diff --git a/plans/2026-06-20-channel-received-no-avatar-left-padding.md b/plans/2026-06-20-channel-received-no-avatar-left-padding.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000000..13ee4ebc4f --- /dev/null +++ b/plans/2026-06-20-channel-received-no-avatar-left-padding.md @@ -0,0 +1,103 @@ +# Remove left padding on consecutive (no-avatar) received messages in channels + +## Problem + +In a channel, received messages show the sender avatar on the first message of a +run and hide it on consecutive messages, but those consecutive messages still +reserve the avatar-sized **left padding** so they line up under the first. For a +channel's feed-style layout this indentation wastes horizontal space — +consecutive received messages should sit flush-left where the avatar would be. +This applies to **both** the channel owner's broadcasts and contributors' posts. + +Desired behaviour: in channels, any received message that does **not** show an +avatar (a consecutive post from the same sender) drops the avatar-sized left +padding. The first message of a run still shows the avatar and keeps its layout; +when the run is broken (a different sender, or a time gap), the next message +shows the avatar again — this run logic is unchanged, only the no-avatar left +padding is reduced. + +## The two received directions in a channel + +Received items in a channel arrive as one of two directions +(`Subscriber.hs`, `saveRcvCI`): + +- **`ChannelRcv`** (no member) — the **owner's** broadcast, sent "as the channel". + The backend permits sending-as-group only to the owner, and a channel owner's + main-scope messages are always sent as group (`ChatInfo.sendAsGroup` is true + for `useRelays && memberRole >= Owner` in the main scope), so received owner + posts arrive as `ChannelRcv`. Shows the channel avatar. +- **`GroupRcv(member)`** (attributed) — a **contributor's** post, carrying the + member. Shows the member avatar. + +Both are received messages, and the change now applies to **both** when they hide +the avatar. (An earlier revision scoped this to `ChannelRcv`/owner only; it now +covers contributors too, per request.) + +## Change + +In channels — gated on `ChatInfo.isChannel` (the `useRelays` flag, which is +reliably present, unlike the optional group-type predicate) — the no-avatar +branches for **both** `ChannelRcv` and `GroupRcv` drop the avatar-sized left +padding down to the base inset where the avatar itself starts. In non-channel +groups the `GroupRcv` no-avatar layout is unchanged (`isChannel` is false). The +avatar-shown layouts, sent messages, and all other chats are unchanged. + +The same Row's `end` padding is already gated on `chatInfo.isChannel` (the merged +right-gap change #7106), so gating `start` on `isChannel` keeps each Row +internally consistent and the change precisely "in channels". + +### Android / desktop (`apps/multiplatform`, `ChatView.kt`, `ChatItemsList`) + +Both the `CIDirection.GroupRcv` and `CIDirection.ChannelRcv` `showAvatar == false` +rows: + +```kotlin +// before +.padding(start = 8.dp + (MEMBER_IMAGE_SIZE * fontSizeSqrtMultiplier) + 4.dp, end = …) +// after +.padding(start = if (chatInfo.isChannel) 8.dp else 8.dp + (MEMBER_IMAGE_SIZE * fontSizeSqrtMultiplier) + 4.dp, end = …) +``` + +### iOS (`apps/ios`, `ChatView.swift`, `chatItemListView`) + +Both the `.groupRcv` and `.channelRcv` no-avatar branches: + +```swift +// before +.padding(.leading, 10 + memberImageSize + 12) +// after +.padding(.leading, chat.chatInfo.isChannel ? 12 : 10 + memberImageSize + 12) +``` + +## Run behaviour (unchanged) + +`shouldShowAvatar(current, older)` shows the avatar on the first message of a +same-sender run and hides it on consecutive ones; a different sender or a gap +resets the run. For `GroupRcv` "same sender" is the same `memberId`; for +`ChannelRcv` consecutive channel broadcasts count as the same sender. Only the +no-avatar left padding is changed. + +## Scope + +- Affects: all received consecutive (no-avatar) messages **in channels** — owner + broadcasts (`ChannelRcv`) and contributor posts (`GroupRcv`). This includes a + channel's member-support sub-scope, which renders through the same + `ChatItemsList` with the channel's `isChannel`; treating it the same way is + consistent with the merged right-gap change (#7106), which also gates that + Row's `end` padding on `isChannel` without a scope filter. +- Unchanged: the first message of each run (avatar shown), sent messages, regular + groups, business chats and direct chats (`isChannel` false — the `else` branch + preserves the original avatar-inset value exactly), and any non-channel + `ChannelRcv` welcome item. + +## Verification + +- Android/desktop: `:common:compileKotlinDesktop` compiles clean. +- iOS: small, type-safe constant change; build/verify on macOS (Xcode) — not + compilable on the Linux build host used here. +- Visual (both platforms), in a channel: + - First message of a run (owner or contributor): avatar shown, layout unchanged. + - Following messages from the same sender (no avatar): now flush-left. + - A different sender / time gap resets the run — the next message shows the + avatar again. + - Regular groups, business and direct chats keep their existing indentation.