pi-mono/packages/coding-agent/docs
Petr Houška 3a7bb6f48c
fix(coding-agent): stream the read tool instead of loading whole files (#11750)
## Problem

`read` loads the whole file before it applies `offset`/`limit`:
`ops.readFile` -> `toString("utf-8")` -> `split("\n")`. A one-line read
still holds the whole file three times: as a Buffer, as a string and as
an array of lines.

Measured on main with a 200 MB log (2.36M lines):

- `offset: 1, limit: 1` peaks at 638 MB RSS. With
`--max-old-space-size=256` it crashes in `Runtime_StringSplit` (OOM).
- Files over about 512 MB fail with `Cannot create a string longer than
0x1fffffe8 characters`. Files over 2 GB fail with
`ERR_FS_FILE_TOO_LARGE`.
- Aborting only rejects the promise; the read keeps running in the
background.

## Solution

- `ReadOperations` gets a new optional `createReadStream(absolutePath, {
signal })`, which returns an `AsyncIterable<Uint8Array>` (a Node
`Readable` works). The default local operations open the file once,
`fstat` the handle, and stream from it. Like `fs.readFile`, they stop a
regular file at its size when opened: text appended during the read is
not counted, and a file that keeps growing still finishes. A file that
reports size 0 (such as `/proc` files) and other file types (FIFOs,
devices) are read until EOF, as `fs.readFile` reads them. No existing
member changed.
- The text path decodes the chunks with a streaming UTF-8 `TextDecoder`
(non-fatal, `ignoreBOM: true`). That matches `Buffer.toString("utf-8")`,
including invalid bytes and a UTF-8 byte order mark kept as U+FEFF.
- It counts every line but stores only the selected lines `truncateHead`
can show. Storing stops once the stored lines are past
`DEFAULT_MAX_LINES` or `DEFAULT_MAX_BYTES`, plus one more line, and the
existing `truncateHead` runs on the stored lines.
`totalLines`/`totalBytes` are then patched from the counts, as grep and
find do on main.
- The extra line is needed because `truncateHead` drops a trailing empty
line. Example: 2001 short lines, then an empty line, then more text. If
storing stopped at the empty line, the stored text would end in `\n`.
`truncateHead` would count 2000 lines and report "not truncated", but
the full text is truncated by lines.
- A line over 50KB is never stored whole; only its size is tracked. A
first line of 1 GB therefore still gives today's `[Line 1 is ...,
exceeds 50.0KB limit ...]` notice.
- Abort: the signal is passed to the stream, and the loop also checks it
between chunks. Leaving the loop closes the stream.
- The whole-file path stays unchanged for custom operations without
`createReadStream`, and for fractional `offset`/`limit` or negative
`limit`. Array slicing defines what those odd ranges select; for
example, `limit: -1` selects all lines but the last.
- Images are unchanged.

Output is the same as main's, byte for byte, including line counts,
notices, details (including key order) and errors. A file appended to
during the read gives the same output too: both read a regular file up
to its size when opened. Out of scope: the trailing-newline off-by-one
in line counts from #7329 is kept as is.

## Testing

- `test/read-streaming.test.ts` keeps a copy of the old text algorithm
as the reference. It compares the streaming path against it on text,
details and error messages, with chunks of 1 and 4096 bytes and offsets
and limits around the boundaries. The cases are: empty file, trailing
newline or not, CRLF, multi-byte characters and a UTF-8 BOM, 2001 lines,
and a first line over 50KB. There are also edge cases where the line or
byte cap falls exactly on an empty line, and the 50KB + trailing newline
case that `truncateHead` reports as `truncatedBy: "lines"`. Further
tests:
  - details key order
  - multi-byte characters split across chunks, and invalid UTF-8
  - the `readFile` fallback, including fractional and negative ranges
  - local files through the default stream, including EISDIR
  - abort: the stream is closed and no more chunks are pulled
- a local file appended to mid-read (a decode hook in the test appends
after the first chunk): `limit: 1` still says `[1 more lines ...]`. This
test fails with an unbounded `fs.createReadStream`.
- bounded memory: a child process with `--max-old-space-size=64` reads a
200 MB single line, generated in memory as 64 KB chunks from a custom
`createReadStream`, and must print the size notice. It takes about 0.8 s
and uses 17 MB of heap. If over-long lines are stored whole, it runs out
of memory. 64 KB chunks matter here: V8 keeps decoded strings of 1 MB
outside the heap limit, so with 1 MB chunks the test would not catch
that regression.
- With main's `read.ts`, 5 of the 8 tests fail: matrix, key order,
chunked decoding, bounded memory and abort. The fallback, local-file and
append tests pass on main because they check behavior that did not
change. Removing the one-line-past-the-cap rule, or the
trailing-empty-line adjustment of `totalLines`, makes the matrix fail.
- `test/tools.test.ts`, `read-line-range-display`,
`tool-execution-component`, `block-images` and `image-resize-callers`
pass. `npm run check` is clean.

Measured with an ad-hoc script on a 200 MB log. Baseline RSS after
loading modules is about 121 MB.

| Case | main | this PR |
| --- | --- | --- |
| offset 1, limit 1 | 1028 ms, 638 MB peak RSS | 478 ms, 131 MB |
| offset 2000000, limit 10 | 926 ms, 637 MB | 486 ms, 132 MB |
| no offset/limit (counts all lines) | 1561 ms, 1010 MB | 524 ms, 132 MB
|
| offset 1, limit 1, 256 MB heap | OOM crash | 131 MB |
| 1.1 GB single-line file | string length error | 2.2 s, 130 MB,
line-size notice |

Remaining difference: custom operations that only implement `readFile`
keep the whole-file memory use, and their reads continue after an abort,
as before.

This PR is AI-generated.
2026-11-04 23:14:52 +01:00
..
images docs(coding-agent): refresh documentation (#9898) 2026-09-22 16:48:19 +02:00
cli-integration.md fix(coding-agent): warn and exit non-zero in print mode on truncated response 2026-10-12 16:06:42 +02:00
cli.md feat(coding-agent): add PI_SELF_UPDATE_COMMAND and selfUpdateCommand for pi update (#11629) 2026-10-30 22:30:39 +01:00
codemode.md fix(coding-agent): queue codemode scripts at the worker limit 2026-10-20 20:50:27 +02:00
compaction.md fix(coding-agent): remove fixed output limits from summary requests (#11036) 2026-10-16 13:53:16 +02:00
configuration.md feat(coding-agent): codemode and MCP 2026-09-29 09:12:50 +02:00
containerization.md docs(coding-agent): refresh documentation (#9898) 2026-09-22 16:48:19 +02:00
custom-provider.md docs(coding-agent): shorten device-code login guidance 2026-10-22 21:38:58 +02:00
docs.json docs(ai,coding-agent): generate models.json reference from schemas (#11038) 2026-10-16 21:53:00 +01:00
environment-variables.md feat(coding-agent): add PI_SELF_UPDATE_COMMAND and selfUpdateCommand for pi update (#11629) 2026-10-30 22:30:39 +01:00
extensions.md fix(coding-agent): stream the read tool instead of loading whole files (#11750) 2026-11-04 23:14:52 +01:00
how-pi-works.md docs(coding-agent): refresh documentation (#9898) 2026-09-22 16:48:19 +02:00
index.md docs(coding-agent): add Radius to providers page, rename provider docs sections 2026-10-01 17:06:00 +02:00
json.md feat(tui,coding-agent): report program status via OSC 7501 2026-10-07 19:05:41 +00:00
keybindings.md fix(coding-agent): keep ctrl+v as a paste key on Windows and WSL (#11780) 2026-11-04 09:33:31 +01:00
llama-cpp.md docs(coding-agent): llama.cpp tweaks (#11624) 2026-11-04 11:07:48 +01:00
mcp.md feat(coding-agent): prefer the client ID metadata document for MCP OAuth 2026-10-30 10:36:22 +01:00
message-types.md feat(ai): carry responseModel on pi-messages terminal events (#11265) 2026-10-23 10:54:18 +02:00
models-configuration.md fix(ai): allow prompt cache keys for compatible proxies (#9442) 2026-11-04 11:36:35 +01:00
models.md feat(ai): add Microsoft-Decision-1 classifier to GitHub Copilot (#11679) 2026-11-02 16:12:43 +01:00
nvidia-rtx-llama-cpp.md docs(coding-agent): restructure NVIDIA RTX llama.cpp prerequisites 2026-10-13 15:04:38 +01:00
packages.md docs(coding-agent): document how -e packages are cached and refreshed 2026-10-29 21:43:11 +01:00
prompt-templates.md docs(coding-agent): refresh documentation (#9898) 2026-09-22 16:48:19 +02:00
providers.md feat(ai): add Qwen Token Plan Individual CN provider (#7989) 2026-11-04 11:32:45 +01:00
quickstart.md docs(quickstart): add Windows installer tab (#11231) 2026-10-28 10:10:44 +01:00
rpc-commands.md feat(coding-agent): report prompt disposition in RPC responses 2026-09-25 14:53:11 +02:00
rpc-extension-ui.md docs(coding-agent): refresh documentation (#9898) 2026-09-22 16:48:19 +02:00
rpc.md fix(coding-agent): let a started RPC or print shutdown finish; only a repeated signal forces exit (#11752) 2026-11-03 22:21:44 +01:00
sdk.md docs(coding-agent): add Radius to providers page, rename provider docs sections 2026-10-01 17:06:00 +02:00
security.md feat(coding-agent): codemode and MCP 2026-09-29 09:12:50 +02:00
session-format.md feat(coding-agent): Virtual models (#10035) 2026-09-28 23:30:45 +02:00
sessions.md docs(coding-agent): document which working directory resumed sessions use (#11617) 2026-10-30 17:22:05 +00:00
settings.md feat(coding-agent): add PI_SELF_UPDATE_COMMAND and selfUpdateCommand for pi update (#11629) 2026-10-30 22:30:39 +01:00
shell-aliases.md docs(coding-agent): refresh documentation (#9898) 2026-09-22 16:48:19 +02:00
skills.md docs(coding-agent): refresh documentation (#9898) 2026-09-22 16:48:19 +02:00
slash-commands.md docs(coding-agent): document which working directory resumed sessions use (#11617) 2026-10-30 17:22:05 +00:00
terminal-setup.md fix(tui): treat ESC+Return with native Shift held as Shift+Enter 2026-10-29 20:17:54 +01:00
termux.md docs(coding-agent): refresh documentation (#9898) 2026-09-22 16:48:19 +02:00
themes.md feat(coding-agent): use pi.dev configuration schemas (#10751) 2026-10-11 14:48:42 +01:00
tmux.md docs(coding-agent): list external limitations as known issues with remedies (#11647) 2026-10-31 17:55:58 +01:00
tui.md feat(coding-agent): let inline ctx.ui.custom() components report blocked program status (#11471) 2026-10-27 09:27:28 +01:00
usage.md feat(coding-agent): configure session share destination 2026-10-13 15:41:13 +02:00
virtual-models.md feat(coding-agent): Virtual models (#10035) 2026-09-28 23:30:45 +02:00
windows.md docs(coding-agent): list external limitations as known issues with remedies (#11647) 2026-10-31 17:55:58 +01:00