modes: adapt slide-back chord hint to terminal

The "Press Option+up to slide back into input" hint shown under the
sliding-in queue was correct on Ghostty, iTerm2 (Meta=Option),
Terminal.app (Use Option as Meta), Alacritty, and Kitty -- all of
which send CSI 1;3A for Option+Up, which the input parser reads as
KeyUp + Alt.

VS Code's integrated terminal (xterm.js on macOS) swallows plain
Option as a compose modifier by default, so Option+Up never reaches
zot as an Alt-modified arrow. Option+Shift+Up does work there:
xterm.js emits CSI 1;4A (Shift+Alt), which the parser already
accepts as alt=true. The binding has always worked in VS Code;
only the displayed hint was misleading.

Fix: a small slideBackChordHint() helper that returns
"Option+Shift+up" when TERM_PROGRAM=vscode and "Option+up"
otherwise. interactive.go's queue-hint row calls it instead of
hardcoding the chord. The binding itself is unchanged -- both
chords work on every terminal -- the hint just adapts to what the
host actually delivers.

README.md gains a one-sentence note under Queued messages
documenting both chords and that the hint adapts via
$TERM_PROGRAM.

Tests cover the VS Code branch, case-insensitive detection
(VSCode / VSCODE / VsCode), and the default for "", "ghostty",
"iTerm.app", "Apple_Terminal", "alacritty", "kitty".

commit: 467ad0a9908c7d59109609daacec2f723f5ffe06
author: patriceckhart · 5mo ago · 2026-05-16 10:01 UTC
parent: b11e6ed
signature: unsigned

4 files · +85 -1

M README.md +2 -0


@@ -499,6 +499,8 @@ Frames containing images are full-repainted (no differential diff) to prevent st
499	499
500	500		You can keep typing while the agent is working. Pressing `enter` during a turn queues the message instead of interrupting: it shows up above the status bar as `sliding in: <text>` and is delivered as the next user turn the moment the current one finishes. Queue as many as you want; they run in order. `esc` cancels the active turn and drops the queue so a runaway turn doesn't flood you with stale follow-ups; `ctrl+c` while busy arms the exit hint instead of interrupting, a second `ctrl+c` within two seconds exits zot.
501	501
	502	+	To recover the most recently queued message back into the editor (to tweak it before it runs), press `Option+↑`. In VS Code's integrated terminal that chord doesn't survive xterm.js's macOS key handling — use `Option+Shift+↑` there. zot's hint line under the sliding-in queue adapts automatically based on `$TERM_PROGRAM`.
	503	+
502	504		Slash commands also work while the agent is busy. Read-only ones (`/help`, `/jump`, `/btw`, `/sessions`, `/skills`, `/jail`, `/unjail`, `/exit`) take effect immediately. Destructive ones (`/clear`, `/compact`, `/login`, `/logout`, `/model`, `/reload-ext`) cancel the active turn first and then run.
503	505
504	506


@@ -499,6 +499,8 @@ Frames containing images are full-repainted (no differential diff) to prevent st
499		499
500	You can keep typing while the agent is working. Pressing `enter` during a turn queues the message instead of interrupting: it shows up above the status bar as `sliding in: <text>` and is delivered as the next user turn the moment the current one finishes. Queue as many as you want; they run in order. `esc` cancels the active turn and drops the queue so a runaway turn doesn't flood you with stale follow-ups; `ctrl+c` while busy arms the exit hint instead of interrupting, a second `ctrl+c` within two seconds exits zot.	500		You can keep typing while the agent is working. Pressing `enter` during a turn queues the message instead of interrupting: it shows up above the status bar as `sliding in: <text>` and is delivered as the next user turn the moment the current one finishes. Queue as many as you want; they run in order. `esc` cancels the active turn and drops the queue so a runaway turn doesn't flood you with stale follow-ups; `ctrl+c` while busy arms the exit hint instead of interrupting, a second `ctrl+c` within two seconds exits zot.
501		501
		502	+	To recover the most recently queued message back into the editor (to tweak it before it runs), press `Option+↑`. In VS Code's integrated terminal that chord doesn't survive xterm.js's macOS key handling — use `Option+Shift+↑` there. zot's hint line under the sliding-in queue adapts automatically based on `$TERM_PROGRAM`.
		503	+
502	Slash commands also work while the agent is busy. Read-only ones (`/help`, `/jump`, `/btw`, `/sessions`, `/skills`, `/jail`, `/unjail`, `/exit`) take effect immediately. Destructive ones (`/clear`, `/compact`, `/login`, `/logout`, `/model`, `/reload-ext`) cancel the active turn first and then run.	504		Slash commands also work while the agent is busy. Read-only ones (`/help`, `/jump`, `/btw`, `/sessions`, `/skills`, `/jail`, `/unjail`, `/exit`) take effect immediately. Destructive ones (`/clear`, `/compact`, `/login`, `/logout`, `/model`, `/reload-ext`) cancel the active turn first and then run.
503		505
504		506

M internal/agent/modes/interactive.go +1 -1


@@ -1030,7 +1030,7 @@ func (i *Interactive) redraw() {
1030	1030		// info on the status bar so it reads as ambient metadata
1031	1031		// rather than a chip. Tells the user how to recover the
1032	1032		// most recent queued message back into the editor.
1033		-	hint := " Press Option+↑ to slide back into input"
	1033	+	hint := " Press " + slideBackChordHint() + " to slide back into input"
1034	1034		queue = append(queue, i.cfg.Theme.FG256(i.cfg.Theme.Muted, hint))
1035	1035		}
1036	1036


@@ -1030,7 +1030,7 @@ func (i *Interactive) redraw() {
1030		// info on the status bar so it reads as ambient metadata	1030		// info on the status bar so it reads as ambient metadata
1031		// rather than a chip. Tells the user how to recover the	1031		// rather than a chip. Tells the user how to recover the
1032		// most recent queued message back into the editor.	1032		// most recent queued message back into the editor.
1033	-	hint := " Press Option+↑ to slide back into input"	1033	+	hint := " Press " + slideBackChordHint() + " to slide back into input"
1034		queue = append(queue, i.cfg.Theme.FG256(i.cfg.Theme.Muted, hint))	1034		queue = append(queue, i.cfg.Theme.FG256(i.cfg.Theme.Muted, hint))
1035		}	1035		}
1036			1036

A internal/agent/modes/keychord_hint.go +39 -0

@@ -0,0 +1,39 @@
	1	+	package modes
	2	+
	3	+	import (
	4	+	"os"
	5	+	"strings"
	6	+	)
	7	+
	8	+	// slideBackChordHint returns the keyboard chord the user must press
	9	+	// to peel the most recently queued ("sliding in") message back into
	10	+	// the editor. The chord itself is decoded the same way everywhere
	11	+	// (see KeyUp with k.Alt in handleKey) — what changes is which
	12	+	// physical combo actually delivers a modified-arrow escape sequence
	13	+	// to the process:
	14	+	//
	15	+	// - Ghostty, iTerm2 (with the "Esc+" / Meta=Option setting),
	16	+	// Terminal.app (with "Use Option as Meta key"), Alacritty,
	17	+	// Kitty: bare Option+Up sends \x1b[1;3A (mod=3 / Alt) which
	18	+	// our parser reads as KeyUp + Alt. Good.
	19	+	//
	20	+	// - VS Code's integrated terminal (xterm.js) on macOS does NOT
	21	+	// forward Option+Up as an Alt-modified arrow by default — it
	22	+	// either swallows the Option as a compose modifier or emits a
	23	+	// character. But Option+Shift+Up reliably sends \x1b[1;4A
	24	+	// (mod=4 / Shift+Alt) because the Shift bit forces the
	25	+	// CSI-with-modifier path. Our parser already treats mod=4 as
	26	+	// alt=true, so the binding fires; we just need to tell the
	27	+	// user the right chord.
	28	+	//
	29	+	// Detection is by $TERM_PROGRAM; VS Code sets this to "vscode" on
	30	+	// every platform it ships an integrated terminal on. The decoder
	31	+	// accepts both chords on any terminal, so getting the env-var sniff
	32	+	// wrong only ever shows a slightly-off hint string — never breaks
	33	+	// the binding itself.
	34	+	func slideBackChordHint() string {
	35	+	if strings.EqualFold(os.Getenv("TERM_PROGRAM"), "vscode") {
	36	+	return "Option+Shift+↑"
	37	+	}
	38	+	return "Option+↑"
	39	+	}

@@ -0,0 +1,39 @@
	1	+	package modes
	2	+
	3	+	import (
	4	+	"os"
	5	+	"strings"
	6	+	)
	7	+
	8	+	// slideBackChordHint returns the keyboard chord the user must press
	9	+	// to peel the most recently queued ("sliding in") message back into
	10	+	// the editor. The chord itself is decoded the same way everywhere
	11	+	// (see KeyUp with k.Alt in handleKey) — what changes is which
	12	+	// physical combo actually delivers a modified-arrow escape sequence
	13	+	// to the process:
	14	+	//
	15	+	// - Ghostty, iTerm2 (with the "Esc+" / Meta=Option setting),
	16	+	// Terminal.app (with "Use Option as Meta key"), Alacritty,
	17	+	// Kitty: bare Option+Up sends \x1b[1;3A (mod=3 / Alt) which
	18	+	// our parser reads as KeyUp + Alt. Good.
	19	+	//
	20	+	// - VS Code's integrated terminal (xterm.js) on macOS does NOT
	21	+	// forward Option+Up as an Alt-modified arrow by default — it
	22	+	// either swallows the Option as a compose modifier or emits a
	23	+	// character. But Option+Shift+Up reliably sends \x1b[1;4A
	24	+	// (mod=4 / Shift+Alt) because the Shift bit forces the
	25	+	// CSI-with-modifier path. Our parser already treats mod=4 as
	26	+	// alt=true, so the binding fires; we just need to tell the
	27	+	// user the right chord.
	28	+	//
	29	+	// Detection is by $TERM_PROGRAM; VS Code sets this to "vscode" on
	30	+	// every platform it ships an integrated terminal on. The decoder
	31	+	// accepts both chords on any terminal, so getting the env-var sniff
	32	+	// wrong only ever shows a slightly-off hint string — never breaks
	33	+	// the binding itself.
	34	+	func slideBackChordHint() string {
	35	+	if strings.EqualFold(os.Getenv("TERM_PROGRAM"), "vscode") {
	36	+	return "Option+Shift+↑"
	37	+	}
	38	+	return "Option+↑"
	39	+	}

A internal/agent/modes/keychord_hint_test.go +43 -0

@@ -0,0 +1,43 @@
	1	+	package modes
	2	+
	3	+	import "testing"
	4	+
	5	+	// TestSlideBackChordHintVSCode pins the VS Code branch: when the
	6	+	// process is running under VS Code's integrated terminal the hint
	7	+	// must direct the user to Option+Shift+↑, because plain Option+↑
	8	+	// gets swallowed by xterm.js's default macOS key handling.
	9	+	func TestSlideBackChordHintVSCode(t *testing.T) {
	10	+	t.Setenv("TERM_PROGRAM", "vscode")
	11	+	if got, want := slideBackChordHint(), "Option+Shift+↑"; got != want {
	12	+	t.Errorf("VS Code hint = %q; want %q", got, want)
	13	+	}
	14	+	}
	15	+
	16	+	// TestSlideBackChordHintVSCodeCaseInsensitive guards against a
	17	+	// future VS Code change that capitalises the env-var value
	18	+	// ("VSCode" / "VSCODE"). EqualFold keeps the detection robust.
	19	+	func TestSlideBackChordHintVSCodeCaseInsensitive(t *testing.T) {
	20	+	for _, v := range []string{"VSCode", "VSCODE", "VsCode"} {
	21	+	t.Run(v, func(t *testing.T) {
	22	+	t.Setenv("TERM_PROGRAM", v)
	23	+	if got, want := slideBackChordHint(), "Option+Shift+↑"; got != want {
	24	+	t.Errorf("TERM_PROGRAM=%q hint = %q; want %q", v, got, want)
	25	+	}
	26	+	})
	27	+	}
	28	+	}
	29	+
	30	+	// TestSlideBackChordHintDefault pins the default for every
	31	+	// non-VS-Code terminal: the snappier Option+↑ chord, which Ghostty,
	32	+	// iTerm2 (with Meta=Option), Terminal.app (with Use Option as Meta),
	33	+	// Alacritty and Kitty all deliver natively.
	34	+	func TestSlideBackChordHintDefault(t *testing.T) {
	35	+	for _, v := range []string{"", "ghostty", "iTerm.app", "Apple_Terminal", "alacritty", "kitty"} {
	36	+	t.Run(v, func(t *testing.T) {
	37	+	t.Setenv("TERM_PROGRAM", v)
	38	+	if got, want := slideBackChordHint(), "Option+↑"; got != want {
	39	+	t.Errorf("TERM_PROGRAM=%q hint = %q; want %q", v, got, want)
	40	+	}
	41	+	})
	42	+	}
	43	+	}

@@ -0,0 +1,43 @@
	1	+	package modes
	2	+
	3	+	import "testing"
	4	+
	5	+	// TestSlideBackChordHintVSCode pins the VS Code branch: when the
	6	+	// process is running under VS Code's integrated terminal the hint
	7	+	// must direct the user to Option+Shift+↑, because plain Option+↑
	8	+	// gets swallowed by xterm.js's default macOS key handling.
	9	+	func TestSlideBackChordHintVSCode(t *testing.T) {
	10	+	t.Setenv("TERM_PROGRAM", "vscode")
	11	+	if got, want := slideBackChordHint(), "Option+Shift+↑"; got != want {
	12	+	t.Errorf("VS Code hint = %q; want %q", got, want)
	13	+	}
	14	+	}
	15	+
	16	+	// TestSlideBackChordHintVSCodeCaseInsensitive guards against a
	17	+	// future VS Code change that capitalises the env-var value
	18	+	// ("VSCode" / "VSCODE"). EqualFold keeps the detection robust.
	19	+	func TestSlideBackChordHintVSCodeCaseInsensitive(t *testing.T) {
	20	+	for _, v := range []string{"VSCode", "VSCODE", "VsCode"} {
	21	+	t.Run(v, func(t *testing.T) {
	22	+	t.Setenv("TERM_PROGRAM", v)
	23	+	if got, want := slideBackChordHint(), "Option+Shift+↑"; got != want {
	24	+	t.Errorf("TERM_PROGRAM=%q hint = %q; want %q", v, got, want)
	25	+	}
	26	+	})
	27	+	}
	28	+	}
	29	+
	30	+	// TestSlideBackChordHintDefault pins the default for every
	31	+	// non-VS-Code terminal: the snappier Option+↑ chord, which Ghostty,
	32	+	// iTerm2 (with Meta=Option), Terminal.app (with Use Option as Meta),
	33	+	// Alacritty and Kitty all deliver natively.
	34	+	func TestSlideBackChordHintDefault(t *testing.T) {
	35	+	for _, v := range []string{"", "ghostty", "iTerm.app", "Apple_Terminal", "alacritty", "kitty"} {
	36	+	t.Run(v, func(t *testing.T) {
	37	+	t.Setenv("TERM_PROGRAM", v)
	38	+	if got, want := slideBackChordHint(), "Option+↑"; got != want {
	39	+	t.Errorf("TERM_PROGRAM=%q hint = %q; want %q", v, got, want)
	40	+	}
	41	+	})
	42	+	}
	43	+	}