Symlink identification design

Boundaries and evidence

Workspace entry metadata is authoritative. The existing platform Git status design owns observation, budgets and mixed-layer delivery; this addition preserves those contracts. streams.FileTreeNode.IsSymlink already describes file-tree entries. FileContentResponse.resolved_path is populated for readable direct symlinks, and buildFileEditorState stores it as FileEditorState.resolvedPath. Changes ChangedFile and editor chrome consume this identity for their indicators. The existing workspace symlink ADR concerns storage maintenance, not editor access; it is not expanded here.

Metadata delivery

Add optional is_symlink metadata to streams.FileInfo and FileChangeFacet, and mirror it in the frontend backend/state types. Use a nullable boolean in Go when unknown must be distinguished from false. Populate each layer from its destination mode, using its source mode only for an actual deletion. Index mode identifies staged entries; working-tree modes identify unstaged entries and Lstat identifies untracked entries; HEAD identifies staged deletions and index mode identifies unstaged deletions. Git symlinks have mode 120000. Mixed-layer facets own independent values; their flattened compatibility value matches the flattened status layer. Renames use the applicable old/new paths.

Use at most two batched git diff --raw -z --no-renames --no-ext-diff reads (one with --cached) through the existing tracker Git execution boundary and its timeout/admission controls. workspace_git_symlink.go parses source and destination modes without relying on filename quoting or patch parsing. Never start one subprocess per file. Do not rely on diff body availability: binary, truncated and budget-skipped rows still need metadata. Avoid following target contents for classification; retain existing workspace path checks and cancellation. Handle type-change porcelain status where needed without changing existing stage/discard semantics. On metadata read failure, leave classification unknown while preserving ordinary status availability.

Carry metadata through Git-status serialization, store equality/comparators, layer expansion and mapToChangedFiles into ChangedFile.isSymlink. Include the value in change signatures where equality suppresses UI updates. Never borrow metadata from a different repository, session, or historical view.

Editor and presentation

For successfully loaded files, derive link identity from the existing nonempty resolvedPath. Pass it through FileEditorContentProps, both editor providers, viewer/preview header variants, and the mobile viewer header. Keep identity in file state rather than performing component-level requests. Refresh/reload paths must update or clear resolved metadata, including when content is unchanged. Retain current dirty-buffer conflict handling and request-generation guards.

A small shared noninteractive indicator renders a link glyph with a translated accessible Symlink name. Changes shows the glyph adjacent to the filename, outside the hover-swapped stage/action slot. The editor shows glyph plus the visible translated label. It never takes focus or adds a click action. The Files tree consumes existing FileTreeNode.is_symlink and replaces its file/folder icon with the shared link glyph. Directory expand/collapse controls remain unchanged. Search results without entry metadata retain their usual icon. Keep it shrink-0 while the path truncates. Use existing tokens and icon library. Translate new copy in all five locales with the established Traditional Chinese generator; do not expose the target path as part of this feature.

Mobile parity

Use mobile-changes-panel.tsx and mobile-file-viewer-panel.tsx as the shipped exemplars. The indicator is inline content in their existing surfaces. Preserve navigation, scroll ownership, safe areas, and touch action sizing. Link identity must survive row action visibility and long-path truncation on phones. There is no new tooltip-only disclosure, drawer, or preference.

Persistence and failure

No migration, new polling, or metrics. Metadata is part of the existing accepted snapshot/read. Unknown metadata renders no indicator. Broken links can be marked in Changes while retaining the existing editor error. Classification grants no new filesystem access and does not resolve or read external target contents.

Requirement mapping

Criteria	Design	Evidence
001.1, 001.3	Metadata delivery	Real Git fixtures, JSON round-trip, skipped diffs
001.2	Editor and presentation	Both providers, direct target, repository isolation
001.4	Presentation and mobile parity	Refresh tests, desktop/mobile rendered checks

All criterion suffixes refer to AC-WORKSPACES-SYMLINK-001.

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