fix: persist a2ui surfaces in the database for chats to re-hydrate on

opening an old chat, unless manually dismissed

lib/bds/ai.ex

@@ -186,4 +186,12 @@ defmodule BDS.AI do
 
   @spec cancel_chat(String.t()) :: :ok
   defdelegate cancel_chat(conversation_id), to: Chat
+
+  @spec get_surface_state(String.t()) :: map()
+  defdelegate get_surface_state(conversation_id), to: Chat
+
+  @spec put_surface_state(String.t(), map(), map(), MapSet.t()) ::
+          {:ok, map()} | {:error, term()}
+  defdelegate put_surface_state(conversation_id, surface_data, surface_tabs, dismissed_surfaces),
+    to: Chat
 end

lib/bds/ai/chat.ex

@@ -62,6 +62,42 @@ defmodule BDS.AI.Chat do
     Repo.get(ChatConversation, conversation_id)
   end
 
+  @spec get_surface_state(String.t()) :: map()
+  def get_surface_state(conversation_id) when is_binary(conversation_id) do
+    case Repo.get(ChatConversation, conversation_id) do
+      %ChatConversation{surface_state: state} when is_map(state) -> state
+      _other -> %{}
+    end
+  end
+
+  @spec put_surface_state(String.t(), map(), map(), MapSet.t()) ::
+          {:ok, map()} | {:error, term()}
+  def put_surface_state(conversation_id, surface_data, surface_tabs, dismissed_surfaces)
+      when is_binary(conversation_id) do
+    case Repo.get(ChatConversation, conversation_id) do
+      nil ->
+        {:error, :not_found}
+
+      %ChatConversation{} = conversation ->
+        state = %{
+          "surface_data" => surface_data,
+          "surface_tabs" => surface_tabs,
+          "dismissed_surfaces" => MapSet.to_list(dismissed_surfaces)
+        }
+
+        conversation
+        |> ChatConversation.changeset(%{
+          surface_state: state,
+          updated_at: Persistence.now_ms()
+        })
+        |> Repo.update()
+        |> case do
+          {:ok, _updated} -> {:ok, state}
+          error -> error
+        end
+    end
+  end
+
   @spec delete_chat_conversation(String.t()) :: {:ok, :deleted} | {:error, :not_found | term()}
   def delete_chat_conversation(conversation_id) when is_binary(conversation_id) do
     case Repo.get(ChatConversation, conversation_id) do

lib/bds/ai/chat_conversation.ex

@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@ defmodule BDS.AI.ChatConversation do
           title: String.t() | nil,
           model: String.t() | nil,
           copilot_session_id: String.t() | nil,
+          surface_state: map() | nil,
           created_at: integer() | nil,
           updated_at: integer() | nil
         }
@@ -19,13 +20,14 @@ defmodule BDS.AI.ChatConversation do
     field :title, :string
     field :model, :string
     field :copilot_session_id, :string
+    field :surface_state, :map
     field :created_at, :integer
     field :updated_at, :integer
   end
 
   def changeset(conversation, attrs) do
     conversation
-    |> cast(attrs, [:id, :title, :model, :copilot_session_id, :created_at, :updated_at],
+    |> cast(attrs, [:id, :title, :model, :copilot_session_id, :surface_state, :created_at, :updated_at],
       empty_values: [nil]
     )
     |> validate_required([:id, :title, :created_at, :updated_at])

lib/bds/desktop/shell_live/bridges.ex

@@ -116,6 +116,15 @@ defmodule BDS.Desktop.ShellLive.Bridges do
     {:noreply, assign(socket, :chat_editor_request_refs, refs)}
   end
 
+  def handle_info({:persist_surface_state, conversation_id}, socket, _callbacks) do
+    send_update(ChatEditor,
+      id: "chat-editor-#{conversation_id}",
+      action: :persist_surface_state
+    )
+
+    {:noreply, socket}
+  end
+
   def handle_info({:chat_editor_toggle_sidebar}, socket, callbacks) do
     {:noreply,
      callbacks.refresh_layout.(socket, Workbench.toggle_sidebar(socket.assigns.workbench))}

lib/bds/desktop/shell_live/chat_editor.ex

@@ -1,6 +1,8 @@
 defmodule BDS.Desktop.ShellLive.ChatEditor do
   @moduledoc false
 
+  require Logger
+
   use Phoenix.LiveComponent
 
   import Phoenix.HTML, only: [raw: 1]
@@ -37,6 +39,10 @@ defmodule BDS.Desktop.ShellLive.ChatEditor do
     {:ok, do_note_streaming_content(socket, content)}
   end
 
+  def update(%{action: :persist_surface_state}, socket) do
+    {:ok, persist_surface_state(socket)}
+  end
+
   def update(assigns, socket) do
     socket =
       socket
@@ -97,7 +103,7 @@ defmodule BDS.Desktop.ShellLive.ChatEditor do
         socket
       ) do
     next_data = Map.put(socket.assigns.surface_data, surface_id, fields)
-    {:noreply, assign(socket, :surface_data, next_data) |> build_data()}
+    {:noreply, assign(socket, :surface_data, next_data) |> schedule_surface_state_persist() |> build_data()}
   end
 
   def handle_event(
@@ -111,6 +117,7 @@ defmodule BDS.Desktop.ShellLive.ChatEditor do
         :surface_tabs,
         Map.put(socket.assigns.surface_tabs, surface_id, parse_integer(index))
       )
+      |> persist_surface_state()
       |> build_data()
 
     {:noreply, socket}
@@ -120,6 +127,7 @@ defmodule BDS.Desktop.ShellLive.ChatEditor do
     socket =
       socket
       |> assign(:dismissed_surfaces, MapSet.put(socket.assigns.dismissed_surfaces, surface_id))
+      |> persist_surface_state()
       |> build_data()
 
     {:noreply, socket}
@@ -148,14 +156,29 @@ defmodule BDS.Desktop.ShellLive.ChatEditor do
   defp ensure_state(socket) do
     conversation_id = socket.assigns.current_tab.id
 
+    persisted = AI.get_surface_state(conversation_id)
+
+    {surface_data, surface_tabs, dismissed_surfaces} =
+      case persisted do
+        state when is_map(state) and map_size(state) > 0 ->
+          {
+            state["surface_data"] || %{},
+            state["surface_tabs"] || %{},
+            MapSet.new(state["dismissed_surfaces"] || [])
+          }
+
+        _other ->
+          {%{}, %{}, MapSet.new()}
+      end
+
     defaults = %{
       conversation_id: conversation_id,
       input: "",
       model_selector_open?: false,
       request: nil,
-      surface_data: %{},
-      surface_tabs: %{},
-      dismissed_surfaces: MapSet.new(),
+      surface_data: surface_data,
+      surface_tabs: surface_tabs,
+      dismissed_surfaces: dismissed_surfaces,
       action_error: nil
     }
 
@@ -819,6 +842,41 @@ defmodule BDS.Desktop.ShellLive.ChatEditor do
 
   # ── Private helpers ───────────────────────────────────────────────────────
 
+  @surface_state_debounce_ms 500
+
+  defp persist_surface_state(socket) do
+    conversation_id = socket.assigns.conversation_id
+    surface_data = socket.assigns.surface_data
+    surface_tabs = socket.assigns.surface_tabs
+    dismissed_surfaces = socket.assigns.dismissed_surfaces
+
+    case AI.put_surface_state(conversation_id, surface_data, surface_tabs, dismissed_surfaces) do
+      {:ok, _state} ->
+        :ok
+
+      {:error, reason} ->
+        Logger.warning("Failed to persist surface state for conversation #{conversation_id}",
+          reason: inspect(reason)
+        )
+    end
+
+    socket
+  end
+
+  defp schedule_surface_state_persist(socket) do
+    if socket.assigns[:surface_state_timer] do
+      Process.cancel_timer(socket.assigns[:surface_state_timer])
+    end
+
+    timer =
+      Process.send_after(
+        self(),
+        {:persist_surface_state, socket.assigns.conversation_id},
+        @surface_state_debounce_ms
+      )
+
+    assign(socket, :surface_state_timer, timer)
+  end
 
   defp active_project_id(socket) do
     socket.assigns[:project_id]

priv/repo/migrations/20260527175452_add_chat_conversation_surface_state.exs

@@ -0,0 +1,9 @@
+defmodule BDS.Repo.Migrations.AddChatConversationSurfaceState do
+  use Ecto.Migration
+
+  def change do
+    alter table(:chat_conversations) do
+      add :surface_state, :text
+    end
+  end
+end

test/bds/ai_test.exs

@@ -1477,6 +1477,39 @@ defmodule BDS.AITest do
     assert Enum.map(messages, & &1.role) == [:user]
   end
 
+  test "get_surface_state and put_surface_state persist and restore surface UI state" do
+    assert {:ok, conversation} = BDS.AI.start_chat(%{title: "Surface State", model: "gpt-4.1"})
+
+    surface_data = %{"msg-1-surface-0" => %{"query" => "hello"}}
+    surface_tabs = %{"msg-1-surface-1" => 2}
+    dismissed = MapSet.new(["msg-1-surface-0"])
+
+    assert {:ok, _state} =
+             BDS.AI.put_surface_state(
+               conversation.id,
+               surface_data,
+               surface_tabs,
+               dismissed
+             )
+
+    loaded = BDS.AI.get_surface_state(conversation.id)
+    assert loaded["surface_data"] == surface_data
+    assert loaded["surface_tabs"] == surface_tabs
+    assert MapSet.new(loaded["dismissed_surfaces"]) == dismissed
+  end
+
+  test "get_surface_state returns empty map for conversation without surface state" do
+    assert {:ok, conversation} = BDS.AI.start_chat(%{title: "No Surface State", model: "gpt-4.1"})
+
+    loaded = BDS.AI.get_surface_state(conversation.id)
+    assert loaded == %{}
+  end
+
+  test "get_surface_state returns empty map for unknown conversation" do
+    loaded = BDS.AI.get_surface_state("nonexistent-id")
+    assert loaded == %{}
+  end
+
   defp create_project_fixture(name) do
     temp_dir = Path.join(System.tmp_dir!(), "bds-ai-#{System.unique_integer([:positive])}")
     on_exit(fn -> File.rm_rf(temp_dir) end)

test/bds/desktop/shell_live_test.exs

@@ -4043,6 +4043,87 @@ defmodule BDS.Desktop.ShellLiveTest do
     assert live_js =~ "this.syncExpandedSurfaces();"
   end
 
+  test "chat editor restores dismissed surfaces from persisted surface state when reopening a chat" do
+    assert {:ok, conversation} = AI.start_chat(%{title: "Reopen Chat", model: "gpt-4.1"})
+
+    now = Persistence.now_ms()
+
+    Repo.insert!(
+      BDS.AI.ChatMessage.changeset(%BDS.AI.ChatMessage{}, %{
+        conversation_id: conversation.id,
+        role: :user,
+        content: "Show me two cards",
+        created_at: now
+      })
+    )
+
+    Repo.insert!(
+      BDS.AI.ChatMessage.changeset(%BDS.AI.ChatMessage{}, %{
+        conversation_id: conversation.id,
+        role: :assistant,
+        content: "Here are two cards.",
+        tool_calls:
+          Jason.encode!([
+            %{
+              "id" => "call-card-a",
+              "name" => "render_card",
+              "arguments" => %{
+                "title" => "UniqueTitleAlpha",
+                "body" => "First card alpha"
+              }
+            },
+            %{
+              "id" => "call-card-b",
+              "name" => "render_card",
+              "arguments" => %{
+                "title" => "UniqueTitleBeta",
+                "body" => "Second card beta"
+              }
+            }
+          ]),
+        created_at: now + 1
+      })
+    )
+
+    {:ok, view, _html} = live_isolated(build_conn(), BDS.Desktop.ShellLive)
+
+    html =
+      render_click(view, "pin_sidebar_item", %{
+        "route" => "chat",
+        "id" => conversation.id,
+        "title" => conversation.title,
+        "subtitle" => conversation.model || "chat"
+      })
+
+    assert length(:binary.matches(html, ~s(data-testid="chat-inline-surface"))) == 2
+
+    surface_id_a = Regex.run(~r/id="([^"]+-surface-0)"/, html) |> Enum.at(1)
+
+    dismissed_html =
+      view
+      |> element("button[phx-value-surface-id='#{surface_id_a}']")
+      |> render_click()
+
+    assert length(:binary.matches(dismissed_html, ~s(data-testid="chat-inline-surface"))) == 1
+
+    persisted = AI.get_surface_state(conversation.id)
+    assert MapSet.new(persisted["dismissed_surfaces"]) == MapSet.new([surface_id_a])
+
+    {:ok, view2, _html2} = live_isolated(build_conn(), BDS.Desktop.ShellLive)
+
+    html2 =
+      render_click(view2, "pin_sidebar_item", %{
+        "route" => "chat",
+        "id" => conversation.id,
+        "title" => conversation.title,
+        "subtitle" => conversation.model || "chat"
+      })
+
+    assert length(:binary.matches(html2, ~s(data-testid="chat-inline-surface"))) == 1
+    assert html2 =~ "UniqueTitleBeta"
+    refute html2 =~ ~r/id="#{Regex.escape(surface_id_a)}"/
+  end
+
   test "chat editor folds tool-only assistant steps into the final assistant answer" do
     assert {:ok, conversation} = AI.start_chat(%{title: "Tool Chat", model: "gpt-4.1"})