Session timeline view: tool calls, tokens, subagent spawns over time #61

New issue

Open

opened 2026-05-23 20:55:28 +00:00 by coilysiren · 0 comments

coilysiren commented

2026-05-23 20:55:28 +00:00

Owner

Originally filed by @coilysiren on 2026-05-05T07:43:07Z - https://github.com/coilysiren/repo-recall/issues/51

Context

The session detail page today renders metadata (duration, message count, token usage, cost) plus a transcript with collapsible tool calls. That's the "what was said" view. There's no "what happened over time" view: tool-call rate, token rate, model switches, subagent spawn points, gaps where the session was idle.

Adjacent prior art: claude-devtools ("missing DevTools for Claude Code" - visual inspector for tool calls, subagents, token usage, context window). The repo-recall version differs by sitting alongside the multi-repo joining repo-recall already does, not as a standalone tool.

Proposal

A new section on /sessions/{id} (or a sibling tab) that plots the session as a timeline:

X axis is wall time across the session.
Per tool-call: a tick on the timeline, colored by tool kind (read / write / bash / mcp / subagent-spawn / etc.), with the tool name on hover.
Token spend rendered as a stacked area or running line under the tool ticks.
Model switches (Sonnet -> Opus -> Haiku) as vertical guides.
Subagent spawns (depends on #48) as branch markers; clicking opens the child session's timeline.
Gaps (idle periods) visible as empty stretches.

Rendering stays in the existing maud / Tailwind / htmx posture. SVG rendered server-side or a thin client-side bar chart, no JS toolchain.

Out of scope

Real-time streaming of an in-flight session. v1 reads completed (or partial) JSONL on demand. Live updates are a follow-up.
Cross-session timelines (a "what did I do this week" view across many sessions). Different feature, different page.
Cost breakdown by tool / model. Useful but separable.

Why now

A slice of the broader "active run on the dashboard" idea (#49) that doesn't require any harness on top. Pure win for anyone using Claude Code: see where a session spent its tokens and tool calls, not just the totals. #48's lineage is the natural anchor for the subagent-branch markers.

Dependencies

#48 (subagent lineage from JSONL) for the branch markers. Timeline can ship without lineage; the markers are additive.

_Originally filed by @coilysiren on 2026-05-05T07:43:07Z - [https://github.com/coilysiren/repo-recall/issues/51](https://github.com/coilysiren/repo-recall/issues/51)_ ## Context The session detail page today renders metadata (duration, message count, token usage, cost) plus a transcript with collapsible tool calls. That's the "what was said" view. There's no "what happened over time" view: tool-call rate, token rate, model switches, subagent spawn points, gaps where the session was idle. Adjacent prior art: `claude-devtools` ("missing DevTools for Claude Code" - visual inspector for tool calls, subagents, token usage, context window). The repo-recall version differs by sitting alongside the multi-repo joining repo-recall already does, not as a standalone tool. ## Proposal A new section on `/sessions/{id}` (or a sibling tab) that plots the session as a timeline: - X axis is wall time across the session. - Per tool-call: a tick on the timeline, colored by tool kind (read / write / bash / mcp / subagent-spawn / etc.), with the tool name on hover. - Token spend rendered as a stacked area or running line under the tool ticks. - Model switches (Sonnet -> Opus -> Haiku) as vertical guides. - Subagent spawns (depends on #48) as branch markers; clicking opens the child session's timeline. - Gaps (idle periods) visible as empty stretches. Rendering stays in the existing maud / Tailwind / htmx posture. SVG rendered server-side or a thin client-side bar chart, no JS toolchain. ## Out of scope - Real-time streaming of an in-flight session. v1 reads completed (or partial) JSONL on demand. Live updates are a follow-up. - Cross-session timelines (a "what did I do this week" view across many sessions). Different feature, different page. - Cost breakdown by tool / model. Useful but separable. ## Why now A slice of the broader "active run on the dashboard" idea (#49) that doesn't require any harness on top. Pure win for anyone using Claude Code: see *where* a session spent its tokens and tool calls, not just the totals. #48's lineage is the natural anchor for the subagent-branch markers. ## Dependencies - #48 (subagent lineage from JSONL) for the branch markers. Timeline can ship without lineage; the markers are additive.

coilysiren added the

label

2026-05-31 01:55:00 +00:00

coilysiren added

and removed

labels

2026-05-31 07:01:10 +00:00

No labels

No milestone

No project

No assignees

1 participant

Notifications

Due date

The due date is invalid or out of range. Please use the format "yyyy-mm-dd".

No due date set.

Dependencies

No dependencies set.

Reference

coilyco-flight-deck/repo-recall#61

No description provided.

Rows
Columns