Refreshing variables content after each request

[pidgeon777]

This is how I defined my timestamp variable:

["timestamp"] = {
  ---Ensure the file matches the CodeCompanion.Variable class
  ---@return string|fun(): nil
  -- callback = "/Users/Oli/Code/my_var.lua",
  callback = function()
    local string = os.date("%Y-%m-%d %H:%M:%S") .. " This is the XXX timestamp"
    vim.notify(vim.inspect(string), "info", { title = "[timestamp]" })
    return string
  end,
  description = "Get timestamp",
  -- opts = {
  --   contains_code = false,
  -- },
},

Once I do a first LLM request this way:

#timestamp

Tell me about XXX timestamp

Then the vim.notify is executed, returning also string.

But if I later do another request, then #timestamp is not "refreshed" (vim.notify is not called another time).

How could I be sure that, once a #timestamp is present on a input, once sent it's refreshed every time?

Please note that timestamp could be anything, for example a random string or a buffer content which changed, or else...

This is a sample conversation, you can see that at first input it properly detected the XXX timestamp and vim.notify was executed, but on second request nothing happened:

## User

> Sharing:
> - <var>timestamp</var>

#timestamp

Tell me about XXX timestamp

## CodeCompanion (Copilot)

I don't have specific information about "XXX timestamp" or the format you've shown. From the example "2025-04-08 17:55:52", this appears to be a standard ISO-like datetime format (YYYY-MM-DD HH:MM:SS).

If you're working with timestamps in code, I can help with:
- Parsing this format in various languages
- Converting between timestamp formats
- Timestamp manipulation functions
- Date/time handling libraries

Would you like me to explain how to work with timestamps like this in a particular programming language or framework?

## User

> Sharing:
> - <var>timestamp</var>

Tell me about XXX timestamp

## CodeCompanion (Copilot)

Regarding "XXX timestamp" - this isn't a standard timestamp format I'm familiar with. The "XXX" prefix could potentially refer to:

1. A placeholder for an unspecified format
2. A custom timestamp format for a specific system
3. A proprietary timestamp notation

Standard timestamp formats include:
- ISO 8601: `2023-04-08T17:55:52Z`
- Unix timestamp: `1712599552` (seconds since Jan 1, 1970)
- RFC 3339: `2023-04-08T17:55:52+00:00`

Could you provide more context about where you're encountering this "XXX timestamp" format or what system/language you're working with? I can then provide more specific information.

## User

> Sharing:
> - <var>timestamp</var>

In short, I would like that each time the timestamp variable is shared on the input, the new content is returned instead. How could I achieve this?

[olimorris]

This is a very valid question. It's not possible to do this with custom variables. It's been implemented for buffers (via watchers and pins) but no plans to add this in.

I'm planning to add some keymaps to trigger slash commands in the near future which will make adding repeated context like this a little less painful.

[pidgeon777]

Thanks for the reply. Do you think there could be a workaround at the moment?

In short, I have a function which returns some dynamic content, and I would like that function to be called each time I send a request to the LLM, with the newly returned content.

[olimorris]

Can you share what that is? Any reason it's not a buffer?

[einarpersson]

@pidgeon777 I just found this and realized that it sounds similar to what I described here.