Fix /chat list not write terminal escape codes directly (#10415)

packages/cli/src/ui/commands/chatCommand.test.ts

@@ -7,11 +7,7 @@
 import type { Mocked } from 'vitest';
 import { vi, describe, it, expect, beforeEach, afterEach } from 'vitest';
 
-import type {
+import type { SlashCommand, CommandContext } from './types.js';
-  MessageActionReturn,
-  SlashCommand,
-  type CommandContext,
-} from './types.js';
 import { createMockCommandContext } from '../../test-utils/mockCommandContext.js';
 import type { Content } from '@google/genai';
 import type { GeminiClient } from '@google/gemini-cli-core';
@@ -98,69 +94,37 @@ describe('chatCommand', () => {
       listCommand = getSubCommand('list');
     });
 
-    it('should inform when no checkpoints are found', async () => {
+    it('should add a chat_list item to the UI', async () => {
-      mockFs.readdir.mockImplementation(
-        (async (_: string): Promise<string[]> =>
-          [] as string[]) as unknown as typeof fsPromises.readdir,
-      );
-      const result = await listCommand?.action?.(mockContext, '');
-      expect(result).toEqual({
-        type: 'message',
-        messageType: 'info',
-        content: 'No saved conversation checkpoints found.',
-      });
-    });
-
-    it('should list found checkpoints', async () => {
       const fakeFiles = ['checkpoint-test1.json', 'checkpoint-test2.json'];
-      const date = new Date();
+      const date1 = new Date();
-
+      const date2 = new Date(date1.getTime() + 1000);
-      mockFs.readdir.mockImplementation(
-        (async (_: string): Promise<string[]> =>
-          fakeFiles as string[]) as unknown as typeof fsPromises.readdir,
-      );
-      mockFs.stat.mockImplementation((async (path: string): Promise<Stats> => {
-        if (path.endsWith('test1.json')) {
-          return { mtime: date } as Stats;
-        }
-        return { mtime: new Date(date.getTime() + 1000) } as Stats;
-      }) as unknown as typeof fsPromises.stat);
-
-      const result = (await listCommand?.action?.(
-        mockContext,
-        '',
-      )) as MessageActionReturn;
-
-      const content = result?.content ?? '';
-      expect(result?.type).toBe('message');
-      expect(content).toContain('List of saved conversations:');
-      const isoDate = date
-        .toISOString()
-        .match(/(\d{4}-\d{2}-\d{2})T(\d{2}:\d{2}:\d{2})/);
-      const formattedDate = isoDate ? `${isoDate[1]} ${isoDate[2]}` : '';
-      expect(content).toContain(formattedDate);
-      const index1 = content.indexOf('- \u001b[36mtest1\u001b[0m');
-      const index2 = content.indexOf('- \u001b[36mtest2\u001b[0m');
-      expect(index1).toBeGreaterThanOrEqual(0);
-      expect(index2).toBeGreaterThan(index1);
-    });
-
-    it('should handle invalid date formats gracefully', async () => {
-      const fakeFiles = ['checkpoint-baddate.json'];
-      const badDate = {
-        toISOString: () => 'an-invalid-date-string',
-      } as Date;
 
       mockFs.readdir.mockResolvedValue(fakeFiles);
-      mockFs.stat.mockResolvedValue({ mtime: badDate } as Stats);
+      mockFs.stat.mockImplementation(async (path: string): Promise<Stats> => {
+        if (path.endsWith('test1.json')) {
+          return { mtime: date1 } as Stats;
+        }
+        return { mtime: date2 } as Stats;
+      });
 
-      const result = (await listCommand?.action?.(
+      await listCommand?.action?.(mockContext, '');
-        mockContext,
-        '',
-      )) as MessageActionReturn;
 
-      const content = result?.content ?? '';
+      expect(mockContext.ui.addItem).toHaveBeenCalledWith(
-      expect(content).toContain('(saved on Invalid Date)');
+        {
+          type: 'chat_list',
+          chats: [
+            {
+              name: 'test1',
+              mtime: date1.toISOString(),
+            },
+            {
+              name: 'test2',
+              mtime: date2.toISOString(),
+            },
+          ],
+        },
+        expect.any(Number),
+      );
     });
   });
   describe('save subcommand', () => {

packages/cli/src/ui/commands/chatCommand.ts

@@ -17,15 +17,14 @@ import type {
 import { CommandKind } from './types.js';
 import { decodeTagName } from '@google/gemini-cli-core';
 import path from 'node:path';
-import type { HistoryItemWithoutId } from '../types.js';
+import type {
+  HistoryItemWithoutId,
+  HistoryItemChatList,
+  ChatDetail,
+} from '../types.js';
 import { MessageType } from '../types.js';
 import type { Content } from '@google/genai';
 
-interface ChatDetail {
-  name: string;
-  mtime: Date;
-}
-
 const getSavedChatTags = async (
   context: CommandContext,
   mtSortDesc: boolean,
@@ -39,7 +38,7 @@ const getSavedChatTags = async (
     const file_head = 'checkpoint-';
     const file_tail = '.json';
     const files = await fsPromises.readdir(geminiDir);
-    const chatDetails: Array<{ name: string; mtime: Date }> = [];
+    const chatDetails: ChatDetail[] = [];
 
     for (const file of files) {
       if (file.startsWith(file_head) && file.endsWith(file_tail)) {
@@ -48,15 +47,15 @@ const getSavedChatTags = async (
         const tagName = file.slice(file_head.length, -file_tail.length);
         chatDetails.push({
           name: decodeTagName(tagName),
-          mtime: stats.mtime,
+          mtime: stats.mtime.toISOString(),
         });
       }
     }
 
     chatDetails.sort((a, b) =>
       mtSortDesc
-        ? b.mtime.getTime() - a.mtime.getTime()
+        ? b.mtime.localeCompare(a.mtime)
-        : a.mtime.getTime() - b.mtime.getTime(),
+        : a.mtime.localeCompare(b.mtime),
     );
 
     return chatDetails;
@@ -69,34 +68,15 @@ const listCommand: SlashCommand = {
   name: 'list',
   description: 'List saved conversation checkpoints',
   kind: CommandKind.BUILT_IN,
-  action: async (context): Promise<MessageActionReturn> => {
+  action: async (context): Promise<void> => {
     const chatDetails = await getSavedChatTags(context, false);
-    if (chatDetails.length === 0) {
-      return {
-        type: 'message',
-        messageType: 'info',
-        content: 'No saved conversation checkpoints found.',
-      };
-    }
 
-    const maxNameLength = Math.max(
+    const item: HistoryItemChatList = {
-      ...chatDetails.map((chat) => chat.name.length),
+      type: MessageType.CHAT_LIST,
-    );
+      chats: chatDetails,
-
-    let message = 'List of saved conversations:\n\n';
-    for (const chat of chatDetails) {
-      const paddedName = chat.name.padEnd(maxNameLength, ' ');
-      const isoString = chat.mtime.toISOString();
-      const match = isoString.match(/(\d{4}-\d{2}-\d{2})T(\d{2}:\d{2}:\d{2})/);
-      const formattedDate = match ? `${match[1]} ${match[2]}` : 'Invalid Date';
-      message += `  - \u001b[36m${paddedName}\u001b[0m  \u001b[90m(saved on ${formattedDate})\u001b[0m\n`;
-    }
-    message += `\n\u001b[90mNote: Newest last, oldest first\u001b[0m`;
-    return {
-      type: 'message',
-      messageType: 'info',
-      content: message,
     };
+
+    context.ui.addItem(item, Date.now());
   },
 };
 

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

@@ -29,6 +29,7 @@ import { ExtensionsList } from './views/ExtensionsList.js';
 import { getMCPServerStatus } from '@google/gemini-cli-core';
 import { ToolsList } from './views/ToolsList.js';
 import { McpStatus } from './views/McpStatus.js';
+import { ChatList } from './views/ChatList.js';
 
 interface HistoryItemDisplayProps {
   item: HistoryItem;
@@ -140,6 +141,9 @@ export const HistoryItemDisplay: React.FC<HistoryItemDisplayProps> = ({
       {itemForDisplay.type === 'mcp_status' && (
         <McpStatus {...itemForDisplay} serverStatus={getMCPServerStatus} />
       )}
+      {itemForDisplay.type === 'chat_list' && (
+        <ChatList chats={itemForDisplay.chats} />
+      )}
     </Box>
   );
 };

packages/cli/src/ui/components/views/ChatList.test.tsx

@@ -0,0 +1,46 @@
+/**
+ * @license
+ * Copyright 2025 Google LLC
+ * SPDX-License-Identifier: Apache-2.0
+ */
+
+import { render } from 'ink-testing-library';
+import { describe, it, expect } from 'vitest';
+import { ChatList } from './ChatList.js';
+import type { ChatDetail } from '../../types.js';
+
+const mockChats: ChatDetail[] = [
+  {
+    name: 'chat-1',
+    mtime: '2025-10-02T10:00:00.000Z',
+  },
+  {
+    name: 'another-chat',
+    mtime: '2025-10-01T12:30:00.000Z',
+  },
+];
+
+describe('<ChatList />', () => {
+  it('renders correctly with a list of chats', () => {
+    const { lastFrame } = render(<ChatList chats={mockChats} />);
+    expect(lastFrame()).toMatchSnapshot();
+  });
+
+  it('renders correctly with no chats', () => {
+    const { lastFrame } = render(<ChatList chats={[]} />);
+    expect(lastFrame()).toContain('No saved conversation checkpoints found.');
+    expect(lastFrame()).toMatchSnapshot();
+  });
+
+  it('handles invalid date formats gracefully', () => {
+    const mockChatsWithInvalidDate: ChatDetail[] = [
+      {
+        name: 'bad-date-chat',
+        mtime: 'an-invalid-date-string',
+      },
+    ];
+    const { lastFrame } = render(<ChatList chats={mockChatsWithInvalidDate} />);
+    expect(lastFrame()).toContain('(Invalid Date)');
+    expect(lastFrame()).toMatchSnapshot();
+  });
+});

packages/cli/src/ui/components/views/ChatList.tsx

@@ -0,0 +1,46 @@
+/**
+ * @license
+ * Copyright 2025 Google LLC
+ * SPDX-License-Identifier: Apache-2.0
+ */
+
+import type React from 'react';
+import { Box, Text } from 'ink';
+import { theme } from '../../semantic-colors.js';
+import type { ChatDetail } from '../../types.js';
+
+interface ChatListProps {
+  chats: readonly ChatDetail[];
+}
+
+export const ChatList: React.FC<ChatListProps> = ({ chats }) => {
+  if (chats.length === 0) {
+    return <Text>No saved conversation checkpoints found.</Text>;
+  }
+
+  return (
+    <Box flexDirection="column">
+      <Text>List of saved conversations:</Text>
+      <Box height={1} />
+      {chats.map((chat) => {
+        const isoString = chat.mtime;
+        const match = isoString.match(
+          /(\d{4}-\d{2}-\d{2})T(\d{2}:\d{2}:\d{2})/,
+        );
+        const formattedDate = match
+          ? `${match[1]} ${match[2]}`
+          : 'Invalid Date';
+        return (
+          <Box key={chat.name} flexDirection="row">
+            <Text>
+              {'  '}- <Text color={theme.text.accent}>{chat.name}</Text>{' '}
+              <Text color={theme.text.secondary}>({formattedDate})</Text>
+            </Text>
+          </Box>
+        );
+      })}
+      <Box height={1} />
+      <Text color={theme.text.secondary}>Note: Newest last, oldest first</Text>
+    </Box>
+  );
+};

packages/cli/src/ui/components/views/__snapshots__/ChatList.test.tsx.snap

@@ -0,0 +1,20 @@
+// Vitest Snapshot v1, https://vitest.dev/guide/snapshot.html
+
+exports[`<ChatList /> > handles invalid date formats gracefully 1`] = `
+"List of saved conversations:
+
+  - bad-date-chat (Invalid Date)
+
+Note: Newest last, oldest first"
+`;
+
+exports[`<ChatList /> > renders correctly with a list of chats 1`] = `
+"List of saved conversations:
+
+  - chat-1 (2025-10-02 10:00:00)
+  - another-chat (2025-10-01 12:30:00)
+
+Note: Newest last, oldest first"
+`;
+
+exports[`<ChatList /> > renders correctly with no chats 1`] = `"No saved conversation checkpoints found."`;

packages/cli/src/ui/types.ts

@@ -165,6 +165,16 @@ export type HistoryItemExtensionsList = HistoryItemBase & {
   type: 'extensions_list';
 };
 
+export interface ChatDetail {
+  name: string;
+  mtime: string;
+}
+
+export type HistoryItemChatList = HistoryItemBase & {
+  type: 'chat_list';
+  chats: ChatDetail[];
+};
+
 export interface ToolDefinition {
   name: string;
   displayName: string;
@@ -234,7 +244,8 @@ export type HistoryItemWithoutId =
   | HistoryItemCompression
   | HistoryItemExtensionsList
   | HistoryItemToolsList
-  | HistoryItemMcpStatus;
+  | HistoryItemMcpStatus
+  | HistoryItemChatList;
 
 export type HistoryItem = HistoryItemWithoutId & { id: number };
 
@@ -255,6 +266,7 @@ export enum MessageType {
   EXTENSIONS_LIST = 'extensions_list',
   TOOLS_LIST = 'tools_list',
   MCP_STATUS = 'mcp_status',
+  CHAT_LIST = 'chat_list',
 }
 
 // Simplified message structure for internal feedback