feat: stream agent message deltas

codex-rs/tui/src/app.rs

@@ -28,6 +28,11 @@ use std::sync::mpsc::channel;
 use std::thread;
 use std::time::Duration;
 
+enum PendingHistoryOp {
+    Insert(Vec<Line<'static>>),
+    Overwrite(Line<'static>),
+}
+
 /// Time window for debouncing redraw requests.
 const REDRAW_DEBOUNCE: Duration = Duration::from_millis(10);
 
@@ -57,7 +62,7 @@ pub(crate) struct App<'a> {
     /// True when a redraw has been scheduled but not yet executed.
     pending_redraw: Arc<AtomicBool>,
 
-    pending_history_lines: Vec<Line<'static>>,
+    pending_history_ops: Vec<PendingHistoryOp>,
 
     /// Stored parameters needed to instantiate the ChatWidget later, e.g.,
     /// after dismissing the Git-repo warning.
@@ -163,7 +168,7 @@ impl App<'_> {
         let file_search = FileSearchManager::new(config.cwd.clone(), app_event_tx.clone());
         Self {
             app_event_tx,
-            pending_history_lines: Vec::new(),
+            pending_history_ops: Vec::new(),
             app_event_rx,
             app_state,
             config,
@@ -210,7 +215,13 @@ impl App<'_> {
         while let Ok(event) = self.app_event_rx.recv() {
             match event {
                 AppEvent::InsertHistory(lines) => {
-                    self.pending_history_lines.extend(lines);
+                    self.pending_history_ops
+                        .push(PendingHistoryOp::Insert(lines));
+                    self.app_event_tx.send(AppEvent::RequestRedraw);
+                }
+                AppEvent::OverwriteHistoryLine(line) => {
+                    self.pending_history_ops
+                        .push(PendingHistoryOp::Overwrite(line));
                     self.app_event_tx.send(AppEvent::RequestRedraw);
                 }
                 AppEvent::RequestRedraw => {
@@ -424,12 +435,17 @@ impl App<'_> {
             terminal.clear()?;
             terminal.set_viewport_area(area);
         }
-        if !self.pending_history_lines.is_empty() {
+        if !self.pending_history_ops.is_empty() {
-            crate::insert_history::insert_history_lines(
+            for op in self.pending_history_ops.drain(..) {
-                terminal,
+                match op {
-                self.pending_history_lines.clone(),
+                    PendingHistoryOp::Insert(lines) => {
-            );
+                        crate::insert_history::insert_history_lines(terminal, lines);
-            self.pending_history_lines.clear();
+                    }
+                    PendingHistoryOp::Overwrite(line) => {
+                        crate::insert_history::overwrite_last_history_line(line);
+                    }
+                }
+            }
         }
         match &mut self.app_state {
             AppState::Chat { widget } => {

codex-rs/tui/src/app_event.rs

@@ -48,4 +48,6 @@ pub(crate) enum AppEvent {
     },
 
     InsertHistory(Vec<Line<'static>>),
+    /// Overwrite the last line in the scrollback with the provided content.
+    OverwriteHistoryLine(Line<'static>),
 }

codex-rs/tui/src/chatwidget.rs

@@ -28,8 +28,10 @@ use crossterm::event::KeyEvent;
 use crossterm::event::KeyEventKind;
 use ratatui::buffer::Buffer;
 use ratatui::layout::Rect;
+use ratatui::text::Line;
 use ratatui::widgets::Widget;
 use ratatui::widgets::WidgetRef;
+use ratatui::style::Stylize;
 use tokio::sync::mpsc::UnboundedSender;
 use tokio::sync::mpsc::unbounded_channel;
 
@@ -43,6 +45,7 @@ use crate::exec_command::strip_bash_lc_and_escape;
 use crate::history_cell::CommandOutput;
 use crate::history_cell::HistoryCell;
 use crate::history_cell::PatchEventType;
+use crate::markdown::append_markdown;
 use crate::user_approval_widget::ApprovalRequest;
 use codex_file_search::FileMatch;
 
@@ -60,10 +63,13 @@ pub(crate) struct ChatWidget<'a> {
     initial_user_message: Option<UserMessage>,
     token_usage: TokenUsage,
     reasoning_buffer: String,
-    // Buffer for streaming assistant answer text; we do not surface partial
+    // Buffer and tracking for streaming assistant reasoning text.
-    // We wait for the final AgentMessage event and then emit the full text
+    reasoning_inserted_lines: usize,
-    // at once into scrollback so the history contains a single message.
+    reasoning_header_inserted: bool,
+    // Buffer and tracking for streaming assistant answer text.
     answer_buffer: String,
+    answer_inserted_lines: usize,
+    answer_header_inserted: bool,
     running_commands: HashMap<String, RunningCommand>,
 }
 
@@ -150,11 +156,21 @@ impl ChatWidget<'_> {
             ),
             token_usage: TokenUsage::default(),
             reasoning_buffer: String::new(),
+            reasoning_inserted_lines: 0,
+            reasoning_header_inserted: false,
             answer_buffer: String::new(),
+            answer_inserted_lines: 0,
+            answer_header_inserted: false,
             running_commands: HashMap::new(),
         }
     }
 
+    fn render_markdown_line(&self, text: &str) -> Line<'static> {
+        let mut lines = Vec::new();
+        append_markdown(text, &mut lines, &self.config);
+        lines.into_iter().next().unwrap_or_else(|| Line::from(""))
+    }
+
     pub fn desired_height(&self, width: u16) -> u16 {
         self.bottom_pane.desired_height(width)
     }
@@ -176,6 +192,76 @@ impl ChatWidget<'_> {
         self.bottom_pane.handle_paste(text);
     }
 
+    fn handle_answer_delta(&mut self, delta: &str) {
+        self.answer_buffer.push_str(delta);
+        let lines: Vec<&str> = self.answer_buffer.split('\n').collect();
+        if !self.answer_header_inserted {
+            let first = *lines.first().unwrap_or(&"");
+            let mut initial = vec![Line::from("codex".magenta().bold())];
+            initial.push(self.render_markdown_line(first));
+            self.app_event_tx.send(AppEvent::InsertHistory(initial));
+            self.answer_header_inserted = true;
+            self.answer_inserted_lines = 1;
+        } else {
+            let current_count = lines.len();
+            if current_count > self.answer_inserted_lines {
+                if self.answer_inserted_lines > 0 {
+                    let idx = self.answer_inserted_lines - 1;
+                    let line = self.render_markdown_line(lines[idx]);
+                    self.app_event_tx
+                        .send(AppEvent::OverwriteHistoryLine(line));
+                }
+                for i in self.answer_inserted_lines..current_count {
+                    let line = self.render_markdown_line(lines[i]);
+                    self.app_event_tx
+                        .send(AppEvent::InsertHistory(vec![line]));
+                    self.answer_inserted_lines += 1;
+                }
+            } else if self.answer_inserted_lines > 0 {
+                let idx = self.answer_inserted_lines - 1;
+                let line = self.render_markdown_line(lines[idx]);
+                self.app_event_tx
+                    .send(AppEvent::OverwriteHistoryLine(line));
+            }
+        }
+        self.request_redraw();
+    }
+
+    fn handle_reasoning_delta(&mut self, delta: &str) {
+        self.reasoning_buffer.push_str(delta);
+        let lines: Vec<&str> = self.reasoning_buffer.split('\n').collect();
+        if !self.reasoning_header_inserted {
+            let first = *lines.first().unwrap_or(&"");
+            let mut initial = vec![Line::from("thinking".magenta().italic())];
+            initial.push(self.render_markdown_line(first));
+            self.app_event_tx.send(AppEvent::InsertHistory(initial));
+            self.reasoning_header_inserted = true;
+            self.reasoning_inserted_lines = 1;
+        } else {
+            let current_count = lines.len();
+            if current_count > self.reasoning_inserted_lines {
+                if self.reasoning_inserted_lines > 0 {
+                    let idx = self.reasoning_inserted_lines - 1;
+                    let line = self.render_markdown_line(lines[idx]);
+                    self.app_event_tx
+                        .send(AppEvent::OverwriteHistoryLine(line));
+                }
+                for i in self.reasoning_inserted_lines..current_count {
+                    let line = self.render_markdown_line(lines[i]);
+                    self.app_event_tx
+                        .send(AppEvent::InsertHistory(vec![line]));
+                    self.reasoning_inserted_lines += 1;
+                }
+            } else if self.reasoning_inserted_lines > 0 {
+                let idx = self.reasoning_inserted_lines - 1;
+                let line = self.render_markdown_line(lines[idx]);
+                self.app_event_tx
+                    .send(AppEvent::OverwriteHistoryLine(line));
+            }
+        }
+        self.request_redraw();
+    }
+
     fn add_to_history(&mut self, cell: HistoryCell) {
         self.app_event_tx
             .send(AppEvent::InsertHistory(cell.plain_lines()));
@@ -236,46 +322,67 @@ impl ChatWidget<'_> {
                 self.request_redraw();
             }
             EventMsg::AgentMessage(AgentMessageEvent { message }) => {
-                // Final assistant answer. Prefer the fully provided message
+                if self.answer_header_inserted {
-                // from the event; if it is empty fall back to any accumulated
+                    if !message.is_empty() && message != self.answer_buffer {
-                // delta buffer (some providers may only stream deltas and send
+                        let tail = message
-                // an empty final message).
+                            .strip_prefix(&self.answer_buffer)
-                let full = if message.is_empty() {
+                            .unwrap_or(&message);
-                    std::mem::take(&mut self.answer_buffer)
+                        if !tail.is_empty() {
+                            self.handle_answer_delta(tail);
+                        }
+                    }
+                    self.app_event_tx
+                        .send(AppEvent::InsertHistory(vec![Line::from("")]))
+                        ;
                 } else {
-                    self.answer_buffer.clear();
+                    let full = if message.is_empty() {
-                    message
+                        std::mem::take(&mut self.answer_buffer)
-                };
+                    } else {
-                if !full.is_empty() {
+                        self.answer_buffer.clear();
-                    self.add_to_history(HistoryCell::new_agent_message(&self.config, full));
+                        message
+                    };
+                    if !full.is_empty() {
+                        self.add_to_history(HistoryCell::new_agent_message(&self.config, full));
+                    }
                 }
+                self.answer_buffer.clear();
+                self.answer_inserted_lines = 0;
+                self.answer_header_inserted = false;
                 self.request_redraw();
             }
             EventMsg::AgentMessageDelta(AgentMessageDeltaEvent { delta }) => {
-                // Buffer only – do not emit partial lines. This avoids cases
+                self.handle_answer_delta(&delta);
-                // where long responses appear truncated if the terminal
-                // wrapped early. The full message is emitted on
-                // AgentMessage.
-                self.answer_buffer.push_str(&delta);
             }
             EventMsg::AgentReasoningDelta(AgentReasoningDeltaEvent { delta }) => {
-                // Buffer only – disable incremental reasoning streaming so we
+                self.handle_reasoning_delta(&delta);
-                // avoid truncated intermediate lines. Full text emitted on
-                // AgentReasoning.
-                self.reasoning_buffer.push_str(&delta);
             }
             EventMsg::AgentReasoning(AgentReasoningEvent { text }) => {
-                // Emit full reasoning text once. Some providers might send
+                if self.reasoning_header_inserted {
-                // final event with empty text if only deltas were used.
+                    if !text.is_empty() && text != self.reasoning_buffer {
-                let full = if text.is_empty() {
+                        let tail = text
-                    std::mem::take(&mut self.reasoning_buffer)
+                            .strip_prefix(&self.reasoning_buffer)
+                            .unwrap_or(&text);
+                        if !tail.is_empty() {
+                            self.handle_reasoning_delta(tail);
+                        }
+                    }
+                    self.app_event_tx
+                        .send(AppEvent::InsertHistory(vec![Line::from("")]))
+                        ;
                 } else {
-                    self.reasoning_buffer.clear();
+                    let full = if text.is_empty() {
-                    text
+                        std::mem::take(&mut self.reasoning_buffer)
-                };
+                    } else {
-                if !full.is_empty() {
+                        self.reasoning_buffer.clear();
-                    self.add_to_history(HistoryCell::new_agent_reasoning(&self.config, full));
+                        text
+                    };
+                    if !full.is_empty() {
+                        self.add_to_history(HistoryCell::new_agent_reasoning(&self.config, full));
+                    }
                 }
+                self.reasoning_buffer.clear();
+                self.reasoning_inserted_lines = 0;
+                self.reasoning_header_inserted = false;
                 self.request_redraw();
             }
             EventMsg::TaskStarted => {

codex-rs/tui/src/insert_history.rs

@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@ use std::io::Write;
 use crate::tui;
 use crossterm::Command;
 use crossterm::cursor::MoveTo;
+use crossterm::cursor::MoveToColumn;
 use crossterm::queue;
 use crossterm::style::Color as CColor;
 use crossterm::style::Colors;
@@ -13,6 +14,8 @@ use crossterm::style::SetAttribute;
 use crossterm::style::SetBackgroundColor;
 use crossterm::style::SetColors;
 use crossterm::style::SetForegroundColor;
+use crossterm::terminal::Clear;
+use crossterm::terminal::ClearType;
 use ratatui::layout::Size;
 use ratatui::prelude::Backend;
 use ratatui::style::Color;
@@ -79,6 +82,17 @@ pub(crate) fn insert_history_lines(terminal: &mut tui::Tui, lines: Vec<Line>) {
     }
 }
 
+/// Overwrite the current line in the history area with new content.
+pub(crate) fn overwrite_last_history_line(line: Line) {
+    queue!(
+        std::io::stdout(),
+        MoveToColumn(0),
+        Clear(ClearType::CurrentLine)
+    )
+    .ok();
+    write_spans(&mut std::io::stdout(), line.iter()).ok();
+}
+
 fn wrapped_line_count(lines: &[Line], width: u16) -> u16 {
     let mut count = 0;
     for line in lines {