fix(desktop): channel topic and membership metadata cleanup

desktop/src/features/messages/lib/systemEventCopy.test.mjs

@@ -0,0 +1,107 @@
+import assert from "node:assert/strict";
+import test from "node:test";
+
+import {
+  describeChannelTextFieldChange,
+  toInlineName,
+} from "./systemEventCopy.ts";
+
+test("a set topic is quoted verbatim", () => {
+  assert.equal(
+    describeChannelTextFieldChange("topic", "Release planning"),
+    "changed the topic to “Release planning”",
+  );
+});
+
+test("a set purpose names the purpose, not the topic", () => {
+  assert.equal(
+    describeChannelTextFieldChange("purpose", "Where we ship from"),
+    "changed the purpose to “Where we ship from”",
+  );
+});
+
+// The relay reports a clear as a change carrying an empty string, so without
+// this branch the timeline reads: changed the topic to “”.
+test("an empty value reads as cleared, not as a change to empty quotes", () => {
+  for (const blank of ["", undefined, null]) {
+    assert.equal(
+      describeChannelTextFieldChange("topic", blank),
+      "cleared the topic",
+    );
+    assert.equal(
+      describeChannelTextFieldChange("purpose", blank),
+      "cleared the purpose",
+    );
+  }
+});
+
+test("a whitespace-only value reads as cleared", () => {
+  assert.equal(
+    describeChannelTextFieldChange("topic", "   \n\t "),
+    "cleared the topic",
+  );
+});
+
+test("surrounding whitespace is trimmed out of the quotes", () => {
+  assert.equal(
+    describeChannelTextFieldChange("topic", "  Release planning  "),
+    "changed the topic to “Release planning”",
+  );
+});
+
+test("no caption announces empty quotes", () => {
+  for (const value of ["", " ", null, undefined, "Real topic"]) {
+    for (const field of ["topic", "purpose"]) {
+      assert.doesNotMatch(
+        describeChannelTextFieldChange(field, value),
+        /“”|""/,
+        `${field} with ${JSON.stringify(value)} must not render empty quotes`,
+      );
+    }
+  }
+});
+
+test("the reader's own name is lowercase mid-sentence", () => {
+  // "added by You" next to an agent's "managed by you" was the inconsistency.
+  assert.equal(toInlineName("You", true), "you");
+});
+
+test("cleared and changed captions use the same noun", () => {
+  // Not "cleared the channel topic" against "changed the topic to …".
+  assert.match(describeChannelTextFieldChange("topic", ""), /\bthe topic\b/);
+  assert.match(
+    describeChannelTextFieldChange("topic", "Ship it"),
+    /\bthe topic\b/,
+  );
+  for (const value of ["", "Ship it"]) {
+    assert.doesNotMatch(
+      describeChannelTextFieldChange("topic", value),
+      /channel topic/,
+    );
+  }
+});
+
+test("every other name keeps its own capitalization", () => {
+  for (const name of [
+    "Alice Chen",
+    "you-know-who",
+    "Someone",
+    "npub1abc…def",
+  ]) {
+    assert.equal(toInlineName(name, false), name);
+  }
+});
+
+test("someone else whose display name is literally You is left alone", () => {
+  // The decisive case: the label is user-controlled, identity is not. Matching
+  // on the string would rewrite this person's name as if they were the reader.
+  assert.equal(toInlineName("You", false), "You");
+  assert.equal(toInlineName("Youssef", false), "Youssef");
+  assert.equal(toInlineName("You Know Who", false), "You Know Who");
+});
+
+test("the reader is lowercased whatever their profile name says", () => {
+  // Self resolution never consults the profile, but the rule keys on identity,
+  // so it does not matter what the label happens to be.
+  assert.equal(toInlineName("Alice Chen", true), "you");
+});

desktop/src/features/messages/lib/systemEventCopy.ts

@@ -0,0 +1,59 @@
+/**
+ * Copy for channel system events (the "joined", "added by", "changed the
+ * topic" captions in the message timeline).
+ *
+ * These live outside `SystemMessageRow` so the wording is a pure function of
+ * the payload and can be asserted directly in tests. Only cases whose caption
+ * is plain text belong here — cases that interpolate a profile link build their
+ * JSX in the component.
+ */
+
+/** Curly quotes, so the caption matches the typography used elsewhere in chat. */
+const OPEN_QUOTE = "“";
+const CLOSE_QUOTE = "”";
+
+export type ChannelTextField = "topic" | "purpose";
+
+/**
+ * Caption for a channel topic or purpose change.
+ *
+ * Bare "the topic" rather than "the channel topic": this row only ever renders
+ * in a channel timeline, under that channel's own header, so naming the channel
+ * again is redundant — and it keeps the cleared and changed captions on the same
+ * noun instead of one saying "channel topic" and the other "topic".
+ *
+ * A blank value means the field was cleared: the relay reports a clear as a
+ * `topic_changed` / `purpose_changed` event carrying an empty string, not as a
+ * separate event type. Without this branch the timeline renders `changed the
+ * topic to ""`, which reads like the topic was set to two quote marks.
+ * Whitespace-only values are treated as cleared for the same reason.
+ */
+export function describeChannelTextFieldChange(
+  field: ChannelTextField,
+  value: string | null | undefined,
+): string {
+  const trimmed = value?.trim();
+  if (!trimmed) {
+    return `cleared the ${field}`;
+  }
+  return `changed the ${field} to ${OPEN_QUOTE}${trimmed}${CLOSE_QUOTE}`;
+}
+
+/**
+ * Adjusts a resolved display name for use inside a sentence rather than in the
+ * name slot at the top of a row — "added by you", "removed you from the channel".
+ *
+ * `resolveUserLabel` returns "You" for the current user, which is right standing
+ * alone and wrong mid-phrase. Agent ownership already draws the same distinction
+ * from the other side: `formatOwnerLabel` returns lowercase "you" because it is
+ * only ever read as "managed by you".
+ *
+ * `isSelf` is the caller's pubkey comparison, not an inspection of `label`.
+ * Matching on the string would also rewrite a different person whose display
+ * name happens to be "You" — the label is user-controlled, identity is not.
+ * Every name that isn't the reader's own is a proper noun and is returned
+ * untouched.
+ */
+export function toInlineName(label: string, isSelf: boolean): string {
+  return isSelf ? "you" : label;
+}

desktop/src/features/messages/ui/SystemMessageRow.tsx

@@ -28,6 +28,10 @@ import {
 import { Popover, PopoverContent, PopoverTrigger } from "@/shared/ui/popover";
 import { Tooltip, TooltipContent, TooltipTrigger } from "@/shared/ui/tooltip";
 import { UserAvatar } from "@/shared/ui/UserAvatar";
+import {
+  describeChannelTextFieldChange,
+  toInlineName,
+} from "../lib/systemEventCopy";
 import { MessageAgentOwner } from "./MessageAgentOwner";
 import { MessageAuthorText, MessageHeaderRow } from "./MessageHeader";
 import { MessageTimestamp } from "./MessageTimestamp";
@@ -180,6 +184,29 @@ function resolveDisplayLabel(
   return resolveLabel(pubkey, currentPubkey, profiles);
 }
 
+function isSelfPubkey(
+  pubkey: string | undefined,
+  currentPubkey: string | undefined,
+): boolean {
+  return Boolean(
+    pubkey &&
+      currentPubkey &&
+      normalizePubkey(pubkey) === normalizePubkey(currentPubkey),
+  );
+}
+
+/** Same label as `resolveDisplayLabel`, adjusted for mid-sentence use. */
+function resolveInlineDisplayLabel(
+  pubkey: string | undefined,
+  currentPubkey: string | undefined,
+  profiles: UserProfileLookup | undefined,
+): string {
+  return toInlineName(
+    resolveLabel(pubkey, currentPubkey, profiles),
+    isSelfPubkey(pubkey, currentPubkey),
+  );
+}
+
 function isKnownAgentPubkey(
   pubkey: string | undefined,
   profiles: UserProfileLookup | undefined,
@@ -386,7 +413,7 @@ function MembershipPersonName({
       pubkey={pubkey}
       underlineOnHover
     >
-      {resolveDisplayLabel(pubkey, currentPubkey, profiles)}
+      {resolveInlineDisplayLabel(pubkey, currentPubkey, profiles)}
     </ProfileName>
   );
 }
@@ -497,12 +524,17 @@ function describeSystemEvent(
     currentPubkey,
     profiles,
   );
+  const inlineTargetLabel = resolveInlineDisplayLabel(
+    payload.target,
+    currentPubkey,
+    profiles,
+  );
   const actorName = (
     <ProfileName pubkey={payload.actor}>{actorLabel}</ProfileName>
   );
   const targetName = (
     <ProfileName highlight isAgent={isTargetAgent} pubkey={payload.target}>
-      {targetLabel}
+      {inlineTargetLabel}
     </ProfileName>
   );
   const membershipTitle = (
@@ -522,9 +554,13 @@ function describeSystemEvent(
         title: membershipTitle,
         action: (
           <>
-            was added by{" "}
+            added by{" "}
             <ProfileName pubkey={payload.actor} underlineOnHover>
-              {resolveDisplayLabel(payload.actor, currentPubkey, profiles)}
+              {resolveInlineDisplayLabel(
+                payload.actor,
+                currentPubkey,
+                profiles,
+              )}
             </ProfileName>
             , along with{" "}
             <MemberNamesInlineList
@@ -566,9 +602,13 @@ function describeSystemEvent(
         title: membershipTitle,
         action: (
           <>
-            was added by{" "}
+            added by{" "}
             <ProfileName pubkey={payload.actor} underlineOnHover>
-              {resolveDisplayLabel(payload.actor, currentPubkey, profiles)}
+              {resolveInlineDisplayLabel(
+                payload.actor,
+                currentPubkey,
+                profiles,
+              )}
             </ProfileName>
           </>
         ),
@@ -587,12 +627,12 @@ function describeSystemEvent(
     case "topic_changed":
       return {
         title: actorName,
-        action: <>changed the topic to &ldquo;{payload.topic}&rdquo;</>,
+        action: describeChannelTextFieldChange("topic", payload.topic),
       };
     case "purpose_changed":
       return {
         title: actorName,
-        action: <>changed the purpose to &ldquo;{payload.purpose}&rdquo;</>,
+        action: describeChannelTextFieldChange("purpose", payload.purpose),
       };
     case "channel_created":
       return {

desktop/tests/e2e/mentions.spec.ts

@@ -1114,7 +1114,7 @@ test("system add rows use plain names while remove rows retain agent mention sty
   const addedRow = page
     .getByTestId("system-message-row")
     .filter({ hasText: "portal" })
-    .filter({ hasText: "was added by" });
+    .filter({ hasText: "added by" });
   const removedRow = page
     .getByTestId("system-message-row")
     .filter({ hasText: "removed portal from the channel" });
@@ -1178,7 +1178,7 @@ test("groups member additions and joins with hidden names in the standard toolti
 
   const groupedRow = page
     .getByTestId("system-message-row")
-    .filter({ hasText: "was added by Alice Chen" });
+    .filter({ hasText: "added by Alice Chen" });
   for (const visibleName of [
     "Erica Chapman",
     "Peter Griffin",
@@ -1188,9 +1188,9 @@ test("groups member additions and joins with hidden names in the standard toolti
     await expect(groupedRow).toContainText(visibleName);
   }
   await expect(
-    groupedRow.locator("p").filter({ hasText: "was added by" }),
+    groupedRow.locator("p").filter({ hasText: "added by" }),
   ).toContainText(
-    "was added by Alice Chen, along with Peter Griffin, Marcia Thomas, Jordan Lee, and 2 others",
+    "added by Alice Chen, along with Peter Griffin, Marcia Thomas, Jordan Lee, and 2 others",
   );
   await expect(groupedRow.locator("[data-mention]")).toHaveCount(0);
 
@@ -1200,6 +1200,11 @@ test("groups member additions and joins with hidden names in the standard toolti
   await expect(visibleName).toHaveCSS("text-decoration-line", "underline");
 
   const othersTrigger = groupedRow.getByRole("button", { name: "2 others" });
+  // Park the pointer off-target first: the previous hover leaves the mouse at a
+  // fixed viewport point, and any later reflow (new rows, scroll-to-bottom, a
+  // different text wrap) can slide this button under it. Without this the
+  // assertion measures where the mouse happens to be, not the resting style.
+  await page.mouse.move(0, 0);
   await expect(othersTrigger).toHaveCSS("text-decoration-line", "none");
   await othersTrigger.hover();
   await expect(othersTrigger).toHaveCSS("text-decoration-line", "underline");
@@ -1242,10 +1247,17 @@ test("groups member additions and joins with hidden names in the standard toolti
   const joinedOthersTrigger = joinedRow.getByRole("button", {
     name: "2 others",
   });
+  await page.mouse.move(0, 0);
   await expect(joinedOthersTrigger).toHaveCSS("text-decoration-line", "none");
   await joinedOthersTrigger.hover();
-  await expect(page.getByRole("tooltip")).toContainText("Olivia Park");
-  await expect(page.getByRole("tooltip")).toContainText("Sam Rivera");
+  // Scope to the *open* tooltip: the first row's tooltip stays mounted with
+  // data-state="closed" while it animates out, so a bare role=tooltip lookup
+  // matches two elements and trips strict mode.
+  const joinedTooltip = page.locator(
+    '[role="tooltip"]:not([data-state="closed"])',
+  );
+  await expect(joinedTooltip).toContainText("Olivia Park");
+  await expect(joinedTooltip).toContainText("Sam Rivera");
 });
 
 test("system agent profile only exposes message action", async ({ page }) => {
@@ -1277,7 +1289,7 @@ test("system agent profile only exposes message action", async ({ page }) => {
   const joinedRow = page
     .getByTestId("system-message-row")
     .filter({ hasText: "mira" })
-    .filter({ hasText: "was added by" });
+    .filter({ hasText: "added by" });
   const agentName = joinedRow.getByText("mira", { exact: true });
   await expect(agentName).toHaveText("mira");
   await expect(agentName).not.toHaveAttribute("data-mention");

mobile/lib/features/channels/channel_detail_page/system_rows.dart

@@ -278,7 +278,12 @@ class _MembershipSystemMessageContent extends StatelessWidget {
       TextSpan(
         text: event.isSelfJoin
             ? 'joined the channel'
-            : 'was added by ${resolveLabel(event.actorPubkey)}',
+            // No "was": the name renders on the line above via
+            // MessageAuthorMeta, so this reads as a status line rather than a
+            // sentence continuing across the metadata row. Matches desktop's
+            // SystemMessageRow. `SystemEvent.describe` keeps "was added by"
+            // because it builds subject and predicate into one string.
+            : 'added by ${resolveLabel(event.actorPubkey)}',
       ),
       if (additionalTargets.isNotEmpty)
         TextSpan(text: event.isSelfJoin ? ' along with ' : ', along with '),