ulysses/docs/improvement-tasks.md

Ulysses Improvement Tasks

Last updated: 2026-07-07

Priority: HIGH

• Floating windows overflow viewport after zoom/font changes — unreachable controls
  :root.ui-scale-125 { zoom: 1.25 } renders all content 25% larger, but window.innerHeight doesn't change with zoom (CSS rendering only, not DOM). The windowResize.js saved-size restore at line 224 clamps to window.innerHeight, which after zoom makes windows 1.25× the visible viewport — pushing headers, close buttons, and top resize handles off-screen. The user literally can't close or move them. Fix: (a) divide restored height by zoom factor in the restore path; (b) add a general safety net — any .modal-content on open should clamp to calc(100dvh / var(--ui-zoom, 1) - 40px). Also windowResize.js line 134 if (top + height > vh) needs zoom-aware vh. Current zoom compensation rules (line 181-196) only cover .modal-content, .cal-modal-content, .settings-modal-content, #theme-popup, #cookbook-modal, and .pdf-export-overlay — many windows lack the divisor.

• Fix manage_documents tool schema — missing "read" action
  The manage_documents function-calling schema in tool_schemas.py has "enum": ["list", "delete", "tidy"] but the handler in document_tools.py supports "read", "view", "open", "get". The model can't read documents through function calling. Fix: add read/view/open/get to enum, add document_id/offset/limit params, update description to mention reading.

• Add "Send to Chat" button to document editor
  Button left of the Save button in #doc-actions-footer. Sends a document reference (title + doc_id + snippet) to the active chat, similar to how Cursor injects file references. Must NOT paste full content — just a reference the agent can resolve. Backend needs an endpoint or the existing open_panel: documents UI action may be enough. Requires: POST /api/document/<id>/reference or use existing ui_control with a new action. Frontend: insert button in document.js _buildPaneHTML() at line ~4598, wire JS handler.

Priority: MEDIUM

• Bolster Library/Documents CRUD via MCP or native tools
  Current document tools are solid but disjointed from agent-mode workflow. The agent has filesystem access (read_file, write_file, edit_file, glob, ls, grep, bash) but these tools operate on disk files, not Ulysses library documents. Need to bridge the gap: the agent should be able to list, read, grep, and edit library documents as naturally as files. Consider:

  • A unified read_document tool distinct from manage_documents (which is an admin-style multi-action tool)
  • A grep_documents or search_documents tool for semantic/fulltext search
  • Auto-inject active document content into agent context when relevant

• First-party document support in agent mode
  Documents feel "disjointed from the agent." The agent creates documents fine but can't easily discover or reference existing ones contextually. Ideas:

  • "Agent workspace" awareness — automatically surface relevant documents based on chat context
  • Document references in chat that are clickable and auto-expand
  • The "Send to Chat" button (HIGH priority) is step 1; step 2 is making the agent proactively aware of library contents

• Improve create_document schema description
  Current description is verbose and overlaps with edit_file/write_file disambiguation. Models sometimes use create_document for disk files. Add a clear leading signal: "DOCUMENT PANEL (not disk)" prefix like the existing "FILESYSTEM TOOL (not memory)" pattern.

Priority: LOW

• Document library: batch operations
  Multi-select, bulk delete, bulk export. Currently only single-document operations.

• Document version diff view
  The version history panel shows versions but doesn't offer a side-by-side diff view between versions.

• Auto-language detection on document open
  The editor auto-detects language on typing but not on initial document open from the library. Opening a Python file saved as "markdown" should suggest the language switch.

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Completed