feat(dev): hot-reload the web UI from disk + live reload (debug only)#154
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Editing the web client meant recompiling the daemon (assets are `include_str!`'d), restarting it, and reconnecting the browser. Now a running debug daemon can serve `index.html` + `static/*` from a worktree's assets dir, with a live-reload poller injected so browser edits show up on save — no rebuild, no restart. - `webui_hot_reload(<dir>)` MCP tool (debug builds only) so any dev session on any worktree can point the daemon at its own assets; `dir: null` reverts to embedded. Backed by the `dev.set_assets` IPC method / `client.dev_set_assets()`; `AGENTD_ASSETS_DIR` sets it at boot. - The web server prefers the dev dir over the embedded copy when set (`web_asset` / `web_index_html`); the injected poller hits `/dev/version` (a combined mtime of the served files) every 700ms and reloads on change. - All of this is `#[cfg(debug_assertions)]`-gated: release builds ignore the env var, reject the IPC override (no-op), drop the `/dev/version` route and the MCP tool, and always serve the embedded, tamper-proof assets. Tests: web_asset disk-vs-embedded + missing-file fallback; index injection only when served from disk; version tracks mtime; MCP catalog gates the tool to debug. Verified end-to-end over HTTP (set dir → custom HTML + poller served → /dev/version changes on edit → revert → embedded). Documented in AGENTS.md.
web_asset already serves the embedded copy per-file when a file is missing; keep the live-reload poller injected whenever dev mode is on (even on the embedded fallback) so the page auto-recovers to the dev assets the moment the file reappears — handles editor atomic-saves and a removed/empty worktree without leaving the page stuck. Test covers: dir with index.html (dev + poller), removed file and nonexistent dir (embedded + poller), dev off (embedded, no poller).
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Fast change→refresh loop for the web client. Asks: "give me options to hot-reload webui changes" → implemented disk serving + live reload, runtime-settable so an already-running daemon can be pointed at a worktree's assets (no rebuild/restart), exposed as a debug-only MCP tool.
The problem
crates/daemon/assets/index.html+static/*areinclude_str!/include_bytes!'d into the daemon, so editing the web UI means: edit →cargo build(~20s) → restart daemon → reconnect browser. The recompile dominates.What this adds (all
#[cfg(debug_assertions)]-gated)index.html/static/*from it instead of the embedded copies (web_asset/web_index_html), falling back to embedded per-file.index.htmlgets a tiny poller injected that hits/dev/version(a combined mtime fingerprint of the served files) every 700ms andlocation.reload()s on change. Edit → save → browser reloads itself.webui_hot_reload(<dir>)MCP tool (debug only) — any dev session in any worktree can point the daemon at its owncrates/daemon/assets;dir: nullreverts to embedded.dev.set_assetsIPC method /client.dev_set_assets().AGENTD_ASSETS_DIR=<dir>at boot.So the loop becomes: build a debug daemon once, then iterate on
index.htmlforever with just an auto-refresh.Safety
Release builds ignore the env var, treat the IPC override as a no-op, drop the
/dev/versionroute and the MCP tool, and always serve the embedded, tamper-proof assets. No arbitrary-path serving in production.Tests
web_asset_prefers_dev_dir_then_embedded,web_index_html_injects_livereload_only_from_disk,dev_assets_version_tracks_mtime(daemon);webui_hot_reload_tool_is_debug_only(mcp)./dev/versionchanges on edit, revert → embedded. Full workspace green (the one failing test is the pre-existing debug-only timing flakemany_pinned_sessions_resize_within_budget).🤖 Generated with Claude Code