deepseek-harness/docs/subsystems/compaction.md

# Compaction

English | [中文](compaction.zh.md)

The compaction seam — a [capability seam](../../.agents/notes/implemented/architecture/2026-06-13-capability-seams.md) split like bash: Service Definition ([dsh-compact](../../packages/compact/compact), `ctx.compact`), Service provider (a backend such as [dsh-compact-basic](../../packages/compact/compact-basic)), and human Consumer ([dsh-command-compact](../../packages/compact/command-compact)). Compaction is **one optional capability**, not part of the agent-loop spine — so its vocabulary lives here, not in [core.md](core.md). A tokenizer- or template-based backend is a sibling package implementing the same interface. Unlike bash, the interface necessarily depends on `dsh-session` and `dsh-llm`: its verbs act on an agent-owned `Session`, and its durable summary event uses the `ContentBlock` vocabulary (see the [compaction capability-seam Agent Note](../../.agents/notes/implemented/feature/2026-06-18-compaction-capability-seam.md)).

Source: [`packages/compact/compact/src/types.ts`](../../packages/compact/compact/src/types.ts)

## The `compact/*` session events

Compaction extends [`SessionEventMap`](session.md) with three event types via declaration merging. All three are **log-only** — they record the lock, summary, selected range, shadowed event seqs, token count, and model call without joining the surface. `SurfaceEventType` is deliberately NOT extended (only message-producing events reach the model), so the summary itself rides on a separate `user/message` with `surfaceOp: { op: 'replace', start, end }` — the only surface mutation performed by summary compaction. See the Agent Note for why reusing `user/message` is honest rather than a workaround.

| Event | Payload | Role |
|---|---|---|
| `compact/start` | `{ turn }` | acquires the log-recorded lock; a number identifies the open automatic turn, while `null` identifies a standalone manual attempt |
| `compact/summary` | `{ summary, rawOutput?, llmStreamCall?, shadowedRange, shadowedSeqs, shadowedTokenCount, provider, model, maxTokens?, usage? }` | the safe summary projection, optional complete provider output and usage, an `llmStreamCall: true` marker when producing the result consumed exactly one call through this context's `ctx.llm.stream()` (which requires complete `rawOutput`), the shadowed surface-boundary pair (`start`/`end` seqs — a position span, not a numeric interval), the shadowed seqs in surface order, the estimated token count, and the summarize call's envelope (`provider`, `model`, plus its generation cap when one applied) — logged so the one-shot request is reconstructable from log + code (the reconstructability Agent Note); unmarked `rawOutput` does not identify the call path |
| `compact/end` | `{ turn, error? }` | releases the lock with the same numeric-or-null owner (`error` records an unsuccessful attempt) |

The lock brackets the **whole** operation: `compact/start` is appended first, then summarization, the `compact/summary` record, and the `user/message` replacement all land, and only then `compact/end`. Releasing the lock last turns a crash mid-operation into a detectable orphaned lock (a `compact/start` with no matching `compact/end`) rather than a `compact/end` that falsely claims compaction finished.

The markers are lock time points, not an exclusive container. An unrelated idle injection can appear between a standalone manual start and end while summarization is pending. The manual path revalidates only its selected positional span, so that injected context survives after the replacement checkpoint. A live unmatched start blocks every entry point; an unmatched start before a newer `session/end-seed` is stale evidence from a prior lifecycle and is ignored.

These variants are merged inside a `declare module '@deepseek-ai/dsh-session'` block, so — unlike the top-level types on the other subsystem pages — they are not pasted as a drift-checked ` ```ts type-equiv ` block (the `verify-type-equiv` extractor matches only top-level declarations by name). The payload table above is the catalog entry; follow the source link for the authoritative shapes.

## `CompactionResult`

What a successful compaction returns to its caller: the bookkeeping-event seqs, safe summary projection, shadowed range and seqs, and estimated token count.

```ts type-equiv
/** Result of a successful compaction operation. */
interface CompactionResult {
  /** Stable identity shared by this compaction's complete durable lifecycle. */
  compactionId: CompactionId
  /** Human command that initiated this compaction, when it was manual. */
  sourceCommandId?: CommandId
  /** The seq of the appended `compact/start` event. */
  startSeq: number
  /** The seq of the appended `compact/summary` event. */
  summarySeq: number
  /** The seq of the appended `compact/end` event. */
  endSeq: number
  /** The summary content blocks produced by the backend. */
  summary: ContentBlock[]
  /**
   * The surface-boundary pair that was shadowed: the seqs of the first
   * (`start`) and last (`end`) surface nodes of the replaced range. A
   * surface-POSITION span, not a numeric seq interval — after a prior replace
   * lands a fresh high-seq summary node at an older range's position, `start`
   * can be GREATER than `end`. {@link CompactionResult.shadowedSeqs} is the
   * authoritative set of shadowed nodes, in surface order.
   */
  shadowedRange: { start: number; end: number }
  /** The seqs of all shadowed surface nodes, in surface order. */
  shadowedSeqs: number[]
  /** Estimated token count of the shadowed content. */
  shadowedTokenCount: number
}
```

## The service

Automatic callers state why policy is running; implementations may treat confirmed overflow more aggressively than ordinary pressure.

```ts type-equiv
/** Why automatic policy is asking a backend to consider compaction. */
type CompactionTrigger = 'pressure' | 'context-overflow'
```

`CompactService` exposes `compactIfNeeded(agent, trigger, signal)` for automatic `pressure` or `context-overflow` policy, `compactNow(agent, signal)` for one useful idle-session reduction even below pressure, and `compactRegion(...)` for an explicit inclusive surface range. `compactNow()` runs as agent maintenance between turns, returns `null` without writing when no useful range exists, records a standalone `turn: null` bracket before summarization, and flushes a closed attempt before later queued prompts may derive from the new surface. Every backend marks its replacement `user/message` with `COMPACT_CHECKPOINT_SOURCE`; client and wire consumers import that value and `isCompactCheckpointSource()` from the cordis-free `@deepseek-ai/dsh-compact/checkpoint` subpath, while the package root re-exports both for host consumers. The predicate keeps checkpoint recognition independent of any one backend. Implementations must forward the supplied signal to summarization. The seam owns no pricing API: the singleton [`ctx.tokenMeter`](token-meter.md) directly owns estimation and replay, while `dsh-compact-basic` owns retention, event sequencing, routed summarization calls, and their configuration.

Expected manual failures use `ManualCompactionErrorCode`:

```ts type-equiv
/** Expected failure classes for an explicit idle-session compaction request. */
type ManualCompactionErrorCode =
  | 'busy'
  | 'cancelled'
  | 'changed'
  | 'summary'
  | 'commit'
  | 'persistence'
```

`changed` and `summary` leave the conversation surface unchanged but still close and persist the failed attempt in the log. `commit` may follow partial mutation; `persistence` means the in-memory bracket closed but its flush failed. Cancellation remains separate and throws the exact abort reason after required cleanup.

Pressure compaction runs at serial `agent/pre-step` before request derivation. Once pressure or canonical overflow qualifies, compact-basic invokes optional [`ctx.toolResultPrune`](../../packages/compact/compact-tool-result-prune/README.md) before range selection, remeasures through `ctx.tokenMeter`, and can advance the surface without a summary. Failed-request recovery runs through `agent/request-error` after the failed step closes and returns a retry action only when the surface replacement generation advances, even if later summary work throws after pruning; cancellation still wins. Region boundaries preserve tool-call/result pairing but not whole turns, allowing early closed steps of one oversized turn to compact. `dsh-compact-basic` owns thresholds, retained-tail policy, overflow caps, and failure handling.

The Service Definition exports `toolPairingBalancedBefore(session, seq)` and `toolPairingBalancedAfter(session, seq)` for those edge checks. Both validate current surface membership and reject missing seqs and orphan results; the [package contract](../../packages/compact/compact/README.md#tool-pairing-boundaries) owns their cache semantics.

## Tool-result pruning outcomes

The optional tool-result pruning service reports each durable content replacement and the aggregate Unicode-code-point reduction. Its public result types live in [`compact-tool-result-prune/src/types.ts`](../../packages/compact/compact-tool-result-prune/src/types.ts).

```ts type-equiv
/** Cited source event and size accounting for one landed surface replacement. */
interface PrunedEntry {
  /** Full-fidelity tool-result event shadowed by the replacement. */
  readonly originalSeq: number
  /** Newly appended pruned tool-result event. */
  readonly replacementSeq: number
  /** Tool call shared by the original and replacement. */
  readonly callId: CallId
  /** Original text size in Unicode code points. */
  readonly charsBefore: number
  /** Replacement text size in Unicode code points. */
  readonly charsAfter: number
}
```

```ts type-equiv
/** Aggregate outcome of one stable-surface pruning pass. */
interface PruneResult {
  /** Replacements in the snapshotted surface order. */
  readonly pruned: readonly PrunedEntry[]
  /** Total Unicode code points removed across replacements. */
  readonly charsRemoved: number
}
```

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## Cordis surface

Generated from source by `scripts/gen-cordis-catalog.ts` (verified fresh by `pnpm run verify-cordis-catalog` in doc-sync; regenerate with `pnpm run gen-cordis-catalog`) — this section is byte-identical in both language sides of the page. Signature blocks use a `ts cordis-catalog` fence and keep the original source JSDoc; dispatch modes are defined in the [primer](../cordis-primer.md#dispatch-modes), and the framework-inherited `ctx` surface lives in [cordis-api/inherited.md](../cordis-api/inherited.md).

<a id="ctxcompact--compactservice-abstract-seam"></a>

### `ctx.compact` — `CompactService` (abstract seam)

Abstract compaction service. Implementations own trigger policy, retention, and summarization, and may consume a separate measurement service. A successful run replaces the selected surface span with one summary node and prevents concurrent compaction of the same session. The replacement user message uses COMPACT_CHECKPOINT_SOURCE so consumers recognize it independently of the backend. Load one implementation per context as `ctx.compact`.

```ts cordis-catalog
/**
 * Consider automatic compaction for one explicit trigger. Pressure policy
 * uses the latest durable routed request, while context-overflow policy may
 * force a useful balanced reduction even below the normal threshold. Return
 * `null` when no safe range can be compacted. A single oversized retained
 * unit or request envelope cannot be repaired through surface compaction.
 *
 * @param agent - agent context owning the session surface and routing options.
 * @param trigger - normal pressure or provider-confirmed context overflow.
 * @param signal - cancellation signal; model-backed implementations must forward it.
 * @returns the compaction result, or `null` if no compaction was needed.
 */
abstract compactIfNeeded( agent: CompactAgentContext, trigger: CompactionTrigger, signal: AbortSignal, ): Promise<CompactionResult | null>

/**
 * Explicitly compact useful history even below automatic pressure thresholds.
 * Implementations synchronously start an idle task before any asynchronous
 * work, select a useful range without writing on a no-op, then
 * append a standalone `compact/start` before summarization. That durable
 * marker is the compaction lock until one `compact/end` attempt. Later waking
 * prompts remain accepted in FIFO order and start only after the optional
 * durability checkpoint and idle-task settlement. Context injected while the
 * summary runs may sit between the marker pair; only the selected span must
 * remain stable.
 *
 * @param agent - idle agent whose durable history should be compacted.
 * @param signal - cancellation scoped to this compaction request.
 * @param sourceCommandId - initiating command identity for a manual compaction.
 * @returns the compaction result, or `null` when no safe useful range exists.
 * @throws {@link ManualCompactionError} for expected busy, agent-cancellation,
 * changed-span, summarization/shrink, commit-stage, or persistence failures;
 * an aborted request preserves its exact abort reason. Failed attempts remain
 * visible in the log.
 */
abstract compactNow( agent: ManualCompactAgentContext, signal: AbortSignal, sourceCommandId?: CommandId, ): Promise<CompactionResult | null>

/**
 * Forcibly compact a range of surface nodes into a single summary node.
 * `start` and `end` name an inclusive span by surface position, not numeric seq
 * order; replacements can make visible seqs non-monotonic. Both edges must be
 * balanced so assistant tool calls remain paired with their results. A model-
 * backed implementation forwards cancellation and rejects active, missing,
 * reversed, or unbalanced ranges. The target session is `agent.session`.
 * Its replacement user message must use {@link COMPACT_CHECKPOINT_SOURCE}.
 * Use {@link toolPairingBalancedBefore} and {@link toolPairingBalancedAfter}
 * for the edge checks.
 *
 * @param start - first surface seq, inclusive.
 * @param end - last surface seq, inclusive.
 * @param agent - context whose session is mutated and whose routing options guide summarization.
 * @param signal - optional cancellation; model-backed implementations must forward it.
 * @throws when compaction is active or the range is missing, reversed, or unbalanced.
 * @returns the appended event seqs, summary, replaced range, and token accounting.
 */
abstract compactRegion( start: number, end: number, agent: CompactAgentContext, signal?: AbortSignal, ): Promise<CompactionResult>
```

Types: [CommandId](commands.md)

Source: [`packages/compact/compact/src/index.ts:96`](../../packages/compact/compact/src/index.ts)

<a id="ctxtoolresultprune--toolresultpruneservice"></a>

### `ctx.toolResultPrune` — `ToolResultPruneService`

Deterministic head/middle/tail pruning for current tool-result surface nodes.

```ts cordis-catalog
/**
 * Measure text content in Unicode code points; non-text blocks cost zero.
 * @param blocks - tool-result content to measure.
 * @returns total Unicode code points across text blocks.
 */
measureContent(blocks: readonly ContentBlock[]): number

/**
 * Replace an over-budget text middle while retaining rich-block order.
 * Text slicing is by Unicode code point, not UTF-16 code unit, so a retained
 * boundary cannot split a surrogate pair. Grapheme clusters may still split.
 * @param blocks - original tool-result content.
 * @returns pruned content, or `null` when the text is within budget.
 */
pruneContent(blocks: readonly ContentBlock[]): ContentBlock[] | null

/**
 * Prune every over-budget tool result from one stable current-surface snapshot.
 * Each replacement preserves the complete event data except for `content`,
 * cites the shadowed node so replay can recover the replacement input, and is
 * immediately preceded by a `compact/prune` shadow-price event pricing the
 * shadowed node through the injected token meter, so pure consumers can
 * subtract it without per-node state.
 * @param session - session whose current surface is rewritten.
 * @returns landed replacements and aggregate Unicode-code-point savings.
 * @throws when the session rejects a replacement; replacements committed
 * earlier in the pass remain durable.
 */
pruneSession(session: Session): PruneResult
```

Types: [ContentBlock](llm-streaming.md) · [Session](session.md)

Source: [`packages/compact/compact-tool-result-prune/src/index.ts:44`](../../packages/compact/compact-tool-result-prune/src/index.ts)
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