sessions: add a context key gating the classic-window actions by roidayan1 · Pull Request #336910 · microsoft/vscode

Roi Dayan (roidayan1) · 2026-09-20T09:43:57Z

The Agents window is usable as the only window a product ships, but four actions reach for a classic VS Code window and there is currently no supported way to gate them:

Action	Today
`OpenVSCodeWindowAction`	`f1: true`, bound to `Cmd/Ctrl+Shift+A`, no `precondition` and no `when` clause at all
`ReturnToVSCodeEditorAction`	no `precondition`, and invoked directly by the sign-in dialog
`OpenInVSCodeAction`	gates on `IsAuxiliaryWindowContext` / `SessionsWelcomeVisibleContext` only
`OpenSessionInVSCodeAction`	same

The first is the awkward one: it is in the command palette and on a keybinding, with nothing to hang a condition on.

What this does

Adds SessionsClassicWindowUnavailableContext (sessionsClassicWindowUnavailable) in sessions/common/contextkeys.ts and negates it at every use.

It is stated as an opt-out on purpose. Nothing binds the key, and a RawContextKey's default is written only by bindTo() — so an expression that is false when the key is unset would hide these actions in stock VS Code. Negating a default-false key gives the intended behaviour with no binder to run and no ordering between that binder and a product that opts out: unset means available, and a product that cannot open a classic window sets it to true.

It is applied in two places:

the precondition of OpenVSCodeWindowAction, OpenInVSCodeAction and OpenSessionInVSCodeAction, and the when of the two title-bar menu items;
inside ShouldShowReturnToVSCodeEditorAction.run(), because the sign-in dialog renders its footer button from that answer and then executes RETURN_TO_VSCODE_EDITOR_COMMAND_ID directly — Action2 handlers do not enforce preconditions, so a precondition there would gate nothing.

ReturnToVSCodeEditorAction has no f1 and no menu, so it carries no precondition: the real gate is the decision command above.

Test

vscodeActions.test.ts covers unset, true and false against the real desc.precondition of OpenVSCodeWindowAction and OpenSessionInVSCodeAction — bare and inside a conjunction, since ContextKeyExpr canonicalizes.

Notes

No existing condition is removed or loosened, and there is no behaviour change without an explicit opt-out.
The key gets its own //#region, since it describes neither the welcome overlay nor the editor area.

🤖 Generated with Claude Code

The Agents window can be the only window a product ships, but four actions reach for a classic VS Code window with no way to gate them: - `OpenVSCodeWindowAction` is `f1: true` and bound to Cmd/Ctrl+Shift+A with no precondition and no when clause at all - `ReturnToVSCodeEditorAction` has no precondition - `OpenInVSCodeAction` and `OpenSessionInVSCodeAction` gate only on `IsAuxiliaryWindowContext` and `SessionsWelcomeVisibleContext` Adds `SessionsClassicWindowAvailableContext`, defaulting to `true` so VS Code's own behaviour is unchanged, and includes it in all four. A product that cannot open a classic window sets it to `false` once and the actions stop offering themselves, instead of each embedder finding its own way to suppress a command it cannot fulfil. Co-Authored-By: Claude Opus 5 (1M context) <noreply@anthropic.com>

Roi Dayan (roidayan1) · 2026-09-20T09:48:06Z

@microsoft-github-policy-service agree

Copilot

Copilot review overview

🟡 Changes recommended

The key is never initialized, disabling actions by default, while the sign-in dialog bypasses its precondition.

Get a fresh assessment by requesting another Copilot review.

Review effort: Balanced
Findings: 1 · 1

Open (2)

New context key lacks a bound default value · New
Return-to-editor action ignores its availability precondition · New

What changed in this PR

Adds an opt-out context key for actions that open classic VS Code windows from the Agents window.

Changes:

Adds sessionsClassicWindowAvailable.
Applies it to four actions and two title-bar menu entries.

File	Description
`src/vs/sessions/common/contextkeys.ts`	Defines the availability context key.
`src/vs/sessions/browser/actions/vscodeActions.ts`	Gates web “Open in Editor” UI.
`src/vs/sessions/electron-browser/actions/vscodeActions.ts`	Gates desktop window actions.

💡 Add a code-review agent skill or configure MCP servers for context-aware, tailored reviews. Learn more in the docs.

Two fixes from review. A `RawContextKey`'s default is written only by `bindTo()`, and nothing binds this key -- so it reads as `undefined` and every positive check evaluated false, disabling the actions by default rather than leaving them alone. Consumers now test `notEqualsTo(false)`, so unset and `true` both mean available and stock VS Code is genuinely unchanged. `ReturnToVSCodeEditorAction` has no `f1` and no menu, so a precondition on it gates nothing: the sign-in dialog renders its footer button from `agents.shouldShowReturnToVSCodeEditor` and then executes the command directly, and `Action2` handlers do not enforce preconditions. The decorative precondition is removed and the availability check moves into the decision command, which is what the button is rendered from. Co-Authored-By: Claude Opus 5 (1M context) <noreply@anthropic.com>

Copilot

Copilot review overview

🟡 Changes recommended

The Boolean expression canonicalization disables the gated actions when the new key is unset.

Get a fresh assessment by requesting another Copilot review.

Review effort: Balanced
Findings: 2 · 1

Open (3)

notEqualsTo(false) incorrectly treats unset keys as defined · New
New context key lacks a bound default value
Condense the method-body explanation to one line · New

Resolved since last review (1)

Return-to-editor action ignores its availability precondition

`notEqualsTo(false)` did not fix the previous round: `ContextKeyNotEqualsExpr.create` canonicalizes a boolean `false` comparison straight back to `ContextKeyDefinedExpr` (contextkey.ts:1046-1052), so the expression was identical to the one it replaced and an unbound key still evaluated false. Inverted instead. `sessionsClassicWindowUnavailable` defaults to `false` and every consumer negates it, so `ContextKeyNotExpr` evaluates `!undefined` -- unset means available, no binding and no ordering between a binder and a product that opts out. Adds a regression test over unset, `true` and `false`, against the real preconditions of `OpenVSCodeWindowAction` and `OpenSessionInVSCodeAction` -- bare and inside a conjunction, since `and()` canonicalizes too. Also condenses the guard comment in `ShouldShowReturnToVSCodeEditorAction`. Co-Authored-By: Claude Opus 5 (1M context) <noreply@anthropic.com>

Copilot

Copilot review overview

🟡 Changes recommended

The sign-in-dialog gating branch needs focused regression coverage, and added comments exceed repository limits.

Get a fresh assessment by requesting another Copilot review.

Review effort: Balanced
Findings: 2 · 1 · 2

Open (5)

notEqualsTo(false) incorrectly treats unset keys as defined
New context key lacks a bound default value
Add regression coverage for sign-in dialog gate · New
Shorten JSDoc to the non-obvious opt-out invariant · New
Condense inline comment to one line · New

Resolved since last review (1)

Condense the method-body explanation to one line

Roi Dayan (roidayan1) · 2026-09-20T10:33:19Z


 	override async run(accessor: ServicesAccessor): Promise<boolean> {
+		// The sign-in dialog invokes the command directly, which no precondition can gate.
+		if (SessionsClassicWindowUnavailableContext.getValue(accessor.get(IContextKeyService)) === true) {


Good catch, and it is the sharpest of the three: the test would have passed with that guard deleted. Covered in e67dc0f over unset, false and true, against ShouldShowReturnToVSCodeEditorAction.run() itself rather than a reconstruction — and the true case asserts queriedWindows === false, so the short-circuit before INativeHostService is pinned as you asked rather than implied by the return value.

The regression test only evaluated action preconditions, so removing the guard in `ShouldShowReturnToVSCodeEditorAction.run()` would still have passed while the Return button stayed visible in an opted-out product. It is now covered over unset, `false` and `true`, including that opting out short-circuits before the native host is asked for windows. Trims the context key's JSDoc to the opt-out invariant -- the canonicalization history it carried is what the test protects -- and the two-line narration in the test to one line. Co-Authored-By: Claude Opus 5 (1M context) <noreply@anthropic.com>

Copilot

Copilot review overview

🟢 Approval recommended

The opt-out preserves default behavior, covers all identified entry points, and has focused regression tests.

Review effort: Balanced
Findings: 1

Open (1)

Add regression coverage for sign-in dialog gate

Resolved since last review (4)

notEqualsTo(false) incorrectly treats unset keys as defined
New context key lacks a bound default value
Condense inline comment to one line
Shorten JSDoc to the non-obvious opt-out invariant

Copilot AI balanced review requested due to automatic review settings September 20, 2026 09:43

Copilot started reviewing on behalf of Roi Dayan (roidayan1) September 20, 2026 09:46 View session

Copilot AI reviewed Sep 20, 2026

View reviewed changes

Comment thread src/vs/sessions/common/contextkeys.ts Outdated

Comment thread src/vs/sessions/electron-browser/actions/vscodeActions.ts Outdated

Roi Dayan (roidayan1) requested a balanced review from Copilot September 20, 2026 09:57

Copilot started reviewing on behalf of Roi Dayan (roidayan1) September 20, 2026 09:58 View session

Copilot AI reviewed Sep 20, 2026

View reviewed changes

Comment thread src/vs/sessions/common/contextkeys.ts Outdated

Comment thread src/vs/sessions/electron-browser/actions/vscodeActions.ts Outdated

Roi Dayan (roidayan1) requested a balanced review from Copilot September 20, 2026 10:25

Copilot started reviewing on behalf of Roi Dayan (roidayan1) September 20, 2026 10:27 View session

Copilot AI reviewed Sep 20, 2026

View reviewed changes

Roi Dayan (roidayan1) requested a balanced review from Copilot September 20, 2026 10:34

Copilot started reviewing on behalf of Roi Dayan (roidayan1) September 20, 2026 10:36 View session

Copilot AI reviewed Sep 20, 2026

View reviewed changes

vs-code-engineering Bot added the triage-needed label Sep 20, 2026

vs-code-engineering Bot assigned Anthony Kim (anthonykim1) Sep 20, 2026

Navigation Menu

sessions: add a context key gating the classic-window actions - #336910

sessions: add a context key gating the classic-window actions#336910
Roi Dayan (roidayan1) wants to merge 4 commits into
microsoft:mainfrom
roidayan1:roid/sessions-classic-window-context-key

Roi Dayan (roidayan1) commented Sep 20, 2026 •

edited

Loading

Uh oh!

Roi Dayan (roidayan1) commented Sep 20, 2026

Uh oh!

Copilot AI left a comment

Uh oh!

Uh oh!

Uh oh!

Copilot AI left a comment

Uh oh!

Uh oh!

Uh oh!

Copilot AI left a comment

Uh oh!

Roi Dayan (roidayan1) Sep 20, 2026

Uh oh!

Uh oh!

Uh oh!

Copilot AI left a comment

Uh oh!

Reviewers

Assignees

Labels

Projects

Milestone

Development

Uh oh!

3 participants

Conversation

Roi Dayan (roidayan1) commented Sep 20, 2026 • edited Loading Uh oh! There was an error while loading. Please reload this page.

Uh oh!

What this does

Test

Notes

Uh oh!

Roi Dayan (roidayan1) commented Sep 20, 2026

Uh oh!

Copilot AI left a comment

Choose a reason for hiding this comment

Copilot review overview

🟡 Changes recommended

Uh oh!

Uh oh!

Uh oh!

Copilot AI left a comment

Choose a reason for hiding this comment

Copilot review overview

🟡 Changes recommended

Uh oh!

Uh oh!

Uh oh!

Copilot AI left a comment

Choose a reason for hiding this comment

Copilot review overview

🟡 Changes recommended

Uh oh!

Roi Dayan (roidayan1) Sep 20, 2026

Choose a reason for hiding this comment

Uh oh!

Uh oh!

Uh oh!

Copilot AI left a comment

Choose a reason for hiding this comment

Copilot review overview

🟢 Approval recommended

Uh oh!

Reviewers

Assignees

Labels

Projects

Milestone

Development

Uh oh!

3 participants

Roi Dayan (roidayan1) commented Sep 20, 2026 •

edited

Loading