fix: allow empty editor navigation shortcuts

README.md

@@ -163,7 +163,8 @@ Behavior details:
 - on multi-select questions, submitted `values` and `labels` keep selected options first and append the free-form answer last when both exist
 - unanswered questions are omitted from `details.answers`
 - when the free-form option is selected, it becomes an inline input row with the selected-tab background style spanning the full width
-- while editing a note or free-form answer, arrow keys and `Tab` stay inside the editor so the typing cursor can move naturally
+- while editing a note or free-form answer, arrow keys and `Tab` stay inside the editor while text is present so the typing cursor can move naturally
+- when a note or free-form editor is empty, `Up`/`Down` navigate options and `Tab`/`Shift+Tab`/`Left`/`Right` navigate tabs without closing the editor first
 - free-form answer editors support pi-style `@` file path autocomplete for quickly mentioning project files
 - `Esc` closes the editor and returns to navigation mode
 - `Ctrl+C` dismisses the entire ask flow immediately, even from note/free-form editing, without saving the current draft

docs/contract.md

@@ -115,8 +115,9 @@ Editing flow:
 - `Enter`: save and submit the current input
 - `Esc`: save draft and close the editor
 - `Ctrl+C`: dismiss the entire flow immediately without saving the current editor draft
-- arrow keys and `Tab` stay in the editor so the cursor can move while typing
-- navigation resumes only after closing the editor with `Esc`
+- when editor has text, arrow keys and `Tab` stay in the editor so the cursor can move while typing
+- when editor is empty, `Up`/`Down` move options and `Tab`/`Shift+Tab`/`Left`/`Right` move between tabs without requiring `Esc` first
+- navigation resumes only after closing the editor with `Esc`, unless the editor is empty and the navigation keys above are used
 
 ## Non-interactive mode
 

src/ui/controller.ts

@@ -105,7 +105,11 @@ function renderController(
 }
 
 function handleControllerInput(controller: AskFlowController, data: string) {
-	const command = getInputCommand(controller.state, data);
+	const command = getInputCommand(
+		controller.state,
+		data,
+		isEditingView(controller.state) ? controller.editor.getText() : ""
+	);
 	if (isEditingView(controller.state)) {
 		handleEditingCommand(controller, command, data);
 		return;

src/ui/input.ts

@@ -21,14 +21,15 @@ export type AskInputCommand =
 
 export function getInputCommand(
 	state: AskState,
-	data: string
+	data: string,
+	editingText = ""
 ): AskInputCommand {
 	if (matchesKey(data, Key.ctrl("c"))) {
 		return { kind: "dismiss" };
 	}
 
 	if (state.view.kind === "input" || state.view.kind === "note") {
-		return getEditingInputCommand(data);
+		return getEditingInputCommand(data, editingText);
 	}
 
 	return getNavigationInputCommand(data);
@@ -46,10 +47,27 @@ export function formatKeybindingLabel(key: string): string {
 		.join("+");
 }
 
-function getEditingInputCommand(data: string): AskInputCommand {
+function getEditingInputCommand(
+	data: string,
+	editingText: string
+): AskInputCommand {
 	if (matchesKey(data, Key.escape)) {
 		return { kind: "editClose" };
 	}
+	if (editingText.length === 0) {
+		if (matchesKey(data, Key.tab) || matchesKey(data, Key.right)) {
+			return { kind: "editMoveTab", delta: 1 };
+		}
+		if (matchesKey(data, Key.shift("tab")) || matchesKey(data, Key.left)) {
+			return { kind: "editMoveTab", delta: -1 };
+		}
+		if (matchesKey(data, Key.up)) {
+			return { kind: "editMoveOption", delta: -1 };
+		}
+		if (matchesKey(data, Key.down)) {
+			return { kind: "editMoveOption", delta: 1 };
+		}
+	}
 	return { kind: "delegateToEditor" };
 }
 

tests/input.test.ts

@@ -21,35 +21,59 @@ function inputState() {
 	return state;
 }
 
-test("typing mode delegates arrow keys to the editor", () => {
+test("empty typing mode uses arrows and tab for navigation", () => {
 	const input = inputState();
 
-	assert.deepEqual(getInputCommand(input, "\x1b[A"), {
-		kind: "delegateToEditor",
+	assert.deepEqual(getInputCommand(input, "\x1b[A", ""), {
+		kind: "editMoveOption",
+		delta: -1,
 	});
-	assert.deepEqual(getInputCommand(input, "\x1b[B"), {
-		kind: "delegateToEditor",
+	assert.deepEqual(getInputCommand(input, "\x1b[B", ""), {
+		kind: "editMoveOption",
+		delta: 1,
 	});
-	assert.deepEqual(getInputCommand(input, "\x1b[C"), {
-		kind: "delegateToEditor",
+	assert.deepEqual(getInputCommand(input, "\x1b[C", ""), {
+		kind: "editMoveTab",
+		delta: 1,
 	});
-	assert.deepEqual(getInputCommand(input, "\x1b[D"), {
-		kind: "delegateToEditor",
+	assert.deepEqual(getInputCommand(input, "\x1b[D", ""), {
+		kind: "editMoveTab",
+		delta: -1,
+	});
+	assert.deepEqual(getInputCommand(input, "\t", ""), {
+		kind: "editMoveTab",
+		delta: 1,
+	});
+	assert.deepEqual(getInputCommand(input, "\x1b[Z", ""), {
+		kind: "editMoveTab",
+		delta: -1,
 	});
 });
 
-test("typing mode delegates tab to the editor", () => {
+test("non-empty typing mode keeps arrows and tab in editor", () => {
 	const input = inputState();
 
-	assert.deepEqual(getInputCommand(input, "\t"), {
+	assert.deepEqual(getInputCommand(input, "\x1b[A", "x"), {
 		kind: "delegateToEditor",
 	});
-	assert.deepEqual(getInputCommand(input, "\x1b[Z"), {
+	assert.deepEqual(getInputCommand(input, "\x1b[B", "x"), {
+		kind: "delegateToEditor",
+	});
+	assert.deepEqual(getInputCommand(input, "\x1b[C", "x"), {
+		kind: "delegateToEditor",
+	});
+	assert.deepEqual(getInputCommand(input, "\x1b[D", "x"), {
+		kind: "delegateToEditor",
+	});
+	assert.deepEqual(getInputCommand(input, "\t", "x"), {
+		kind: "delegateToEditor",
+	});
+	assert.deepEqual(getInputCommand(input, "\x1b[Z", "x"), {
 		kind: "delegateToEditor",
 	});
 });
 
-test("note editing mode delegates arrows and tab to the editor", () => {
+test("empty note editing mode uses arrows and tab for navigation", () => {
 	const state = enterQuestionNoteMode(
 		createInitialState({
 			questions: [
@@ -63,19 +87,55 @@ test("note editing mode delegates arrows and tab to the editor", () => {
 		"q1"
 	);
 
-	assert.deepEqual(getInputCommand(state, "\x1b[A"), {
+	assert.deepEqual(getInputCommand(state, "\x1b[A", ""), {
+		kind: "editMoveOption",
+		delta: -1,
+	});
+	assert.deepEqual(getInputCommand(state, "\x1b[B", ""), {
+		kind: "editMoveOption",
+		delta: 1,
+	});
+	assert.deepEqual(getInputCommand(state, "\x1b[C", ""), {
+		kind: "editMoveTab",
+		delta: 1,
+	});
+	assert.deepEqual(getInputCommand(state, "\x1b[D", ""), {
+		kind: "editMoveTab",
+		delta: -1,
+	});
+	assert.deepEqual(getInputCommand(state, "\t", ""), {
+		kind: "editMoveTab",
+		delta: 1,
+	});
+});
+
+test("non-empty note editing mode keeps arrows and tab in editor", () => {
+	const state = enterQuestionNoteMode(
+		createInitialState({
+			questions: [
+				{
+					id: "q1",
+					prompt: "Question?",
+					options: [{ value: "a", label: "A" }],
+				},
+			],
+		}),
+		"q1"
+	);
+
+	assert.deepEqual(getInputCommand(state, "\x1b[A", "x"), {
 		kind: "delegateToEditor",
 	});
-	assert.deepEqual(getInputCommand(state, "\x1b[B"), {
+	assert.deepEqual(getInputCommand(state, "\x1b[B", "x"), {
 		kind: "delegateToEditor",
 	});
-	assert.deepEqual(getInputCommand(state, "\x1b[C"), {
+	assert.deepEqual(getInputCommand(state, "\x1b[C", "x"), {
 		kind: "delegateToEditor",
 	});
-	assert.deepEqual(getInputCommand(state, "\x1b[D"), {
+	assert.deepEqual(getInputCommand(state, "\x1b[D", "x"), {
 		kind: "delegateToEditor",
 	});
-	assert.deepEqual(getInputCommand(state, "\t"), {
+	assert.deepEqual(getInputCommand(state, "\t", "x"), {
 		kind: "delegateToEditor",
 	});
 });