From 554d52369d0546ab874879e558b7de063c038fe2 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001
From: Hadi Minooei <minooei@google.com>
Date: Thu, 26 Mar 2026 23:11:02 -0700
Subject: [PATCH] fix(cli): improve simulator action history and fix dialog max
 items

---
 packages/cli/src/services/UserSimulator.ts    | 33 +++++++++++++++++--
 .../cli/src/ui/components/AskUserDialog.tsx   |  2 +-
 .../__snapshots__/AskUserDialog.test.tsx.snap |  2 ++
 3 files changed, 34 insertions(+), 3 deletions(-)

diff --git a/packages/cli/src/services/UserSimulator.ts b/packages/cli/src/services/UserSimulator.ts
index 19194f17c0..4119611f39 100644
--- a/packages/cli/src/services/UserSimulator.ts
+++ b/packages/cli/src/services/UserSimulator.ts
@@ -22,6 +22,7 @@ export class UserSimulator {
   private interactionsFile: string | null = null;
 
   private knowledgeBase = '';
+  private actionHistory: string[] = [];
 
   constructor(
     private readonly config: Config,
@@ -122,6 +123,10 @@ export class UserSimulator {
         ? `\nUser Knowledge Base:\nUse this information to answer questions if applicable. If the answer is not here, respond as you normally would.\n${this.knowledgeBase}\n`
         : '';
 
+      const historyInstruction = this.actionHistory.length > 0
+        ? `\nRecent Simulator Actions (last 10):\n${this.actionHistory.slice(-10).map((a, i) => `${i + 1}. ${JSON.stringify(a)}`).join('\n')}\n`
+        : '';
+
       const prompt = `You are evaluating a CLI agent by simulating a user sitting at the terminal.
 Look carefully at the screen and determine the CLI's current state:
 
@@ -145,7 +150,7 @@ CRITICAL RULES:
 - RULE 2: If there is an "Action Required" or confirmation prompt on the screen, YOU MUST HANDLE IT (State 2). This takes precedence over everything else.
 - RULE 3: Output ONLY the raw characters to send, <WAIT>, or <DONE>.
 - RULE 4: Do NOT output markdown, explanations of your thought process, or quotes.
-${goalInstruction}${knowledgeInstruction}
+${goalInstruction}${knowledgeInstruction}${historyInstruction}
 
 Here is the current terminal screen output:
 
@@ -217,6 +222,13 @@ ${strippedScreen}
         debugLogger.log(
           '[SIMULATOR] Skipping action (model decided to <WAIT>)',
         );
+        this.actionHistory.push('<WAIT>');
+        if (this.interactionsFile) {
+          fs.appendFileSync(
+            this.interactionsFile,
+            `[LOG] [SIMULATOR] Action History updated with: "<WAIT>"\n\n`,
+          );
+        }
         this.lastScreenContent = normalizedScreen;
         return;
       }
@@ -224,14 +236,31 @@ ${strippedScreen}
       if (responseText) {
         const keys = responseText.replace(/\\n/g, '\r').replace(/\\r/g, '\r');
 
-
         debugLogger.log(
           `[SIMULATOR] Sending to stdin: ${JSON.stringify(keys)}`,
         );
+
+        this.actionHistory.push(keys);
+        if (this.interactionsFile) {
+          fs.appendFileSync(
+            this.interactionsFile,
+            `[LOG] [SIMULATOR] Action History updated with: ${JSON.stringify(keys)}\n\n`,
+          );
+        }
+
         this.stdinBuffer.write(keys);
         this.lastScreenContent = normalizedScreen;
       } else {
         debugLogger.log('[SIMULATOR] Skipping (empty response)');
+        
+        this.actionHistory.push('<EMPTY>');
+        if (this.interactionsFile) {
+          fs.appendFileSync(
+            this.interactionsFile,
+            `[LOG] [SIMULATOR] Action History updated with: "<EMPTY>"\n\n`,
+          );
+        }
+        
         this.lastScreenContent = normalizedScreen;
       }
     } catch (e: unknown) {
diff --git a/packages/cli/src/ui/components/AskUserDialog.tsx b/packages/cli/src/ui/components/AskUserDialog.tsx
index b1d23885e6..dac01b29ff 100644
--- a/packages/cli/src/ui/components/AskUserDialog.tsx
+++ b/packages/cli/src/ui/components/AskUserDialog.tsx
@@ -853,7 +853,7 @@ const ChoiceQuestionView: React.FC<ChoiceQuestionViewProps> = ({
     listHeight && !isAlternateBuffer
       ? question.unconstrainedHeight
         ? Math.max(1, listHeight - selectionItems.length * 2)
-        : Math.min(15, Math.max(1, listHeight - DIALOG_PADDING))
+        : Math.min(15, Math.max(1, listHeight - Math.min(selectionItems.length, 5) * 2))
       : undefined;
 
   const maxItemsToShow =
diff --git a/packages/cli/src/ui/components/__snapshots__/AskUserDialog.test.tsx.snap b/packages/cli/src/ui/components/__snapshots__/AskUserDialog.test.tsx.snap
index 30caf0fb40..1ab67a46db 100644
--- a/packages/cli/src/ui/components/__snapshots__/AskUserDialog.test.tsx.snap
+++ b/packages/cli/src/ui/components/__snapshots__/AskUserDialog.test.tsx.snap
@@ -30,6 +30,8 @@ exports[`AskUserDialog > Scroll Arrows (useAlternateBuffer: false) > shows scrol
        Description 1                                                            
    2.  Option 2
        Description 2
+   3.  Option 3
+       Description 3
 ▼
 
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