feat(tui): Ctrl+O frozen transcript view and unified tool output rendering

docs/users/configuration/settings.md

@@ -120,7 +120,7 @@ Settings are organized into categories. Most settings should be placed within th
 | `ui.showCitations`                      | boolean          | Show citations for generated text in the chat.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     | `false`       |
 | `ui.history.collapseOnResume`           | boolean          | Whether to collapse history by default when resuming a session. Can be toggled via `/history collapse-on-resume` and `/history expand-on-resume`.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  | `false`       |
 | `ui.history.collapsePreviewCount`       | number           | Number of most recent user turns to keep visible when `ui.history.collapseOnResume` is enabled. `0` collapses all restored history by default; `-1` shows all restored history.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    | `0`           |
-| `ui.compactMode`                        | boolean          | Hide tool output and thinking for a cleaner view. Toggle with `Ctrl+O` during a session or via the Settings dialog. Tool approval prompts are never hidden, even in compact mode. The setting persists across sessions.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            | `false`       |
+| `ui.compactMode`                        | boolean          | Retired in the terminal UI. The CLI now always shows the compact, type-based tool view in the main transcript; press `Ctrl+O` to open the full-detail transcript instead of toggling a mode. Still honored by the web shell.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       | `false`       |
 | `ui.shellOutputMaxLines`                | number           | Max number of shell output lines shown inline. Set to `0` to disable the cap and show full output. Hidden lines are surfaced via the `+N lines` indicator. Errors, `!`-prefix user-initiated commands, confirming tools, and focused embedded shells always show full output.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      | `5`           |
 | `ui.enableWelcomeBack`                  | boolean          | Show welcome back dialog when returning to a project with conversation history. When enabled, Qwen Code will automatically detect if you're returning to a project with a previously generated project summary (`.qwen/PROJECT_SUMMARY.md`) and show a dialog allowing you to continue your previous conversation or start fresh. If you choose **Start new chat session**, that choice is remembered for the current project until the project summary changes. This feature integrates with the `/summary` command and quit confirmation dialog. | `true`        |
 | `ui.accessibility.enableLoadingPhrases` | boolean          | Enable loading phrases (disable for accessibility).                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                | `true`        |

docs/users/features/tool-use-summaries.md

@@ -1,40 +1,39 @@
 # Tool-Use Summaries
 
-Qwen Code can generate a short, git-commit-subject-style label after each tool batch completes, summarizing what the batch accomplished. The label appears inline in the transcript and replaces the generic `Tool × N` header in compact mode.
+Qwen Code can generate a short, git-commit-subject-style label after each tool batch completes, summarizing what the batch accomplished. The label appears inline: for a completed tool group in the main view it replaces the generic `Tool × N` header; when the group is force-expanded (in the `Ctrl+O` full-detail transcript, or for error / user-initiated batches) it appears as a dim `● <label>` line below the group.
 
 This is a UX aid for parallel tool calls: when the model fans out into several `Read` + `Grep` + `Bash` calls at once, the summary tells you the intent at a glance instead of forcing you to scan the tool list.
 
 The feature is enabled by default and runs silently in the background. It requires a configured [fast model](./followup-suggestions#fast-model).
 
 ## What You See
 
-### Full mode (default)
+### Main view (completed group)
 
-The summary appears as a dim badge line directly below the tool group:
+In the main transcript, a completed collapsible batch folds into a single labeled row — the summary replaces the generic `Tool × N` header:
 
 ```
 ╭──────────────────────────────────────────────╮
-│ ✓  ReadFile a.txt                            │
-│ ✓  ReadFile b.txt                            │
-│ ✓  ReadFile c.txt                            │
-│ ✓  ReadFile d.txt                            │
+│✓  Read 4 text files                          │
 ╰──────────────────────────────────────────────╯
-
- ● Read 4 text files
 ```
 
-### Compact mode (`Ctrl+O` or `ui.compactMode: true`)
+The full per-tool output is a keystroke away: press `Ctrl+O` to open the full-detail transcript.
+
+### Full-detail transcript (`Ctrl+O`) and force-expanded groups
 
-The label replaces the generic `Tool × N` header in the compact one-liner:
+When a group is force-expanded — in the `Ctrl+O` transcript, or for error / user-initiated batches in the main view — each tool renders individually and the summary appears as a dim badge line below the group:
 
 ```
 ╭──────────────────────────────────────────────╮
-│✓  Read txt files  · 4 tools                  │
-│Press Ctrl+O to show full tool output         │
+│ ✓  ReadFile a.txt                            │
+│ ✓  ReadFile b.txt                            │
+│ ✓  ReadFile c.txt                            │
+│ ✓  ReadFile d.txt                            │
 ╰──────────────────────────────────────────────╯
-```
 
-The individual tool calls are still a keystroke away (`Ctrl+O` to toggle to full mode).
+ ● Read 4 text files
+```
 
 ## How It Works
 
@@ -123,31 +122,28 @@ These settings can be configured in `settings.json`:
 
 Three points that tend to trip up a first read of this feature:
 
-1. **One generation per batch, shared by both display modes.** The fast-model call happens exactly once in `handleCompletedTools` when a tool batch finalizes. Toggling `Ctrl+O` afterwards does **not** trigger a new call — both modes read from the same `tool_use_summary` history entry that was captured the first time. You can flip compact mode on and off freely without extra cost.
+1. **One generation per batch, shared by both display modes.** The fast-model call happens exactly once in `handleCompletedTools` when a tool batch finalizes. Opening the `Ctrl+O` transcript afterwards does **not** trigger a new call — both the main view and the full-detail transcript read from the same `tool_use_summary` history entry that was captured the first time.
 2. **No backfill on toggle or on session resume.** A `tool_group` that completed before the feature was enabled (or before you flipped the setting on, or in a resumed session — `ChatRecordingService` does not persist summary entries) will never get a label. There is no "sweep existing history" pass. If you turn this setting on mid-session, only _future_ batches will show a label; older groups keep the default rendering with no indicator that a label is missing.
 3. **Main-agent batches only.** The trigger lives in the main session's turn loop (`useGeminiStream`), so:
    - ✅ Shell, MCP, file operations, and the `Task` / subagent tool _call itself_ (as it appears in the main batch) are summarized.
    - ❌ A subagent's **internal** tool batches (run through `packages/core/src/agents/runtime/`) are not summarized.
 
    An outer batch that _contains_ a `Task` tool will still be labeled, but the fast model sees only the subagent tool call and its aggregated output — not the individual tool calls inside the subagent. Expect labels like `Ran research-agent` or `Delegated file search` rather than `Searched 14 files`. This is intentional — summarizing subagent internals would multiply the fast-model cost and surface noise that never shows up in the primary UI.
 
-## Recommended pairing: enable compact mode
+## Display behavior
 
-For batches of 3+ parallel tool calls, pairing this feature with `ui.compactMode: true` produces the cleanest transcript. The compact view folds the whole batch into a single labeled row (`✓  Read txt files  · 4 tools`) instead of showing every tool line plus the trailing summary. Details remain one keystroke away via `Ctrl+O`.
+The main view already folds a completed collapsible batch into a single labeled row (`✓  Read 4 text files`) — the summary does the work of the old per-tool list. For full per-tool detail, press `Ctrl+O` to open the full-detail transcript, where each tool renders individually with the summary as a trailing `● <label>` line below the group.
 
 ```json
 {
   "fastModel": "qwen3-coder-flash",
-  "ui": {
-    "compactMode": true
-  },
   "experimental": {
     "emitToolUseSummaries": true
   }
 }
 ```
 
-In full mode (the default), the summary renders as a trailing `● <label>` line below the tool group — useful for large or heterogeneous batches, but for small same-type batches (e.g. `Read × 3`) the label can read as a restatement of the visible tool lines. If that matches your usual workflow, either turn compact mode on as above, or turn the summary off entirely via `experimental.emitToolUseSummaries: false`.
+For small same-type batches (e.g. `Read × 3`) the expanded `● <label>` line can read as a restatement of the visible tool lines; if that matches your usual workflow you can turn the summary off entirely via `experimental.emitToolUseSummaries: false`.
 
 ## Monitoring
 
@@ -174,5 +170,5 @@ If you do not want the extra cost, turn the feature off via `experimental.emitTo
 
 ## Related
 
-- [Compact Mode](../configuration/settings#ui) — toggle with `Ctrl+O`; the summary replaces the generic tool-group header when compact mode is on.
+- [Full-detail transcript](../configuration/settings#ui) — press `Ctrl+O` to open the frozen full-detail transcript; the summary replaces the generic tool-group header for completed groups in the main view.
 - [Followup Suggestions](./followup-suggestions) — another fast-model-driven UX enhancement that shares the same `fastModel` setting.

docs/users/reference/keyboard-shortcuts.md

@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@ This document lists the available keyboard shortcuts in Qwen Code.
 | `Ctrl+C`                       | Cancel the ongoing request and clear the input. Press twice to exit the application.                                                                                                                                                                                                                      |
 | `Ctrl+D`                       | Exit the application if the input is empty. Press twice to confirm.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       |
 | `Ctrl+L`                       | Clear the screen.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         |
-| `Ctrl+O`                       | Toggle compact mode (hide/show tool output and thinking).                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 |
+| `Ctrl+O`                       | Open/close the full-detail transcript view (a scrollable, frozen snapshot showing every tool's complete output and full thinking). Press again, or `Esc`/`q`, to close.                                                                                                                                    |
 | `Ctrl+S`                       | Allows long responses to print fully, disabling truncation. Use your terminal's scrollback to view the entire output.                                                                                                                                                                                     |
 | `Ctrl+T`                       | Toggle the display of tool descriptions.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  |
 | `Ctrl+B`                       | While a foreground shell command is running: promote it to a background task. The child keeps running, the agent's turn unblocks, and the shell appears in `/tasks` + the Background tasks dialog. No-op when no shell is executing — Ctrl+B then falls through to its prompt-area binding (cursor-left). |

packages/cli/src/config/keyBindings.ts

@@ -56,7 +56,6 @@ export enum Command {
   EXIT = 'exit',
   SHOW_MORE_LINES = 'showMoreLines',
   RETRY_LAST = 'retryLast',
-  TOGGLE_COMPACT_MODE = 'toggleCompactMode',
   TOGGLE_RENDER_MODE = 'toggleRenderMode',
   /**
    * Promote the running foreground shell command to a background task.
@@ -80,6 +79,9 @@ export enum Command {
   // Thinking expansion
   TOGGLE_THINKING_EXPANDED = 'toggleThinkingExpanded',
 
+  // Transcript full-detail screen (Ctrl+O)
+  TOGGLE_TRANSCRIPT = 'toggleTranscript',
+
   // Scroll commands
   SCROLL_UP = 'scrollUp',
   SCROLL_DOWN = 'scrollDown',
@@ -225,7 +227,6 @@ export const defaultKeyBindings: KeyBindingConfig = {
   [Command.EXIT]: [{ key: 'd', ctrl: true }],
   [Command.SHOW_MORE_LINES]: [{ key: 's', ctrl: true }],
   [Command.RETRY_LAST]: [{ key: 'y', ctrl: true }],
-  [Command.TOGGLE_COMPACT_MODE]: [{ key: 'o', ctrl: true }],
   [Command.TOGGLE_RENDER_MODE]: [{ key: 'm', meta: true }],
   [Command.PROMOTE_SHELL_TO_BACKGROUND]: [{ key: 'b', ctrl: true }],
 
@@ -243,6 +244,9 @@ export const defaultKeyBindings: KeyBindingConfig = {
   // Thinking expansion
   [Command.TOGGLE_THINKING_EXPANDED]: [{ key: 't', meta: true }],
 
+  // Transcript full-detail screen
+  [Command.TOGGLE_TRANSCRIPT]: [{ key: 'o', ctrl: true }],
+
   // Scroll commands
   [Command.SCROLL_UP]: [{ key: 'up', shift: true }],
   [Command.SCROLL_DOWN]: [{ key: 'down', shift: true }],

packages/cli/src/config/settingsSchema.ts

@@ -1000,19 +1000,13 @@ const SETTINGS_SCHEMA = {
         category: 'UI',
         requiresRestart: false,
         default: false,
-        description:
-          'Hide tool output and thinking for a cleaner view (toggle with Ctrl+O).',
-        showInDialog: true,
-      },
-      compactInline: {
-        type: 'boolean',
-        label: 'Compact Inline',
-        category: 'UI',
-        requiresRestart: true,
-        default: false,
-        description:
-          'Compact tool display within each group instead of merging across groups. Requires compactMode to be enabled.',
-        showInDialog: true,
+        // Retired from the TUI (compact tool output is now always-on there, and
+        // Ctrl+O opens the transcript instead of toggling this). Kept as a
+        // hidden, schema-only setting so the web shell's independent compact
+        // toggle can still persist via the daemon settings routes (mirrors
+        // `voiceModel`). Not shown in the TUI settings dialog.
+        description: 'Compact view (web shell only; not used by the TUI).',
+        showInDialog: false,
       },
       useTerminalBuffer: {
         type: 'boolean',
@@ -2975,7 +2969,7 @@ const SETTINGS_SCHEMA = {
         requiresRestart: false,
         default: true,
         description:
-          'Generate a short LLM-based label after each tool batch completes. In compact mode the label replaces the generic `Tool × N` header; in full mode it appears as a dim `● <label>` line below the tool group. Requires a fast model to be configured; runs in parallel with the next API call so latency is hidden. Currently affects interactive CLI rendering only — SDK / non-interactive emission of the `tool_use_summary` message is not yet wired (the message factory is exported for a follow-up PR). Can be overridden with QWEN_CODE_EMIT_TOOL_USE_SUMMARIES=0 or =1.',
+          'Generate a short LLM-based label after each tool batch completes. For a completed tool group the label replaces the generic `Tool × N` header; when the group is force-expanded it appears as a dim `● <label>` line below the tool group. Requires a fast model to be configured; runs in parallel with the next API call so latency is hidden. Currently affects interactive CLI rendering only — SDK / non-interactive emission of the `tool_use_summary` message is not yet wired (the message factory is exported for a follow-up PR). Can be overridden with QWEN_CODE_EMIT_TOOL_USE_SUMMARIES=0 or =1.',
         showInDialog: true,
       },
     },