crates/nip29/src/group.rs

@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 use std::collections::{HashMap, HashSet};
+use std::time::Duration;
 
 use anyhow::{Result, anyhow, bail};
 use chat::Message;
@@ -14,6 +15,8 @@ use crate::protocol::{
 };
 
 const REPLAY_LIMIT: usize = 100;
+const PAGE_LIMIT: usize = 50;
+const PAGE_TIMEOUT: Duration = Duration::from_secs(10);
 
 #[derive(Debug, Clone, Copy, PartialEq, Eq)]
 enum Absorbed {
@@ -44,7 +47,9 @@ pub struct Group {
     messages: Vec<Message>,
     index: HashSet<EventId>,
     window: TimelineWindow,
+    oldest: Option<Timestamp>,
     loading: bool,
+    loading_more: bool,
     refused: Option<String>,
     tasks: SmallVec<[Task<()>; 2]>,
 }
@@ -66,7 +71,9 @@ impl Group {
             messages: Vec::new(),
             index: HashSet::new(),
             window: TimelineWindow::new(),
+            oldest: None,
             loading: true,
+            loading_more: false,
             refused: None,
             tasks: smallvec![],
         }
@@ -108,6 +115,14 @@ impl Group {
         self.loading
     }
 
+    pub fn loading_more(&self) -> bool {
+        self.loading_more
+    }
+
+    pub fn oldest(&self) -> Option<Timestamp> {
+        self.oldest
+    }
+
     pub fn refused(&self) -> Option<&str> {
         self.refused.as_deref()
     }
@@ -269,6 +284,45 @@ impl Group {
         }));
     }
 
+    pub(crate) fn load_page(&mut self, cx: &mut Context<Self>) {
+        let Some(until) = self.oldest else {
+            return;
+        };
+
+        self.loading_more = true;
+        cx.notify();
+
+        let nostr = NostrRegistry::global(cx);
+        let client = nostr.read(cx).client();
+
+        let id = crate::page_subscription(&self.key);
+        let relay = self.key.relay().clone();
+        let filter = self.key.id().timeline_page(PAGE_LIMIT, until);
+
+        self.tasks.push(cx.background_spawn(async move {
+            client.add_relay(relay.clone()).and_connect().await.ok();
+
+            let opts = SubscribeAutoCloseOptions::default()
+                .exit_policy(ReqExitPolicy::ExitOnEOSE)
+                .timeout(Some(PAGE_TIMEOUT));
+
+            if let Err(error) = client
+                .subscribe(ReqTarget::single(relay, [filter]))
+                .with_id(id)
+                .close_on(opts)
+                .await
+            {
+                log::warn!("nip29: loading older messages failed: {error}");
+            }
+        }));
+    }
+
+    pub(crate) fn page_finished(&mut self, cx: &mut Context<Self>) {
+        self.loading_more = false;
+        cx.emit(GroupEvent::Updated);
+        cx.notify();
+    }
+
     pub(crate) fn save_envelope(&self, event: Event, cx: &App) -> Task<Result<()>> {
         let cache_tag = self.key.cache_tag();
         let nostr = NostrRegistry::global(cx);
@@ -366,7 +420,7 @@ impl Group {
         }
 
         if MEMBERSHIP_KINDS.contains(&event.kind) {
-            self.window.push(event.clone());
+            self.track(event);
 
             if !event.tags.public_keys().any(|key| key == me) {
                 return Absorbed::Ignored;
@@ -387,7 +441,7 @@ impl Group {
             };
         }
 
-        self.window.push(event.clone());
+        self.track(event);
 
         if RENDER_KINDS.contains(&event.kind) {
             Absorbed::Rendered {
@@ -398,6 +452,14 @@ impl Group {
         }
     }
 
+    fn track(&mut self, event: &Event) {
+        self.window.push(event.clone());
+
+        if self.oldest.is_none_or(|oldest| event.created_at < oldest) {
+            self.oldest = Some(event.created_at);
+        }
+    }
+
     fn absorb_state(&mut self, event: &Event) -> bool {
         match event.kind {
             Kind::GroupMetadata => match GroupMetadata::parse(event) {

crates/nip29/src/lib.rs

@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@ pub(crate) static LOCAL_KEYS: LazyLock<Keys> = LazyLock::new(Keys::generate);
 const LIST_SUBSCRIPTION: &str = "nip29-list";
 const GROUP_PREFIX: &str = "grp-";
 const BROWSE_PREFIX: &str = "brw-";
+const PAGE_PREFIX: &str = "pg-";
 const BROWSE_LIMIT: usize = 500;
 const BROWSE_TIMEOUT: Duration = Duration::from_secs(10);
 
@@ -67,9 +68,20 @@ fn browse_subscription(relay: &RelayUrl) -> SubscriptionId {
     SubscriptionId::new(format!("{BROWSE_PREFIX}{:08x}", hasher.finish() as u32))
 }
 
+fn page_subscription(key: &GroupKey) -> SubscriptionId {
+    SubscriptionId::new(format!("{PAGE_PREFIX}{:08x}", key.uniq_id() as u32))
+}
+
+fn is_page(id: &SubscriptionId) -> bool {
+    id.as_str().starts_with(PAGE_PREFIX)
+}
+
 fn is_own_subscription(id: &SubscriptionId) -> bool {
     let id = id.as_str();
-    id == LIST_SUBSCRIPTION || id.starts_with(GROUP_PREFIX) || id.starts_with(BROWSE_PREFIX)
+    id == LIST_SUBSCRIPTION
+        || id.starts_with(GROUP_PREFIX)
+        || id.starts_with(BROWSE_PREFIX)
+        || id.starts_with(PAGE_PREFIX)
 }
 
 impl EventEmitter<GroupsEvent> for GroupsRegistry {}
@@ -259,6 +271,22 @@ impl GroupsRegistry {
         self.browse.get(&browse_subscription(relay))
     }
 
+    pub fn load_more(&mut self, key: &GroupKey, cx: &mut Context<Self>) {
+        let Some(group) = self.group(key, cx) else {
+            return;
+        };
+
+        if group.read(cx).loading_more() || group.read(cx).oldest().is_none() {
+            return;
+        }
+
+        self.routes.insert(page_subscription(key), key.clone());
+
+        group.update(cx, |group, cx| {
+            group.load_page(cx);
+        });
+    }
+
     pub fn leave(&mut self, key: &GroupKey, cx: &mut Context<Self>) {
         let Some(group) = self.group(key, cx) else {
             return;
@@ -394,9 +422,11 @@ impl GroupsRegistry {
 
     fn forget(&mut self, key: GroupKey, cx: &mut Context<Self>) {
         let id = subscription_id(&key);
+        let page = page_subscription(&key);
         let cache_tag = key.cache_tag();
 
         self.routes.remove(&id);
+        self.routes.remove(&page);
         self.observers.remove(&key);
         self.groups.retain(|group| group.read(cx).key() != &key);
         self.list.remove(&key);
@@ -405,8 +435,10 @@ impl GroupsRegistry {
         let client = nostr.read(cx).client();
 
         self.tasks.push(cx.background_spawn(async move {
-            if let Err(error) = client.unsubscribe(&id).await {
-                log::warn!("nip29: unsubscribing {id} failed: {error}");
+            for id in [id, page] {
+                if let Err(error) = client.unsubscribe(&id).await {
+                    log::warn!("nip29: unsubscribing {id} failed: {error}");
+                }
             }
 
             let filter = Filter::new()
@@ -595,6 +627,18 @@ impl GroupsRegistry {
             return;
         };
 
+        if is_page(&id) {
+            self.routes.remove(&id);
+
+            if let Some(group) = self.group(&key, cx) {
+                group.update(cx, |group, cx| {
+                    group.page_finished(cx);
+                });
+            }
+
+            return;
+        }
+
         let Some(group) = self.group(&key, cx) else {
             return;
         };
@@ -620,6 +664,22 @@ impl GroupsRegistry {
             return;
         };
 
+        if is_page(&id) {
+            self.routes.remove(&id);
+            log::warn!(
+                "nip29: loading older messages in {} was refused: {reason}",
+                key.id()
+            );
+
+            if let Some(group) = self.group(&key, cx) {
+                group.update(cx, |group, cx| {
+                    group.page_finished(cx);
+                });
+            }
+
+            return;
+        }
+
         let Some(group) = self.group(&key, cx) else {
             return;
         };

crates/nip29/src/protocol.rs

@@ -71,6 +71,10 @@ impl GroupId {
             .limit(limit)
     }
 
+    pub fn timeline_page(&self, limit: usize, until: Timestamp) -> Filter {
+        self.timeline_filter(limit).until(until)
+    }
+
     pub fn state_filter(&self) -> Filter {
         Filter::new().identifier(self.0.clone()).kinds(STATE_KINDS)
     }

docs/nip29-backend-plan.md

@@ -136,6 +136,12 @@ GroupsRegistry ──ensure relay──► Group entity ◄──ingest── ba
      UI later: GroupPanel (Vec<Message>), JoinDialog (naddr)
 ```
 
+A group's subscriptions are the standing `grp-<hash>` REQ (timeline + state +
+membership, the timeline replayed up to 100 events) and, on demand, a
+`pg-<hash>` REQ that re-asks the same timeline filter with `until` set to the
+oldest event hydrated so far. Both are recognised by the same pump and land in
+the same envelope cache, so paging needs no separate read path.
+
 ## Phase 0 — `crates/nip29/src/protocol.rs` (pure, no I/O)
 
 The protocol is expressed as types with `impl` blocks: a parsed thing is a struct
@@ -437,7 +443,32 @@ group's relay only, and treat the relay's `OK` as the truth.
    `metadata_tags` re-emits them — `9002` requires it, an edit that drops a
    child is rejected. `parent`/`children` are per-relay, so assembling the tree
    from `Group::metadata()` is UI work; there is no backend tree helper.
-4. Range backfill: page the timeline with `until` for "load more".
+4. Range backfill: page the timeline with `until` for "load more". **Done.**
+   `GroupId::timeline_page(limit, until)` is `timeline_filter` plus `.until(..)`,
+   and `Group::load_page` sends it as a `pg-<hash>` subscription (auto-close on
+   EOSE, 10s cap) alongside the standing `grp-<hash>` one, which keeps running so
+   paging cannot replace the live tail. The read path is the usual one: `pg-`
+   joins `is_own_subscription`, the id is registered in `routes` against the same
+   key, and `handle_event` therefore caches each page event and `reload`s the
+   group, so it arrives through the envelope cache and the timeline like any
+   other event. `GroupsRegistry::load_more(key, cx)` is the entry point: it does
+   nothing while a page is in flight (`Group::loading_more`) or before anything is
+   cached, and registers the route before `Group::load_page` sets the flag.
+   `handle_eose` and a page `CLOSED` remove the route and call
+   `Group::page_finished`, which clears the flag and emits `GroupEvent::Updated`
+   so a panel's spinner can settle. The cursor is `Group::oldest()`, the oldest
+   `h`-tagged event ever hydrated, updated by `track` next to `window.push` —
+   *not* read from `TimelineWindow`, which keeps only the newest 50 events, so a
+   cursor taken from it would never move and would page the same window forever.
+   `until` is inclusive, so a page repeats the event it starts from; `hydrate`
+   dedups by id, so that costs one redundant fetch, never a gap. `forget` also
+   drops and unsubscribes the `pg-` route (`reset` already sweeps `routes`). Two
+   gaps left for the UI phase: a relay that accepts the REQ but never EOSEs leaves
+   `loading_more` true (the auto-close timeout closes the subscription locally and
+   emits no notification — the same stickiness as `Browse::loading`), and a group
+   whose next page shares the `until` second cannot advance the cursor, so it can
+   re-fetch the same page. Neither loops on its own; both need a "load older
+   messages" button bound to `Group::loading_more()` to be observable at all.
 5. LiveKit AV (`livekit` tag, `39004`, the `/.well-known/nip29/livekit` token
    endpoint with a NIP-98 `27235` authorization event) and fork/migration
    detection through the admins' `10009`.
@@ -449,6 +480,7 @@ group's relay only, and treat the relay's `OK` as the truth.
 | Paste an naddr and join (or retry a refused join) | `GroupReference::parse` → `GroupsRegistry::join` |
 | Open a group | `GroupsRegistry::group(&key, cx)` → panel subscribes to `GroupEvent` |
 | Timeline | `Group::messages()` (already `chat::Message`s) |
+| Load older messages | `GroupsRegistry::load_more(&key, cx)`; spinner from `Group::loading_more()` |
 | Send / react | `Group::send_message` / `send_reaction` |
 | Members, admins, roles, flags | `Group::members/admins/roles/metadata` |
 | Membership badge (member, pending, refused, removed) | `Group::membership()` |