fix(story-mode): a new file counts what it ends with, a rewrite is a change, short endings are read (review round 11)

From the fact-checker:
- A script created and then edited in the same panel showed "+95 -3":
  a file created in the span counts what it ends with, never lines
  removed from its own draft (+92), on the badge, the panel and the page.
- "Claude writes 4 files" for files an earlier panel wrote and this one
  rewrote with here-documents: writing a file the turn already touched is
  changing it.
- "Claude says: Compacted": a local command's output is the CLI's own,
  a note, not Claude's words.
- "The CHANGELOG helper is still running" was dropped under "Mission
  complete!": key sentences were read only in endings over 160
  characters; a short ending is read too, and that one is a note.

Co-Authored-By: Claude Opus 5.5 (1M context) <noreply@anthropic.com>

src/story-mode.ts

@@ -372,7 +372,7 @@ export function keyKindOf(point: string): StoryKeyKind | undefined {
  * follows it.
  */
 function keyPointsOf(text: string): string[] {
-  if (text.length <= 160) return [];
+  if (text.length <= 40) return [];
   const spans: string[] = [];
   const plain = plainMarkdown(text.slice(0, 8000), spans);
   // Every sentence in order, with the line it came from (list items are lines).
@@ -2409,6 +2409,31 @@ function newBranchAt(indices: number[], events: StoryEvent[]): string | undefine
   return undefined;
 }
 
+/**
+ * Lines added and removed, per file summed: a file created in these edits counts what it ends with
+ * (its later edits in the same span are its own drafting), so a new file never shows removed lines.
+ */
+function netCounts(edits: StoryEdit[]): { added: number; removed: number } {
+  let added = 0;
+  let removed = 0;
+  for (const file of unique(edits.map((d) => d.file))) {
+    const mine = edits.filter((d) => d.file === file);
+    const a = mine.reduce((n, d) => n + d.added, 0);
+    const r = mine.reduce((n, d) => n + d.removed, 0);
+    if (mine.some((d) => d.created)) added += Math.max(0, a - r);
+    else {
+      added += a;
+      removed += r;
+    }
+  }
+  return { added, removed };
+}
+
+/** A file an earlier panel of the turn already wrote or changed: writing it again is changing it. */
+function touchedBefore(file: string, before: StoryEvent[]): boolean {
+  return before.some((e) => editsOf(e).some((d) => d.file === file));
+}
+
 /** One or two files by name ("calc.py and test_calc.py"), more by count ("3 files"). */
 const fileWords = (files: string[], noun = 'file'): string =>
   files.length && files.length <= 2 ? files.map((f) => basename(f)).join(' and ') : plural(files.length, noun);
@@ -2593,17 +2618,19 @@ function decorate(draft: DraftPanel, events: StoryEvent[], turn: StoryTurn, inde
         ...edits.map((d) => d.file),
       ]);
       panel.files = files.slice(0, 12);
-      panel.added = edits.reduce((n, e) => n + e.added, 0);
-      panel.removed = edits.reduce((n, e) => n + e.removed, 0);
+      ({ added: panel.added, removed: panel.removed } = netCounts(edits));
       if (draft.kind === 'fix') {
         const created = unique(edits.filter((e) => e.created).map((e) => e.file)).length;
         // Some files written whole (new ones), others patched: "writes README.md and changes CLAUDE.md".
-        // A file created here is written, even when Claude then edited it in the same panel.
+        // A file created here is written, even when Claude then edited it in the same panel; one an
+        // earlier panel already wrote is changed, even when this panel rewrites it whole.
+        const before = events.slice(0, Math.min(...draft.events));
         const wholeOf = (f: string) => {
           const mine = edits.filter((d) => d.file === f);
           return (
             mine.some((d) => d.created) ||
-            mine.every((d) => d.hunks.length > 0 && d.hunks.every((h) => !h.oldStart && !h.oldLines))
+            (!touchedBefore(f, before) &&
+              mine.every((d) => d.hunks.length > 0 && d.hunks.every((h) => !h.oldStart && !h.oldLines)))
           );
         };
         const wholeList = files.filter(wholeOf);
@@ -2619,7 +2646,7 @@ function decorate(draft: DraftPanel, events: StoryEvent[], turn: StoryTurn, inde
             ? files.length <= 2
               ? `Claude writes the new ${files.length === 1 ? 'file' : 'files'} ${fileWords(files)}.`
               : `Claude writes ${plural(created, 'new file')}.`
-            : whole && files.length
+            : whole && files.length && wholeList.length === files.length
               ? `Claude writes ${fileWords(files)}.`
               : mixed
                 ? `Claude writes ${fileWords(mixed.whole)} and changes ${fileWords(mixed.patched)}.`
@@ -2627,11 +2654,8 @@ function decorate(draft: DraftPanel, events: StoryEvent[], turn: StoryTurn, inde
                   ? `Claude changes ${fileWords(files)}.`
                   : 'Claude changes a file.';
         const perFile = files.slice(0, 3).map((f) => {
-          const mine = edits.filter((e) => e.file === f);
-          return `${basename(f)} ${fmtCounts(
-            mine.reduce((n, e) => n + e.added, 0),
-            mine.reduce((n, e) => n + e.removed, 0)
-          )}`;
+          const mine = netCounts(edits.filter((e) => e.file === f));
+          return `${basename(f)} ${fmtCounts(mine.added, mine.removed)}`;
         });
         director = `${tools}${perFile.length ? ` · ${perFile.join(' · ')}` : ''}`;
       } else {
@@ -2753,7 +2777,12 @@ function decorate(draft: DraftPanel, events: StoryEvent[], turn: StoryTurn, inde
       // Whole files are written; a file it patched is changed (a later panel often patches one written earlier).
       const isWhole = (d: StoryEdit) =>
         d.created || (d.hunks.length > 0 && d.hunks.every((h) => !h.oldStart && !h.oldLines));
-      const wholeFiles = written.filter((f) => edits.filter((d) => d.file === f).every(isWhole));
+      const earlier = events.slice(0, Math.min(...draft.events));
+      const wholeFiles = written.filter(
+        (f) =>
+          edits.filter((d) => d.file === f).some((d) => d.created) ||
+          (!touchedBefore(f, earlier) && edits.filter((d) => d.file === f).every(isWhole))
+      );
       const patched = written.filter((f) => !wholeFiles.includes(f));
       const did = [
         wholeFiles.length ? `writes ${fileWords(wholeFiles)}` : '',
@@ -2890,10 +2919,13 @@ function decorate(draft: DraftPanel, events: StoryEvent[], turn: StoryTurn, inde
                   : `Claude saves the work${inCommits}${said}.`;
       const wrote = unique(edits.map((d) => d.file));
       const startsRepo = startsRepoAt(draft.events, events);
-      const wroteWhole = wrote.filter((f) =>
-        edits
-          .filter((d) => d.file === f)
-          .every((d) => d.created || (d.hunks.length > 0 && d.hunks.every((h) => !h.oldStart && !h.oldLines)))
+      const wroteWhole = wrote.filter(
+        (f) =>
+          edits.filter((d) => d.file === f).some((d) => d.created) ||
+          (!touchedBefore(f, events.slice(0, Math.min(...draft.events))) &&
+            edits
+              .filter((d) => d.file === f)
+              .every((d) => d.hunks.length > 0 && d.hunks.every((h) => !h.oldStart && !h.oldLines)))
       );
       const wrotePatched = wrote.filter((f) => !wroteWhole.includes(f));
       const lead = [
@@ -3045,7 +3077,8 @@ function completePanel(turn: StoryTurn, page: Omit<StoryPage, 'panels'>, trailin
   // A local command answers itself: its own first line is the last word.
   const said = turn.endedBy === 'local command' ? turn.events[0]?.output?.split('\n')[0] : undefined;
   if (trailingSay) panel.balloon = { who: 'claude', text: trailingSay };
-  else if (said) panel.balloon = { who: 'claude', text: clip(said, 160) };
+  // A local command's output (/compact's "Compacted") is the CLI's own, not Claude's words: a note.
+  else if (said) panel.balloon = { who: 'note', text: clip(said, 160) };
   if (page.filesChanged) {
     panel.added = page.added;
     panel.removed = page.removed;
@@ -3083,8 +3116,7 @@ export function buildStoryPage(turn: StoryTurn): StoryPage {
     truncated,
     events,
     filesChanged: unique(edits.map((e) => e.file)).length,
-    added: edits.reduce((n, e) => n + e.added, 0),
-    removed: edits.reduce((n, e) => n + e.removed, 0),
+    ...netCounts(edits),
     // The advisor is a second opinion, not a helper that does work.
     helpers: events.filter((e) => e.helper && e.tool !== 'Advisor' && e.intent !== 'prompt').length,
     helpersRunning: events.filter((e) => e.helper?.running).length,

src/web/public/story-mode.js

@@ -1063,8 +1063,12 @@ const StoryArt = (() => {
         // With several files the badge counts the card in front: a total beside one file's card read as
         // that file's own. The Director's cut has every file's count.
         const front = files.length > 1 && first ? edits.filter((d) => d.file === first.file) : null;
-        const added = front ? front.reduce((n, d) => n + d.added, 0) : p.panel.added;
-        const removed = front ? front.reduce((n, d) => n + d.removed, 0) : p.panel.removed;
+        // A file created here counts what it ends with, never lines it removed from its own draft.
+        const fa = front ? front.reduce((n, d) => n + d.added, 0) : 0;
+        const fr = front ? front.reduce((n, d) => n + d.removed, 0) : 0;
+        const fresh = !!front?.some((d) => d.created);
+        const added = front ? (fresh ? Math.max(0, fa - fr) : fa) : p.panel.added;
+        const removed = front ? (fresh ? 0 : fr) : p.panel.removed;
         if (added)
           sfx(
             ctx,

test/fixtures/story-corpus/background-helpers-reports.expected.json

@@ -282,7 +282,7 @@
     "helpers": 0,
     "helpersRunning": 0,
     "finishedLater": 0,
-    "openNote": false,
+    "openNote": "note",
     "asks": false,
     "panels": [
       {
@@ -318,7 +318,7 @@
         "story": "Done in 7 seconds.",
         "unaskedSave": false,
         "director": "turn_duration · 7 s · 1 tool call",
-        "balloon": "The background test run finished and all 23 tests passed, including the new --json test.",
+        "balloon": "The background test run finished and all 23 tests passed, including the new --json test. The CHANGELOG helper is still running; I'll report when it finishes.",
         "tests": null,
         "roundsOk": null,
         "printed": null,

test/fixtures/story-corpus/bash-script-background-helper.expected.json

@@ -7,8 +7,8 @@
     "durationMs": 121460,
     "toolCalls": 13,
     "filesChanged": 2,
-    "added": 96,
-    "removed": 3,
+    "added": 93,
+    "removed": 0,
     "helpers": 1,
     "helpersRunning": 0,
     "finishedLater": 1,
@@ -68,7 +68,7 @@
         "ok": null,
         "story": "Claude changes rename_by_date.sh and -dash.jpg.",
         "unaskedSave": false,
-        "director": "Write · Edit ×3 · Bash · rename_by_date.sh +95 −3 · -dash.jpg +1",
+        "director": "Write · Edit ×3 · Bash · rename_by_date.sh +92 · -dash.jpg +1",
         "balloon": "Now I'll create the samples and run the dry run.",
         "tests": null,
         "roundsOk": null,

test/fixtures/story-corpus/failing-test-on-purpose.expected.json

@@ -7,8 +7,8 @@
     "durationMs": 83905,
     "toolCalls": 9,
     "filesChanged": 2,
-    "added": 35,
-    "removed": 1,
+    "added": 34,
+    "removed": 0,
     "helpers": 0,
     "helpersRunning": 0,
     "finishedLater": 0,
@@ -44,7 +44,7 @@
         "ok": true,
         "story": "The first run fails on purpose, as you asked; the second passes.",
         "unaskedSave": false,
-        "director": "2 checks · 3 edits · +35 −1 · last: ok · after 1 second opinion",
+        "director": "2 checks · 3 edits · +34 · last: ok · after 1 second opinion",
         "balloon": "All 4 pass.",
         "tests": {
           "passed": 4,

test/fixtures/story-corpus/python-cli-fix-loop.expected.json

@@ -7,8 +7,8 @@
     "durationMs": 192853,
     "toolCalls": 11,
     "filesChanged": 3,
-    "added": 220,
-    "removed": 1,
+    "added": 219,
+    "removed": 0,
     "helpers": 0,
     "helpersRunning": 0,
     "finishedLater": 0,
@@ -44,7 +44,7 @@
         "ok": true,
         "story": "Fix and test, 2 rounds: a test fails and Claude fixes it, then a formatting check fails and Claude fixes that; everything passes. Claude starts a git repository and saves the work in 4 commits along the way.",
         "unaskedSave": true,
-        "director": "3 checks · 5 edits · +218 −1 · last: ok · after 1 second opinion",
+        "director": "3 checks · 5 edits · +217 · last: ok · after 1 second opinion",
         "balloon": "All 19 tests pass, ruff check is clean, and the output matches real wc column for column.",
         "tests": {
           "passed": 19,

test/fixtures/story-corpus/question-tests-first-push.expected.json

@@ -7,8 +7,8 @@
     "durationMs": 297209,
     "toolCalls": 18,
     "filesChanged": 6,
-    "added": 221,
-    "removed": 2,
+    "added": 220,
+    "removed": 1,
     "helpers": 0,
     "helpersRunning": 0,
     "finishedLater": 0,
@@ -56,7 +56,7 @@
         "ok": true,
         "story": "The first run fails on purpose, as you asked; the second passes.",
         "unaskedSave": false,
-        "director": "2 checks · 4 edits · +151 −1 · last: ok · after 1 second opinion",
+        "director": "2 checks · 4 edits · +150 · last: ok · after 1 second opinion",
         "balloon": "All 19 test cases pass (13 test functions), and ruff check and ruff format both come back clean.",
         "tests": {
           "passed": 19,

test/fixtures/story-corpus/teammates-then-interrupt.expected.json

@@ -297,7 +297,7 @@
       {
         "kind": "check",
         "ok": true,
-        "story": "Claude writes 4 files; the tests pass.",
+        "story": "Claude changes 4 files; the tests pass.",
         "unaskedSave": false,
         "director": "npm test 2>&1 → ok · 8 passed · writes 4 files",
         "balloon": "Every @example output matches what the code actually returns, and 8/8 tests pass.",

test/story-mode.test.ts

@@ -571,6 +571,8 @@ describe('buildStoryTurns', () => {
     expect(page.panels.map((p) => p.kind)).toEqual(['mission', 'compact', 'complete']);
     expect(page.panels[0].caption.story).toBe('You run /compact.');
     expect(page.events[0]).toMatchObject({ tool: 'Command', output: 'Compacted' });
+    // The CLI's own output is a note, not Claude's words.
+    expect(page.panels.at(-1)!.balloon).toEqual({ who: 'note', text: 'Compacted' });
     // A local command like /model ends at its output too.
     const [, model] = buildStoryTurns(
       entriesOf([
@@ -1059,6 +1061,41 @@ describe('buildStoryPage', () => {
     expect(keyKindOf('Anything unknown is left out rather than guessed.')).toBeUndefined();
   });
 
+  it('a new file counts what it ends with; a file written earlier and rewritten is changed', () => {
+    const write = (id: string, file: string, content: string) => [
+      tool(id, 'Write', { file_path: file, content }),
+      result(id, 'File created', {
+        toolUseResult: { type: 'create', filePath: file, content, structuredPatch: [] },
+      }),
+    ];
+    const page = pageOf([
+      prompt('build it'),
+      ...write('w1', '/w/run.sh', 'a\nb\nc\nd\n'),
+      ...edit('e1', '/w/run.sh', ['-b', '+B']),
+      ...edit('e2', '/w/run.sh', ['-c']),
+      ...bash('b1', 'pytest -q', 'Test', '1 passed in 0.1s'),
+      ...bash('b2', "cat > /w/run.sh <<'EOF'\na\nB\nd\nEOF\npytest -q", 'Rewrite and test', '1 passed in 0.1s'),
+      end(1000),
+    ]);
+    // Written (4 lines), then 1 line changed and 1 removed in the same panel: +3, nothing removed.
+    expect(page.panels.find((p) => p.kind === 'fix')).toMatchObject({ added: 3, removed: 0 });
+    expect(page.panels.find((p) => p.kind === 'fix')!.caption.story).toBe('Claude writes the new file run.sh.');
+    // The here-document rewrites run.sh whole, but an earlier panel wrote it: that is a change.
+    expect(page.panels.map((p) => p.caption.story)).toContain('Claude changes run.sh; the tests pass.');
+  });
+
+  it('a short ending keeps the sentence that leaves something open', () => {
+    const page = pageOf([
+      prompt('run them'),
+      said('The background test run finished and all 23 tests passed. The CHANGELOG helper is still running.'),
+      end(1000),
+    ]);
+    expect(page.panels.at(-1)!.balloon!.text).toBe(
+      'The background test run finished and all 23 tests passed. The CHANGELOG helper is still running.'
+    );
+    expect(page.openNote).toBe('note');
+  });
+
   it('the first save no prompt asked for is marked, once; a new branch is named', () => {
     const saves = (ask: string) =>
       pageOf([