feat: load more messages on scroll

docs/changelog/v0.2.10.md

@@ -1,10 +1,11 @@
 # v0.2.10
 
-Follow-up patch release for v0.2.9 addressing auto-updater regressions, adding a command palette, and input polish.
+Follow-up patch release for v0.2.9 addressing auto-updater regressions, adding a command palette, infinite-scroll message history, and input polish.
 
 ## New Features
 
 - Command palette — press Ctrl+K from the message input (or anywhere in the main window) to open a searchable dialog for navigating channels and triggering app actions (connect, disconnect, logout, profile, status, create/delete channel, saved servers, toggle users panel, check for updates, quit). Fuzzy matches against both the label and the underlying key so typing `ch` surfaces channel actions alongside `#channel` entries
+- Scroll-to-load message history — scrolling to the top of a channel now fetches the next batch of older messages in the background (previously only the most recent 100 messages were available). Duplicate messages are filtered by ID, a per-channel guard prevents concurrent fetches, and the scroll position is preserved after the prepend so your reading position doesn't jump
 
 ## Bug Fixes
 
@@ -16,3 +17,5 @@ Follow-up patch release for v0.2.9 addressing auto-updater regressions, adding a
 ## Refactoring
 
 - Move search-dialog dispatch out of `MainWindow` into `AppOrchestrator` — `MainWindow` now just raises `OnSearchRequested`, keeping the view dumb and letting the orchestrator own navigation/action routing
+- `ChatHub.GetChannelHistory` and `IChatService.GetChannelHistoryAsync` gain an additional `offset` parameter for paginated history loading (defaults to `0` — existing callers are unaffected)
+- `ValidationConstants.MaxHistoryCount` raised from `100` to `200` so power users and paginated fetches can request larger batches; `DefaultHistoryCount` stays at `100`

src/EchoHub.Client/AppOrchestrator.cs

@@ -30,6 +30,7 @@ public sealed class AppOrchestrator : IDisposable
     private readonly ConnectionManager _conn = new();
     private readonly Dictionary<string, List<UserPresenceDto>> _channelUsers = new(StringComparer.OrdinalIgnoreCase);
     private readonly Lock _channelUsersLock = new();
+    private readonly HashSet<string> _channelsLoadingMore = new(StringComparer.OrdinalIgnoreCase);
 
     private ClientConfig _config;
     private readonly UserSession _session = new();
@@ -92,6 +93,7 @@ private void WireMainWindowEvents()
         _mainWindow.OnUserProfileRequested += HandleViewProfile;
         _mainWindow.OnChannelJoinRequested += HandleChannelJoinFromMessage;
         _mainWindow.OnSearchRequested += HandleSearchRequested;
+        _mainWindow.OnLoadMoreRequested += HandleLoadMoreRequested;
     }
 
     // ── Command Handler Wiring ─────────────────────────────────────────────
@@ -721,6 +723,31 @@ private void HandleChannelSelected(string channelName)
         }, "Failed to join channel");
     }
 
+    private void HandleLoadMoreRequested()
+    {
+        if (!_conn.IsConnected) return;
+
+        var channel = _mainWindow.CurrentChannel;
+        if (string.IsNullOrEmpty(channel)) return;
+
+        if (!_channelsLoadingMore.Add(channel)) return;
+
+        var offset = _messageManager.GetMessages(channel)?.Count ?? 0;
+
+        RunAsync(async () =>
+        {
+            try
+            {
+                var history = await _conn.GetHistoryAsync(channel, HubConstants.DefaultHistoryCount, offset);
+                InvokeUI(() => _messageManager.PrependHistory(channel, history));
+            }
+            finally
+            {
+                _channelsLoadingMore.Remove(channel);
+            }
+        }, "Failed to load more messages");
+    }
+
     private void HandleChannelJoinFromMessage(string channelName)
     {
         if (!_conn.IsConnected) return;

src/EchoHub.Client/Services/ConnectionManager.cs

@@ -196,8 +196,8 @@ public Task SendMessageAsync(string channel, string content) =>
         _connection?.SendMessageAsync(channel, content)
         ?? throw new InvalidOperationException("Not connected");
 
-    public Task<List<MessageDto>> GetHistoryAsync(string channel) =>
-        _connection?.GetHistoryAsync(channel)
+    public Task<List<MessageDto>> GetHistoryAsync(string channel, int count = HubConstants.DefaultHistoryCount, int offset = 0) =>
+        _connection?.GetHistoryAsync(channel, count, offset)
         ?? throw new InvalidOperationException("Not connected");
 
     public Task<List<UserPresenceDto>> GetOnlineUsersAsync(string channel) =>

src/EchoHub.Client/Services/EchoHubConnection.cs

@@ -154,9 +154,9 @@ public async Task SendMessageAsync(string channelName, string content)
         await _connection.InvokeAsync("SendMessage", channelName, encrypted);
     }
 
-    public async Task<List<MessageDto>> GetHistoryAsync(string channelName, int count = HubConstants.DefaultHistoryCount)
+    public async Task<List<MessageDto>> GetHistoryAsync(string channelName, int count = HubConstants.DefaultHistoryCount, int offset = 0)
     {
-        var messages = await _connection.InvokeAsync<List<MessageDto>>("GetChannelHistory", channelName, count);
+        var messages = await _connection.InvokeAsync<List<MessageDto>>("GetChannelHistory", channelName, count, offset);
         return DecryptMessages(messages);
     }
 

src/EchoHub.Client/UI/Chat/ChatMessageManager.cs

@@ -186,6 +186,39 @@ public void LoadHistory(string channelName, List<MessageDto> messages)
             MessagesChanged?.Invoke(channelName);
     }
 
+    /// <summary>
+    /// Prepend older messages at the front of a channel's buffer, skipping any that are already present.
+    /// Fires <see cref="HistoryPrepended"/> when new lines are actually inserted.
+    /// </summary>
+    public void PrependHistory(string channelName, List<MessageDto> olderMessages)
+    {
+        if (!_channelMessages.TryGetValue(channelName, out var existing))
+            return;
+
+        var existingIds = existing
+            .Where(l => l.MessageId.HasValue)
+            .Select(l => l.MessageId!.Value)
+            .ToHashSet();
+
+        var newLines = olderMessages
+            .Where(m => !existingIds.Contains(m.Id))
+            .SelectMany(FormatMessage)
+            .ToList();
+
+        if (newLines.Count == 0)
+            return;
+
+        existing.InsertRange(0, newLines);
+
+        if (channelName == _currentChannel)
+            HistoryPrepended?.Invoke(channelName);
+    }
+
+    /// <summary>
+    /// Fired after older messages are prepended to a channel's buffer. Parameter is the channel name.
+    /// </summary>
+    public event Action<string>? HistoryPrepended;
+
     /// <summary>
     /// Reset all message state (used on disconnect).
     /// </summary>

src/EchoHub.Client/UI/MainWindow.cs

@@ -1,3 +1,4 @@
+using System.Diagnostics;
 using System.Text.RegularExpressions;
 using EchoHub.Client.Services;
 using EchoHub.Client.Themes;
@@ -117,6 +118,11 @@ public sealed partial class MainWindow : Runnable
     /// </summary>
     public event Action? OnSavedServersRequested;
 
+    /// <summary>
+    /// Fired when the user scrolls to the top of the message list and older messages should be loaded.
+    /// </summary>
+    public event Action? OnLoadMoreRequested;
+
     /// <summary>
     /// Fired when the user requests to create a new channel.
     /// </summary>
@@ -162,6 +168,7 @@ public MainWindow(IApplication app, ChatMessageManager messageManager)
         _app = app;
         _messageManager = messageManager;
         _messageManager.MessagesChanged += OnMessagesChanged;
+        _messageManager.HistoryPrepended += OnHistoryPrepended;
         Arrangement = ViewArrangement.Fixed;
 
         // Menu bar at the top
@@ -222,6 +229,9 @@ public MainWindow(IApplication app, ChatMessageManager messageManager)
         };
         _messageList.Source = new ChatListSource();
         _messageList.Accepting += OnMessageListAccepting;
+        _messageList.VerticalScrollBar.Scrolled += OnMessageListVerticalScrollBarScrolled;
+        _messageList.VerticalScrollBar.Visible = true;
+
         _chatFrame.Add(_messageList);
         Add(_chatFrame);
 
@@ -478,6 +488,12 @@ private void OnMessageListAccepting(object? sender, CommandEventArgs e)
         }
     }
 
+    private void OnMessageListVerticalScrollBarScrolled(object? sender, EventArgs<int> e)
+    {
+        if (_messageList.VerticalScrollBar.Value == 0)
+            OnLoadMoreRequested?.Invoke();
+    }
+
     private void OnUsersListAccepting(object? sender, CommandEventArgs e)
     {
         var index = _usersList.SelectedItem;
@@ -631,6 +647,26 @@ private void OnMessagesChanged(string channelName)
             RefreshChannelList();
     }
 
+    private void OnHistoryPrepended(string channelName)
+    {
+        if (channelName != _messageManager.CurrentChannel)
+            return;
+
+        var messages = _messageManager.GetMessages(channelName);
+        if (messages is null)
+            return;
+
+        var oldCount = (_messageList.Source as ChatListSource)?.Count ?? 0;
+
+        RefreshMessages();
+
+        // Scroll to the item that was at the top before the prepend so the user
+        // stays at their previous reading position rather than jumping to the top.
+        var prependedCount = (_messageList.Source as ChatListSource)?.Count - oldCount;
+        if (prependedCount > 0)
+            _messageList.SelectedItem = prependedCount;
+    }
+
     /// <summary>
     /// Set the list of available channels, storing topics, and refresh the channel list view.
     /// </summary>

src/EchoHub.Core/Constants/ValidationConstants.cs

@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@ public static partial class ValidationConstants
     public const int MaxBioLength = 500;
     public const int MaxStatusMessageLength = 100;
     public const int MaxChannelTopicLength = 500;
-    public const int MaxHistoryCount = 100;
+    public const int MaxHistoryCount = 200;
 
     [GeneratedRegex(UsernamePattern)]
     public static partial Regex UsernameRegex();

src/EchoHub.Core/Contracts/IChatService.cs

@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@ public interface IChatService
 
     // Messaging
     Task<string?> SendMessageAsync(Guid userId, string username, string channelName, string content);
-    Task<List<MessageDto>> GetChannelHistoryAsync(string channelName, int count);
+    Task<List<MessageDto>> GetChannelHistoryAsync(string channelName, int count, int offset = 0);
 
     // Presence
     Task<string?> UpdateStatusAsync(Guid userId, string username, UserStatus status, string? statusMessage);

src/EchoHub.Server/Hubs/ChatHub.cs

@@ -106,11 +106,11 @@ public async Task SendMessage(string channelName, string content)
         }
     }
 
-    public async Task<List<MessageDto>> GetChannelHistory(string channelName, int count = HubConstants.DefaultHistoryCount)
+    public async Task<List<MessageDto>> GetChannelHistory(string channelName, int count = HubConstants.DefaultHistoryCount, int offset = 0)
     {
         try
         {
-            return await _chatService.GetChannelHistoryAsync(channelName, count);
+            return await _chatService.GetChannelHistoryAsync(channelName, count, offset);
         }
         catch (Exception ex)
         {

src/EchoHub.Server/Services/ChatService.cs

@@ -245,15 +245,16 @@ public async Task LeaveChannelAsync(string connectionId, string username, string
         return null;
     }
 
-    public async Task<List<MessageDto>> GetChannelHistoryAsync(string channelName, int count)
+    public async Task<List<MessageDto>> GetChannelHistoryAsync(string channelName, int count, int offset = 0)
     {
         channelName = channelName.ToLowerInvariant().Trim();
         count = Math.Clamp(count, 1, ValidationConstants.MaxHistoryCount);
+        offset = Math.Max(offset, 0);
 
         using var scope = _scopeFactory.CreateScope();
         var db = scope.ServiceProvider.GetRequiredService<EchoHubDbContext>();
 
-        return await GetChannelHistoryInternalAsync(db, channelName, count);
+        return await GetChannelHistoryInternalAsync(db, channelName, count, offset);
     }
 
     public async Task<string?> UpdateStatusAsync(Guid userId, string username, UserStatus status, string? statusMessage)
@@ -366,7 +367,7 @@ private static string SanitizeNewlines(string content)
         return string.Join('\n', result);
     }
 
-    private async Task<List<MessageDto>> GetChannelHistoryInternalAsync(EchoHubDbContext db, string channelName, int count)
+    private async Task<List<MessageDto>> GetChannelHistoryInternalAsync(EchoHubDbContext db, string channelName, int count, int offset = 0)
     {
         var channel = await db.Channels.FirstOrDefaultAsync(c => c.Name == channelName);
         if (channel is null)
@@ -375,6 +376,7 @@ private async Task<List<MessageDto>> GetChannelHistoryInternalAsync(EchoHubDbCon
         var raw = await db.Messages
             .Where(m => m.ChannelId == channel.Id)
             .OrderByDescending(m => m.SentAt)
+            .Skip(offset)
             .Take(count)
             .Join(db.Users,
                 m => m.SenderUserId,

src/EchoHub.Tests/Irc/TestHelpers.cs

@@ -190,7 +190,7 @@ public Task LeaveChannelAsync(string connectionId, string username, string chann
         return Task.FromResult(SendMessageError);
     }
 
-    public Task<List<MessageDto>> GetChannelHistoryAsync(string channelName, int count) =>
+    public Task<List<MessageDto>> GetChannelHistoryAsync(string channelName, int count, int offset = 0) =>
         Task.FromResult(HistoryToReturn);
 
     public Task<string?> UpdateStatusAsync(Guid userId, string username, UserStatus status, string? statusMessage)