[idea] show agent status beside each tab in sidebar-free mode

[lsisoft]

idea / problem

I want to run Herdr without the left sidebar so the terminal uses the full width. The existing hidden collapsed mode removes the sidebar, but it also removes the at-a-glance agent status indicators. The compact mode keeps those indicators but still reserves a strip on the left.

requested change

Add a sidebar_collapsed_mode = "topbar" option that uses zero sidebar width and displays each tab's current agent status immediately after that tab's name. It should use the same working animation and idle/blocked indicators as the agent sidebar, and keep the tab row visible for a single tab so the status remains available.

Example:

`frontend [working]  api [done]  tests [idle]`

I have a fork branch demonstrating the behavior:

https://github.com/lsisoft/herdr/tree/feature/topbar-agent-status

why you want this

This keeps maximum terminal width while preserving a quick view of which agents are working, waiting, or idle in a multi-agent workspace.

[alasano]

I like this, but a simpler version of this would be good enough for me. I use the sidebar, but I'd still like an indicator on the tabs themselves, just a colored dot next to the tab name for working / done / blocked. So maybe a plain [ui] option instead of tying it to sidebar_collapsed_mode, then it works whether the sidebar is open or not.

Since a tab can hold multiple agent panes, the dot should just show whichever state needs attention most, if one agent is blocked and another is just working, show blocked. The sidebar already picks one state for a whole workspace this way, so the tab dot would be the same rule, just applied per tab instead.

[lsisoft]

So you would prefer that the top bar contains the progress dot irrespective of the sidebar being open or not?

this is how it looks to me as I've implemnted it, I've already found out that on the light blue highlight of the current bar the icon progress is not so visible.

From my point of view, the icon in the top bar should always be there, irrespective of the sidebar being opened or not.

[alasano]

So you would prefer that the top bar contains the progress dot irrespective of the sidebar being open or not?

this is how it looks to me as I've implemnted it, I've already found out that on the light blue highlight of the current bar the icon progress is not so visible.

From my point of view, the icon in the top bar should always be there, irrespective of the sidebar being opened or not.

Well I think since the sidebar_collapsed_mode = "topbar" part belongs to your idea, how it behaves when the sidebar is collapsed is more your requirement than mine, since I would never collapse the sidebar to use it this way but with the sidebar expanded like normal, I would like pretty much what you showed there yes.

I think the only thing is perhaps still making it a dot instead of matching the agents section checkmark/working status, so matching the sidebar colored dots essentially since dots represent multiple agents and the icons you've shown are matched to one agent at a time (and tabs can have more than one agent)

sloppy example generated by gpt image 2.0 above since I didn't actually implement it locally

I'd also place it before the tab name to match the sidebar but that's just my OCD talking.

What format would you prefer? Dots / matching the agents section / [working/done/idle] like you suggested initially

[lsisoft]

I'll replicate either dots or icons on the top bar, in the situation of the icon, the blue highlight will start on text, not on the icon. Will modify to include this as options from settings, from the settings panel and not have an issue if the sidebar is open or close

[lsisoft]

Implemented dots, icons and settings/experimental panel into my branch. If you can compile from source, you can use it already.

[alasano]

nicely done! I'll give it a try

[errogaht]

I would use this with the sidebar open as well. The most useful version for me is the existing colored aggregate status dot before each tab name, using the same symbols, colors, and attention priority as the workspace list. I prepared a focused opt-in implementation with config hot reload and tests: https://github.com/errogaht/herdr/tree/agent/show-agent-status-on-tabs. If this direction fits Herdr, I am happy to open a PR.