Improve edit_file prompts, empty-file support, approval review

3 files changed, 108 insertions, 15 deletions

diff --git a/src/chat-view.ts b/src/chat-view.ts
index fbb6360..526a6c1 100644
--- a/src/chat-view.ts
+++ b/src/chat-view.ts
@@ -387,13 +387,36 @@ export class ChatView extends ItemView {
 		const collapseContent = collapse.createDiv({ cls: "ai-organizer-collapse-content" });
 		const contentInner = collapseContent.createDiv({ cls: "ai-organizer-collapse-content-inner" });
 
-		const argsStr = JSON.stringify(event.args, null, 2);
-		contentInner.createEl("pre", { text: argsStr, cls: "ai-organizer-tool-call-args" });
+		if (event.toolName === "edit_file") {
+			// For edit_file, show old_text / new_text in dedicated labeled blocks
+			const filePath = typeof event.args.file_path === "string" ? event.args.file_path : "";
+			const oldText = typeof event.args.old_text === "string" ? event.args.old_text : "";
+			const newText = typeof event.args.new_text === "string" ? event.args.new_text : "";
+
+			if (filePath !== "") {
+				contentInner.createEl("div", { text: `File: ${filePath}`, cls: "ai-organizer-tool-call-label" });
+			}
+
+			contentInner.createEl("div", { text: "Old text:", cls: "ai-organizer-tool-call-label" });
+			contentInner.createEl("pre", {
+				text: oldText === "" ? "(empty — new file)" : oldText,
+				cls: "ai-organizer-tool-call-args",
+			});
 
-		const resultPreview = event.result.length > 500
-			? event.result.substring(0, 500) + "..."
-			: event.result;
-		contentInner.createEl("pre", { text: resultPreview, cls: "ai-organizer-tool-call-result" });
+			contentInner.createEl("div", { text: "New text:", cls: "ai-organizer-tool-call-label" });
+			contentInner.createEl("pre", {
+				text: newText,
+				cls: "ai-organizer-tool-call-result",
+			});
+		} else {
+			const argsStr = JSON.stringify(event.args, null, 2);
+			contentInner.createEl("pre", { text: argsStr, cls: "ai-organizer-tool-call-args" });
+
+			const resultPreview = event.result.length > 500
+				? event.result.substring(0, 500) + "..."
+				: event.result;
+			contentInner.createEl("pre", { text: resultPreview, cls: "ai-organizer-tool-call-result" });
+		}
 	}
 
 	private showApprovalRequest(event: ApprovalRequestEvent): Promise<boolean> {
@@ -411,6 +434,42 @@ export class ChatView extends ItemView {
 
 			container.createDiv({ text: event.message, cls: "ai-organizer-approval-message" });
 
+			// Show details for edit_file so the user can review the change
+			if (event.toolName === "edit_file") {
+				const oldText = typeof event.args.old_text === "string" ? event.args.old_text : "";
+				const newText = typeof event.args.new_text === "string" ? event.args.new_text : "";
+
+				const collapse = container.createDiv({ cls: "ai-organizer-collapse ai-organizer-collapse-arrow" });
+				const collapseId = `approval-collapse-${Date.now()}-${Math.random().toString(36).slice(2, 6)}`;
+				const checkbox = collapse.createEl("input", {
+					type: "checkbox",
+					attr: { id: collapseId, checked: "" },
+				});
+				checkbox.addClass("ai-organizer-collapse-toggle");
+				checkbox.checked = true;
+				const titleEl = collapse.createEl("label", {
+					cls: "ai-organizer-collapse-title",
+					attr: { for: collapseId },
+					text: "Review changes",
+				});
+				void titleEl;
+
+				const collapseContent = collapse.createDiv({ cls: "ai-organizer-collapse-content" });
+				const contentInner = collapseContent.createDiv({ cls: "ai-organizer-collapse-content-inner" });
+
+				contentInner.createEl("div", { text: "Old text:", cls: "ai-organizer-tool-call-label" });
+				contentInner.createEl("pre", {
+					text: oldText === "" ? "(empty \u2014 new file)" : oldText,
+					cls: "ai-organizer-tool-call-args",
+				});
+
+				contentInner.createEl("div", { text: "New text:", cls: "ai-organizer-tool-call-label" });
+				contentInner.createEl("pre", {
+					text: newText,
+					cls: "ai-organizer-tool-call-result",
+				});
+			}
+
 			const buttonRow = container.createDiv({ cls: "ai-organizer-approval-buttons" });
 
 			const approveBtn = buttonRow.createEl("button", {
diff --git a/src/ollama-client.ts b/src/ollama-client.ts
index 01651e0..3bbb35b 100644
--- a/src/ollama-client.ts
+++ b/src/ollama-client.ts
@@ -79,8 +79,20 @@ const TOOL_SYSTEM_PROMPT =
 	"You are a helpful assistant with access to tools for interacting with an Obsidian vault. " +
 	"When you use the search_files tool, the results contain exact file paths. " +
 	"You MUST use these exact paths when calling read_file, edit_file, or referencing files. " +
-	"NEVER guess or modify file paths \u2014 always use the paths returned by search_files or get_current_note verbatim. " +
-	"When the user asks you to edit the note they are currently viewing, use get_current_note first to obtain the path, then read_file to see its content, then edit_file to make changes. " +
+	"NEVER guess or modify file paths — always use the paths returned by search_files or get_current_note verbatim.\n\n" +
+	"EDITING FILES — MANDATORY WORKFLOW:\n" +
+	"The edit_file tool performs a find-and-replace. You provide old_text (the exact text currently in the file) and new_text (what to replace it with). " +
+	"If old_text does not match the file contents exactly, the edit WILL FAIL.\n" +
+	"Therefore you MUST follow this sequence every time you edit a file:\n" +
+	"1. Get the file path (use search_files or get_current_note).\n" +
+	"2. Call read_file to see the CURRENT content of the file.\n" +
+	"3. Copy the exact text you want to change from the read_file output and use it as old_text.\n" +
+	"4. Call edit_file with the correct old_text and your new_text.\n" +
+	"NEVER skip step 2. NEVER guess what the file contains — always read it first.\n" +
+	"If the file is empty (read_file returned no content), you may set old_text to an empty string to write initial content.\n" +
+	"If the file is NOT empty, old_text MUST NOT be empty — copy the exact passage you want to change from the read_file output.\n" +
+	"old_text must include enough surrounding context (a few lines) to uniquely identify the location in the file. " +
+	"Preserve the exact whitespace, indentation, and newlines from the read_file output.\n\n" +
 	"Some tools (such as delete_file and edit_file) require user approval before they execute. " +
 	"If the user declines an action, ask them why so you can better assist them.";
 
diff --git a/src/tools.ts b/src/tools.ts
index 68937bd..94a136d 100644
--- a/src/tools.ts
+++ b/src/tools.ts
@@ -139,16 +139,30 @@ async function executeEditFile(app: App, args: Record<string, unknown>): Promise
 	const oldText = typeof args.old_text === "string" ? args.old_text : "";
 	const newText = typeof args.new_text === "string" ? args.new_text : "";
 
-	if (oldText === "") {
-		return "Error: old_text parameter is required and cannot be empty.";
-	}
-
 	const file = app.vault.getAbstractFileByPath(filePath);
 	if (file === null || !(file instanceof TFile)) {
 		return `Error: File not found at path "${filePath}".`;
 	}
 
 	try {
+		if (oldText === "") {
+			// Empty old_text: only allowed when the file is empty (write initial content)
+			let replaced = false;
+			await app.vault.process(file, (data) => {
+				if (data.length !== 0) {
+					return data;
+				}
+				replaced = true;
+				return newText;
+			});
+
+			if (!replaced) {
+				return `Error: old_text is empty but "${filePath}" is not empty. You must read the file first with read_file and provide the exact text you want to replace as old_text.`;
+			}
+
+			return `Successfully wrote content to empty file "${filePath}".`;
+		}
+
 		let replaced = false;
 		await app.vault.process(file, (data) => {
 			if (!data.includes(oldText)) {
@@ -159,7 +173,7 @@ async function executeEditFile(app: App, args: Record<string, unknown>): Promise
 		});
 
 		if (!replaced) {
-			return `Error: The specified old_text was not found in "${filePath}".`;
+			return `Error: The specified old_text was not found in "${filePath}". Make sure you read the file first with read_file and copy the exact text.`;
 		}
 
 		return `Successfully edited "${filePath}".`;
@@ -344,7 +358,15 @@ export const TOOL_REGISTRY: ToolEntry[] = [
 			type: "function",
 			function: {
 				name: "edit_file",
-				description: "Edit a file in the Obsidian vault by finding and replacing text. Provide the exact text to find (old_text) and the replacement (new_text). The old_text must match exactly as it appears in the file, including whitespace and newlines. Only the first occurrence is replaced. The file_path must be an exact path as returned by search_files or get_current_note. This action requires user approval.",
+				description: "Edit a file in the Obsidian vault by finding and replacing text. " +
+					"IMPORTANT: You MUST call read_file on the target file BEFORE calling edit_file so you can see its exact current content. " +
+					"Copy the exact text you want to change from the read_file output and use it as old_text. " +
+					"old_text must match a passage in the file exactly (including whitespace and newlines). " +
+					"Only the first occurrence of old_text is replaced with new_text. " +
+					"SPECIAL CASE: If the file is empty (read_file returned no content), set old_text to an empty string to write initial content. " +
+					"If old_text is empty but the file is NOT empty, the edit will be rejected. " +
+					"The file_path must be an exact path from search_files or get_current_note. " +
+					"This action requires user approval.",
 				parameters: {
 					type: "object",
 					required: ["file_path", "old_text", "new_text"],
@@ -355,7 +377,7 @@ export const TOOL_REGISTRY: ToolEntry[] = [
 						},
 						old_text: {
 							type: "string",
-							description: "The exact text to find in the file. Must match exactly including whitespace.",
+							description: "The exact text to find in the file, copied verbatim from read_file output. Include enough surrounding lines to uniquely identify the location. Preserve all whitespace and newlines exactly. Only set to an empty string when the file itself is empty.",
 						},
 						new_text: {
 							type: "string",