fix: include step content in continuation prompt (closes #466)

- Add `content: string | null` to RoleStep type
- Resolve contentHash → text for the last step when building ThreadContext
- Update buildAgentPrompt to include <output> tag with step content
- Add 16k content quota with truncation
- Update tests

legacy-packages/workflow-execute/src/engine/engine.ts

@@ -531,13 +531,25 @@ export async function executeThread(
       timestamp: nowMs,
       parentState: options.parentStateHash,
     },
-    steps: input.steps.map((out, i) => ({
+    steps: await Promise.all(
-      role: out.role,
+      input.steps.map(async (out, i) => {
-      contentHash: out.contentHash,
+        // Resolve content for the last step (most relevant for the next agent).
-      meta: out.meta,
+        // Earlier steps only carry meta summaries to avoid bloating the prompt.
-      refs: out.refs,
+        const isLast = i === input.steps.length - 1;
-      timestamp: replayTs?.[i] ?? prefilled?.[i]?.timestamp ?? nowMs + i,
+        let content: string | null = null;
-    })),
+        if (isLast) {
+          content = await getContentMerklePayload(io.cas, out.contentHash);
+        }
+        return {
+          role: out.role,
+          contentHash: out.contentHash,
+          content,
+          meta: out.meta,
+          refs: out.refs,
+          timestamp: replayTs?.[i] ?? prefilled?.[i]?.timestamp ?? nowMs + i,
+        };
+      }),
+    ),
   };
 
   const runtime: WorkflowRuntime = {

legacy-packages/workflow-protocol/src/types.ts

@@ -71,6 +71,7 @@ export type RoleStep<M extends RoleMeta> = {
     role: K;
     meta: M[K];
     contentHash: string;
+    content: string | null;
     refs: string[];
     timestamp: number;
   };

legacy-packages/workflow-runtime/src/build-context.ts

@@ -71,7 +71,8 @@ async function buildRoleStepsFromStates<M extends RoleMeta>(
   cas: CasStore,
 ): Promise<RoleStep<M>[]> {
   const steps: RoleStep<M>[] = [];
-  for (const st of chronologicalStates) {
+  for (let idx = 0; idx < chronologicalStates.length; idx++) {
+    const st = chronologicalStates[idx];
     if (st.payload.role === END) {
       continue;
     }
@@ -79,10 +80,13 @@ async function buildRoleStepsFromStates<M extends RoleMeta>(
     if (contentParsed === null || contentParsed.kind !== "content") {
       throw new Error(`buildThreadContext: expected content node at ${st.payload.content}`);
     }
+    // Resolve full text content for the last step only
+    const isLast = idx === chronologicalStates.length - 1;
     steps.push({
       role: st.payload.role,
       meta: st.payload.meta,
       contentHash: st.payload.content,
+      content: isLast ? contentParsed.node.payload : null,
       refs: [...contentParsed.node.refs],
       timestamp: st.payload.timestamp,
     } as RoleStep<M>);

legacy-packages/workflow-runtime/src/create-workflow.ts

@@ -88,6 +88,7 @@ async function advanceOneRound<M extends RoleMeta>(
   const step = {
     role: next,
     contentHash,
+    content: contentPayload,
     meta,
     refs,
     timestamp: Date.now(),

legacy-packages/workflow-util-agent/__tests__/build-agent-prompt.test.ts

@@ -30,7 +30,7 @@ describe("buildAgentPrompt", () => {
     expect(text).not.toContain("## Tools");
   });
 
-  test("single step shows hash and meta, and includes tools", async () => {
+  test("single step shows meta and content, and includes tools", async () => {
     const onlyHash = "01HASHSINGLESTEP0000000001";
     const ctx: AgentContext = {
       start: startTask("user task"),
@@ -42,6 +42,7 @@ describe("buildAgentPrompt", () => {
         {
           role: "coder",
           contentHash: onlyHash,
+          content: "Here is my implementation of the feature.",
           meta: { files: ["a.ts"] },
           refs: [onlyHash],
           timestamp: 2,
@@ -52,13 +53,39 @@ describe("buildAgentPrompt", () => {
     expect(text).toContain("## Task");
     expect(text).toContain("user task");
     expect(text).toContain("## Step: coder");
-    expect(text).toContain(`ContentHash: ${onlyHash}`);
     expect(text).toContain('Meta: {"files":["a.ts"]}');
+    expect(text).toContain("<output>");
+    expect(text).toContain("Here is my implementation of the feature.");
+    expect(text).toContain("</output>");
     expect(text).toContain("## Tools");
     expect(text).toContain("uncaged-workflow thread 01TEST000000000000000000TR");
   });
 
-  test("two or more steps: previous steps are meta-only; latest step includes hash", async () => {
+  test("single step with null content omits output tag", async () => {
+    const onlyHash = "01HASHSINGLESTEP0000000001";
+    const ctx: AgentContext = {
+      start: startTask("user task"),
+      depth: 0,
+      bundleHash: "TESTHASH00001",
+      threadId: "01TEST000000000000000000TR",
+      currentRole: { name: "coder", systemPrompt: "Be helpful." },
+      steps: [
+        {
+          role: "coder",
+          contentHash: onlyHash,
+          content: null,
+          meta: { files: ["a.ts"] },
+          refs: [onlyHash],
+          timestamp: 2,
+        },
+      ],
+    };
+    const text = await buildAgentPrompt(ctx);
+    expect(text).not.toContain("<output>");
+    expect(text).toContain('Meta: {"files":["a.ts"]}');
+  });
+
+  test("two or more steps: previous steps are meta-only; latest step includes content", async () => {
     const plannerHash = "01HASHPLANNER0000000000001";
     const coderHash = "01HASHCODER0000000000000001";
     const ctx: AgentContext = {
@@ -71,6 +98,7 @@ describe("buildAgentPrompt", () => {
         {
           role: "planner",
           contentHash: plannerHash,
+          content: null,
           meta: { plan: "short" },
           refs: [plannerHash],
           timestamp: 2,
@@ -78,6 +106,7 @@ describe("buildAgentPrompt", () => {
         {
           role: "coder",
           contentHash: coderHash,
+          content: "I reviewed the code and found 4 lint issues:\n1. Missing semicolon on line 42\n2. Unused import on line 3",
           meta: { done: true },
           refs: [coderHash],
           timestamp: 3,
@@ -90,10 +119,11 @@ describe("buildAgentPrompt", () => {
     expect(text).toContain("### Step 1: planner");
     expect(text).toContain('Summary: {"plan":"short"}');
     expect(text).toContain("## Latest Step: coder");
-    expect(text).toContain(`ContentHash: ${coderHash}`);
     expect(text).toContain('Meta: {"done":true}');
+    expect(text).toContain("<output>");
+    expect(text).toContain("I reviewed the code and found 4 lint issues:");
+    expect(text).toContain("</output>");
     expect(text).toContain("## Tools");
-    expect(text).toContain("uncaged-workflow thread 01TEST000000000000000000TR");
   });
 
   test("parentState null omits Parent Context section", async () => {
@@ -125,7 +155,7 @@ describe("buildAgentPrompt", () => {
     expect(text).toContain(`uncaged-workflow cas get ${parentHash}`);
   });
 
-  test("middle steps show meta summary only and latest shows hash", async () => {
+  test("middle steps show meta summary only and latest shows content", async () => {
     const ha = "01HASHA00000000000000000001";
     const hb = "01HASHB00000000000000000001";
     const hc = "01HASHC00000000000000000001";
@@ -139,6 +169,7 @@ describe("buildAgentPrompt", () => {
         {
           role: "a",
           contentHash: ha,
+          content: null,
           meta: { n: 1 },
           refs: [ha],
           timestamp: 2,
@@ -146,6 +177,7 @@ describe("buildAgentPrompt", () => {
         {
           role: "b",
           contentHash: hb,
+          content: null,
           meta: { n: 2 },
           refs: [hb],
           timestamp: 3,
@@ -153,6 +185,7 @@ describe("buildAgentPrompt", () => {
         {
           role: "c",
           contentHash: hc,
+          content: "Final output from role c",
           meta: { n: 3 },
           refs: [hc],
           timestamp: 4,
@@ -162,7 +195,35 @@ describe("buildAgentPrompt", () => {
     const text = await buildAgentPrompt(ctx);
     expect(text).toContain('Summary: {"n":1}');
     expect(text).toContain('Summary: {"n":2}');
-    expect(text).toContain(`ContentHash: ${hc}`);
     expect(text).toContain("## Latest Step: c");
+    expect(text).toContain("<output>");
+    expect(text).toContain("Final output from role c");
+    expect(text).toContain("</output>");
+  });
+
+  test("content is truncated when exceeding quota", async () => {
+    const longContent = "x".repeat(20_000);
+    const hash = "01HASHLONG000000000000000001";
+    const ctx: AgentContext = {
+      start: startTask("task"),
+      depth: 0,
+      bundleHash: "TESTHASH00001",
+      threadId: "01TEST000000000000000000TR",
+      currentRole: { name: "r", systemPrompt: "S" },
+      steps: [
+        {
+          role: "r",
+          contentHash: hash,
+          content: longContent,
+          meta: {},
+          refs: [],
+          timestamp: 2,
+        },
+      ],
+    };
+    const text = await buildAgentPrompt(ctx);
+    expect(text).toContain("<output>");
+    expect(text).toContain("... (truncated)");
+    expect(text.length).toBeLessThan(20_000);
   });
 });

packages/workflow-util-agent/src/build-agent-prompt.ts

@@ -0,0 +1,64 @@
+import type { AgentContext } from "@uncaged/workflow-runtime";
+
+/** Max characters of step content to include in the prompt. */
+const CONTENT_QUOTA = 16_000;
+
+/** Builds the full agent prompt: system instructions plus summarized thread history. */
+export async function buildAgentPrompt(ctx: AgentContext): Promise<string> {
+  const lines: string[] = [];
+  lines.push(ctx.currentRole.systemPrompt);
+  lines.push("");
+  lines.push("## Task");
+  lines.push(ctx.start.content);
+
+  const { steps } = ctx;
+  if (steps.length === 0) {
+    return lines.join("\n");
+  }
+
+  if (steps.length === 1) {
+    const s = steps[0];
+    lines.push("");
+    lines.push(`## Step: ${s.role}`);
+    lines.push("");
+    lines.push(`Meta: ${JSON.stringify(s.meta)}`);
+    appendContent(lines, s.content);
+  } else {
+    lines.push("");
+    lines.push("## Previous Steps");
+    for (let i = 0; i < steps.length - 1; i++) {
+      const s = steps[i];
+      lines.push("");
+      lines.push(`### Step ${i + 1}: ${s.role}`);
+      lines.push(`Summary: ${JSON.stringify(s.meta)}`);
+    }
+    const last = steps[steps.length - 1];
+    lines.push("");
+    lines.push(`## Latest Step: ${last.role}`);
+    lines.push("");
+    lines.push(`Meta: ${JSON.stringify(last.meta)}`);
+    appendContent(lines, last.content);
+  }
+
+  lines.push("");
+  lines.push("## Tools");
+  lines.push(
+    `Use \`uncaged-workflow thread ${ctx.threadId}\` to read full details of any previous step.`,
+  );
+
+  return lines.join("\n");
+}
+
+function appendContent(lines: string[], content: string | null | undefined): void {
+  if (content === null || content === undefined || content.trim() === "") {
+    return;
+  }
+  const truncated =
+    content.length > CONTENT_QUOTA
+      ? `${content.slice(0, CONTENT_QUOTA)}\n... (truncated)`
+      : content;
+  lines.push("");
+  lines.push("<output>");
+  lines.push(truncated);
+  lines.push("</output>");
+}