fix: preserve multi-select choices with custom answers

README.md

@@ -119,6 +119,7 @@ After answers are returned, continue the task using those answers explicitly.
 - multi-select questions
 - preview questions with a dedicated preview pane
 - free-form answers via an inline `Type your own` option that turns into an embedded editor when selected
+- on multi-select questions, free-form answers are additive and do not clear other selected options
 - per-question notes via `Ctrl+N`
 - per-option notes via `N`
 - full inline rendering of saved notes
@@ -148,6 +149,8 @@ Behavior:
 - only notes for currently selected options are included in the submitted result
 - deselecting an option keeps its note in UI state, so re-selecting it restores the note
 - empty note text clears the note
+- on multi-select questions, saving a free-form answer keeps other selected options intact
+- on multi-select questions, submitted `values` and `labels` include both selected options and the free-form answer when both exist
 - 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, `Up` / `Down` save the draft and move navigation instead of being trapped by the editor
 - `Space` toggles the active option on single-select questions too, but does not auto-advance

docs/contract.md

@@ -68,6 +68,8 @@ This document defines the stable external behavior. It does not explain internal
 - single-select answers still use arrays
 - `indices` are 1-based rendered option positions
 - `customText` stores the free-form answer
+- on multi-select questions, `values` and `labels` include both selected options and `customText` when both are present
+- saving or clearing free-form text on a multi-select question does not clear other selected options
 - `note` stores a question-level note
 - `optionNotes` includes only notes for selected options
 - question notes may exist without a selected answer

src/result-format.ts

@@ -37,19 +37,23 @@ function formatAnswerLine(
 	answer: AskResult["answers"][string],
 	mode: "summary" | "render"
 ): string | undefined {
-	const answerText = answer.customText ?? answer.labels.join(", ");
+	const answerText = answer.labels.join(", ");
 	if (!answerText) {
 		return;
 	}
 	if (mode === "summary") {
 		return `${questionLabel}: ${answerText}`;
 	}
-	if (answer.customText) {
+	if (isCustomOnlyAnswer(answer)) {
 		return `✓ ${questionLabel}: (wrote) ${answerText}`;
 	}
 	return `✓ ${questionLabel}: ${answerText}`;
 }
 
+function isCustomOnlyAnswer(answer: AskResult["answers"][string]): boolean {
+	return answer.indices.length === 0 && !!answer.customText;
+}
+
 function formatQuestionNoteLine(
 	questionLabel: string,
 	note: string | undefined,

src/state/answers.ts

@@ -35,7 +35,6 @@ export function toggleSelection(
 	index: number
 ): AskStateAnswer {
 	const next = cloneAnswer(answer);
-	next.customText = undefined;
 	const selectedIndex = next.selected.findIndex(
 		(selection) => selection.value === option.value
 	);
@@ -74,11 +73,14 @@ export function setSingleSelection(
 
 export function saveCustomText(
 	answer: AskStateAnswer,
-	rawValue: string
+	rawValue: string,
+	mode: "single" | "multi"
 ): AskStateAnswer {
 	const trimmed = rawValue.trim();
 	const next = cloneAnswer(answer);
+	if (mode === "single") {
 		next.selected = [];
+	}
 	if (!trimmed) {
 		next.customText = undefined;
 		return next;
@@ -143,12 +145,14 @@ export function isOptionSelected(
 }
 
 export function serializeAnswer(answer: AskStateAnswer): AskResultAnswer {
-	const values = answer.customText
-		? [answer.customText]
-		: answer.selected.map((selection) => selection.value);
-	const labels = answer.customText
-		? [answer.customText]
-		: answer.selected.map((selection) => selection.label);
+	const values = [
+		...answer.selected.map((selection) => selection.value),
+		...(answer.customText ? [answer.customText] : []),
+	];
+	const labels = [
+		...answer.selected.map((selection) => selection.label),
+		...(answer.customText ? [answer.customText] : []),
+	];
 	const indices = answer.selected.map((selection) => selection.index);
 	const selectedNotes = answer.optionNotes
 		? Object.fromEntries(

src/state/transitions.ts

@@ -258,7 +258,12 @@ function saveInputValue(
 	const nextState = updateAnswer(
 		exitEditingView(state),
 		question.id,
-		(answer) => saveCustomText(answer, rawValue)
+		(answer) =>
+			saveCustomText(
+				answer,
+				rawValue,
+				question.type === "multi" ? "multi" : "single"
+			)
 	);
 	if (!(submit && isAnswerAnswered(nextState.answers[question.id]))) {
 		return nextState;

src/ui/render-submit.ts

@@ -64,14 +64,14 @@ function renderSubmittedAnswer(
 	theme: Theme,
 	width: number
 ) {
-	const answerText = answer.customText ?? answer.labels.join(", ");
+	const answerText = answer.labels.join(", ");
 	if (answerText) {
 		pushWrappedText(
 			lines,
 			`→ ${answerText}`,
 			width,
 			theme,
-			answer.customText ? "text" : "success",
+			isCustomOnlyAnswer(answer) ? "text" : "success",
 			"   ",
 			"     "
 		);
@@ -106,6 +106,10 @@ function renderSubmittedAnswer(
 	}
 }
 
+function isCustomOnlyAnswer(answer: AskResult["answers"][string]): boolean {
+	return answer.indices.length === 0 && !!answer.customText;
+}
+
 function renderSubmitActions(
 	lines: string[],
 	state: AskState,

tests/result.test.ts

@@ -56,6 +56,39 @@ test("summaries include custom text answers", () => {
 	);
 });
 
+test("multi-select summaries include selected options and custom text", () => {
+	let state = createInitialState({
+		questions: [
+			{
+				id: "frameworks",
+				label: "Frameworks",
+				prompt: "Which frameworks?",
+				type: "multi",
+				options: [
+					{ value: "react", label: "React" },
+					{ value: "vue", label: "Vue" },
+				],
+			},
+		],
+	});
+
+	state = applyNumberShortcut(state, 1);
+	state = applyNumberShortcut(state, 3);
+	state = submitCustomAnswer(state, "SolidStart");
+	const result = toAskResult(state);
+
+	assert.deepEqual(result.answers.frameworks, {
+		values: ["react", "SolidStart"],
+		labels: ["React", "SolidStart"],
+		indices: [1],
+		customText: "SolidStart",
+		note: undefined,
+		optionNotes: undefined,
+	});
+	assert.equal(summarizeResult(result), "Frameworks: React, SolidStart");
+	assert.equal(renderResultText(result), "✓ Frameworks: React, SolidStart");
+});
+
 test("summaries and result text include question and selected option notes", () => {
 	let state = createInitialState({
 		questions: [

tests/state.test.ts

@@ -185,6 +185,68 @@ test("escape saves typed custom answer without advancing", () => {
 	assert.equal(state.answers.q1.customText, "my draft answer");
 });
 
+test("multi-select keeps existing selections when leaving custom input empty", () => {
+	let state = createInitialState({
+		questions: [
+			{
+				id: "q1",
+				prompt: "Pick frameworks",
+				type: "multi",
+				options: [
+					{ value: "react", label: "React" },
+					{ value: "vue", label: "Vue" },
+					{ value: "svelte", label: "Svelte" },
+				],
+			},
+		],
+	});
+
+	state = moveOption(state, 1);
+	state = toggleCurrentMultiOption(state);
+	state = moveOption(state, 1);
+	state = toggleCurrentMultiOption(state);
+	state = applyNumberShortcut(state, 4);
+	state = saveCustomAnswer(state, "   ");
+
+	assert.deepEqual(
+		state.answers.q1.selected.map((selection) => selection.value),
+		["vue", "svelte"]
+	);
+	assert.equal(state.answers.q1.customText, undefined);
+});
+
+test("multi-select keeps existing selections when saving custom text", () => {
+	let state = createInitialState({
+		questions: [
+			{
+				id: "q1",
+				prompt: "Pick frameworks",
+				type: "multi",
+				options: [
+					{ value: "react", label: "React" },
+					{ value: "vue", label: "Vue" },
+				],
+			},
+			{
+				id: "q2",
+				prompt: "Anything else?",
+				options: [{ value: "a", label: "A" }],
+			},
+		],
+	});
+
+	state = toggleCurrentMultiOption(state);
+	state = applyNumberShortcut(state, 3);
+	state = submitCustomAnswer(state, "SolidStart");
+
+	assert.equal(state.activeTabIndex, 1);
+	assert.deepEqual(
+		state.answers.q1.selected.map((selection) => selection.value),
+		["react"]
+	);
+	assert.equal(state.answers.q1.customText, "SolidStart");
+});
+
 test("empty custom draft clears the stored answer but preserves notes", () => {
 	let state = createInitialState({
 		questions: [
@@ -304,6 +366,32 @@ test("deselecting an option keeps its note in state but omits it from submission
 	});
 });
 
+test("multi-select keeps custom text when toggling additional options", () => {
+	let state = createInitialState({
+		questions: [
+			{
+				id: "q1",
+				prompt: "Pick frameworks",
+				type: "multi",
+				options: [
+					{ value: "react", label: "React" },
+					{ value: "vue", label: "Vue" },
+				],
+			},
+		],
+	});
+
+	state = applyNumberShortcut(state, 3);
+	state = saveCustomAnswer(state, "SolidStart");
+	state = applyNumberShortcut(state, 1);
+
+	assert.equal(state.answers.q1.customText, "SolidStart");
+	assert.deepEqual(
+		state.answers.q1.selected.map((selection) => selection.value),
+		["react"]
+	);
+});
+
 test("preview questions can store selected option notes for submission", () => {
 	let state = createInitialState({
 		questions: [