feat(progress): remove visual progress bars and iteration counters from messages

src/backends/progressModel.ts

@@ -22,7 +22,7 @@ export interface ProgressContext {
 	completedTasks?: { subject: string; summary: string; timestamp: number }[];
 }
 
-const PROGRESS_SYSTEM_PROMPT = `You are a progress reporter for an AI coding agent called CASCADE. Write a brief, informative progress update based on the agent's current state. Be concise (3-5 sentences max). Focus on what has been accomplished, what's currently in progress, and what remains. Synthesize the agent's own commentary, tool call details (file paths, commands), and completed task summaries into a coherent narrative — do not just list tool names. Use markdown formatting. Write in first person (e.g. "I'm implementing...", "I've completed...", "I'm currently working on..."). Start with a bold header using the exact header provided in the user prompt context (e.g. "**🧑‍💻 Implementation Update** (X min)"). Do not include a progress bar — the system adds that separately.`;
+const PROGRESS_SYSTEM_PROMPT = `You are a progress reporter for an AI coding agent called CASCADE. Write a brief, informative progress update based on the agent's current state. Be concise (3-5 sentences max). Focus on what has been accomplished, what's currently in progress, and what remains. Synthesize the agent's own commentary, tool call details (file paths, commands), and completed task summaries into a coherent narrative — do not just list tool names. Use markdown formatting. Write in first person (e.g. "I'm implementing...", "I've completed...", "I'm currently working on..."). Start with a bold header using the exact header provided in the user prompt context (e.g. "**🧑‍💻 Implementation Update** (X min)").`;
 
 function formatProgressUserPrompt(context: ProgressContext): string {
 	const {

src/backends/progressMonitor.ts

@@ -196,11 +196,7 @@ export class ProgressMonitor implements ProgressReporter {
 				captureException(err instanceof Error ? err : new Error(String(err)), {
 					tags: { source: 'progress_model', agentType: this.config.agentType },
 				});
-				summary = formatStatusMessage(
-					progressContext.iteration,
-					progressContext.maxIterations,
-					this.config.agentType,
-				);
+				summary = formatStatusMessage(this.config.agentType);
 			}
 
 			// Post to PM provider (Trello/JIRA)
@@ -217,12 +213,7 @@ export class ProgressMonitor implements ProgressReporter {
 			// Post to GitHub
 			if (this.githubPoster) {
 				try {
-					await this.githubPoster.update(
-						summary,
-						progressContext.iteration,
-						progressContext.maxIterations,
-						this.config.agentType,
-					);
+					await this.githubPoster.update(summary, this.config.agentType);
 				} catch (err) {
 					this.config.logWriter('WARN', 'Failed to update GitHub PR comment', {
 						error: String(err),

src/backends/progressState/githubPoster.ts

@@ -21,21 +21,11 @@ export interface GitHubProgressPosterConfig {
 export class GitHubProgressPoster {
 	constructor(private readonly config: GitHubProgressPosterConfig) {}
 
-	async update(
-		summary: string,
-		iteration: number,
-		maxIterations: number,
-		agentType: string,
-	): Promise<void> {
+	async update(summary: string, agentType: string): Promise<void> {
 		const { initialCommentId } = getSessionState();
 		if (!initialCommentId) return;
 
-		const body = formatGitHubProgressComment(
-			this.config.headerMessage,
-			iteration,
-			maxIterations,
-			agentType,
-		);
+		const body = formatGitHubProgressComment(this.config.headerMessage, agentType);
 		// Replace the todo section with the AI-generated summary
 		const bodyWithSummary = body.replace(/\n\n📋[\s\S]*?\n\n/, `\n\n${summary}\n\n`);
 		await githubClient.updatePRComment(

src/config/statusUpdateConfig.ts

@@ -52,19 +52,10 @@ export function getStatusUpdateConfig(agentType: string): StatusUpdateConfig {
 /**
  * Format a status update message for posting to Trello.
  *
- * @param iteration - Current iteration number
- * @param maxIterations - Maximum allowed iterations
  * @param agentType - Type of agent posting the update
  * @returns Formatted markdown message
  */
-export function formatStatusMessage(
-	iteration: number,
-	maxIterations: number,
-	agentType: string,
-): string {
-	const progress = Math.round((iteration / maxIterations) * 100);
-	const progressBar = createProgressBar(progress);
-
+export function formatStatusMessage(agentType: string): string {
 	// Get current todo status
 	const todos = loadTodos();
 	const inProgressTodo = todos.find((t) => t.status === 'in_progress');
@@ -73,11 +64,7 @@ export function formatStatusMessage(
 
 	const { emoji, label } = getAgentLabel(agentType);
 
-	const lines = [
-		`**${emoji} ${label}** (${agentType})`,
-		'',
-		`${progressBar} ${progress}% (iteration ${iteration}/${maxIterations})`,
-	];
+	const lines = [`**${emoji} ${label}** (${agentType})`];
 
 	if (totalCount > 0) {
 		lines.push('', `**Tasks:** ${doneCount}/${totalCount} complete`);
@@ -92,46 +79,17 @@ export function formatStatusMessage(
 /**
  * Format a GitHub progress comment that updates the initial PR comment.
  *
- * Renders a progress bar, todo list, and metadata footer.
+ * Renders a todo list and metadata footer.
  *
  * @param headerMessage - Original comment text preserved as header (e.g., "🔍 Reviewing PR...")
- * @param iteration - Current iteration number
- * @param maxIterations - Maximum allowed iterations
  * @param agentType - Type of agent posting the update
  * @returns Formatted markdown comment body
  */
-export function formatGitHubProgressComment(
-	headerMessage: string,
-	iteration: number,
-	maxIterations: number,
-	agentType: string,
-): string {
-	const progress = Math.round((iteration / maxIterations) * 100);
-	const progressBar = createProgressBar(progress);
-
+export function formatGitHubProgressComment(headerMessage: string, agentType: string): string {
 	const todos = loadTodos();
 	const todoSection = formatTodoList(todos);
 
-	const lines = [
-		headerMessage,
-		'',
-		'---',
-		'',
-		`**Progress:** ${progressBar} ${progress}% (iteration ${iteration}/${maxIterations})`,
-		'',
-		todoSection,
-		'',
-		`<sub>Last updated: iteration ${iteration} · ${agentType}</sub>`,
-	];
+	const lines = [headerMessage, '', '---', '', todoSection, '', `<sub>${agentType}</sub>`];
 
 	return lines.join('\n');
 }
-
-/**
- * Create a text-based progress bar.
- */
-function createProgressBar(percent: number): string {
-	const filled = Math.round(percent / 10);
-	const empty = 10 - filled;
-	return `[${'█'.repeat(filled)}${'░'.repeat(empty)}]`;
-}

tests/unit/backends/githubPoster.test.ts

@@ -44,7 +44,7 @@ describe('GitHubProgressPoster — update()', () => {
 		});
 
 		const poster = makePoster();
-		await poster.update('summary', 3, 20, 'implementation');
+		await poster.update('summary', 'implementation');
 
 		expect(mockGithubClient.updatePRComment).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
 	});
@@ -62,12 +62,10 @@ describe('GitHubProgressPoster — update()', () => {
 		mockGithubClient.updatePRComment.mockResolvedValue(undefined as never);
 
 		const poster = makePoster();
-		await poster.update('AI-generated summary', 5, 20, 'implementation');
+		await poster.update('AI-generated summary', 'implementation');
 
 		expect(mockFormatGitHubProgressComment).toHaveBeenCalledWith(
 			'**🧑‍💻 Implementation Update**',
-			5,
-			20,
 			'implementation',
 		);
 		expect(mockGithubClient.updatePRComment).toHaveBeenCalledWith(
@@ -94,7 +92,7 @@ describe('GitHubProgressPoster — update()', () => {
 		mockGithubClient.updatePRComment.mockResolvedValue(undefined as never);
 
 		const poster = makePoster();
-		await poster.update('My AI summary', 2, 10, 'review');
+		await poster.update('My AI summary', 'review');
 
 		const callArg = mockGithubClient.updatePRComment.mock.calls[0][3];
 		expect(callArg).toContain('My AI summary');
@@ -120,7 +118,7 @@ describe('GitHubProgressPoster — update()', () => {
 			headerMessage: 'Header',
 			logWriter,
 		});
-		await poster.update('summary', 1, 5, 'review');
+		await poster.update('summary', 'review');
 
 		expect(logWriter).toHaveBeenCalledWith(
 			'INFO',