feat(ui): support custom answers in preview questions

docs/architecture.md

@@ -55,7 +55,7 @@ The codebase is split so the implementation reads through file boundaries and na
 - single-select answers serialize as arrays
 - single-select free-form answers replace selected options for that question
 - multi-select free-form answers augment selected options instead of clearing them
-- preview questions do not get the synthetic custom-answer option
+- preview questions keep their preview-pane behavior while also supporting the synthetic custom-answer option
 - deselected option notes stay in UI state
 - only selected option notes are emitted in the final result
 - editor lifecycle stays in the controller, not in the reducers

docs/contract.md

@@ -37,8 +37,8 @@ This document defines the stable external behavior. It does not explain internal
 - `type` defaults to `single`
 - `required` defaults to `false`
 - `required` is metadata only; it never blocks submission
-- preview questions require preview text for every option; option descriptions do not satisfy this requirement, and invalid preview payloads report a fix hint to add preview text or switch to `type: "single"`
-- non-`preview` questions get an internal `Type your own` option
+- preview questions require preview text for every declared option; option descriptions do not satisfy this requirement, and invalid preview payloads report a fix hint to add preview text or switch to `type: "single"`
+- all questions get an internal `Type your own` option
 
 ## Output
 
@@ -190,7 +190,7 @@ This document defines the stable external behavior. It does not explain internal
 
 - tabbed multi-question flow
 - single-select, multi-select, and preview questions
-- inline free-form answers for non-preview questions
+- inline free-form answers for all question types
 - pi-style `@` file path autocomplete inside free-form answer and note editors
 - question notes via `Shift+N`
 - option notes via `n`

src/ask-tool.ts

@@ -177,9 +177,7 @@ function formatNonInteractiveMessage(
 		for (const option of question.options) {
 			lines.push(`   - ${option.label} [${option.value}]`);
 		}
-		if (question.type !== "preview") {
-			lines.push("   - Type your own [custom]");
-		}
+		lines.push("   - Type your own [custom]");
 	}
 
 	lines.push(

src/state/selectors.ts

@@ -32,13 +32,11 @@ export function getRenderableOptions(
 	const options: AskDisplayOption[] = question.options.map((option) => ({
 		...option,
 	}));
-	if (question.type !== "preview") {
-		options.push({
-			value: OTHER_OPTION_VALUE,
-			label: OTHER_OPTION_LABEL,
-			isCustomOption: true,
-		});
-	}
+	options.push({
+		value: OTHER_OPTION_VALUE,
+		label: OTHER_OPTION_LABEL,
+		isCustomOption: true,
+	});
 	return options;
 }
 

src/ui/render-helpers.ts

@@ -255,7 +255,11 @@ export function renderBox(
 
 export function renderPreviewPaneContent(
 	selectedOption:
-		| { label: string; description?: string; preview?: string }
+		| {
+				label: string;
+				description?: string;
+				preview?: string;
+		  }
 		| undefined,
 	theme: Theme,
 	width: number
@@ -271,6 +275,7 @@ export function renderPreviewPaneContent(
 		content.push({ text: selectedOption.description, color: "muted" });
 	}
 	content.push({ text: "", color: "dim" });
+
 	for (const previewLine of (selectedOption.preview ?? NO_PREVIEW_TEXT).split(
 		"\n"
 	)) {

src/ui/render-question.ts

@@ -124,7 +124,9 @@ function renderPreviewQuestion(context: QuestionRenderContext) {
 	const selectedOption = options[state.activeOptionIndex];
 	const answer = getAnswer(state, question.id);
 
-	if (width >= UI_DIMENSIONS.previewWideMinWidth && options.length > 0) {
+	if (selectedOption?.isCustomOption) {
+		renderPreviewOptionList(state, options, theme, width, answer).forEach(add);
+	} else if (width >= UI_DIMENSIONS.previewWideMinWidth && options.length > 0) {
 		renderWidePreviewLayout(
 			add,
 			state,
@@ -151,7 +153,8 @@ function renderPreviewQuestion(context: QuestionRenderContext) {
 		questionId: question.id,
 		answer,
 		option: selectedOption,
-		withGap: true,
+		selected: true,
+		withGap: !selectedOption?.isCustomOption,
 	});
 }
 

tests/ask-tool.test.ts

@@ -89,6 +89,31 @@ test("ask tool returns pending questions in non-interactive mode", async () => {
 	assert.match(result.content[0].text, CUSTOM_OPTION_RE);
 });
 
+test("ask tool includes custom answer fallback for preview questions", async () => {
+	const tool = registerMockTool();
+
+	const result = await tool.execute(
+		"call-1",
+		{
+			title: "Clarify",
+			questions: [
+				{
+					id: "layout",
+					label: "Layout",
+					prompt: "Which layout?",
+					type: "preview",
+					options: [{ value: "compact", label: "Compact", preview: "A" }],
+				},
+			],
+		},
+		undefined,
+		noop,
+		makeCtx(false)
+	);
+
+	assert.match(result.content[0].text, CUSTOM_OPTION_RE);
+});
+
 test("ask tool rejects invalid payloads before UI opens with structured issues", async () => {
 	const tool = registerMockTool();
 

tests/render-question.test.ts

@@ -154,3 +154,61 @@ test("selected multiline custom option renders full editor block", () => {
 	assert(lines.some((line) => line.includes("second line")));
 	assert(!lines.some((line) => line.includes("first line second line")));
 });
+
+test("preview questions also show the custom answer option", () => {
+	const state = createInitialState({
+		questions: [
+			{
+				id: "q1",
+				prompt: "Pick one",
+				type: "preview",
+				options: [{ value: "a", label: "A", preview: "Preview A" }],
+			},
+		],
+	});
+
+	const lines: string[] = [];
+	renderQuestionScreen({
+		editor: mockEditor(),
+		lines,
+		options: getRenderableOptions(state.questions[0]),
+		question: state.questions[0],
+		state,
+		theme: mockTheme(),
+		width: 80,
+	});
+
+	assert(lines.some((line) => line.includes("Type your own")));
+});
+
+test("preview custom option reuses the normal inline editor", () => {
+	let state = createInitialState({
+		questions: [
+			{
+				id: "q1",
+				prompt: "Pick one",
+				type: "preview",
+				options: [{ value: "a", label: "A", preview: "Preview A" }],
+			},
+		],
+	});
+	state = applyNumberShortcut(state, 2);
+
+	const lines: string[] = [];
+	renderQuestionScreen({
+		editor: mockEditor("", ["┌────┐", "", "└────┘"]),
+		lines,
+		options: getRenderableOptions(state.questions[0]),
+		question: state.questions[0],
+		state,
+		theme: mockTheme(),
+		width: 80,
+	});
+
+	assert(lines.some((line) => line.includes("Type your own")));
+	assert(lines.some((line) => line.includes("Type answer...")));
+	const optionIndex = lines.findIndex((line) => line.includes("Type your own"));
+	const inputIndex = lines.findIndex((line) => line.includes("Type answer..."));
+	assert.equal(inputIndex, optionIndex + 1);
+	assert(!lines.some((line) => line.includes("asdasddasdasdasdere")));
+});

tests/state.test.ts

@@ -93,9 +93,13 @@ test("preview questions keep their type and option previews", () => {
 	assert.equal(state.questions[0].options[0].preview, "Example");
 	assert.equal(
 		getRenderableOptions(state.questions[0]).at(-1)?.isCustomOption,
-		undefined
+		true
 	);
-	assert.equal(getRenderableOptions(state.questions[0]).length, 1);
+	assert.equal(
+		getRenderableOptions(state.questions[0]).at(-1)?.label,
+		"Type your own"
+	);
+	assert.equal(getRenderableOptions(state.questions[0]).length, 2);
 });
 
 test("createInitialState rejects duplicate question ids", () => {
@@ -529,6 +533,31 @@ test("preview questions can store selected option notes for submission", () => {
 	});
 });
 
+test("preview questions support custom answers", () => {
+	let state = createInitialState({
+		questions: [
+			{
+				id: "preview",
+				prompt: "Pick layout",
+				type: "preview",
+				options: [{ value: "compact", label: "Compact", preview: "A" }],
+			},
+		],
+	});
+
+	state = applyNumberShortcut(state, 2);
+	state = submitCustomAnswer(state, "Something else");
+
+	assert.deepEqual(toAskResult(state).answers.preview, {
+		values: ["Something else"],
+		labels: ["Something else"],
+		indices: [],
+		customText: "Something else",
+		note: undefined,
+		optionNotes: undefined,
+	});
+});
+
 test("tab navigation wraps including submit tab", () => {
 	let state = createInitialState(sampleParams());
 	state = moveTab(state, -1);