🪶 refactor: Chat Input Focus for Conversation Navigations & ChatForm Optimizations (#7100)

* refactor: improve ChatView layout by keeping ChatForm mounted

* feat: implement focusChat functionality for new conversations and navigations

* refactor: reset artifacts when navigating to prevent any from rendering in a conversation when none exist; edge case, artifacts get created by search route (TODO: use a different artifact renderer for Search markdown)

client/src/components/Chat/ChatView.tsx

@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@ import { memo, useCallback } from 'react';
 import { useRecoilValue } from 'recoil';
 import { useForm } from 'react-hook-form';
 import { useParams } from 'react-router-dom';
+import { Constants } from 'librechat-data-provider';
 import { useGetMessagesByConvoId } from 'librechat-data-provider/react-query';
 import type { TMessage } from 'librechat-data-provider';
 import type { ChatFormValues } from '~/common';
@@ -11,8 +12,8 @@ import ConversationStarters from './Input/ConversationStarters';
 import MessagesView from './Messages/MessagesView';
 import { Spinner } from '~/components/svg';
 import Presentation from './Presentation';
+import { buildTree, cn } from '~/utils';
 import ChatForm from './Input/ChatForm';
-import { buildTree } from '~/utils';
 import Landing from './Landing';
 import Header from './Header';
 import Footer from './Footer';
@@ -48,9 +49,11 @@ function ChatView({ index = 0 }: { index?: number }) {
   });
 
   let content: JSX.Element | null | undefined;
-  const isLandingPage = !messagesTree || messagesTree.length === 0;
+  const isLandingPage =
+    (!messagesTree || messagesTree.length === 0) &&
+    (conversationId === Constants.NEW_CONVO || !conversationId);
 
-  if (isLoading && conversationId !== 'new') {
+  if (isLoading && conversationId !== Constants.NEW_CONVO) {
     content = (
       <div className="relative flex-1 overflow-hidden overflow-y-auto">
         <div className="relative flex h-full items-center justify-center">
@@ -71,27 +74,28 @@ function ChatView({ index = 0 }: { index?: number }) {
           <Presentation>
             <div className="flex h-full w-full flex-col">
               {!isLoading && <Header />}
-
-              {isLandingPage ? (
-                <>
-                  <div className="flex flex-1 flex-col items-center justify-end sm:justify-center">
-                    {content}
-                    <div className="w-full max-w-3xl transition-all duration-200 xl:max-w-4xl">
-                      <ChatForm index={index} />
-                      <ConversationStarters />
-                    </div>
-                  </div>
-                  <Footer />
-                </>
-              ) : (
-                <div className="flex h-full flex-col overflow-y-auto">
+              <>
+                <div
+                  className={cn(
+                    'flex flex-col',
+                    isLandingPage
+                      ? 'flex-1 items-center justify-end sm:justify-center'
+                      : 'h-full overflow-y-auto',
+                  )}
+                >
                   {content}
-                  <div className="w-full">
+                  <div
+                    className={cn(
+                      'w-full',
+                      isLandingPage && 'max-w-3xl transition-all duration-200 xl:max-w-4xl',
+                    )}
+                  >
                     <ChatForm index={index} />
-                    <Footer />
+                    {isLandingPage ? <ConversationStarters /> : <Footer />}
                   </div>
                 </div>
-              )}
+                {isLandingPage && <Footer />}
+              </>
             </div>
           </Presentation>
         </AddedChatContext.Provider>

client/src/components/Chat/Input/ChatForm.tsx

@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@ import {
   useHandleKeyUp,
   useQueryParams,
   useSubmitMessage,
+  useFocusChatEffect,
 } from '~/hooks';
 import { mainTextareaId, BadgeItem } from '~/common';
 import AttachFileChat from './Files/AttachFileChat';
@@ -36,6 +37,7 @@ import store from '~/store';
 const ChatForm = memo(({ index = 0 }: { index?: number }) => {
   const submitButtonRef = useRef<HTMLButtonElement>(null);
   const textAreaRef = useRef<HTMLTextAreaElement>(null);
+  useFocusChatEffect(textAreaRef);
 
   const [isCollapsed, setIsCollapsed] = useState(false);
   const [, setIsScrollable] = useState(false);
@@ -43,7 +45,6 @@ const ChatForm = memo(({ index = 0 }: { index?: number }) => {
   const [isTextAreaFocused, setIsTextAreaFocused] = useState(false);
   const [backupBadges, setBackupBadges] = useState<Pick<BadgeItem, 'id'>[]>([]);
 
-  const search = useRecoilValue(store.search);
   const SpeechToText = useRecoilValue(store.speechToText);
   const TextToSpeech = useRecoilValue(store.textToSpeech);
   const chatDirection = useRecoilValue(store.chatDirection);

client/src/components/Nav/NewChat.tsx

@@ -41,7 +41,7 @@ export default function NewChat({
         [],
       );
       newConvo();
-      navigate('/c/new');
+      navigate('/c/new', { state: { focusChat: true } });
       if (isSmallScreen) {
         toggleNav();
       }

client/src/hooks/Chat/index.ts

@@ -2,3 +2,4 @@ export { default as useChatHelpers } from './useChatHelpers';
 export { default as useAddedHelpers } from './useAddedHelpers';
 export { default as useAddedResponse } from './useAddedResponse';
 export { default as useChatFunctions } from './useChatFunctions';
+export { default as useFocusChatEffect } from './useFocusChatEffect';

client/src/hooks/Chat/useChatFunctions.ts

@@ -148,7 +148,7 @@ export default function useChatFunctions({
       parentMessageId = Constants.NO_PARENT;
       currentMessages = [];
       conversationId = null;
-      navigate('/c/new');
+      navigate('/c/new', { state: { focusChat: true } });
     }
 
     const targetParentMessageId = isRegenerate ? messageId : latestMessage?.parentMessageId;

client/src/hooks/Chat/useFocusChatEffect.ts

@@ -0,0 +1,18 @@
+import { useEffect } from 'react';
+import { useLocation, useNavigate } from 'react-router-dom';
+import { logger } from '~/utils';
+
+export default function useFocusChatEffect(textAreaRef: React.RefObject<HTMLTextAreaElement>) {
+  const location = useLocation();
+  const navigate = useNavigate();
+  useEffect(() => {
+    if (textAreaRef?.current && location.state?.focusChat) {
+      logger.log(
+        'conversation',
+        `Focusing textarea on location state change: ${location.pathname}`,
+      );
+      textAreaRef.current?.focus();
+      navigate(`${location.pathname}${location.search ?? ''}`, { replace: true, state: {} });
+    }
+  }, [navigate, textAreaRef, location.pathname, location.state?.focusChat, location.search]);
+}

client/src/hooks/Conversations/useNavigateToConvo.tsx

@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
-import { useSetRecoilState } from 'recoil';
 import { useNavigate } from 'react-router-dom';
 import { useQueryClient } from '@tanstack/react-query';
+import { useSetRecoilState, useResetRecoilState } from 'recoil';
 import {
   QueryKeys,
   Constants,
@@ -16,8 +16,9 @@ const useNavigateToConvo = (index = 0) => {
   const navigate = useNavigate();
   const queryClient = useQueryClient();
   const clearAllConversations = store.useClearConvoState();
-  const clearAllLatestMessages = store.useClearLatestMessages(`useNavigateToConvo ${index}`);
+  const resetArtifacts = useResetRecoilState(store.artifactsState);
   const setSubmission = useSetRecoilState(store.submissionByIndex(index));
+  const clearAllLatestMessages = store.useClearLatestMessages(`useNavigateToConvo ${index}`);
   const { hasSetConversation, setConversation } = store.useCreateConversationAtom(index);
 
   const fetchFreshData = async (conversationId?: string | null) => {
@@ -31,6 +32,7 @@ const useNavigateToConvo = (index = 0) => {
       logger.log('conversation', 'Fetched fresh conversation data', data);
       await queryClient.invalidateQueries([QueryKeys.messages, conversationId]);
       setConversation(data);
+      navigate(`/c/${conversationId ?? Constants.NEW_CONVO}`, { state: { focusChat: true } });
     } catch (error) {
       console.error('Error fetching conversation data on navigation', error);
     }
@@ -82,11 +84,13 @@ const useNavigateToConvo = (index = 0) => {
       });
     }
     clearAllConversations(true);
+    resetArtifacts();
     setConversation(convo);
-    navigate(`/c/${convo.conversationId ?? Constants.NEW_CONVO}`);
     if (convo.conversationId !== Constants.NEW_CONVO && convo.conversationId) {
       queryClient.invalidateQueries([QueryKeys.conversation, convo.conversationId]);
       fetchFreshData(convo.conversationId);
+    } else {
+      navigate(`/c/${convo.conversationId ?? Constants.NEW_CONVO}`, { state: { focusChat: true } });
     }
   };
 

client/src/hooks/useNewConvo.ts

@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
-import { useCallback, useRef } from 'react';
+import { useCallback } from 'react';
+import { useNavigate, useSearchParams } from 'react-router-dom';
 import { useGetModelsQuery } from 'librechat-data-provider/react-query';
-import { useNavigate } from 'react-router-dom';
 import {
   Constants,
   FileSources,
@@ -30,12 +30,12 @@ import { useDeleteFilesMutation, useGetEndpointsQuery, useGetStartupConfig } fro
 import useAssistantListMap from './Assistants/useAssistantListMap';
 import { useResetChatBadges } from './useChatBadges';
 import { usePauseGlobalAudio } from './Audio';
-import { mainTextareaId } from '~/common';
 import { logger } from '~/utils';
 import store from '~/store';
 
 const useNewConvo = (index = 0) => {
   const navigate = useNavigate();
+  const [searchParams] = useSearchParams();
   const { data: startupConfig } = useGetStartupConfig();
   const clearAllConversations = store.useClearConvoState();
   const defaultPreset = useRecoilValue(store.defaultPreset);
@@ -47,7 +47,6 @@ const useNewConvo = (index = 0) => {
   const { data: endpointsConfig = {} as TEndpointsConfig } = useGetEndpointsQuery();
 
   const modelsQuery = useGetModelsQuery();
-  const timeoutIdRef = useRef<NodeJS.Timeout>();
   const assistantsListMap = useAssistantListMap();
   const { pauseGlobalAudio } = usePauseGlobalAudio(index);
   const saveDrafts = useRecoilValue<boolean>(store.saveDrafts);
@@ -159,24 +158,24 @@ const useNewConvo = (index = 0) => {
           clearAllLatestMessages();
         }
 
+        const searchParamsString = searchParams?.toString();
+        const getParams = () => (searchParamsString ? `?${searchParamsString}` : '');
+
         if (conversation.conversationId === Constants.NEW_CONVO && !modelsData) {
           const appTitle = localStorage.getItem(LocalStorageKeys.APP_TITLE) ?? '';
           if (appTitle) {
             document.title = appTitle;
           }
-          navigate(`/c/${Constants.NEW_CONVO}`);
-        }
-
-        clearTimeout(timeoutIdRef.current);
-        if (disableFocus === true) {
+          const path = `/c/${Constants.NEW_CONVO}${getParams()}`;
+          navigate(path, { state: { focusChat: true } });
           return;
         }
-        timeoutIdRef.current = setTimeout(() => {
-          const textarea = document.getElementById(mainTextareaId);
-          if (textarea) {
-            textarea.focus();
-          }
-        }, 150);
+
+        const path = `/c/${conversation.conversationId}${getParams()}`;
+        navigate(path, {
+          replace: true,
+          state: disableFocus ? {} : { focusChat: true },
+        });
       },
     [endpointsConfig, defaultPreset, assistantsListMap, modelsQuery.data],
   );