fix(capture,flow): keep the space bar as typed text

packages/capture/openadapt_capture/processing.py

@@ -79,6 +79,23 @@ def _modifier_for(event: KeyDownEvent | KeyUpEvent) -> str | None:
     return _MODIFIER_ALIASES.get(_keyboard_key(event))
 
 
+def _typed_character(event: KeyDownEvent | KeyUpEvent) -> str | None:
+    """Return the character a key press types, if any.
+
+    The macOS and X11 observers report the space bar as the named key
+    ``space`` with no character, so without this a space typed between
+    letters was dropped from the merged text and a lone space became an
+    empty KeyTypeEvent that downstream conversion could not map.
+    """
+
+    char = event.key_char or event.canonical_key_char
+    if char:
+        return char
+    if _keyboard_key(event) == "space":
+        return " "
+    return None
+
+
 def _first_structural_observation(
     events: list[ActionEvent],
 ) -> StructuralObservation | None:
@@ -298,9 +315,7 @@ def flush_buffer() -> None:
             and len(triggers) == 1
             and not (
                 modifiers == ["shift"]
-                and bool(
-                    triggers[0].canonical_key_char or triggers[0].key_char
-                )
+                and bool(_typed_character(triggers[0]))
             )
         )
         if is_single_shortcut:
@@ -320,9 +335,9 @@ def flush_buffer() -> None:
                 )
         else:
             text = "".join(
-                event.key_char or event.canonical_key_char
+                char
                 for event in down_events
-                if (event.key_char or event.canonical_key_char)
+                if (char := _typed_character(event)) is not None
                 and _modifier_for(event) is None
             )
             type_event = KeyTypeEvent(

packages/capture/tests/test_processing.py

@@ -166,6 +166,65 @@ def test_shift_printable_character_remains_typed_text(self):
         assert isinstance(result[0], KeyTypeEvent)
         assert result[0].text == "A"
 
+    def test_named_space_key_is_typed_text(self):
+        # The macOS and X11 observers name the space bar without a character.
+        events = [
+            KeyDownEvent(timestamp=1.0, key_name="space", canonical_key_name="space"),
+            KeyUpEvent(timestamp=1.1, key_name="space", canonical_key_name="space"),
+        ]
+
+        result = merge_consecutive_keyboard_events(events)
+
+        assert len(result) == 1
+        assert isinstance(result[0], KeyTypeEvent)
+        assert result[0].text == " "
+
+    def test_named_space_between_overlapping_letters_is_kept(self):
+        # Fast typing: "e" is still held when space goes down.
+        events = [
+            KeyDownEvent(timestamp=1.0, key_char="e"),
+            KeyDownEvent(timestamp=1.1, key_name="space", canonical_key_name="space"),
+            KeyUpEvent(timestamp=1.2, key_char="e"),
+            KeyDownEvent(timestamp=1.3, key_char="n"),
+            KeyUpEvent(timestamp=1.4, key_name="space", canonical_key_name="space"),
+            KeyUpEvent(timestamp=1.5, key_char="n"),
+        ]
+
+        result = merge_consecutive_keyboard_events(events)
+
+        assert len(result) == 1
+        assert isinstance(result[0], KeyTypeEvent)
+        assert result[0].text == "e n"
+
+    def test_shift_space_is_typed_text(self):
+        events = [
+            KeyDownEvent(timestamp=1.0, key_name="shift"),
+            KeyDownEvent(timestamp=1.1, key_name="space", canonical_key_name="space"),
+            KeyUpEvent(timestamp=1.2, key_name="space", canonical_key_name="space"),
+            KeyUpEvent(timestamp=1.3, key_name="shift"),
+        ]
+
+        result = merge_consecutive_keyboard_events(events)
+
+        assert len(result) == 1
+        assert isinstance(result[0], KeyTypeEvent)
+        assert result[0].text == " "
+
+    def test_control_space_stays_a_shortcut(self):
+        events = [
+            KeyDownEvent(timestamp=1.0, key_name="control"),
+            KeyDownEvent(timestamp=1.1, key_name="space", canonical_key_name="space"),
+            KeyUpEvent(timestamp=1.2, key_name="space", canonical_key_name="space"),
+            KeyUpEvent(timestamp=1.3, key_name="control"),
+        ]
+
+        result = merge_consecutive_keyboard_events(events)
+
+        assert len(result) == 1
+        assert isinstance(result[0], KeyShortcutEvent)
+        assert result[0].modifiers == ["ctrl"]
+        assert result[0].key == "space"
+
 
 class TestMergeConsecutiveMouseMoveEvents:
     """Tests for merge_consecutive_mouse_move_events."""

packages/flow/openadapt_flow/adapters/capture.py

@@ -1030,6 +1030,14 @@ def _convert_key_type(
             f"flow equivalent (t={ts:.3f})"
         )
     name = non_mods[0]
+    if name.lower() == "space" and not mods:
+        # The macOS and X11 observers report the space bar as the named key
+        # ``space`` with no text, so a recording made by an openadapt-capture
+        # that does not merge it into the typed text still types a space.
+        if not text_run["chars"]:
+            text_run["ts"] = ts
+        text_run["chars"].append(" ")
+        return
     mapped = _KEY_NAME_MAP.get(name.lower())
     if mapped is None:
         raise ValueError(f"unmapped key {name!r} at t={ts:.3f}; extend _KEY_NAME_MAP")

packages/flow/tests/test_capture_adapter.py

@@ -662,6 +662,19 @@ def test_unknown_named_key_rejected(tmp_path: Path) -> None:
         convert_capture(capture_dir, tmp_path / "recording")
 
 
+def test_named_space_key_joins_the_typed_text(tmp_path: Path) -> None:
+    # macOS and X11 capture report the space bar as the named key "space".
+    rows = _type_rows(T0 + 1.0, "synthetic")
+    rows += _named_key_rows(T0 + 1.2, "space")
+    rows += _type_rows(T0 + 1.3, "note")
+    capture_dir = make_capture(tmp_path, rows, screens=app_screens()[:1])
+    recording_dir = tmp_path / "recording"
+    convert_capture(capture_dir, recording_dir)
+    events = events_of(recording_dir)
+    assert [e["kind"] for e in events] == ["type"]
+    assert events[0]["text"] == "synthetic note"
+
+
 def test_ambiguous_params_rejected(tmp_path: Path) -> None:
     capture_dir = make_capture(tmp_path, demo_rows())
     with pytest.raises(ValueError, match="same value"):