Add an option to reuse the last browser tab for chat initialization and include corresponding settings

Author: robertpiosik

apps/browser/src/background/message-handler.ts

@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@ interface ChatQueueItem {
 
 const chat_queue: ChatQueueItem[] = []
 let is_processing = false
+let last_opened_tab_id: number | undefined
 
 const CHAT_INITIALIZATION_TIMEOUT = 5000
 
@@ -86,29 +87,42 @@ const process_next_chat = async () => {
   const { 'selected-firefox-container': selected_firefox_container_id } =
     await browser.storage.local.get('selected-firefox-container')
 
-  const create_tab_options: any = {
-    active: true
-  }
-
-  if (selected_firefox_container_id) {
-    create_tab_options.cookieStoreId = selected_firefox_container_id
-  }
-
+  let target_url = ''
   // OpenRouter is a special case—model handling via search params
   if (current_chat_message.url == 'https://openrouter.ai/chat') {
     // https://openrouter.ai/chat?models=openrouter/quasar-alpha
     const search_params = new URLSearchParams()
     if (current_chat_message.model) {
       search_params.set('models', current_chat_message.model)
     }
-    const open_router_url = `${
+    target_url = `${
       current_chat_message.url
     }?${search_params.toString()}#cwc-${batch_id}`
-    create_tab_options.url = open_router_url
-    browser.tabs.create(create_tab_options)
   } else {
-    create_tab_options.url = `${current_chat_message.url}#cwc-${batch_id}`
-    browser.tabs.create(create_tab_options)
+    target_url = `${current_chat_message.url}#cwc-${batch_id}`
+  }
+
+  let tab_reused = false
+  if (last_opened_tab_id !== undefined && current_chat_message.reuse_last_tab) {
+    try {
+      await browser.tabs.get(last_opened_tab_id)
+      await browser.tabs.update(last_opened_tab_id, {
+        url: target_url,
+        active: true
+      })
+      tab_reused = true
+    } catch {
+      last_opened_tab_id = undefined
+    }
+  }
+
+  if (!tab_reused) {
+    const create_tab_options: any = { active: true, url: target_url }
+    if (selected_firefox_container_id) {
+      create_tab_options.cookieStoreId = selected_firefox_container_id
+    }
+    const new_tab = await browser.tabs.create(create_tab_options)
+    last_opened_tab_id = new_tab.id
   }
 
   current_queue_item.timeout_id = setTimeout(() => {

apps/editor/package.json

@@ -827,6 +827,11 @@
           "scope": "resource",
           "default": false
         },
+        "codeWebChat.reuseLastTab": {
+          "type": "boolean",
+          "scope": "resource",
+          "default": false
+        },
         "codeWebChat.clearChecksInWorkspaceBehavior": {
           "type": "string",
           "scope": "resource",

apps/editor/src/commands/apply-chat-response-command/utils/edit-formats/diffs/test-cases/generic-6/expected.txt

@@ -284,7 +284,7 @@ export const handle_preview_preset = async (
   if (sent) {
     panel_provider.send_message({
       command: 'SHOW_AUTO_CLOSING_MODAL',
-      title: 'Opened in the connected browser',
+      title: 'Continue in theconnected browser',
       type: 'success'
     })
   }

apps/editor/src/commands/apply-chat-response-command/utils/edit-formats/diffs/test-cases/generic-6/original.txt

@@ -273,7 +273,7 @@ export const handle_preview_preset = async (
   if (sent) {
     panel_provider.send_message({
       command: 'SHOW_AUTO_CLOSING_MODAL',
-      title: 'Opened in the connected browser',
+      title: 'Continue in theconnected browser',
       type: 'success'
     })
   }

apps/editor/src/services/websocket-manager.ts

@@ -16,6 +16,7 @@ import { Preset } from '@shared/types/preset'
 import { ConfigPresetFormat } from '@/views/panel/backend/utils/preset-format-converters'
 import { LAST_SELECTED_BROWSER_ID_STATE_KEY } from '@/constants/state-keys'
 import { ApplyChatResponseCommandArgs } from '@/commands/apply-chat-response-command/response-processor'
+import { WebPromptType } from '@shared/types/prompt-types'
 
 /**
  * Bridges the current workspace window and websocket server that runs in a separate process.
@@ -315,7 +316,7 @@ export class WebSocketManager {
       preset_name: string
       raw_instructions?: string
       edit_format?: string
-      prompt_type: any
+      prompt_type?: WebPromptType
     }>
     presets_config_key: string
   }): Promise<boolean> {
@@ -328,6 +329,7 @@ export class WebSocketManager {
       config.get<ConfigPresetFormat[]>(params.presets_config_key) ?? []
     const gemini_user_id = config.get<number | null>('geminiUserId')
     const ai_studio_user_id = config.get<number | null>('aiStudioUserId')
+    const reuse_last_tab = config.get<boolean>('reuseLastTab', false)
 
     const target_browser_id = await this._select_browser()
     if (target_browser_id === undefined) {
@@ -405,7 +407,8 @@ export class WebSocketManager {
         client_id: this.client_id || 0, // 0 is a temporary fallback and should be removed few weeks from 28.03.25
         raw_instructions: chat.raw_instructions,
         edit_format: chat.edit_format,
-        prompt_type: chat.prompt_type
+        prompt_type: chat.prompt_type,
+        reuse_last_tab
       }
 
       Logger.info({
@@ -424,7 +427,7 @@ export class WebSocketManager {
     instruction: string
     preset: Preset
     raw_instructions: string
-    prompt_type: any
+    prompt_type?: WebPromptType
   }): Promise<boolean> {
     if (!this.has_connected_browsers) {
       throw new Error('Does not have connected browsers.')
@@ -438,6 +441,7 @@ export class WebSocketManager {
     const config = vscode.workspace.getConfiguration('codeWebChat')
     const gemini_user_number = config.get<number | null>('geminiUserNumber')
     const ai_studio_user_id = config.get<number | null>('aiStudioUserId')
+    const reuse_last_tab = config.get<boolean>('reuseLastTab', false)
 
     const chatbot = CHATBOTS[params.preset.chatbot as keyof typeof CHATBOTS]
     let url: string
@@ -507,7 +511,8 @@ export class WebSocketManager {
       options: params.preset.options,
       client_id: this.client_id || 0, // 0 is a temporary fallback and should be removed few weeks from 28.03.25
       raw_instructions: params.raw_instructions,
-      prompt_type: params.prompt_type
+      prompt_type: params.prompt_type,
+      reuse_last_tab
     }
 
     Logger.info({

apps/editor/src/views/panel/backend/message-handlers/handle-preview-preset.ts

@@ -154,7 +154,7 @@ export const handle_preview_preset = async (
   if (sent) {
     panel_provider.send_message({
       command: 'SHOW_AUTO_CLOSING_MODAL',
-      title: 'Opened in the connected browser',
+      title: 'Continue in theconnected browser',
       type: 'success'
     })
   }

apps/editor/src/views/panel/backend/message-handlers/handle-send-to-browser.ts

@@ -232,7 +232,7 @@ export const handle_send_to_browser = async (params: {
   if (sent) {
     params.panel_provider.send_message({
       command: 'SHOW_AUTO_CLOSING_MODAL',
-      title: 'Opened in the connected browser',
+      title: 'Continue in theconnected browser',
       type: 'success'
     })
   }

apps/editor/src/views/settings/backend/message-handlers/handle-get-reuse-last-tab.ts

@@ -0,0 +1,13 @@
+import * as vscode from 'vscode'
+import { SettingsProvider } from '@/views/settings/backend/settings-provider'
+
+export const handle_get_reuse_last_tab = async (
+  provider: SettingsProvider
+): Promise<void> => {
+  const config = vscode.workspace.getConfiguration('codeWebChat')
+  const enabled = config.get<boolean>('reuseLastTab', false)
+  provider.postMessage({
+    command: 'REUSE_LAST_TAB',
+    enabled
+  })
+}

apps/editor/src/views/settings/backend/message-handlers/handle-update-reuse-last-tab.ts

@@ -0,0 +1,14 @@
+import * as vscode from 'vscode'
+import { UpdateReuseLastTabMessage } from '@/views/settings/types/messages'
+
+export const handle_update_reuse_last_tab = async (
+  message: UpdateReuseLastTabMessage
+): Promise<void> => {
+  await vscode.workspace
+    .getConfiguration('codeWebChat')
+    .update(
+      'reuseLastTab',
+      message.enabled || undefined,
+      vscode.ConfigurationTarget.Global
+    )
+}

apps/editor/src/views/settings/backend/message-handlers/index.ts

@@ -33,6 +33,8 @@ export * from './handle-get-send-with-shift-enter'
 export * from './handle-update-send-with-shift-enter'
 export * from './handle-get-check-new-files'
 export * from './handle-update-check-new-files'
+export * from './handle-get-reuse-last-tab'
+export * from './handle-update-reuse-last-tab'
 export * from './handle-delete-configuration'
 export * from './handle-get-configurations'
 export * from './handle-get-fix-all-automatically'