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Dynamic Panels

Not every custom UI needs to be a separate application. Codebolt can also render runtime UI panels inside the existing app through the dynamic panel system.

The server bridge is dynamicPanelService.cli.ts, which routes panel actions into dynamicPanelService.

Supported Actions​

  • dynamicPanel.open
  • dynamicPanel.update
  • dynamicPanel.close
  • dynamicPanel.send
  • dynamicPanel.list

Under the hood, dynamicPanelService handles:

  • opening a panel in the UI
  • tracking panel state by panelId
  • registering the agent or plugin subscription for that panel
  • forwarding messages from the panel back to the originating agent or plugin
  • sending data from the agent or plugin to the panel

From An Agent​

Typical agent flow:

  1. the agent opens a panel with panelId, title, and html
  2. the UI renders that panel
  3. panel messages route back to the originating agent subscription
  4. the agent updates, sends to, or closes the panel later

This is useful for:

  • focused UI during a run
  • human-in-the-loop forms or confirmations
  • richer interactive views than plain chat messages

The open operation also supports waitForResponse and timeout, so agent workflows can use panels as request/response UI, not just passive display.

From A Plugin​

Plugins can also drive in-app panels. The server types expose these operations:

  • openPanel
  • updatePanel
  • closePanel
  • sendToPanel
  • onPanelMessage
  • offPanelMessage

Use plugin-driven panels when the UI is application-level rather than tied to one run:

  • dashboards
  • settings/configuration panels
  • long-lived operational views
  • domain-specific views reused across agents

Dynamic Panels Vs Separate Custom UI​

Use dynamic panels when:

  • the UI should live inside the existing Codebolt app
  • the interaction is tightly coupled to one agent run or one plugin
  • you want to augment the built-in app rather than replace it

Use a separate custom UI when:

  • you want to own the whole product surface
  • the UI runs outside the existing desktop/web app
  • you need your own routing, branding, or application shell

clientsdk is for building a client outside the existing app. dynamicPanelService is for injecting UI into the existing app.

See also​