Prompt for working directory on prefixed AI CLI start/resume

ai-code-backends-infra.el

@@ -683,9 +683,16 @@ from the window where it was initially created."
 
 ;;; Session Helpers
 
-(defun ai-code-backends-infra--session-working-directory ()
-  "Return the working directory, preferring the current project root."
-  (ai-code--session-project-root))
+(defun ai-code-backends-infra--session-working-directory (&optional prompt-p)
+  "Return the working directory, preferring the current project root.
+When PROMPT-P is non-nil, prompt with the computed directory as the default."
+  (let ((working-dir (ai-code--session-project-root)))
+    (if prompt-p
+        (read-directory-name "Working directory: "
+                             working-dir
+                             working-dir
+                             t)
+      working-dir)))
 
 (defun ai-code-backends-infra--normalize-session-directory (directory)
   "Return DIRECTORY normalized for robust session matching."
@@ -1221,12 +1228,14 @@ OPTIONS is a plist with these keys:
 :prepare-launch is an optional function called with (WORKING-DIR COMMAND).
 When :prepare-launch is present, it may return :command, :cleanup-fn, and
 :post-start-fn entries to customize session creation."
-  (let* ((working-dir (ai-code-backends-infra--session-working-directory))
-         (resolved (ai-code-backends-infra--resolve-start-command
+  (let* ((resolved (ai-code-backends-infra--resolve-start-command
                     (plist-get options :program)
                     (plist-get options :switches)
                     arg
                     (plist-get options :label)))
+         (working-dir (if arg
+                          (ai-code-backends-infra--session-working-directory arg)
+                        (ai-code-backends-infra--session-working-directory)))
          (command (plist-get resolved :command))
          (launch (when-let ((prepare-launch (plist-get options :prepare-launch)))
                    (funcall prepare-launch working-dir command)))
@@ -1247,6 +1256,19 @@ When :prepare-launch is present, it may return :command, :cleanup-fn, and
      (plist-get options :multiline-input-sequence)
      post-start-fn)))
 
+(defun ai-code-backends-infra--last-accessed-session-buffer (session-prefix)
+  "Return the last accessed buffer when it belongs to SESSION-PREFIX."
+  (let ((buffer ai-code-backends-infra--last-accessed-buffer))
+    (when (and (buffer-live-p buffer)
+               (with-current-buffer buffer
+                 (or (and (stringp ai-code-backends-infra--session-prefix)
+                          (string= ai-code-backends-infra--session-prefix
+                                   session-prefix))
+                     (ai-code-backends-infra--parse-session-buffer-name
+                      (buffer-name buffer)
+                      session-prefix))))
+      buffer)))
+
 (defun ai-code-backends-infra--cli-switch-to-buffer (label session-prefix force-prompt)
   "Switch to a CLI backend session.
 LABEL is used in the missing-session message.  SESSION-PREFIX identifies
@@ -1274,9 +1296,11 @@ the backend session group."
 (defun ai-code-backends-infra--cli-show-resume-picker (session-prefix)
   "Poke the resumed SESSION-PREFIX buffer so the CLI picker is shown."
   (let* ((working-dir (ai-code-backends-infra--session-working-directory))
-         (buffer (ai-code-backends-infra--select-session-buffer
-                  session-prefix
-                  working-dir)))
+         (buffer (or (ai-code-backends-infra--last-accessed-session-buffer
+                      session-prefix)
+                     (ai-code-backends-infra--select-session-buffer
+                      session-prefix
+                      working-dir))))
     (when buffer
       (with-current-buffer buffer
         (sit-for 0.5)

ai-code-backends.el

@@ -16,6 +16,9 @@
 (defvar ai-code-cli)
 (defvar claude-code-terminal-backend)
 
+(eval-when-compile
+  (defvar ai-code-selected-backend))
+
 (declare-function claude-code--do-send-command "claude-code" (cmd))
 (declare-function claude-code--term-send-string "claude-code" (backend string))
 (declare-function ai-code--validate-git-repository "ai-code-git" ())
@@ -113,7 +116,9 @@ Argument _ARG is ignored."
 ;;;###autoload
 (defun ai-code-cli-start (&optional arg)
   "Start the current backend's CLI session when supported.
-Argument ARG is passed to the backend's start function."
+Argument ARG is passed to the backend's start function.
+Interactively, a prefix argument keeps the existing CLI-args prompt and
+also prompts for the working directory before the session starts."
   (interactive "P")
   (ai-code--activate-effective-backend)
   (prog1
@@ -131,7 +136,7 @@ Noninteractive callers pass ARG to the backend resume function.
 When called interactively, any prefix argument is forwarded via
 `current-prefix-arg', and it is up to the backend how to interpret
 it (for example, some backends may use a non-nil prefix to prompt for
-additional CLI arguments)."
+additional CLI arguments and a working directory)."
   (interactive "P")
   (ai-code--activate-effective-backend)
   (prog1

ai-code-kilo.el

@@ -91,8 +91,8 @@ If current buffer belongs to a project, start in the project's root
 directory.  Otherwise start in the directory of the current buffer file,
 or the current value of `default-directory' if no project and no buffer file.
 
-With double prefix ARG (\\[universal-argument] \\[universal-argument]),
-prompt for the project directory."
+With prefix ARG (\\[universal-argument]), keep the existing CLI-args prompt
+and then prompt for the working directory."
   (interactive "P")
   (let ((ai-code-kilo-program-switches
          (append ai-code-kilo-program-switches '("--continue"))))

ai-code-opencode.el

@@ -90,8 +90,8 @@ If current buffer belongs to a project, start in the project's root
 directory.  Otherwise start in the directory of the current buffer file,
 or the current value of `default-directory' if no project and no buffer file.
 
-With double prefix ARG (\\[universal-argument] \\[universal-argument]),
-prompt for the project directory."
+With prefix ARG (\\[universal-argument]), keep the existing CLI-args prompt
+and then prompt for the working directory."
   (interactive "P")
   (let ((ai-code-opencode-program-switches
          (append ai-code-opencode-program-switches '("--continue"))))

test/test_ai-code-backends-infra.el

@@ -183,6 +183,20 @@ The result is a cons of whether SYMBOL is bound and its default value."
         (should (equal (plist-get result :args) '("--resume")))
         (should (equal (plist-get result :command) "claude --resume"))))))
 
+(ert-deftest test-ai-code-backends-infra-session-working-directory-prompts-with-prefix ()
+  "A prefix argument should prompt for the working directory."
+  (let (seen)
+    (cl-letf (((symbol-function 'ai-code--session-project-root)
+               (lambda () "/project/"))
+              ((symbol-function 'read-directory-name)
+               (lambda (prompt &optional dir default-filename mustmatch initial)
+                 (setq seen (list prompt dir default-filename mustmatch initial))
+                 "/custom/")))
+      (should (equal (ai-code-backends-infra--session-working-directory 'prefix-arg)
+                     "/custom/")))
+    (should (equal seen
+                   '("Working directory: " "/project/" "/project/" t nil)))))
+
 (ert-deftest test-ai-code-backends-infra-start-cli-session-forwards-options ()
   "Generic CLI startup should resolve and forward backend options."
   (let ((process-table (make-hash-table :test 'equal))
@@ -191,7 +205,7 @@ The result is a cons of whether SYMBOL is bound and its default value."
         (post-start-fn (lambda (_buffer _process _instance) nil))
         captured)
     (cl-letf (((symbol-function 'ai-code-backends-infra--session-working-directory)
-               (lambda () "/project/"))
+               (lambda (&optional _prompt-p) "/project/"))
               ((symbol-function 'ai-code-backends-infra--resolve-start-command)
                (lambda (program switches arg prompt-label)
                  (should (equal program "codex"))
@@ -233,12 +247,61 @@ The result is a cons of whether SYMBOL is bound and its default value."
                          "\r\n"
                          post-start-fn)))))
 
+(ert-deftest test-ai-code-backends-infra-start-cli-session-prompts-dir-after-args ()
+  "Working directory prompting should happen after CLI args prompting."
+  (let ((process-table (make-hash-table :test 'equal))
+        call-order
+        captured)
+    (cl-letf (((symbol-function 'ai-code--session-project-root)
+               (lambda () "/project/"))
+              ((symbol-function 'ai-code-backends-infra--resolve-start-command)
+               (lambda (program switches arg prompt-label)
+                 (setq call-order (append call-order '(args)))
+                 (should (equal program "codex"))
+                 (should (equal switches '("--quiet")))
+                 (should (eq arg 'prefix-arg))
+                 (should (equal prompt-label "Codex"))
+                 '(:command "codex --quiet")))
+              ((symbol-function 'read-directory-name)
+               (lambda (&rest _args)
+                 (setq call-order (append call-order '(dir)))
+                 "/custom/"))
+              ((symbol-function 'ai-code-backends-infra--toggle-or-create-session)
+               (lambda (&rest args)
+                 (setq captured args))))
+      (ai-code-backends-infra--start-cli-session
+       (list :program "codex"
+             :switches '("--quiet")
+             :label "Codex"
+             :process-table process-table
+             :session-prefix "codex")
+       'prefix-arg))
+    (should (equal call-order '(args dir)))
+    (cl-destructuring-bind
+        (working-dir buffer-name seen-process-table command
+                     &optional escape-fn cleanup-fn instance-name prefix
+                     force-prompt env-vars multiline-input-sequence
+                     post-start-fn)
+        captured
+      (should (equal working-dir "/custom/"))
+      (should-not buffer-name)
+      (should (eq seen-process-table process-table))
+      (should (equal command "codex --quiet"))
+      (should-not escape-fn)
+      (should-not cleanup-fn)
+      (should-not instance-name)
+      (should (equal prefix "codex"))
+      (should-not force-prompt)
+      (should-not env-vars)
+      (should-not multiline-input-sequence)
+      (should-not post-start-fn))))
+
 (ert-deftest test-ai-code-backends-infra-cli-switch-and-send-use-project-session ()
   "CLI wrapper switch and send helpers should resolve project sessions."
   (let (switch-args
         send-args)
     (cl-letf (((symbol-function 'ai-code-backends-infra--session-working-directory)
-               (lambda () "/project/"))
+               (lambda (&optional _prompt-p) "/project/"))
               ((symbol-function 'ai-code-backends-infra--switch-to-session-buffer)
                (lambda (&rest args)
                  (setq switch-args args)))
@@ -254,13 +317,45 @@ The result is a cons of whether SYMBOL is bound and its default value."
                    '(nil "No Codex session for this project"
                          "hello" "codex" "/project/")))))
 
+(ert-deftest test-ai-code-backends-infra-cli-show-resume-picker-prefers-last-accessed-buffer ()
+  "Resume picker helper should reuse the last accessed matching session buffer."
+  (let ((buffer (generate-new-buffer "*codex[test-last]*"))
+        (ai-code-backends-infra--last-accessed-buffer nil)
+        sent
+        select-called)
+    (unwind-protect
+        (progn
+          (setq ai-code-backends-infra--last-accessed-buffer buffer)
+          (with-current-buffer buffer
+            (setq-local ai-code-backends-infra--session-prefix "codex")
+            (insert "prompt")
+            (goto-char (point-max)))
+          (cl-letf (((symbol-function 'ai-code-backends-infra--session-working-directory)
+                     (lambda (&optional _prompt-p) "/project/"))
+                    ((symbol-function 'ai-code-backends-infra--select-session-buffer)
+                     (lambda (&rest _args)
+                       (setq select-called t)
+                       nil))
+                    ((symbol-function 'sit-for)
+                     (lambda (&rest _args) nil))
+                    ((symbol-function 'ai-code-backends-infra--terminal-send-string)
+                     (lambda (string)
+                       (setq sent string))))
+            (ai-code-backends-infra--cli-show-resume-picker "codex")
+            (with-current-buffer buffer
+              (should (equal sent ""))
+              (should (= (point) (point-min))))
+            (should-not select-called)))
+      (when (buffer-live-p buffer)
+        (kill-buffer buffer)))))
+
 (ert-deftest test-ai-code-backends-infra-cli-show-resume-picker-pokes-buffer ()
   "Resume picker helper should poke the selected session buffer."
   (let ((buffer (generate-new-buffer "*codex[test]*"))
         sent)
     (unwind-protect
         (cl-letf (((symbol-function 'ai-code-backends-infra--session-working-directory)
-                   (lambda () "/project/"))
+                   (lambda (&optional _prompt-p) "/project/"))
                   ((symbol-function 'ai-code-backends-infra--select-session-buffer)
                    (lambda (prefix working-dir)
                      (should (equal prefix "codex"))