Cap the resume picker at ten recent sessions

A long catalog made resume a wall of rows. Ten newest plus type-to-filter is how you actually pick a thread.

Author: TheGreatAxios

CHANGELOG.md

@@ -25,7 +25,8 @@ parallel copies under `docs/` or `scripts/notes/`. At cut time: rename
   stay closed.
 - `corbits resume` lists completed, failed, and crashed sessions alongside
   in-progress ones, ordered by last persist rather than start time.
-  `--force` is no longer required to see finished threads.
+  `--force` is no longer required to see finished threads. The picker shows
+  the 10 most recent sessions and type-to-filter narrows that list.
 
 ### Fixed
 

README.md

@@ -75,8 +75,8 @@ corbits resume <session-id>
 ```
 
 Plain `corbits` always starts a fresh conversation. `corbits resume` opens a
-picker of saved sessions for this checkout, including completed ones, ordered
-by last persist.
+picker of the 10 most recently persisted sessions for this checkout,
+including completed ones. Type to filter by name.
 
 ### Mid-run steering
 

docs/IMPLEMENTATION.md

@@ -316,7 +316,7 @@ Printed by `corbits --help` / `-h` from `CLI_HELP_TEXT` in `src/config/index.ts`
 | -------------------------------- | -------------------------- | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
 | _(no verb)_                      | —                          | Interactive session; optional trailing task text                                                                                                                                                                                                                             |
 | `exec` / `run`                   | —                          | Run a prompt (non-interactive / one-shot)                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    |
-| `resume` / `continue`            | —                          | Open the session picker for this folder (project-keyed to this checkout's git toplevel). Lists every saved session, completed included, newest persist first. `--force` is not required to see finished threads.                                                             |
+| `resume` / `continue`            | —                          | Open the session picker for this folder (project-keyed to this checkout's git toplevel). Lists the 10 most recently persisted sessions, completed included. Type to filter. `--force` is not required to see finished threads.                                               |
 | `--resume`                       | —                          | Open the interactive session picker                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          |
 | `resume <session-id>`            | —                          | Reopen a specific session                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    |
 | `resume --pick` / `--list`       | —                          | Interactive session picker                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   |

docs/PRODUCT.md

@@ -76,8 +76,8 @@ Local multi-model capability checks use this path (`bun run eval:capability`); s
 $ corbits resume
 ```
 
-Opens a picker of saved conversations for this checkout, including completed
-ones. Rows are ordered by last persist, not start time. Plain
+Opens a picker of the 10 most recently persisted conversations for this
+checkout, including completed ones. Type to filter by name. Plain
 `corbits` always starts a fresh conversation; `corbits resume <session-id>`
 is the direct, explicit resume path.
 

docs/TUI.md

@@ -432,9 +432,11 @@ in `mouse-reporting-disabled.test.ts` for both `runListModal` and
 `runProviderSetup`). This is intentional: these surfaces never need
 click-to-expand or drag-to-scroll, so leaving mouse reporting off lets the
 terminal's own text selection and copy work by default, with no Alt+M dance
-required. The resume picker lists every saved session for this checkout —
-completed, failed, and crashed included — newest persist first. Recency is
-the last write to `run.json`, not start time; `--force` is not a list filter.
+required. The resume picker lists the 10 most recently persisted sessions
+for this checkout — completed, failed, and crashed included. Recency is
+the last write to `run.json`, not start time. Type to filter by name
+(printable keys claim the `>` row, same as the model picker); `--force`
+is not a list filter.
 
 ## The prompt box
 

src/tui/list-modal.test.ts

@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 import { afterEach, describe, expect, test } from "bun:test";
 
 import { createHarness, type Harness } from "./harness.js";
-import { runListModal } from "./list-modal.js";
+import { runListModal, type ListModalConfig } from "./list-modal.js";
 
 let harness: Harness | undefined;
 
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@ afterEach(() => {
   harness = undefined;
 });
 
-async function mountModal(): Promise<{
+async function mountModal(overrides: Partial<ListModalConfig> = {}): Promise<{
   choice: Promise<string | null>;
   harness: Harness;
 }> {
@@ -22,6 +22,7 @@ async function mountModal(): Promise<{
       { id: "s-2", label: "Second session" },
     ],
     createRenderer: async () => harness!.renderer,
+    ...overrides,
   });
   await harness.renderOnce();
   return { choice, harness };
@@ -62,4 +63,33 @@ describe("runListModal", () => {
     harness.pressKey("Escape");
     await choice;
   });
+
+  test("type-to-filter narrows the list and Enter selects the match", async () => {
+    const { choice, harness } = await mountModal({ typeToFilter: true });
+    await harness.renderOnce();
+    expect(harness.captureCharFrame()).toContain("Second session");
+    for (const ch of "Second") {
+      harness.pressKey(ch);
+    }
+    await harness.renderOnce();
+    const frame = harness.captureCharFrame();
+    expect(frame).toContain("Second session");
+    expect(frame).not.toContain("First session");
+    harness.pressKey("Enter");
+    expect(await choice).toBe("s-2");
+  });
+
+  test("type-to-filter no-match Enter stays open", async () => {
+    const { choice, harness } = await mountModal({ typeToFilter: true });
+    await harness.renderOnce();
+    for (const ch of "zzzzz") {
+      harness.pressKey(ch);
+    }
+    await harness.renderOnce();
+    expect(harness.captureCharFrame()).toContain("(no matches)");
+    harness.pressKey("Enter");
+    await harness.renderOnce();
+    harness.pressKey("Escape");
+    expect(await choice).toBeNull();
+  });
 });

src/tui/list-modal.ts

@@ -28,6 +28,11 @@ export interface ListModalConfig {
   readonly heading?: readonly string[];
   readonly options: readonly ResidualCatalogEntry[];
   readonly activeIndex?: number;
+  /**
+   * Claim printable keys for a `>` filter row so the list narrows as you type.
+   * Off by default so other satellite lists keep j/k navigation.
+   */
+  readonly typeToFilter?: boolean;
   /** Renderer factory override for headless mounting in tests. */
   readonly createRenderer?: () => Promise<CliRenderer>;
 }
@@ -100,8 +105,12 @@ export async function runListModal(config: ListModalConfig): Promise<string | nu
     itemIds,
     frameId: "overlay-list-modal",
     activeIndex: config.activeIndex ?? 0,
+    ...(config.typeToFilter === true ? { typeToFilter: true } : {}),
     onAccept: (selection) => {
-      settle(residualIdFromSelection(selection, itemIds) ?? null);
+      const id = residualIdFromSelection(selection, itemIds);
+      // Type-to-filter plants "(no matches)" with an empty id. Stay open.
+      if (id === undefined || id.length === 0) return;
+      settle(id);
     },
   });
 

src/tui/pick-session.test.ts

@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 import { describe, test, expect } from "bun:test";
 
-import { sessionResumeLabel } from "./pick-session.js";
+import { sessionResumeLabel, recentResumeSessions, RESUME_PICKER_LIMIT } from "./pick-session.js";
 import type { SessionSummary } from "../session/index.js";
 
 function summary(overrides: Partial<SessionSummary> = {}): SessionSummary {
@@ -37,3 +37,24 @@ describe("sessionResumeLabel", () => {
     expect(label.startsWith("Untitled session ·")).toBe(true);
   });
 });
+
+describe("recentResumeSessions", () => {
+  test("keeps at most ten newest-first rows", () => {
+    const rows = Array.from({ length: 12 }, (_, i) =>
+      summary({
+        sessionId: `00000000-0000-7000-8000-${String(i).padStart(12, "0")}`,
+        task: `session ${i}`,
+      }),
+    );
+    const kept = recentResumeSessions(rows);
+    expect(kept).toHaveLength(RESUME_PICKER_LIMIT);
+    expect(kept[0]?.task).toBe("session 0");
+    expect(kept[9]?.task).toBe("session 9");
+    expect(kept.some((row) => row.task === "session 10")).toBe(false);
+  });
+
+  test("leaves a shorter catalog unchanged", () => {
+    const rows = [summary({ task: "only" })];
+    expect(recentResumeSessions(rows)).toEqual(rows);
+  });
+});

src/tui/pick-session.ts

@@ -3,22 +3,34 @@ import { listSessions, type SessionSummary } from "../session/index.js";
 import { runListModal } from "./list-modal.js";
 import { formatRelativeTime } from "./format-relative-time.js";
 
+export const RESUME_PICKER_LIMIT = 10;
+
 export function sessionResumeLabel(session: SessionSummary): string {
   const title = session.task.trim().length > 0 ? session.task.trim() : "Untitled session";
   return `${title} · ${formatRelativeTime(session.updatedAt)} · ${session.status}`;
 }
 
+/** Newest-first catalog already sorted; keep the most recent `limit` rows. */
+export function recentResumeSessions(
+  sessions: readonly SessionSummary[],
+  limit = RESUME_PICKER_LIMIT,
+): SessionSummary[] {
+  return sessions.slice(0, limit);
+}
+
 export async function pickSession(cwd: string): Promise<SessionSummary | null> {
-  const sessions = await listSessions(cwd);
-  if (sessions.length === 0) {
+  const catalog = await listSessions(cwd);
+  if (catalog.length === 0) {
     process.stderr.write(`${COMMAND_NAME}: no previous sessions found in this directory.\n`);
     return null;
   }
 
+  const sessions = recentResumeSessions(catalog);
   const picked = await runListModal({
     title: "Resume conversation",
     kind: "resume",
     heading: ["Choose a previous session in this checkout"],
+    typeToFilter: true,
     options: sessions.map((session) => ({
       id: session.sessionId,
       label: sessionResumeLabel(session),

src/tui/shell.ts

@@ -3564,7 +3564,7 @@ export interface OpenListOverlayOpts {
   readonly echoChoice?: boolean;
   /**
    * Claim printable keys for a `>` filter row so the list narrows as you type.
-   * Opt-in per open (model picker, palette). Overlays without it keep j/k
+   * Opt-in per open (model picker, palette, resume). Overlays without it keep j/k
    * navigation; with it, j/k type into the filter and arrows still navigate.
    */
   readonly typeToFilter?: boolean;
@@ -3839,9 +3839,9 @@ function repaintPalette(shell: AppShell): void {
  * Keys a type-to-filter list claims while it is open, so the `>` row filters
  * as you type.
  *
- * Opt-in per open (`typeToFilter`): palette and the flat model picker give up
- * j/k navigation so printable keys feed the filter. Overlays without
- * type-to-filter (permissions, resume, workers, copy, …) keep j/k. Arrow and
+ * Opt-in per open (`typeToFilter`): palette, the flat model picker, and the
+ * resume picker give up j/k navigation so printable keys feed the filter.
+ * Overlays without type-to-filter (permissions, workers, copy, …) keep j/k. Arrow and
  * page keys are never claimed here, so they keep working in every overlay
  * including type-to-filter ones.
  */