Add image_as_paths option to agentic search so image symbols are replaced with file paths instead of base64 content

- do we send images with agentic search? We should send as paths.

└── apps
    └── editor
        └── src
            ├── constants
            │   └── instructions.ts
            ├── context
            │   └── helpers
            │       └── get-all-workspace-files.ts
            ├── features
            │   └── search-files
            │       └── utils
            │           └── show-search-results-quick-pick.ts
            ├── utils
            │   └── extract-paths-from-bullet-list.ts
            └── views
                └── prompt
                    ├── backend
                    │   ├── message-handlers
                    │   │   ├── handle-agentic-search
                    │   │   │   ├── agentic-search.ts
                    │   │   │   ├── agents
                    │   │   │   │   ├── antigravity.ts
                    │   │   │   │   ├── claude.ts
                    │   │   │   │   ├── codex.ts
                    │   │   │   │   ├── cursor.ts
                    │   │   │   │   ├── grok.ts
                    │   │   │   │   ├── muse.ts
                    │   │   │   │   └── opencode.ts
                    │   │   │   ├── handle-agentic-search.ts
                    │   │   │   ├── index.ts
                    │   │   │   ├── types.ts
                    │   │   │   └── utils
                    │   │   │       ├── build-agent-prompt.ts
                    │   │   │       ├── check-command-exists.ts
                    │   │   │       ├── format-duration.ts
                    │   │   │       ├── get-progress-dots.ts
                    │   │   │       ├── index.ts
                    │   │   │       └── prompt-for-search-term.ts
                    │   │   ├── handle-autofill.ts
                    │   │   ├── handle-open-prompt-image.ts
                    │   │   ├── handle-save-prompt-image.ts
                    │   │   └── utils
                    │   │       └── build-prompt-payload.ts
                    │   ├── prompt-view-provider.ts
                    │   └── utils
                    │       └── symbols
                    │           ├── image
                    │           │   └── replace-image-symbol.ts
                    │           └── replace-symbols.ts
                    ├── frontend
                    │   └── hooks
                    │       └── use-prompt
                    │           └── use-prompt.ts
                    └── types
                        └── messages.ts

Author: robertpiosik

apps/editor/src/views/prompt/backend/message-handlers/handle-agentic-search/agentic-search.ts

@@ -605,7 +605,7 @@ export const agentic_search = async (params: {
                   instructions: query,
                   extension_context: params.extension_context,
                   workspace_provider: params.workspace_provider,
-                  remove_images: true
+                  image_as_paths: true
                 })
 
               if (token.isCancellationRequested) {

apps/editor/src/views/prompt/backend/utils/symbols/image/replace-image-symbol.ts

@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@ import * as fs from 'fs'
 export const replace_image_symbol = async (params: {
   instruction: string
   remove?: boolean
+  as_paths?: boolean
 }): Promise<string> => {
   const regex = /#Image\(([a-fA-F0-9]+)\)/g
 
@@ -21,13 +22,28 @@ export const replace_image_symbol = async (params: {
   const replacements = await Promise.all(
     matches.map(async (match) => {
       const hash = match[1]
-      const filename = `cwc-image-${hash}.txt`
-      const file_path = path.join(os.tmpdir(), filename)
+      const txt_filename = `cwc-image-${hash}.txt`
+      const txt_path = path.join(os.tmpdir(), txt_filename)
+      const png_filename = `cwc-image-${hash}.png`
+      const png_path = path.join(os.tmpdir(), png_filename)
+
       try {
-        const content_base64 = await fs.promises.readFile(file_path, 'utf-8')
-        return {
-          content_base64,
-          success: true
+        if (params.as_paths) {
+          if (!fs.existsSync(png_path)) {
+            const content_base64 = await fs.promises.readFile(txt_path, 'utf-8')
+            const buffer = Buffer.from(content_base64, 'base64')
+            await fs.promises.writeFile(png_path, buffer)
+          }
+          return {
+            path: png_path,
+            success: true
+          }
+        } else {
+          const content_base64 = await fs.promises.readFile(txt_path, 'utf-8')
+          return {
+            content_base64,
+            success: true
+          }
         }
       } catch (error) {
         return {
@@ -46,8 +62,14 @@ export const replace_image_symbol = async (params: {
 
     result_string += params.instruction.slice(last_index, match.index)
 
-    if (replacement.success && replacement.content_base64) {
-      result_string += `<cwc-image>${replacement.content_base64}</cwc-image>`
+    if (replacement.success) {
+      if (params.as_paths && replacement.path) {
+        result_string += replacement.path
+      } else if (replacement.content_base64) {
+        result_string += `<cwc-image>${replacement.content_base64}</cwc-image>`
+      } else {
+        result_string += match[0]
+      }
     } else {
       result_string += match[0]
     }

apps/editor/src/views/prompt/backend/utils/symbols/replace-symbols.ts

@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@ export const replace_symbols = async (params: {
   extension_context: vscode.ExtensionContext
   workspace_provider: WorkspaceProvider
   remove_images?: boolean
+  image_as_paths?: boolean
   symbols_cache?: SymbolCacheManager
 }): Promise<{ instructions: string; skill_definitions: string }> => {
   let processed_instructions = params.instructions
@@ -66,7 +67,8 @@ export const replace_symbols = async (params: {
   if (processed_instructions.includes('#Image(')) {
     processed_instructions = await replace_image_symbol({
       instruction: processed_instructions,
-      remove: params.remove_images
+      remove: params.remove_images,
+      as_paths: params.image_as_paths
     })
   }