Inherit rolling chronology for cue-free scenes

PlotLine.Tests/Program.cs

@@ -116,6 +116,13 @@ var tests = new (string Name, Action Test)[]
     ("Story Intelligence temporal rejects unanchored clock time", StoryIntelligenceTemporalRejectsUnanchoredClockTime),
     ("Story Intelligence temporal preserves yearless calendar date clues", StoryIntelligenceTemporalPreservesYearlessCalendarDateClues),
     ("Story Intelligence temporal resolves yearless calendar dates from context", StoryIntelligenceTemporalResolvesYearlessCalendarDatesFromContext),
+    ("Story Intelligence temporal inherits previous morning when extraction is empty", StoryIntelligenceTemporalInheritsPreviousMorningWhenExtractionIsEmpty),
+    ("Story Intelligence temporal inherits previous evening when extraction is empty", StoryIntelligenceTemporalInheritsPreviousEveningWhenExtractionIsEmpty),
+    ("Story Intelligence temporal inherits previous night when extraction is empty", StoryIntelligenceTemporalInheritsPreviousNightWhenExtractionIsEmpty),
+    ("Story Intelligence temporal inherits after midnight advancement", StoryIntelligenceTemporalInheritsAfterMidnightAdvancement),
+    ("Story Intelligence temporal inherits chapter anchor when extraction is empty", StoryIntelligenceTemporalInheritsChapterAnchorWhenExtractionIsEmpty),
+    ("Story Intelligence temporal stays unknown without context or extraction", StoryIntelligenceTemporalStaysUnknownWithoutContextOrExtraction),
+    ("Story Intelligence temporal explicit date overrides previous context", StoryIntelligenceTemporalExplicitDateOverridesPreviousContext),
     ("Story Intelligence temporal preserves vague few days", StoryIntelligenceTemporalPreservesVagueFewDays),
     ("Core import applies structural chronology to canonical scenes", CoreImportAppliesStructuralChronologyToCanonicalScenes),
     ("Story Intelligence temporal importer preserves manual chronology", StoryIntelligenceTemporalImporterPreservesManualChronology),
@@ -7234,6 +7241,73 @@ static void StoryIntelligenceTemporalResolvesYearlessCalendarDatesFromContext()
     Assert(result.RelativeTimeText == "28 Dec 1982, morning", "Resolved yearless dates should retain the part-of-day label.");
 }
 
+static void StoryIntelligenceTemporalInheritsPreviousMorningWhenExtractionIsEmpty()
+{
+    var context = new StoryIntelligenceTemporalContext(new DateTime(1982, 12, 28), new DateTime(1982, 12, 28), "morning");
+    var result = StoryIntelligenceTemporalResolver.Resolve(SceneWithoutTemporalExtraction(), context);
+
+    Assert(result.StartDateTime == new DateTime(1982, 12, 28), "Empty extraction should inherit the previous resolved date.");
+    Assert(result.TimeModeName == "Exact Date", "Inherited exact dates should remain exact dates.");
+    Assert(result.RelativeTimeText == "28 Dec 1982, morning", "Empty extraction should inherit the previous part of day.");
+}
+
+static void StoryIntelligenceTemporalInheritsPreviousEveningWhenExtractionIsEmpty()
+{
+    var context = new StoryIntelligenceTemporalContext(new DateTime(1982, 12, 28), new DateTime(1982, 12, 28), "evening");
+    var result = StoryIntelligenceTemporalResolver.Resolve(SceneWithoutTemporalExtraction(), context);
+
+    Assert(result.StartDateTime == new DateTime(1982, 12, 28), "Empty extraction should inherit the previous evening date.");
+    Assert(result.RelativeTimeText == "28 Dec 1982, evening", "Empty extraction should preserve evening precision.");
+}
+
+static void StoryIntelligenceTemporalInheritsPreviousNightWhenExtractionIsEmpty()
+{
+    var context = new StoryIntelligenceTemporalContext(new DateTime(1982, 12, 28), new DateTime(1982, 12, 28), "night");
+    var result = StoryIntelligenceTemporalResolver.Resolve(SceneWithoutTemporalExtraction(), context);
+
+    Assert(result.StartDateTime == new DateTime(1982, 12, 28), "Empty extraction should inherit the previous night date.");
+    Assert(result.RelativeTimeText == "28 Dec 1982, night", "Empty extraction should preserve night precision.");
+}
+
+static void StoryIntelligenceTemporalInheritsAfterMidnightAdvancement()
+{
+    var context = new StoryIntelligenceTemporalContext(new DateTime(1982, 12, 28), new DateTime(1982, 12, 28), "night");
+    var advanced = StoryIntelligenceTemporalResolver.Resolve(SceneWithTemporal(partOfDay: "night", crossesMidnight: true, evidence: "after midnight", confidence: 0.9m), context);
+    var inherited = StoryIntelligenceTemporalResolver.Resolve(SceneWithoutTemporalExtraction(), advanced.NextContext);
+
+    Assert(advanced.StartDateTime == new DateTime(1982, 12, 29), "After midnight should advance from the previous scene date.");
+    Assert(inherited.StartDateTime == new DateTime(1982, 12, 29), "Empty extraction after midnight should inherit the advanced date.");
+}
+
+static void StoryIntelligenceTemporalInheritsChapterAnchorWhenExtractionIsEmpty()
+{
+    var context = new StoryIntelligenceTemporalContext(new DateTime(1982, 12, 28), null, null);
+    var result = StoryIntelligenceTemporalResolver.Resolve(SceneWithoutTemporalExtraction(), context);
+
+    Assert(result.StartDateTime == new DateTime(1982, 12, 28), "Empty extraction should inherit chapter anchor when no previous scene chronology exists.");
+    Assert(result.TimeModeName == "Exact Date", "Chapter anchor fallback should produce the anchored date.");
+    Assert(result.RelativeTimeText is null, "Chapter anchor fallback should not invent a part of day.");
+}
+
+static void StoryIntelligenceTemporalStaysUnknownWithoutContextOrExtraction()
+{
+    var context = new StoryIntelligenceTemporalContext(null, null, null);
+    var result = StoryIntelligenceTemporalResolver.Resolve(SceneWithoutTemporalExtraction(), context);
+
+    Assert(result.StartDateTime is null, "No extraction and no context should remain unknown.");
+    Assert(result.TimeModeName == "Unknown", "Unknown should be the final fallback when there is no chronology context.");
+    Assert(result.RelativeTimeText is null, "Unknown chronology should not invent display text.");
+}
+
+static void StoryIntelligenceTemporalExplicitDateOverridesPreviousContext()
+{
+    var context = new StoryIntelligenceTemporalContext(new DateTime(1982, 12, 28), new DateTime(1982, 12, 28), "night");
+    var result = StoryIntelligenceTemporalResolver.Resolve(SceneWithTemporal(absoluteDate: "29 Dec 1982", partOfDay: "morning", evidence: "29 Dec 1982 morning", confidence: 0.95m), context);
+
+    Assert(result.StartDateTime == new DateTime(1982, 12, 29), "Explicit date should override the previous resolved date.");
+    Assert(result.RelativeTimeText == "29 Dec 1982, morning", "Explicit replacement should keep the current scene part of day.");
+}
+
 static void StoryIntelligenceTemporalPreservesVagueFewDays()
 {
     var context = new StoryIntelligenceTemporalContext(new DateTime(1983, 10, 4), new DateTime(1983, 10, 4), null);
@@ -7253,6 +7327,7 @@ static void CoreImportAppliesStructuralChronologyToCanonicalScenes()
     Assert(onboarding.Contains("await ApplyStructuralChronologyAsync(structuralScenes, result)", StringComparison.Ordinal), "Fresh core import should apply chronology after source text has canonical SceneIDs.");
     Assert(onboarding.Contains("await ApplyStructuralChronologyAsync(recoveredScenes, existingBuild)", StringComparison.Ordinal), "Recovered core import should apply chronology when missing scene sources are repaired.");
     Assert(onboarding.Contains("ExtractStructuralTemporalEvidence(structuralScene.SourceText)", StringComparison.Ordinal), "Core import chronology should use SceneManuscriptSources-equivalent structural source text.");
+    Assert(onboarding.Contains("StoryIntelligenceTemporalResolver.Resolve(BuildStructuralTemporalScene(structuralScene), temporalContext)", StringComparison.Ordinal), "Cue-free structural scenes should still enter the rolling resolver so they can inherit chronology.");
     Assert(onboarding.Contains("HasExistingChronology(canonicalScene)", StringComparison.Ordinal), "Core import chronology should preserve existing author-entered chronology.");
     Assert(resolver.Contains("HasExplicitYear(clean)", StringComparison.Ordinal), "Temporal resolver should avoid current-year date parsing for yearless manuscript dates.");
 }
@@ -7421,6 +7496,15 @@ static SceneIntelligenceScene SceneWithTemporal(
         }
     };
 
+static SceneIntelligenceScene SceneWithoutTemporalExtraction()
+    => new()
+    {
+        Summary = new SceneIntelligenceSummary { Short = "The scene continues without a new time cue.", Confidence = 0.8m },
+        Setting = new SceneIntelligenceSetting { LocationName = "Pub", LocationType = "interior", Confidence = 0.8m },
+        TemporalAnalysis = null,
+        TimelineClues = []
+    };
+
 static JsonElement SceneSchemaRoot()
     => JsonSerializer.SerializeToElement(StoryIntelligenceSceneStructuredOutputSchema.Contract.Schema);
 

PlotLine/Services/OnboardingService.cs

@@ -580,13 +580,7 @@ public sealed class OnboardingService(
                     continue;
                 }
 
-                var temporalScene = BuildStructuralTemporalScene(structuralScene);
+                var resolved = StoryIntelligenceTemporalResolver.Resolve(BuildStructuralTemporalScene(structuralScene), temporalContext);
-                if (temporalScene is null)
-                {
-                    continue;
-                }
-
-                var resolved = StoryIntelligenceTemporalResolver.Resolve(temporalScene, temporalContext);
                 temporalContext = resolved.NextContext;
                 if (string.Equals(resolved.TimeModeName, "Unknown", StringComparison.OrdinalIgnoreCase)
                     || (!resolved.StartDateTime.HasValue && string.IsNullOrWhiteSpace(resolved.RelativeTimeText)))

PlotLine/Services/StoryIntelligenceTemporalResolver.cs

@@ -95,6 +95,7 @@ public static class StoryIntelligenceTemporalResolver
             temporal = InferFromLegacyFields(scene);
         }
 
+        var hasCurrentTemporalSignal = HasSceneTemporalSignal(temporal, scene);
         var confidence = NormaliseConfidence(temporal?.Confidence);
         var contextDate = context.LastDate ?? context.ChapterAnchorDate;
         var absoluteDate = ParseDate(temporal?.AbsoluteDate, contextDate) ?? ParseDate(fallbackText, contextDate);
@@ -103,12 +104,19 @@ public static class StoryIntelligenceTemporalResolver
         var isDateDeterministic = absoluteDate.HasValue;
         var relativeText = FirstNonBlank(temporal?.Evidence, temporal?.AbsoluteDate, scene?.Setting?.DateOrTimeReference, scene?.Setting?.TimeOfDay);
         var currentPartOfDay = CleanPartOfDay(temporal?.PartOfDay ?? scene?.Setting?.TimeOfDay ?? fallbackText);
+        var inheritedPartOfDay = !hasCurrentTemporalSignal && context.LastDate.HasValue ? context.LastPartOfDay : null;
+        var displayPartOfDay = currentPartOfDay ?? inheritedPartOfDay;
         var partOfDayForTime = currentPartOfDay ?? context.LastPartOfDay;
         var exactTime = ParseTime(FirstNonBlank(temporal?.ExactTime, temporal?.Evidence, scene?.Setting?.DateOrTimeReference), partOfDayForTime);
 
         if (!resolvedDate.HasValue && baseDate.HasValue)
         {
-            if (temporal?.CrossesMidnight == true)
+            if (!hasCurrentTemporalSignal)
+            {
+                resolvedDate = baseDate.Value.Date;
+                isDateDeterministic = true;
+            }
+            else if (temporal?.CrossesMidnight == true)
             {
                 resolvedDate = baseDate.Value.AddDays(1);
                 isDateDeterministic = true;
@@ -128,7 +136,7 @@ public static class StoryIntelligenceTemporalResolver
                 resolvedDate = baseDate.Value.Date;
                 isDateDeterministic = true;
             }
-            else if (!HasApproximateSignal(temporal, fallbackText) && (currentPartOfDay is not null || HasSceneTemporalSignal(temporal, scene)))
+            else if (!HasApproximateSignal(temporal, fallbackText) && (currentPartOfDay is not null || hasCurrentTemporalSignal))
             {
                 resolvedDate = baseDate.Value.Date;
                 isDateDeterministic = true;
@@ -162,12 +170,12 @@ public static class StoryIntelligenceTemporalResolver
 
         var displayText = string.Equals(mode, "Unknown", StringComparison.OrdinalIgnoreCase)
             ? null
-            : BuildRelativeText(start, exactTime, currentPartOfDay, relativeText, temporal);
+            : BuildRelativeText(start, exactTime, displayPartOfDay, relativeText, temporal);
         var resolvedConfidence = ResolveConfidenceName(confidence, isDateDeterministic, mode);
         var nextContext = context with
         {
             LastDate = start?.Date ?? (isDateDeterministic ? resolvedDate : context.LastDate),
-            LastPartOfDay = currentPartOfDay ?? context.LastPartOfDay
+            LastPartOfDay = displayPartOfDay ?? context.LastPartOfDay
         };
 
         return new StoryIntelligenceTemporalResolution(start, null, null, null, displayText, mode, resolvedConfidence, nextContext);
@@ -518,8 +526,7 @@ public static class StoryIntelligenceTemporalResolver
 
     private static bool HasSceneTemporalSignal(SceneIntelligenceTemporalAnalysis? temporal, SceneIntelligenceScene? scene)
         => temporal is not null
-            && (temporal.Confidence > 0
+            && (!string.IsNullOrWhiteSpace(temporal.AbsoluteDate)
-                || !string.IsNullOrWhiteSpace(temporal.AbsoluteDate)
                 || !string.IsNullOrWhiteSpace(temporal.ExactTime)
                 || !string.IsNullOrWhiteSpace(temporal.Evidence)
                 || !string.IsNullOrWhiteSpace(scene?.Setting?.DateOrTimeReference)