Merge pull request #266 from aliou/feat/allow-editor-edition

feat(coding-agent): add Ctrl+G to open external editor

packages/coding-agent/CHANGELOG.md

@@ -2,6 +2,10 @@
 
 ## [Unreleased]
 
+### Added
+
+- **External editor support**: Press `Ctrl+G` to edit your message in an external editor. Uses `$VISUAL` or `$EDITOR` environment variable. On successful save, the message is replaced; on cancel, the original is kept. ([#266](https://github.com/badlogic/pi-mono/pull/266) by [@aliou](https://github.com/aliou))
+
 ## [0.25.2] - 2025-12-21
 
 ### Fixed

packages/coding-agent/README.md

@@ -230,6 +230,7 @@ The agent reads, writes, and edits files, and executes commands via bash.
 | Ctrl+P | Cycle models (scoped by `--models`) |
 | Ctrl+O | Toggle tool output expansion |
 | Ctrl+T | Toggle thinking block visibility |
+| Ctrl+G | Edit message in external editor (`$VISUAL` or `$EDITOR`) |
 
 ### Bash Mode
 

packages/coding-agent/src/modes/interactive/components/custom-editor.ts

@@ -1,4 +1,14 @@
-import { Editor, isCtrlC, isCtrlD, isCtrlO, isCtrlP, isCtrlT, isEscape, isShiftTab } from "@mariozechner/pi-tui";
+import {
+	Editor,
+	isCtrlC,
+	isCtrlD,
+	isCtrlG,
+	isCtrlO,
+	isCtrlP,
+	isCtrlT,
+	isEscape,
+	isShiftTab,
+} from "@mariozechner/pi-tui";
 
 /**
  * Custom editor that handles Escape and Ctrl+C keys for coding-agent
@@ -11,8 +21,15 @@ export class CustomEditor extends Editor {
 	public onCtrlP?: () => void;
 	public onCtrlO?: () => void;
 	public onCtrlT?: () => void;
+	public onCtrlG?: () => void;
 
 	handleInput(data: string): void {
+		// Intercept Ctrl+G for external editor
+		if (isCtrlG(data) && this.onCtrlG) {
+			this.onCtrlG();
+			return;
+		}
+
 		// Intercept Ctrl+T for thinking block visibility toggle
 		if (isCtrlT(data) && this.onCtrlT) {
 			this.onCtrlT();

packages/coding-agent/src/modes/interactive/interactive-mode.ts

@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@
  */
 
 import * as fs from "node:fs";
+import * as os from "node:os";
 import * as path from "node:path";
 import type { AgentState, AppMessage, Attachment } from "@mariozechner/pi-agent-core";
 import type { AssistantMessage, Message } from "@mariozechner/pi-ai";
@@ -23,7 +24,7 @@ import {
 	TUI,
 	visibleWidth,
 } from "@mariozechner/pi-tui";
-import { exec } from "child_process";
+import { exec, spawnSync } from "child_process";
 import { APP_NAME, getDebugLogPath, getOAuthPath } from "../../config.js";
 import type { AgentSession, AgentSessionEvent } from "../../core/agent-session.js";
 import type { LoadedCustomTool, SessionEvent as ToolSessionEvent } from "../../core/custom-tools/index.js";
@@ -579,6 +580,7 @@ export class InteractiveMode {
 		this.editor.onCtrlP = () => this.cycleModel();
 		this.editor.onCtrlO = () => this.toggleToolOutputExpansion();
 		this.editor.onCtrlT = () => this.toggleThinkingBlockVisibility();
+		this.editor.onCtrlG = () => this.openExternalEditor();
 
 		this.editor.onChange = (text: string) => {
 			const wasBashMode = this.isBashMode;
@@ -1225,6 +1227,52 @@ export class InteractiveMode {
 		this.showStatus(`Thinking blocks: ${this.hideThinkingBlock ? "hidden" : "visible"}`);
 	}
 
+	private openExternalEditor(): void {
+		// Determine editor (respect $VISUAL, then $EDITOR)
+		const editorCmd = process.env.VISUAL || process.env.EDITOR;
+		if (!editorCmd) {
+			this.showWarning("No editor configured. Set $VISUAL or $EDITOR environment variable.");
+			return;
+		}
+
+		const currentText = this.editor.getText();
+		const tmpFile = path.join(os.tmpdir(), `pi-editor-${Date.now()}.pi.md`);
+
+		try {
+			// Write current content to temp file
+			fs.writeFileSync(tmpFile, currentText, "utf-8");
+
+			// Stop TUI to release terminal
+			this.ui.stop();
+
+			// Split by space to support editor arguments (e.g., "code --wait")
+			const [editor, ...editorArgs] = editorCmd.split(" ");
+
+			// Spawn editor synchronously with inherited stdio for interactive editing
+			const result = spawnSync(editor, [...editorArgs, tmpFile], {
+				stdio: "inherit",
+			});
+
+			// On successful exit (status 0), replace editor content
+			if (result.status === 0) {
+				const newContent = fs.readFileSync(tmpFile, "utf-8").replace(/\n$/, "");
+				this.editor.setText(newContent);
+			}
+			// On non-zero exit, keep original text (no action needed)
+		} finally {
+			// Clean up temp file
+			try {
+				fs.unlinkSync(tmpFile);
+			} catch {
+				// Ignore cleanup errors
+			}
+
+			// Restart TUI
+			this.ui.start();
+			this.ui.requestRender();
+		}
+	}
+
 	// =========================================================================
 	// UI helpers
 	// =========================================================================
@@ -1703,6 +1751,7 @@ export class InteractiveMode {
 | \`Ctrl+P\` | Cycle models |
 | \`Ctrl+O\` | Toggle tool output expansion |
 | \`Ctrl+T\` | Toggle thinking block visibility |
+| \`Ctrl+G\` | Edit message in external editor |
 | \`/\` | Slash commands |
 | \`!\` | Run bash command |
 `;

packages/tui/src/index.ts

@@ -33,6 +33,7 @@ export {
 	isCtrlC,
 	isCtrlD,
 	isCtrlE,
+	isCtrlG,
 	isCtrlK,
 	isCtrlLeft,
 	isCtrlO,

packages/tui/src/keys.ts

@@ -28,6 +28,7 @@ const CODEPOINTS = {
 	c: 99,
 	d: 100,
 	e: 101,
+	g: 103,
 	k: 107,
 	o: 111,
 	p: 112,
@@ -160,6 +161,7 @@ export const Keys = {
 	CTRL_C: kittySequence(CODEPOINTS.c, MODIFIERS.ctrl),
 	CTRL_D: kittySequence(CODEPOINTS.d, MODIFIERS.ctrl),
 	CTRL_E: kittySequence(CODEPOINTS.e, MODIFIERS.ctrl),
+	CTRL_G: kittySequence(CODEPOINTS.g, MODIFIERS.ctrl),
 	CTRL_K: kittySequence(CODEPOINTS.k, MODIFIERS.ctrl),
 	CTRL_O: kittySequence(CODEPOINTS.o, MODIFIERS.ctrl),
 	CTRL_P: kittySequence(CODEPOINTS.p, MODIFIERS.ctrl),
@@ -214,6 +216,7 @@ const RAW = {
 	CTRL_C: "\x03",
 	CTRL_D: "\x04",
 	CTRL_E: "\x05",
+	CTRL_G: "\x07",
 	CTRL_K: "\x0b",
 	CTRL_O: "\x0f",
 	CTRL_P: "\x10",
@@ -256,6 +259,14 @@ export function isCtrlE(data: string): boolean {
 	return data === RAW.CTRL_E || data === Keys.CTRL_E || matchesKittySequence(data, CODEPOINTS.e, MODIFIERS.ctrl);
 }
 
+/**
+ * Check if input matches Ctrl+G (raw byte or Kitty protocol).
+ * Ignores lock key bits.
+ */
+export function isCtrlG(data: string): boolean {
+	return data === RAW.CTRL_G || data === Keys.CTRL_G || matchesKittySequence(data, CODEPOINTS.g, MODIFIERS.ctrl);
+}
+
 /**
  * Check if input matches Ctrl+K (raw byte or Kitty protocol).
  * Ignores lock key bits.