@elyracode/btw 0.7.15

package/CHANGELOG.md

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+# Changelog
+
+## [0.7.15] - 2026-05-25
+
+### Added
+- `/btw` command: parallel side conversations with tool access
+- `/btw:inject` to send thread back to main agent
+- `/btw:summarize` to summarize and inject
+- `/btw:clear` to clear the thread
+- `/btw:thread` to show current thread
+- `elyra-btw` skill for side conversation guidance

package/README.md

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+# @elyracode/btw
+
+Side conversations for Elyra. Ask questions while the main agent works, explore ideas without derailing the session, and inject results back when ready.
+
+## Install
+
+```bash
+elyra install npm:@elyracode/btw
+```
+
+## Commands
+
+| Command | Description |
+|---------|-------------|
+| `/btw <question>` | Ask a side question with tool access (runs in parallel) |
+| `/btw:inject` | Send the BTW thread back to the main agent |
+| `/btw:summarize` | Summarize the BTW thread and inject the summary |
+| `/btw:clear` | Clear the BTW thread |
+| `/btw:thread` | Show the current BTW thread |
+
+## Why
+
+Sometimes you want to:
+- Ask a clarifying question while the main agent keeps working
+- Check something quickly without polluting the main context
+- Think through an approach before committing to it
+- Explore an idea, then inject it back once it's ready
+
+BTW runs as an isolated sub-process with full tool access (read, bash, edit, write). Its context is separate from the main session — no token tax on the main agent.
+
+## Examples
+
+```
+/btw what does the validateToken method return?
+/btw how many tests are in the auth module?
+/btw:inject implement the approach we discussed
+/btw:clear
+```

package/extensions/index.ts

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+import type { ExtensionAPI } from "@elyracode/coding-agent";
+
+// ── Types ───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
+
+interface BtwEntry {
+	role: "user" | "assistant";
+	text: string;
+	timestamp: number;
+}
+
+// ── Extension ───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
+
+export default function (elyra: ExtensionAPI): void {
+	let cwd = "";
+	const thread: BtwEntry[] = [];
+
+	elyra.on("session_start", async (_event, ctx) => {
+		cwd = ctx.cwd;
+	});
+
+	// ── /btw <question> ──────────────────────────────────────────────────
+
+	elyra.registerCommand("btw", {
+		description: "Side conversation — ask a question in parallel without affecting the main session",
+		async handler(args, ctx) {
+			// Sub-commands
+			if (args === ":clear" || args.startsWith(":clear ")) {
+				thread.length = 0;
+				ctx.ui.notify("BTW thread cleared", "info");
+				return;
+			}
+
+			if (args === ":thread" || args.startsWith(":thread ")) {
+				if (thread.length === 0) {
+					ctx.ui.notify("BTW thread is empty", "info");
+					return;
+				}
+				const formatted = thread
+					.map((e) => `[${e.role}] ${e.text}`)
+					.join("\n\n");
+				ctx.ui.notify(`BTW thread (${thread.length} entries):\n\n${formatted}`, "info");
+				return;
+			}
+
+			if (args === ":inject" || args.startsWith(":inject ")) {
+				if (thread.length === 0) {
+					ctx.ui.notify("BTW thread is empty, nothing to inject", "info");
+					return;
+				}
+				const extra = args.slice(":inject".length).trim();
+				const formatted = thread
+					.map((e) => `[${e.role}] ${e.text}`)
+					.join("\n\n");
+				const message = extra
+					? `From a side conversation (BTW):\n\n${formatted}\n\nInstructions: ${extra}`
+					: `From a side conversation (BTW):\n\n${formatted}`;
+				await ctx.sendUserMessage(message);
+				thread.length = 0;
+				ctx.ui.notify("BTW thread injected into main session and cleared", "info");
+				return;
+			}
+
+			if (args === ":summarize" || args.startsWith(":summarize ")) {
+				if (thread.length === 0) {
+					ctx.ui.notify("BTW thread is empty, nothing to summarize", "info");
+					return;
+				}
+				const extra = args.slice(":summarize".length).trim();
+				const formatted = thread
+					.map((e) => `[${e.role}] ${e.text}`)
+					.join("\n\n");
+
+				// Use elyra -p to summarize in isolation
+				ctx.ui.notify("Summarizing BTW thread...", "info");
+				const summaryPrompt = `Summarize this side conversation concisely. Focus on decisions, findings, and actionable conclusions.\n\n${formatted}${extra ? `\n\nFocus: ${extra}` : ""}`;
+
+				const result = await elyra.exec("elyra", ["-p", "--no-session", summaryPrompt], {
+					timeout: 60_000,
+					cwd,
+				});
+
+				const summary = result.stdout.trim() || "(summary failed)";
+				await ctx.sendUserMessage(`Summary from a side conversation (BTW):\n\n${summary}`);
+				thread.length = 0;
+				ctx.ui.notify("BTW summary injected and thread cleared", "info");
+				return;
+			}
+
+			// Main /btw <question> handler
+			const question = args.trim();
+			if (!question) {
+				if (thread.length === 0) {
+					ctx.ui.notify(
+						"Usage: /btw <question>\n\nSub-commands: :inject, :summarize, :clear, :thread",
+						"info",
+					);
+				} else {
+					ctx.ui.notify(
+						`BTW thread has ${thread.length} entries.\n\nSub-commands: :inject, :summarize, :clear, :thread`,
+						"info",
+					);
+				}
+				return;
+			}
+
+			// Build context from thread history for continuity
+			const historyContext = thread.length > 0
+				? `Previous side conversation:\n${thread.map((e) => `[${e.role}] ${e.text}`).join("\n")}\n\nNew question: ${question}`
+				: question;
+
+			// Add user entry
+			thread.push({ role: "user", text: question, timestamp: Date.now() });
+
+			ctx.ui.notify(`BTW: "${truncate(question, 60)}" — working...`, "info");
+
+			// Run in isolated process with tool access
+			const result = await elyra.exec("elyra", ["-p", "--no-session", historyContext], {
+				timeout: 120_000,
+				cwd,
+			});
+
+			const response = result.stdout.trim();
+			if (result.code !== 0 || !response) {
+				const error = result.stderr.trim() || "No response";
+				thread.push({ role: "assistant", text: `(error: ${error})`, timestamp: Date.now() });
+				ctx.ui.notify(`BTW error: ${truncate(error, 200)}`, "error");
+				return;
+			}
+
+			// Add assistant entry
+			thread.push({ role: "assistant", text: response, timestamp: Date.now() });
+
+			// Show response
+			ctx.ui.notify(`BTW response:\n\n${response}`, "info");
+		},
+	});
+}
+
+function truncate(text: string, maxLen: number): string {
+	if (text.length <= maxLen) return text;
+	return `${text.slice(0, maxLen)}...`;
+}

package/package.json

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+{
+  "name": "@elyracode/btw",
+  "version": "0.7.15",
+  "description": "Side conversations for Elyra -- ask questions while the agent works, inject results back when ready",
+  "type": "module",
+  "keywords": [
+    "elyra-package",
+    "btw",
+    "side-chat",
+    "parallel",
+    "subagent"
+  ],
+  "license": "MIT",
+  "author": "Knut W. Horne",
+  "repository": {
+    "type": "git",
+    "url": "git+https://github.com/kwhorne/elyra.git",
+    "directory": "packages/btw"
+  },
+  "elyra": {
+    "extensions": [
+      "./extensions/index.ts"
+    ],
+    "skills": [
+      "./skills"
+    ]
+  },
+  "peerDependencies": {
+    "@elyracode/coding-agent": "*",
+    "typebox": "*"
+  },
+  "scripts": {
+    "clean": "echo 'nothing to clean'",
+    "build": "echo 'nothing to build'",
+    "check": "echo 'nothing to check'"
+  }
+}

package/skills/elyra-btw/SKILL.md

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+---
+name: elyra-btw
+description: Side conversations. Use when the user wants to ask a quick question without interrupting the main task, explore an idea in parallel, or have a scratchpad conversation that can be injected back later.
+---
+
+# Side Conversations with /btw
+
+## When to Suggest
+
+Suggest `/btw` when:
+- The user asks a tangential question while you're working on something
+- The user wants to check something without derailing the current task
+- The user says "by the way" or "quick question" or "while you're at it"
+- The user wants to brainstorm before committing to an approach
+
+## Commands
+
+| Command | What it does |
+|---------|-------------|
+| `/btw <question>` | Ask a question in a parallel side session with tool access |
+| `/btw:inject` | Send the full BTW thread into this conversation |
+| `/btw:summarize` | Summarize the BTW thread and inject the summary |
+| `/btw:clear` | Clear the BTW thread |
+| `/btw:thread` | Show the current BTW thread history |
+
+## Key Behavior
+
+- BTW runs in an isolated process — its context is separate from this session
+- BTW has full tool access (read, bash, edit, write, grep, find, ls)
+- BTW thread persists across questions until cleared
+- BTW does NOT affect the main agent's context window
+- Use `/btw:inject` or `/btw:summarize` to bring results back when ready