fix(output): print tab and line-break titles on one line in listings

cmd/things/errors_test.go

@@ -146,6 +146,31 @@ func TestResolveTaskAmbiguousPlainTextUnchanged(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 }
 
+// A candidate whose title holds a line break is listed on one line, so it
+// cannot read as two candidates.
+func TestResolveTaskAmbiguousTitleOnOneLine(t *testing.T) {
+	stubTTY(t, false)
+	sqlDB := dbtest.NewSQL(t)
+	if _, err := sqlDB.Exec(
+		`INSERT INTO TMTask (uuid, title, type, status, trashed) VALUES
+			('nl-1', 'Pack' || char(10) || 'bags', 0, 0, 0),
+			('nl-2', 'Pack' || char(9) || 'boxes', 0, 0, 0)`,
+	); err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("seed tasks: %v", err)
+	}
+
+	_, err := resolveTask(&Deps{}, "Pack", db.NewFromSQL(sqlDB))
+	if err == nil {
+		t.Fatal("expected an ambiguity error")
+	}
+	msg := err.Error()
+	for _, want := range []string{"  1. Pack bags  [task]  (nl-1)\n", "  2. Pack boxes  [task]  (nl-2)\n"} {
+		if !strings.Contains(msg, want) {
+			t.Errorf("message missing %q:\n%s", want, msg)
+		}
+	}
+}
+
 func decodePayload(t *testing.T, err error) (jsonErrorPayload, string) {
 	t.Helper()
 	var stdout, stderr bytes.Buffer

cmd/things/lookup.go

@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@ import (
 	"github.com/ryanlewis/things-cli/internal/cache"
 	"github.com/ryanlewis/things-cli/internal/db"
 	"github.com/ryanlewis/things-cli/internal/model"
+	"github.com/ryanlewis/things-cli/internal/output"
 )
 
 func resolveTask(d *Deps, ref string, database *db.DB) (*model.Task, error) {
@@ -54,7 +55,7 @@ func resolveTask(d *Deps, ref string, database *db.DB) (*model.Task, error) {
 		var b strings.Builder
 		fmt.Fprintf(&b, "ambiguous task %q — matches %d tasks:\n", ambig.Query, len(ambig.Matches))
 		for i, m := range ambig.Matches {
-			fmt.Fprintf(&b, "  %d. %s  [%s]  (%s)\n", i+1, m.Title, m.Type, m.UUID)
+			fmt.Fprintf(&b, "  %d. %s  [%s]  (%s)\n", i+1, output.OneLine(m.Title), m.Type, m.UUID)
 		}
 		fmt.Fprint(&b, "Re-run with a UUID or more specific string.")
 		// Wrap rather than replace: the plain-text reader gets the rendered
@@ -68,9 +69,9 @@ func resolveTask(d *Deps, ref string, database *db.DB) (*model.Task, error) {
 	for i, m := range ambig.Matches {
 		project := ""
 		if m.ProjectTitle != "" {
-			project = "  (" + m.ProjectTitle + ")"
+			project = "  (" + output.OneLine(m.ProjectTitle) + ")"
 		}
-		fmt.Fprintf(os.Stderr, "  %d. %s  [%s]%s\n", i+1, m.Title, m.Type, project)
+		fmt.Fprintf(os.Stderr, "  %d. %s  [%s]%s\n", i+1, output.OneLine(m.Title), m.Type, project)
 	}
 	fmt.Fprintf(os.Stderr, "Pick [1-%d]: ", len(ambig.Matches))
 

docs/content/agents.md

@@ -354,8 +354,14 @@ an open task, and a template never completes. `things list -p <project>`
 hides that template, so it can report no open tasks for a project whose
 `openCount` is 1.
 
-Colour and column alignment are for terminals; they switch off when the
-output is piped or under `NO_COLOR`, and `--json` is never styled.
+Colour is for terminals; it switches off when the output is piped or
+under `NO_COLOR`, and `--json` is never styled. Piped output keeps its
+columns aligned but never cuts or shortens a title, tag or date. When any
+task row is wider than 120 columns, though, every row loses its
+checklist progress, then its extra start date, then its tags, then its
+date, until the rows fit. A plain listing prints each task on one line,
+with a line break or tab in a title, tag, project or area shown as a
+space. Use `--json` for every field, exactly as written.
 
 ## What can and cannot go wrong
 

docs/content/commands.md

@@ -179,8 +179,15 @@ when it is not this one). Only if that still does not fit do the tags go,
 and then the date. Then the title is cut further, down to 10. A project
 keeps its `(project)` marker; the cut comes out of the title before it.
 Group headers are cut to fit too. Titles and headers are cut, and tags
-and dates shortened, only on a terminal: piped output and `--json` keep
-them whole.
+and dates shortened, only on a terminal. Piped output never cuts or
+shortens anything, but when any row is wider than 120 columns, whole
+columns still go from every row, in the same order: the checklist
+progress, the extra start date, the tags, then the date. `--json`
+carries every field in full.
+
+A list prints each task on one line: a line break or a tab in a title,
+tag, project, area or group header shows as a space. `things show` keeps
+a title's own line breaks, and `--json` carries it exactly as written.
 
 `things projects`, `things areas`, and `things tags` list the
 collections themselves. `things projects` accepts `--area` and

internal/output/golden_test.go

@@ -485,12 +485,10 @@ func goldenCases(t *testing.T) []goldenCase {
 		cases = append(cases, goldenCase{name: p.name + "@piped", piped: true, write: p.write})
 	}
 
-	// KNOWN BUG, pinned as it renders today: a title holding a tab or a
-	// newline breaks its row. A tab measures as no columns but pads out to
-	// four, so the padded title wraps onto a second line; a newline splits
-	// the row in two. These cases are here so the fix shows up as a diff in
-	// this file, not to say the output is right.
-	broken := []model.Task{
+	// A title holding a tab or a line break prints on one line in a listing,
+	// each tab or break as a space, on a terminal and piped alike. These
+	// rows used to split in two.
+	controlChars := []model.Task{
 		{
 			UUID: "kb1", Title: "Pack\tthe bags", Type: model.TypeTask, Status: model.StatusOpen,
 			Tags: []string{"travel"}, Deadline: thingsDate(t, "2026-09-12"),
@@ -501,18 +499,80 @@ func goldenCases(t *testing.T) []goldenCase {
 		},
 		{UUID: "kb3", Title: "Plain title", Type: model.TypeTask, Status: model.StatusOpen},
 	}
+	// The same for a carriage return, a dim title styled a character at a
+	// time, a tag, and a group header.
+	moreControlChars := []model.Task{
+		{
+			UUID: "cc1", Title: "Windows\r\nline end and a lone\rreturn", Type: model.TypeTask,
+			Status: model.StatusOpen, AreaUUID: "ca1", AreaTitle: "Home\nand garden",
+			Tags: []string{"tab\ttag"},
+		},
+		{
+			UUID: "cc2", Title: "Done\nacross two lines", Type: model.TypeTask, Status: model.StatusCompleted,
+			AreaUUID: "ca1", AreaTitle: "Home\nand garden", Deadline: thingsDate(t, "2026-09-12"),
+		},
+	}
+	controlProjects := []model.Project{
+		{UUID: "cp1", Title: "Two\nlines", TaskCount: 2, OpenCount: 1, AreaTitle: "Area\twith tab", Tags: []string{"a\nb"}},
+		{UUID: "cp2", Title: "Plain", TaskCount: 1, OpenCount: 1},
+	}
+	controlAreas := []model.Area{{UUID: "ca1", Title: "Home\nand garden", Visible: true}}
+	controlTags := []model.Tag{{UUID: "ct1", Title: "tab\ttag", Shortcut: "t"}}
 	cases = append(cases,
 		goldenCase{
-			name:  "print/tasks-KNOWN-BUG-tab-newline-titles@80",
+			name:  "print/tasks-tab-newline-titles@80",
 			width: 80,
-			write: func(w io.Writer) error { return Print(w, broken, false) },
+			write: func(w io.Writer) error { return Print(w, controlChars, false) },
+		},
+		goldenCase{
+			name:  "print/tasks-tab-newline-titles@piped",
+			piped: true,
+			write: func(w io.Writer) error { return Print(w, controlChars, false) },
 		},
 		goldenCase{
-			name:  "print/tasks-KNOWN-BUG-tab-newline-titles@piped",
+			name:  "print/tasks-more-control-chars@40",
+			width: 40,
+			write: func(w io.Writer) error { return Print(w, moreControlChars, false) },
+		},
+		goldenCase{
+			name:  "print/tasks-more-control-chars@piped",
 			piped: true,
-			write: func(w io.Writer) error { return Print(w, broken, false) },
+			write: func(w io.Writer) error { return Print(w, moreControlChars, false) },
+		},
+		goldenCase{
+			name:  "print/collections-control-chars@piped",
+			piped: true,
+			write: func(w io.Writer) error {
+				for _, v := range []any{controlProjects, controlAreas, controlTags} {
+					if err := Print(w, v, false); err != nil {
+						return err
+					}
+				}
+				return nil
+			},
 		},
 	)
+
+	// Wide-rune titles cut on rows of their own, each with a date: the cut
+	// can stop a column short, since half a wide rune cannot print, and the
+	// column's padding takes up the spare cell, so the dates line up.
+	wideDated := []model.Task{
+		{
+			UUID: "wd1", Title: "日本語のタイトルはとても長いので切り詰められます", Type: model.TypeTask,
+			Status: model.StatusOpen, Deadline: thingsDate(t, "2026-09-12"),
+		},
+		{
+			UUID: "wd2", Title: "Aこちらも長い日本語のタイトルで切り詰められます", Type: model.TypeTask,
+			Status: model.StatusOpen, Deadline: thingsDate(t, "2026-09-14"),
+		},
+	}
+	for _, width := range []int{60, 40} {
+		cases = append(cases, goldenCase{
+			name:  fmt.Sprintf("print/tasks-wide-runes-dated@%d", width),
+			width: width,
+			write: func(w io.Writer) error { return Print(w, wideDated, false) },
+		})
+	}
 	return cases
 }
 

internal/output/output.go

@@ -143,7 +143,7 @@ func printTasks(w io.Writer, tasks []model.Task, lay layout) error {
 // stale in a saved file and defeats grep, so piped output keeps the full date
 // or none.
 func taskCells(n int, t *model.Task, tty bool) []cell {
-	title := t.Title
+	title := oneLine(t.Title)
 	if t.Status == model.StatusCompleted || t.Status == model.StatusCancelled {
 		title = titleDimStyle.Render(title)
 	}
@@ -211,9 +211,9 @@ func groupHeaders(tasks []model.Task) []header {
 	prevUUID := ""
 	for i := range tasks {
 		t := &tasks[i]
-		key, title, isProject := t.AreaUUID, t.AreaTitle, false
+		key, title, isProject := t.AreaUUID, oneLine(t.AreaTitle), false
 		if t.ProjectUUID != "" {
-			key, title, isProject = t.ProjectUUID, t.ProjectTitle, true
+			key, title, isProject = t.ProjectUUID, oneLine(t.ProjectTitle), true
 		}
 		current, other := &currentArea, &currentProject
 		if isProject {
@@ -241,6 +241,30 @@ func groupHeaders(tasks []model.Task) []header {
 	return headers
 }
 
+// oneLine puts text from the database on one line, for a listing row or a
+// group header: each line break (\r\n, \r, \n, a vertical tab, a form feed,
+// or Unicode's NEL, line and paragraph separators) and each tab becomes a
+// space. Left in, a line break splits the row (lipgloss splits on NEL as it
+// does on \n, and a terminal moves down a line on a vertical tab or form
+// feed), and a tab, which measures as no columns but prints as several,
+// throws the padding out and wraps it. A space keeps the words apart and the
+// text greppable as one line per row; the detail block and --json still carry
+// the text as written.
+func oneLine(s string) string {
+	return oneLineReplacer.Replace(s)
+}
+
+// OneLine is oneLine for the command layer, for a list it prints itself:
+// the candidates of an ambiguous task reference.
+func OneLine(s string) string {
+	return oneLine(s)
+}
+
+var oneLineReplacer = strings.NewReplacer(
+	"\r\n", " ", "\r", " ", "\n", " ", "\t", " ", "\v", " ", "\f", " ",
+	"\u0085", " ", "\u2028", " ", "\u2029", " ",
+)
+
 // fitHeader cuts a group header short with an ellipsis so that it fits width
 // rather than wrapping. A width of zero keeps the header whole.
 func fitHeader(title string, width int) string {
@@ -484,8 +508,8 @@ func printProjects(w io.Writer, projects []model.Project, lay layout) error {
 	for _, p := range projects {
 		tbl.row(
 			styledProjectIcon(p),
-			p.Title,
-			areaStyle.Render(p.AreaTitle),
+			oneLine(p.Title),
+			areaStyle.Render(oneLine(p.AreaTitle)),
 			styledTags(p.Tags),
 		)
 	}
@@ -499,7 +523,7 @@ func printAreas(w io.Writer, areas []model.Area) error {
 		if !a.Visible {
 			vis = dimStyle.Render("(hidden)")
 		}
-		tbl.row(a.Title, vis)
+		tbl.row(oneLine(a.Title), vis)
 	}
 	return tbl.render(w)
 }
@@ -509,9 +533,9 @@ func printTags(w io.Writer, tags []model.Tag) error {
 	for _, t := range tags {
 		var shortcut string
 		if t.Shortcut != "" {
-			shortcut = dimStyle.Render("(" + t.Shortcut + ")")
+			shortcut = dimStyle.Render("(" + oneLine(t.Shortcut) + ")")
 		}
-		tbl.row(t.Title, shortcut)
+		tbl.row(oneLine(t.Title), shortcut)
 	}
 	return tbl.render(w)
 }

internal/output/output_test.go

@@ -710,3 +710,25 @@ func TestHang_UnwrappedKeepsTabs(t *testing.T) {
 		t.Errorf("hang:\ngot  %q\nwant %q", got, want)
 	}
 }
+
+func TestOneLine(t *testing.T) {
+	cases := map[string]string{
+		"Plain title":               "Plain title",
+		"Pack\tthe bags":            "Pack the bags",
+		"Windows\r\nend":            "Windows end",
+		"lone\rreturn":              "lone return",
+		"two\nlines":                "two lines",
+		"vertical\vtab":             "vertical tab",
+		"form\ffeed":                "form feed",
+		"next\u0085line":            "next line",
+		"line
separator":            "line separator",
+		"paragraph
separator":       "paragraph separator",
+		"日本語\nのタイトル":                "日本語 のタイトル",
+		"  keeps  its own  spaces ": "  keeps  its own  spaces ",
+	}
+	for in, want := range cases {
+		if got := oneLine(in); got != want {
+			t.Errorf("oneLine(%q) = %q, want %q", in, got, want)
+		}
+	}
+}

internal/output/style.go

@@ -189,7 +189,7 @@ func styledTags(tags []string) string {
 	if len(tags) == 0 {
 		return ""
 	}
-	return tagStyle.Render("[" + strings.Join(tags, ", ") + "]")
+	return tagStyle.Render("[" + oneLine(strings.Join(tags, ", ")) + "]")
 }
 
 // compactTagWidth caps the first tag in styledCompactTags: most tags are a
@@ -201,16 +201,17 @@ const compactTagWidth = 15
 // A single tag is only cut, "[waiting-on-pos…]", and one that already fits
 // compactTagWidth has no short form and gets "", as does no tag.
 func styledCompactTags(tags []string) string {
-	switch {
-	case len(tags) == 0:
+	if len(tags) == 0 {
 		return ""
-	case len(tags) == 1:
-		if lipgloss.Width(tags[0]) <= compactTagWidth {
+	}
+	first := oneLine(tags[0])
+	if len(tags) == 1 {
+		if lipgloss.Width(first) <= compactTagWidth {
 			return ""
 		}
-		return tagStyle.Render("[" + ansi.Truncate(tags[0], compactTagWidth, "…") + "]")
+		return tagStyle.Render("[" + ansi.Truncate(first, compactTagWidth, "…") + "]")
 	}
-	first := ansi.Truncate(tags[0], compactTagWidth, "…")
+	first = ansi.Truncate(first, compactTagWidth, "…")
 	return tagStyle.Render(fmt.Sprintf("[%s +%d]", first, len(tags)-1))
 }