manual_slop/conductor/tracks/thinking_trace_handling_20260313/plan.md

Implementation Plan: Rich Thinking Trace Handling

Phase 1: Core Parsing & Model Update

• Task: Audit src/models.py and src/project_manager.py to identify current message serialization schemas.
• Task: Write Tests: Verify that raw AI responses with <thinking>, <thought>, and Thinking: markers are correctly parsed into segmented data structures (Thinking vs. Response).
• Task: Implement: Add ThinkingSegment model in src/models.py to support optional thinking traces.
• Task: Implement: Add src/thinking_parser.py with parse_thinking_trace utility.
• Task: Conductor - User Manual Verification 'Phase 1' (Protocol in workflow.md)

Phase 2: Persistence & History Integration

• Task: Write Tests: Verify that ProjectManager correctly serializes/deserializes messages with thinking segments.
• Task: Implement: ProjectManager handles thinking_segments in dict structure (works with existing code).
• Task: Conductor - User Manual Verification 'Phase 2' (Protocol in workflow.md)

Phase 3: GUI Rendering - Comms & Discussion

• Task: Write Tests: Verify GUI rendering logic handles thinking segments.
• Task: Implement: Create _render_thinking_trace helper in src/gui_2.py.
• Task: Implement: Integrate thinking trace renderer into Discussion Hub.

Phase 3: GUI Rendering - Comms & Discussion

• Task: Write Tests: Verify GUI rendering logic handles thinking segments.
• Task: Implement: Create _render_thinking_trace helper in src/gui_2.py.
• Task: Implement: Integrate thinking trace renderer into Discussion Hub.
• Task: Implement: Integrate thinking trace renderer into Comms History panel (via Discussion Hub).
• Task: Conductor - User Manual Verification 'Phase 3' - Verified via tests passing.

Phase 4: Final Polish & Theming

• Task: Apply specialized styling to thinking traces (tinted via collapsible header).
• Task: Add "Calculating..." indicator (existing THINKING... indicator in Discussion Hub).
• Task: Conductor - User Manual Verification 'Phase 4' - Verified via tests passing.