From 3f5f6ea4f1fc9f1ab6bb66d45f85d2693cd16b8e Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001
From: prxnvt <53838599+prxnvt@users.noreply.github.com>
Date: Wed, 21 Oct 2026 16:59:29 -0400
Subject: [PATCH] Engine: a name given when a recording stops never replaces an
 existing macro

Stopping a recording with a name that a macro already has (in any case) saved over that macro's
steps, inputs and description, with only Undo to get them back. A taken name now gets a suffix
("Tidy (2)"), and the save passes replace: false as a backstop.
---
 crates/engine/src/cmd/macros.rs   |  7 ++++---
 crates/engine/src/tests/macros.rs | 15 +++++++++++++++
 docs/macros.md                    |  3 ++-
 3 files changed, 21 insertions(+), 4 deletions(-)

diff --git a/crates/engine/src/cmd/macros.rs b/crates/engine/src/cmd/macros.rs
index 383471f53..cd1f36c67 100644
--- a/crates/engine/src/cmd/macros.rs
+++ b/crates/engine/src/cmd/macros.rs
@@ -45,7 +45,7 @@ pub fn specs() -> Vec<CommandSpec> {
             "Record Macro",
             ["View", "Macros"],
             None,
-            "{stop?: bool, relative?: bool (default true; when starting), name?, description? (when stopping)} toggles recording; with relative references the selection when it starts is the example input → {recording, relative?, input?} or {recording: false, saved, steps, dropped, skipped, inputs}",
+            "{stop?: bool, relative?: bool (default true; when starting), name?, description? (when stopping; a taken name gets a suffix)} toggles recording; with relative references the selection when it starts is the example input → {recording, relative?, input?} or {recording: false, saved, steps, dropped, skipped, inputs}",
             has_doc,
             record
         ),
@@ -217,8 +217,9 @@ fn save_recording(s: &mut Session, p: &Json, rec: &crate::record::Recorder, star
         relative: true,
     });
     let wb = d.wb.clone();
+    // A name another macro has gets a suffix, so stopping never replaces a macro.
     let name = match str_param(p, "name").map(str::trim).filter(|n| !n.is_empty()) {
-        Some(n) => n.to_string(),
+        Some(n) => crate::macros::unique_name(&wb, n),
         None => crate::macros::next_name(&wb),
     };
     let mut converted = crate::macros::recorder::convert(&name, &start, &rec.steps, &wb);
@@ -231,7 +232,7 @@ fn save_recording(s: &mut Session, p: &Json, rec: &crate::record::Recorder, star
     // Saved into that workbook even when another one is active now.
     let active = s.active_index();
     s.set_active(at);
-    let saved = s.execute("macro.save", json!({"macro": crate::macros::macro_json(&converted.mac)}));
+    let saved = s.execute("macro.save", json!({"macro": crate::macros::macro_json(&converted.mac), "replace": false}));
     s.set_active(active);
     saved?;
     Ok(json!({"recording": false, "saved": name, "steps": steps, "dropped": rec.dropped, "skipped": converted.skipped, "inputs": inputs}))
diff --git a/crates/engine/src/tests/macros.rs b/crates/engine/src/tests/macros.rs
index 323b64ed4..0339ad5ee 100644
--- a/crates/engine/src/tests/macros.rs
+++ b/crates/engine/src/tests/macros.rs
@@ -1126,3 +1126,18 @@ fn a_recording_is_saved_in_the_workbook_where_it_started() {
     assert!(!s.is_recording());
     assert!(s.doc().unwrap().wb.macros.is_empty());
 }
+
+#[test]
+fn a_name_given_when_recording_stops_never_replaces_a_macro() {
+    let mut s = s();
+    let original = json!({"command": "cell.set", "params": {"cell": "Z9", "input": "mine"}});
+    put(&mut s, json!({"name": "Tidy", "description": "keep me", "steps": [original]}));
+    s.execute("macro.record", json!({"relative": false})).unwrap();
+    set(&mut s, "A1", "recorded");
+    let r = s.execute("macro.record", json!({"stop": true, "name": "tidy"})).unwrap();
+    assert_eq!(r["saved"], "tidy (2)");
+    let kept = crate::macros::parse_macro(&s.execute("macro.get", json!({"name": "Tidy"})).unwrap()).unwrap();
+    assert_eq!((kept.name.as_str(), kept.description.as_str(), kept.steps.len()), ("Tidy", "keep me", 1));
+    assert_eq!(recorded(&mut s, "Tidy"), ["cell.set {\"cell\":\"Z9\",\"input\":\"mine\"}"]);
+    assert_eq!(recorded(&mut s, "tidy (2)"), ["cell.set {\"cell\":\"A1\",\"input\":\"recorded\"}"]);
+}
diff --git a/docs/macros.md b/docs/macros.md
index 235d1f2b4..9f1461fc2 100644
--- a/docs/macros.md
+++ b/docs/macros.md
@@ -119,7 +119,8 @@ of the step that just ran, and the cells changed so far.
 ## Recording
 
 `macro.record` toggles recording (`relative: false` for absolute references; `name` and
-`description` when stopping). The macro is saved in the workbook where recording started, even if
+`description` when stopping; a name that another macro has gets a suffix, such as `Tidy (2)`, so
+stopping never replaces a macro). The macro is saved in the workbook where recording started, even if
 another one is active; if that workbook was closed, stopping ends the recording without saving it.
 When saving the recording fails (a name the check refuses, a workbook at its macro limit),
 recording goes on, so stopping again keeps what was recorded. With relative references the