web-ui: surface mid-turn agent posts in the live dock and pre-refresh timeline

plugins/web-ui/src/chat.ts

@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@ import {
   Files,
   GitFork,
   Maximize2,
+  MessageSquare,
   Paperclip,
   Pencil,
   Plug,
@@ -67,7 +68,7 @@ import {
   type WorkBlock,
   withBase,
 } from "./core-bridge";
-import { buildTimeline, toolRowKind, type TimelineItem, type ToolPayload, type ToolRowModel } from "./timeline";
+import { buildTimeline, postSpeechText, toolRowKind, type TimelineItem, type ToolPayload, type ToolRowModel } from "./timeline";
 import { CONNECTOR_NAMES, connectorLinksIn, stripConnectorLinks, type ConnectorLink } from "./connector-link";
 import { deepLinkPath, UI_BASE } from "./deep-link";
 import type { ChatSurface, ConvCtx } from "./conv-types";
@@ -1898,8 +1899,16 @@ export function createChatSurface(
     const call = (row.call?.payload ?? {}) as ToolPayload;
     const result = (row.result?.payload ?? {}) as ToolPayload;
     const tool = call.tool ?? result.tool ?? "unknown";
-    const meta = TOOL_META[tool] ?? UNKNOWN_TOOL;
     const secs = elapsedSeconds(row.call?.createdAt) || workSeconds(work);
+    const posting = postSpeechText(row, true);
+    if (posting) {
+      return {
+        icon: MessageSquare,
+        label: secs > 0 ? `Posting message for ${secs}s` : "Posting message",
+        detail: firstLine(posting, 60),
+      };
+    }
+    const meta = TOOL_META[tool] ?? UNKNOWN_TOOL;
     return {
       icon: meta.icon,
       label: secs > 0 ? `${meta.active} for ${secs}s` : meta.active,
@@ -1984,6 +1993,14 @@ export function createChatSurface(
         flushSeg();
         const text = ((it.activity.payload as { text?: string } | null)?.text ?? "").trim();
         if (text) parts.push(html`<div class="work-said">${markdown(text)}</div>`);
+      } else if (it.kind === "tool") {
+        const speech = postSpeechText(it.row);
+        if (speech) {
+          flushSeg();
+          parts.push(html`<div class="work-said">${markdown(speech)}</div>`);
+        } else {
+          seg.push(it);
+        }
       } else {
         seg.push(it);
       }
@@ -2063,6 +2080,8 @@ export function createChatSurface(
     if (item.kind === "thinking") return thinkingRow(item.activity);
     if (item.kind === "text") return messageRow(item.activity);
     if (item.kind === "approval") return approvalMarker(item.approval);
+    const speech = postSpeechText(item.row, work.status === "working" || work.status === "thinking");
+    if (speech) return messageRow({ ...item.row.call!, payload: { text: speech } });
     return toolRow(item.row, work, status, stale);
   }
 

plugins/web-ui/src/timeline.ts

@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@ export interface ToolPayload {
   code?: number;
   timedOut?: boolean;
   action?: string;
+  text?: string;
   process_id?: string;
   monitor_id?: string;
   added?: number;
@@ -64,6 +65,17 @@ function callIdOf(a: ToolActivity): string | undefined {
   return typeof id === "string" && id ? id : undefined;
 }
 
+export function postSpeechText(row: ToolRowModel, allowInFlight = false): string | null {
+  const call = (row.call?.payload ?? {}) as ToolPayload;
+  if (call.action !== "post" || typeof call.text !== "string" || !call.text.trim()) return null;
+  if (row.result) {
+    const result = (row.result.payload ?? {}) as ToolPayload & { isError?: boolean; ok?: boolean };
+    if (result.isError === true || result.ok === false || result.error || result.denied === true) return null;
+    return call.text;
+  }
+  return allowInFlight ? call.text : null;
+}
+
 function orphanCallSignature(row: ToolRowModel): string | null {
   if (!row.call || row.result || row.approval) return null;
   const p = (row.call.payload ?? {}) as ToolPayload;

plugins/web-ui/test/chat-post-speech.test.ts

@@ -0,0 +1,25 @@
+import assert from "node:assert/strict";
+import { readFileSync } from "node:fs";
+import test from "node:test";
+
+const chat = readFileSync(new URL("../src/chat.ts", import.meta.url), "utf8");
+
+test("a surface post renders as conversation speech on both render paths, never as a bare tool row", () => {
+  assert.match(
+    chat,
+    /const speech = postSpeechText\(item\.row, work\.status === "working" \|\| work\.status === "thinking"\);\s*if \(speech\) return messageRow\(\{ \.\.\.item\.row\.call!, payload: \{ text: speech \} \}\);/,
+    "live timeline rows must turn a post's text into a message row, gated on live work status so unconfirmed posts never render as speech inside settled folds",
+  );
+  assert.match(
+    chat,
+    /const speech = postSpeechText\(it\.row\);\s*if \(speech\) \{\s*flushSeg\(\);\s*parts\.push\(html`<div class="work-said">\$\{markdown\(speech\)\}<\/div>`\);\s*\} else \{\s*seg\.push\(it\);/,
+    "settled folds must flush the segment and render the confirmed post text as a work-said bubble instead of folding it away",
+  );
+});
+
+test("the live dock previews an in-flight post instead of showing a generic step", () => {
+  assert.match(
+    chat,
+    /const posting = postSpeechText\(row, true\);\s*if \(posting\) \{\s*return \{\s*icon: MessageSquare,\s*label: secs > 0 \? `Posting message for \$\{secs\}s` : "Posting message",\s*detail: firstLine\(posting, 60\),\s*\};\s*\}/,
+  );
+});

plugins/web-ui/test/timeline.test.ts

@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 import { test } from "node:test";
 import assert from "node:assert/strict";
 import type { ToolActivity, WorkBlock } from "../src/core-bridge.ts";
-import { buildTimeline, toolRowKind, type ToolRowModel } from "../src/timeline.ts";
+import { buildTimeline, postSpeechText, toolRowKind, type ToolRowModel } from "../src/timeline.ts";
 
 function act(seq: number, type: ToolActivity["type"], payload: unknown): ToolActivity {
   return { seq, parentSeq: null, type, payload, createdAt: seq };
@@ -260,6 +260,40 @@ test("toolRowKind: no result yet — `running` mid-turn, `attempted`/`failed` on
   );
 });
 
+test("postSpeechText: a delivered surface post is speech; failed or unconfirmed posts are not", () => {
+  const okRow: ToolRowModel = {
+    call: act(1, "tool_call", { tool: "web", action: "post", text: "Which plan should I use?", callId: "a" }),
+    result: act(2, "tool_result", { tool: "web", callId: "a", ok: true, deliveryId: "d" }),
+  };
+  assert.equal(postSpeechText(okRow), "Which plan should I use?");
+
+  const inFlight: ToolRowModel = {
+    call: act(1, "tool_call", { tool: "web", action: "post", text: "Still composing", callId: "b" }),
+    result: null,
+  };
+  assert.equal(postSpeechText(inFlight), null, "a post without a result never claims delivered speech");
+  assert.equal(postSpeechText(inFlight, true), "Still composing", "live contexts may preview the in-flight text");
+
+  const failed: ToolRowModel = {
+    call: act(1, "tool_call", { tool: "web", action: "post", text: "Never delivered", callId: "c" }),
+    result: act(2, "tool_result", { tool: "web", callId: "c", error: "channel unavailable" }),
+  };
+  assert.equal(postSpeechText(failed), null);
+  assert.equal(postSpeechText(failed, true), null);
+
+  const failedFlag: ToolRowModel = {
+    call: act(1, "tool_call", { tool: "web", action: "post", text: "Also never delivered", callId: "e" }),
+    result: act(2, "tool_result", { tool: "web", callId: "e", ok: false }),
+  };
+  assert.equal(postSpeechText(failedFlag), null);
+
+  const nonPost: ToolRowModel = {
+    call: act(1, "tool_call", { tool: "read", path: "/x", callId: "d" }),
+    result: act(2, "tool_result", { tool: "read", callId: "d" }),
+  };
+  assert.equal(postSpeechText(nonPost), null);
+});
+
 function workWith(activity: ToolActivity[], status: WorkBlock["status"] = "working"): WorkBlock {
   return { status, activity };
 }