feat(cli): implement prompt stashing with Alt+S

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

@@ -567,6 +567,8 @@ const mockUIActions: UIActions = {
   handleEmptyWalletChoice: vi.fn(),
   setQueueErrorMessage: vi.fn(),
   popAllMessages: vi.fn(),
+  stashPrompt: vi.fn(),
+  popStashedPrompt: vi.fn(),
   handleApiKeySubmit: vi.fn(),
   handleApiKeyCancel: vi.fn(),
   setBannerVisible: vi.fn(),

packages/cli/src/ui/AppContainer.tsx

@@ -253,6 +253,18 @@ export const AppContainer = (props: AppContainerProps) => {
     QUEUE_ERROR_DISPLAY_DURATION_MS,
   );
 
+  const [stashedPrompt, setStashedPrompt] = useState<string | null>(null);
+  const stashPrompt = useCallback((text: string) => {
+    if (text.length > 0) {
+      setStashedPrompt(text);
+    }
+  }, []);
+  const popStashedPrompt = useCallback(() => {
+    const prompt = stashedPrompt;
+    setStashedPrompt(null);
+    return prompt;
+  }, [stashedPrompt]);
+
   const [newAgents, setNewAgents] = useState<AgentDefinition[] | null>(null);
   const [constrainHeight, setConstrainHeight] = useState<boolean>(true);
   const [expandHintTrigger, triggerExpandHint] = useTimedMessage<boolean>(
@@ -2267,6 +2279,7 @@ Logging in with Google... Restarting Gemini CLI to continue.
       activeHooks,
       messageQueue,
       queueErrorMessage,
+      stashedPrompt,
       showApprovalModeIndicator,
       allowPlanMode,
       currentModel,
@@ -2393,6 +2406,7 @@ Logging in with Google... Restarting Gemini CLI to continue.
       activeHooks,
       messageQueue,
       queueErrorMessage,
+      stashedPrompt,
       showApprovalModeIndicator,
       allowPlanMode,
       userTier,
@@ -2492,6 +2506,8 @@ Logging in with Google... Restarting Gemini CLI to continue.
       handleDeleteSession,
       setQueueErrorMessage,
       popAllMessages,
+      stashPrompt,
+      popStashedPrompt,
       handleApiKeySubmit,
       handleApiKeyCancel,
       setBannerVisible,
@@ -2583,6 +2599,8 @@ Logging in with Google... Restarting Gemini CLI to continue.
       handleDeleteSession,
       setQueueErrorMessage,
       popAllMessages,
+      stashPrompt,
+      popStashedPrompt,
       handleApiKeySubmit,
       handleApiKeyCancel,
       setBannerVisible,

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

@@ -158,6 +158,7 @@ const createMockUIState = (overrides: Partial<UIState> = {}): UIState =>
     contextFileNames: [],
     showApprovalModeIndicator: ApprovalMode.DEFAULT,
     messageQueue: [],
+    stashedPrompt: null,
     showErrorDetails: false,
     constrainHeight: false,
     isInputActive: true,

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

@@ -39,6 +39,7 @@ import { InputPrompt } from './InputPrompt.js';
 import { Footer } from './Footer.js';
 import { ShowMoreLines } from './ShowMoreLines.js';
 import { QueuedMessageDisplay } from './QueuedMessageDisplay.js';
+import { StashedPromptDisplay } from './StashedPromptDisplay.js';
 import { OverflowProvider } from '../contexts/OverflowContext.js';
 import { ConfigInitDisplay } from './ConfigInitDisplay.js';
 import { TodoTray } from './messages/Todo.js';
@@ -522,6 +523,10 @@ export const Composer = ({ isFocused = true }: { isFocused?: boolean }) => {
         <ConfigInitDisplay message="Resuming session..." />
       )}
 
+      {showUiDetails && (
+        <StashedPromptDisplay stashedPrompt={uiState.stashedPrompt} />
+      )}
+
       {showUiDetails && (
         <QueuedMessageDisplay messageQueue={uiState.messageQueue} />
       )}

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

@@ -190,6 +190,12 @@ export const Help: React.FC<Help> = ({ commands }) => (
       </Text>{' '}
       - Cycle through your prompt history
     </Text>
+    <Text color={theme.text.primary}>
+      <Text bold color={theme.text.accent}>
+        {formatCommand(Command.STASH_INPUT)}
+      </Text>{' '}
+      - Stash current prompt (restores on next submit)
+    </Text>
     <Box height={1} />
     <Text color={theme.text.primary}>
       For a full list of shortcuts, see{' '}

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

@@ -225,6 +225,8 @@ export const InputPrompt: React.FC<InputPromptProps> = ({
     setEmbeddedShellFocused,
     setShortcutsHelpVisible,
     toggleCleanUiDetailsVisible,
+    stashPrompt,
+    popStashedPrompt,
   } = useUIActions();
   const {
     terminalWidth,
@@ -372,6 +374,12 @@ export const InputPrompt: React.FC<InputPromptProps> = ({
       onSubmit(processedValue);
       resetCompletionState();
       resetReverseSearchCompletionState();
+
+      // Restore stashed prompt after submit
+      const stashed = popStashedPrompt();
+      if (stashed) {
+        buffer.setText(stashed, 'end');
+      }
     },
     [
       buffer,
@@ -380,6 +388,7 @@ export const InputPrompt: React.FC<InputPromptProps> = ({
       shellModeActive,
       shellHistory,
       resetReverseSearchCompletionState,
+      popStashedPrompt,
     ],
   );
 
@@ -1213,6 +1222,16 @@ export const InputPrompt: React.FC<InputPromptProps> = ({
         return true;
       }
 
+      // Stash current input
+      if (keyMatchers[Command.STASH_INPUT](key)) {
+        if (buffer.text.length > 0) {
+          stashPrompt(buffer.text);
+          buffer.setText('');
+          resetCompletionState();
+        }
+        return true;
+      }
+
       // External editor
       if (keyMatchers[Command.OPEN_EXTERNAL_EDITOR](key)) {
         // eslint-disable-next-line @typescript-eslint/no-floating-promises
@@ -1304,6 +1323,7 @@ export const InputPrompt: React.FC<InputPromptProps> = ({
       shouldShowSuggestions,
       isShellSuggestionsVisible,
       forceShowShellSuggestions,
+      stashPrompt,
       keyMatchers,
       isHelpDismissKey,
       settings,

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

@@ -44,6 +44,10 @@ const buildShortcutItems = (): ShortcutItem[] => [
     key: formatCommand(Command.OPEN_EXTERNAL_EDITOR),
     description: 'open external editor',
   },
+  {
+    key: formatCommand(Command.STASH_INPUT),
+    description: 'stash prompt',
+  },
 ];
 
 const Shortcut: React.FC<{ item: ShortcutItem }> = ({ item }) => (
@@ -73,8 +77,9 @@ export const ShortcutsHelp: React.FC = () => {
         items[7],
         items[2],
         items[8],
-        items[9],
+        items[10],
         items[3],
+        items[9],
       ];
 
   return (

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

@@ -0,0 +1,41 @@
+/**
+ * @license
+ * Copyright 2025 Google LLC
+ * SPDX-License-Identifier: Apache-2.0
+ */
+
+import { describe, it, expect } from 'vitest';
+import { render } from '../../test-utils/render.js';
+import { StashedPromptDisplay } from './StashedPromptDisplay.js';
+
+describe('StashedPromptDisplay', () => {
+  it('renders nothing when no stash exists', async () => {
+    const { lastFrame, unmount } = await render(
+      <StashedPromptDisplay stashedPrompt={null} />,
+    );
+
+    expect(lastFrame({ allowEmpty: true })).toBe('');
+    unmount();
+  });
+
+  it('displays stash indicator when stash exists', async () => {
+    const { lastFrame, unmount } = await render(
+      <StashedPromptDisplay stashedPrompt="some stashed text" />,
+    );
+
+    const output = lastFrame();
+    expect(output).toContain('Stashed (restores after submit)');
+    unmount();
+  });
+
+  it('does not display the stashed text content', async () => {
+    const { lastFrame, unmount } = await render(
+      <StashedPromptDisplay stashedPrompt="secret stashed content" />,
+    );
+
+    const output = lastFrame();
+    expect(output).toContain('Stashed');
+    expect(output).not.toContain('secret stashed content');
+    unmount();
+  });
+});

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

@@ -0,0 +1,25 @@
+/**
+ * @license
+ * Copyright 2025 Google LLC
+ * SPDX-License-Identifier: Apache-2.0
+ */
+
+import { Box, Text } from 'ink';
+
+export interface StashedPromptDisplayProps {
+  stashedPrompt: string | null;
+}
+
+export const StashedPromptDisplay = ({
+  stashedPrompt,
+}: StashedPromptDisplayProps) => {
+  if (!stashedPrompt) {
+    return null;
+  }
+
+  return (
+    <Box paddingLeft={2} marginTop={1}>
+      <Text dimColor>Stashed (restores after submit)</Text>
+    </Box>
+  );
+};

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

@@ -202,6 +202,7 @@ const MAC_ALT_KEY_CHARACTER_MAP: Record<string, string> = {
   '\u222B': 'b', // "∫" back one word
   '\u0192': 'f', // "ƒ" forward one word
   '\u00B5': 'm', // "µ" toggle markup view
+  '\u00DF': 's', // "ß" stash prompt
   '\u03A9': 'z', // "Ω" Option+z
   '\u00B8': 'Z', // "¸" Option+Shift+z
   '\u2202': 'd', // "∂" delete word forward

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

@@ -71,6 +71,8 @@ export interface UIActions {
   handleDeleteSession: (session: SessionInfo) => Promise<void>;
   setQueueErrorMessage: (message: string | null) => void;
   popAllMessages: () => string | undefined;
+  stashPrompt: (text: string) => void;
+  popStashedPrompt: () => string | null;
   handleApiKeySubmit: (apiKey: string) => Promise<void>;
   handleApiKeyCancel: () => void;
   setBannerVisible: (visible: boolean) => void;

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

@@ -172,6 +172,7 @@ export interface UIState {
   activeHooks: ActiveHook[];
   messageQueue: string[];
   queueErrorMessage: string | null;
+  stashedPrompt: string | null;
   showApprovalModeIndicator: ApprovalMode;
   allowPlanMode: boolean;
   // Quota-related state

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

@@ -77,6 +77,7 @@ export enum Command {
   NEWLINE = 'input.newline',
   OPEN_EXTERNAL_EDITOR = 'input.openExternalEditor',
   PASTE_CLIPBOARD = 'input.paste',
+  STASH_INPUT = 'input.stash',
 
   // App Controls
   SHOW_ERROR_DETAILS = 'app.showErrorDetails',
@@ -374,6 +375,8 @@ export const defaultKeyBindingConfig: KeyBindingConfig = new Map([
     ],
   ],
 
+  [Command.STASH_INPUT, [new KeyBinding('alt+s')]],
+
   // App Controls
   [Command.SHOW_ERROR_DETAILS, [new KeyBinding('f12')]],
   [Command.SHOW_FULL_TODOS, [new KeyBinding('ctrl+t')]],
@@ -491,6 +494,7 @@ export const commandCategories: readonly CommandCategory[] = [
       Command.NEWLINE,
       Command.OPEN_EXTERNAL_EDITOR,
       Command.PASTE_CLIPBOARD,
+      Command.STASH_INPUT,
     ],
   },
   {
@@ -597,6 +601,8 @@ export const commandDescriptions: Readonly<Record<Command, string>> = {
   [Command.OPEN_EXTERNAL_EDITOR]:
     'Open the current prompt or the plan in an external editor.',
   [Command.PASTE_CLIPBOARD]: 'Paste from the clipboard.',
+  [Command.STASH_INPUT]:
+    'Stash the current input to temporarily set it aside. Restores on next submit.',
 
   // App Controls
   [Command.SHOW_ERROR_DETAILS]: 'Toggle detailed error information.',