fix(/branch): redirect session_log_file and expose branch sessions in list (#14854) (#16150)

* fix(/branch): redirect session_log_file and expose branch sessions in list

Two bugs when using /branch:

1. cli.py _handle_branch_command updated agent.session_id but not
   agent.session_log_file, so all messages written after branching
   landed in the original session's JSON file and the branch never
   got its own session_{id}.json on disk.

   Fix: mirror the compression-split path (run_agent.py:7579) and
   update session_log_file immediately after changing session_id.

2. hermes_state.py list_sessions_rich filtered out every session
   with parent_session_id IS NOT NULL to hide sub-agent runs and
   compression continuations. Branch sessions share this column, so
   they became invisible to `hermes sessions list` and `sessions browse`.

   Fix: also include branch children — those whose parent ended with
   end_reason='branched' AND whose started_at >= parent.ended_at
   (the same timing condition that get_compression_tip uses to
   distinguish continuations from live-spawned subagents).

Fixes #14854

Co-Authored-By: Octopus <liyuan851277048@icloud.com>

* chore(release): map octo-patch placeholder email in AUTHOR_MAP

---------

Co-authored-by: octo-patch <octo-patch@github.com>
Co-authored-by: Octopus <liyuan851277048@icloud.com>

cli.py

@@ -4915,6 +4915,12 @@ class HermesCLI:
         if self.agent:
             self.agent.session_id = new_session_id
             self.agent.session_start = now
+            # Redirect the JSON session log to the new branch session file so
+            # messages written after branching land in the correct file.
+            if hasattr(self.agent, "session_log_file") and hasattr(self.agent, "logs_dir"):
+                self.agent.session_log_file = (
+                    self.agent.logs_dir / f"session_{new_session_id}.json"
+                )
             self.agent.reset_session_state()
             if hasattr(self.agent, "_last_flushed_db_idx"):
                 self.agent._last_flushed_db_idx = len(self.conversation_history)

hermes_state.py

@@ -832,7 +832,18 @@ class SessionDB:
         params = []
 
         if not include_children:
-            where_clauses.append("s.parent_session_id IS NULL")
+            # Show root sessions and branch sessions (whose parent ended with
+            # end_reason='branched' before the child was created), while still
+            # hiding sub-agent runs and compression continuations (which also
+            # carry a parent_session_id but were spawned while the parent was
+            # still live — i.e., started_at < parent.ended_at).
+            where_clauses.append(
+                "(s.parent_session_id IS NULL"
+                " OR EXISTS (SELECT 1 FROM sessions p"
+                "            WHERE p.id = s.parent_session_id"
+                "            AND p.end_reason = 'branched'"
+                "            AND s.started_at >= p.ended_at))"
+            )
 
         if source:
             where_clauses.append("s.source = ?")

scripts/release.py

@@ -70,6 +70,7 @@ AUTHOR_MAP = {
     "keira.voss94@gmail.com": "keiravoss94",
     "16443023+stablegenius49@users.noreply.github.com": "stablegenius49",
     "fqsy1416@gmail.com": "EKKOLearnAI",
+    "octo-patch@github.com": "octo-patch",
     "simbamax99@gmail.com": "simbam99",
     "iris@growthpillars.co": "irispillars",
     "185121704+stablegenius49@users.noreply.github.com": "stablegenius49",

tests/cli/test_branch_command.py

@@ -160,6 +160,30 @@ class TestBranchCommandCLI:
         assert agent.reset_session_state.called
         assert agent._last_flushed_db_idx == 4  # len(conversation_history)
 
+    def test_branch_updates_agent_session_log_file(self, cli_instance, session_db, tmp_path):
+        """Branching must redirect the agent's session_log_file to the new session's path."""
+        from cli import HermesCLI
+        from pathlib import Path
+
+        logs_dir = tmp_path / "sessions"
+        logs_dir.mkdir()
+
+        agent = MagicMock()
+        agent._last_flushed_db_idx = 0
+        agent.logs_dir = logs_dir
+        agent.session_log_file = logs_dir / f"session_{cli_instance.session_id}.json"
+        cli_instance.agent = agent
+
+        old_log_file = agent.session_log_file
+        HermesCLI._handle_branch_command(cli_instance, "/branch")
+
+        new_session_id = cli_instance.session_id
+        expected_log = logs_dir / f"session_{new_session_id}.json"
+        assert agent.session_log_file == expected_log, (
+            "session_log_file must point to the branch session, not the original"
+        )
+        assert agent.session_log_file != old_log_file
+
     def test_branch_sets_resumed_flag(self, cli_instance, session_db):
         """Branch should set _resumed=True to prevent auto-title generation."""
         from cli import HermesCLI

tests/test_hermes_state.py

@@ -1485,6 +1485,48 @@ class TestListSessionsRich:
         assert "\n" not in sessions[0]["preview"]
         assert "Line one Line two" in sessions[0]["preview"]
 
+    def test_branch_session_visible_in_list(self, db):
+        """Branch sessions (parent ended with 'branched') must appear in list_sessions_rich."""
+        db.create_session("parent", "cli")
+        db.end_session("parent", "branched")
+        db.create_session("branch", "cli", parent_session_id="parent")
+        db.append_message("branch", "user", "Exploring the alternative approach")
+
+        sessions = db.list_sessions_rich()
+        ids = [s["id"] for s in sessions]
+        assert "branch" in ids, "Branch session should be visible in default list"
+
+    def test_subagent_session_still_hidden(self, db):
+        """Sub-agent children (parent NOT ended with 'branched') remain hidden."""
+        db.create_session("root", "cli")
+        db.create_session("delegate", "cli", parent_session_id="root")
+
+        sessions = db.list_sessions_rich()
+        ids = [s["id"] for s in sessions]
+        assert "delegate" not in ids, "Delegate sub-agent should not appear in default list"
+        assert "root" in ids
+
+    def test_compression_child_still_hidden(self, db):
+        """Compression continuation sessions remain hidden (parent ended with 'compression')."""
+        import time as _time
+        t0 = _time.time()
+        db.create_session("root", "cli")
+        db._conn.execute("UPDATE sessions SET started_at=? WHERE id=?", (t0, "root"))
+        db._conn.execute(
+            "UPDATE sessions SET ended_at=?, end_reason='compression' WHERE id=?",
+            (t0 + 1800, "root"),
+        )
+        db._conn.commit()
+        db.create_session("continuation", "cli", parent_session_id="root")
+        db._conn.execute(
+            "UPDATE sessions SET started_at=? WHERE id=?", (t0 + 1801, "continuation")
+        )
+        db._conn.commit()
+
+        sessions = db.list_sessions_rich(project_compression_tips=False)
+        ids = [s["id"] for s in sessions]
+        assert "continuation" not in ids, "Compression continuation should stay hidden"
+
 
 class TestCompressionChainProjection:
     """Tests for lineage-aware list_sessions_rich — compressed conversations