Speak dialog choices in plain English, not renderable names

src/tui-opentui/command-surfaces.test.ts

@@ -166,6 +166,27 @@ describe("settings surface", () => {
     })
   })
 
+  test("choosing a cycled row writes a plain-English transcript line, not the internal echo", async () => {
+    await withShell(async (shell) => {
+      const { deps } = settingsDeps()
+      openCommandSurface(shell, "settings", deps)
+      await Promise.resolve()
+      await Promise.resolve()
+
+      cycleOverlaySelection(shell, 1)
+      await Promise.resolve()
+      await Promise.resolve()
+      acceptOverlaySelection(shell)
+
+      const row = shell.streamLog.at(-1)
+      expect(row?.text).toBe("Set compaction to drop.")
+      expect(row?.meta).not.toBe("overlay")
+      expect(row?.text).not.toContain("‹")
+      expect(row?.text).not.toContain("›")
+      expect(row?.text).not.toContain("overlay")
+    })
+  })
+
   test("session mode scope switch honours a local write", async () => {
     await withShell(async (shell) => {
       const { deps, calls } = settingsDeps()

src/tui-opentui/command-surfaces.ts

@@ -251,6 +251,14 @@ function cycleValue<T>(options: readonly T[], current: T, direction: -1 | 1): T
   return next ?? current
 }
 
+/** The active option's plain label — the value an accept echo should report, not the row's painted display string. */
+function activeOptionLabel<T extends string>(
+  options: readonly CycleOption<T>[],
+  activeId: T,
+): string {
+  return options.find((o) => o.id === activeId)?.label ?? activeId
+}
+
 const COMPACTION_OPTIONS: readonly CycleOption<CompactionMode>[] = [
   { id: "llm", label: "summarize" },
   { id: "pruning", label: "drop" },
@@ -273,6 +281,8 @@ const SETTINGS_NAME_WIDTH = 16
 type SettingsCycleRow = {
   readonly id: string
   readonly value: string
+  /** Plain value the row currently holds, for the accept echo — not the painted `value` string. */
+  readonly chosenLabel: string
   readonly describe: ItemDescription
   readonly cycle: (direction: -1 | 1) => void
 }
@@ -286,6 +296,7 @@ function settingsCycleRows(
     {
       id: "compaction",
       value: `${"compaction".padEnd(SETTINGS_NAME_WIDTH)}${cycleField(COMPACTION_OPTIONS, snapshot.compactionMode)}`,
+      chosenLabel: activeOptionLabel(COMPACTION_OPTIONS, snapshot.compactionMode),
       describe: {
         what: "how the transcript is trimmed once the context fills.",
         impact:
@@ -299,6 +310,7 @@ function settingsCycleRows(
     {
       id: "session-mode",
       value: `${"session mode".padEnd(SETTINGS_NAME_WIDTH)}${cycleField(SESSION_MODE_OPTIONS, snapshot.sessionMode)}`,
+      chosenLabel: activeOptionLabel(SESSION_MODE_OPTIONS, snapshot.sessionMode),
       describe: {
         what: "single agent works in-session; orchestrator delegates through a worker fleet.",
         impact: "orchestrator can run sub-agents concurrently and costs more per turn.",
@@ -313,6 +325,7 @@ function settingsCycleRows(
     {
       id: "session-scope",
       value: `${"  scope".padEnd(SETTINGS_NAME_WIDTH)}${cycleField(SESSION_SCOPE_OPTIONS, snapshot.sessionModeScope)}`,
+      chosenLabel: activeOptionLabel(SESSION_SCOPE_OPTIONS, snapshot.sessionModeScope),
       describe: {
         what: "whether the session mode above applies to every repo or just this one.",
         impact: "this repo writes a local override that takes precedence over the global default.",
@@ -326,6 +339,7 @@ function settingsCycleRows(
     {
       id: "wait-for-approval",
       value: `${"approval wait".padEnd(SETTINGS_NAME_WIDTH)}${cycleField(ON_OFF_OPTIONS, snapshot.waitForApproval ? "on" : "off")}`,
+      chosenLabel: activeOptionLabel(ON_OFF_OPTIONS, snapshot.waitForApproval ? "on" : "off"),
       describe: {
         what: "whether a tool's time budget pauses while waiting on your approval.",
         impact: "off counts the wait against the tool's timeout, so a slow approval can time it out.",
@@ -336,6 +350,7 @@ function settingsCycleRows(
     {
       id: "telemetry",
       value: `${"telemetry".padEnd(SETTINGS_NAME_WIDTH)}${cycleField(ON_OFF_OPTIONS, snapshot.telemetryEnabled ? "on" : "off")}`,
+      chosenLabel: activeOptionLabel(ON_OFF_OPTIONS, snapshot.telemetryEnabled ? "on" : "off"),
       describe: {
         what: "anonymous usage data shared to help improve corbits.",
         impact: "off stops all telemetry from this session.",
@@ -346,6 +361,7 @@ function settingsCycleRows(
     {
       id: "prompt-cost",
       value: `${"show cost".padEnd(SETTINGS_NAME_WIDTH)}${cycleField(ON_OFF_OPTIONS, snapshot.showPromptCost ? "on" : "off")}`,
+      chosenLabel: activeOptionLabel(ON_OFF_OPTIONS, snapshot.showPromptCost ? "on" : "off"),
       describe: {
         what: "shows the session's spend in the prompt border, next to the context percentage.",
         impact: "it's a running total that draws the eye every time it changes — off by default; /cost still gives the full breakdown on demand.",
@@ -434,10 +450,17 @@ function renderSettingsMenu(
   ])
   const ids = [...cycleRows.map((r) => r.id), ...navRows.map((r) => r.id)]
   const items = [...cycleRows.map((r) => r.value), ...navRows.map((r) => r.value)]
+  // Nav rows (permissions, plugins, hooks) open a sub-surface rather than
+  // holding a value of their own, so they carry no echo value.
+  const values: readonly (string | undefined)[] = [
+    ...cycleRows.map((r) => r.chosenLabel),
+    ...navRows.map(() => undefined),
+  ]
 
   openSettingsOverlay(shell, {
     items,
     itemIds: ids,
+    itemValues: values,
     activeIndex: Math.min(activeIndex, Math.max(0, items.length - 1)),
     describe: (id) => descById.get(id) ?? null,
     onCycle: (id, direction) => {

src/tui-opentui/overlays.test.ts

@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@ import {
   closeInsetOverlay,
   createAppShell,
   moveOverlaySelection,
+  openListOverlay,
   pageOverlaySelection,
   relayout,
   setShellOverlayHooks,
@@ -223,7 +224,8 @@ describe("model / provider picker", () => {
 
           await h.renderOnce()
           frame = h.captureCharFrame()
-          expect(frame).toContain("chose (model_picker)")
+          expect(frame).toContain("model picker")
+          expect(frame).toMatch(/Chose /)
         } finally {
           shell.dispose()
         }
@@ -444,3 +446,35 @@ describe("resize mid-overlay", () => {
     )
   })
 })
+
+describe("accept echo reads the chosen value structurally", () => {
+  test("a label containing its own ‹ › text does not corrupt the echo", async () => {
+    // A row whose display label happens to contain marker glyphs for reasons
+    // that have nothing to do with the cycled-field convention — the echo
+    // must still report the caller-supplied value, not something scraped
+    // back out of the label.
+    await withTestRenderer(
+      async (h) => {
+        const shell = createAppShell(h.renderer, {
+          terminal: { columns: 80, rows: 24 },
+          wireKeys: false,
+        })
+        try {
+          openListOverlay(shell, {
+            kind: "settings",
+            items: ["server name    ‹ prod › staging"],
+            itemIds: ["server"],
+            itemValues: ["prod"],
+          })
+          acceptOverlaySelection(shell)
+
+          const row = shell.streamLog.at(-1)
+          expect(row?.text).toBe("Set server to prod.")
+        } finally {
+          shell.dispose()
+        }
+      },
+      { width: 80, height: 24 },
+    )
+  })
+})

src/tui-opentui/shell.ts

@@ -267,6 +267,8 @@ export type OverlaySelection = {
   readonly label: string
   /** Stable id when the host provided `itemIds`; otherwise omitted. */
   readonly id?: string
+  /** Plain chosen value when the host provided `itemValues`; otherwise omitted. */
+  readonly value?: string
 }
 
 /**
@@ -1701,6 +1703,7 @@ type PriorOverlaySnapshot = {
   readonly title: string
   readonly paletteCommands: readonly PaletteCommand[]
   readonly itemIds: readonly string[]
+  readonly itemValues: readonly (string | undefined)[]
   readonly onAccept: ((selection: OverlaySelection) => void) | null
   readonly onToggleExpand: (() => void) | null
   readonly onCycle: ((itemId: string, direction: -1 | 1) => void) | null
@@ -1720,6 +1723,8 @@ type ShellInternals = {
   priorOverlay: PriorOverlaySnapshot | null
   /** Optional stable ids aligned with overlayItems for the open primary. */
   overlayItemIds: readonly string[]
+  /** Optional plain chosen values aligned with overlayItems for the open primary. */
+  overlayItemValues: readonly (string | undefined)[]
   /** Per-open accept callback; cleared on close without invoke (Esc path). */
   overlayOnAccept: ((selection: OverlaySelection) => void) | null
   /** False while an overlay that reports its own outcome is open. */
@@ -2963,6 +2968,13 @@ export type OpenListOverlayOpts = {
   readonly items?: readonly string[]
   /** Optional stable ids aligned with `items` (permission scope ids, model ids). */
   readonly itemIds?: readonly string[]
+  /**
+   * Optional plain chosen-value aligned with `items`, for rows whose display
+   * label carries more than the value itself (a cycled field's name, padding,
+   * and `‹ ›` markers around the active option). The accept echo reads this
+   * instead of recovering the value by parsing the label back apart.
+   */
+  readonly itemValues?: readonly (string | undefined)[]
   readonly body?: string
   readonly activeIndex?: number
   readonly frameId?: string
@@ -3055,6 +3067,7 @@ export function openListOverlay(
           title: String(shell.overlayTitle.content),
           paletteCommands: shell.paletteCommands,
           itemIds: bag.overlayItemIds,
+          itemValues: bag.overlayItemValues,
           onAccept: bag.overlayOnAccept,
           onToggleExpand: bag.overlayOnToggleExpand,
           onCycle: bag.overlayOnCycle,
@@ -3085,6 +3098,7 @@ export function openListOverlay(
     // Palette open does not own primary accept; leave prior snapshot's callback.
     if (!isPalette) {
       bag.overlayItemIds = opts?.itemIds ? [...opts.itemIds] : []
+      bag.overlayItemValues = opts?.itemValues ? [...opts.itemValues] : []
       bag.overlayOnAccept = opts?.onAccept ?? null
       bag.overlayEchoChoice = opts?.echoChoice ?? true
       bag.overlayOnToggleExpand = opts?.onToggleExpand ?? null
@@ -3095,6 +3109,7 @@ export function openListOverlay(
     } else if (!bag.priorOverlay) {
       // Bare palette (no primary under it): no accept payload.
       bag.overlayItemIds = opts?.itemIds ? [...opts.itemIds] : []
+      bag.overlayItemValues = opts?.itemValues ? [...opts.itemValues] : []
       bag.overlayOnAccept = opts?.onAccept ?? null
       bag.overlayEchoChoice = opts?.echoChoice ?? true
       bag.overlayOnToggleExpand = opts?.onToggleExpand ?? null
@@ -3347,7 +3362,7 @@ export function handleOverlayAnswerKey(
     appendStreamRow(shell, {
       role: "system",
       text: `answered: ${text}`,
-      meta: "overlay",
+      meta: overlayKindWord(shell.overlayKind ?? "operator"),
     })
     // Deliberate submit, not a dismiss — closeInsetOverlay must not also fire
     // the Esc/cancel path.
@@ -3457,6 +3472,7 @@ export function closeInsetOverlay(shell: AppShell): void {
   // captured before this clears, and is invoked separately once state settles).
   if (bag && !prior) {
     bag.overlayItemIds = []
+    bag.overlayItemValues = []
     bag.overlayOnAccept = null
     bag.overlayOnToggleExpand = null
     bag.overlayOnCycle = null
@@ -3485,6 +3501,7 @@ export function closeInsetOverlay(shell: AppShell): void {
     shell.paletteCommands = prior.paletteCommands
     shell.overlayTitle.content = prior.title
     bag.overlayItemIds = prior.itemIds
+    bag.overlayItemValues = prior.itemValues
     bag.overlayOnAccept = prior.onAccept
     bag.overlayOnToggleExpand = prior.onToggleExpand
     bag.overlayOnCycle = prior.onCycle
@@ -3629,11 +3646,13 @@ export function setOverlayItems(
   shell: AppShell,
   items: readonly string[],
   itemIds?: readonly string[],
+  itemValues?: readonly (string | undefined)[],
 ): void {
   if (!shell.overlayList) return
   shell.overlayItems = items
   const bag = internals.get(shell)
   if (bag && itemIds) bag.overlayItemIds = [...itemIds]
+  if (bag && itemValues) bag.overlayItemValues = [...itemValues]
   shell.overlayList = setListCount(shell.overlayList, items.length)
   paintOverlayList(shell)
 }
@@ -3720,11 +3739,13 @@ export function acceptOverlaySelection(shell: AppShell): void {
 
   const bag = internals.get(shell)
   const id = bag?.overlayItemIds[idx]
+  const value = bag?.overlayItemValues[idx]
   const selection: OverlaySelection = {
     kind,
     index: idx,
     label,
     ...(id !== undefined ? { id } : {}),
+    ...(value !== undefined ? { value } : {}),
   }
   // Capture before close clears per-open state.
   const perOpen = bag?.overlayOnAccept ?? null
@@ -3735,14 +3756,38 @@ export function acceptOverlaySelection(shell: AppShell): void {
   if (bag?.overlayEchoChoice !== false) {
     appendStreamRow(shell, {
       role: "system",
-      text: `chose (${kind}): ${label}`,
-      meta: "overlay",
+      text: overlayChoiceText(label, id, value),
+      meta: overlayKindWord(kind),
     })
   }
   closeInsetOverlay(shell)
   dispatchOverlayAccept(shell, selection, perOpen)
 }
 
+/**
+ * Plain-English echo of an accepted choice. A cycled settings field's label
+ * carries every option with `‹ ›` around the active one (list-painting detail,
+ * not something an operator asked for), so the caller passes the value that
+ * actually won structurally via `itemValues` rather than leaving it to be
+ * recovered from the rendered label — a marker or spacing change, or a label
+ * that legitimately contains `‹`/`›`, would otherwise corrupt the echo
+ * silently. A plain list item has no separate value, so it is quoted as-is.
+ */
+function overlayChoiceText(
+  label: string,
+  id: string | undefined,
+  value: string | undefined,
+): string {
+  if (value === undefined) return `Chose ${label.trim()}.`
+  const field = id === undefined ? "setting" : id.replace(/[-_]/g, " ")
+  return `Set ${field} to ${value}.`
+}
+
+/** Internal overlay kinds read as words in the transcript, not identifiers. */
+function overlayKindWord(kind: PrimaryOverlayKind): string {
+  return kind.replace(/_/g, " ")
+}
+
 /**
  * Dispatch a selected palette item after the palette has closed.
  * - residual → `runPaletteAction` (overlays / chrome)
@@ -3843,8 +3888,8 @@ export function runPaletteAction(
       })
       appendStreamRow(shell, {
         role: "system",
-        text: on ? "goal chrome off" : "goal chrome on",
-        meta: "chrome",
+        text: on ? "goal banner off" : "goal banner on",
+        meta: "goal",
       })
       return
     }
@@ -3856,8 +3901,8 @@ export function runPaletteAction(
       })
       appendStreamRow(shell, {
         role: "system",
-        text: on ? "task chrome off" : "task chrome on",
-        meta: "chrome",
+        text: on ? "task banner off" : "task banner on",
+        meta: "task",
       })
       return
     }
@@ -3870,7 +3915,7 @@ export function runPaletteAction(
       appendStreamRow(shell, {
         role: "system",
         text: on ? "agents strip off" : "agents strip on",
-        meta: "chrome",
+        meta: "agents",
       })
       return
     }
@@ -4174,6 +4219,8 @@ export type OpenResidualListOpts = {
   readonly items?: readonly string[]
   /** Stable ids aligned with `items` (setting keys, session ids, paths). */
   readonly itemIds?: readonly string[]
+  /** Plain chosen value aligned with `items`, for the accept echo (see `OpenListOverlayOpts.itemValues`). */
+  readonly itemValues?: readonly (string | undefined)[]
   readonly activeIndex?: number
   /** Per-open accept; host binds toggle / resume / mention insert. */
   readonly onAccept?: (selection: OverlaySelection) => void
@@ -4194,6 +4241,7 @@ export function openSettingsOverlay(
     activeIndex: opts?.activeIndex ?? 0,
     frameId: "overlay-settings",
     ...(opts?.itemIds !== undefined ? { itemIds: opts.itemIds } : {}),
+    ...(opts?.itemValues !== undefined ? { itemValues: opts.itemValues } : {}),
     ...(opts?.onAccept !== undefined ? { onAccept: opts.onAccept } : {}),
     ...(opts?.onCycle !== undefined ? { onCycle: opts.onCycle } : {}),
     ...(opts?.describe !== undefined ? { describe: opts.describe } : {}),
@@ -5397,6 +5445,7 @@ export function createAppShell(
     overlayBodyRows: undefined,
     priorOverlay: null,
     overlayItemIds: [],
+    overlayItemValues: [],
     overlayOnAccept: null,
     overlayEchoChoice: true,
     overlayOnToggleExpand: null,