feat(shell): yellow active session, growing composer, phase title, refined activity log, arrow panel toggle

Fix six GUI defects, verified live against the real stack:

- NavSessions: mark the in-progress (active) session in yellow (warning
  token) — both its status dot and its row background.
- SteerInput: the composer is now an auto-growing textarea that wraps and
  grows vertically (caps at 160px, then scrolls); Enter sends, Shift+Enter
  inserts a newline.
- WorkflowBar: show a synthetic title of the current phase under the 8 dots
  from static EN/IT strings (no LLM); English is displayed to match the chrome.
- CentralStatus: reformat the 5-line system-message tail as a structured,
  monospace list with per-line markers and an emphasized last line.
- AppShell + CentralStatus: move the left Model-activity panel toggle off the
  working spinner (now a pure status indicator) onto a dedicated arrow button
  (→ opens, ← closes).
- gate: rename the phase-confirm button "Conferma e prosegui" → "Salva e
  procedi" (builders.js + its L1 test).

Co-Authored-By: Claude Opus 4.8 <noreply@anthropic.com>

frontend/src/shell/AppShell.tsx

@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@ import { DeleteConfirmDialog } from "./DeleteConfirmDialog";
 import { StopConfirmDialog } from "./StopConfirmDialog";
 import { SteerInput, ComposerFooter } from "./SteerInput";
 import { WorkflowBar } from "./WorkflowBar";
-import { Pencil } from "lucide-react";
+import { Pencil, ArrowLeft, ArrowRight } from "lucide-react";
 import { Button } from "../components/ui/button";
 import { Toaster } from "../components/ui/sonner";
 import { toast } from "sonner";
@@ -34,7 +34,7 @@ export function AppShell() {
   const { data: sessions = [] } = useQuery<SessionSummary[]>({
     queryKey: ["sessions"], queryFn: listSessions, refetchInterval: 10_000,
   });
-  const composerRef = useRef<HTMLInputElement>(null);
+  const composerRef = useRef<HTMLTextAreaElement>(null);
 
   const queryClient = useQueryClient();
   const [panelSession, setPanelSession] = useState<SessionSummary | null>(null);
@@ -194,7 +194,18 @@ export function AppShell() {
       {/* Conversation column */}
       <div className="flex min-w-0 flex-1 flex-col">
         {activeSessionId && (
-          <div className="shrink-0 border-b border-border/70 bg-background/80 px-6 py-2.5 backdrop-blur">
+          <div className="relative shrink-0 border-b border-border/70 bg-background/80 px-6 py-2.5 backdrop-blur">
+            {/* Arrow toggle for the left Model-activity panel: → opens it, ← closes it. */}
+            <button
+              type="button"
+              onClick={toggleActivity}
+              aria-expanded={showActivity}
+              aria-label={showActivity ? "Hide model activity" : "Show model activity"}
+              title={showActivity ? "Hide model activity" : "Show model activity"}
+              className="absolute left-4 top-1/2 grid size-7 -translate-y-1/2 place-items-center rounded-md border border-border text-muted-foreground transition-colors hover:bg-muted hover:text-foreground"
+            >
+              {showActivity ? <ArrowLeft className="size-4" /> : <ArrowRight className="size-4" />}
+            </button>
             <div className="mx-auto max-w-3xl">
               <WorkflowBar
                 finalized={finalized}
@@ -209,7 +220,7 @@ export function AppShell() {
           <div className="mx-auto flex max-w-3xl flex-col gap-6">
             {activeSessionId ? (
               <>
-                <CentralStatus working={working} onOpenActivity={toggleActivity} />
+                <CentralStatus working={working} />
                 <WidgetHost sessionId={activeSessionId} />
               </>
             ) : (

frontend/src/shell/CentralStatus.test.tsx

@@ -1,17 +1,16 @@
 import { render, screen } from "@testing-library/react";
-import userEvent from "@testing-library/user-event";
-import { beforeEach, vi } from "vitest";
+import { beforeEach } from "vitest";
 import { useSessionStore } from "../store/sessionStore";
 import { CentralStatus } from "./CentralStatus";
 
 beforeEach(() => useSessionStore.getState().resetSession());
 
-test("the working activity icon opens the model-activity panel", async () => {
-  const onOpenActivity = vi.fn();
+test("the working spinner is a pure status indicator (no activity toggle on it)", () => {
   useSessionStore.getState().applyEvent({ type: "text_delta", text: "reading the schema" });
-  render(<CentralStatus working onOpenActivity={onOpenActivity} />);
-  await userEvent.click(screen.getByRole("button", { name: /model activity/i }));
-  expect(onOpenActivity).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1);
+  render(<CentralStatus working />);
+  // The spinner no longer opens the panel — that moved to the header arrow toggle.
+  expect(screen.queryByRole("button", { name: /model activity/i })).not.toBeInTheDocument();
+  expect(screen.getByRole("status")).toBeInTheDocument();
 });
 
 test("renders nothing when not working and there is no user entry or step messages", () => {

frontend/src/shell/CentralStatus.tsx

@@ -2,27 +2,22 @@ import { useEffect, useReducer, useState } from "react";
 import { useSessionStore } from "../store/sessionStore";
 import { WorkingSpinner } from "./WorkingSpinner";
 
-/** Last few non-blank lines of a string — a compact multi-line "what the model is
- *  doing now" tail (mirrors ModelActivityPanel's tail-line logic, at a smaller size). */
-function tailLines(s: string, n = 5): string {
-  const lines = s
+/** Last few non-blank lines of a string — a compact "what the model is doing now"
+ *  tail (mirrors ModelActivityPanel's tail-line logic, at a smaller size). Returned
+ *  as an array so each line renders as its own formatted log row. */
+function tailLines(s: string, n = 5): string[] {
+  return s
     .split("\n")
     .map((l) => l.trimEnd())
-    .filter((l) => l.trim() !== "");
-  return lines.slice(-n).join("\n");
+    .filter((l) => l.trim() !== "")
+    .slice(-n);
 }
 
 /** The minimal central view: the user's last input/choice, a live "working" indicator
  *  (elapsed time + a short tail of the model stream) while the model is busy, and the
  *  gate's curated messages for the current step. The full verbose stream lives in the
  *  left Model-activity panel. */
-export function CentralStatus({
-  working,
-  onOpenActivity,
-}: {
-  working: boolean;
-  onOpenActivity?: () => void;
-}) {
+export function CentralStatus({ working }: { working: boolean }) {
   const lastUserEntry = useSessionStore((s) => s.lastUserEntry);
   const stepMessages = useSessionStore((s) => s.stepMessages);
   const transcript = useSessionStore((s) => s.transcript);
@@ -45,7 +40,7 @@ export function CentralStatus({
   if (!working && !lastUserEntry && stepMessages.length === 0) return null;
 
   const elapsed = startedAt ? Math.max(0, Math.floor((Date.now() - startedAt) / 1000)) : 0;
-  const tail = tailLines(transcript.at(-1)?.text ?? "");
+  const tailRows = tailLines(transcript.at(-1)?.text ?? "");
 
   return (
     <div className="flex flex-col gap-3">
@@ -59,24 +54,42 @@ export function CentralStatus({
       )}
 
       {working && (
-        <div className="flex flex-col gap-1">
+        <div className="flex flex-col gap-1.5">
           <div className="flex min-w-0 items-center gap-2 text-sm text-muted-foreground">
-            <button
-              type="button"
-              onClick={onOpenActivity}
-              aria-label="Show model activity"
-              title="Model activity"
-              className="grid size-5 shrink-0 place-items-center rounded text-primary transition-colors hover:bg-muted"
-            >
+            {/* Pure status indicator — opening the activity panel now lives on the
+                dedicated arrow toggle in the header, not on this spinner. */}
+            <span className="grid size-5 shrink-0 place-items-center text-primary">
               <WorkingSpinner spinning className="size-3.5" />
-            </button>
+            </span>
             <span className="shrink-0 tabular-nums">{elapsed}s</span>
             <span className="sr-only">ThothII is working</span>
           </div>
-          {tail && (
-            <p className="line-clamp-5 whitespace-pre-wrap break-words pl-7 text-sm text-muted-foreground/70">
-              {tail}
-            </p>
+          {tailRows.length > 0 && (
+            <ol className="ml-7 flex flex-col gap-0.5 overflow-hidden rounded-md border border-border/50 bg-muted/40 px-3 py-2">
+              {tailRows.map((line, i) => {
+                const isLast = i === tailRows.length - 1;
+                return (
+                  <li
+                    key={i}
+                    className={[
+                      "flex items-baseline gap-2 font-mono text-[0.72rem] leading-relaxed",
+                      isLast ? "text-foreground/80" : "text-muted-foreground/55",
+                    ].join(" ")}
+                  >
+                    <span
+                      aria-hidden
+                      className={[
+                        "shrink-0 select-none",
+                        isLast ? "text-primary" : "text-muted-foreground/35",
+                      ].join(" ")}
+                    >
+                      ›
+                    </span>
+                    <span className="min-w-0 flex-1 truncate">{line}</span>
+                  </li>
+                );
+              })}
+            </ol>
           )}
         </div>
       )}

frontend/src/shell/NavSessions.tsx

@@ -40,7 +40,9 @@ export function NavSessions({ sessions, activeSessionId, onOpenPanel, menuFor }:
               }}
               className={[
                 "group flex w-full cursor-pointer items-center gap-2 rounded-md px-2 py-1 text-left transition-colors focus:outline-none focus-visible:ring-2 focus-visible:ring-ring/40",
-                active ? "bg-[oklch(var(--primary)/0.12)]" : "hover:bg-accent",
+                // The in-progress (active) session is marked in yellow — both its dot
+                // and its row background — so it stands out from the rest of the rail.
+                active ? "bg-[oklch(var(--warning)/0.22)]" : "hover:bg-accent",
               ].join(" ")}
             >
               <span
@@ -48,17 +50,19 @@ export function NavSessions({ sessions, activeSessionId, onOpenPanel, menuFor }:
                 title={s.status}
                 className={[
                   "size-1.5 shrink-0 rounded-full",
-                  s.status === "open"
-                    ? "bg-[oklch(var(--success))]"
-                    : s.status === "finalized"
-                      ? "bg-primary"
-                      : "bg-muted-foreground/50",
+                  active
+                    ? "bg-[oklch(var(--warning))]"
+                    : s.status === "open"
+                      ? "bg-[oklch(var(--success))]"
+                      : s.status === "finalized"
+                        ? "bg-primary"
+                        : "bg-muted-foreground/50",
                 ].join(" ")}
               />
               <span
                 className={[
                   "min-w-0 flex-1 truncate text-[0.8rem] leading-snug",
-                  active ? "font-semibold text-primary" : "font-medium text-foreground/90",
+                  active ? "font-semibold text-foreground" : "font-medium text-foreground/90",
                 ].join(" ")}
               >
                 {label}

frontend/src/shell/SteerInput.tsx

@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 // frontend/src/shell/SteerInput.tsx
-import { useState } from "react";
+import { useEffect, useRef, useState } from "react";
 import { CornerDownLeft } from "lucide-react";
 import { useQuery, useQueryClient } from "@tanstack/react-query";
 import { postSteer, createSession } from "../api/sessions";
@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@ interface Props {
   /** Interrupt the running session, persisting its state. */
   onStop?: () => void;
   /** Lets the parent focus the composer (e.g. on "New session"). */
-  inputRef?: React.Ref<HTMLInputElement>;
+  inputRef?: React.Ref<HTMLTextAreaElement>;
 }
 
 export function SteerInput({ sessionId, onSessionCreated, onStop, inputRef }: Props) {
@@ -26,6 +26,23 @@ export function SteerInput({ sessionId, onSessionCreated, onStop, inputRef }: Pr
   const [busy, setBusy] = useState(false);
   const setLastUserEntry = useSessionStore((s) => s.setLastUserEntry);
   const setPhase = useSessionStore((s) => s.setPhase);
+  const taRef = useRef<HTMLTextAreaElement | null>(null);
+
+  // Merge our own ref (for autosizing) with the forwarded one (parent focus).
+  function attachRef(el: HTMLTextAreaElement | null) {
+    taRef.current = el;
+    if (typeof inputRef === "function") inputRef(el);
+    else if (inputRef) (inputRef as React.MutableRefObject<HTMLTextAreaElement | null>).current = el;
+  }
+
+  // Grow the textarea to fit its content (up to a cap, then it scrolls), and shrink
+  // back when the text is cleared. Runs after every value change so height tracks text.
+  useEffect(() => {
+    const el = taRef.current;
+    if (!el) return;
+    el.style.height = "auto";
+    el.style.height = `${Math.min(el.scrollHeight, 160)}px`;
+  }, [text]);
 
   async function submit() {
     const trimmed = text.trim();
@@ -46,15 +63,16 @@ export function SteerInput({ sessionId, onSessionCreated, onStop, inputRef }: Pr
     }
   }
 
-  function handleKeyDown(e: React.KeyboardEvent<HTMLInputElement>) {
-    if (e.key === "Enter") {
+  function handleKeyDown(e: React.KeyboardEvent<HTMLTextAreaElement>) {
+    // Enter sends; Shift+Enter inserts a newline (the textarea grows to fit it).
+    if (e.key === "Enter" && !e.shiftKey) {
       e.preventDefault();
       submit();
     }
   }
 
   return (
-    <div className="flex items-center gap-2">
+    <div className="flex items-end gap-2">
       {sessionId && (
         <button
           type="button"
@@ -66,15 +84,15 @@ export function SteerInput({ sessionId, onSessionCreated, onStop, inputRef }: Pr
           <span className="block size-2.5 rounded-full bg-primary" />
         </button>
       )}
-      <input
-        ref={inputRef}
-        type="text"
+      <textarea
+        ref={attachRef}
+        rows={1}
         value={text}
         onChange={(e) => setText(e.target.value)}
         onKeyDown={handleKeyDown}
         placeholder={sessionId ? "Free steering (!)…" : "Ask a question to start a new session…"}
         aria-label={sessionId ? "Steering" : "New question"}
-        className="flex-1 bg-transparent px-1 text-sm outline-none placeholder:text-muted-foreground"
+        className="max-h-40 flex-1 resize-none bg-transparent px-1 py-1 text-sm leading-relaxed outline-none placeholder:text-muted-foreground"
       />
       <button
         type="button"

frontend/src/shell/WorkflowBar.tsx

@@ -13,6 +13,21 @@ const PHASES = [
   { id: "F8", name: "Results" },
 ];
 
+// Synthetic, human-readable title for the current phase, shown under the dots.
+// Static bilingual strings (no LLM): PHASE_LANG picks which set is displayed.
+// The rest of the app chrome is English, so the label follows suit.
+const PHASE_LANG: "en" | "it" = "en";
+const PHASE_TITLES: Record<string, { en: string; it: string }> = {
+  F1: { en: "Clarifying the question", it: "Chiarimento della domanda" },
+  F2: { en: "Linking the schema", it: "Collegamento dello schema" },
+  F3: { en: "Exploring the data", it: "Esplorazione dei dati" },
+  F4: { en: "Planning the SQL", it: "Pianificazione della query" },
+  F5: { en: "Generating the SQL", it: "Generazione della query" },
+  F6: { en: "Validating the results", it: "Validazione dei risultati" },
+  F7: { en: "Reviewing with you", it: "Revisione con te" },
+  F8: { en: "Presenting results", it: "Presentazione dei risultati" },
+};
+
 type DotState = "done" | "running" | "error" | "pending";
 
 // Each state is a tinted chip; red is reserved strictly for error (the GSD theme's
@@ -39,9 +54,13 @@ export function WorkflowBar({
   const currentPhase = useSessionStore((s) => s.currentPhase);
   const phaseError = useSessionStore((s) => s.phaseError);
   const activeIdx = PHASES.findIndex((p) => p.id === currentPhase);
+  // On a finalized session all phases are done — surface the closing phase's title.
+  const titleId = finalized ? "F8" : currentPhase;
+  const phaseTitle = titleId ? PHASE_TITLES[titleId]?.[PHASE_LANG] : null;
 
   return (
-    <div className="flex items-center justify-center gap-3">
+    <div className="flex flex-col items-center gap-1">
+      <div className="flex items-center justify-center gap-3">
       <nav
         aria-label="Workflow progress"
         className="flex items-center gap-0 overflow-x-auto py-0.5"
@@ -99,6 +118,15 @@ export function WorkflowBar({
       })}
       </nav>
       <ElapsedTimer key={resetKey ?? "none"} running={running} />
+      </div>
+      {phaseTitle && (
+        <span
+          data-testid="phase-title"
+          className="text-[0.72rem] font-medium uppercase tracking-[0.12em] text-muted-foreground"
+        >
+          {phaseTitle}
+        </span>
+      )}
     </div>
   );
 }

harness/.pi/extensions/gate/__tests__/builders.test.js

@@ -167,7 +167,7 @@ test("buildArtifactGate derives approve/reject options from action.kind", () =>
     action: { kind: "approve_reject" },
   });
   assert.deepEqual(w.options, [
-    { id: "approve", label: "Conferma e prosegui", recommended: true },
+    { id: "approve", label: "Salva e procedi", recommended: true },
     { id: "reject", label: "Rifiuta" },
   ]);
 });
@@ -176,7 +176,7 @@ test("buildArtifactGate: confirm -> single approve; view_only -> no options", ()
   const confirm = buildArtifactGate({
     id: "u1", phase: "F1", title: "t", artifact: { kind: "phase", data: {} }, action: { kind: "confirm" },
   });
-  assert.deepEqual(confirm.options, [{ id: "approve", label: "Conferma e prosegui", recommended: true }]);
+  assert.deepEqual(confirm.options, [{ id: "approve", label: "Salva e procedi", recommended: true }]);
   const viewOnly = buildArtifactGate({
     id: "u1", phase: "F1", title: "t", artifact: { kind: "phase", data: {} }, action: { kind: "view_only" },
   });

harness/.pi/extensions/gate/builders.js

@@ -102,10 +102,10 @@ function buildArtifactGate({ id, phase, title, artifact, action }) {
   }
   const ACTION_OPTIONS = {
     approve_reject: [
-      { id: "approve", label: "Conferma e prosegui", recommended: true },
+      { id: "approve", label: "Salva e procedi", recommended: true },
       { id: "reject", label: "Rifiuta" },
     ],
-    confirm: [{ id: "approve", label: "Conferma e prosegui", recommended: true }],
+    confirm: [{ id: "approve", label: "Salva e procedi", recommended: true }],
     view_only: [],
   };
   return {