fix(search): preserve unsynced hits and avoid empty-state flash

Address review feedback on the search-results preservation change:

- reconcileSearchResults now keeps a result absent from the canonical
  notes store (a server hit not yet loaded locally, e.g. from another
  device) instead of dropping it, so valid matches no longer vanish
  mid-session. Locally deleted/left notes are still pruned at their call
  sites; trashed notes are still dropped.
- SearchBar commits searchQuery only once its results arrive, so the view
  no longer flashes an empty state over the current notes while a request
  is in flight, and searchQuery stays consistent with searchResults on a
  failed request.
- Expand reconcile unit tests (keep-absent, trashed-drop, mixed order,
  empty) and add an e2e test asserting notes stay visible during an
  in-flight search.

Co-Authored-By: Claude Opus 4.8 (1M context) <noreply@anthropic.com>

src/lib/components/SearchBar.svelte

@@ -31,9 +31,9 @@
 		searchController = undefined;
 
 		const trimmedQuery = query.trim();
-		searchQuery.set(trimmedQuery);
 
 		if (!trimmedQuery) {
+			searchQuery.set('');
 			searchResults.set([]);
 			return;
 		}
@@ -48,7 +48,13 @@
 			if (res.ok) {
 				const results: Note[] = await res.json();
 				if (searchController !== controller || query.trim() !== trimmedQuery) return;
+				// Commit the query alongside its results so the view switches to the
+				// (possibly empty) result set only once it's ready — this avoids
+				// flashing an empty state over the current notes while the request is
+				// in flight, and keeps searchQuery consistent with searchResults on
+				// a failed request (neither updates).
 				searchResults.set(results);
+				searchQuery.set(trimmedQuery);
 			}
 		} catch (error) {
 			if (!(error instanceof DOMException && error.name === 'AbortError')) {

src/lib/stores/notes.test.ts

@@ -99,15 +99,47 @@ describe('mergeNotesByVersion', () => {
 });
 
 describe('reconcileSearchResults', () => {
-	it('updates existing results and removes notes absent from canonical state', () => {
+	it('replaces a stale result with the canonical note', () => {
-		const updated = makeNote({ id: 'n1', title: 'Updated', version: 2 });
+		const canonical = makeNote({ id: 'n1', title: 'Updated', version: 2 });
-		const removed = makeNote({ id: 'n2', title: 'Removed' });
 
-		const result = reconcileSearchResults([updated], [
+		const result = reconcileSearchResults(
-			makeNote({ id: 'n1', title: 'Stale', version: 1 }),
+			[canonical],
-			removed
+			[makeNote({ id: 'n1', title: 'Stale', version: 1 })]
-		]);
+		);
 
-		expect(result).toEqual([updated]);
+		expect(result).toEqual([canonical]);
+	});
+
+	it('keeps a result absent from the canonical store (hit not yet loaded locally)', () => {
+		const serverHit = makeNote({ id: 'n2', title: 'From another device' });
+
+		const result = reconcileSearchResults([makeNote({ id: 'n1' })], [serverHit]);
+
+		expect(result).toEqual([serverHit]);
+	});
+
+	it('drops a result that is trashed in the canonical store', () => {
+		const trashed = makeNote({ id: 'n1', trashed: true });
+
+		const result = reconcileSearchResults([trashed], [makeNote({ id: 'n1', trashed: false })]);
+
+		expect(result).toEqual([]);
+	});
+
+	it('preserves result order while reconciling a mix of cases', () => {
+		const canonical = makeNote({ id: 'n1', title: 'Canonical', version: 2 });
+		const trashed = makeNote({ id: 'n2', trashed: true });
+		const absent = makeNote({ id: 'n3', title: 'Absent' });
+
+		const result = reconcileSearchResults(
+			[canonical, trashed],
+			[makeNote({ id: 'n1', title: 'Stale', version: 1 }), trashed, absent]
+		);
+
+		expect(result).toEqual([canonical, absent]);
+	});
+
+	it('returns an empty array when there are no results', () => {
+		expect(reconcileSearchResults([makeNote({ id: 'n1' })], [])).toEqual([]);
 	});
 });

src/lib/stores/notes.ts

@@ -11,15 +11,27 @@ export const notesLoaded = writable(false);
 export const searchQuery = writable<string>('');
 export const searchResults = writable<Note[]>([]);
 
+/**
+ * Reconcile search results against the canonical notes store so local edits and
+ * trashing propagate into the active result set without re-querying the server.
+ *
+ * A result absent from the canonical store is kept as-is — it's a server hit not
+ * yet loaded locally (e.g. created on another device), and dropping it would make
+ * valid matches disappear mid-session. Notes removed locally (deleted or left) are
+ * pruned explicitly at their call sites; trashed notes are dropped here.
+ */
 export function reconcileSearchResults(canonicalNotes: Note[], results: Note[]): Note[] {
 	const notesMap = new Map(canonicalNotes.map((note) => [note.id, note]));
 	return results.flatMap((result) => {
-		const updated = notesMap.get(result.id);
+		const canonical = notesMap.get(result.id);
-		return updated && !updated.trashed ? [updated] : [];
+		if (!canonical) return [result];
+		return canonical.trashed ? [] : [canonical];
 	});
 }
 
-// Keep searchResults in sync with note updates/deletions in notes store
+// Keep searchResults in sync with edits/trashing in the notes store. These search
+// stores (like the others in this module) are client-only state; the subscription
+// lives for the app's lifetime and is intentionally never unsubscribed.
 notes.subscribe(($notes) => {
 	searchResults.update(($results) => {
 		if ($results.length === 0) return $results;

tests/e2e/search.spec.ts

@@ -83,4 +83,32 @@ test.describe('Search', () => {
 		await expect(page.getByText('Race Fast 3812925')).toBeVisible();
 		await expect(page.getByText('Race Slow 3812925')).not.toBeVisible();
 	});
+
+	test('Scenario: Current notes stay visible while a search request is in flight', async ({ authenticatedPage: page }) => {
+		// Given two notes exist
+		await createNote(page, 'Flash Alpha 771903');
+		await createNote(page, 'Flash Beta 771903');
+
+		// And the search request is held open before it can respond
+		let releaseSearch: () => void = () => {};
+		const searchGate = new Promise<void>((resolve) => {
+			releaseSearch = resolve;
+		});
+		await page.route('**/api/search?*', async (route) => {
+			await searchGate;
+			await route.continue();
+		});
+
+		// When the user starts a search
+		await page.getByTestId('search-input').fill('Flash Alpha 771903');
+
+		// Then the current notes stay on screen instead of flashing an empty state
+		await expect(page.getByText('Flash Beta 771903')).toBeVisible();
+		await expect(page.getByText('Flash Alpha 771903')).toBeVisible();
+
+		// And once the results arrive, only the match remains
+		releaseSearch();
+		await expect(page.getByText('Flash Alpha 771903')).toBeVisible();
+		await expect(page.getByText('Flash Beta 771903')).not.toBeVisible();
+	});
 });