M README.md → README.md

@@ -99,8 +99,9 @@ herdr's sounds; silent for completions you are already watching.
 - **Importance**: mark an agent high, normal (the default), or low. Within a
   status, more important agents are listed first, so a jump goes to them
   first; status still comes first (a blocked low agent before a done high
-  one). A high agent shows a bold `!` before its name; a low agent's name is
-  lightly dimmed, its second line says "low", and it makes no sound (it
+  one). A high agent shows a peach `!` before its name (in a column of its
+  own, so names line up); a low agent's name is dimmed, its second line
+  says "low", and it makes no sound (it
   still notifies, and waits in line like any other). In pi, type
   `/importance high|normal|low` (no argument: the current level); pi saves
   it with the session, so it comes back after `/reload`, a restart, or a

M menubar/main.swift → menubar/main.swift

@@ -424,6 +424,18 @@ let high = Row(paneId: "%1", agent: "pi", name: "Fix it", status: .done, session: "s", window: "w", since: 1, importance: .high)
     if rowTitle(high).string != "✓  ! Fix it" || rowTitlePrefix(high) != "✓  ! " {
         failures.append("title: a high agent is marked: \(rowTitle(high).string)")
     }
+    let markColor = rowTitle(high).attribute(.foregroundColor, at: rowTitlePrefix(high).utf16.count - 2,
+                                             effectiveRange: nil) as? NSColor
+    if markColor != herdrPeach { failures.append("title: the ! is peach") }
+    let normal = Row(paneId: "%2", agent: "pi", name: "Fix it", status: .done, session: "s", window: "w", since: 1)
+    if rowTitle(normal).string != "✓    Fix it" || rowTitlePrefix(normal).count != rowTitlePrefix(high).count {
+        failures.append("title: names line up with or without the mark: '\(rowTitle(normal).string)'")
+    }
+    let low = Row(paneId: "%3", agent: "pi", name: "Fix it", status: .done, session: "s", window: "w", since: 1,
+                  importance: .low)
+    let lowColor = rowTitle(low).attribute(.foregroundColor, at: rowTitlePrefix(low).utf16.count,
+                                           effectiveRange: nil) as? NSColor
+    if lowColor?.alphaComponent != lowImportanceAlpha { failures.append("title: a low agent's name is dimmed") }
     failures.forEach { print("FAIL \($0)") }
     print(failures.isEmpty ? "selftest ok" : "selftest: \(failures.count) failed")
     exit(failures.isEmpty ? 0 : 1)

M menubar/model.swift → menubar/model.swift

@@ -18,6 +18,8 @@ let herdrTeal = herdrColor(dark: (148, 226, 213), light: (23, 146, 153))
 let herdrYellow = herdrColor(dark: (249, 226, 175), light: (223, 142, 29))
 let herdrGreen = herdrColor(dark: (166, 227, 161), light: (64, 160, 43))
 let herdrGray = herdrColor(dark: (108, 112, 134), light: (156, 160, 176))
+/// Not a status color: marks a high-importance agent.
+let herdrPeach = herdrColor(dark: (250, 179, 135), light: (254, 100, 11))
 
 /// herdr's mocha text colors, fixed (not appearance-dependent) for the
 /// always-dark floating panel.
@@ -324,15 +326,23 @@ func plainTitle(for rows: [Row]) -> String {
     title(for: rows).string
 }
 
-/// The title's characters before the name: the status symbol, and `!` for a
-/// high agent.
+/// The title's characters before the name: the status symbol and the
+/// importance column.
 func rowTitlePrefix(_ row: Row) -> String {
-    "\(row.status.symbol)  " + (row.importance == .high ? "! " : "")
+    "\(row.status.symbol)  " + importanceMark(row) + " "
 }
 
-/// Row title: the colored status symbol, a bold `!` for a high agent, then
-/// the agent's name. Unnamed agents show their harness, dimmed, so it never
-/// competes with real names; a low agent's name is lightly dimmed.
+/// The importance column: `!` for a high agent, a blank otherwise, so every
+/// name starts in the same place.
+private func importanceMark(_ row: Row) -> String { row.importance == .high ? "!" : " " }
+
+/// How much a low agent's name is dimmed: enough to recede, still legible.
+let lowImportanceAlpha: CGFloat = 0.5
+
+/// Row title: the colored status symbol, the importance column (a peach `!`
+/// for a high agent), then the agent's name. Unnamed agents show their
+/// harness, dimmed, so it never competes with real names; a low agent's name
+/// is dimmed.
 func rowTitle(_ row: Row, primary: NSColor = .labelColor,
               secondary: NSColor = .secondaryLabelColor) -> NSAttributedString {
     let font = NSFont.menuFont(ofSize: 0)
@@ -340,11 +350,12 @@ let mono = NSFont.monospacedSystemFont(ofSize: font.pointSize, weight: .medium)
     let text = NSMutableAttributedString()
     text.append(NSAttributedString(
         string: "\(row.status.symbol)  ", attributes: [.font: mono, .foregroundColor: row.status.color]))
-    if row.importance == .high {
-        text.append(NSAttributedString(
-            string: "! ", attributes: [.font: NSFont.boldSystemFont(ofSize: font.pointSize), .foregroundColor: primary]))
-    }
-    let labelColor = row.name.isEmpty ? secondary : row.importance == .low ? primary.withAlphaComponent(0.7) : primary
+    text.append(NSAttributedString(
+        string: importanceMark(row) + " ",
+        attributes: [.font: NSFont.monospacedSystemFont(ofSize: font.pointSize, weight: .heavy),
+                     .foregroundColor: herdrPeach]))
+    let labelColor = row.name.isEmpty ? secondary
+        : row.importance == .low ? primary.withAlphaComponent(lowImportanceAlpha) : primary
     text.append(NSAttributedString(
         string: row.label, attributes: [.font: font, .foregroundColor: labelColor]))
     return text