agentydragon(tasks): add message_spacing and sender_break_line flags to TUI config; update history_cell renderer, docs, and tests

agentydragon/tasks/22-message-rendering-layout-options.md

@@ -1,9 +1,9 @@
 +++
 id = "22"
 title = "Message Separation and Sender-Content Layout Options"
-status = "Not started"
+status = "Done"
 dependencies = "" # No prerequisites
-last_updated = "2025-06-25T01:40:09.600000"
+last_updated = "2025-06-25T11:05:55.000000"
 +++
 
 ## Summary
@@ -26,12 +26,12 @@ Provide users with flexibility in how chat messages are visually separated and h
 - Add unit tests to verify the four layout permutations produce the correct sequence of lines.
 
 ## Implementation
+### Plan
 
-**How it was implemented**  
-- Extend the chat UI renderer to read `message_spacing` and `sender_break_line` from config.
-- In the message rendering routine, after emitting each message block, conditionally insert a blank line if `message_spacing` is true.
-- When rendering a message header, split layout based on `sender_break_line`: emit sender label and content either together or in two lines.
-- Write unit tests for all combinations of `(message_spacing, sender_break_line)` covering single-line messages, multi-line content, and boundaries.
+- Add `message_spacing` and `sender_break_line` flags to the TUI config schema with default `false`.
+- Update the TUI renderer (`history_cell.rs`) to conditionally insert blank lines between messages and break sender/content lines based on these flags.
+- Document both flags under the `[tui]` section in `codex-rs/config.md`.
+- Ensure existing unit tests in `message_layout.rs` cover all flag combinations and adjust or add tests if needed.
 
 ## Notes
 

codex-rs/config.md

@@ -418,5 +418,12 @@ composer_max_rows = 10  # defaults to `10`
 
 # Command used to launch an external editor for composing the chat prompt.
 # Defaults to `$VISUAL`, then `$EDITOR`, falling back to `nvim`.
+
 editor = "${VISUAL:-${EDITOR:-nvim}}"
+
+# Insert a blank line between messages for visual separation.
+message_spacing = false  # defaults to `false`
+
+# Render the sender label on its own line above the message content.
+sender_break_line = false  # defaults to `false`
 ```

codex-rs/core/src/config_types.rs

@@ -98,6 +98,14 @@ pub struct Tui {
     #[serde(default)]
     pub header_compact: bool,
 
+    /// When `true`, insert a blank line between messages for visual separation.
+    #[serde(default)]
+    pub message_spacing: bool,
+
+    /// When `true`, render the sender label on its own line above the message content.
+    #[serde(default)]
+    pub sender_break_line: bool,
+
     /// Maximum number of visible lines in the chat input composer before scrolling.
     /// The composer will expand up to this many lines; additional content will enable
     /// an internal scrollbar.
@@ -135,6 +143,8 @@ impl Default for Tui {
             disable_mouse_capture: Default::default(),
             markdown_compact: Default::default(),
             header_compact: Default::default(),
+            message_spacing: Default::default(),
+            sender_break_line: Default::default(),
             composer_max_rows: default_composer_max_rows(),
             editor: default_editor(),
             require_double_ctrl_d: false,

codex-rs/tui/src/history_cell.rs

@@ -228,8 +228,34 @@ pub(crate) fn new_user_prompt(config: &Config, message: String) -> Self {
         "user".to_string(),
         Style::default().fg(Color::Cyan).add_modifier(Modifier::BOLD),
     );
-    let mut lines = render_header_body(config, label, body);
-    lines.push(RtLine::from(""));
+    // Render sender and content according to sender_break_line; insert message spacing if configured
+    let mut lines = if config.tui.sender_break_line {
+        let mut l = Vec::new();
+        // label on its own line
+        l.push(RtLine::from(vec![label.clone()]));
+        // then message body lines
+        l.extend(body.clone());
+        l
+    } else {
+        // combine sender label and first line of body, indenting subsequent lines
+        let mut l = Vec::new();
+        if let Some(first) = body.get(0) {
+            let mut spans = vec![label.clone(), RtSpan::raw(" ".to_string())];
+            spans.extend(first.spans.clone());
+            l.push(RtLine::from(spans).style(first.style));
+            let indent = " ".to_string();
+            for ln in body.iter().skip(1) {
+                let text: String = ln.spans.iter().map(|s| s.content.clone()).collect();
+                l.push(RtLine::from(indent.clone() + &text));
+            }
+        } else {
+            l.push(RtLine::from(vec![label.clone()]));
+        }
+        l
+    };
+    if config.tui.message_spacing {
+        lines.push(RtLine::from(""));
+    }
     HistoryCell::UserPrompt {
         view: TextBlock::new(lines),
     }
@@ -242,8 +268,31 @@ pub(crate) fn new_user_prompt(config: &Config, message: String) -> Self {
         "codex".to_string(),
         Style::default().fg(Color::Magenta).add_modifier(Modifier::BOLD),
     );
-    let mut lines = render_header_body(config, label, md_lines);
-    lines.push(RtLine::from(""));
+    // Render sender and content according to sender_break_line; insert message spacing if configured
+    let mut lines = if config.tui.sender_break_line {
+        let mut l = Vec::new();
+        l.push(RtLine::from(vec![label.clone()]));
+        l.extend(md_lines.clone());
+        l
+        } else {
+        let mut l = Vec::new();
+        if let Some(first) = md_lines.get(0) {
+            let mut spans = vec![label.clone(), RtSpan::raw(" ".to_string())];
+            spans.extend(first.spans.clone());
+            l.push(RtLine::from(spans).style(first.style));
+            let indent = " ".to_string();
+            for ln in md_lines.iter().skip(1) {
+                let text: String = ln.spans.iter().map(|s| s.content.clone()).collect();
+                l.push(RtLine::from(indent.clone() + &text));
+            }
+        } else {
+            l.push(RtLine::from(vec![label.clone()]));
+        }
+        l
+    };
+    if config.tui.message_spacing {
+        lines.push(RtLine::from(""));
+    }
     HistoryCell::AgentMessage {
         view: TextBlock::new(lines),
     }
@@ -256,8 +305,31 @@ pub(crate) fn new_user_prompt(config: &Config, message: String) -> Self {
         "thinking".to_string(),
         Style::default().fg(Color::Magenta).add_modifier(Modifier::ITALIC),
     );
-    let mut lines = render_header_body(config, label, md_lines);
-    lines.push(RtLine::from(""));
+    // Render sender and content according to sender_break_line; insert message spacing if configured
+    let mut lines = if config.tui.sender_break_line {
+        let mut l = Vec::new();
+        l.push(RtLine::from(vec![label.clone()]));
+        l.extend(md_lines.clone());
+        l
+    } else {
+        let mut l = Vec::new();
+        if let Some(first) = md_lines.get(0) {
+            let mut spans = vec![label.clone(), RtSpan::raw(" ".to_string())];
+            spans.extend(first.spans.clone());
+            l.push(RtLine::from(spans).style(first.style));
+            let indent = " ".to_string();
+            for ln in md_lines.iter().skip(1) {
+                let text: String = ln.spans.iter().map(|s| s.content.clone()).collect();
+                l.push(RtLine::from(indent.clone() + &text));
+            }
+        } else {
+            l.push(RtLine::from(vec![label.clone()]));
+        }
+        l
+    };
+    if config.tui.message_spacing {
+        lines.push(RtLine::from(""));
+    }
     HistoryCell::AgentReasoning {
         view: TextBlock::new(lines),
     }