feat(render): show unsaved tickets with a field highlight and a count

Under the deferred save model a ticket can carry unsaved local edits with nothing on screen saying so. These are the first two phases of the modified-ticket indicator (docs/modified-ticket-indicator-spec.org).

A pushable-dirty ticket gets a background highlight (pearl-modified-highlight, inheriting the theme's diff-changed) on its heading line, and on the description body when the description changed. The mode-line lighter gains a count rendered with the ticket glyph: "Pearl[work] 3 🎫 changed". Both ride the existing dirty scan and redecoration pass, clear on the next pass after a save, and never touch buffer text.

The count is tickets, not fields: each ticket counts once however many of its fields changed, and only when it has pushable work (a dirty field, or an own comment once the viewer resolves), so it matches what save-all would push. Per-comment highlighting and the live after-change trigger come next.

diff-changed was picked over diff-refine-changed after a cross-theme legibility survey; pearl now requires diff-mode for that face.

2 files changed, 334 insertions, 6 deletions

diff --git a/pearl.el b/pearl.el
index 523cac3..63e12ef 100644
--- a/pearl.el
+++ b/pearl.el
@@ -63,6 +63,7 @@
 (require 'cl-lib)
 (require 'transient)
 (require 'auth-source)
+(require 'diff-mode)                     ; for the `diff-changed' face pearl-modified-highlight inherits
 
 ;;; Customization and Variables
 (defgroup pearl nil
@@ -651,13 +652,40 @@ semantics.  A personal workspace's teams must never bleed into a work one."
         pearl--cache-viewer nil
         pearl--cache-org-url-key nil))
 
+(defcustom pearl-show-modified-indicator t
+  "When non-nil, show the unsaved-ticket cues.
+That is the per-field highlight on a ticket with unsaved local edits and the
+mode-line count of such tickets.  Set to nil to turn the whole indicator off."
+  :type 'boolean
+  :group 'pearl)
+
+(defcustom pearl-modified-mode-line-format " %d %s changed"
+  "Format of the mode-line unsaved-ticket segment.
+Takes two arguments: the ticket count (%d) and a label (%s) -- the
+`pearl-ticket-glyph' when it's set, else the word \"tickets\".  Appended to the
+`pearl-mode' lighter when any ticket in the buffer has unsaved pushable work."
+  :type 'string
+  :group 'pearl)
+
+(defvar-local pearl--modified-count 0
+  "Cached count of tickets in this buffer with unsaved pushable work.
+Refreshed by the redecorate pass (`pearl--refresh-modified-count'); read by
+`pearl--mode-line-lighter' so mode-line redisplay never rescans.")
+
 (defun pearl--mode-line-lighter ()
   "Return the `pearl-mode' mode-line lighter, naming the active account.
-\" Pearl[work]\" when accounts are configured and one is active; plain
-\" Pearl\" in legacy single-account mode."
-  (if (and pearl-accounts pearl-active-account)
-      (format " Pearl[%s]" pearl-active-account)
-    " Pearl"))
+\" Pearl[work]\" when accounts are configured and one is active, plain
+\" Pearl\" in legacy single-account mode, with \" N <glyph> changed\" appended
+when the buffer holds unsaved tickets and `pearl-show-modified-indicator' is on."
+  (let ((base (if (and pearl-accounts pearl-active-account)
+                  (format " Pearl[%s]" pearl-active-account)
+                " Pearl")))
+    (if (and pearl-show-modified-indicator (> pearl--modified-count 0))
+        (concat base (format pearl-modified-mode-line-format
+                             pearl--modified-count
+                             (if (string-empty-p pearl-ticket-glyph)
+                                 "tickets" pearl-ticket-glyph)))
+      base)))
 
 (defun pearl-switch-account (name)
   "Switch the active Linear account to NAME.
@@ -6575,6 +6603,119 @@ wait for the next save (each field's content is still re-read at push)."
           (push (cons marker dirty) result))))
     (nreverse result)))
 
+(defun pearl--count-pushable-tickets (scan viewer-id &optional viewer-failed)
+  "Count tickets in SCAN with unsaved pushable work -- each ticket once.
+SCAN is a list of (MARKER . DIRTY) from `pearl--scan-all-dirty'.  A ticket is
+pushable when any non-comment field is dirty, or it has an own dirty comment
+\(author = VIEWER-ID).  A comment-only ticket does not count while VIEWER-ID is
+nil or VIEWER-FAILED is non-nil -- ownership is then unknown, so the cue waits.
+This mirrors what `pearl-save-all' would actually push, so the count and the
+save agree."
+  (let ((n 0))
+    (dolist (cell scan)
+      (let* ((dirty (cdr cell))
+             (field-dirty (or (plist-get dirty :title) (plist-get dirty :description)
+                              (plist-get dirty :priority) (plist-get dirty :state)
+                              (plist-get dirty :assignee) (plist-get dirty :labels)))
+             (own-comment (and (not viewer-failed) viewer-id
+                               (plist-get (pearl--classify-comment-candidates
+                                           (plist-get dirty :comment-candidates) viewer-id)
+                                          :own))))
+        (when (or field-dirty own-comment) (setq n (1+ n)))))
+    n))
+
+(defun pearl--buffer-dirty-issue-count (viewer-id &optional viewer-failed)
+  "Count this buffer's tickets with unsaved pushable work (see
+`pearl--count-pushable-tickets').  No network -- VIEWER-ID is supplied by the
+caller (resolved once via `pearl--viewer-async')."
+  (pearl--count-pushable-tickets (pearl--scan-all-dirty) viewer-id viewer-failed))
+
+(defun pearl--refresh-modified-count (&optional buffer)
+  "Recompute BUFFER's cached unsaved-ticket count and refresh the mode line.
+Resolves the viewer once (cached) so own comments are classified; a failed
+lookup counts only field-dirty tickets.  Best-effort: a viewer failure must
+never abort the operation that triggered the redecorate."
+  (let ((buffer (or buffer (current-buffer))))
+    (ignore-errors
+      (pearl--viewer-async
+       (lambda (viewer)
+         (when (buffer-live-p buffer)
+           (with-current-buffer buffer
+             (setq pearl--modified-count
+                   (pearl--buffer-dirty-issue-count
+                    (and viewer (plist-get viewer :id))
+                    (null viewer)))
+             (force-mode-line-update))))))))
+
+(defun pearl--issue-description-region ()
+  "Return (BEG . END) of the description body of the issue at point, or nil.
+The body runs from after the property drawer to the first child heading
+(`Comments' or any sub-heading), or to the subtree end when there are none."
+  (save-excursion
+    (org-back-to-heading t)
+    (let* ((subtree-end (save-excursion (org-end-of-subtree t t) (point)))
+           (beg (progn
+                  (forward-line 1)
+                  (when (looking-at-p "^[ \t]*:PROPERTIES:")
+                    (when (re-search-forward "^[ \t]*:END:[ \t]*$" subtree-end t)
+                      (forward-line 1)))
+                  (point)))
+           (child (save-excursion
+                    (if (re-search-forward "^\\*+ " subtree-end t)
+                        (line-beginning-position)
+                      subtree-end))))
+      (when (< beg child) (cons beg child)))))
+
+(defun pearl--modified-highlight-regions (dirty viewer-id &optional viewer-failed)
+  "Region kinds to highlight for a ticket's DIRTY plist.
+DIRTY is a `pearl--issue-dirty-fields' value.  Returns a subset of (heading
+description).  `heading' fires for fold-visible bubble-up when any field is
+dirty or an own comment is (VIEWER-ID classifies, VIEWER-FAILED forces unknown);
+`description' adds the body region.  Comment regions are laid separately."
+  (let* ((field (or (plist-get dirty :title) (plist-get dirty :description)
+                    (plist-get dirty :priority) (plist-get dirty :state)
+                    (plist-get dirty :assignee) (plist-get dirty :labels)))
+         (own (and (not viewer-failed) viewer-id
+                   (plist-get (pearl--classify-comment-candidates
+                               (plist-get dirty :comment-candidates) viewer-id)
+                              :own)))
+         regions)
+    (when (or field own) (push 'heading regions))
+    (when (plist-get dirty :description) (push 'description regions))
+    (nreverse regions)))
+
+(defun pearl--modified-overlay (beg end face)
+  "Lay a `pearl-modified' overlay with FACE over BEG..END and return it."
+  (let ((ov (make-overlay beg end)))
+    (overlay-put ov 'pearl-modified t)
+    (overlay-put ov 'evaporate t)
+    (overlay-put ov 'face face)
+    ov))
+
+(defun pearl--apply-modified-highlights (&optional viewer-id viewer-failed)
+  "Overlay `pearl-modified-highlight' on the unsaved fields of each issue.
+Clears prior `pearl-modified' overlays first, so it's idempotent and a saved
+field's highlight drops on the next pass.  Highlights the heading line of any
+pushable-dirty ticket (fold-visible bubble-up) and the description body when the
+description changed.  VIEWER-ID classifies own comments for the bubble-up;
+per-comment highlighting is a later phase.  No-op when
+`pearl-show-modified-indicator' is nil."
+  (remove-overlays (point-min) (point-max) 'pearl-modified t)
+  (when pearl-show-modified-indicator
+    (save-excursion
+      (dolist (cell (pearl--issue-subtree-markers))
+        (org-with-point-at (cdr cell)
+          (let ((regions (pearl--modified-highlight-regions
+                          (pearl--issue-dirty-fields) viewer-id viewer-failed)))
+            (when (memq 'heading regions)
+              (pearl--modified-overlay (line-beginning-position) (line-end-position)
+                                       'pearl-modified-highlight))
+            (when (memq 'description regions)
+              (let ((r (pearl--issue-description-region)))
+                (when r
+                  (pearl--modified-overlay (car r) (cdr r)
+                                           'pearl-modified-highlight))))))))))
+
 (defun pearl--save-all-counts (scan viewer-id &optional viewer-failed)
   "Tally the dirty fields in SCAN, classifying comments with VIEWER-ID.
 When VIEWER-FAILED is non-nil (the viewer lookup ran and failed), every comment
@@ -7789,6 +7930,14 @@ account's key in memory.  Use `:api-key-source (:env \"...\")' in
 
 ;;; Comment Editing
 
+(defface pearl-modified-highlight
+  '((t :inherit diff-changed :extend t))
+  "Highlight over a field of an issue that has unsaved local edits.
+Inherits the theme's `diff-changed' background -- a muted \"changed\" color that
+stays legible as a background under the field's own text.  Chosen over
+`diff-refine-changed', which some themes render too bright to read against."
+  :group 'pearl)
+
 (defface pearl-editable-comment
   '((t :inherit success))
   "Face for comment headings the current user can edit."
@@ -7966,6 +8115,9 @@ invoke by hand."
     ;; coloring but must show even when the viewer can't be resolved (offline,
     ;; missing key).
     (pearl--apply-heading-glyphs buffer)
+    ;; Field-level unsaved highlights need no viewer, so lay them synchronously
+    ;; (own-comment bubble-up and per-comment highlights come with the viewer).
+    (with-current-buffer buffer (pearl--apply-modified-highlights))
     ;; Best-effort: highlighting is a display nicety and must never abort the
     ;; operation that triggered it (e.g. a missing API key errors in the
     ;; request layer), so a failure to resolve the viewer just skips coloring.
@@ -7974,7 +8126,8 @@ invoke by hand."
        (lambda (viewer)
          (when (and viewer (buffer-live-p buffer))
            (with-current-buffer buffer
-             (pearl--apply-comment-highlights (plist-get viewer :id)))))))))
+             (pearl--apply-comment-highlights (plist-get viewer :id)))))))
+    (pearl--refresh-modified-count buffer)))
 
 ;;;###autoload
 (defun pearl-edit-current-comment ()
diff --git a/tests/test-pearl-modified.el b/tests/test-pearl-modified.el
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..cfef923
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/test-pearl-modified.el
@@ -0,0 +1,175 @@
+;;; test-pearl-modified.el --- Tests for the modified-ticket indicator -*- lexical-binding: t; -*-
+
+;; Copyright (C) 2026 Craig Jennings
+
+;; Author: Craig Jennings <c@cjennings.net>
+
+;;; Commentary:
+
+;; Tests for the modified-ticket indicator (docs/modified-ticket-indicator-spec.org):
+;; phase 1 covers the pushable-ticket count and its mode-line segment.  The count
+;; is "tickets, not fields": each ticket with pushable dirty work counts once.
+
+;;; Code:
+
+(require 'test-bootstrap (expand-file-name "test-bootstrap.el"))
+(require 'cl-lib)
+
+(defun test-pearl-modified--scan (&rest dirtys)
+  "Build a scan list ((MARKER . DIRTY) ...) from DIRTY plists (marker unused)."
+  (mapcar (lambda (d) (cons nil d)) dirtys))
+
+;;; pushable-ticket count
+
+(ert-deftest test-pearl-count-pushable-field-dirty-ticket-counts ()
+  "A ticket with any dirty non-comment field counts, regardless of the viewer."
+  (let ((scan (test-pearl-modified--scan '(:title t) '(:description t) '(:state t))))
+    (should (= 3 (pearl--count-pushable-tickets scan "v")))
+    (should (= 3 (pearl--count-pushable-tickets scan nil)))))
+
+(ert-deftest test-pearl-count-pushable-many-fields-one-ticket-counts-once ()
+  "A ticket dirty in several fields counts once, not per field."
+  (let ((scan (test-pearl-modified--scan '(:title t :description t :labels t))))
+    (should (= 1 (pearl--count-pushable-tickets scan "v")))))
+
+(ert-deftest test-pearl-count-pushable-own-comment-only-counts ()
+  "A ticket dirty only via an own comment (author = viewer) counts."
+  (let ((scan (test-pearl-modified--scan
+               '(:comment-candidates ((:author-id "v"))))))
+    (should (= 1 (pearl--count-pushable-tickets scan "v")))))
+
+(ert-deftest test-pearl-count-pushable-readonly-comment-only-excluded ()
+  "A ticket dirty only via a non-own comment does not count."
+  (let ((scan (test-pearl-modified--scan
+               '(:comment-candidates ((:author-id "someone-else"))))))
+    (should (= 0 (pearl--count-pushable-tickets scan "v")))))
+
+(ert-deftest test-pearl-count-pushable-comment-only-unknown-viewer-excluded ()
+  "Comment-only dirt doesn't count while the viewer is unresolved or failed."
+  (let ((scan (test-pearl-modified--scan
+               '(:comment-candidates ((:author-id "v"))))))
+    (should (= 0 (pearl--count-pushable-tickets scan nil)))
+    (should (= 0 (pearl--count-pushable-tickets scan "v" t)))))  ; viewer-failed
+
+(ert-deftest test-pearl-count-pushable-mixed ()
+  "A field-dirty ticket counts even when another ticket is only read-only-dirty."
+  (let ((scan (test-pearl-modified--scan
+               '(:priority t)
+               '(:comment-candidates ((:author-id "other"))))))
+    (should (= 1 (pearl--count-pushable-tickets scan "v")))))
+
+;;; mode-line segment
+
+(ert-deftest test-pearl-mode-line-appends-changed-count-with-glyph ()
+  "The lighter appends \"N <glyph> changed\" and keeps the account name."
+  (let ((pearl-accounts '(("work" :api-key "k")))
+        (pearl-active-account "work")
+        (pearl-show-modified-indicator t)
+        (pearl-ticket-glyph "🎫")
+        (pearl--modified-count 3))
+    (let ((s (pearl--mode-line-lighter)))
+      (should (string-match-p "Pearl\\[work\\]" s))
+      (should (string-match-p "3" s))
+      (should (string-match-p "🎫" s))
+      (should (string-match-p "changed" s)))))
+
+(ert-deftest test-pearl-mode-line-changed-count-falls-back-to-word ()
+  "With the glyph unset, the segment reads \"N tickets changed\"."
+  (let ((pearl-accounts '(("work" :api-key "k")))
+        (pearl-active-account "work")
+        (pearl-show-modified-indicator t)
+        (pearl-ticket-glyph "")
+        (pearl--modified-count 2))
+    (should (string-match-p "2 tickets changed" (pearl--mode-line-lighter)))))
+
+(ert-deftest test-pearl-mode-line-no-segment-when-clean ()
+  "A zero count adds no segment; the account name still shows."
+  (let ((pearl-accounts '(("work" :api-key "k")))
+        (pearl-active-account "work")
+        (pearl-show-modified-indicator t)
+        (pearl--modified-count 0))
+    (let ((s (pearl--mode-line-lighter)))
+      (should (string-match-p "Pearl\\[work\\]" s))
+      (should-not (string-match-p "changed" s)))))
+
+(ert-deftest test-pearl-mode-line-indicator-off-suppresses-count ()
+  "With the indicator disabled, no count shows even when dirty."
+  (let ((pearl-accounts nil)
+        (pearl-active-account nil)
+        (pearl-show-modified-indicator nil)
+        (pearl--modified-count 5))
+    (should-not (string-match-p "changed" (pearl--mode-line-lighter)))))
+
+;;; phase 2 -- field-region highlight
+
+(ert-deftest test-pearl-modified-regions-clean-is-nil ()
+  "A clean ticket highlights nothing."
+  (should (null (pearl--modified-highlight-regions '() "v"))))
+
+(ert-deftest test-pearl-modified-regions-title-lights-heading ()
+  (should (equal '(heading) (pearl--modified-highlight-regions '(:title t) "v"))))
+
+(ert-deftest test-pearl-modified-regions-description-lights-both ()
+  "A dirty description lights the heading (bubble-up) and the body."
+  (should (equal '(heading description)
+                 (pearl--modified-highlight-regions '(:description t) "v"))))
+
+(ert-deftest test-pearl-modified-regions-own-comment-lights-heading ()
+  (should (equal '(heading)
+                 (pearl--modified-highlight-regions
+                  '(:comment-candidates ((:author-id "v"))) "v"))))
+
+(ert-deftest test-pearl-modified-regions-readonly-comment-nothing ()
+  "A non-own comment does not light the heading."
+  (should (null (pearl--modified-highlight-regions
+                 '(:comment-candidates ((:author-id "other"))) "v"))))
+
+(ert-deftest test-pearl-modified-regions-comment-unknown-viewer-nothing ()
+  "A comment-only ticket lights nothing while the viewer is unresolved."
+  (should (null (pearl--modified-highlight-regions
+                 '(:comment-candidates ((:author-id "v"))) nil))))
+
+(ert-deftest test-pearl-issue-description-region-spans-body-only ()
+  "The description region covers the body, not the drawer or the Comments child."
+  (with-temp-buffer
+    (insert "* F\n** TODO PEARL-1 Alpha\n:PROPERTIES:\n:LINEAR-ID: i1\n:END:\n"
+            "Body one.\nBody two.\n*** Comments\n**** c\nhi\n")
+    (org-mode)
+    (goto-char (point-min)) (re-search-forward "PEARL-1") (org-back-to-heading t)
+    (let* ((r (pearl--issue-description-region))
+           (text (buffer-substring-no-properties (car r) (cdr r))))
+      (should (string-match-p "Body one" text))
+      (should (string-match-p "Body two" text))
+      (should-not (string-match-p "Comments" text))
+      (should-not (string-match-p "LINEAR-ID" text)))))
+
+(ert-deftest test-pearl-apply-modified-highlights-marks-dirty-heading-idempotently ()
+  "A title-dirty issue gets exactly one heading overlay, even on a second pass."
+  (with-temp-buffer
+    (insert "* F\n** TODO PEARL-1 Alpha\n:PROPERTIES:\n:LINEAR-ID: i1\n"
+            ":LINEAR-TITLE-SHA256: deadbeef\n:END:\n")
+    (org-mode)
+    (let ((pearl-show-modified-indicator t))
+      (cl-flet ((modified-ovs ()
+                  (seq-filter (lambda (o) (overlay-get o 'pearl-modified))
+                              (overlays-in (point-min) (point-max)))))
+        (pearl--apply-modified-highlights)
+        (should (= 1 (length (modified-ovs))))
+        (pearl--apply-modified-highlights)
+        (should (= 1 (length (modified-ovs))))))))
+
+(ert-deftest test-pearl-apply-modified-highlights-off-clears ()
+  "With the indicator disabled, the applier lays nothing (and clears prior)."
+  (with-temp-buffer
+    (insert "* F\n** TODO PEARL-1 Alpha\n:PROPERTIES:\n:LINEAR-ID: i1\n"
+            ":LINEAR-TITLE-SHA256: deadbeef\n:END:\n")
+    (org-mode)
+    (let ((pearl-show-modified-indicator t))
+      (pearl--apply-modified-highlights))
+    (let ((pearl-show-modified-indicator nil))
+      (pearl--apply-modified-highlights))
+    (should (null (seq-filter (lambda (o) (overlay-get o 'pearl-modified))
+                              (overlays-in (point-min) (point-max)))))))
+
+(provide 'test-pearl-modified)
+;;; test-pearl-modified.el ends here