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The chat interface is where you communicate with OpenCode AI agents to accomplish your coding tasks. It provides a rich, interactive experience for natural language programming.

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Composing Messages

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Message Input

The message input area is located at the bottom of the screen and features:
  • Multi-line text area - Automatically resizes as you type (up to a maximum height)
  • File mentions - Use @ to reference files in your project
  • Keyboard shortcuts - Enter to send, Shift + Enter for new lines
The text area supports up to 5 rows by default, with scrolling for longer messages.

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Sending Messages

  • Press Enter to send your message
  • Press Shift + Enter to add a new line
  • Click the Send button to submit
The Send button is disabled until you type at least one character, preventing accidental empty messages.

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Conversation Display

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Message Types

The chat interface displays two types of messages:

User Messages

Your messages appear with a user icon and are styled in a muted color for clear distinction.

AI Responses

AI agent responses appear with a sparkle icon and feature rich markdown formatting.

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Message Formatting

AI responses support full GitHub-flavored markdown, including:
  • Code blocks with syntax highlighting
  • Lists and nested lists
  • Tables
  • Links
  • Blockquotes
  • Bold and italic text

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Tool Call Indicators

When the AI agent uses tools, you’ll see visual indicators showing:
1

Tool Icon

Each tool has a unique icon (e.g., pen for edit, eye for read, terminal for bash)
2

Tool Name and Target

The specific tool being used and what file or command it’s operating on
3

Status Indicator

  • Running - Yellow text with animated ellipsis
  • Completed - Muted gray text
  • Error - Red text
4

Additional Details

Context like line counts for file writes or diff stats for edits

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Tool Display Examples

Here’s what you’ll see for common tool calls:
  • Edit: ✏️ edit src/app.ts (+12-5) - Shows additions and deletions
  • Read: 👁 read package.json - Shows which file is being read
  • Write: ✒️ write config.ts (45 lines) - Shows total lines written
  • Bash: $ npm install - Shows the command with description
  • Glob: 🔍 glob *.tsx in src/components - Shows search pattern and path

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Message Queue

OpenCode Portal uses an intelligent message queue system:

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Sequential Processing

  • Messages are processed one at a time
  • New messages added while the AI is thinking are queued
  • Queued messages display a “Queued” badge
  • Messages are automatically processed in order

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Visual Feedback

When sending a message, the interface shows:
  • Button text changes to “Sending…”
  • A “Thinking…” indicator with animated ripple effect
When messages are queued:
  • A yellow “Queued” badge appears on the message
  • The badge disappears when processing begins
If a message fails to send:
  • An error message appears in red
  • The failed message is removed from the queue
  • You can try sending again

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Model and Agent Selection

Below the message input, you can configure how the AI responds:

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Agent Selection

Choose which specialized agent handles your request:
  • Default: The standard agent for general tasks
  • Plan: Specialized for planning and task breakdown
  • Custom agents: Any additional agents configured in your instance
Each agent shows a description when you hover over it.

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Model Selection

Model selection is only available when not using a specialized agent. Agents have pre-configured model settings.
When using the default agent, you can select:
  • Provider: OpenAI, Anthropic, etc.
  • Model: Specific model version (e.g., GPT-4, Claude 3.5 Sonnet)
The model selector includes a searchable dropdown for quick access to your configured models.

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Auto-Scrolling

The chat interface features intelligent auto-scrolling:
  • New messages: Automatically scrolls to bottom when new messages arrive
  • Manual scroll: If you scroll up to read history, auto-scroll pauses
  • Near bottom: Auto-scroll resumes when you’re within 100px of the bottom
  • Initial load: Automatically scrolls to the latest message when opening a session
The scroll position is tracked per session. Switching sessions preserves your scroll position.

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Empty Session State

When you open a new session with no messages:
  • A centered message shows “No messages yet”
  • The input area is ready for your first message
  • All agent and model selections are available

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Error Handling

If errors occur:
  • Message loading errors appear at the top of the chat
  • Send errors appear above the input area
  • Errors are displayed in red with clear descriptions
  • You can retry failed operations
If you encounter persistent errors, check your instance connection in the instance management screen.

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