docs(rfc): reconcile Live-to-Final assistant-reply contracts with shipped behavior (#6144) (#6147)

Docs-only reconciliation of the Stable Assistant Turn Anchors / Live-to-Final
RFCs + CONTRACTS.md + Phase 0 inventory from proposed/scaffold to
accepted/implemented framing. No runtime/CI change; one comment-header fix in
static/assistant_turn_anchors.js. Remaining hardening tracked under #3400.

Co-authored-by: nesquena-hermes <agent@nesquena-hermes>
Co-authored-by: franksong2702 <franksong2702@users.noreply.github.com>

CHANGELOG.md

@@ -3,6 +3,10 @@
 
 ## [Unreleased]
 
+### Changed
+
+- **Docs: reconciled the assistant-reply lifecycle RFCs/contracts with shipped behavior.** The Stable Assistant Turn Anchors and Live-to-Final RFCs, `docs/CONTRACTS.md`, and the Phase 0 architecture inventory were updated from "proposed/scaffold" framing to "accepted/implemented" to match what actually ships (single assistant-turn owner projecting one `activity_scene_v1` into Compact Worklog / Transparent Stream / Final answer). Documentation-only — no runtime behavior or CI-gate change; the one code touch is a corrected comment header in `static/assistant_turn_anchors.js`. Remaining hardening stays tracked under #3400. Thanks @franksong2702. (#6144)
+
 ### Fixed
 
 - **Models selected from a list-shaped custom-provider allowlist now route to the right provider.** A `custom_providers[].models` allowlist can be written as either a mapping or a list, and the model picker accepted both — but runtime routing only read mapping keys, so a model chosen from a *list*-shaped allowlist could silently stay on the active/default provider instead of its own. The supported-model-ID extraction is now centralized in one helper used by both catalog construction and routing, so the picker and runtime can no longer drift. Existing mapping-shaped and list-of-strings configs are unaffected. Thanks @franksong2702. (#6127, #6121)

docs/CONTRACTS.md

@@ -29,13 +29,19 @@ contributor guidance; it does not change runtime behavior or CI gates.
   repairs. Start here for narrow fixes that keep the existing WebUI execution
   path.
 - [`docs/rfcs/live-to-final-assistant-replies.md`](rfcs/live-to-final-assistant-replies.md):
-  proposed product model for long-running assistant replies, live process text,
+  accepted product model for long-running assistant replies, live process text,
   tool activity, recovery, terminal outcomes, and final-answer boundaries. Start
   here for UI/UX changes to running-session assistant reply rendering.
+- [`docs/rfcs/stable-assistant-turn-anchors.md`](rfcs/stable-assistant-turn-anchors.md):
+  implemented presentation/reconciliation model that attaches live, settled,
+  replayed, and recovered activity to one assistant-turn owner and projects one
+  `activity_scene_v1` into Compact Worklog, Transparent Stream, or Final answer
+  only. Remaining hardening stays tracked under #3400.
 - [`docs/architecture/stable-assistant-turn-anchor-phase0.md`](architecture/stable-assistant-turn-anchor-phase0.md):
-  current Phase 0 inventory for the Stable Assistant Turn Anchors work under
+  cumulative implementation inventory for the Stable Assistant Turn Anchors
-  #3926. Use this before wiring anchor helpers into live SSE, replay,
+  work under #3926. Use it to distinguish shipped wiring from historical slice
-  settlement, `INFLIGHT`, or `renderMessages()` paths.
+  boundaries before changing live SSE, replay, settlement, `INFLIGHT`, or
+  `renderMessages()` paths.
 - [`docs/rfcs/canonical-session-resolution.md`](rfcs/canonical-session-resolution.md):
   proposed contract for resolving URL routes, query parameters, localStorage,
   sidebar rows, and compression-lineage IDs to one canonical visible session

docs/architecture/stable-assistant-turn-anchor-phase0.md

@@ -1,12 +1,16 @@
 # Stable Assistant Turn Anchors Phase 0 Inventory
 
-This inventory implements the first non-visual slice of
+This inventory began as the first non-visual slice of
-[`stable-assistant-turn-anchors.md`](../rfcs/stable-assistant-turn-anchors.md).
+[`stable-assistant-turn-anchors.md`](../rfcs/stable-assistant-turn-anchors.md) and
-It documents the current per-turn state layers and the event-shape contract that
+now records the shipped phase progression. Current `master` wires Anchor-owned
-future anchor phases must consume. It does not claim that anchors are wired into
+`activity_scene_v1` data into live and settled Compact Worklog, Transparent
-streaming or rendering yet.
+Stream, journal hydration, session re-entry, and transcript-backed persistence.
 
-## RFC Phase Progress
+The slice-by-slice sections below are retained as implementation history.
+Present-tense statements such as “unwired” or “future phase” describe the point
+when that slice landed; they do not override the current coverage summary above.
+
+## Shipped RFC Phase Progress
 
 - The #3962 Phase 0 scaffold shipped through #3977 / v0.51.359: inventory the
   current state layers, encode the owner seed, and pin the source classification

docs/rfcs/README.md

@@ -47,16 +47,17 @@ First-time contributor RFCs should be discussed in an issue before opening a PR.
   replay, compression, and session metadata coherent during active and recovered
   WebUI runs.
 - [`live-to-final-assistant-replies.md`](live-to-final-assistant-replies.md)
-  — #3400 product model for long-running assistant replies, live process prose,
+  — #3400 accepted product model for long-running assistant replies, live
-  tool activity, recovery, terminal outcomes, and the final-answer boundary.
+  process prose, tool activity, recovery, terminal outcomes, display
+  projections, and the final-answer boundary.
 - [`transparent-stream-activity-mode.md`](transparent-stream-activity-mode.md)
-  — #3820 opt-in display mode for power users who need a transparent,
+  — #3820 implemented opt-in display mode for power users who need a
-  chronological Thinking / progress / tool-call stream alongside the default
+  transparent, chronological Thinking / progress / tool-call stream alongside
-  Compact Worklog model.
+  the default Compact Worklog and opt-in Final answer only projections.
 - [`stable-assistant-turn-anchors.md`](stable-assistant-turn-anchors.md) — #3926
-  proposed frontend presentation/reconciliation model for anchoring live
+  implemented frontend presentation/reconciliation model for anchoring live
-  assistant activity, settled final answers, replay, and Compact/Transparent
+  assistant activity, settled final answers, replay, and all activity display
-  render modes to one assistant turn.
+  modes to one assistant turn; remaining hardening is tracked under #3400.
 - [`canonical-session-resolution.md`](canonical-session-resolution.md) — #2361
   focused contract for resolving URL, query parameter, localStorage, sidebar,
   and compression-lineage session IDs to one canonical visible chat target.

docs/rfcs/live-to-final-assistant-replies.md

@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@
 - **Status:** Accepted (parent contract; implementation tracked in [#3400](https://github.com/nesquena/hermes-webui/issues/3400))
 - **Author:** @franksong2702
 - **Created:** 2026-06-03
+- **Updated:** 2026-07-16
 - **Tracking issue:** [#3400](https://github.com/nesquena/hermes-webui/issues/3400)
 
 ## Background: Long-Running Sessions Are The Anchor
@@ -204,6 +205,43 @@ Requirements:
 - Very long final answers remain complete and readable. They should not be
   hidden inside the activity summary or replaced by a progress/status artifact.
 
+### Activity display and disclosure addenda
+
+The accepted lifecycle now has three presentation strategies over the same
+assistant-turn activity data:
+
+- **Compact Worklog** remains the default. Its top-level Worklog is expanded
+  while live so progress remains visible, and the user may collapse or reopen it.
+  Nested tool/reasoning detail remains progressively disclosed.
+- **Transparent Stream** is opt-in and renders the same ordered activity as
+  chronological rows. It does not create a second live or settled owner.
+- **Final answer only** is opt-in (`hide_all_activity` in persisted settings).
+  It suppresses activity rows without deleting the persisted Anchor scene or
+  changing the final-answer owner.
+
+For normal completed turns, the settled Compact Worklog remains collapsed by
+default. When a terminal error-family turn has actual Worklog content, the
+Worklog defaults open so readable partial work is not hidden behind the error
+outcome. The current disclosure error family is `error`, `no_response`,
+`degraded`, `connection_lost`, `tool_limit_reached`, and
+`compression_exhausted`; cancelled turns and the parent `interrupted` terminal
+outcome keep their separate semantics. An explicit user disclosure choice wins
+over these defaults and may be restored across a render rebuild.
+
+`degraded` and `connection_lost` are Anchor-level reconstruction/transport
+outcomes defined in
+[`stable-assistant-turn-anchors.md`](stable-assistant-turn-anchors.md), not
+additional canonical product states in the table below. In this parent
+contract, `connection_lost` is the transport-specific Anchor form of an
+interruption, while `degraded` is the explicit recovery-state counterpart to the
+restoring/degraded path. They use error-family disclosure only because they can
+leave readable partial Worklog content without a normal final answer.
+
+These are presentation and disclosure rules only. They do not change reply
+ownership, terminal classification, durable transcript truth, or the requirement
+that all three strategies converge across live, settle, reload, session switch,
+and reconnect.
+
 ### Recovery and replay
 
 Refresh, reconnect, session switching, and replay should preserve the same
@@ -473,7 +511,9 @@ for current open/merged/superseded status.
 | Track | Scope | Current vehicle |
 | --- | --- | --- |
 | Parent product RFC | Define the long-running live-to-final assistant reply lifecycle and review checklist. | This RFC; tracking issue [#3400](https://github.com/nesquena/hermes-webui/issues/3400). |
-| First reply lifecycle implementation | Live process prose, quiet tool activity, settled activity summary above final answer, replay/reattach consistency, live-only compression status, supporting stream ownership fixes. | [#3401](https://github.com/nesquena/hermes-webui/pull/3401). |
+| First reply lifecycle implementation | Live process prose, quiet tool activity, settled activity summary above final answer, replay/reattach consistency, live-only compression status, supporting stream ownership fixes. | [#3401](https://github.com/nesquena/hermes-webui/pull/3401), absorbed through [#3741](https://github.com/nesquena/hermes-webui/pull/3741). |
+| Activity display projections | Compact Worklog by default, opt-in Transparent Stream, and opt-in Final answer only over the same assistant-turn data. | [#3820](https://github.com/nesquena/hermes-webui/issues/3820), [`transparent-stream-activity-mode.md`](transparent-stream-activity-mode.md), tracking issue [#3400](https://github.com/nesquena/hermes-webui/issues/3400). |
+| Assistant-turn presentation ownership | Normalize live, settled, replayed, and recovered activity into one Anchor / `activity_scene_v1`, with legacy rendering limited to historical or non-anchor compatibility. | [#3926](https://github.com/nesquena/hermes-webui/issues/3926), [`stable-assistant-turn-anchors.md`](stable-assistant-turn-anchors.md); core implementation shipped through the #4411/#4564 and #5242/#5243 capstones. |
 | Terminal/no-final stabilization | Compression exhausted, tool-tail/no-final transcript shape, context-compaction marker suppression, terminal error routing. | [#3315](https://github.com/nesquena/hermes-webui/issues/3315), [#3316](https://github.com/nesquena/hermes-webui/pull/3316). |
 | Cancel ownership hardening | Frontend cancel should close its own SSE source and clear only its own busy state. | [#3344](https://github.com/nesquena/hermes-webui/issues/3344), [#3345](https://github.com/nesquena/hermes-webui/pull/3345). |
 | Early-cancel startup race | Backend cancel should still interrupt the worker when the SSE registry detached before startup fully settled. | [#3475](https://github.com/nesquena/hermes-webui/issues/3475), [#3476](https://github.com/nesquena/hermes-webui/pull/3476). |

docs/rfcs/stable-assistant-turn-anchors.md

@@ -1,12 +1,35 @@
 # Stable Assistant Turn Anchors for Live-to-Final Rendering
 
-- **Status:** Proposed
+- **Status:** Implemented
 - **Author:** @franksong2702
 - **Created:** 2026-06-10
+- **Updated:** 2026-07-16
 - **Tracking issue:** [#3926](https://github.com/nesquena/hermes-webui/issues/3926)
 - **Parent contract:** [Live-to-Final Assistant Replies](./live-to-final-assistant-replies.md) ([#3400](https://github.com/nesquena/hermes-webui/issues/3400))
 - **Related RFCs:** [Transparent Stream](./transparent-stream-activity-mode.md), [Hermes Run Adapter Contract](./hermes-run-adapter-contract.md), [WebUI Run State Consistency Contract](./webui-run-state-consistency-contract.md), [Turn Journal](./turn-journal.md), [Pending Intent Controls](./webui-pending-intent-controls.md)
 
+## Implementation Status
+
+The RFC's core presentation/reconciliation path is implemented. Current
+`master` includes the event normalizer and registry, settled final-answer
+projection, ordered `activity_scene_v1`, live Compact Worklog rendering,
+Transparent Stream rendering, run-journal hydration, session re-entry,
+transcript-backed scene persistence, and explicit fallback ownership for
+historical or non-anchor transcripts.
+
+`Implemented` does not mean every adjacent hardening item is complete. The
+remaining work is tracked under [#3400](https://github.com/nesquena/hermes-webui/issues/3400)
+and should land as separate slices:
+
+- replace presentation-layer text/prefix de-echo heuristics with provenance or
+  event identity without deleting legitimate repeated model output;
+- make newer journal/replay evidence explicitly outrank stale `INFLIGHT`
+  first-paint state;
+- finish stable `run_id` versus transport `stream_id` separation;
+- complete the Phase 6 Artifact/side-effect ownership path;
+- remove each legacy fallback only after its historical transcript shape can
+  hydrate an Anchor reliably.
+
 ## Problem
 
 The Live-to-Final redesign made the user-facing product model clearer:
@@ -763,6 +786,11 @@ Implementation PRs may combine adjacent low-risk phases when they preserve
 behavior and include coverage. Settlement, reconstruction, and display-mode
 changes should remain independently reviewable.
 
+Implementation reconciliation (2026-07-16): the core Phase 0-5 path has shipped.
+Phase 6 and the hardening items listed in **Implementation Status** remain
+follow-up work; the phase descriptions below are retained as the rollout
+contract that produced the current implementation.
+
 ### Phase 0: RFC and inventory
 
 - Land this RFC as design guidance.
@@ -902,6 +930,11 @@ Any implementation PR against this RFC should answer:
 
 ## Open Questions
 
+The first-slice and Transparent Stream sequencing questions below are retained
+as historical implementation rationale. Current open hardening questions are
+identity fallback depth, Artifact/side-effect ownership, and how far active-turn
+DOM rebuilds can be reduced without weakening recovery compatibility.
+
 ### First implementation slice size
 
 Should the first implementation PR stop at hidden anchor scaffolding, or should

docs/rfcs/transparent-stream-activity-mode.md

@@ -1,12 +1,31 @@
 # Transparent Stream — A Chronological Activity Display Mode
 
-- **Status:** Accepted (direction confirmed by @nesquena; RFC merged via [#3862](https://github.com/nesquena/hermes-webui/pull/3862))
+- **Status:** Implemented (opt-in display mode; follow-up hardening tracked in [#3400](https://github.com/nesquena/hermes-webui/issues/3400))
 - **Author:** @franksong2702
 - **Created:** 2026-06-09
-- **Updated:** 2026-06-09
+- **Updated:** 2026-07-16
 - **Tracking issue:** [#3820](https://github.com/nesquena/hermes-webui/issues/3820)
 - **Parent contract:** [Live-to-Final Assistant Replies](./live-to-final-assistant-replies.md) ([#3400](https://github.com/nesquena/hermes-webui/issues/3400) / #3401 / #3741)
 
+## Current projection family
+
+The shipped `chat_activity_display_mode` setting now has three explicit values:
+
+- `compact_worklog` — default, results-first presentation;
+- `transparent_stream` — opt-in chronological activity rows;
+- `hide_all_activity` — opt-in **Final answer only** presentation.
+
+All three are render strategies over the same Assistant Turn Anchor and
+`activity_scene_v1`; they do not create separate activity ownership or change
+the final-answer boundary. Final answer only suppresses activity presentation
+while preserving the persisted scene so another mode, settle, or reload can
+reconstruct the same turn.
+
+The original proposal and rollout notes below are retained as design history.
+Statements describing a missing selector, missing settled branch, or unwired
+live/replay renderer describe the tree when this RFC was written, not current
+`master`.
+
 ## Problem
 
 After the live-to-final redesign (#3401/#3741), the execution trace of a turn
@@ -104,21 +123,22 @@ Plus two boundaries:
 - **Not full transcript virtualization.** Performance hardening for very long
   transparent transcripts (#3714) is acknowledged but scoped to a later slice.
 
-## Proposal
+## Implemented proposal
 
 ### 1. A new, dedicated preference
 
-A new preference, independent of `simplified_tool_calling`:
+The shipped preference is independent of `simplified_tool_calling`:
 
 ```python
 # api/config.py preferences
-"chat_activity_display_mode": "compact_worklog",  # | "transparent_stream"
+"chat_activity_display_mode": "compact_worklog",  # | "transparent_stream" | "hide_all_activity"
 ```
 
 - Default `compact_worklog` — existing users see no change.
 - Surfaced in Settings as an explicit **segmented choice** (not a checkbox):
   - **Compact Worklog** — default; results-first, supporting activity quiet.
   - **Transparent Stream** — advanced; every step shown chronologically.
+  - **Final answer only** — activity hidden; final answer remains visible.
 - The legacy `Compact tool activity` checkbox is marked deprecated. It is not
   the seam for this feature.
 
@@ -128,6 +148,7 @@ predicate used everywhere:
 ```js
 function chatActivityMode(){ return window._chatActivityDisplayMode || 'compact_worklog'; }
 function isTransparentStream(){ return chatActivityMode() === 'transparent_stream'; }
+function isFinalAnswerOnlyMode(){ return chatActivityMode() === 'hide_all_activity'; }
 ```
 
 ### 2. Decouple "event sequence" from "grouping strategy"

docs/rfcs/webui-run-state-consistency-contract.md

@@ -3,8 +3,9 @@
 - **Status:** Proposed
 - **Author:** @franksong2702
 - **Created:** 2026-05-16
+- **Updated:** 2026-07-16
 - **Tracking issue:** [#2361](https://github.com/nesquena/hermes-webui/issues/2361)
-- **Related architecture:** [#1925](https://github.com/nesquena/hermes-webui/issues/1925), [`hermes-run-adapter-contract.md`](hermes-run-adapter-contract.md)
+- **Related architecture:** [#1925](https://github.com/nesquena/hermes-webui/issues/1925), [`hermes-run-adapter-contract.md`](hermes-run-adapter-contract.md), [`stable-assistant-turn-anchors.md`](stable-assistant-turn-anchors.md)
 
 ## Problem
 
@@ -46,6 +47,21 @@ while WebUI still has multiple overlapping state stores.
 - Do not reopen already-fixed narrow bugs.
 - Do not make this a catch-all for unrelated UI polish.
 
+## Current implementation relationship
+
+Stable Assistant Turn Anchors now implement the presentation/reconciliation
+portion of this contract for one assistant turn. The run journal and settled
+transcript provide durable observations; the Anchor registry and
+`activity_scene_v1` reconcile those observations into Compact Worklog,
+Transparent Stream, or Final answer only; `S.messages`, `INFLIGHT`, renderer
+caches, and DOM remain projections or recovery caches rather than independent
+semantic owners.
+
+This RFC remains `Proposed` because its broader cross-layer contract also covers
+model-context reconstruction, compression handoff, session metadata, and future
+runtime-adapter migration. Shipped Anchor coverage strengthens invariants 2, 3,
+and 5; it does not mark every run-state boundary implemented.
+
 ## State Layers
 
 | Layer | Purpose | Source-of-truth expectation | Must not do |

static/assistant_turn_anchors.js

@@ -1,9 +1,9 @@
-// Stable Assistant Turn Anchors scaffold (#3926).
+// Stable Assistant Turn Anchors implementation (#3926 / #3400).
 //
-// This file defines the current ownership inventory, event classifications, and
+// This file defines the ownership inventory, event normalization, registry, and
-// small owner helpers. It does not register anchors globally. The only renderer
+// activity-scene projection consumed by current live, settled, replay-hydration,
-// wiring in this slice is settled assistant final-answer projection; live
+// and session-reentry paths. Runtime execution and transport remain outside the
-// streaming, replay hydration, tools, and DOM ownership remain unwired.
+// Anchor's presentation/reconciliation ownership boundary.
 (function(){
   const ROOT=(typeof window!=='undefined')?window:globalThis;