feat(tui): animate the wait_for_agents indicator (#1383)

strix/interface/tui/internal/app/selection.go

@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@ import (
 
 	tea "github.com/charmbracelet/bubbletea"
 	"github.com/charmbracelet/x/ansi"
+	"github.com/usestrix/strix/tui/internal/render"
 )
 
 type selectionCopiedMsg struct{ err error }
@@ -206,7 +207,7 @@ func (m *Model) toggleEventAtLine(line int) {
 
 func (m Model) selectedText() string {
 	fromLine, fromCol, toLine, toCol := m.selection.bounds()
-	source := m.viewportContent
+	source := render.StopSpinners(m.viewportContent)
 	if m.selection.region == regionInput {
 		source = m.inputText()
 	}

strix/interface/tui/internal/app/spinner_test.go

@@ -0,0 +1,24 @@
+package app
+
+import (
+	"strings"
+	"testing"
+
+	"github.com/charmbracelet/x/ansi"
+	"github.com/usestrix/strix/tui/internal/protocol"
+)
+
+func TestParkedWaitSpins(t *testing.T) {
+	model := New(nil)
+	model.width, model.height, model.showSplash, model.ready = 130, 30, false, true
+	model.snapshot = protocol.Snapshot{
+		Agents: []protocol.Agent{{ID: "one", Name: "Agent", Status: "waiting"}},
+		Events: []protocol.Event{{ID: "1", AgentID: "one", Type: "tool", Data: map[string]any{"tool_name": "wait_for_agents"}}},
+	}
+	model.resizeViewport()
+	before := ansi.Strip(model.View())
+	model.sweepFrame += 2
+	if after := ansi.Strip(model.View()); strings.Contains(before, "○ waiting") || before == after {
+		t.Fatalf("wait line did not spin:\n%s", before)
+	}
+}

strix/interface/tui/internal/app/view.go

@@ -28,15 +28,16 @@ type renderedBlock struct {
 	version    int
 	width      int
 	expanded   bool
+	live       bool
 	wrapped    string
 	expandable bool
 	height     int
 }
 
-func (m *Model) renderEvent(event protocol.Event, width int) renderedBlock {
+func (m *Model) renderEvent(event protocol.Event, width int, live bool) renderedBlock {
 	expanded := m.expandedEvents[event.ID]
 	if cached, ok := m.blockCache[event.ID]; ok &&
-		cached.version == event.Version && cached.width == width && cached.expanded == expanded {
+		cached.version == event.Version && cached.width == width && cached.expanded == expanded && cached.live == live {
 		return cached
 	}
 	var block string
@@ -48,7 +49,10 @@ func (m *Model) renderEvent(event protocol.Event, width int) renderedBlock {
 		name := render.StringValue(event.Data["tool_name"])
 		block, expandable = render.CollapseTool(render.Tool(event.Data), name, expanded)
 	}
-	entry := renderedBlock{version: event.Version, width: width, expanded: expanded, expandable: expandable}
+	if !live {
+		block = render.StopSpinners(block)
+	}
+	entry := renderedBlock{version: event.Version, width: width, expanded: expanded, live: live, expandable: expandable}
 	if block != "" {
 		entry.wrapped = wrapBlock(block, width)
 		entry.height = strings.Count(entry.wrapped, "\n") + 1
@@ -96,6 +100,15 @@ func (m *Model) chatContent() string {
 	// to width-2 and indent every line by one cell.
 	contentWidth := max(1, m.viewport.Width-2)
 	render.SetImageWidth(contentWidth - 2)
+	// A parked agent is waiting on its latest tool call.
+	parkedOn := ""
+	if m.snapshot.Agents[m.selectedAgent].Status == "waiting" {
+		for _, event := range events {
+			if event.AgentID == agentID && event.Type == "tool" {
+				parkedOn = event.ID
+			}
+		}
+	}
 	var blocks []string
 	var spans []eventSpan
 	line := 0
@@ -103,7 +116,7 @@ func (m *Model) chatContent() string {
 		if event.AgentID != agentID {
 			continue
 		}
-		entry := m.renderEvent(event, contentWidth)
+		entry := m.renderEvent(event, contentWidth, event.ID == parkedOn)
 		if entry.wrapped == "" {
 			continue
 		}
@@ -437,6 +450,7 @@ type chatPaneKey struct {
 	width, height int
 	border        lipgloss.Color
 	selection     selectionState
+	spinnerFrame  int
 }
 
 // chatPane memoizes the bordered trace: slicing, scrollbar padding and border
@@ -450,12 +464,18 @@ var chatPane struct {
 }
 
 func (m Model) renderChatPane(width, height int, border lipgloss.Color) string {
-	key := chatPaneKey{offset: m.viewport.YOffset, width: width, height: height, border: border, selection: m.selection}
+	visible := visibleContent(m.viewportContent, m.viewport.YOffset, height)
+	// Only a trace with a spinner on screen changes with the tick.
+	spinnerFrame := 0
+	if strings.Contains(visible, render.SpinnerMarker) {
+		spinnerFrame = m.sweepFrame / 2
+	}
+	key := chatPaneKey{offset: m.viewport.YOffset, width: width, height: height, border: border, selection: m.selection, spinnerFrame: spinnerFrame}
 	if chatPane.out != "" && chatPane.key == key && chatPane.content == m.viewportContent {
 		return chatPane.out
 	}
 	trace := withVerticalScrollbar(
-		m.highlightSelection(visibleContent(m.viewportContent, m.viewport.YOffset, height), m.viewport.YOffset),
+		render.AnimateSpinners(m.highlightSelection(visible, m.viewport.YOffset), spinnerFrame),
 		width,
 		height,
 		m.viewport.TotalLineCount(),

strix/interface/tui/internal/render/agents_graph.go

@@ -55,7 +55,8 @@ func renderAgentGraphTool(name string, args map[string]any, result any) string {
 			b.WriteString("\n  " + Dim().Render("Completing task..."))
 		}
 	case "wait_for_agents":
-		b.WriteString(Col(Gray).Render("○ ") + Dim().Render("waiting"))
+		// The chat pane animates the marker while the agent is parked here.
+		b.WriteString(Col(Gray).Render(SpinnerMarker+" ") + Dim().Render("waiting"))
 		if reason := StringValue(args["reason"]); reason != "" {
 			b.WriteString("\n  " + Dim().Render(reason))
 		}

strix/interface/tui/internal/render/spinner.go

@@ -0,0 +1,18 @@
+package render
+
+import "strings"
+
+// SpinnerMarker is a one-cell placeholder for a spinner. Rendered blocks are
+// cached, so the chat pane swaps in the current frame (AnimateSpinners) or a
+// still circle once the wait is over (StopSpinners).
+const SpinnerMarker = "\uE000"
+
+var spinnerFrames = []string{"⠋", "⠙", "⠹", "⠸", "⠼", "⠴", "⠦", "⠧", "⠇", "⠏"}
+
+func StopSpinners(s string) string {
+	return strings.ReplaceAll(s, SpinnerMarker, "○")
+}
+
+func AnimateSpinners(s string, tick int) string {
+	return strings.ReplaceAll(s, SpinnerMarker, spinnerFrames[tick%len(spinnerFrames)])
+}

strix/interface/tui/runtime.py

@@ -69,6 +69,7 @@ class GoTuiRuntime:
         self.scan_error: BaseException | None = None
         self._last_sync_fingerprint = ""
         self._error_noted_agents: set[str] = set()
+        self._output_syncs: set[asyncio.Task[None]] = set()
         self.model_verified = False
         self._setup_preflight: asyncio.Task[None] | None = None
         self.controller = TuiController(
@@ -276,6 +277,18 @@ class GoTuiRuntime:
 
     def capture_event(self, agent_id: str, event: Any) -> None:
         self.live_view.ingest_sdk_event(agent_id, event)
+        if getattr(getattr(event, "item", None), "type", "") == "tool_call_output_item":
+            # A tool that parks its agent has already set the agent's status by
+            # the time it returns; sync it now so both reach the TUI together.
+            task = asyncio.get_running_loop().create_task(self._sync_and_notify())
+            self._output_syncs.add(task)
+            task.add_done_callback(self._output_syncs.discard)
+            return
+        self.controller.notify_changed()
+
+    async def _sync_and_notify(self) -> None:
+        with contextlib.suppress(Exception):
+            await self._sync_agent_state()
         self.controller.notify_changed()
 
     def capture_mcp_status(self, roster: list[dict[str, Any]]) -> None:

tests/test_go_tui_runtime.py

@@ -924,6 +924,28 @@ async def test_agent_state_sync_uses_latest_graph_snapshot_shape() -> None:
     assert child["error_message"] == "provider rejected request"
 
 
+@pytest.mark.asyncio
+async def test_tool_output_carries_the_status_it_parked_the_agent_in() -> None:
+    runtime = GoTuiRuntime(args())
+    await runtime.coordinator.register("root", "Strix", parent_id=None)
+    await runtime._sync_agent_state()
+    notified: list[str] = []
+    runtime.controller._on_change = lambda: notified.append(
+        runtime.live_view.agents["root"]["status"]
+    )
+
+    await runtime.coordinator.park_waiting("root", wait_kind="agents")
+    output = SimpleNamespace(
+        type="tool_call_output_item",
+        raw_item={"call_id": "call-1", "type": "function_call_output"},
+        output=json.dumps({"success": True, "wait_outcome": "waiting"}),
+    )
+    runtime.capture_event("root", SimpleNamespace(type="run_item_stream_event", item=output))
+    await asyncio.gather(*runtime._output_syncs)
+
+    assert notified == ["waiting"]
+
+
 @pytest.mark.asyncio
 async def test_agent_state_sync_projects_completed_report() -> None:
     runtime = GoTuiRuntime(args())