From bc3ed61adbbca5eb2c3bb2d5da2dc710155d4487 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001
From: Jarrod Whelan <150866123+jwhelangoog@users.noreply.github.com>
Date: Wed, 8 Apr 2026 16:40:43 -0700
Subject: [PATCH] feat(core): refine shell tool description display logic
 (#24903)

---
 packages/core/src/tools/shell.test.ts | 66 ++++++++++++++++-----------
 packages/core/src/tools/shell.ts      | 10 ++--
 2 files changed, 47 insertions(+), 29 deletions(-)

diff --git a/packages/core/src/tools/shell.test.ts b/packages/core/src/tools/shell.test.ts
index 9551fd9638..1741b57be1 100644
--- a/packages/core/src/tools/shell.test.ts
+++ b/packages/core/src/tools/shell.test.ts
@@ -768,6 +768,46 @@ describe('ShellTool', () => {
       const shellTool = new ShellTool(mockConfig, createMockMessageBus());
       expect(shellTool.description).not.toContain('Efficiency Guidelines:');
     });
+
+    it('should return the command if description is not provided', () => {
+      const invocation = shellTool.build({
+        command: 'echo "hello"',
+      });
+      expect(invocation.getDescription()).toBe('echo "hello"');
+    });
+
+    it('should return the command if it is short (<= 150 chars), even if description is provided', () => {
+      const invocation = shellTool.build({
+        command: 'echo "hello"',
+        description: 'Prints a friendly greeting.',
+      });
+      expect(invocation.getDescription()).toBe('echo "hello"');
+    });
+
+    it('should return the description if the command is long (> 150 chars)', () => {
+      const longCommand = 'echo "hello" && '.repeat(15) + 'echo "world"'; // Length > 150
+      const invocation = shellTool.build({
+        command: longCommand,
+        description: 'Prints multiple greetings.',
+      });
+      expect(invocation.getDescription()).toBe('Prints multiple greetings.');
+    });
+
+    it('should return the raw command if description is an empty string', () => {
+      const invocation = shellTool.build({
+        command: 'echo hello',
+        description: '',
+      });
+      expect(invocation.getDescription()).toBe('echo hello');
+    });
+
+    it('should return the raw command if description is just whitespace', () => {
+      const invocation = shellTool.build({
+        command: 'echo hello',
+        description: '   ',
+      });
+      expect(invocation.getDescription()).toBe('echo hello');
+    });
   });
 
   describe('getDisplayTitle and getExplanation', () => {
@@ -803,32 +843,6 @@ describe('ShellTool', () => {
     });
   });
 
-  describe('invocation getDescription', () => {
-    it('should return the description if it is present and not empty whitespace', () => {
-      const invocation = shellTool.build({
-        command: 'echo hello',
-        description: 'prints hello',
-      });
-      expect(invocation.getDescription()).toBe('prints hello');
-    });
-
-    it('should return the raw command if description is an empty string', () => {
-      const invocation = shellTool.build({
-        command: 'echo hello',
-        description: '',
-      });
-      expect(invocation.getDescription()).toBe('echo hello');
-    });
-
-    it('should return the raw command if description is just whitespace', () => {
-      const invocation = shellTool.build({
-        command: 'echo hello',
-        description: '   ',
-      });
-      expect(invocation.getDescription()).toBe('echo hello');
-    });
-  });
-
   describe('llmContent output format', () => {
     const mockAbortSignal = new AbortController().signal;
 
diff --git a/packages/core/src/tools/shell.ts b/packages/core/src/tools/shell.ts
index 3ea29474c6..acbd5e72ff 100644
--- a/packages/core/src/tools/shell.ts
+++ b/packages/core/src/tools/shell.ts
@@ -63,6 +63,7 @@ export const OUTPUT_UPDATE_INTERVAL_MS = 1000;
 
 // Delay so user does not see the output of the process before the process is moved to the background.
 const BACKGROUND_DELAY_MS = 200;
+const SHOW_NL_DESCRIPTION_THRESHOLD = 150;
 
 export interface ShellToolParams {
   command: string;
@@ -136,9 +137,12 @@ export class ShellToolInvocation extends BaseToolInvocation<
   }
 
   getDescription(): string {
-    return this.params.description?.trim()
-      ? this.params.description
-      : this.params.command;
+    const descStr = this.params.description?.trim();
+    const commandStr = this.params.command;
+    return Array.from(commandStr).length <= SHOW_NL_DESCRIPTION_THRESHOLD ||
+      !descStr
+      ? commandStr
+      : descStr;
   }
 
   private simplifyPaths(paths: Set<string>): string[] {