feat(cli): support 'tab to queue' for messages while generating (#24052)

docs/reference/keyboard-shortcuts.md

@@ -86,12 +86,13 @@ available combinations.
 
 #### Text Input
 
-| Command                    | Action                                                     | Keys                                                                                |
+| Command                    | Action                                                                    | Keys                                                                                |
-| -------------------------- | ---------------------------------------------------------- | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
+| -------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
-| `input.submit`             | Submit the current prompt.                                 | `Enter`                                                                             |
+| `input.submit`             | Submit the current prompt.                                                | `Enter`                                                                             |
-| `input.newline`            | Insert a newline without submitting.                       | `Ctrl+Enter`<br />`Cmd/Win+Enter`<br />`Alt+Enter`<br />`Shift+Enter`<br />`Ctrl+J` |
+| `input.queueMessage`       | Queue the current prompt to be processed after the current task finishes. | `Tab`                                                                               |
-| `input.openExternalEditor` | Open the current prompt or the plan in an external editor. | `Ctrl+X`                                                                            |
+| `input.newline`            | Insert a newline without submitting.                                      | `Ctrl+Enter`<br />`Cmd/Win+Enter`<br />`Alt+Enter`<br />`Shift+Enter`<br />`Ctrl+J` |
-| `input.paste`              | Paste from the clipboard.                                  | `Ctrl+V`<br />`Cmd/Win+V`<br />`Alt+V`                                              |
+| `input.openExternalEditor` | Open the current prompt or the plan in an external editor.                | `Ctrl+X`                                                                            |
+| `input.paste`              | Paste from the clipboard.                                                 | `Ctrl+V`<br />`Cmd/Win+V`<br />`Alt+V`                                              |
 
 #### App Controls
 

packages/cli/src/test-utils/render.tsx

@@ -568,6 +568,7 @@ const mockUIActions: UIActions = {
   handleOverageMenuChoice: vi.fn(),
   handleEmptyWalletChoice: vi.fn(),
   setQueueErrorMessage: vi.fn(),
+  addMessage: vi.fn(),
   popAllMessages: vi.fn(),
   handleApiKeySubmit: vi.fn(),
   handleApiKeyCancel: vi.fn(),

packages/cli/src/ui/AppContainer.tsx

@@ -2502,6 +2502,7 @@ Logging in with Google... Restarting Gemini CLI to continue.
       handleResumeSession,
       handleDeleteSession,
       setQueueErrorMessage,
+      addMessage,
       popAllMessages,
       handleApiKeySubmit,
       handleApiKeyCancel,
@@ -2593,6 +2594,7 @@ Logging in with Google... Restarting Gemini CLI to continue.
       handleResumeSession,
       handleDeleteSession,
       setQueueErrorMessage,
+      addMessage,
       popAllMessages,
       handleApiKeySubmit,
       handleApiKeyCancel,

packages/cli/src/ui/components/Composer.tsx

@@ -152,6 +152,7 @@ export const Composer = ({ isFocused = true }: { isFocused?: boolean }) => {
           vimHandleInput={uiActions.vimHandleInput}
           isEmbeddedShellFocused={uiState.embeddedShellFocused}
           popAllMessages={uiActions.popAllMessages}
+          onQueueMessage={uiActions.addMessage}
           placeholder={
             vimEnabled
               ? vimMode === 'INSERT'

packages/cli/src/ui/components/InputPrompt.test.tsx

@@ -191,6 +191,7 @@ describe('InputPrompt', () => {
     setCleanUiDetailsVisible: mockSetCleanUiDetailsVisible,
     toggleCleanUiDetailsVisible: mockToggleCleanUiDetailsVisible,
     revealCleanUiDetailsTemporarily: mockRevealCleanUiDetailsTemporarily,
+    addMessage: vi.fn(),
   };
 
   beforeEach(() => {
@@ -352,6 +353,8 @@ describe('InputPrompt', () => {
     vi.mocked(clipboardy.read).mockResolvedValue('');
 
     props = {
+      onQueueMessage: vi.fn(),
+
       buffer: mockBuffer,
       onSubmit: vi.fn(),
       userMessages: [],
@@ -1099,6 +1102,76 @@ describe('InputPrompt', () => {
     unmount();
   });
 
+  it('queues a message when Tab is pressed during generation', async () => {
+    props.buffer.setText('A new prompt');
+    props.streamingState = StreamingState.Responding;
+
+    const { stdin, unmount } = await renderWithProviders(
+      <InputPrompt {...props} />,
+      {
+        uiActions,
+      },
+    );
+
+    await act(async () => {
+      stdin.write('\t');
+    });
+
+    await waitFor(() => {
+      expect(props.onQueueMessage).toHaveBeenCalledWith('A new prompt');
+      expect(props.buffer.text).toBe('');
+    });
+    unmount();
+  });
+
+  it('shows an error when attempting to queue a slash command', async () => {
+    props.buffer.setText('/clear');
+    props.streamingState = StreamingState.Responding;
+
+    const { stdin, unmount } = await renderWithProviders(
+      <InputPrompt {...props} />,
+      {
+        uiActions,
+      },
+    );
+
+    await act(async () => {
+      stdin.write('\t');
+    });
+
+    await waitFor(() => {
+      expect(props.setQueueErrorMessage).toHaveBeenCalledWith(
+        'Slash commands cannot be queued',
+      );
+      expect(props.onQueueMessage).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+    });
+    unmount();
+  });
+
+  it('shows an error when attempting to queue a shell command', async () => {
+    props.shellModeActive = true;
+    props.buffer.setText('ls');
+    props.streamingState = StreamingState.Responding;
+
+    const { stdin, unmount } = await renderWithProviders(
+      <InputPrompt {...props} />,
+      {
+        uiActions,
+      },
+    );
+
+    await act(async () => {
+      stdin.write('\t');
+    });
+
+    await waitFor(() => {
+      expect(props.setQueueErrorMessage).toHaveBeenCalledWith(
+        'Shell commands cannot be queued',
+      );
+      expect(props.onQueueMessage).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+    });
+    unmount();
+  });
   it('should not submit on Enter when the buffer is empty or only contains whitespace', async () => {
     props.buffer.setText('   '); // Set buffer to whitespace
 

packages/cli/src/ui/components/InputPrompt.tsx

@@ -117,6 +117,7 @@ export interface InputPromptProps {
   setQueueErrorMessage: (message: string | null) => void;
   streamingState: StreamingState;
   popAllMessages?: () => string | undefined;
+  onQueueMessage?: (message: string) => void;
   suggestionsPosition?: 'above' | 'below';
   setBannerVisible: (visible: boolean) => void;
   copyModeEnabled?: boolean;
@@ -211,6 +212,7 @@ export const InputPrompt: React.FC<InputPromptProps> = ({
   setQueueErrorMessage,
   streamingState,
   popAllMessages,
+  onQueueMessage,
   suggestionsPosition = 'below',
   setBannerVisible,
   copyModeEnabled = false,
@@ -690,6 +692,7 @@ export const InputPrompt: React.FC<InputPromptProps> = ({
         streamingState === StreamingState.Responding ||
         streamingState === StreamingState.WaitingForConfirmation;
 
+      const isQueueMessageKey = keyMatchers[Command.QUEUE_MESSAGE](key);
       const isPlainTab =
         key.name === 'tab' && !key.shift && !key.alt && !key.ctrl && !key.cmd;
       const hasTabCompletionInteraction =
@@ -698,6 +701,29 @@ export const InputPrompt: React.FC<InputPromptProps> = ({
         reverseSearchActive ||
         commandSearchActive;
 
+      if (
+        isGenerating &&
+        isQueueMessageKey &&
+        !hasTabCompletionInteraction &&
+        buffer.text.trim().length > 0
+      ) {
+        const trimmedMessage = buffer.text.trim();
+        const isSlash = isSlashCommand(trimmedMessage);
+
+        if (isSlash || shellModeActive) {
+          setQueueErrorMessage(
+            `${shellModeActive ? 'Shell' : 'Slash'} commands cannot be queued`,
+          );
+        } else if (onQueueMessage) {
+          onQueueMessage(buffer.text);
+          buffer.setText('');
+          resetCompletionState();
+          resetReverseSearchCompletionState();
+        }
+        resetPlainTabPress();
+        return true;
+      }
+
       if (isPlainTab && shellModeActive) {
         resetPlainTabPress();
         if (!shouldShowSuggestions) {
@@ -1293,6 +1319,9 @@ export const InputPrompt: React.FC<InputPromptProps> = ({
       shortcutsHelpVisible,
       setShortcutsHelpVisible,
       tryLoadQueuedMessages,
+      onQueueMessage,
+      setQueueErrorMessage,
+      resetReverseSearchCompletionState,
       setBannerVisible,
       activePtyId,
       setEmbeddedShellFocused,

packages/cli/src/ui/contexts/UIActionsContext.tsx

@@ -70,6 +70,7 @@ export interface UIActions {
   handleResumeSession: (session: SessionInfo) => Promise<void>;
   handleDeleteSession: (session: SessionInfo) => Promise<void>;
   setQueueErrorMessage: (message: string | null) => void;
+  addMessage: (message: string) => void;
   popAllMessages: () => string | undefined;
   handleApiKeySubmit: (apiKey: string) => Promise<void>;
   handleApiKeyCancel: () => void;

packages/cli/src/ui/key/keyBindings.ts

@@ -74,6 +74,7 @@ export enum Command {
 
   // Text Input
   SUBMIT = 'input.submit',
+  QUEUE_MESSAGE = 'input.queueMessage',
   NEWLINE = 'input.newline',
   OPEN_EXTERNAL_EDITOR = 'input.openExternalEditor',
   PASTE_CLIPBOARD = 'input.paste',
@@ -354,6 +355,7 @@ export const defaultKeyBindingConfig: KeyBindingConfig = new Map([
   // Text Input
   // Must also exclude shift to allow shift+enter for newline
   [Command.SUBMIT, [new KeyBinding('enter')]],
+  [Command.QUEUE_MESSAGE, [new KeyBinding('tab')]],
   [
     Command.NEWLINE,
     [
@@ -488,6 +490,7 @@ export const commandCategories: readonly CommandCategory[] = [
     title: 'Text Input',
     commands: [
       Command.SUBMIT,
+      Command.QUEUE_MESSAGE,
       Command.NEWLINE,
       Command.OPEN_EXTERNAL_EDITOR,
       Command.PASTE_CLIPBOARD,
@@ -593,6 +596,8 @@ export const commandDescriptions: Readonly<Record<Command, string>> = {
 
   // Text Input
   [Command.SUBMIT]: 'Submit the current prompt.',
+  [Command.QUEUE_MESSAGE]:
+    'Queue the current prompt to be processed after the current task finishes.',
   [Command.NEWLINE]: 'Insert a newline without submitting.',
   [Command.OPEN_EXTERNAL_EDITOR]:
     'Open the current prompt or the plan in an external editor.',