From 7e807c106eb4fa13a6b6bcfc75a0c227cb5b27a4 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001
From: Ben Phillips <ben@ben-phillips.net>
Date: Mon, 29 Jun 2026 14:45:33 +0100
Subject: [PATCH] Flatten multi-line note content into single-line next actions

Note inbox items keep their full raw file content as the item's
original text. When processed without editing the action field, that
multi-line content was written verbatim as a next action, embedding
newlines and breaking the one-action-per-line invariant. The bug only
appeared alongside a (source) link because both originate from
note-type items.

Collapse each resolved next action to a single line at the point all
write paths read from, so the invariant holds everywhere.

Claude-Session: https://claude.ai/code/session_01L6PM2wwRPN7BDUDcB3N6kw
---
 src/inbox-item-persistence.ts        | 12 +++++++++++-
 tests/inbox-item-persistence.test.ts | 16 ++++++++++++++++
 2 files changed, 27 insertions(+), 1 deletion(-)

diff --git a/src/inbox-item-persistence.ts b/src/inbox-item-persistence.ts
index 44b2f87..bd65e47 100644
--- a/src/inbox-item-persistence.ts
+++ b/src/inbox-item-persistence.ts
@@ -21,6 +21,14 @@ const ACTIONS_REQUIRING_SPHERES: readonly string[] = [
   "someday-file",
 ];
 
+function flattenToSingleLine(text: string): string {
+  return text
+    .split(/\r?\n/)
+    .map((line) => line.trim())
+    .filter((line) => line.length > 0)
+    .join(" ");
+}
+
 export class InboxItemPersistenceService {
   constructor(
     private readonly writer: FileWriter,
@@ -59,7 +67,9 @@ export class InboxItemPersistenceService {
       finalNextActions = [item.original];
     }
 
-    return finalNextActions;
+    // Each next action must occupy a single line in the destination file, so
+    // collapse any multi-line content (e.g. a captured note used as the action).
+    return finalNextActions.map(flattenToSingleLine);
   }
 
   private validateFinalNextActions(item: EditableItem, finalNextActions: string[]): void {
diff --git a/tests/inbox-item-persistence.test.ts b/tests/inbox-item-persistence.test.ts
index bd4fe47..56a37fd 100644
--- a/tests/inbox-item-persistence.test.ts
+++ b/tests/inbox-item-persistence.test.ts
@@ -115,6 +115,22 @@ describe("InboxItemPersistenceService", () => {
     expect(writerMocks.addToNextActionsFile).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
   });
 
+  it("flattens multi-line note content into a single-line next action", async () => {
+    const item: EditableItem = {
+      original: "Call dentist\nabout the crown that fell out",
+      isAIProcessed: false,
+      selectedAction: "next-actions-file",
+      selectedSpheres: ["personal"],
+      sourceNoteLink: "[[Captured note|source]]",
+    };
+
+    await service.persist(item);
+
+    expect(writerMocks.addToNextActionsFile).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1);
+    const actionsArg = writerMocks.addToNextActionsFile.mock.calls[0][0];
+    expect(actionsArg).toEqual(["Call dentist about the crown that fell out"]);
+  });
+
   it("skips persistence work for trash items", async () => {
     const item: EditableItem = {
       original: "Duplicate",