merge command lost interactive menu, batch ops, and multiple diff styles vs. BlastMerge

[matt-edmondson]

KtsuTools.Merge consolidated the bulk of BlastMerge's algorithm but dropped most of its UX. Original at c:/dev/ktsu-dev/BlastMerge.

Original BlastMerge surface

Interactive 8-option menu plus CLI:

• <directory> <filename> — same as KtsuTools today.
• <directory> -b <batch> — run a saved batch.
• -l — list batch configurations.
• -v, -h — version, help.
• Menu options: Iterative Merge, Compare same-name files, Compare directories, Compare specific files, Batch Operations, Find Files, Settings, Help.
• Batch configuration management: create / edit / view batch configs, with built-in templates (Common Repository Files, Repository Sync Batch).
• Three diff visualization modes: Change Summary, Git-style, Rich colored diff.
• Persistent command history.

KtsuTools.Merge today

Single non-interactive run: ktsu merge <directory> <filename> [--batch <NAME>]. The --batch flag itself is dead (#2). One diff style.

Acceptance (suggest splitting into sub-issues)

• Decide whether to keep KtsuTools.Merge non-interactive (zero menu) or restore the menu when invoked without args. Document the choice.
• Implement batch configuration management (closes merge --batch <NAME> option is silently ignored #2).
• Add --list-batches (or sub-command) to list saved batches.
• Add at least one alternative diff style (Git-style is the most useful for repo files).
• Persist command history via ISettingsService (intersects with ISettingsService is injected but never used in 5 services #1).

Cross-link

• ISettingsService is injected but never used in 5 services #1 (settings persistence), merge --batch <NAME> option is silently ignored #2 (--batch is dead).

[matt-edmondson]

Audit & recommendation: BlastMerge UX gap

I can't reach ktsu-dev/BlastMerge from this scope, so the comparison uses the issue body's documented feature list plus the current KtsuTools.Merge implementation.

Current KtsuTools.Merge surface

• Single command: ktsu merge <directory> <filename> [--batch <name>]
• --batch is a dead flag (covered by merge --batch <NAME> option is silently ignored #2 — settings are stored but never read).
• MergeService.RunMergeAsync is interactive at the block level: it groups files by content hash, finds the most-similar pair, prompts UseVersion1 / UseVersion2 / UseBoth / Skip per conflict block, then merges iteratively until one version remains.
• One diff style: side-by-side via DiffPlex.SideBySideDiffBuilder, capped at 50 lines.
• No top-level menu, no batch config CRUD, no command history.

Recommendation: keep ktsu merge non-interactive at the entry point; defer the menu

Rationale:

• Every other top-level command in KtsuTools is flag-driven (Program.cs:54-146). Adding a menu just for merge is an inconsistency users would trip on.
• The block-level prompts already handle the interactive part of merging. Power users wanting batch / saved configs can drive that from flags, which composes with shell history and scripts.
• BlastMerge's menu was useful as a standalone tool; inside an aggregator CLI it duplicates discoverability that --help already provides.

Suggested split into sub-issues

If accepted, I'd file these and close this as superseded:

• A: Implement batch configuration CRUD + wire up --batch (closes merge --batch <NAME> option is silently ignored #2). Storage via ISettingsService. Includes a --list-batches flag that lists saved configs.
• B: Add a Git-style unified diff renderer behind --diff-style git|side-by-side (default keeps current behaviour). Skip the "rich colored" mode — DiffPlex side-by-side is already colored.
• C (lower priority): Persist command history via ISettingsService once ISettingsService is injected but never used in 5 services #1 lands. Cross-link with ISettingsService is injected but never used in 5 services #1.

Drops (intentional):

• Top-level interactive menu — not consistent with the rest of the tool.
• Built-in batch templates (Common Repository Files / Repository Sync Batch) — users can save their own once A ships; pre-baked templates rot.

Maintainer to confirm before I split & start on A.

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[matt-edmondson]

Split filed:

• ktsu merge: implement batch configuration CRUD (closes #2) #36 — batch CRUD (sub-task A, closes merge --batch <NAME> option is silently ignored #2). Implementation incoming on Address audit follow-ups for #8, #9, #15 (with batch CRUD for ktsu merge) #39.
• ktsu merge: add --diff-style flag (git unified vs side-by-side) #37 — --diff-style flag (sub-task B).
• ktsu merge: persist command history #38 — command history (sub-task C, lower priority — coordinate storage shape with ktsu merge: implement batch configuration CRUD (closes #2) #36).

Starting on #36 now. This issue can be closed as superseded once all three sub-tasks are in.

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[matt-edmondson]

All four implementation sub-items are done; only the "interactive menu vs zero menu" decision was outstanding.

Status of acceptance items:

• Decide menu vs no-menu — effectively decided by shipping. KtsuTools.Merge stays non-interactive: positional <dir> <file> is the primary path, with --batch / --diff-style / merge-history flags as the UX surface. The original BlastMerge interactive menu was a TUI affordance that doesn't fit the rest of the ktsu flag-driven shape. If a user wants menu-driven invocation, it belongs in a separate frontend, not back in this command.
• Batch CRUD — closed via ktsu merge: implement batch configuration CRUD (closes #2) #36 (6540d64).
• --list-batches — covered by ktsu merge-batch list (6540d64).
• Alternative diff style — closed via ktsu merge: add --diff-style flag (git unified vs side-by-side) #37 (1434cc8). --diff-style git uses DiffPlex's InlineDiffBuilder.
• Command history — closed via ktsu merge: persist command history #38 (Close #11, #38: merge history + remove plaintext CredentialService #41 / a088f90). ktsu merge-history reads it; --clear truncates.

Closing.

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