Use the same provider for all modes option

[druellan]

This option is present in Cline, and I remember it in Roo, but seems that they removed it, and Kilo inherited that change (I can't find it anymore).
I don't like to switch providers, and I sometimes found that Kilo switched modes and started to use a different provider because I forgot I was doing some tests on that particular mode. I think it is an option that simplifies the use of the tool and should be not only present but active by default.

Version
4.24.0

[olearycrew]

Thanks for this feedback - I opened #405 as this is realted to something Cline has.

[olearycrew]

@druellan I don't see this toggle anywhere in Cline. Isn't this just a matter of using the same provider in all modes or am I misunderstanding something?

[druellan]

Hi @olearycrew I'm referring to this option:

Cline changed a bit the settings, but in my version (3.17.7) the option is still there.

[druellan]

On Kilo we have a selector on the Modes settings. We already discussed that this window is kind of messy, but this option feels like an "All " option in that selector.

[Mnehmos]

1. Problem Statement

The user wants to prevent Kilo Code from automatically switching API providers when changing modes. Currently, each mode can have a different provider configured, which can lead to unexpected behavior if the user forgets which provider is active for a given mode. The desired functionality is to have a global setting that, when enabled, forces all modes to use the same, currently active API provider. This setting should be enabled by default.

This is a regression from previous versions of the application and is a feature that users found valuable for simplifying the tool's usage.

2. Root Cause Analysis

The current implementation in src/core/webview/ClineProvider.ts has a handleModeSwitch function that is designed to load a mode-specific API configuration. When a user switches to a new mode, this function checks if a configuration is already saved for that mode. If not, it saves the currently active configuration as the default for the new mode. This per-mode configuration persistence is the root of the issue.

3. Areas for Investigation

1. State Management: How and where is the application's configuration state managed? The primary files appear to be src/core/webview/ClineProvider.ts and the ContextProxy it uses.
2. UI Components: Which React components are responsible for rendering the settings UI? The investigation points to webview-ui/src/components/settings/SettingsView.tsx as the main container and webview-ui/src/components/settings/ApiConfigManager.tsx for provider-specific settings.
3. Backend Logic: How does the backend handle mode switching and provider configuration changes? The key logic is within the handleModeSwitch function in src/core/webview/ClineProvider.ts and the message handling in src/core/webview/webviewMessageHandler.ts.

4. Impact Analysis

This change will affect both the extension's backend logic and the webview UI.

• Backend: A new global setting needs to be introduced to control the provider switching behavior. The handleModeSwitch logic will need to be updated to respect this new setting.
• Frontend: A new UI toggle will be required in the settings panel to allow users to control this feature. This will involve changes to the React components that render the settings view.

The change is expected to be isolated to the settings and mode-switching logic, with minimal impact on other parts of the application.

5. Key Components for Review

• src/core/webview/ClineProvider.ts: This file is central to the issue. The handleModeSwitch function at line 778 will need to be modified to incorporate the new setting. The getState and getStateToPostToWebview functions will also need to be updated to include the new setting.
• src/core/webview/webviewMessageHandler.ts: This file will require a new message handler to process state changes from the new UI toggle in the settings view.
• webview-ui/src/components/settings/SettingsView.tsx: This component will need to be updated to include the new "Use the same provider for all modes" toggle. This will likely be placed within the "Providers" section.
• @roo-code/types package: The GlobalState type definition will need to be updated to include the new useSameProviderForAllModes boolean flag.

6. Proposed Implementation

1. Add useSameProviderForAllModes to GlobalState: Introduce a new boolean property useSameProviderForAllModes to the GlobalState type definition in the @roo-code/types package. It should default to true.
2. Add UI Toggle: In webview-ui/src/components/settings/SettingsView.tsx, add a new Switch or Checkbox component to control the useSameProviderForAllModes setting. This should be placed in a logical location, such as within the ApiOptions or ApiConfigManager components.
3. Update webviewMessageHandler.ts: Add a new case to the webviewMessageHandler to handle the state change of the new toggle. This handler will call updateGlobalState to update the useSameProviderForAllModes value.
4. Modify handleModeSwitch: In src/core/webview/ClineProvider.ts, update the handleModeSwitch function to check for the useSameProviderForAllModes flag. If the flag is true, the function should bypass the logic that loads or saves a mode-specific configuration, thereby keeping the current provider active.