[ENHANCEMENT] it could be beneficial for some user to have the timestamp next to each "action" or "interaction" in roo code

[Gobi-one]

It appears it could be beneficial for some user to have the timestamp next to each "action" or "interaction" in roo code like you can see in this image =>

Reason why:

• it can be interesting to see how much time some tasks take compared to other. This could lead to reflections on what to change to be more efficient ( prompts, modes, skills, etc.)
• Would allow to easily see if implementing a specific task manually would have been faster.
• Also in my case, it would allow me to see how long I have been doing something else while the agents are running.

p.s: This idea originated on reddit, someone also suggested another metric alongside the $ figure at the top section: "How long was an AI agent running in total throughout the whole conversation"

Maybe this discussion would lead to a whole metric system being implemented at some point (yeah, I like charts...).

Cheers guys!

Originally posted by @Gobi-one in #10538

[roomote]

I've analyzed this feature request and here's my proposed implementation plan:

Overview

The goal is to display timestamps next to each action/interaction in the chat interface, helping users track how long tasks take and enabling better efficiency analysis.

Technical Analysis

Each message in the chat already has a ts property (Unix epoch timestamp in milliseconds) available via the ClineMessage type in packages/types/src/message.ts. The ChatRow component in webview-ui/src/components/chat/ChatRow.tsx renders all messages and has access to this timestamp.

Proposed Implementation

1. Create a timestamp formatting utility in webview-ui/src/utils/ to format the Unix timestamp into a readable time (e.g., "2:34 PM" or "14:34")

2. Add timestamp display to ChatRow component:

   • Add a small, subtle timestamp next to each message header
   • Use a consistent position (right-aligned) for easy scanning
   • Style to match VSCode theme using text-vscode-descriptionForeground for subtlety

3. Make timestamps user-configurable (optional enhancement):

   • Add a setting to toggle timestamp visibility
   • Add a setting for 12-hour vs 24-hour format

Example UI

The timestamp would appear subtly on the right side of each message header:

[Icon] Roo wants to edit file                    2:34 PM
[File diff accordion...]

Files to Modify

• webview-ui/src/utils/formatTimestamp.ts (new file)
• webview-ui/src/components/chat/ChatRow.tsx (add timestamp display)
• Potentially webview-ui/src/utils/__tests__/formatTimestamp.spec.ts (tests)

Questions for Clarification

1. Timestamp format preference: Would you prefer 12-hour (2:34 PM) or 24-hour (14:34) format? Or should it follow system locale?
2. Show full date for old messages?: Should messages from previous days show the date (e.g., "Jan 7, 2:34 PM")?
3. Configuration toggle: Should this be configurable (on/off in settings) or always visible?
4. Position preference: Should timestamps appear on the right side of the header row, or would you prefer a different placement?

Please mention @roomote in a comment with your answers and approval, and I'll proceed with the implementation.

[garyzimmer]

This would be useful when rolling back to a prior state using the Checkpoint feature. I would want to know the timestamp of the checkpointed state so I know how much time was lost or help identify a specific checkpoint.

[IanDaley]

Quite a few times I have found myself looking for a timestamp and not being able to find one. This would be (IMHO) a very useful enhancement.

[Gobi-one]

@roomote
Timestamp format preference: 24-hour (14:34) format.
Show full date for old messages: messages from previous days show the full date (e.g., "Jan 7, 2:34 PM").
Configuration toggle: this should be configurable (on/off in settings).
Position preference: timestamps should appear on the right side of the header row. Like the cost of API calls are displayed currently.
Text-size as big as the text used in the header row.

[roomote]

Thanks for the detailed preferences! I've seen your comment and will implement the timestamp feature with:

• 24-hour format (14:34)
• Full date for messages from previous days (e.g., "Jan 7, 14:34")
• Configurable on/off toggle in settings
• Right-aligned position in header row
• Same text size as header row text

I'll open a PR to share my progress shortly.