feat: the composer is the free-form answer box (like the main chat input)

While a question pause is live, the main chat textarea composes the free-form
answer — placeholder swaps to 'Something else…' (or a folded model 'Other'
label), Enter with text submits the answer through answer-mode key handling
(composed BEFORE useTextarea's submitting-lock, so the lock can't swallow it),
and the Stop button swaps to Send (enabled despite isSubmitting) per the
select-then-confirm design. The popover slims to the question header, numbered
option rows, and Skip/Submit — its inline input is gone since the composer
owns free-form now. Dismissing the popover restores normal composer semantics
(Stop button, normal sends).

client/src/components/Chat/Input/AskUserQuestionPopover.tsx

@@ -14,19 +14,8 @@ import { cn } from '~/utils';
  */
 function AskUserQuestionPopoverContent({ conversationId }: { conversationId: string }) {
   const localize = useLocalize();
-  const {
-    liveAsk,
-    active,
-    options,
-    selected,
-    setSelected,
-    otherText,
-    setOtherText,
-    canSubmit,
-    submit,
-    dismiss,
-    otherLabel,
-  } = useAskAnswerMode(conversationId);
+  const { liveAsk, active, options, selected, setSelected, canSubmit, submit, dismiss } =
+    useAskAnswerMode(conversationId);
 
   if (!active || !liveAsk) {
     return null;
@@ -71,42 +60,6 @@ function AskUserQuestionPopoverContent({ conversationId }: { conversationId: str
             <span className="flex-1">{option.label}</span>
           </button>
         ))}
-        <div
-          className={cn(
-            'flex w-full items-center gap-3 rounded-lg p-2 text-sm',
-            selected === 'other' ? 'bg-surface-active' : 'hover:bg-surface-hover',
-          )}
-        >
-          {options.length > 0 && (
-            <span className="flex h-5 w-5 items-center justify-center rounded bg-surface-tertiary text-xs text-text-secondary">
-              {options.length + 1}
-            </span>
-          )}
-          <input
-            value={otherText}
-            onChange={(e) => {
-              setOtherText(e.target.value);
-              setSelected('other');
-            }}
-            onFocus={() => setSelected('other')}
-            onKeyDown={(e) => {
-              if (e.key === 'Enter' && canSubmit) {
-                e.preventDefault();
-                submit();
-              } else if (e.key === 'Escape') {
-                dismiss();
-              }
-            }}
-            placeholder={
-              otherLabel ??
-              (options.length > 0
-                ? localize('com_ui_something_else')
-                : localize('com_ui_your_answer'))
-            }
-            className="flex-1 border-0 bg-transparent text-sm text-text-primary placeholder:text-text-secondary focus:outline-none"
-            aria-label={localize('com_ui_your_answer')}
-          />
-        </div>
         <div className="flex items-center justify-end gap-2 p-2">
           <Button size="sm" variant="outline" onClick={dismiss}>
             {localize('com_ui_skip')}

client/src/components/Chat/Input/ChatForm.tsx

@@ -191,7 +191,10 @@ const ChatForm = memo(function ChatForm({
     submitButtonRef,
     setIsScrollable,
     disabled: disableInputs,
-    placeholder,
+    // The composer IS the free-form answer box while a question pause is live.
+    placeholder: answerMode.active
+      ? (answerMode.otherLabel ?? localize('com_ui_something_else'))
+      : placeholder,
   });
 
   useQueryParams({ textAreaRef });
@@ -248,7 +251,15 @@ const ChatForm = memo(function ChatForm({
 
   return (
     <form
-      onSubmit={methods.handleSubmit(submitMessage)}
+      onSubmit={methods.handleSubmit((data) => {
+        // Answer mode: composer text answers the paused run instead of
+        // starting a new turn. Dismissing the popover restores normal sends.
+        if (answerMode.active && answerMode.submitText(data.text)) {
+          methods.reset();
+          return;
+        }
+        return submitMessage(data);
+      })}
       className={cn(
         'mx-auto flex w-full flex-row gap-3 transition-[max-width] duration-300 sm:px-2',
         maximizeChatSpace ? 'max-w-full' : 'md:max-w-3xl xl:max-w-4xl',
@@ -412,14 +423,19 @@ const ChatForm = memo(function ChatForm({
                 />
               )}
               <div className={`${isRTL ? 'ml-2' : 'mr-2'}`}>
-                {isSubmitting && showStopButton ? (
+                {isSubmitting && showStopButton && !answerMode.active ? (
                   <StopButton stop={handleStopGenerating} setShowStopButton={setShowStopButton} />
                 ) : (
                   endpoint && (
                     <SendButton
                       ref={submitButtonRef}
                       control={methods.control}
-                      disabled={filesLoading || isSubmitting || disableInputs || isNotAppendable}
+                      disabled={
+                        filesLoading ||
+                        disableInputs ||
+                        isNotAppendable ||
+                        (isSubmitting && !answerMode.active)
+                      }
                     />
                   )
                 )}

client/src/hooks/Input/useAskAnswerMode.ts

@@ -88,13 +88,37 @@ export default function useAskAnswerMode(conversationId?: string | null) {
     setOtherText,
   ]);
 
+  /** Composer text answers the question directly; true when consumed. */
+  const submitText = useCallback(
+    (text: string): boolean => {
+      if (!active || !liveAsk) {
+        return false;
+      }
+      const trimmed = text.trim();
+      if (trimmed.length > 0) {
+        submitAskAnswer(liveAsk.actionId, trimmed);
+        setSelected(null);
+        setOtherText('');
+      }
+      return true;
+    },
+    [active, liveAsk, submitAskAnswer, setSelected, setOtherText],
+  );
+
   /** Selection steering from the empty composer; true when consumed. */
   const handleComposerKeyDown = useCallback(
     (e: React.KeyboardEvent<HTMLTextAreaElement>): boolean => {
       if (!active) {
         return false;
       }
-      if (e.currentTarget.value.trim().length > 0) {
+      const composerText = e.currentTarget.value;
+      if (composerText.trim().length > 0) {
+        // The composer IS the free-form answer box: Enter submits the typed
+        // text (before useTextarea's submitting-lock can swallow it).
+        if (e.key === 'Enter' && !e.shiftKey) {
+          e.preventDefault();
+          return submitText(composerText);
+        }
         return false;
       }
       const rowCount = options.length + 1; // + the inline Other row
@@ -129,7 +153,7 @@ export default function useAskAnswerMode(conversationId?: string | null) {
       }
       return false;
     },
-    [active, options, selected, canSubmit, submit, dismiss, setSelected],
+    [active, options, selected, canSubmit, submit, submitText, dismiss, setSelected],
   );
 
   return {
@@ -144,6 +168,7 @@ export default function useAskAnswerMode(conversationId?: string | null) {
     setOtherText,
     canSubmit,
     submit,
+    submitText,
     handleComposerKeyDown,
     /** Model-supplied "Other"-style label, folded into the inline input. */
     otherLabel,