style(tui): UI polish pass (v0.5.1)

Cosmetic refinements on top of v0.5.0's content-only main pane. No
behavior change; ships as a patch bump.

## Color signal — terminal labels tinted per outcome

The transcript's [done]/[error]/[cancelled] labels were plain
foreground (Australis #a9bcc3 white), which made them slow to scan
against the surrounding assistant text. Now tinted per outcome:

- [done]      → Aurora green   (#16B866 / $success)
- [error]     → Dawn red       (#ff491a / $error)
- [cancelled] → Dawn yellow    (#e1c631 / $warning)

The post-Done Rule() separator is also tinted to Australis dark-60
(#86929d) so the streamed-text → markdown-body boundary reads as
chrome, not a content artifact.

## Empty-state placeholders

Tools and Debug panes were stark-empty before any turn fired — easy
to misread as "the pane is broken." Now show placeholder lines on
mount in Sea dark-50 italic:

  Tools tab: (no tool events yet — start a turn that uses tools)
  Debug tab: (waiting for telemetry — start a turn)

The placeholders scroll off naturally as real events fill the panes.

## Live thinking widget self-explains

The thinking-current Static at the top of the right column used to
just display raw thinking content with no context — an operator
glancing at the screen mid-stream might not realize they were
looking at LLM chain-of-thought. Now prefixed with "thinking… " so
the widget self-identifies.

## Spacing + chrome

- Transcript / tools-log / debug-log: 1-cell horizontal padding so
  content doesn't hug the column border.
- thinking-current: italic text-style on top of the dark-60 color,
  so the live-preview band is visually distinct from solid-colored
  log content.
- Active tab in TabbedContent: Aurora bright-cyan label + bold
  text-style, so the eye lands on the currently selected pane.
- Input placeholder text: tinted to Sea dark-50 so it reads as
  placeholder, not content.

## Test impact

3 new tests added (test_done_label_styled_success,
test_empty_state_placeholders_present, plus the polish hits
test_thinking_widget_truncation / test_thinking_coalesce updated for
the "thinking… " prefix). 4 existing tests that checked
`isinstance(w, str) and w.startswith("[done]")` updated to use the
_text_of helper (terminal labels are now RichText, not str).
_spy_writes helper widened to accept positional args after Textual's
internal deferred-render path started passing them positionally
post-Resize.

241/241 GREEN; ruff clean. Live smoke against personal Worldtree
confirmed: Done line renders in Aurora green #16B866 verbatim;
both placeholder lines appear in dark-50; thinking widget shows
"thinking… <content>" during a turn.

Patch bump (v0.5.0 → v0.5.1) per SemVer etiquette: purely cosmetic;
no signature change; no caller-visible behavioral shift.

persistent-memory.md

@@ -32,9 +32,9 @@ separate dev team rather than an in-tree Worldtree tool.
 
 ## Current state / in-flight
 
-_As of 2026-05-24 (post-v0.5.0 content-only main pane + Debug tab):_
+_As of 2026-05-24 (post-v0.5.1 UI polish pass):_
 
-**Status: v0.5.0 shipped.** Nine core issues complete (`sse_client`
+**Status: v0.5.1 shipped.** Nine core issues complete (`sse_client`
 #1, `sessions` #2, `cli` #3, `tui` #4, `--end-user-id` #5, TUI
 startup error visibility #6, presenter contract semantics amendment
 #12, startup agent picker #8, §5 layout reshape + Tools pane #13)
@@ -51,7 +51,8 @@ Static in the footer (static "Tools" v1; dynamic when more tabs
 land). CLI mode (--send) unaffected by design — INV-018.
 
 Last commits on `main`:
-- v0.5.0 refactor(tui): content-only main pane + Debug tab + chrome dark
+- v0.5.1 style(tui): polish pass — colored terminal labels, placeholders, padding
+- `ffd22fb` refactor(tui): content-only main pane + Debug tab + chrome dark (v0.5.0)
 - `2756f5f` style(tui): apply Australis theme to TUI chrome + widgets (v0.4.1)
 - `24e4371` feat(tui): issue #13 — §5 layout reshape + Tools pane (v0.4.0)
 - `d30be12` feat(sessions,cli,tui): issue #8 — startup agent picker (v0.3.0)

pyproject.toml

@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@ build-backend = "hatchling.build"
 
 [project]
 name = "ratatoskr"
-version = "0.5.0"
+version = "0.5.1"
 description = "Worldtree Conversation API debug TUI — multi-pane observability dashboard"
 readme = "README.md"
 requires-python = ">=3.12"

src/ratatoskr/tui.py

@@ -118,6 +118,7 @@ _AU_ERROR = "#ff491a"
 _AU_WARNING = "#e1c631"
 _AU_USER_ECHO = "#42dcd1"  # bright cyan — operator's voice
 _AU_DEMOTED = "#86929d"  # dark 60 — demoted telemetry (was bare "dim")
+_AU_DEMOTED_FAINT = "#6e7882"  # dark 50 — empty-state placeholder text
 
 
 # ---- Issue #12 presenter contract semantics amendment -------------------------
@@ -227,8 +228,12 @@ class TuiPresenterState:
                     self.thinking_open = True
                 self.thinking_buffer.append(event.content)
                 acc = "".join(self.thinking_buffer)
-                display_text = ("…" + acc[-200:]) if len(acc) > 200 else acc
-                thinking_widget.update(display_text)
+                # v0.5.1 polish: prefix the live widget with "thinking… " so
+                # operators recognize what the streaming content is (otherwise
+                # the static-content under Header reads like uncontextualized
+                # spillover). Truncate display to last 200 chars + ellipsis.
+                tail = ("…" + acc[-200:]) if len(acc) > 200 else acc
+                thinking_widget.update(f"thinking… {tail}")
                 return
             # Non-thinking event: close any open thinking run.
             # v0.5.0: closed thinking runs land in debug_log (Debug pane), not
@@ -246,29 +251,38 @@ class TuiPresenterState:
                 log.write(event.content)
                 return
             if isinstance(event, (Done, Error, Cancelled)):
-                # Terminal events: load-bearing label (no demotion).
+                # Terminal events: load-bearing label tinted per outcome.
+                # v0.5.1 polish: Aurora green / Dawn red / Dawn yellow so the
+                # turn-terminal status is scannable at a glance vs blending
+                # with default foreground.
                 if isinstance(event, Done):
-                    log.write(
+                    log.write(RichText(
                         f"[done] turn_id={event.sse_id.turn_id} model={event.model} "
                         f"duration={_format_duration_ms(event.duration_ms)} "
-                        f"usage {_format_usage(event.usage, arrow='→')}"
-                    )
+                        f"usage {_format_usage(event.usage, arrow='→')}",
+                        style=_AU_SUCCESS,
+                    ))
                     if not raw:
                         from rich.markdown import Markdown
                         from rich.rule import Rule
 
-                        log.write(Rule())
+                        # Rule tinted to match the column border so the
+                        # streamed-text / markdown-render boundary reads as
+                        # part of the chrome family, not a content artifact.
+                        log.write(Rule(style=_AU_DEMOTED))
                         log.write(Markdown(event.response))
                 elif isinstance(event, Error):
-                    log.write(
+                    log.write(RichText(
                         f"[error] turn_id={event.sse_id.turn_id} code={event.error_code} "
-                        f"message={event.message!r}"
-                    )
+                        f"message={event.message!r}",
+                        style=_AU_ERROR,
+                    ))
                 else:  # Cancelled
-                    log.write(
+                    log.write(RichText(
                         f"[cancelled] turn_id={event.turn_id} reason={event.reason!r} "
-                        f"partial_message_id={event.partial_message_id}"
-                    )
+                        f"partial_message_id={event.partial_message_id}",
+                        style=_AU_WARNING,
+                    ))
                 # Belt-and-braces (Volva F3): ensure widget cleared+hidden on EVERY
                 # terminal event, even if thinking_open was False — per STEPS 5-6.
                 thinking_widget.update("")
@@ -433,17 +447,26 @@ class RatatoskrApp(App[int]):
         height: auto;
         color: $au-dark-60;
         padding: 0 1;
+        text-style: italic;
     }
     #transcript {
         height: 1fr;
         background: $background;
+        padding: 0 1;
     }
     #tools-log, #debug-log {
         background: $background;
+        padding: 0 1;
     }
     #side-panes Tabs {
         background: $surface;
     }
+    /* Active tab: Aurora bright-cyan label so the operator's eye lands
+       on the currently selected pane name. */
+    #side-panes Tab.-active {
+        color: $au-bright-cyan;
+        text-style: bold;
+    }
     #prompt {
         dock: bottom;
         border: tall $panel;
@@ -451,6 +474,10 @@ class RatatoskrApp(App[int]):
     #prompt:focus {
         border: tall $primary;
     }
+    /* Placeholder text in the Input — dimmer than typed content. */
+    #prompt > .input--placeholder {
+        color: $au-dark-50;
+    }
     #identity {
         dock: bottom;
         height: 1;
@@ -549,6 +576,21 @@ class RatatoskrApp(App[int]):
         self.query_one("#identity", Static).update(identity)
         # Issue #12: thinking widget hidden until a thinking event fires.
         self.query_one("#thinking-current", Static).display = False
+        # v0.5.1 polish: empty-state placeholder lines so the operator sees
+        # the pane is intentionally empty (not broken) before any turn fires.
+        # Wrapped in Australis dark-50 italic so they read distinctly as
+        # placeholder text, not real telemetry. Disappear naturally as the
+        # log fills with real events (the placeholders scroll off the top).
+        from rich.text import Text as RichText
+        placeholder_style = f"{_AU_DEMOTED_FAINT} italic"
+        self.query_one("#tools-log", RichLog).write(
+            RichText("(no tool events yet — start a turn that uses tools)",
+                     style=placeholder_style)
+        )
+        self.query_one("#debug-log", RichLog).write(
+            RichText("(waiting for telemetry — start a turn)",
+                     style=placeholder_style)
+        )
         self.state = "idle"
         self._set_hint(self.HINT_IDLE)
 

tests/test_tui.py

@@ -61,13 +61,18 @@ def _args_existing(session_id: str = "s-1existing", **overrides) -> ParsedArgs:
 
 
 def _spy_writes(monkeypatch) -> list:
-    """Patch RichLog.write to record every arg into a list (returned)."""
+    """Patch RichLog.write to record every arg into a list (returned).
+
+    Accepts *args/**kwargs so Textual's internal deferred-render path
+    (which calls write positionally with width/expand/shrink/scroll_end)
+    still works after a write-during-mount + Resize sequence.
+    """
     writes: list = []
     original = RichLog.write
 
-    def spy(self, content, **kw):
+    def spy(self, content, *args, **kw):
         writes.append(content)
-        return original(self, content, **kw)
+        return original(self, content, *args, **kw)
 
     monkeypatch.setattr(RichLog, "write", spy)
     return writes
@@ -147,8 +152,9 @@ class TestTuiPresenterState:
         )
         # Widget updated 3 times — once per delta — with cumulative content
         assert widget.update.call_count == 3
-        # Latest call shows the full accumulated content (under 200 chars so no truncation)
-        assert widget.update.call_args_list[-1][0][0] == "abc"
+        # Latest call shows the full accumulated content (under 200 chars so no truncation).
+        # v0.5.1 polish: widget text is prefixed with "thinking… " for self-explanation.
+        assert widget.update.call_args_list[-1][0][0] == "thinking… abc"
         # Widget became visible at first delta
         assert widget.display is True
         # No RichLog write yet — closure hasn't fired
@@ -218,9 +224,11 @@ class TestTuiPresenterState:
             raw=False,
         )
         last_update = widget.update.call_args_list[-1][0][0]
-        # …-prefix + last-200 = 201 chars
-        assert last_update.startswith("…")
-        assert len(last_update) == 201
+        # v0.5.1 polish: widget gets a "thinking… " prefix + ellipsis-truncated tail.
+        assert last_update.startswith("thinking… ")
+        # tail is "…" + last-200 = 201 chars; prefix is 10 chars ("thinking… ")
+        assert len(last_update) == len("thinking… ") + 201
+        assert "…" in last_update
 
     def test_thinking_widget_visibility_lifecycle(self) -> None:
         """thinking_widget_visibility_lifecycle [trace]: hidden at start; visible during thinking;
@@ -426,8 +434,8 @@ class TestTuiPresenterState:
         writes = [c[0][0] for c in log.write.call_args_list]
         # Text stream wrote "hi" with no prefix.
         assert "hi" in writes
-        # [done] label wrote.
-        assert any(isinstance(w, str) and w.startswith("[done]") for w in writes)
+        # v0.5.1: [done] label is now RichText (Aurora green); plain content test via _text_of.
+        assert any(_text_of(w).startswith("[done]") for w in writes)
         # Rule + Markdown render present (post-Done body re-render per issue #4 INV-005).
         assert any(isinstance(w, Rule) for w in writes)
         assert any(isinstance(w, Markdown) for w in writes)
@@ -623,9 +631,9 @@ class TestTuiPresenterState:
             raw=True,
         )
         done_line = next(
-            c[0][0]
+            _text_of(c[0][0])
             for c in log.write.call_args_list
-            if isinstance(c[0][0], str) and c[0][0].startswith("[done]")
+            if _text_of(c[0][0]).startswith("[done]")
         )
         assert "duration=5.5s" in done_line
         assert "duration_ms=5467" not in done_line
@@ -651,9 +659,9 @@ class TestTuiPresenterState:
             raw=True,
         )
         done_line = next(
-            c[0][0]
+            _text_of(c[0][0])
             for c in log.write.call_args_list
-            if isinstance(c[0][0], str) and c[0][0].startswith("[done]")
+            if _text_of(c[0][0]).startswith("[done]")
         )
         assert "usage 6756 in → 126 out (6882 total, 0 cached)" in done_line
 
@@ -914,6 +922,59 @@ class TestLayoutShape:
             await pilot.pause()
             assert app.query_one("#side-panes", TabbedContent).active == "debug-tab"
 
+    async def test_done_label_styled_success(self) -> None:
+        """done_label_styled_success [v0.5.1]: [done] label renders in Aurora green."""
+        from rich.text import Text as RichText
+        from textual.widgets import RichLog
+
+        app = _resolved_app(_args_new(), session_id="s-new12345", agent_id="mimir")
+        async with app.run_test() as pilot:
+            await pilot.pause()
+            # Probe the presenter directly — write a Done via state.render.
+            from ratatoskr.tui import TuiPresenterState
+            log = app.query_one("#transcript", RichLog)
+            state = TuiPresenterState()
+            seen: list = []
+            orig = log.write
+            log.write = lambda c, *a, **kw: (seen.append(c), orig(c, *a, **kw))[1]
+            state.render(
+                _make_tui_done(),
+                log=log,
+                thinking_widget=app.query_one("#thinking-current"),
+                tools_log=app.query_one("#tools-log", RichLog),
+                debug_log=app.query_one("#debug-log", RichLog),
+                raw=True,
+            )
+            done = next(
+                c for c in seen
+                if isinstance(c, RichText) and _text_of(c).startswith("[done]")
+            )
+            assert done.style == "#16B866"  # Aurora green
+
+    async def test_empty_state_placeholders_present(self) -> None:
+        """empty_state_placeholders_present [v0.5.1]: tools-log + debug-log show
+        placeholder lines before any turn fires."""
+        from textual.widgets import RichLog
+
+        app = _resolved_app(_args_new(), session_id="s-new12345", agent_id="mimir")
+        async with app.run_test() as pilot:
+            await pilot.pause()
+            # Activate Debug tab so its content actually renders.
+            from textual.widgets import TabbedContent
+            tabbed = app.query_one("#side-panes", TabbedContent)
+            tabbed.active = "debug-tab"
+            await pilot.pause()
+            tabbed.active = "tools-tab"
+            await pilot.pause()
+            tools_log = app.query_one("#tools-log", RichLog)
+            debug_log = app.query_one("#debug-log", RichLog)
+            tools_text = " ".join(str(line) for line in tools_log.lines)
+            tabbed.active = "debug-tab"
+            await pilot.pause()
+            debug_text = " ".join(str(line) for line in debug_log.lines)
+            assert "no tool events" in tools_text
+            assert "waiting for telemetry" in debug_text
+
     async def test_pane_name_updates_on_tab_switch(self) -> None:
         """pane_name_updates_on_tab_switch [v0.5.0]: pane-name reflects active tab.
 

uv.lock

@@ -968,7 +968,7 @@ wheels = [
 
 [[package]]
 name = "ratatoskr"
-version = "0.5.0"
+version = "0.5.1"
 source = { editable = "." }
 dependencies = [
     { name = "httpx" },