Repeated issues with the `replace` (edit) tool

[sijieamoy]

TLDR

Added by @jackwotherspoon.

Here are main issues being seen with the replace tool:

• Error: Failed to edit, could not find the string to replace.
• replace tool misinterprets literal newline characters in the old_string or new_string parameters, leading to syntax errors in the generated code. It seems to treat \n as an actual newline instead of the escaped character
• 0 occurrences found for old_string.
• No changes detected

Bug Description

Describe the bug
Here's a very common pattern of GCLI encountered the Error: Failed to edit, could not find the string to replace. error with the replace tool and had to switch to write_file.
'''
✦ I've updated ChatInput.tsx. Now I will fix the errors in VimInput.tsx.
──────────────────────────────────────────────────
│ ✔ Edit ...ges/cli/src/ui/components/VimInput.tsx: interface VimInputProps {... => interface VimInputProps {... │
│ │
│ Error: Failed to edit, could not find the string to replace. │
──────────────────────────────────────────────────

✦ I apologize for the error. It seems I'm still having trouble with the replace tool. I will use write_file to update the VimInput.tsx
file. I will first read the file, then modify the content in memory, and finally write the new content to the file.
╭────────────────────────────────────────────────────────╮
│ ✔ ReadFile ...ges/cli/src/ui/components/VimInput.tsx │
╰────────────────────────────────────────────────────────╯

✦ I have the latest version of the VimInput.tsx file. I will now remove the unused value and onChange props and fix the any type in the
vimDispatch prop.
╭─────────────────────────────────────────────────
│ ✔ WriteFile Writing to ...ges/cli/src/ui/components/VimInput.tsx │
│ │
│ 8 import { VimState } from './vim.js'; │

Additional context
Add any other context about the problem here.

[keir]

I made #1061 as a prototype that explores an alternate approach for providing files to the model in a way that reduces or eliminates these issues. You can try the branch; it's a bit behind now though and conflicts with main.

[age-of-ai]

For this issue, i have seen today that cli is unable to modify it's internal state of the files. Although it has changed the files in the workspace.
So, the replacement tool keeps failing continuously since, it cannot find the original string (since, there is modified string in place) so further changes to this string fail.

[EpsilonPrime]

It can make the problem worse when falling back to writing an entire file as there is some internal limit and it can easily end up truncating the file.