chatgpt-shell-prompt-compose-previous-interaction no longer works

[djr7C4]

This command used to show previous interactions in compose mode. However, it now gives either the error (cl-assertion-failed ((or (seq-empty-p items) (eq (length items) 1)) nil)). The error occurs in the latest version of the package even with no customization.

Debugger entered--Lisp error: (cl-assertion-failed ((or (seq-empty-p items) (eq (length items) 1)) nil))
  cl--assertion-failed((or (seq-empty-p items) (eq (length items) 1)))
  (or (or (seq-empty-p items) (eq (length items) 1)) (cl--assertion-failed '(or (seq-empty-p items) (eq (length items) 1))))
  (progn (or (or (seq-empty-p items) (eq (length items) 1)) (cl--assertion-failed '(or (seq-empty-p items) (eq (length items) 1)))) nil)
  (let ((items (shell-maker--extract-history (buffer-string) (shell-maker-prompt shell-maker--config)))) (progn (or (or (seq-empty-p items) (eq (length items) 1)) (cl--assertion-failed '(or (seq-empty-p items) (eq (length items) 1)))) nil) (seq-first items))
  (save-restriction (shell-maker-narrow-to-prompt) (let ((items (shell-maker--extract-history (buffer-string) (shell-maker-prompt shell-maker--config)))) (progn (or (or (seq-empty-p items) (eq (length items) 1)) (cl--assertion-failed '(or (seq-empty-p items) (eq ... 1)))) nil) (seq-first items)))
  (save-excursion (save-restriction (shell-maker-narrow-to-prompt) (let ((items (shell-maker--extract-history (buffer-string) (shell-maker-prompt shell-maker--config)))) (progn (or (or (seq-empty-p items) (eq (length items) 1)) (cl--assertion-failed '(or ... ...))) nil) (seq-first items))))
  shell-maker--command-and-response-at-point()
  (progn (goto-char point-after) (shell-maker--command-and-response-at-point))
  (if moved (progn (goto-char point-after) (shell-maker--command-and-response-at-point)))
  (let* ((point-before (and t (point))) (point-after (and point-before (save-excursion (comint-previous-prompt (if backwards 1 -1)) (if (eq (line-number-at-pos point-before) (line-number-at-pos ...)) (progn (comint-previous-prompt ...))) (let* ((going-back ...) (response ...) (same ...)) (if same (comint-previous-prompt ...))) (point)))) (moved (and point-after (and (not (eq point-before point-after)) (not (eq (line-number-at-pos point-before) (line-number-at-pos point-after))))))) (if moved (progn (goto-char point-after) (shell-maker--command-and-response-at-point))))
  shell-maker-next-command-and-response(t)
  (save-current-buffer (set-buffer (chatgpt-shell--primary-buffer)) (if backwards (if (save-excursion (let ((orig-line (line-number-at-pos))) (comint-previous-prompt 1) (= orig-line (line-number-at-pos)))) (progn (error "No previous page"))) (if (save-excursion (let ((orig-line (point))) (comint-next-prompt 1) (= orig-line (point)))) (progn (error "No next page")))) (shell-maker-next-command-and-response backwards))
  (and compose-buffer (save-current-buffer (set-buffer (chatgpt-shell--primary-buffer)) (if backwards (if (save-excursion (let ((orig-line ...)) (comint-previous-prompt 1) (= orig-line (line-number-at-pos)))) (progn (error "No previous page"))) (if (save-excursion (let ((orig-line ...)) (comint-next-prompt 1) (= orig-line (point)))) (progn (error "No next page")))) (shell-maker-next-command-and-response backwards)))
  (let* ((shell-buffer (and t (chatgpt-shell--primary-buffer))) (compose-buffer (and shell-buffer (chatgpt-shell-prompt-compose-buffer))) (next (and compose-buffer (save-current-buffer (set-buffer (chatgpt-shell--primary-buffer)) (if backwards (if (save-excursion ...) (progn ...)) (if (save-excursion ...) (progn ...))) (shell-maker-next-command-and-response backwards))))) (if next (progn (chatgpt-shell-prompt-compose-replace-interaction (car next) (cdr next)) (text-property-search-forward 'prompt t) next) nil))
  chatgpt-shell-prompt-compose-next-interaction(t)
  chatgpt-shell-prompt-compose-previous-interaction()
  funcall-interactively(chatgpt-shell-prompt-compose-previous-interaction)
  command-execute(chatgpt-shell-prompt-compose-previous-interaction)

[djr7C4]

The problem appears to be this function in shell-maker:

(defun shell-maker--command-and-response-at-point ()
  "Extract the current command and response in buffer."
  (save-excursion
    (save-restriction
      (shell-maker-narrow-to-prompt)
      (let ((items (shell-maker--extract-history
                    (buffer-string)
                    (shell-maker-prompt shell-maker--config))))
        (cl-assert (or (seq-empty-p items)
                       (eq (length items) 1)))
        (seq-first items)))))

I don't understand the assertion since presumably items would have one item for each prompt in the history. Removing the assertion fixes the error but results in another issue. Going to other interactions now works but the numbering becomes incorrect.

[djr7C4]

The second problem seems to be an issue with shell-maker--extract-history. When there is no chatgpt shell buffer when chatgpt-shell-prompt-compose runs, it creates a new one but the initial prompt doesn't include the name of the system prompt. This means that the prompt is "ChatGPT>" instead of "ChatGPT(gpt-5/Programming)>". As a result, the first line of the history includes the prompt "ChatGPT>" and then it doesn't find the first item in the history since it doesn't match anything.

[djr7C4]

This will also cause issues with the user changes the system prompt at some point. Ideally, this could be changed so that the history doesn't depend on the specific prompt used.

[djr7C4]

One idea could be to insert "<shell-maker-beginning-of-prompt>" as well as "<shell-maker-end-of-prompt>".

[xenodium]

You mean paging like the following is breaking for you?

Seems to work on the latest for me.

Here's the entire transcript (via shell-maker-save-session-transcript)

ChatGPT(chatgpt-4o-latest/General)> hello
<shell-maker-end-of-prompt>
Hello! 👋
How can I help you today? 😊

ChatGPT(chatgpt-4o-latest/General)> tell me a 10 word story
<shell-maker-end-of-prompt>
Lost key, silent street, sudden knock — mystery begins anew.

ChatGPT(chatgpt-4o-latest/General)> 

Can you share a transcript for an offending session for ya?

[xenodium]

Granted this looks like a regression, we may want to git bisect to try to isolate the breaking change.

[djr7C4]

Yes, that's the issue I'm having. That is strange that it doesn't happen for you. Here's the config I used to cause the issue using emacs --init-directory. This is with emacs 30.1.

(setq package-archives '(("gnu" . "https://elpa.gnu.org/packages/")
                         ("nongnu" . "https://elpa.nongnu.org/nongnu/")
                         ;; Marmalade is pretty much dead these days and many packages
                         ;; are out of date. Also, it does not support secure
                         ;; connections. ("marmalade" .
                         ;; "http://marmalade-repo.org/packages/")
                         ("melpa-stable" . "https://stable.melpa.org/packages/")
                         ("melpa" . "https://melpa.org/packages/")))

(use-package "chatgpt-shell"
  :ensure t)

This is the transcript

     Welcome to ChatGPT shell


       Type help and press RET for details.

       Like this package? Consider ✨sponsoring✨





<shell-maker-failed-command>
ChatGPT> test
<shell-maker-end-of-prompt>
Hi! I’m here—how can I help you today?

ChatGPT(gpt-5/General)> test2
<shell-maker-end-of-prompt>
Looks like you’re testing—everything’s working. 
- Type "help" to see options, or tell me what you’d like to do.

ChatGPT(gpt-5/General)> 

Note that the first prompt is "ChatGPT>" and not "ChatGPT(gpt-5/General)>". That is what seems to be causing the problem. The issue occurs when there isn't a shell open and the compose command has to start one. The different prompt is also what causes the problem with the numbering.

Maybe there's something in your setup or the way you ran it that caused the prompts to line up.

[xenodium]

The issue occurs when there isn't a shell open and the compose command has to start one.

Ah, it sounds related to #401

Are you on the latest shell-maker?

[djr7C4]

Yes, I tested with the latest versions of chatgpt-shell and shell-maker.

[djr7C4]

In my case though the buffer is perfectly functional (unlike in #401). It is just missing the system prompt which breaks the history since shell maker assumes that the prompt does not change.

[xenodium]

By chance, does shell-maker need to be byte-compiled again? Maybe delete the .elc? M-x find-library shell-maker RET M-x eval-buffer?

[djr7C4]

I doubt it. I reproduced the issue in a fresh directory with emacs --init-directory.

[djr7C4]

Does it still work correctly for you with --init-directory and the init.el I posted?

[djr7C4]

Another way to see the issue is to swap the system prompt in the comint buffer part way through. That doesn't cause the error but it breaks the numbering. I believe both are caused by the same shell maker issue.

[djr7C4]

The way I see it there are two separate issues here:

1. New shell buffers created by the compose command don't set the prompt correctly (chatgpt-shell issue)
2. The history returned is incorrect when some of the prompts are different (shell-maker issue)