Add automatic URL detection and clickability in transcript messages

[nelsonblaha]

Summary

This PR enhances the markdown parser to automatically detect and convert plain URLs into clickable links that open in new tabs.

Changes

• Added URL pattern detection for http://, https://, and www. URLs in parseMarkdownSpans.ts
• Created splitTextWithUrls() helper function to identify URLs in plain text
• URLs starting with www. are automatically prefixed with https://
• Added rel="noopener noreferrer" to Link component for improved security
• URLs in markdown links [text](url) continue to work as before
• URLs in code blocks remain as plain text (not clickable)

Motivation

Users frequently share URLs in conversations, and having to manually format them as markdown links ([text](url)) is inconvenient. This change makes plain URLs automatically clickable, improving the user experience.

Testing

• URLs like https://example.com, http://example.com, and www.example.com are now automatically detected and clickable
• Multiple URLs in the same message are all detected
• URLs with paths and query parameters work correctly
• Existing markdown links continue to function as expected
• URLs within code blocks remain as plain text

Example

Before: Check out https://example.com for more info (not clickable)
After: Check out https://example.com for more info (clickable, opens in new tab)

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[nelsonblaha]

Tests Added ✅

I've added comprehensive test coverage for the URL detection feature:

• 33 tests covering all aspects of URL detection
• Tests for https://, http://, and www. URLs
• Multiple URLs in one message
• URLs with paths, query parameters, and fragments
• Interaction with existing markdown formatting
• Edge cases (ports, subdomains, special characters)
• Real-world examples (GitHub, documentation, APIs)
• Backward compatibility tests for existing markdown features

All tests pass ✅

The tests confirm that the URL detection feature works correctly without breaking any existing markdown parsing behavior.

[nelsonblaha]

Issue Search Results

I searched through the upstream repository's issues and didn't find any existing feature requests for clickable URLs in the transcript. This appears to be a proactive quality-of-life improvement rather than addressing a specific reported issue.

Related observations:

• No issues about markdown formatting or URL handling in messages
• No feature requests for clickable links in the chat interface
• This is a common UX pattern in chat/messaging apps

The feature enhances usability by automatically making URLs clickable without requiring users to manually format them as markdown links [text](url).

[nelsonblaha]

Related Pull Requests

I searched for similar PRs and found:

PR #232 - Markdown Enhancements (OPEN)

• Title: "Add Markdown Table Rendering, Code Block Copy Button, and Mermaid Diagram Support"
• Files modified: Also touches MarkdownView.tsx and markdown parsing files
• Potential conflict: Both PRs modify MarkdownView.tsx, but they appear to be complementary features
• Status: Currently open

PR #82 - Markdown Copy (MERGED)

• Title: "Resolve markdown copy issues by adding full-text selection and copy functionality"
• Files modified: Also modified MarkdownView.tsx
• Impact: Already merged, no conflicts with our changes

Analysis:

• No duplicate work - No other PRs attempt to add automatic URL detection
• Our PR is complementary to other markdown enhancements
• The URL detection feature is orthogonal to table rendering, copy functionality, and diagram support
• If PR feat: Add Markdown Table Rendering, Code Block Copy Button, and Mermaid Diagram Support #232 is merged first, there may be minor merge conflicts in MarkdownView.tsx, but they should be straightforward to resolve

Our changes are focused and isolated to URL detection logic, making them compatible with other markdown improvements.