img-17: cache image-only posts; news pipeline notes

fjerkroa_bot/ai_responder.py

@@ -177,7 +177,11 @@ class AIResponder(AIResponderBase):
             recent_images = self.image_cache.recent(message.channel, 4)
             if recent_images:
                 # the model cannot use picture_edit unless told images exist (IMG-16)
-                context.append(f"recent images in this channel: {len(recent_images)} (set picture_edit=true to edit/remix the newest)")
+                context.append(
+                    f"recent images in this channel: {len(recent_images)}. When the user asks to modify, reuse, combine or"
+                    " include a previously shared image, you MUST set picture_edit=true — text-to-image cannot see earlier"
+                    " images; only picture_edit passes them to the image model."
+                )
         return context
 
     def message(self, message: AIMessage, limit: Optional[int] = None) -> List[Dict[str, Any]]:

fjerkroa_bot/discord_bot.py

@@ -401,35 +401,44 @@ class FjerkroaBot(commands.Bot):
     def get_ai_responder(self, channel_name):
         return self.aichannels[channel_name] if channel_name in self.aichannels else self.airesponder
 
+    async def _ingest_attachments(self, message, channel_name: str, airesponder) -> list:
+        """Cache-first attachment handling; CDN URLs never travel further (IMG-10/11)."""
+        urls = []
+        for attachment in message.attachments:
+            if airesponder.image_cache is None:
+                urls.append(attachment.url)
+                continue
+            sha = await airesponder.image_cache.ingest_url(attachment.url, channel_name, message.author.name, str(message.id))
+            if sha is not None:
+                recent = airesponder.image_cache.recent(channel_name, 8)
+                ext = next((row["ext"] for row in recent if row["sha256"] == sha), "png")
+                data_url = airesponder.image_cache.data_url(sha, ext)
+                if data_url:
+                    urls.append(data_url)
+        return urls
+
     async def handle_message_through_responder(self, message):
         """Handle a message through the AI responder"""
         message_content = str(message.content).strip()
         if message.reference and message.reference.resolved and isinstance(message.reference.resolved.content, str):
             reference_content = str(message.reference.resolved.content).replace("\n", "> \n")
             message_content = f"> {reference_content}\n\n{message_content}"
+        channel_name = self.get_channel_name(message.channel)
+        airesponder = self.get_ai_responder(channel_name)
+        attachment_urls = []
+        if message.attachments:
+            attachment_urls = await self._ingest_attachments(message, channel_name, airesponder)
         if len(message_content) < 1:
+            # image-only posts: cached + observed, no reply (IMG-17)
+            if attachment_urls:
+                await airesponder.observe_event(message.author.name, "image", f"posted {len(attachment_urls)} image(s)")
             return
         message_content = self._resolve_mentions(message_content)
-        channel_name = self.get_channel_name(message.channel)
         msg = AIMessage(
             message.author.name, message_content, channel_name, self.user in message.mentions or isinstance(message.channel, DMChannel)
         )
-        airesponder = self.get_ai_responder(channel_name)
+        if attachment_urls:
-        if message.attachments:
+            msg.urls = attachment_urls
-            for attachment in message.attachments:
-                if not msg.urls:
-                    msg.urls = []
-                if airesponder.image_cache is not None:
-                    # cache-first: CDN URLs never travel further (IMG-10/11)
-                    sha = await airesponder.image_cache.ingest_url(attachment.url, channel_name, message.author.name, str(message.id))
-                    if sha is not None:
-                        recent = airesponder.image_cache.recent(channel_name, 8)
-                        ext = next((row["ext"] for row in recent if row["sha256"] == sha), "png")
-                        data_url = airesponder.image_cache.data_url(sha, ext)
-                        if data_url:
-                            msg.urls.append(data_url)
-                else:
-                    msg.urls.append(attachment.url)
 
         # Reply/ignore classifier gate — direct messages bypass (BEH-01/02/03/07)
         handled, factual = await self._classifier_gate(message, msg, airesponder, channel_name)

specs/SPEC-004-images.md

@@ -82,6 +82,14 @@ SAF-08/MEM-09).
 Bot-generated images are ingested like uploads (user `assistant`), so
 "make a variant of that" remix chains work on the bot's own output.
 
+### IMG-17 — Image-only messages are cached (coverage: test)
+
+A message consisting only of attachments (no text) is ingested into
+the cache and recorded as an observation, even though no reply is
+produced — the image must be available for later `picture_edit` and
+vision follow-ups. (Previously the empty-text early-return dropped
+such posts entirely.)
+
 ### IMG-16 — The prompt announces editable images (coverage: test)
 
 When the answer channel has cached images, the context suffix states

tests/test_spec_imgcache.py

@@ -158,6 +158,28 @@ class TestGeneratedImagesCached(OpsBase):
             self.assertEqual(rows[0]["user"], "assistant")
 
 
+class TestImageOnlyMessages(OpsBase):
+    async def test_image_only_post_cached_no_reply(self):
+        """IMG-17: attachment without text -> cached + observed, no reply."""
+        with tempfile.TemporaryDirectory() as tmp:
+            store, cache = make_cache(tmp)
+            self.bot.airesponder.image_cache = cache
+            self.bot.airesponder.observe_event = AsyncMock()
+            self.bot.respond = AsyncMock()
+            message = self.public_msg("")
+            message.content = ""
+            message.channel.name = "chat"
+            attachment = Mock()
+            attachment.url = "https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/1/2/silent.png"
+            message.attachments = [attachment]
+            message.id = 77
+            with patch.object(ImageCache, "_download", new_callable=AsyncMock, return_value=PNG):
+                await self.bot.on_message(message)
+            self.assertEqual(len(store.images_recent("chat", 5)), 1)
+            self.bot.airesponder.observe_event.assert_awaited_once()
+            self.bot.respond.assert_not_awaited()
+
+
 class TestContextAnnouncesImages(unittest.IsolatedAsyncioTestCase):
     def test_suffix_mentions_picture_edit(self):
         """IMG-16: cached channel images are announced in the context suffix."""