refactor: capture local diffs once and share capabilities

README.md

@@ -31,21 +31,23 @@ go install github.com/flexdinesh/servediff/cmd/servediff@main
 
 ## Usage
 
-Watch the selected checkout in one foreground process:
+Capture the selected checkout once in one foreground process:
 
 ```sh
+servediff
 servediff .
 servediff /path/to/repo --host 0.0.0.0
 servediff . --replace
 servediff . --base HEAD --no-browser
 ```
 
 Collection and ingestion run in-process. The same process serves the web UI,
-REST and MCP until Ctrl-C. It watches only the selected checkout, follows branch
-switches, and preserves observations/comments across restarts in the shared local
-database. The browser follows new observations; choosing a historical review or
-starting a comment pins the current review. Failed collection never substitutes
-an empty diff.
+REST and MCP until Ctrl-C. The path defaults to the current directory and resolves
+to its containing checkout, including linked worktrees. Only that checkout is
+collected. The browser opens the captured snapshot; later edits and branch switches
+do not change it. Run the command again to capture a newer diff. Observations and
+comments persist across restarts in the shared local database. Failed collection
+never substitutes an empty diff.
 
 Only one local instance runs. Starting another prompts before replacing it;
 scripts must pass `--replace`. Replacement requests authenticated graceful
@@ -89,7 +91,7 @@ The default listener binds to `127.0.0.1` on an available port from 7981–7990.
 reviews to reachable clients. The browser opens a loopback URL for wildcard binds.
 
 Legacy `review`, `serve`, and `service` commands remain compatibility
-paths during migration. Bare `servediff` without redirected stdin prints help.
+paths during migration. Use `servediff --help` for usage.
 
 ## Agent hooks and remote ingestion
 

apps/web/src/FileExplorerNav.tsx

@@ -64,7 +64,7 @@ export function FileExplorerNav() {
       ? "Connecting…"
       : "Disconnected"
     : refreshEnabled
-      ? "Watching changes"
+      ? "Refresh available"
       : "Fixed snapshot";
   return (
     <aside

apps/web/src/app-state.tsx

@@ -10,11 +10,7 @@ import {
   type Dispatch,
   type SetStateAction,
 } from "react";
-import {
-  capabilityEnabled,
-  usePinContext,
-  useSession,
-} from "./session-context.tsx";
+import { capabilityEnabled, useSession } from "./session-context.tsx";
 import { useSidebarState } from "./sidebar-context.tsx";
 import { useDiff } from "./use-diff.ts";
 import { useFileNavigation } from "./use-file-navigation.ts";
@@ -59,10 +55,6 @@ function WorkspaceProvider({ children }: { children: ReactNode }) {
   const scopes = capabilities.diff.scopes.values;
   const [mode, setMode] = useState<DiffMode>("all");
   const [draft, setDraft] = useState<ReviewComment | null>(null);
-  const pinContext = usePinContext();
-  useEffect(() => {
-    if (draft) pinContext();
-  }, [draft, pinContext]);
   const [collapsed, setCollapsed] = useState(new Set<string>());
   const diff = useDiff(contextId, mode);
   const repository = diff.repository;

apps/web/src/session-context.tsx

@@ -161,27 +161,12 @@ export function SessionProvider({ children }: { children: ReactNode }) {
         setContexts(entries);
         setCatalogLoaded(true);
         setCatalogError("");
-        const query = new URLSearchParams(window.location.search);
-        const checkout = query.get("watch");
-        const source = query.get("source");
-        const watching = checkout !== null && source !== null;
-        const first = watching
-          ? entries.find(
-              (entry) =>
-                entry.observation?.checkoutKey === checkout &&
-                entry.observation.sourceId === source &&
-                entry.availability === "available",
-            )
-          : entries.find(contextHasChanges);
-        if (
-          first &&
-          (watching || !contextFromUrl()) &&
-          first.id !== contextFromUrl()
-        ) {
+        const first = entries.find(contextHasChanges);
+        if (first && !contextFromUrl() && first.id !== contextFromUrl()) {
           window.history.replaceState(
             null,
             "",
-            `/contexts/${encodeURIComponent(first.id)}${watching ? window.location.search : ""}`,
+            `/contexts/${encodeURIComponent(first.id)}`,
           );
           setSelectedId(first.id);
         }
@@ -290,7 +275,7 @@ export function SessionProvider({ children }: { children: ReactNode }) {
             </h1>
             <p>
               {empty
-                ? "Run servediff . to watch a checkout, or servediff sync to publish remotely."
+                ? "Run servediff to review a checkout, or servediff sync to publish remotely."
                 : state.status === "error"
                   ? state.detail
                   : catalogError || "Reading review context…"}
@@ -329,17 +314,6 @@ export function useSession() {
   return session;
 }
 
-export function usePinContext() {
-  const catalog = useContext(CatalogContext);
-  if (!catalog) throw new Error("Context pinning requires SessionProvider");
-  const { select, selectedId } = catalog;
-  return useCallback(() => {
-    if (new URLSearchParams(window.location.search).has("watch")) {
-      select(selectedId);
-    }
-  }, [select, selectedId]);
-}
-
 export function useDeleteContext() {
   const catalog = useContext(CatalogContext);
   if (!catalog) throw new Error("Context deletion requires SessionProvider");

apps/web/src/use-review.ts

@@ -245,7 +245,7 @@ export function useReview(
         },
       });
       setSaveError(null);
-      setFeedback("Draft open — automatic refresh paused.");
+      setFeedback("Draft open.");
     },
     [enabled, setDraft],
   );
@@ -327,7 +327,7 @@ export function useReview(
       }
       setDraft({ ...comment });
       setSaveError(null);
-      setFeedback("Draft open — automatic refresh paused.");
+      setFeedback("Draft open.");
       return true;
     },
     [setDraft],

apps/web/test/browser/local-workspace.spec.ts

@@ -162,14 +162,21 @@ async function ready(page: Page, value = "all-v1") {
   ).toBeVisible();
 }
 
-test("watch follows this checkout across clean and branch transitions while historical URLs stay pinned", async ({
+test("snapshot stays selected after newer captures and branch transitions", async ({
   page,
 }) => {
   const state = await localWorkspace(page);
   const original: ApiContext = {
     ...state.context,
     id: "original",
     kind: "observation",
+    capabilities: {
+      ...state.context.capabilities,
+      diff: {
+        ...state.context.capabilities.diff,
+        refresh: { state: "unavailable" },
+      },
+    },
     observation: {
       sourceId: "machine",
       hostname: "host",
@@ -197,8 +204,10 @@ test("watch follows this checkout across clean and branch transitions while hist
     const context = contexts.find((entry) => entry.id === id);
     return route.fulfill({ json: context });
   });
-  await page.goto("/?watch=checkout&source=machine");
-  await expect(page).toHaveURL(/\/contexts\/original\?watch=/);
+  await page.goto("/contexts/original");
+  await ready(page);
+  await expect(page.locator("#connection")).toHaveText("Fixed snapshot");
+  await expect(page.locator("#refresh")).toBeHidden();
   contexts.unshift({
     ...original,
     id: "clean-other-branch",
@@ -208,7 +217,7 @@ test("watch follows this checkout across clean and branch transitions while hist
   await page.evaluate(() =>
     document.dispatchEvent(new Event("visibilitychange")),
   );
-  await expect(page).toHaveURL(/\/contexts\/clean-other-branch\?watch=/);
+  await expect(page).toHaveURL(/\/contexts\/original$/);
   await ready(page);
   await page
     .getByRole("button", {
@@ -218,18 +227,18 @@ test("watch follows this checkout across clean and branch transitions while hist
     .click();
   const draft = page.getByRole("textbox", { name: "Review comment" }).first();
   await draft.fill("Keep this unsaved review");
-  await expect(page).toHaveURL(/\/contexts\/clean-other-branch$/);
+  await expect(page).toHaveURL(/\/contexts\/original$/);
   contexts.unshift({ ...original, id: "later-change" });
   await page.evaluate(() =>
     document.dispatchEvent(new Event("visibilitychange")),
   );
   await expect(draft).toHaveValue("Keep this unsaved review");
-  await expect(page).toHaveURL(/\/contexts\/clean-other-branch$/);
-  await page.goto("/contexts/original");
+  await expect(page).toHaveURL(/\/contexts\/original$/);
+  await page.goto("/contexts/clean-other-branch?watch=checkout&source=machine");
   await page.evaluate(() =>
     document.dispatchEvent(new Event("visibilitychange")),
   );
-  await expect(page).toHaveURL(/\/contexts\/original$/);
+  await expect(page).toHaveURL(/\/contexts\/clean-other-branch\?watch=/);
 });
 
 async function deletableWorkspace(
@@ -688,7 +697,9 @@ test("context switching isolates delayed repository responses and fixed captures
   await expect(page.locator("#changes-title")).toHaveText("Piped");
 });
 
-test("empty service explains local watch and remote sync", async ({ page }) => {
+test("empty service explains local review and remote sync", async ({
+  page,
+}) => {
   await page.route("**/api/v2/contexts?*", (route) =>
     route.fulfill({ json: { contexts: [], nextCursor: null } }),
   );
@@ -698,7 +709,7 @@ test("empty service explains local watch and remote sync", async ({ page }) => {
   ).toBeVisible();
   await expect(
     page.getByText(
-      "Run servediff . to watch a checkout, or servediff sync to publish remotely.",
+      "Run servediff to review a checkout, or servediff sync to publish remotely.",
     ),
   ).toBeVisible();
 });

cmd/servediff/ingestion_test.go

@@ -41,22 +41,24 @@ func cliRepository(t *testing.T) string {
 	return root
 }
 
-func TestBareInvocationShowsHelpWithoutConsumingStdin(t *testing.T) {
+func TestBareInvocationRejectsNonRepositoryWithoutConsumingStdin(t *testing.T) {
+	t.Chdir(t.TempDir())
+	t.Setenv("SERVEDIFF_CONFIG_PATH", filepath.Join(t.TempDir(), "config.json"))
 	stdin, err := os.Open(os.DevNull)
 	if err != nil {
 		t.Fatal(err)
 	}
 	defer stdin.Close()
 	var output bytes.Buffer
-	if err := run(t.Context(), nil, stdin, &output, io.Discard); err != nil {
-		t.Fatal(err)
+	if err := run(t.Context(), nil, stdin, &output, io.Discard); err == nil {
+		t.Fatal("accepted non-Git current directory")
 	}
 	position, err := stdin.Seek(0, io.SeekCurrent)
 	if err != nil || position != 0 {
 		t.Fatalf("stdin consumed: %d %v", position, err)
 	}
-	if !strings.Contains(output.String(), "servediff PATH") || !strings.Contains(output.String(), "git diff | servediff") || strings.Contains(output.String(), "servediff pipe") {
-		t.Fatalf("help: %s", output.String())
+	if output.Len() != 0 {
+		t.Fatalf("unexpected startup: %s", output.String())
 	}
 }
 

cmd/servediff/input.go

@@ -70,9 +70,6 @@ func acquireInput(values options, stdin *os.File) (daemon.InitialInput, error) {
 		}
 		return daemon.InitialInput{Kind: "capture", Raw: raw, SubmittedFrom: cwd}, nil
 	}
-	if !values.repositorySet {
-		return daemon.InitialInput{}, errors.New("provide a repository path, a fixture, or pipe a Git diff")
-	}
 	path, err := filepath.Abs(values.directory)
 	return daemon.InitialInput{Kind: "worktree", Path: path}, err
 }

cmd/servediff/local.go

@@ -12,10 +12,8 @@ import (
 	"strings"
 	"time"
 
-	"github.com/flexdinesh/servediff/internal/collector"
 	"github.com/flexdinesh/servediff/internal/contextservice"
 	"github.com/flexdinesh/servediff/internal/daemon"
-	"github.com/flexdinesh/servediff/internal/ingestion"
 	"github.com/mattn/go-isatty"
 )
 
@@ -42,29 +40,14 @@ func runLocal(ctx context.Context, arguments []string, stdin *os.File, stdout, s
 		return err
 	}
 	started := time.Now()
-	options, err := collectionOptions(values)
-	if err != nil {
-		return err
-	}
-	var request ingestion.Request
-	if input.Kind == "worktree" {
-		request, err = collector.Collect(ctx, input.Path, options)
-	} else {
-		request, err = collector.CollectPatch(ctx, string(input.Raw), input.SubmittedFrom, options)
-	}
+	request, err := collectInitialInput(ctx, values, input)
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
 	input.Ingestion = &request
 	label := "Piped diff"
 	if input.Kind == "worktree" {
 		input.Path, label = request.Metadata.Root, request.Metadata.Root
-		input.Watch = func(ctx context.Context, service *contextservice.Service) error {
-			return collector.Watch(ctx, request.Metadata.Root, options, collector.Fingerprint(request), time.Second, func(ctx context.Context, next ingestion.Request) error {
-				_, err := service.Ingest(ctx, next)
-				return err
-			}, func(err error) { fmt.Fprintf(stderr, "Watch: %v\n", err) })
-		}
 	}
 	return daemon.RunForeground(ctx, settings, input, func(status daemon.Status) (bool, error) {
 		if values.replace {
@@ -93,16 +76,16 @@ func runLocal(ctx context.Context, arguments []string, stdin *os.File, stdout, s
 			return strings.EqualFold(strings.TrimSpace(reply.answer), "y") || strings.EqualFold(strings.TrimSpace(reply.answer), "yes"), nil
 		}
 	}, func(status daemon.Status, submitted *contextservice.Submission) {
-		if input.Kind == "capture" && submitted != nil {
-			address := status.BrowserURL + "/contexts/" + url.PathEscape(submitted.Context.ID)
-			loaded := submissionInput(*submitted, time.Since(started))
-			loaded.mode, loaded.directory, loaded.contextID, loaded.mcpURL = "pipe", "", submitted.Context.ID, status.BrowserURL+"/mcp"
-			writeStartup(stdout, loaded, address)
-			openBrowser(values, address, stderr)
+		if submitted == nil {
 			return
 		}
-		address := status.BrowserURL + "/?" + url.Values{"watch": {request.Metadata.CheckoutKey}, "source": {request.Metadata.SourceID}}.Encode()
-		fmt.Fprintf(stdout, "Watching %s\n%s\nMCP: %s/mcp\n", input.Path, address, status.BrowserURL)
+		address := status.BrowserURL + "/contexts/" + url.PathEscape(submitted.Context.ID)
+		loaded := submissionInput(*submitted, time.Since(started))
+		if input.Kind == "capture" {
+			loaded.mode, loaded.directory = "pipe", ""
+		}
+		loaded.contextID, loaded.mcpURL = submitted.Context.ID, status.BrowserURL+"/mcp"
+		writeStartup(stdout, loaded, address)
 		openBrowser(values, address, stderr)
 	})
 }
@@ -122,9 +105,6 @@ func acquireLocalInput(values options, stdin *os.File) (daemon.InitialInput, err
 	if piped || values.directory == "-" {
 		return acquireInput(values, stdin)
 	}
-	if !values.repositorySet {
-		return daemon.InitialInput{}, errors.New("provide a repository path or pipe a Git diff")
-	}
 	path, err := filepath.Abs(values.directory)
 	return daemon.InitialInput{Kind: "worktree", Path: path}, err
 }

cmd/servediff/local_test.go

@@ -11,14 +11,16 @@ import (
 	"github.com/flexdinesh/servediff/internal/diffsource"
 )
 
-func TestLocalInputRequiresPathOrPatch(t *testing.T) {
+func TestLocalInputDefaultsToCurrentDirectory(t *testing.T) {
 	root := t.TempDir()
+	t.Chdir(root)
 	input, err := acquireLocalInput(options{directory: root, repositorySet: true}, nil)
 	if err != nil || input.Kind != "worktree" || input.Path != root {
 		t.Fatalf("path input: %+v %v", input, err)
 	}
-	if _, err := acquireLocalInput(options{directory: "."}, nil); err == nil {
-		t.Fatal("accepted missing path and stdin")
+	input, err = acquireLocalInput(options{directory: "."}, nil)
+	if err != nil || input.Kind != "worktree" || input.Path != root {
+		t.Fatalf("default input: %+v %v", input, err)
 	}
 }