refactor(agent): minimize inbox message contract

packages/ui/tui/src/index.ts

@@ -1592,15 +1592,10 @@ export function createTuiChat(
   let toolsExpanded = false
   let streaming: StreamingAssistantComponent | undefined
   let runningStatus: RunningStatus | undefined
-  // Steering messages queued during the running turn (`agent/inbox/enqueue`
-  // with `info.steering`) that the loop has not yet drained, shown as a badge on
-  // the status line. Each entry is the queued message's serialized source: a
-  // drain (`steering/message`) removes one MATCHING entry, so a loop-authored
-  // continuation reason (which enqueues and drains under its own source) pushes
-  // and pops its own slot and cannot consume a pending user message's slot.
-  // Cleared on leaving `running`, which also absorbs a cancellation that
-  // discards the queue without logging drains; the status line exists only
-  // while running, so idle carries no badge to keep current.
+  // TUI steering submissions that the loop has not yet drained, shown as a
+  // badge on the status line. Each entry is the submitted message's serialized
+  // source, so an unrelated steering/message cannot consume its slot. Leaving
+  // `running` clears entries discarded by cancellation.
   const pendingSteering: string[] = []
   let disposed = false
   let shuttingDown: Promise<void> | undefined
@@ -2505,7 +2500,10 @@ export function createTuiChat(
     if (disposed) {
       appendNotice(`Agent "${agent.id}" is disposed.`, 'error')
     } else if (agent.status === 'running') {
-      agent.steer(content, { source: { kind: 'user' } })
+      const source = { kind: 'user' } as const
+      agent.steer(content, { source })
+      pendingSteering.push(JSON.stringify(source))
+      refreshStatus()
     } else {
       agent.followup(content, { source: { kind: 'user' } })
     }
@@ -2751,11 +2749,6 @@ export function createTuiChat(
     renderEvent(event, { addHistory: false, renderChunks: true })
     requestRender()
   })
-  const disposeQueued = ctx.on('agent/inbox/enqueue', (subject, info) => {
-    if (subject !== agent || !info.steering) return
-    pendingSteering.push(JSON.stringify(info.source))
-    refreshStatus()
-  })
   const disposeStatus = ctx.on('agent/status', (subject, status) => {
     if (subject !== agent) return
     // Leaving 'running' ends the turn's status line; clear any badge so the
@@ -2784,7 +2777,6 @@ export function createTuiChat(
     disposeCommandChanges()
     stopBannerReveal()
     disposeSessionEvents()
-    disposeQueued()
     disposeStatus()
     disposeError()
     disposeAgent()

packages/ui/tui/tests/tui.spec.ts

@@ -574,8 +574,9 @@ describe('pi-tui chat lifecycle and transcript', () => {
     expect(result.terminal.output).toContain('— Enter sends steering, Esc cancels')
     expect(result.terminal.output).not.toContain('queued')
 
-    const queueSteering = (text: string): void => {
-      result.ctx.emit('agent/inbox/enqueue', result.agent, { id: AgentMessageId('stub'), content: [{ type: 'text', text }], source: { kind: 'user' }, steering: true, wakeup: true })
+    const submitSteering = (text: string): void => {
+      result.terminal.send(text)
+      result.terminal.send('\r')
     }
     const drainSteering = (text: string): void => {
       result.session.append('steering/message', { turn: 1, content: [{ type: 'text', text }], source: { kind: 'user' } }, { surfaceOp: 'append' })
@@ -584,20 +585,19 @@ describe('pi-tui chat lifecycle and transcript', () => {
     // A steering queue for a different agent never touches this status line.
     const other = { ...result.agent, id: SessionId('other') } as unknown as Agent
     result.terminal.output = ''
-    result.ctx.emit('agent/inbox/enqueue', other, { id: AgentMessageId('stub'), content: [{ type: 'text', text: 'elsewhere' }], source: { kind: 'user' }, steering: true, wakeup: true })
+    result.ctx.emit('agent/inbox/enqueue', other, { id: AgentMessageId('stub'), content: [{ type: 'text', text: 'elsewhere' }], source: { kind: 'user' } })
     await tick()
     expect(result.terminal.output).not.toContain('queued')
 
     // Two steering messages queue while the turn runs.
-    queueSteering('first')
+    submitSteering('first')
     result.terminal.output = ''
-    queueSteering('second')
+    submitSteering('second')
     await tick()
     expect(result.terminal.output).toContain('2 queued · Enter sends steering, Esc cancels')
 
-    // A non-steering queue (an idle-style send) leaves the badge untouched.
+    // Draining one submitted message decrements the badge.
     result.terminal.output = ''
-    result.ctx.emit('agent/inbox/enqueue', result.agent, { id: AgentMessageId('stub'), content: [{ type: 'text', text: 'sent' }], source: { kind: 'user' }, steering: false, wakeup: true })
     drainSteering('first')
     await tick()
     expect(result.terminal.output).toContain('1 queued')
@@ -613,7 +613,7 @@ describe('pi-tui chat lifecycle and transcript', () => {
     // A drain with no matching queued entry is ignored rather than underflowing.
     result.terminal.output = ''
     drainSteering('continuation')
-    queueSteering('after')
+    submitSteering('after')
     await tick()
     expect(result.terminal.output).toContain('1 queued')
 
@@ -649,9 +649,8 @@ describe('pi-tui chat lifecycle and transcript', () => {
   it('derives the fine-grained turn phase from session lifecycle events', async () => {
     // A live event before the turn runs has no status controller to move.
     const idle = await setup()
-    // A steering queue arriving while idle has no status line to badge, so the
-    // refresh is a no-op beyond requesting a render.
-    idle.ctx.emit('agent/inbox/enqueue', idle.agent, { id: AgentMessageId('stub'), content: [{ type: 'text', text: 'early' }], source: { kind: 'user' }, steering: true, wakeup: true })
+    // Inbox notifications do not affect the status phase while idle.
+    idle.ctx.emit('agent/inbox/enqueue', idle.agent, { id: AgentMessageId('stub'), content: [{ type: 'text', text: 'early' }], source: { kind: 'user' } })
     idle.session.append('tool/call', { turn: 1, step: 0, callId: 'pre' as never, name: 'bash', arguments: '{}' })
     await tick()
     expect(idle.terminal.output).not.toContain('Executing tools')