Agents - Open new sessions to the side with Alt-click - #334962
Merged
Federico Brancasi (federicobrancasi) merged 2 commits intoSep 8, 2026
Merged
Agents - Open new sessions to the side with Alt-click#334962Federico Brancasi (federicobrancasi) merged 2 commits into
Federico Brancasi (federicobrancasi) merged 2 commits into
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Support Alt+click (Option+click on macOS) on the existing New button to open a session beside the active one. Keep the existing UI and keyboard shortcuts unchanged. Co-authored-by: Copilot <223556219+Copilot@users.noreply.github.com>
Copilot started reviewing on behalf of
Federico Brancasi (federicobrancasi)
September 7, 2026 18:15
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📬 CODENOTIFYThe following users are being notified based on files changed in this PR: Sandeep Somavarapu (@sandy081)Matched files:
Ladislau Szomoru (@lszomoru)Matched files:
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Copilot review overview
🟡 Changes recommended
The new action lacks keyboard accessibility, and existing empty composers are not placed beside the active session.
Once you've addressed the issues Copilot identified, you can request another Copilot review.
Review tier: Balanced
Findings: 2
New issues introduced by this change (2)
| Severity | Finding |
|---|---|
 |
src/vs/sessions/contrib/sessions/browser/sessionsActions.ts — This adds a mouse-only interaction: keyboard activation is converted to undefined before this… |
|
src/vs/sessions/services/sessions/browser/sessionsService.ts — When an empty composer already exists, this forces the fallback to _activate(undefined) instead… |
What changed in this PR
Adds Alt/Option-click support for opening a new Agents session beside the active session.
Changes:
- Propagates a
toSideoption through session creation. - Adds side-placement logic and targeted tests.
- Handles Alt-click on the New button.
Required changes:
- Provide an accessible keyboard or bindable-command alternative and document it in Sessions accessibility help.
- Relocate an existing empty composer beside the active anchor when
toSideis requested.
| File | Description |
|---|---|
src/vs/sessions/services/sessions/test/browser/sessionsManagementService.test.ts |
Tests side-opening behavior. |
src/vs/sessions/services/sessions/browser/sessionsService.ts |
Implements side placement. |
src/vs/sessions/contrib/sessions/test/browser/sessionsActions.test.ts |
Tests New button interactions. |
src/vs/sessions/contrib/sessions/browser/sessionsActions.ts |
Handles Alt-click behavior. |
src/vs/sessions/contrib/chat/browser/chat.contribution.ts |
Forwards the toSide option. |
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Move the single empty composer to the requested position instead of focusing it elsewhere. Keep repeated requests on the active composer and ordinary New behavior unchanged. Cover relocation, focus, stickiness, and replacement recency with regression tests. Co-authored-by: Copilot <223556219+Copilot@users.noreply.github.com>
Martin Aeschlimann (aeschli)
approved these changes
Sep 7, 2026
Federico Brancasi (federicobrancasi)
deleted the
agents/new-session-alt-click-only
branch
September 8, 2026 08:02
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Fixes #334508
Summary
Alt+click (Option+click on macOS) on New in the Agents window opens a new session beside the current one, keeping it visible.
Regular click and existing keyboard shortcuts are unchanged. No new buttons, dropdowns, or tooltip text.
Screen.Recording.2026-09-07.at.8.13.28.PM.mov
Testing