fix: resolve message editor data loss via race condition fix and autosave draft

[jsboige]

Summary

This PR addresses issue #8236 (draft persistence across reloads) and issue #8033 (message queue data loss) by fixing a race condition in the message sending logic and adding a draft autosave mechanism.

Problem Analysis

Previous Attempts

Two previous PRs (#8237 and #8034) attempted to solve related issues but were closed. Our analysis identified that the core issue is a race condition in the handleSendMessage function.

Root Cause

When a user sends a message while sendingDisabled=true (e.g., AI is processing), the input is cleared immediately before the message is queued:

// Current behavior causing data loss:
if (sendingDisabled) {
  vscode.postMessage({ type: 'queueMessage', text, images })
  setInputValue("")      // Clears before queue confirmation
  setSelectedImages([])  
  return
}

Solution

Part 1: Race Condition Fix

Modified handleSendMessage in ChatView.tsx to defer draft clearing:

if (sendingDisabled) {
  vscode.postMessage({ type: 'queueMessage', text, images })
  // Draft preserved until message is actually processed
  return
}

Draft is now cleared only when message is successfully sent or chat is reset.

Part 2: Autosave Draft Hook

Implemented useAutosaveDraft hook providing:

• localStorage persistence
• 100ms debounce for responsive saving
• Error handling via safeLocalStorage
• Conversation isolation using task IDs
• Automatic cleanup on unmount

Testing

Comprehensive test suite includes:

• Unit tests for useAutosaveDraft hook
• Integration tests for ChatView autosave behavior
• Race condition reproduction tests in ChatView.raceCondition.spec.tsx

All existing tests pass (3833+ tests), TypeScript compilation successful, linting clean.

Key Differences from Previous Approaches

Our implementation differs from previous PRs in these areas:

• Fixes the race condition at its source rather than treating symptoms
• Uses localStorage instead of VS Code global state
• Includes comprehensive test coverage demonstrating the bug and fix
• 100ms debounce (vs 500ms in PR feat: preserve unsent chat input across reloads #8237)
• Complete error handling throughout

Architectural Documentation

Technical analysis available at:
C:/dev/roo-extensions/docs/roo-code/ARCHITECTURE-HOOK-AUTOSAVE-DRAFT.md

Known Limitations

Currently text-only. Image support can be added in a follow-up PR.

Related Issues

Closes #8236
Closes #8033

Migration Notes

No breaking changes. The fix is transparent to users.

Changeset

Changeset included for changelog.

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Important

Fixes message editor data loss by addressing race condition and adding autosave draft feature.

• Behavior:
  • Fixes race condition in handleSendMessage in ChatView.tsx by deferring draft clearing until message processing.
  • Adds useAutosaveDraft hook for draft persistence with localStorage, 100ms debounce, and error handling.
• Testing:
  • Adds unit tests for useAutosaveDraft in useAutosaveDraft.test.tsx.
  • Adds integration tests for autosave in ChatView.autosave.test.tsx.
  • Adds race condition tests in ChatView.raceCondition.spec.tsx.
• Misc:
  • Updates ChatView.tsx to use useAutosaveDraft for input management.

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[roomote]

Review summary: Solid fix for the race condition and a useful autosave hook. A few items to address before merge: P1 stale-closure risks around clearDraft in callbacks; P2 cleanup for unused API/local and queued images UX; P3 debounce timer edge-case on conversation switches. Inline comments point to exact spots.

[daniel-lxs]

Hey @jsboige, thank you for your contribution. We have this other PR waiting to be merged: #8694, and I think the fix is a bit more targeted in this case. If the draft part is an issue you want to tackle, please create a separate PR with that feature. Let me know if you have any questions!