo behavior
+
+- Apply is proposal-driven and tab-target-aware (id/path resolution)
+- Undo is scoped per tab (latest snapshot per tab)
+- Undo UI is visible for active tab snapshot only
+
+Primary implementation:
+
+- src/modules/github/chat/drawer.js
+- src/modules/github/chat/tab-scoped-undo-state.js
+
+### 6. Payload size controls and summary strategy
+
+The payload builder includes bounded-conversation controls:
+
+- Hard byte budget: 120_000 bytes
+- Direct conversation retention cap: latest 14 chat messages
+- Summary cap: 3_600 characters
+- Older dropped conversation turns are compacted into a rolling system summary
+
+Primary implementation:
+
+- src/modules/github/chat/payload.js
+
+### 7. Fallback and transport behavior
+
+- Streaming request path is attempted first
+- Non-stream fallback is attempted on streaming failure
+- Model access errors are surfaced with tailored status text
+
+Primary implementation:
+
+- src/modules/github/chat/drawer.js
+- src/modules/github/api/chat.js
+
+## Why this approach
+
+- Keeps active-tab workflows lightweight and responsive
+- Supports explicit user review before applying generated edits
+- Preserves model guidance quality with mode/dialect policy constraints
+- Reduces request-size growth with bounded message history and rolling summaries
+
+## Possible Areas for Improvement
+
+### 1. Hard-fit protection when system context alone is large
+
+Current shrinking behavior primarily trims conversation turns. Add a final hard-fit step that can selectively trim editor context sections when total payload still exceeds budget.
+
+Potential ideas:
+
+- Trim available tab target list length adaptively
+- Clip active tab source with clear truncation markers
+- Retry once on 413 with reduced context envelope
+
+### 2. Create-tab capability
+
+Add a dedicated tool for creating workspace tabs so requests like "create a new styles tab" can be completed in one interaction.
+
+Potential tool:
+
+- create_workspace_tab(path, language, initialContent?, activate?)
+
+### 3. Cross-tab source access
+
+Support workflows where the user references a non-active tab.
+
+Potential options:
+
+- Add Send all tabs mode with explicit byte budgeting
+- Add read_workspace_tab tool for targeted lookup
+
+### 4. Better summary fidelity
+
+Current summary is compact and bounded, but can lose nuanced intent over long sessions.
+
+Potential ideas:
+
+- Structured summary sections (goals, constraints, pending asks)
+- Weighted retention for user constraints and accepted decisions
+
+### 5. Context observability in UI
+
+Provide optional diagnostics showing what context is being sent in the next request.
+
+Potential ideas:
+
+- "Preview outgoing context" drawer section
+- Approximate byte-count indicator before send
+
+### 6. Tool-call UX clarity
+
+Continue improving copy and actions so users understand what is proposed versus what is already applied.
+
+Potential ideas:
+
+- Show target tab path in each action
+- Add optional diff preview before apply
+
+### 7. Optional stricter policy profiles
+
+Allow policy strictness presets depending on user goals.
+
+Potential ideas:
+
+- Conservative mode: fewer tool proposals, stronger minimal-change bias
+- Refactor mode: broader architectural proposal tolerance
+
+## Validation status
+
+Current strategy has focused Playwright coverage for the chat drawer behavior and context policy assertions in:
+
+- playwright/github-byot-ai.spec.ts
+
+## Scope note
+
+This document is intentionally implementation-oriented. It describes current behavior and practical next improvements without locking future UX or API contracts.