howcode 0.1.66

0.1.66 Hotfixes (because .67 has to be more special)

• Branch/worktree creation now normalizes messy names with spaces into Git-safe names.
• Inline branch actions can now create a child worktree under that branch.
• Child worktrees keep their recorded parent branch after dev/app restart.
• Worktrees can only be created from the active branch.
• Sidebar branch/worktree actions now show an in-place spinner while they are running.
• Sidebar changes now patch in place instead of refetching the whole shell state.
• Reasoning block headers no longer dump raw CoT when a model does not provide headers.
• Theme changes now apply instantly instead of waiting for a full shell refresh.
• Fixes to light modes
• Dictation controls now hide while composer inputs are locked.
• Tiny composer widths now keep the Terminal icon visible instead of dropping the whole control.
• Git diffs use remote HEAD as the default branch.
• Git diffs add parent-branch baseline and drop Yesterday.
• Updated bundled Pi SDK/runtime packages to 0.76.0.

Snapshot: May 28, 2026.

howcode 0.1.66

• Split desktop Pi/runtime work into a stock-Node service so native deps stop fighting Electron.
  Reason being that Pi compiles your extensions against your system Node. Things were getting messy. The app is compiled to work with Node 24, 25 and 26.
• Rebuilt the project sidebar into a proper git-oriented work surface.
• Branches: start sessions, assign/unassign sessions, remove branches.
• Worktrees: create, start sessions inside them, mark complete, merge/remove.
• Branches + worktrees: one-click merge/remove completed worktrees.
  Please note some of these actions are irreversible. Safeguards around errors, but if it succeeds, they're gone.
• De-cardified a lot of the UI: quieter chat/tool rows, composer popovers, Skills/Extensions, Settings, Inbox, artifacts, and GitOps diffs.
• Project dashboard is now it's separate thing, not connected to starting a session anymore.
• Split up app shell, composer, terminal, GitOps, inbox, settings, artifacts, and runtime-host code.
• Added cleaner app module boundaries with @howcode/* aliases and native capability folders. First step to pluginisation of the app.
• Upgraded GitOps diffs to use Pierre's streamed CodeView renderer.
• GitOps now shows image previews.
• Made GitOps diffs less likely to freeze the UI.
• Added configurable app keybindings. More coming soon™
• Added custom Pi directory settings.
• Added thread find and result highlights.
• Updated dependencies.
• Edit tool now displays diffs.
• Sidebar fold/unfold button placement moved around.
• Fixed packaged macOS terminal startup (thank you, BlockedPath).
• Fixed dev-channel updater checks getting stuck on stale archives.
• Fixed same-version update hash checks.
• Fixed new project threads vanishing during refreshes.
• Fixed code landing/project dashboard routing.
• Fixed empty dashboard threads piling up.
• Fixed Pi TUI new-thread sidebar handoff.
• Cleaned up sidebar popovers and project-work styling.
• Quieted missing-session noise and checkbox jumps.
• Fixed extension summaries locking the composer.

Snapshot: May 27, 2026.

Release channel

This is the moving stable channel used by npx howcode. Future app updates refresh these GitHub Release assets without requiring an npm package publish unless the launcher itself changes.

howcode dev (0.1.67)

howcode dev (0.1.67)

• Added server headless/browser mode. Use howcode --server --host 0.0.0.0 --token xyz. The app is usable in a mobile browser if you wish to do so.
• Added native Smart BTW extension, and subsequently removed it, because...
• Howcode now uses new Pi SDK to render dialogs, widgets, statuslines and notifications.
• Extensions pass through shortcuts.
• Fancy react-rendered extensions not supported yet. Only normal-ish widgets.
• Implemented /tree functionality with labelling and summarisation.
• Split Pi TUI takeover and the terminal drawer properly.
• Shortcut handling improved when Pi TUI is on.
• Resolved an annoying bug that didn't allow typing into Pi TUI.
• Added Pi project trust prompts in desktop, backed by Pi's trust store.
• Reworked widgets, dialogs, attachments, /commands to feel like a coherent stack.
• Rebuilt the workspace rails around the composer/thread. Better responsiveness.
• Fixed the empty composer being taller than a composer with text in it.
• Fixed Past sessions count alignment in the sidebar.
• Fixed macOS window dragging and native Cmd+A select-all.
• Updated Pi SDK/runtime packages to 0.79.1.
• Bumped app/build dependencies.

Snapshot: 12 June 2026.

0.1.66 Hotfixes (because .67 has to be more special)

• Branch/worktree creation now normalizes messy names with spaces into Git-safe names.
• Inline branch actions can now create a child worktree under that branch.
• Child worktrees keep their recorded parent branch after dev/app restart.
• Worktrees can only be created from the active branch.
• Sidebar branch/worktree actions now show an in-place spinner while they are running.
• Sidebar changes now patch in place instead of refetching the whole shell state.
• Reasoning block headers no longer dump raw CoT when a model does not provide headers.
• Theme changes now apply instantly instead of waiting for a full shell refresh.
• Fixes to light modes
• Dictation controls now hide while composer inputs are locked.
• Tiny composer widths now keep the Terminal icon visible instead of dropping the whole control.
• Git diffs use remote HEAD as the default branch.
• Git diffs add parent-branch baseline and drop Yesterday.
• Updated bundled Pi SDK/runtime packages to 0.76.0.

Snapshot: 28 May 2026.

Release channel

This is the moving dev channel used by npx howcode@dev. Future app updates refresh these GitHub Release assets without requiring an npm package publish unless the launcher itself changes.

howcode 0.1.64

howcode 0.1.64

Highlights

• Added copy controls to chat and reasoning messages.
• Made chat text selection less annoying. Dragging over messages should not collapse them.
• Improved wrapping for long markdown, links, and awkward agent output.
• Polished compact composer controls.
• Added a working-state stop button animation.
• Smoothed composer resizing, textarea scrolling, and bottom anchoring.
• Added an in-app folder browser for adding projects.
• Added project creation and GitHub clone flows from the selected folder.
• Fixed folder browser edge cases around stale loads and Git initialization.
• Added targeted Settings routing for setup prompts.
• Dictation setup now opens the right Settings section.
• Missing project location setup now points at the right Settings card.
• Fixed persisted chats overriding each other’s model/thinking choices.
• Surfaced Pi stop states, model/reasoning changes, and extension errors in chat.
• Added token, cache, and cost totals to the context popover.
• Made live tool calls show running state and arguments sooner.
• Added /new in the composer.
• Fixed compact terminal/sidebar behavior, including Pi TUI takeover fold-button alignment.
• Improved macOS window chrome and quit behavior.

Release channel

This is the moving stable channel used by npx howcode. Future merges to main update these release assets without requiring an npm package publish unless the launcher itself changes.

v0.1.63

Full Changelog: v0.1.62...v0.1.63

v0.1.62

Full Changelog: v0.1.61...v0.1.62

v0.1.61

Full Changelog: v0.1.6...v0.1.61

v0.1.6

What's Changed

• Improve small-screen responsiveness by @IgorWarzocha in #195
• Theme chat and inbox styling gaps by @IgorWarzocha in #199
• Add settings help column by @IgorWarzocha in #201
• Clarify artifact download destination by @IgorWarzocha in #202
• Add attachment-scoped chat read and list tools by @IgorWarzocha in #204
• Adjust model popover for centered empty chats by @IgorWarzocha in #205
• Improve chat artifact drawer responsiveness by @IgorWarzocha in #206
• Fix new thread sidebar and first-turn composer flow by @IgorWarzocha in #207
• Adjust file picker for centered empty chats by @IgorWarzocha in #208
• Modernize inbox composer responsiveness by @IgorWarzocha in #209
• Fix utility sidebar controls by @IgorWarzocha in #210
• Chore: apply strict TS/Biome stack and package hardening by @IgorWarzocha in #211
• Switch terminal drawer to xterm by @IgorWarzocha in #212
• Isolate chat runtime resources by @IgorWarzocha in #213
• Add dollar skill mentions in composer by @IgorWarzocha in #214
• Add fuzzy @ file mentions in composer by @IgorWarzocha in #216
• Show GitOps errors as copyable overlay by @IgorWarzocha in #217
• Prepare Pi imports for earendil namespace by @IgorWarzocha in #218

Full Changelog: v0.1.5...v0.1.6

v0.1.5

What's Changed

• Fix tooltip edge clipping by @IgorWarzocha in #190
• Fix queued composer follow-ups creating new sessions by @IgorWarzocha in #192
• Support bundled and Pi JSON themes in the GUI by @IgorWarzocha in #193

Full Changelog: v0.1.4...v0.1.5

v0.1.4

What's Changed

• Add desktop composer statusline by @IgorWarzocha in #157
• Polish composer popout controls by @IgorWarzocha in #158
• Fix background review focus steal by @IgorWarzocha in #163
• Add chat workspace MVP by @IgorWarzocha in #167
• Show new chats optimistically in sidebar by @IgorWarzocha in #164
• Fix clean desktop shutdown by @IgorWarzocha in #169
• Upgrade terminal renderer to Ghostty by @IgorWarzocha in #170
• Add GitOps changed files tree by @IgorWarzocha in #172
• Improve large model picker menus by @IgorWarzocha in #180
• Add in-app update detection and restart flow by @IgorWarzocha in #182
• chore: bump Pi packages to 0.72.0 by @IgorWarzocha in #183
• Add native ask-questions extension by @IgorWarzocha in #184
• Add loading skeletons across workspace surfaces by @IgorWarzocha in #185
• Fix dot-formatted model context windows by @IgorWarzocha in #187

Full Changelog: v0.1.3...v0.1.4

v0.1.3

189 files changed, 9,707 lines added, 6,815 lines deleted, 16,522 total LoC changed.

In 2 days.

• Moved Pi runtime work out of Electron's bundled Node and into external stock-Node hosts.
• De-flickered the terminal drawer and Pi TUI takeover.
• Streamed live runtime tool/subagent progress into the transcript and preserved Pi custom/system messages.
• Made headless extension commands much more usable: /commands with args, visible errors, cancellable long runs, and composer stays usable while they run.
• Added clear GitOps commit/push feedback and persisted GitOps defaults, including per-project overrides.
• Persisted Git diff defaults and per-session diff overrides across the normal composer, GitOps composer, and Pi TUI takeover mini composer.
• Let the sidebar add projects from GitHub repo links, with clone progress and temporary top pinning for newly added projects.
• Made pasted image paths and raw screenshot clipboard attachments reliable, with cleanup for temporary clipboard images.
• Fixed the Windows launcher/install relaunch path with Start Menu shortcuts, cached command launching, and cleaner artifact names.
• Fixed settings layout overflow/cutoff, then tightened settings row spacing and action/icon alignment.
• Updated WTerm to 0.2.1 for the embedded terminal stack.

PRs

• Fix settings layout and terminal stability by @IgorWarzocha in #138
• Update wterm to 0.2.0 by @IgorWarzocha in #140
• Stream runtime tool and system messages by @IgorWarzocha in #141
• Keep composer content visible until send handoff by @IgorWarzocha in #142
• Fix image path paste attachments by @IgorWarzocha in #144
• Improve headless extension command compatibility by @IgorWarzocha in #146
• Run Pi runtime in external Node hosts by @IgorWarzocha in #149
• Improve headless extension command handling by @IgorWarzocha in #150
• Fix Windows launcher install flow by @IgorWarzocha in #151
• Improve GitOps feedback and defaults by @IgorWarzocha in #152
• Add GitHub project link import by @IgorWarzocha in #153
• Persist GitOps diff preferences by @IgorWarzocha in #154
• Agent hardening: de-deify structure and cull tests by @IgorWarzocha in #155

Full Changelog: v0.1.2...v0.1.3