added persist:

* auto login if credentials exists
* storing messages in indexdb ($mol_db)

xmpp.view.ts

@@ -22,6 +22,24 @@ namespace $.$$ {
 		nick: string   // my nickname in this room
 	}
 
+	// $mol_db schema for persisted messages.
+	type Xmpp_db_schema = {
+		Messages: {
+			Key: [ string, string ]  // [account_bare_jid, msg_id]
+			Doc: {
+				account: string
+				peer: string
+				id: string
+				from: string
+				to: string
+				body: string
+				time: number
+				nick?: string
+			}
+			Indexes: {}
+		}
+	}
+
 	type Media_type = 'image' | 'audio' | 'link' | null
 
 	function media_type(url: string): Media_type {
@@ -616,20 +634,29 @@ private _handle_message(el: Element) {
 		// — covers servers that replay offline messages without proper <delay>.
 		private _connect_at = 0
 
+		// IndexedDB for persistent message history (via $mol_db).
+		private _db: $mol_db_database<Xmpp_db_schema> | null = null
+		private _db_init: Promise<$mol_db_database<Xmpp_db_schema>> | null = null
+		private _loading_persisted = false
+
+		private _auto_connect_tried = false
+
 		@ $mol_mem
 		status(next?: 'disconnected' | 'connecting' | 'connected') { return next ?? 'disconnected' }
 
 		@ $mol_mem
 		my_jid(next?: string) { return next ?? '' }
 
-		@ $mol_mem
+		// Persisted in localStorage so the user doesn't have to re-enter on reload.
-		server(next?: string) { return next ?? '' }
+		server(next?: string) {
-
+			return (this.$.$mol_state_local.value('xmpp_server', next) as string | null) ?? ''
-		@ $mol_mem
+		}
-		jid(next?: string) { return next ?? '' }
+		jid(next?: string) {
-
+			return (this.$.$mol_state_local.value('xmpp_jid', next) as string | null) ?? ''
-		@ $mol_mem
+		}
-		password(next?: string) { return next ?? '' }
+		password(next?: string) {
+			return (this.$.$mol_state_local.value('xmpp_password', next) as string | null) ?? ''
+		}
 
 		@ $mol_mem
 		error_text(next?: string) { return next ?? '' }
@@ -714,7 +741,10 @@ private _handle_message(el: Element) {
 		// ── Pages ─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
 
 		pages() {
-			if (this.status() !== 'connected') return [this.Login_page()]
+			if (this.status() !== 'connected') {
+				this._maybe_auto_connect()
+				return [this.Login_page()]
+			}
 			const pages: $mol_view[] = [this.Roster_page()]
 			const peer = this.$.$mol_state_arg.value('chat')
 			if (peer) {
@@ -725,6 +755,21 @@ private _handle_message(el: Element) {
 			return pages
 		}
 
+		// On first render, if we have saved credentials and aren't connecting/connected, kick off auto-connect.
+		private _maybe_auto_connect() {
+			if (this._auto_connect_tried) return
+			if (this.status() !== 'disconnected') return
+			const url = this.server().trim()
+			const jid = this.jid().trim()
+			const pw  = this.password()
+			if (!url || !jid || !pw) return
+			this._auto_connect_tried = true
+			// Defer to escape the current reactive fiber — do_connect mutates memos.
+			Promise.resolve().then(() => {
+				if (this.status() === 'disconnected') this.do_connect()
+			})
+		}
+
 		// ── Login ─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
 
 		connecting() { return this.status() === 'connecting' }
@@ -751,6 +796,7 @@ private _handle_message(el: Element) {
 				this.my_jid(bound_jid)
 				this.status('connected')
 				this._connect_at = Date.now()
+				void this._load_persisted()
 			}
 			conn.on_bookmarks = bookmarks => {
 				const my_nick = this.my_jid().split('@')[0]
@@ -1322,6 +1368,62 @@ private _handle_message(el: Element) {
 				if (msg.time < cur) this._oldest_time.set(msg.from, msg.time)
 			}
 			this.messages_ver(this.messages_ver() + 1)
+			if (!this._loading_persisted) void this._persist_msg(msg)
+		}
+
+		// ── Persistence (IndexedDB via $mol_db) ──────────────────────────────
+
+		private _ensure_db(): Promise<$mol_db_database<Xmpp_db_schema>> {
+			if (this._db) return Promise.resolve(this._db)
+			if (this._db_init) return this._db_init
+			this._db_init = this.$.$mol_db<Xmpp_db_schema>('xmpp',
+				mig => { mig.store_make('Messages') },
+			).then(db => { this._db = db; return db })
+			return this._db_init
+		}
+
+		private _peer_of(msg: Xmpp_message, account: string): string {
+			if (msg.nick !== undefined) return msg.from
+			return msg.from === account ? msg.to : msg.from
+		}
+
+		private async _persist_msg(msg: Xmpp_message) {
+			const account = this.my_jid().split('/')[0]
+			if (!account) return
+			try {
+				const db = await this._ensure_db()
+				const peer = this._peer_of(msg, account)
+				const { Messages } = db.change('Messages').stores
+				const doc: Xmpp_db_schema['Messages']['Doc'] = {
+					account, peer,
+					id: msg.id, from: msg.from, to: msg.to, body: msg.body, time: msg.time,
+					...(msg.nick !== undefined ? { nick: msg.nick } : {}),
+				}
+				await Messages.put(doc, [account, msg.id])
+			} catch (e) { console.warn('[xmpp] persist failed', e) }
+		}
+
+		private async _load_persisted() {
+			const account = this.my_jid().split('/')[0]
+			if (!account) return
+			try {
+				const db = await this._ensure_db()
+				const range = this.$.$mol_dom_context.IDBKeyRange.bound([account, ''], [account, '￿'])
+				const docs = await db.read('Messages').Messages.select(range, 100_000)
+				if (!docs?.length) return
+				this._loading_persisted = true
+				try {
+					for (const doc of docs) {
+						this._add_message({
+							id: doc.id, from: doc.from, to: doc.to,
+							body: doc.body, time: doc.time,
+							...(doc.nick !== undefined ? { nick: doc.nick } : {}),
+						})
+					}
+				} finally {
+					this._loading_persisted = false
+				}
+			} catch (e) { console.warn('[xmpp] load persisted failed', e) }
 		}
 
 		private _maybe_load_history(jid: string) {