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Problem — The per-turn "Copy trace" button at the bottom of each message only copies the assistant's output, omitting the user's input that triggered it. There is also no way to export a full session trace — users must copy turn by turn. Both gaps make it harder to share, review, or archive session transcripts.
Approach — (1) Extend buildTrace to accept an optional userText parameter, prepended with a You: prefix when present. (2) Add a buildSessionTrace function that walks all turns in order. (3) Fix both per-turn copy call sites to include the user input. (4) Add an "Export trace" menu item to the session three-dot menu that saves the full session trace to a file.
Scope — in: per-turn copy trace fix (both V2 timeline and session-ui TurnFooter paths), session-level export trace menu item (both old DropdownMenu and V2 MenuV2 layouts), buildTrace + buildSessionTrace functions and tests · out: share feature, cloud export, format options (markdown/JSON), reasoning-part inclusion
Acceptance Criteria
Clicking the per-turn copy trace button copies the user's input (prefixed with You: ) followed by the assistant trace, separated by a blank line
User messages with empty or whitespace-only text produce no You: prefix line
The session three-dot menu contains an "Export trace" item positioned after Share and before Archive
Clicking "Export trace" saves the full session trace to a .md file via the platform save-file dialog (desktop) or <a download> fallback (web/webview)
The session trace concatenates all turns in order: You: <input>\n\n<assistant trace> per turn, separated by blank lines
buildTrace existing callers that pass no userText produce identical output to before (backward compatible)
buildSessionTrace handles edge cases: sessions with no messages, turns with no assistant response, user messages with no text part
Existing build-trace.test.ts tests continue to pass; new tests cover userText prepend, session-level trace, and edge cases
Testing Decisions
Extend the existing build-trace.test.ts suite in packages/session-ui — it already covers the segment-joining logic and skip-tool filtering. Add cases for the userText parameter and a new describe block for buildSessionTrace.
Key Decisions
User prefix is You: , no assistant prefix — keeps the trace clean and readable; the assistant's output is obvious from context.
Per-turn = clipboard, session-level = file save — a single turn is small enough for the clipboard; a full session can be large and is better saved to disk.
File save uses existing platform bridge — saveFilePickerDialog is already wired in the desktop Electron app (IPC through save-file-picker); the web/webview fallback uses <a download> with a Blob URL. No new bridge messages needed.
Menu item position: after Share, before Archive — groups content actions (Rename, Share, Export) together, with Archive as transition to the destructive zone (Delete).
Reuse ui.message.copyTrace i18n key for per-turn; add a new key for the session-level "Export trace" — the actions are different enough to warrant distinct labels.
Constraints & Invariants
buildTrace signature change must be backward-compatible (new parameter is optional, trailing)
TRACE_SKIP_TOOLS set unchanged — read/glob/grep/list remain excluded
The trace is plain text, not markdown — no formatting beyond the You: prefix and $ command convention for bash
The menu item must appear in both old DropdownMenu and V2 MenuV2 layouts (gated by settings.general.newLayoutDesigns())
message-timeline.tsx lines 2110-2269 — the three-dot menu (both layouts)
platform.tsx line 63 — saveFilePickerDialog abstraction
desktop/src/main/ipc.ts lines 188-198 — Electron showSaveDialog handler
session.tsx lines 1886-1905 — existing <a download> pattern for attachments
Notes
TurnFooter in message-part.tsx currently receives only messages: AssistantMessage[] — it needs a new userMessageID (or userText) prop threaded from AssistantParts, which already has access to the user message context.
The saveFilePickerDialog platform method is defined and wired end-to-end in desktop but has zero callers today — this will be its first consumer.
Default filename for session export: trace-<session-title-slug>-<date>.md (or .txt).
Important
Problem — The per-turn "Copy trace" button at the bottom of each message only copies the assistant's output, omitting the user's input that triggered it. There is also no way to export a full session trace — users must copy turn by turn. Both gaps make it harder to share, review, or archive session transcripts.
Approach — (1) Extend
buildTraceto accept an optionaluserTextparameter, prepended with aYou:prefix when present. (2) Add abuildSessionTracefunction that walks all turns in order. (3) Fix both per-turn copy call sites to include the user input. (4) Add an "Export trace" menu item to the session three-dot menu that saves the full session trace to a file.Scope — in: per-turn copy trace fix (both V2 timeline and session-ui TurnFooter paths), session-level export trace menu item (both old DropdownMenu and V2 MenuV2 layouts),
buildTrace+buildSessionTracefunctions and tests · out: share feature, cloud export, format options (markdown/JSON), reasoning-part inclusionAcceptance Criteria
You:) followed by the assistant trace, separated by a blank lineYou:prefix line.mdfile via the platform save-file dialog (desktop) or<a download>fallback (web/webview)You: <input>\n\n<assistant trace>per turn, separated by blank linesbuildTraceexisting callers that pass nouserTextproduce identical output to before (backward compatible)buildSessionTracehandles edge cases: sessions with no messages, turns with no assistant response, user messages with no text partbuild-trace.test.tstests continue to pass; new tests coveruserTextprepend, session-level trace, and edge casesTesting Decisions
Extend the existing
build-trace.test.tssuite inpackages/session-ui— it already covers the segment-joining logic and skip-tool filtering. Add cases for theuserTextparameter and a new describe block forbuildSessionTrace.Key Decisions
You:, no assistant prefix — keeps the trace clean and readable; the assistant's output is obvious from context.saveFilePickerDialogis already wired in the desktop Electron app (IPC throughsave-file-picker); the web/webview fallback uses<a download>with a Blob URL. No new bridge messages needed.ui.message.copyTracei18n key for per-turn; add a new key for the session-level "Export trace" — the actions are different enough to warrant distinct labels.Constraints & Invariants
buildTracesignature change must be backward-compatible (new parameter is optional, trailing)TRACE_SKIP_TOOLSset unchanged — read/glob/grep/list remain excludedYou:prefix and$ commandconvention for bashDropdownMenuand V2MenuV2layouts (gated bysettings.general.newLayoutDesigns())Prior Art
build-trace.ts— the existing trace buildermessage-timeline.tsxlines 481-489 —copyTraceForTurn(V2 timeline path)message-part.tsxlines 976-1064 —TurnFooter(session-ui path)message-timeline.tsxlines 2110-2269 — the three-dot menu (both layouts)platform.tsxline 63 —saveFilePickerDialogabstractiondesktop/src/main/ipc.tslines 188-198 — ElectronshowSaveDialoghandlersession.tsxlines 1886-1905 — existing<a download>pattern for attachmentsNotes
TurnFooterinmessage-part.tsxcurrently receives onlymessages: AssistantMessage[]— it needs a newuserMessageID(oruserText) prop threaded fromAssistantParts, which already has access to the user message context.saveFilePickerDialogplatform method is defined and wired end-to-end in desktop but has zero callers today — this will be its first consumer.trace-<session-title-slug>-<date>.md(or.txt).