feat: add persistent conversation feature with cross-platform file restoration by Copilot · Pull Request #66 · rodrigogs/whats-reader

Copilot · 2026-02-04T18:45:48Z

Summary

Implements "Remember Conversation" toggle that persists chat sessions across app restarts using IndexedDB (idb-keyval). Three platform strategies:

Platform	Storage	Restore
Electron	Absolute file path	Reads from disk automatically
Chrome/Edge	`FileSystemFileHandle` in IndexedDB	Re-requests permission, reads handle
Firefox/Safari	Metadata only	Prompts user to re-select file

Stores metadata, bookmarks, transcriptions, and settings (~1MB). Never stores the ZIP file itself.

Closes #65

New Files

src/lib/persistence.svelte.ts — Core persistence module (IndexedDB, file handles, validation)
src/lib/components/RestoreSessionModal.svelte — Multi-chat restore selection UI
src/lib/components/ReselectFileModal.svelte — File reselect with drag-drop
src/lib/components/Toast.svelte — Notification toasts
src/lib/components/Modal.svelte — Generic modal wrapper
src/lib/components/ModalContent.svelte — Modal content wrapper
src/lib/helpers/format.ts — Shared text utilities

Modified Files

src/routes/+page.svelte — Restore flow, remember toggle, toast integration
src/lib/components/ChatList.svelte — "Remember Conversation" context menu item
src/lib/bookmarks.svelte.ts — Export bookmarks by chat ID
src/lib/transcription.svelte.ts — Get/set transcriptions for persistence
electron/main.cjs — Secure file read IPC handler
electron/preload.cjs — Expose file read API
messages/*.json — 18+ i18n strings across 10 languages

Changes from Original Copilot PR

Rebased onto current main and fixed:

Critical: Restore loop now properly awaits user file reselection (was skipping ahead)
Critical: $effect guarded against re-firing with one-time flag
Critical: Electron IPC hardened with path normalization, .zip-only check, symlink protection, async read
DRY: Extracted startIndexWorker() and makeProgressCallback() — eliminated ~150 duplicated lines
DRY: Extracted shared getInitials() utility
Code quality: Fixed Toast timer leak, dead animation, dead code, unused imports
i18n: Replaced all hardcoded English strings with Paraglide messages
UX: Fixed drag-drop flicker with counter pattern
Added error logging to 5 silent catch blocks
Resolved all 15 type errors
Removed internal AI handoff document

Validation

npm run check — 0 errors, 0 warnings
npm run lint — 0 issues
npm run build — passes

Test Plan

Web (Chrome): Load chat > toggle "Remember Conversation" > reload > verify restore modal > restore chat
Web (Chrome): Verify File System Access API flow (file picker, grant access, auto-restore)
Web (Firefox): Verify reselect modal appears (no File System Access API)
Web: Remove remembered chat > verify IndexedDB cleanup
Web: Toggle "Don't show again" > reload > verify modal hidden
Electron: Full restore flow with file path persistence
Edge case: Select wrong file during reselect > verify validation

The Electron file picker (openFile dialog) returns the absolute path but it was discarded when creating the File object from the buffer. This caused all Electron-picked files to be stored as 'reselect-required' instead of 'electron-path', forcing manual reselection on every restore. Now FileDropZone passes the path from Electron's dialog result via a new 'paths' callback parameter. handleFilesSelected prefers this explicit path over file.path (drag-drop fallback).

- Toast: reset visibility and restart timer when message prop changes - FileDropZone: use showOpenFilePicker() on Chrome for file input to capture FileSystemFileHandle (drag-drop already captures handles; this fixes the regular "click to browse" flow) - Remove unused isFileSystemAccessSupported import from +page.svelte - Electron dialog path already fixed (result.path passed via paths callback parameter)

- Electron IPC: add lstat pre-check for cross-platform symlink rejection (O_NOFOLLOW not supported on Windows), with graceful fallback to O_RDONLY when O_NOFOLLOW unavailable - FileDropZone: enable multi-select in showOpenFilePicker to match the existing <input multiple> behavior - CSS: use :where(button) for low-specificity cursor rule so Tailwind utilities can override it

The reselect modal was using the web file input which doesn't capture the absolute file path in Electron. Now uses the Electron native dialog (electronAPI.openFile) which returns the path, and passes it through to updatePersistedChat so the entry is upgraded from 'reselect-required' to 'electron-path'. After one reselect, future restores work automatically.

…xt menu

…grades persisted entries The reselect modal was using plain <input type=file> on Chrome, which doesn't capture a FileSystemFileHandle. This meant even after reselecting, the entry stayed as 'reselect-required' and the user would be prompted again on every restart. Now: - Chrome/Edge: uses showOpenFilePicker() to capture a handle, then upgrades the persisted entry from 'reselect-required' to 'file-handle' via storeFileHandle + updatePersistedChat - Electron: uses native dialog to capture path, upgrades to 'electron-path' - Drag-drop in reselect modal also captures handle via getAsFileSystemHandle() After one reselect, future restores work automatically on all platforms.

Removing a chat only clears it from the current session. Persisted data in IndexedDB is preserved so the chat reappears in the restore modal on next launch. To permanently forget a chat, user must toggle Remember Conversation off.

The sidebar "Import chat" button was using a plain <input type=file> which doesn't reliably provide file.path in Electron. Now uses the same platform-aware import as the main drop zone: - Electron: native dialog via electronAPI.openFile() with path capture - Chrome/Edge: showOpenFilePicker() with handle capture - Fallback: regular file input Also fixes Node.js Buffer pool issue in dialog:openFile handler (was sending entire shared ArrayBuffer instead of just the file's portion).

Copilot

Pull request overview

Copilot reviewed 29 out of 31 changed files in this pull request and generated 3 comments.

…back - Replace dynamic import of storeFileHandle with static import - Remove 6 unused i18n keys from all 10 locale files - Remove dead exports: promptForFileHandle, getPersistedChat, getBookmarksForChatAsExport - Add error toast on restore failure in handleRestoreChats - Extract shared file-picker helpers (openZipFilePicker, openElectronFile, getElectronFilePath) - Add aria-label to FileDropZone drop zone - Rename persistence_close_notification to close_notification in Toast

Copilot

Pull request overview

Copilot reviewed 30 out of 32 changed files in this pull request and generated 3 comments.

Copilot

Pull request overview

Copilot reviewed 30 out of 32 changed files in this pull request and generated 2 comments.

Copilot

Pull request overview

Copilot reviewed 30 out of 32 changed files in this pull request and generated 2 comments.

…view feedback - Extract ChatAvatar component replacing 3 inline avatar implementations - Add shared formatRelativeDate helper (label/compact modes) - Add Button size="lg" variant with disabled styles - Vertically center Modal on all breakpoints, not just desktop - RestoreSessionModal: remove description banner, only chat list scrolls, fixed footer with action buttons - Fix message ID collisions across chats by including filename in hash - Fix Toast timer not restarting when message changes while visible - Gate reselect flow: only upgrade persisted entry when validation passes - Add persistence_restore_failed i18n key across all 10 locales - Remove unused isFileSystemAccessSupported import and function

# [1.30.0](v1.29.4...v1.30.0) (2026-04-01) ### Bug Fixes * preserve original line content in parseLine for sender/content ([ec7c3da](ec7c3da)) ### Features * add persistent conversation feature with cross-platform file restoration ([#66](#66)) ([432bdb4](432bdb4)) * improve date format detection and resilience ([d8f9ddc](d8f9ddc)), closes [#69](#69)

github-actions · 2026-04-01T20:48:30Z

🎉 This PR is included in version 1.30.0 🎉

The release is available on GitHub release

Your semantic-release bot 📦🚀

Copilot AI assigned Copilot and rodrigogs Feb 4, 2026

Copilot started work on behalf of rodrigogs February 4, 2026 18:46 View session

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

Copilot finished work on behalf of rodrigogs February 4, 2026 19:04

Copilot started work on behalf of rodrigogs February 4, 2026 19:08 View session

Copilot finished work on behalf of rodrigogs February 4, 2026 19:12

Copilot started work on behalf of rodrigogs February 4, 2026 19:47 View session

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

Copilot finished work on behalf of rodrigogs February 4, 2026 19:52

Copilot started work on behalf of rodrigogs February 4, 2026 19:53 View session

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

Copilot finished work on behalf of rodrigogs February 4, 2026 19:55

Copilot started work on behalf of rodrigogs February 4, 2026 19:59 View session

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

Copilot finished work on behalf of rodrigogs February 4, 2026 20:06

Copilot started work on behalf of rodrigogs February 4, 2026 21:32 View session

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

Copilot finished work on behalf of rodrigogs February 4, 2026 21:37

Copilot started work on behalf of rodrigogs February 4, 2026 21:53 View session

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

Copilot finished work on behalf of rodrigogs February 4, 2026 22:04

Copilot started work on behalf of rodrigogs February 4, 2026 22:32 View session

Copilot AI changed the title ~~Implement persistent conversation feature with hybrid storage strategy~~ Implement persistent conversation storage with automatic file restoration Feb 4, 2026

Copilot finished work on behalf of rodrigogs February 4, 2026 22:36

Copilot started work on behalf of rodrigogs February 4, 2026 22:48 View session

Copilot AI changed the title ~~Implement persistent conversation storage with automatic file restoration~~ Implement persistent conversation feature with automatic file restoration Feb 4, 2026

Copilot finished work on behalf of rodrigogs February 4, 2026 22:51

Copilot started work on behalf of rodrigogs February 4, 2026 22:53 View session

rodrigogs added 10 commits April 1, 2026 12:11

debug: add persistence flow logging to trace Electron path issue

174f306

fix: move Remember Conversation above Transcription Language in conte…

d626990

…xt menu

chore: remove debug logging from persistence flow

c9741b3

rodrigogs force-pushed the copilot/add-persistent-conversation-feature branch from a4decbd to a744b92 Compare April 1, 2026 15:14

rodrigogs requested a review from Copilot April 1, 2026 15:33

Copilot started reviewing on behalf of rodrigogs April 1, 2026 15:34 View session

Copilot AI reviewed Apr 1, 2026

View reviewed changes

Comment thread src/routes/+page.svelte Outdated

Comment thread src/routes/+page.svelte

Comment thread src/lib/transcription.svelte.ts

rodrigogs requested a review from Copilot April 1, 2026 17:46

Copilot started reviewing on behalf of rodrigogs April 1, 2026 17:47 View session

Copilot AI reviewed Apr 1, 2026

View reviewed changes

Comment thread src/routes/+page.svelte Outdated

Comment thread src/routes/+page.svelte

Comment thread src/lib/components/FileDropZone.svelte

rodrigogs requested a review from Copilot April 1, 2026 19:46

Copilot started reviewing on behalf of rodrigogs April 1, 2026 19:46 View session

Copilot AI reviewed Apr 1, 2026

View reviewed changes

Comment thread src/routes/+page.svelte Outdated

Comment thread src/lib/components/FileDropZone.svelte Outdated

rodrigogs requested a review from Copilot April 1, 2026 20:12

Copilot started reviewing on behalf of rodrigogs April 1, 2026 20:12 View session

Copilot AI reviewed Apr 1, 2026

View reviewed changes

Comment thread src/routes/+page.svelte Outdated

Comment thread src/routes/+page.svelte Outdated

rodrigogs merged commit 432bdb4 into dev Apr 1, 2026
4 checks passed

rodrigogs deleted the copilot/add-persistent-conversation-feature branch April 1, 2026 20:27

github-actions Bot added the released label Apr 1, 2026

Provide feedback

Saved searches

Use saved searches to filter your results more quickly

feat: add persistent conversation feature with cross-platform file restoration#66

feat: add persistent conversation feature with cross-platform file restoration#66
rodrigogs merged 33 commits into
devfrom
copilot/add-persistent-conversation-feature

Copilot AI commented Feb 4, 2026 •

edited by rodrigogs

Loading

Uh oh!

Copilot AI left a comment

Uh oh!

Uh oh!

Uh oh!

Uh oh!

Copilot AI left a comment

Uh oh!

Uh oh!

Uh oh!

Uh oh!

Copilot AI left a comment

Uh oh!

Uh oh!

Uh oh!

Copilot AI left a comment

Uh oh!

Uh oh!

Uh oh!

Uh oh!

github-actions Bot commented Apr 1, 2026

Uh oh!

Reviewers

Assignees

Labels

Projects

Milestone

Development

Uh oh!

3 participants

Conversation

Copilot AI commented Feb 4, 2026 • edited by rodrigogs Loading Uh oh! There was an error while loading. Please reload this page.

Uh oh!

Summary

New Files

Modified Files

Changes from Original Copilot PR

Validation

Test Plan

Uh oh!

Copilot AI left a comment

Choose a reason for hiding this comment

Pull request overview

Uh oh!

Uh oh!

Uh oh!

Uh oh!

Copilot AI left a comment

Choose a reason for hiding this comment

Pull request overview

Uh oh!

Uh oh!

Uh oh!

Uh oh!

Copilot AI left a comment

Choose a reason for hiding this comment

Pull request overview

Uh oh!

Uh oh!

Uh oh!

Copilot AI left a comment

Choose a reason for hiding this comment

Pull request overview

Uh oh!

Uh oh!

Uh oh!

Uh oh!

github-actions Bot commented Apr 1, 2026

Uh oh!

Reviewers

Assignees

Labels

Projects

Milestone

Development

Uh oh!

3 participants

Copilot AI commented Feb 4, 2026 •

edited by rodrigogs

Loading