feat(tui): autoplay full update experience simulator

1jehuang · Aug 25, 2026 · Aug 24, 2026 · Aug 24, 2026 · Aug 24, 2026 · Aug 24, 2026
commit 3f199fa0f156a0177252e19a7df2e62ad513022f
diff --git a/crates/jcode-tui/src/tui/app.rs b/crates/jcode-tui/src/tui/app.rs
@@ -94,6 +94,7 @@ mod shortcut_hints;
 mod split_view;
 mod state_ui;
 mod state_ui_input_helpers;
+mod update_sim;
 pub(crate) use state_ui_input_helpers::registered_command_entries;
 mod state_ui_maintenance;
 mod state_ui_messages;
@@ -1075,6 +1076,8 @@ pub struct App {
     /// simulator seeds synthetic phases so a developer can step through every
     /// first-run screen via Alt+5 reset or Cmd+5 toggle without touching real auth state.
     onboarding_sim: Option<usize>,
+    /// Active time-based, non-destructive update experience preview.
+    update_sim: Option<update_sim::UpdateSimulator>,
     /// Active guided first-run onboarding flow (model select -> continue ->
     /// transcript pick -> suggestions). `None` when not onboarding.
     onboarding_flow: Option<onboarding_flow::OnboardingFlow>,

diff --git a/crates/jcode-tui/src/tui/app/local.rs b/crates/jcode-tui/src/tui/app/local.rs
@@ -103,6 +103,7 @@ pub(super) fn handle_tick(app: &mut App) -> bool {
     needs_redraw |= app.poll_session_picker_load();
     needs_redraw |= app.poll_session_picker_presence();
     needs_redraw |= app.onboarding_tick();
+    needs_redraw |= app.progress_update_simulator();
     needs_redraw |= app.poll_compaction_completion();
     needs_redraw |= app.maybe_refresh_overnight_display_card();
     needs_redraw |= super::commands::poll_local_transfer_prepare(app);

diff --git a/crates/jcode-tui/src/tui/app/remote.rs b/crates/jcode-tui/src/tui/app/remote.rs
@@ -136,6 +136,7 @@ pub(super) async fn handle_tick(app: &mut App, remote: &mut RemoteConnection) ->
     needs_redraw |= app.poll_session_picker_load();
     needs_redraw |= app.poll_session_picker_presence();
     needs_redraw |= app.onboarding_tick();
+    needs_redraw |= app.progress_update_simulator();
     needs_redraw |= app.refresh_keybindings_if_config_reloaded();
 
     let _ = check_debug_command(app, remote).await;

diff --git a/crates/jcode-tui/src/tui/app/state_ui_input_helpers.rs b/crates/jcode-tui/src/tui/app/state_ui_input_helpers.rs
@@ -184,10 +184,7 @@ const REGISTERED_COMMANDS: &[RegisteredCommand] = &[
     RegisteredCommand::public("/rebuild", "Background rebuild and auto reload"),
     RegisteredCommand::public("/selfdev", "Open a new self-dev jcode session"),
     RegisteredCommand::public("/update", "Background update and auto reload"),
-    RegisteredCommand::public(
-        "/update-sim",
-        "Preview update UI safely (Alt+_)",
-    ),
+    RegisteredCommand::public("/update-sim", "Preview update UI safely (Alt+_)"),
     RegisteredCommand::public("/resume", "Open session picker"),
     RegisteredCommand::public("/sessions", "Alias for /resume"),
     RegisteredCommand::public("/session", "Alias for /resume"),

diff --git a/crates/jcode-tui/src/tui/app/state_ui_maintenance.rs b/crates/jcode-tui/src/tui/app/state_ui_maintenance.rs
@@ -16,14 +16,7 @@ impl App {
         {
             return false;
         }
-        self.handle_update_status(crate::bus::UpdateStatus::Available {
-            current: jcode_build_meta::version().to_string(),
-            latest: "v99.0.0-simulated".to_string(),
-        });
-        self.push_display_message(DisplayMessage::system(
-            "Update simulator opened with Alt+_. Try `/update-sim download`, then `install`, `done`, or `error`. Nothing real will be changed."
-                .to_string(),
-        ));
+        self.restart_update_simulator();
         true
     }
 

diff --git a/crates/jcode-tui/src/tui/app/tui_lifecycle.rs b/crates/jcode-tui/src/tui/app/tui_lifecycle.rs
@@ -500,6 +500,7 @@ impl App {
             startup_submit_deferred_reason: None,
             onboarding_preview_mode: false,
             onboarding_sim: None,
+            update_sim: None,
             onboarding_flow: None,
             onboarding_auto_model_selection_active: Arc::new(AtomicBool::new(false)),
             onboarding_auto_model_selection_baseline: Arc::new(std::sync::Mutex::new(None)),
@@ -945,6 +946,7 @@ impl App {
             startup_submit_deferred_reason: None,
             onboarding_preview_mode: false,
             onboarding_sim: None,
+            update_sim: None,
             onboarding_flow: None,
             onboarding_auto_model_selection_active: Arc::new(AtomicBool::new(false)),
             onboarding_auto_model_selection_baseline: Arc::new(std::sync::Mutex::new(None)),

diff --git a/crates/jcode-tui/src/tui/app/tui_lifecycle_runtime.rs b/crates/jcode-tui/src/tui/app/tui_lifecycle_runtime.rs
@@ -511,7 +511,15 @@ pub(super) fn handle_dev_command(app: &mut App, trimmed: &str) -> bool {
         let stage = trimmed.strip_prefix("/update-sim").unwrap_or("").trim();
         let simulated_version = "v99.0.0-simulated";
         let status = match stage {
-            "" | "available" => crate::bus::UpdateStatus::Available {
+            "" => {
+                app.restart_update_simulator();
+                app.push_display_message(DisplayMessage::system(
+                    "Update simulator started. It will automatically play the complete receive → download → install → restart experience. Press Alt+_ anytime to replay. Nothing real will be changed."
+                        .to_string(),
+                ));
+                return true;
+            }
+            "available" => crate::bus::UpdateStatus::Available {
                 current: jcode_build_meta::version().to_string(),
                 latest: simulated_version.to_string(),
             },

diff --git a/crates/jcode-tui/src/tui/app/update_sim.rs b/crates/jcode-tui/src/tui/app/update_sim.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,106 @@
+//! Non-destructive, time-based preview of receiving and installing an update.
+
+use super::{App, DisplayMessage};
+use crate::bus::UpdateStatus;
+use std::time::{Duration, Instant};
+
+pub(super) struct UpdateSimulator {
+    started_at: Instant,
+    stage: u8,
+}
+
+impl App {
+    /// Start from the normal TUI and autoplay the same status transitions used by
+    /// a real background update. No updater, download, install, or reload runs.
+    pub fn start_update_simulator_on_launch(&mut self) {
+        self.onboarding_flow = None;
+        self.onboarding_startup_checked = true;
+        self.onboarding_preview_mode = false;
+        self.update_sim = Some(UpdateSimulator {
+            started_at: Instant::now(),
+            stage: 0,
+        });
+        self.set_status_notice("Update simulator · waiting for update signal...");
+        self.force_full_redraw = true;
+    }
+
+    pub(super) fn restart_update_simulator(&mut self) {
+        self.remove_simulated_update_messages();
+        self.start_update_simulator_on_launch();
+    }
+
+    fn remove_simulated_update_messages(&mut self) {
+        let before = self.display_messages.len();
+        self.display_messages.retain(|message| {
+            message.title.as_deref() != Some("Updating jcode")
+                && !message.content.starts_with("Update simulator complete")
+        });
+        if self.display_messages.len() != before {
+            self.bump_display_messages_version();
+        }
+        self.background_client_action = None;
+        self.pending_background_client_reload = None;
+    }
+
+    /// Advance the preview from the regular TUI tick. Delays are intentionally
+    /// long enough to see and critique each production UI state.
+    pub(super) fn progress_update_simulator(&mut self) -> bool {
+        let Some(sim) = self.update_sim.as_mut() else {
+            return false;
+        };
+        let elapsed = sim.started_at.elapsed();
+        let next_stage = match sim.stage {
+            0 if elapsed >= Duration::from_millis(1200) => 1,
+            1 if elapsed >= Duration::from_millis(2600) => 2,
+            2 if elapsed >= Duration::from_millis(3900) => 3,
+            3 if elapsed >= Duration::from_millis(5200) => 4,
+            4 if elapsed >= Duration::from_millis(6500) => 5,
+            5 if elapsed >= Duration::from_millis(8000) => 6,
+            6 if elapsed >= Duration::from_millis(9800) => 7,
+            7 if elapsed >= Duration::from_millis(11800) => 8,
+            _ => return false,
+        };
+        sim.stage = next_stage;
+
+        let version = "v99.0.0-simulated".to_string();
+        match next_stage {
+            1 => self.handle_update_status(UpdateStatus::Available {
+                current: jcode_build_meta::version().to_string(),
+                latest: version,
+            }),
+            2 => self.handle_update_status(UpdateStatus::Downloading {
+                version,
+                downloaded: 8 * 1_048_576,
+                total: Some(100 * 1_048_576),
+            }),
+            3 => self.handle_update_status(UpdateStatus::Downloading {
+                version,
+                downloaded: 37 * 1_048_576,
+                total: Some(100 * 1_048_576),
+            }),
+            4 => self.handle_update_status(UpdateStatus::Downloading {
+                version,
+                downloaded: 76 * 1_048_576,
+                total: Some(100 * 1_048_576),
+            }),
+            5 => self.handle_update_status(UpdateStatus::Downloading {
+                version,
+                downloaded: 100 * 1_048_576,
+                total: Some(100 * 1_048_576),
+            }),
+            6 => self.handle_update_status(UpdateStatus::Installing { version }),
+            7 => self.handle_update_status(UpdateStatus::Installed { version }),
+            8 => {
+                self.handle_update_status(UpdateStatus::UpToDate);
+                self.set_status_notice("Update simulator complete · restart successful");
+                self.push_display_message(DisplayMessage::system(
+                    "Update simulator complete. This is the post-restart TUI; no files were changed. Press Alt+_ to replay."
+                        .to_string(),
+                ));
+                self.update_sim = None;
+            }
+            _ => {}
+        }
+        true
+    }
+}
diff --git a/src/cli/args.rs b/src/cli/args.rs
@@ -81,6 +81,11 @@ pub(crate) struct Args {
     #[arg(long = "onboarding-sim")]
     pub(crate) onboarding_sim: bool,
 
+    /// Launch the normal TUI, skip onboarding, then autoplay a safe simulation
+    /// of receiving, downloading, installing, and restarting after an update.
+    #[arg(long = "update-sim")]
+    pub(crate) update_sim: bool,
+
     /// Custom socket path for server/client communication
     #[arg(long, global = true)]
     pub(crate) socket: Option<String>,

diff --git a/src/cli/dispatch.rs b/src/cli/dispatch.rs
@@ -1012,6 +1012,7 @@ async fn run_default_command(args: Args) -> Result<()> {
         args.fresh_spawn,
         args.remote_working_dir,
         args.onboarding_sim,
+        args.update_sim,
     )
     .await?;
 

diff --git a/src/cli/selfdev.rs b/src/cli/selfdev.rs
@@ -226,8 +226,16 @@ pub async fn run_self_dev(should_build: bool, resume_session: Option<String>) ->
 
     output::stderr_info("Starting self-dev TUI...");
 
-    super::tui_launch::run_tui_client(Some(session_id), None, !server_running, false, None, false)
-        .await
+    super::tui_launch::run_tui_client(
+        Some(session_id),
+        None,
+        !server_running,
+        false,
+        None,
+        false,
+        false,
+    )
+    .await
 }
 #[cfg(test)]
 #[path = "selfdev_tests.rs"]

diff --git a/src/cli/tui_launch.rs b/src/cli/tui_launch.rs
@@ -88,6 +88,7 @@ pub async fn run_tui_client(
     fresh_spawn: bool,
     remote_working_dir: Option<String>,
     onboarding_sim: bool,
+    update_sim: bool,
 ) -> Result<()> {
     startup_profile::mark("tui_client_enter");
     let (terminal, tui_runtime) = init_tui_runtime()?;
@@ -135,6 +136,9 @@ pub async fn run_tui_client(
     if onboarding_sim {
         app.start_onboarding_simulator_on_launch();
     }
+    if update_sim {
+        app.start_update_simulator_on_launch();
+    }
     startup_profile::mark("app_new_for_remote");
     if resume_session.is_none()
         && let Some(hints) = startup_hints