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Add persistent conversation feature with cross-platform file restoration#66

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copilot/add-persistent-conversation-feature
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Add persistent conversation feature with cross-platform file restoration#66
Copilot wants to merge 15 commits intodevfrom
copilot/add-persistent-conversation-feature

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Copilot AI commented Feb 4, 2026

Users must re-import WhatsApp ZIP files on every app launch, losing bookmarks and transcriptions. This PR implements persistent conversation storage that remembers chat sessions, bookmarks, and transcriptions across restarts.

Core Implementation

Persistence Module (src/lib/persistence.svelte.ts)

  • IndexedDB storage via idb-keyval for chat metadata (~1MB, never stores ZIP content)
  • Hybrid file reference strategy:
    • Electron: Absolute file paths with existence checks
    • Web (Chromium): FileSystemFileHandle stored in IndexedDB
    • Web (Firefox/Safari): Metadata-only with reselect fallback
  • Multi-signal validation: message count, timestamps, first message IDs (handles iOS exports without titles)

UI Components

  • RestoreSessionModal.svelte: Multi-chat selection with WhatsApp-themed design
  • ReselectFileModal.svelte: Drag-drop file picker with validation
  • Toast.svelte: User feedback for persistence operations
  • Responsive design with mobile-first approach (modal sizing, spacing, touch targets)

Electron Integration

// electron/main.cjs
ipcMain.handle('fs:fileExists', (event, filePath) => fs.existsSync(filePath));
ipcMain.handle('file:readFromPath', async (event, filePath) => {
  const buffer = await fs.promises.readFile(filePath);
  return { buffer, name: path.basename(filePath), success: true };
});

File System Access API

// Request handle with user gesture (toggle "Remember Conversation")
const handle = await promptForFileHandle(file);
await storeFileHandle(handleId, handle);

// Restore with automatic permission check
const permission = await verifyHandlePermission(handle, false, true);
if (permission === 'granted') {
  const file = await handle.getFile();
  // Restore automatically
}

User Flow

First Save:

  1. User drops ZIP file → chat loads
  2. Toggle "Remember Conversation" → file picker prompts once for persistent access
  3. Metadata + file reference stored

Subsequent Opens:

  • Electron: Reads from stored file path automatically
  • Chrome/Edge: Uses stored FileSystemFileHandle if permission granted
  • Firefox/Safari: Shows reselect modal (no File System Access API)

Known Issues

File restoration currently shows reselect modal in all cases. Debug guidance in AI_HANDOFF.md. Root cause likely in file reference capture during initial save or metadata update after handle acquisition.

i18n

Added 11 new strings across 10 languages (de, en, es, fr, it, ja, nl, pt, ru, zh). Non-English translations use English placeholders pending machine translation.

Original prompt

Persistent Conversation Feature

Problem Statement

Resolves #65

Users currently have to re-import their WhatsApp ZIP files every time they open the app. This is inconvenient, especially when users have bookmarks and transcriptions they want to preserve.

Solution Overview

Implement a "Remember Conversation" feature that allows users to persist chat sessions across app restarts without storing large ZIP files in the browser.

Storage Strategy (Hybrid Approach)

Platform Method Fallback
Electron Store absolute file path, read from disk on restore Prompt to re-select if file missing
Web (Chromium - Chrome/Edge/Opera) Store FileSystemFileHandle in IndexedDB Prompt to re-select if permission denied
Web (Firefox/Safari) Store metadata only Always prompt to re-select file

What Gets Stored (Always Small ~1MB)

  • Chat metadata (title, filename, timestamps, message count)
  • Bookmarks array
  • Transcriptions map (messageId → transcription text)
  • Settings (language, autoLoadMedia, perspective)
  • File reference (path/handle/reselect-required marker)

The actual ZIP file content is NEVER stored in the browser.

Technical Implementation

1. New Dependency

Add idb-keyval for simple IndexedDB key-value storage.

2. New Files to Create

src/lib/persistence.svelte.ts

Core persistence module with:

interface PersistedChatMetadata {
  id: string;                      // Unique ID (crypto.randomUUID)
  fileName: string;                // Original filename
  chatTitle: string;               // Parsed chat title (for display)
  messageCount: number;            // For validation
  firstMessageTimestamp: string;   // ISO string - for validation  
  lastMessageTimestamp: string;    // ISO string - for validation
  firstMessageIds: string[];       // First 5 message IDs (backup validation for iOS)
  savedAt: string;                 // ISO timestamp
  updatedAt: string;               // ISO timestamp (for sorting)
  
  // File reference (varies by platform)
  fileReference: 
    | { type: 'electron-path'; filePath: string }
    | { type: 'file-handle'; handleId: string }  // Handle stored separately
    | { type: 'reselect-required' };
  
  // Persisted data (always stored - small)
  bookmarks: Bookmark[];
  transcriptions: Record<string, string>;
  settings: {
    language: string;
    autoLoadMedia: boolean;
    perspective: string | null;
  };
}

Key functions:

  • savePersistedChat(chat, file, bookmarks, transcriptions, settings) - Save a chat for persistence
  • getPersistedChats() - Get all persisted chats (sorted by updatedAt)
  • removePersistedChat(id) - Remove a persisted chat
  • restoreChat(persistedChat) - Attempt to restore a chat (handles all platform logic)
  • validateRestoredFile(parsed, saved) - Validate a file matches saved metadata
  • isFileSystemAccessSupported() - Feature detection for File System Access API
  • requestPersistentStorage() - Request persistent storage to prevent eviction

src/lib/components/RestoreSessionModal.svelte

Modal shown on app load when persisted chats exist:

  • Lists all persisted chats sorted by updatedAt (most recent first)
  • Checkboxes to select which chats to restore
  • Shows chat title, last opened date, message count
  • "Restore Selected" and "Start Fresh" buttons
  • "Don't show this again" checkbox (skips modal but preserves data)

src/lib/components/ReselectFileModal.svelte

Modal prompting user to re-select a file when needed:

  • Shows expected filename
  • File drop zone / file picker
  • Validates selected file against saved metadata
  • Shows confirmation if validation confidence is low
  • Shows error if validation fails, allows retry
  • "Skip" button to skip this chat

3. Files to Modify

src/lib/components/ChatList.svelte

Add "Remember Conversation" toggle to the existing context menu:

┌─────────────────────────────┐
│ ☑ Auto-load Media           │
│ 🌐 Transcription Language → │
│ ─────────────────────────── │
│ 💾 Remember Conversation    │  ← NEW toggle
│ ─────────────────────────── │
│ 🗑️ Remove Chat              │
└─────────────────────────────┘

When toggled ON:

  • Save metadata + bookmarks + transcriptions + settings to IndexedDB
  • Store file reference based on platform
  • Show brief toast: "Conversation will be remembered"

When toggled OFF:

  • Remove from IndexedDB
  • Show brief toast: "Conversation removed from saved sessions"

src/routes/+page.svelte

  • On app load, check for persisted chats
  • If found and "don't show again" not set, show RestoreSessionModal
  • Handle restoration flow including re-select prompts
  • Track which chats are "remembered" to show toggle state in ChatList
  • Pass file handle/reference when saving for persistence

src/lib/bookmarks.svelte.ts

Add method to get bookmarks for a specific chat:

getBookmarksForChatAsExport(chatId: string): Bookmark[]

`s...

This pull request was created from Copilot chat.


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Copilot AI and others added 3 commits February 4, 2026 18:51
- Add idb-keyval dependency for IndexedDB storage
- Create persistence.svelte.ts with core persistence logic
- Add methods to bookmarks and transcription for persistence
- Update Electron IPC handlers for file operations
- Add i18n strings for persistence feature in all languages
- Create RestoreSessionModal and ReselectFileModal components

Co-authored-by: rodrigogs <2362425+rodrigogs@users.noreply.github.com>
- Update ChatList with "Remember Conversation" toggle
- Implement restoration flow in +page.svelte
- Add RestoreSessionModal and ReselectFileModal to UI
- Handle file references for both Electron and web
- Restore bookmarks, transcriptions, and settings on load
- Fix linting and type errors

Co-authored-by: rodrigogs <2362425+rodrigogs@users.noreply.github.com>
- Fix transcriptions retrieval to use getTranscriptionsForChat
- Fix ReselectFileModal to pass fileName parameter correctly
- Add documentation for requestPersistentStorage failure cases
- Document unused chatId parameters in transcription functions
- Format code and organize imports

Co-authored-by: rodrigogs <2362425+rodrigogs@users.noreply.github.com>
Copilot AI changed the title [WIP] Add remember conversation feature for user persistence feat: add persistent conversation storage with hybrid file reference strategy Feb 4, 2026
Copilot AI requested a review from rodrigogs February 4, 2026 19:04
- Remove duplicate file:exists IPC handler (DRY violation)
- Add VALIDATION_MESSAGE_ID_COUNT constant to eliminate magic numbers
- Create Toast component for user notifications
- Implement toast notifications when toggling "Remember Conversation"
- Add chatFileReferences cleanup in handleRemoveChat
- Add isElectronPathReference type guard for better type safety
- Improve error handling with user-facing error toasts

Co-authored-by: rodrigogs <2362425+rodrigogs@users.noreply.github.com>
Copilot AI changed the title feat: add persistent conversation storage with hybrid file reference strategy refactor: eliminate DRY violations and add user feedback for persistence operations Feb 4, 2026
- Format showToast function parameters across multiple lines per biome rules
- All linting checks now pass (68 files checked, 0 errors)

Co-authored-by: rodrigogs <2362425+rodrigogs@users.noreply.github.com>
Copilot AI changed the title refactor: eliminate DRY violations and add user feedback for persistence operations fix: apply Biome formatter to resolve linting error Feb 4, 2026
- Add WhatsApp-themed design with green colors
- Add avatar circles with chat initials
- Improve chat card design with better spacing and hover effects
- Add proper icons to all UI elements
- Enhance select all/deselect all buttons with icons
- Add smooth transitions and animations
- Improve modal elevation with backdrop blur and enhanced shadows
- Add consistent styling to ReselectFileModal
- Better visual hierarchy with improved typography
- Add WhatsApp color scheme throughout (teal, dark green, light green)

All modals now have:
- Enhanced backdrop with blur effect (60% opacity)
- Improved shadow for better elevation
- Smooth fade-in and zoom-in animations
- Better visual separation from content below

Co-authored-by: rodrigogs <2362425+rodrigogs@users.noreply.github.com>
Copilot AI changed the title fix: apply Biome formatter to resolve linting error feat: redesign restore session modal with WhatsApp theme and elevated UI Feb 4, 2026
…acing

Modal.svelte:
- Increase mobile margins from inset-4 to inset-6/sm:inset-8 for better breathing room
- Add responsive max-width (90vw) and increase to max-w-[520px] for medium screens
- Set max-h-[85vh] on mobile to prevent overflow
- Better viewport-relative sizing

ModalContent.svelte:
- Add responsive padding (p-4 sm:p-6) for proper content spacing

RestoreSessionModal.svelte:
- Reduce avatar size on mobile (w-10 h-10 sm:w-12 sm:h-12)
- Adjust card padding for mobile (p-3 sm:p-4)
- Increase gap spacing between sections (gap-5 sm:gap-6)
- Reduce info box padding on mobile (p-3 sm:p-4)
- Make font sizes responsive (text-xs sm:text-sm, text-sm sm:text-base)
- Adjust chat list max height for mobile (max-h-[40vh] sm:max-h-96)
- Stack action buttons vertically on mobile (flex-col sm:flex-row)
- Make select all/deselect buttons wrap on small screens
- Hide check-circle icon on mobile to save space
- Stack chat info vertically on mobile
- Reduce checkbox size on mobile (w-5 h-5 sm:w-6 sm:h-6)

ReselectFileModal.svelte:
- Apply same responsive improvements
- Reduce avatar and icon sizes on mobile
- Make drop zone padding responsive (p-6 sm:p-10)
- Adjust font sizes for mobile readability

Co-authored-by: rodrigogs <2362425+rodrigogs@users.noreply.github.com>
Copilot AI changed the title feat: redesign restore session modal with WhatsApp theme and elevated UI fix: add responsive design to restore session modals for mobile devices Feb 4, 2026
…and add cursor:pointer to buttons

File System Access API Integration:
- Add FileSystemFileHandle storage and retrieval in IndexedDB
- Implement permission verification with queryPermission/requestPermission
- Add promptForFileHandle() to get persistent file handles
- Store file handles alongside metadata for automatic restoration
- Update savePersistedChat() to accept and store file handles
- Update restoreChat() to use stored handles with automatic permission check
- Request file handle after initial file load (non-blocking)

User Experience Improvements:
- Electron: Already automatic (file path stored)
- Web (Chromium): Automatic restoration if permission granted
- Web (Firefox/Safari): Falls back to reselect modal
- After first file drop/select, system requests file handle for future access
- Subsequent restores work automatically without file picker

Button Cursor Fix:
- Add global cursor:pointer style for all buttons
- Add cursor:not-allowed for disabled buttons
- Ensures consistent UX across all interactive elements

Technical Implementation:
- verifyHandlePermission() checks and requests permissions
- storeFileHandle() saves handle to IndexedDB with unique ID
- getStoredFileHandle() retrieves handle by ID
- Graceful fallback if permission denied or handle lost
- Non-blocking file handle request doesn't interrupt user flow

Co-authored-by: rodrigogs <2362425+rodrigogs@users.noreply.github.com>
…ces research

Critical fixes based on File System Access API best practices:

1. Remove Double Prompt UX Issue:
   - Removed promptForFileHandle() call after file drop
   - File handle now requested only when user clicks "Remember Conversation"
   - Provides proper user gesture context for permission request
   - Adds explanatory toast: "Select the file once more to enable automatic restoration"

2. Fix Permission Request Flow:
   - Removed requestPermission() from verifyHandlePermission()
   - Now only checks permission with queryPermission()
   - requestPermission() requires user gesture - can't be called during restoration
   - Falls back to reselect modal if permission not granted (user clicking modal provides gesture)

3. Improved UX Flow:
   OLD: Drop file → Load → [Unexpected file picker] → Confusion
   NEW: Drop file → Load → Click "Remember" → [Expected toast + picker] → Clear intent

Technical Changes:
- verifyHandlePermission() simplified to only query, not request
- handleToggleRemember() now requests file handle with user gesture
- Removed async handle request from handleFilesSelected()
- Added info toast to explain why file picker appears
- Handle stored after successful permission grant

Benefits:
- No more confusing double prompts
- Clear user intent and expectations
- Proper user gesture context for API calls
- Better UX matches web.dev best practices
- Graceful fallback for permission denial

Research Sources:
- MDN: FileSystemHandle.requestPermission requires user gesture
- web.dev: Never call showOpenFilePicker after file drop
- Chrome Developers: Permission flow best practices

Co-authored-by: rodrigogs <2362425+rodrigogs@users.noreply.github.com>
Copilot AI changed the title fix: add responsive design to restore session modals for mobile devices Implement persistent conversation feature with hybrid storage strategy Feb 4, 2026
rodrigogs and others added 2 commits February 4, 2026 19:34
Critical fix to enable truly automatic restoration:

1. Update verifyHandlePermission():
   - Add `shouldRequest` parameter (default false)
   - When shouldRequest=true and permission='prompt', call requestPermission()
   - This leverages the user gesture from clicking "Restore Selected"
   - Falls back to 'denied' if request fails

2. Update restoreChat():
   - Pass shouldRequest=true when checking file handle permissions
   - This means permission dialog appears automatically during restoration
   - User grants once, future restorations are automatic

User Experience:
BEFORE: Click "Restore" → Shows reselect modal → Manual file selection
AFTER: Click "Restore" → Permission dialog (if needed) → Automatic restoration

Technical Details:
- requestPermission() requires user gesture - we now have it from "Restore" button
- Permission state persists across sessions in modern Chrome/Edge
- First restore: User grants permission once
- Subsequent restores: Completely automatic (no prompts)
- If permission explicitly denied: Falls back to reselect modal

This matches the research findings:
- Leverages File System Access API correctly
- Uses user gesture context properly
- Provides smooth UX without double prompts
- Graceful fallback for denied permissions

Co-authored-by: rodrigogs <2362425+rodrigogs@users.noreply.github.com>
Copilot AI changed the title Implement persistent conversation feature with hybrid storage strategy Implement persistent conversation storage with automatic file restoration Feb 4, 2026
…ct modal

Critical fix for file restoration:

1. Track persisted chat ID in chatFileReferences Map:
   - Added persistedId field to track which persisted chat this file belongs to
   - Allows us to update metadata after getting file handle

2. Capture persisted ID from savePersistedChat():
   - savePersistedChat() returns a string ID, now we capture it
   - Previously we discarded this ID, causing metadata/storage mismatch

3. Update metadata after getting file handle:
   - After user grants file handle via picker, we now:
     a) Store the handle in IndexedDB with storeFileHandle()
     b) Update the persisted metadata with updatePersistedChat()
     c) Set fileReference to { type: 'file-handle', handleId }
   - This ensures metadata accurately reflects that we have a handle

4. Export storeFileHandle from persistence.svelte.ts:
   - Made storeFileHandle public so +page.svelte can use it
   - Allows proper handle storage after initial save

Root Cause Fixed:
BEFORE:
- Save metadata with type: 'reselect-required' (no handle yet)
- Get file handle via picker
- Store handle in memory only
- On restore: metadata still says 'reselect-required' → shows modal

AFTER:
- Save metadata with type: 'reselect-required' (no handle yet)
- Get file handle via picker
- Store handle in IndexedDB
- Update metadata to type: 'file-handle' with handleId
- On restore: metadata says 'file-handle' → attempts automatic restoration

Benefits:
- Electron: Already worked, still works
- Chrome/Edge: Now works automatically after first permission grant
- Firefox/Safari: Still shows reselect (no File System Access API)

Co-authored-by: rodrigogs <2362425+rodrigogs@users.noreply.github.com>
Copilot AI changed the title Implement persistent conversation storage with automatic file restoration Implement persistent conversation feature with automatic file restoration Feb 4, 2026
…tion

Created AI_HANDOFF.md with:
- Complete problem statement and symptoms
- Detailed implementation summary (what's been done)
- Technical architecture and constraints
- Likely root causes of current bug
- Step-by-step debug instructions
- Key code locations to focus on
- Commands to run
- Expected outcome
- Copy-paste prompt for another AI tool

This document allows seamless handoff to another AI tool or developer to continue debugging and fixing the file restoration issue.

Co-authored-by: rodrigogs <2362425+rodrigogs@users.noreply.github.com>
Copilot AI changed the title Implement persistent conversation feature with automatic file restoration Add persistent conversation feature with cross-platform file restoration Feb 4, 2026
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Constantly having to Import Zip everytime it Opens - Add Database Chat Storage

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