feat: scroll-to-top loads older messages

Both ChatArea and DMChat now detect when you scroll near the top
and fetch the next 50 older messages. Scroll position is preserved
so you don't lose your place. Works for both server channels and
DM conversations.

web/src/components/ChatArea.tsx

@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-import { useEffect, useRef, useState, useMemo } from "react";
+import { useEffect, useRef, useState, useMemo, useCallback } from "react";
 import { useMessageStore } from "../stores/message.ts";
 import { useChannelStore } from "../stores/channel.ts";
 import { useServerStore } from "../stores/server.ts";
@@ -115,7 +115,9 @@ export function ChatArea() {
     activeChannelId ? s.messagesByChannel[activeChannelId] || [] : [],
   );
   const isLoading = useMessageStore((s) => s.isLoading);
+  const isLoadingOlder = useMessageStore((s) => s.isLoadingOlder);
   const fetchMessages = useMessageStore((s) => s.fetchMessages);
+  const fetchOlderMessages = useMessageStore((s) => s.fetchOlderMessages);
   const sendMessage = useMessageStore((s) => s.sendMessage);
   const membersByServer = useMemberStore((s) => s.membersByServer);
   const threads = useThreadStore((s) => activeChannelId ? s.threadsByParent[activeChannelId] || [] : []);
@@ -130,6 +132,7 @@ export function ChatArea() {
   const [activeThread, setActiveThread] = useState<{ id: string; name: string } | null>(null);
   const [profileUserId, setProfileUserId] = useState<string | null>(null);
   const bottomRef = useRef<HTMLDivElement>(null);
+  const scrollContainerRef = useRef<HTMLDivElement>(null);
   const inputRef = useRef<HTMLInputElement>(null);
 
   const toggleSelectedMessage = useMessageStore((s) => s.toggleSelectedMessage);
@@ -161,6 +164,20 @@ export function ChatArea() {
     }
   }, [activeChannelId, messages.length, isLoading]);
 
+  const handleScroll = useCallback(() => {
+    const el = scrollContainerRef.current;
+    if (!el || !activeChannelId || isLoadingOlder) return;
+    if (el.scrollTop < 100) {
+      const prevHeight = el.scrollHeight;
+      fetchOlderMessages(activeChannelId).then(() => {
+        // ponytail: maintain scroll position after prepending older messages
+        requestAnimationFrame(() => {
+          el.scrollTop = el.scrollHeight - prevHeight;
+        });
+      });
+    }
+  }, [activeChannelId, isLoadingOlder, fetchOlderMessages]);
+
   useEffect(() => {
     bottomRef.current?.scrollIntoView({ behavior: "auto" });
   }, [messages]);
@@ -352,7 +369,8 @@ export function ChatArea() {
         ) : (
           <>
             <div className="flex-1 flex flex-col min-w-0">
-              <div className="flex-1 overflow-y-auto p-3 space-y-1 font-mono text-sm">
+              <div ref={scrollContainerRef} onScroll={handleScroll} className="flex-1 overflow-y-auto p-3 space-y-1 font-mono text-sm">
+                {isLoadingOlder && <p className="text-center text-gb-fg-f text-xs">[loading older messages...]</p>}
                 {isLoading && <p className="text-gb-fg-f">[loading...]</p>}
                 {!isLoading && messages.length === 0 && (
                   <p className="text-gb-fg-f">[no messages in this channel]</p>

web/src/components/DMChat.tsx

@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-import { useEffect, useRef, useState } from "react";
+import { useEffect, useRef, useState, useCallback } from "react";
 import { useParams } from "react-router-dom";
 import { useConversationStore, type ConversationMessage } from "../stores/conversation.ts";
 import { useAuthStore } from "../stores/auth.ts";
@@ -36,15 +36,31 @@ export function DMChat() {
   const conversations = useConversationStore((s) => s.conversations);
   const messagesByConv = useConversationStore((s) => s.messagesByConversation);
   const fetchMessages = useConversationStore((s) => s.fetchMessages);
+  const fetchOlderMessages = useConversationStore((s) => s.fetchOlderMessages);
+  const isLoadingOlder = useConversationStore((s) => s.isLoadingOlder);
   const sendMessage = useConversationStore((s) => s.sendMessage);
   const fetchConversations = useConversationStore((s) => s.fetchConversations);
   const currentUser = useAuthStore((s) => s.user);
   const [input, setInput] = useState("");
   const [error, setError] = useState<string | null>(null);
   const bottomRef = useRef<HTMLDivElement>(null);
+  const scrollContainerRef = useRef<HTMLDivElement>(null);
 
   const id = conversationId || activeId;
   const conversation = conversations.find((c) => c.id === id);
+
+  const handleScroll = useCallback(() => {
+    const el = scrollContainerRef.current;
+    if (!el || !id || isLoadingOlder) return;
+    if (el.scrollTop < 100) {
+      const prevHeight = el.scrollHeight;
+      fetchOlderMessages(id).then(() => {
+        requestAnimationFrame(() => {
+          el.scrollTop = el.scrollHeight - prevHeight;
+        });
+      });
+    }
+  }, [id, isLoadingOlder, fetchOlderMessages]);
   const messages = id ? messagesByConv[id] || [] : [];
 
   useEffect(() => {
@@ -91,7 +107,8 @@ export function DMChat() {
       <div className="terminal-border border-t-0 border-x-0 px-3 py-2 text-gb-fg-s">
         @ {title}
       </div>
-      <div className="flex-1 overflow-y-auto p-3 space-y-1 font-mono text-sm">
+      <div ref={scrollContainerRef} onScroll={handleScroll} className="flex-1 overflow-y-auto p-3 space-y-1 font-mono text-sm">
+        {isLoadingOlder && <p className="text-center text-gb-fg-f text-xs">[loading older messages...]</p>}
         {!id && <p className="text-gb-fg-f">[select a conversation]</p>}
         {id && messages.length === 0 && <p className="text-gb-fg-f">[no messages]</p>}
         {messages.map((msg: ConversationMessage) => (

web/src/stores/conversation.ts

@@ -32,20 +32,25 @@ interface ConversationState {
   activeConversationId: string | null;
   messagesByConversation: Record<string, ConversationMessage[]>;
   isLoading: boolean;
+  isLoadingOlder: boolean;
+  hasMoreByConversation: Record<string, boolean>;
   error: string | null;
   fetchConversations: () => Promise<void>;
   createConversation: (userIds: string[]) => Promise<Conversation>;
   setActiveConversation: (id: string | null) => void;
   fetchMessages: (conversationId: string, before?: string) => Promise<void>;
+  fetchOlderMessages: (conversationId: string) => Promise<void>;
   sendMessage: (conversationId: string, content: string) => Promise<ConversationMessage>;
   addMessage: (message: ConversationMessage) => void;
 }
 
-export const useConversationStore = create<ConversationState>((set, _get) => ({
+export const useConversationStore = create<ConversationState>((set, get) => ({
   conversations: [],
   activeConversationId: null,
   messagesByConversation: {},
   isLoading: false,
+  isLoadingOlder: false,
+  hasMoreByConversation: {},
   error: null,
 
   fetchConversations: async () => {
@@ -77,10 +82,15 @@ export const useConversationStore = create<ConversationState>((set, _get) => ({
       const messages = await api.get<ConversationMessage[]>(
         `/conversations/${conversationId}/messages${params}`,
       );
+      const list = Array.isArray(messages) ? messages : [];
       set((state) => ({
         messagesByConversation: {
           ...state.messagesByConversation,
-          [conversationId]: Array.isArray(messages) ? messages : [],
+          [conversationId]: list,
+        },
+        hasMoreByConversation: {
+          ...state.hasMoreByConversation,
+          [conversationId]: list.length >= 50,
         },
         isLoading: false,
       }));
@@ -89,6 +99,34 @@ export const useConversationStore = create<ConversationState>((set, _get) => ({
     }
   },
 
+  fetchOlderMessages: async (conversationId) => {
+    const state = get();
+    if (state.isLoadingOlder || state.hasMoreByConversation[conversationId] === false) return;
+    const existing = state.messagesByConversation[conversationId] || [];
+    if (existing.length === 0) return;
+    const oldestId = existing[0].id;
+    set({ isLoadingOlder: true });
+    try {
+      const older = await api.get<ConversationMessage[]>(
+        `/conversations/${conversationId}/messages?before=${encodeURIComponent(oldestId)}`,
+      );
+      const list = Array.isArray(older) ? older : [];
+      set((state) => ({
+        messagesByConversation: {
+          ...state.messagesByConversation,
+          [conversationId]: [...list, ...existing],
+        },
+        hasMoreByConversation: {
+          ...state.hasMoreByConversation,
+          [conversationId]: list.length >= 50,
+        },
+        isLoadingOlder: false,
+      }));
+    } catch {
+      set({ isLoadingOlder: false });
+    }
+  },
+
   sendMessage: async (conversationId, content) => {
     const message = await api.post<ConversationMessage>(
       `/conversations/${conversationId}/messages`,

web/src/stores/message.ts

@@ -32,8 +32,11 @@ export interface MessageState {
   searchResultsByChannel: Record<string, SearchResultMessage[]>;
   selectedMessageIds: Record<string, Set<string>>; // ponytail: per-channel bulk selection
   isLoading: boolean;
+  isLoadingOlder: boolean;
+  hasMoreByChannel: Record<string, boolean>;
   error: string | null;
   fetchMessages: (channelId: string, before?: string) => Promise<void>;
+  fetchOlderMessages: (channelId: string) => Promise<void>;
   sendMessage: (channelId: string, content: string, replyTo?: string) => Promise<Message>;
   searchMessages: (channelId: string, query: string) => Promise<SearchResultMessage[]>;
   addMessage: (message: Message) => void;
@@ -44,11 +47,13 @@ export interface MessageState {
   clearSelectedMessages: (channelId: string) => void;
 }
 
-export const useMessageStore = create<MessageState>((set) => ({
+export const useMessageStore = create<MessageState>((set, get) => ({
   messagesByChannel: {},
   searchResultsByChannel: {},
   selectedMessageIds: {},
   isLoading: false,
+  isLoadingOlder: false,
+  hasMoreByChannel: {},
   error: null,
 
   fetchMessages: async (channelId, before) => {
@@ -58,10 +63,15 @@ export const useMessageStore = create<MessageState>((set) => ({
       const messages = await api.get<Message[]>(
         `/channels/${channelId}/messages${params}`,
       );
+      const list = Array.isArray(messages) ? messages : [];
       set((state) => ({
         messagesByChannel: {
           ...state.messagesByChannel,
-          [channelId]: Array.isArray(messages) ? messages : [],
+          [channelId]: list,
+        },
+        hasMoreByChannel: {
+          ...state.hasMoreByChannel,
+          [channelId]: list.length >= 50,
         },
         isLoading: false,
       }));
@@ -76,6 +86,34 @@ export const useMessageStore = create<MessageState>((set) => ({
     }
   },
 
+  fetchOlderMessages: async (channelId) => {
+    const state = get();
+    if (state.isLoadingOlder || state.hasMoreByChannel[channelId] === false) return;
+    const existing = state.messagesByChannel[channelId] || [];
+    if (existing.length === 0) return;
+    const oldestId = existing[0].id;
+    set({ isLoadingOlder: true });
+    try {
+      const older = await api.get<Message[]>(
+        `/channels/${channelId}/messages?before=${encodeURIComponent(oldestId)}`,
+      );
+      const list = Array.isArray(older) ? older : [];
+      set((state) => ({
+        messagesByChannel: {
+          ...state.messagesByChannel,
+          [channelId]: [...list, ...existing],
+        },
+        hasMoreByChannel: {
+          ...state.hasMoreByChannel,
+          [channelId]: list.length >= 50,
+        },
+        isLoadingOlder: false,
+      }));
+    } catch {
+      set({ isLoadingOlder: false });
+    }
+  },
+
   searchMessages: async (channelId, query) => {
     const results = await api.get<SearchResultMessage[]>(
       `/channels/${channelId}/messages/search?q=${encodeURIComponent(query)}`,