From c9d02f0132b318c7c79269e507e4f11db9fa4777 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001
From: Bradley Priest <bradleypriest@gmail.com>
Date: Tue, 20 Jan 2026 20:16:43 +1300
Subject: [PATCH] ui(chat): separate tool/thinking output and add toggle
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=UTF-8
Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit

- Render assistant reasoning as a distinct block (not merged into message text).\n- Detect tool-like messages reliably and style them separately.\n- Add a "🧠" toggle to hide/show tool + thinking output, persisted in UI settings.
---
 ui/src/styles/chat/grouped.css            |  5 +++
 ui/src/styles/chat/legacy.css             |  8 ++++-
 ui/src/styles/chat/text.css               | 16 +++++++++
 ui/src/ui/app-render.helpers.ts           | 12 +++++++
 ui/src/ui/app-render.ts                   |  1 +
 ui/src/ui/chat/grouped-render.ts          | 32 +++++++++++++----
 ui/src/ui/chat/legacy-render.ts           | 22 ++++++++----
 ui/src/ui/chat/message-normalizer.test.ts | 26 +++++++-------
 ui/src/ui/chat/message-normalizer.ts      | 43 +++++++++++++++++++----
 ui/src/ui/storage.ts                      |  6 ++++
 ui/src/ui/views/chat.ts                   | 28 ++++++++++-----
 11 files changed, 156 insertions(+), 43 deletions(-)

diff --git a/ui/src/styles/chat/grouped.css b/ui/src/styles/chat/grouped.css
index 879a0c8bc..d0e05e508 100644
--- a/ui/src/styles/chat/grouped.css
+++ b/ui/src/styles/chat/grouped.css
@@ -84,6 +84,11 @@
   color: rgba(150, 150, 150, 1);
 }
 
+.chat-avatar.tool {
+  background: rgba(134, 142, 150, 0.2);
+  color: rgba(134, 142, 150, 1);
+}
+
 /* Minimal Bubble Design - dynamic width based on content */
 .chat-bubble {
   display: inline-block;
diff --git a/ui/src/styles/chat/legacy.css b/ui/src/styles/chat/legacy.css
index 90601d0ca..7a802b716 100644
--- a/ui/src/styles/chat/legacy.css
+++ b/ui/src/styles/chat/legacy.css
@@ -12,10 +12,16 @@
 }
 
 .chat-line.assistant,
-.chat-line.other {
+.chat-line.other,
+.chat-line.tool {
   justify-content: flex-start;
 }
 
+.chat-line.tool .chat-bubble {
+  border-style: dashed;
+  opacity: 0.95;
+}
+
 .chat-msg {
   display: grid;
   gap: 6px;
diff --git a/ui/src/styles/chat/text.css b/ui/src/styles/chat/text.css
index 5e42b258d..3d01dd493 100644
--- a/ui/src/styles/chat/text.css
+++ b/ui/src/styles/chat/text.css
@@ -2,6 +2,22 @@
    CHAT TEXT STYLING
    ============================================= */
 
+.chat-thinking {
+  margin-bottom: 10px;
+  padding: 10px 12px;
+  border-radius: 10px;
+  border: 1px dashed rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.18);
+  background: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.04);
+  color: var(--muted);
+  font-size: 12px;
+  line-height: 1.4;
+}
+
+:root[data-theme="light"] .chat-thinking {
+  border-color: rgba(16, 24, 40, 0.18);
+  background: rgba(16, 24, 40, 0.03);
+}
+
 .chat-text {
   font-size: 14px;
   line-height: 1.5;
diff --git a/ui/src/ui/app-render.helpers.ts b/ui/src/ui/app-render.helpers.ts
index a9dee71d6..6658d99be 100644
--- a/ui/src/ui/app-render.helpers.ts
+++ b/ui/src/ui/app-render.helpers.ts
@@ -92,6 +92,18 @@ export function renderChatControls(state: AppViewState) {
         ${refreshIcon}
       </button>
       <span class="chat-controls__separator">|</span>
+      <button
+        class="btn btn--sm btn--icon ${state.settings.chatShowThinking ? "active" : ""}"
+        @click=${() =>
+          state.applySettings({
+            ...state.settings,
+            chatShowThinking: !state.settings.chatShowThinking,
+          })}
+        aria-pressed=${state.settings.chatShowThinking}
+        title="Toggle assistant thinking/working output"
+      >
+        🧠
+      </button>
       <button
         class="btn btn--sm btn--icon ${state.settings.chatFocusMode ? "active" : ""}"
         @click=${() =>
diff --git a/ui/src/ui/app-render.ts b/ui/src/ui/app-render.ts
index 09dbd1832..66fe68199 100644
--- a/ui/src/ui/app-render.ts
+++ b/ui/src/ui/app-render.ts
@@ -382,6 +382,7 @@ export function renderApp(state: AppViewState) {
                 void loadChatHistory(state);
               },
               thinkingLevel: state.chatThinkingLevel,
+              showThinking: state.settings.chatShowThinking,
               loading: state.chatLoading,
               sending: state.chatSending,
               messages: state.chatMessages,
diff --git a/ui/src/ui/chat/grouped-render.ts b/ui/src/ui/chat/grouped-render.ts
index 146d5d8e6..e84d2b7f1 100644
--- a/ui/src/ui/chat/grouped-render.ts
+++ b/ui/src/ui/chat/grouped-render.ts
@@ -106,8 +106,22 @@ export function renderMessageGroup(
 
 function renderAvatar(role: string) {
   const normalized = normalizeRoleForGrouping(role);
-  const initial = normalized === "user" ? "U" : normalized === "assistant" ? "A" : "?";
-  const className = normalized === "user" ? "user" : normalized === "assistant" ? "assistant" : "other";
+  const initial =
+    normalized === "user"
+      ? "U"
+      : normalized === "assistant"
+        ? "A"
+        : normalized === "tool"
+          ? "⚙"
+          : "?";
+  const className =
+    normalized === "user"
+      ? "user"
+      : normalized === "assistant"
+        ? "assistant"
+        : normalized === "tool"
+          ? "tool"
+          : "other";
   return html`<div class="chat-avatar ${className}">${initial}</div>`;
 }
 
@@ -132,11 +146,10 @@ function renderGroupedMessage(
   const extractedThinking =
     opts.showReasoning && role === "assistant" ? extractThinking(message) : null;
   const markdownBase = extractedText?.trim() ? extractedText : null;
-  const markdown = extractedThinking
-    ? [formatReasoningMarkdown(extractedThinking), markdownBase]
-        .filter(Boolean)
-        .join("\n\n")
-    : markdownBase;
+  const reasoningMarkdown = extractedThinking
+    ? formatReasoningMarkdown(extractedThinking)
+    : null;
+  const markdown = markdownBase;
 
   const bubbleClasses = [
     "chat-bubble",
@@ -156,6 +169,11 @@ function renderGroupedMessage(
 
   return html`
     <div class="${bubbleClasses}">
+      ${reasoningMarkdown
+        ? html`<div class="chat-thinking">${unsafeHTML(
+            toSanitizedMarkdownHtml(reasoningMarkdown),
+          )}</div>`
+        : nothing}
       ${markdown
         ? html`<div class="chat-text">${unsafeHTML(toSanitizedMarkdownHtml(markdown))}</div>`
         : nothing}
diff --git a/ui/src/ui/chat/legacy-render.ts b/ui/src/ui/chat/legacy-render.ts
index 735b17c2d..44ef25cc5 100644
--- a/ui/src/ui/chat/legacy-render.ts
+++ b/ui/src/ui/chat/legacy-render.ts
@@ -64,11 +64,10 @@ export function renderMessage(
     display?.kind === "json"
       ? ["```json", display.value, "```"].join("\n")
       : (display?.value ?? null);
-  const markdown = extractedThinking
-    ? [formatReasoningMarkdown(extractedThinking), markdownBase]
-        .filter(Boolean)
-        .join("\n\n")
-    : markdownBase;
+  const reasoningMarkdown = extractedThinking
+    ? formatReasoningMarkdown(extractedThinking)
+    : null;
+  const markdown = markdownBase;
 
   const timestamp =
     typeof m.timestamp === "number" ? new Date(m.timestamp).toLocaleTimeString() : "";
@@ -79,13 +78,17 @@ export function renderMessage(
       ? "assistant"
       : normalizedRole === "user"
         ? "user"
-        : "other";
+        : normalizedRole === "tool"
+          ? "tool"
+          : "other";
   const who =
     normalizedRole === "assistant"
       ? "Assistant"
       : normalizedRole === "user"
         ? "You"
-        : normalizedRole;
+        : normalizedRole === "tool"
+          ? "Working"
+          : normalizedRole;
 
   const toolCallId = typeof m.toolCallId === "string" ? m.toolCallId : "";
   const toolCardBase =
@@ -98,6 +101,11 @@ export function renderMessage(
     <div class="chat-line ${klass}">
       <div class="chat-msg">
         <div class="chat-bubble ${opts?.streaming ? "streaming" : ""}">
+          ${reasoningMarkdown
+            ? html`<div class="chat-thinking">${unsafeHTML(
+                toSanitizedMarkdownHtml(reasoningMarkdown),
+              )}</div>`
+            : nothing}
           ${markdown
             ? html`<div class="chat-text">${unsafeHTML(toSanitizedMarkdownHtml(markdown))}</div>`
             : nothing}
diff --git a/ui/src/ui/chat/message-normalizer.test.ts b/ui/src/ui/chat/message-normalizer.test.ts
index 7736ce1a2..132a4be17 100644
--- a/ui/src/ui/chat/message-normalizer.test.ts
+++ b/ui/src/ui/chat/message-normalizer.test.ts
@@ -103,25 +103,25 @@ describe("message-normalizer", () => {
   });
 
   describe("normalizeRoleForGrouping", () => {
-    it("returns assistant for toolresult", () => {
-      expect(normalizeRoleForGrouping("toolresult")).toBe("assistant");
-      expect(normalizeRoleForGrouping("toolResult")).toBe("assistant");
-      expect(normalizeRoleForGrouping("TOOLRESULT")).toBe("assistant");
+    it("returns tool for toolresult", () => {
+      expect(normalizeRoleForGrouping("toolresult")).toBe("tool");
+      expect(normalizeRoleForGrouping("toolResult")).toBe("tool");
+      expect(normalizeRoleForGrouping("TOOLRESULT")).toBe("tool");
     });
 
-    it("returns assistant for tool_result", () => {
-      expect(normalizeRoleForGrouping("tool_result")).toBe("assistant");
-      expect(normalizeRoleForGrouping("TOOL_RESULT")).toBe("assistant");
+    it("returns tool for tool_result", () => {
+      expect(normalizeRoleForGrouping("tool_result")).toBe("tool");
+      expect(normalizeRoleForGrouping("TOOL_RESULT")).toBe("tool");
     });
 
-    it("returns assistant for tool", () => {
-      expect(normalizeRoleForGrouping("tool")).toBe("assistant");
-      expect(normalizeRoleForGrouping("Tool")).toBe("assistant");
+    it("returns tool for tool", () => {
+      expect(normalizeRoleForGrouping("tool")).toBe("tool");
+      expect(normalizeRoleForGrouping("Tool")).toBe("tool");
     });
 
-    it("returns assistant for function", () => {
-      expect(normalizeRoleForGrouping("function")).toBe("assistant");
-      expect(normalizeRoleForGrouping("Function")).toBe("assistant");
+    it("returns tool for function", () => {
+      expect(normalizeRoleForGrouping("function")).toBe("tool");
+      expect(normalizeRoleForGrouping("Function")).toBe("tool");
     });
 
     it("preserves user role", () => {
diff --git a/ui/src/ui/chat/message-normalizer.ts b/ui/src/ui/chat/message-normalizer.ts
index dfc861fd5..aa7b39d5c 100644
--- a/ui/src/ui/chat/message-normalizer.ts
+++ b/ui/src/ui/chat/message-normalizer.ts
@@ -14,8 +14,36 @@ export function normalizeMessage(message: unknown): NormalizedMessage {
   const m = message as Record<string, unknown>;
   let role = typeof m.role === "string" ? m.role : "unknown";
 
-  // Detect tool result messages by presence of toolCallId or tool_call_id
-  if (typeof m.toolCallId === "string" || typeof m.tool_call_id === "string") {
+  // Detect tool messages by common gateway shapes.
+  // Some tool events come through as assistant role with tool_* items in the content array.
+  const hasToolId =
+    typeof m.toolCallId === "string" || typeof m.tool_call_id === "string";
+
+  const contentRaw = m.content;
+  const contentItems = Array.isArray(contentRaw) ? contentRaw : null;
+  const hasToolContent =
+    Array.isArray(contentItems) &&
+    contentItems.some((item) => {
+      const x = item as Record<string, unknown>;
+      const t = String(x.type ?? "").toLowerCase();
+      return (
+        t === "toolcall" ||
+        t === "tool_call" ||
+        t === "tooluse" ||
+        t === "tool_use" ||
+        t === "toolresult" ||
+        t === "tool_result" ||
+        t === "tool_call" ||
+        t === "tool_result" ||
+        (typeof x.name === "string" && x.arguments != null)
+      );
+    });
+
+  const hasToolName =
+    typeof (m as Record<string, unknown>).toolName === "string" ||
+    typeof (m as Record<string, unknown>).tool_name === "string";
+
+  if (hasToolId || hasToolContent || hasToolName) {
     role = "toolResult";
   }
 
@@ -43,19 +71,22 @@ export function normalizeMessage(message: unknown): NormalizedMessage {
 
 /**
  * Normalize role for grouping purposes.
- * Tool results should be grouped with assistant messages.
  */
 export function normalizeRoleForGrouping(role: string): string {
   const lower = role.toLowerCase();
-  // All tool-related roles should display as assistant
+  // Keep tool-related roles distinct so the UI can style/toggle them.
   if (
     lower === "toolresult" ||
     lower === "tool_result" ||
     lower === "tool" ||
-    lower === "function"
+    lower === "function" ||
+    lower === "toolresult"
   ) {
-    return "assistant";
+    return "tool";
   }
+  if (lower === "assistant") return "assistant";
+  if (lower === "user") return "user";
+  if (lower === "system") return "system";
   return role;
 }
 
diff --git a/ui/src/ui/storage.ts b/ui/src/ui/storage.ts
index ce755ccea..1288895d9 100644
--- a/ui/src/ui/storage.ts
+++ b/ui/src/ui/storage.ts
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@ export type UiSettings = {
   lastActiveSessionKey: string;
   theme: ThemeMode;
   chatFocusMode: boolean;
+  chatShowThinking: boolean;
   splitRatio: number; // Sidebar split ratio (0.4 to 0.7, default 0.6)
   useNewChatLayout: boolean; // Slack-style grouped messages layout
   navCollapsed: boolean; // Collapsible sidebar state
@@ -28,6 +29,7 @@ export function loadSettings(): UiSettings {
     lastActiveSessionKey: "main",
     theme: "system",
     chatFocusMode: false,
+    chatShowThinking: true,
     splitRatio: 0.6,
     useNewChatLayout: true, // Enabled by default
     navCollapsed: false,
@@ -65,6 +67,10 @@ export function loadSettings(): UiSettings {
         typeof parsed.chatFocusMode === "boolean"
           ? parsed.chatFocusMode
           : defaults.chatFocusMode,
+      chatShowThinking:
+        typeof parsed.chatShowThinking === "boolean"
+          ? parsed.chatShowThinking
+          : defaults.chatShowThinking,
       splitRatio:
         typeof parsed.splitRatio === "number" &&
         parsed.splitRatio >= 0.4 &&
diff --git a/ui/src/ui/views/chat.ts b/ui/src/ui/views/chat.ts
index 2b6fb5a3f..f25221db5 100644
--- a/ui/src/ui/views/chat.ts
+++ b/ui/src/ui/views/chat.ts
@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@ export type ChatProps = {
   sessionKey: string;
   onSessionKeyChange: (next: string) => void;
   thinkingLevel: string | null;
+  showThinking: boolean;
   loading: boolean;
   sending: boolean;
   canAbort?: boolean;
@@ -69,7 +70,7 @@ export function renderChat(props: ChatProps) {
     (row) => row.key === props.sessionKey,
   );
   const reasoningLevel = activeSession?.reasoningLevel ?? "off";
-  const showReasoning = reasoningLevel !== "off";
+  const showReasoning = props.showThinking && reasoningLevel !== "off";
 
   const composePlaceholder = props.connected
     ? "Message (↩ to send, Shift+↩ for line breaks)"
@@ -310,18 +311,27 @@ function buildChatItems(props: ChatProps): Array<ChatItem | MessageGroup> {
     });
   }
   for (let i = historyStart; i < history.length; i++) {
+    const msg = history[i];
+    const normalized = normalizeMessage(msg);
+
+    if (!props.showThinking && normalized.role.toLowerCase() === "toolresult") {
+      continue;
+    }
+
     items.push({
       kind: "message",
-      key: messageKey(history[i], i),
-      message: history[i],
+      key: messageKey(msg, i),
+      message: msg,
     });
   }
-  for (let i = 0; i < tools.length; i++) {
-    items.push({
-      kind: "message",
-      key: messageKey(tools[i], i + history.length),
-      message: tools[i],
-    });
+  if (props.showThinking) {
+    for (let i = 0; i < tools.length; i++) {
+      items.push({
+        kind: "message",
+        key: messageKey(tools[i], i + history.length),
+        message: tools[i],
+      });
+    }
   }
 
   if (props.stream !== null) {