UX: Empty state for AI conversations sidebar & btn changes

assets/javascripts/discourse/components/ai-bot-sidebar-empty-state.gjs

@@ -0,0 +1,7 @@
+import { i18n } from "discourse-i18n";
+
+<template>
+  <div class="ai-bot-sidebar-empty-state">
+    {{i18n "discourse_ai.ai_bot.sidebar_empty"}}
+  </div>
+</template>

assets/javascripts/discourse/components/ai-bot-sidebar-new-conversation.gjs

@@ -9,15 +9,14 @@ export default class AiBotSidebarNewConversation extends Component {
   @service sidebarState;
 
   get shouldRender() {
-    return (
-      this.router.currentRouteName !== "discourse-ai-bot-conversations" &&
-      this.sidebarState.isCurrentPanel(AI_CONVERSATIONS_PANEL)
-    );
+    return this.sidebarState.isCurrentPanel(AI_CONVERSATIONS_PANEL);
   }
 
   @action
   routeTo() {
-    this.router.transitionTo("/discourse-ai/ai-bot/conversations");
+    if (this.router.currentRouteName !== "discourse-ai-bot-conversations") {
+      this.router.transitionTo("/discourse-ai/ai-bot/conversations");
+    }
     this.args.outletArgs?.toggleNavigationMenu?.();
   }
 

assets/javascripts/discourse/templates/discourse-ai-bot-conversations.gjs

@@ -31,6 +31,7 @@ export default RouteTemplate(
             {{on "input" @controller.updateInputValue}}
             {{on "keydown" @controller.handleKeyDown}}
             id="ai-bot-conversations-input"
+            autofocus="true"
             placeholder={{i18n "discourse_ai.ai_bot.conversations.placeholder"}}
             minlength="10"
             disabled={{@controller.loading}}

assets/javascripts/initializers/ai-conversations-sidebar.js

@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@ import { bind } from "discourse/lib/decorators";
 import { autoUpdatingRelativeAge } from "discourse/lib/formatter";
 import { withPluginApi } from "discourse/lib/plugin-api";
 import { i18n } from "discourse-i18n";
+import AiBotSidebarEmptyState from "../discourse/components/ai-bot-sidebar-empty-state";
 import AiBotSidebarNewConversation from "../discourse/components/ai-bot-sidebar-new-conversation";
 import { AI_CONVERSATIONS_PANEL } from "../discourse/services/ai-conversations-sidebar-manager";
 
@@ -121,6 +122,10 @@ export default {
               return "ai-conversations-history";
             }
 
+            get emptyStateComponent() {
+              return AiBotSidebarEmptyState;
+            }
+
             get text() {
               return i18n(
                 "discourse_ai.ai_bot.conversations.messages_sidebar_title"

config/locales/client.en.yml

@@ -673,6 +673,7 @@ en:
         share: "Copy AI conversation"
         conversation_shared: "Conversation copied"
         debug_ai: "View raw AI request and response"
+        sidebar_empty: "Bot conversation history will appear here."
         debug_ai_modal:
           title: "View AI interaction"
           copy_request: "Copy request"

spec/system/ai_bot/homepage_spec.rb

@@ -204,6 +204,22 @@
           expect(header).to have_icon_in_bot_button(icon: "robot")
         end
 
+        it "displays 'new question' button on the topic page" do
+          topic_page.visit_topic(pm)
+          expect(sidebar).to have_css(
+            "button.ai-new-question-button",
+            text: I18n.t("js.discourse_ai.ai_bot.conversations.new"),
+          )
+        end
+
+        it "displays 'new question' button on the topic page" do
+          ai_pm_homepage.visit
+          expect(sidebar).to have_css(
+            "button.ai-new-question-button",
+            text: I18n.t("js.discourse_ai.ai_bot.conversations.new"),
+          )
+        end
+
         it "displays sidebar and 'new question' on the topic page" do
           topic_page.visit_topic(pm)
           expect(sidebar).to be_visible
@@ -232,6 +248,7 @@
           Fabricate(:post, topic: pm, user: user_2, post_number: 4)
           Fabricate(:topic_allowed_user, topic: pm, user: user_2)
           sign_in(user_2)
+
           topic_page.visit_topic(pm)
 
           expect(sidebar).to be_visible
@@ -244,13 +261,18 @@
           Fabricate(:post, topic: pm, user: user_2, post_number: 4)
           Fabricate(:topic_allowed_user, topic: pm, user: user_2)
           sign_in(user_2)
-
           visit "/"
           header.click_bot_button
           expect(ai_pm_homepage).to have_homepage
           expect(sidebar).to have_no_section_link(pm.title)
         end
 
+        it "renders empty state in sidebar with no bot PM history" do
+          sign_in(user_2)
+          ai_pm_homepage.visit
+          expect(ai_pm_homepage).to have_empty_state
+        end
+
         it "Allows choosing persona and LLM" do
           ai_pm_homepage.visit
 

spec/system/page_objects/components/ai_pm_homepage.rb

@@ -40,6 +40,10 @@ def click_new_question_button
         page.find(".ai-new-question-button").click
       end
 
+      def has_empty_state?
+        page.has_css?(".ai-bot-sidebar-empty-state")
+      end
+
       def click_fist_sidebar_conversation
         page.find(
           ".sidebar-section[data-section-name='ai-conversations-history'] a.sidebar-section-link:not(.date-heading)",