eleven / messenger Public

web+native: sidebar previews and notifications render the markdown plain projection, never raw text (#962)

Paul's report: the bubble renders 'Testing *asterisks*' but the sidebar's
last-message preview shows 'Testing \*asterisks\*' — the composer's opt-out
escapes leak as visible backslashes on every one-line surface that used raw
payload text. Same bug on web previews and native push notifications (NSE).

New twin projection: plainText (markdown.js) / markdownPlainText
(MarkdownTree.swift) — parse to the shared tree, keep the characters the
bubble shows, drop the marks (escapes resolve, **bold** → bold, links → their
label, blocks join with spaces). Applied at web previewText, native
previewText (ThreadStore → Mac sidebar + iOS thread list), and the NSE body.

The markdown vectors gain an optional 'plain' field pinning the pair — seven
representative cases (escape, marks, code, link, list, fence) asserted by
both suites; fixture copy re-synced.

Co-authored-by: Claude Fable 5 <noreply@anthropic.com>

Paul Campbell 3 months ago 47a7799db8897892dba227067e27e350fcb5ffcd parent 5937555

9 files changed, +99 −4

ios/LChatCore/Sources/LChatCore/MarkdownTree.swift +33 −0
ios/LChatCore/Sources/LChatCore/Models.swift +4 −1
ios/LChatCore/Tests/LChatCoreTests/Fixtures/markdown-vector.json +7 −0
ios/LChatCore/Tests/LChatCoreTests/MarkdownVectorTests.swift +5 −0
ios/LChatNSE/NotificationService.swift +4 −1
test/event-vectors/markdown.json +7 −0
test/markdown.test.mjs +4 −1
web/static/markdown.js +30 −0
web/static/shell.js +5 −1

diff --git a/ios/LChatCore/Sources/LChatCore/MarkdownTree.swift b/ios/LChatCore/Sources/LChatCore/MarkdownTree.swift

index bd90dad..e911904 100644

--- a/ios/LChatCore/Sources/LChatCore/MarkdownTree.swift

+++ b/ios/LChatCore/Sources/LChatCore/MarkdownTree.swift

@@ -39,6 +39,39 @@ public enum MDBlock: Equatable, Hashable {

case codeBlock(text: String, lang: String)

}

+// MARK: - Plain projection

+// Markdown-aware PLAIN projection for one-line surfaces (the sidebar's

+// last-message preview, notification bodies): escapes resolve (\* → *) and

+// the marks themselves drop — the same characters the bubbles show, minus

+// the styling. Never raw message text on those surfaces: the composer's

+// opt-out escapes leak as visible backslashes (Paul's report, 2026-07-15).

+// Twin: plainText (web/static/markdown.js); the `plain` fields in the

+// markdown vectors pin the pair.

+public func markdownPlainText(_ text: String) -> String {

+ func inline(_ children: [MDInline]) -> String {

+ children.map { node in

+ switch node {

+ case .text(let s), .code(let s): return s

+ case .br: return " "

+ case .link(_, let c), .strong(let c), .em(let c), .strike(let c): return inline(c)

+ }

+ }.joined()

+ }

+ func blocks(_ list: [MDBlock]) -> String {

+ list.map { block in

+ switch block {

+ case .p(let c): return inline(c)

+ case .quote(let c): return blocks(c)

+ case .ul(let items): return items.map(blocks).joined(separator: " ")

+ case .ol(_, let items): return items.map(blocks).joined(separator: " ")

+ case .codeBlock(let text, _): return text

+ }

+ }.joined(separator: " ")

+ }

+ return blocks(markdownTree(text))

// MARK: - Parse + walk

public func markdownTree(_ text: String) -> [MDBlock] {

diff --git a/ios/LChatCore/Sources/LChatCore/Models.swift b/ios/LChatCore/Sources/LChatCore/Models.swift

index 7a82cf9..0079fa7 100644

--- a/ios/LChatCore/Sources/LChatCore/Models.swift

+++ b/ios/LChatCore/Sources/LChatCore/Models.swift

@@ -396,7 +396,10 @@ public struct ChatThread: Identifiable, Equatable, Codable {

// A one-line snippet for the sidebar: "Name: text" in groups, just text in DMs —

// mirrors previewText in web/static/chat.js.

public func previewText(kind: String, payload: MessagePayload) -> String {

- var body = (payload.text ?? "")

+ // Through the markdown plain projection, never raw: raw text leaks the

+ // composer's opt-out escapes as visible backslashes (\*lit\*), and shows

+ // the marks the bubble renders as styling.

+ var body = markdownPlainText(payload.text ?? "")

.replacingOccurrences(of: "\\s+", with: " ", options: .regularExpression)

.trimmingCharacters(in: .whitespacesAndNewlines)

if body.isEmpty, let a = payload.attachments, !a.isEmpty {

diff --git a/ios/LChatCore/Tests/LChatCoreTests/Fixtures/markdown-vector.json b/ios/LChatCore/Tests/LChatCoreTests/Fixtures/markdown-vector.json

index 6f65bb9..00cf9e7 100644

--- a/ios/LChatCore/Tests/LChatCoreTests/Fixtures/markdown-vector.json

+++ b/ios/LChatCore/Tests/LChatCoreTests/Fixtures/markdown-vector.json

@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@

{

"name": "plain_text",

"input": "hello world",

+ "plain": "hello world",

"tree": [

{

"t": "p",

@@ -30,6 +31,7 @@

{

"name": "bold",

"input": "**b**",

+ "plain": "b",

"tree": [

{

"t": "p",

@@ -201,6 +203,7 @@

{

"name": "inline_code",

"input": "`co*de*`",

+ "plain": "co*de*",

"tree": [

{

"t": "p",

@@ -483,6 +486,7 @@

{

"name": "explicit_link",

"input": "[docs](https://example.com/a)",

+ "plain": "docs",

"tree": [

{

"t": "p",

@@ -814,6 +818,7 @@

{

"name": "bullet_list",

"input": "- a\n- b",

+ "plain": "a b",

"tree": [

{

"t": "ul",

@@ -1205,6 +1210,7 @@

{

"name": "fenced_code",

"input": "```js\ncode **here**\n```",

+ "plain": "code **here**",

"tree": [

{

"t": "codeblock",

@@ -1330,6 +1336,7 @@

{

"name": "backslash_escape",

"input": "\\*lit\\*",

+ "plain": "*lit*",

"tree": [

{

"t": "p",

diff --git a/ios/LChatCore/Tests/LChatCoreTests/MarkdownVectorTests.swift b/ios/LChatCore/Tests/LChatCoreTests/MarkdownVectorTests.swift

index 6f6cad5..a4c0693 100644

--- a/ios/LChatCore/Tests/LChatCoreTests/MarkdownVectorTests.swift

+++ b/ios/LChatCore/Tests/LChatCoreTests/MarkdownVectorTests.swift

@@ -16,6 +16,7 @@ final class MarkdownVectorTests: XCTestCase {

let name: String

let input: String

let tree: [MDBlock]

+ let plain: String? // pins markdownPlainText (previews/notifications) when present

let note: String?

}

@@ -48,6 +49,10 @@ final class MarkdownVectorTests: XCTestCase {

expected: \(json(v.tree))

got: \(json(got))

""")

+ if let plain = v.plain {

+ XCTAssertEqual(markdownPlainText(v.input), plain,

+ "vector '\(v.name)' plain projection diverged from the web twin")

+ }

}

diff --git a/ios/LChatNSE/NotificationService.swift b/ios/LChatNSE/NotificationService.swift

index 2a20c3a..9be4467 100644

--- a/ios/LChatNSE/NotificationService.swift

+++ b/ios/LChatNSE/NotificationService.swift

@@ -98,7 +98,10 @@ final class NotificationService: UNNotificationServiceExtension {

}

let sender = senderName(payload.uid, payload.name) ?? "Someone"

- var text = payload.text ?? ""

+ // Plain projection, not raw text — a notification body shows the

+ // composer's opt-out escapes and markdown marks otherwise (same rule

+ // as the sidebar previews).

+ var text = markdownPlainText(payload.text ?? "")

if text.isEmpty {

let n = payload.attachments?.count ?? 0

text = n > 0 ? (n == 1 ? "📎 Attachment" : "📎 \(n) attachments") : "New message"

diff --git a/test/event-vectors/markdown.json b/test/event-vectors/markdown.json

index 6f65bb9..00cf9e7 100644

--- a/test/event-vectors/markdown.json

+++ b/test/event-vectors/markdown.json

@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@

{

"name": "plain_text",

"input": "hello world",

+ "plain": "hello world",

"tree": [

{

"t": "p",

@@ -30,6 +31,7 @@

{

"name": "bold",

"input": "**b**",

+ "plain": "b",

"tree": [

{

"t": "p",

@@ -201,6 +203,7 @@

{

"name": "inline_code",

"input": "`co*de*`",

+ "plain": "co*de*",

"tree": [

{

"t": "p",

@@ -483,6 +486,7 @@

{

"name": "explicit_link",

"input": "[docs](https://example.com/a)",

+ "plain": "docs",

"tree": [

{

"t": "p",

@@ -814,6 +818,7 @@

{

"name": "bullet_list",

"input": "- a\n- b",

+ "plain": "a b",

"tree": [

{

"t": "ul",

@@ -1205,6 +1210,7 @@

{

"name": "fenced_code",

"input": "```js\ncode **here**\n```",

+ "plain": "code **here**",

"tree": [

{

"t": "codeblock",

@@ -1330,6 +1336,7 @@

{

"name": "backslash_escape",

"input": "\\*lit\\*",

+ "plain": "*lit*",

"tree": [

{

"t": "p",

diff --git a/test/markdown.test.mjs b/test/markdown.test.mjs

index 27b8ffb..b5a6bce 100644

--- a/test/markdown.test.mjs

+++ b/test/markdown.test.mjs

@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@ import assert from "node:assert/strict";

import { readFileSync } from "node:fs";

import { dirname, join } from "node:path";

import { fileURLToPath } from "node:url";

-import { parseMessage, houseParser } from "../web/static/markdown.js";

+import { parseMessage, houseParser, plainText } from "../web/static/markdown.js";

const __dirname = dirname(fileURLToPath(import.meta.url));

@@ -35,6 +35,9 @@ await test("vector file has substantial coverage", () => {

for (const v of vectors) {

await test(`vector: ${v.name}`, () => {

assert.deepEqual(parseMessage(v.input), v.tree, v.note || "");

+ // Vectors carrying a `plain` field also pin the plain projection (the

+ // sidebar-preview / notification text) on both platforms.

+ if (v.plain !== undefined) assert.strictEqual(plainText(v.input), v.plain);

});

}

diff --git a/web/static/markdown.js b/web/static/markdown.js

index e1d4087..812f8cc 100644

--- a/web/static/markdown.js

+++ b/web/static/markdown.js

@@ -245,6 +245,36 @@ export function parseMessage(text) {

const WRAP_TAG = { strong: "strong", em: "em", strike: "s" };

// hooks.plain(target, text): render a plain text run — chat.js passes its

+// Markdown-aware PLAIN projection for one-line surfaces (the sidebar's

+// last-message preview, notification bodies): escapes resolve (\* → *) and

+// the marks themselves drop — the same characters the bubbles show, minus

+// the styling. Never raw message text on those surfaces: the composer's

+// opt-out escapes leak as visible backslashes (Paul's report, 2026-07-15).

+// Twin: markdownPlainText (MarkdownTree.swift); the `plain` fields in

+// test/event-vectors/markdown.json pin the pair.

+export function plainText(text) {

+ const inline = (children) =>

+ children

+ .map((n) => {

+ if (n.t === "text" || n.t === "code") return n.text;

+ if (n.t === "br") return " ";

+ if (n.children) return inline(n.children); // link / strong / em / strike

+ return "";

+ })

+ .join("");

+ const blocks = (list) =>

+ list

+ .map((b) => {

+ if (b.t === "p") return inline(b.children);

+ if (b.t === "quote") return blocks(b.children);

+ if (b.t === "ul" || b.t === "ol") return b.items.map(blocks).join(" ");

+ if (b.t === "codeblock") return b.text;

+ return "";

+ })

+ .join(" ");

+ return blocks(parseMessage(text));

// mention scanner; default is a bare text node. Mentions are scanned only on

// text runs, never inside code or links, matching the original feed.

export function renderTree(el, blocks, hooks = {}) {

diff --git a/web/static/shell.js b/web/static/shell.js

index 3ad1eb4..b7b12e4 100644

--- a/web/static/shell.js

+++ b/web/static/shell.js

@@ -51,6 +51,7 @@ import { richTokens, blockTokens, firstLink, replySnippet, formatBytes, autoGrou

import { emojify, emojiMatches } from "/static/emoji.js";

import { startBootScene, finishBootScene } from "/static/bootscene.js";

import { processImage, videoMeta } from "/static/media.js";

+import { plainText as mdPlainText } from "/static/markdown.js";

import { createIntegrity } from "/static/integrity.js";

import {

registerFloorCommand,

@@ -2428,7 +2429,10 @@ window.lchatPaletteRun = (kind, id) => {

// A one-line snippet for the chat list: "Name: text" in groups, just text in DMs.

function previewText(t, data) {

- let body = (data.text || "").replace(/\s+/g, " ").trim();

+ // Through the markdown plain projection, never raw: raw text leaks the

+ // composer's opt-out escapes as visible backslashes (\*lit\*), and shows

+ // the marks the bubble renders as styling.

+ let body = mdPlainText(data.text || "").replace(/\s+/g, " ").trim();

// The feed shows @mentions as the viewer's own names for people (#577); the

// plain-text preview says the same thing (also rides into native notify).

body = translateMentions(body, nicknameRenames());