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feat: support Windows right-click context menu to open directory #3280

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feat: support Windows right-click context menu to open directory #3280

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10 changes: 8 additions & 2 deletions emain/emain-window.ts
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Original file line number Diff line number Diff line change
Expand Up @@ -29,6 +29,7 @@ export type WindowOpts = {
unamePlatform: NodeJS.Platform;
isPrimaryStartupWindow?: boolean;
foregroundWindow?: boolean;
cwd?: string;
};

export const MinWindowWidth = 800;
Expand Down Expand Up @@ -724,6 +725,9 @@ export async function createBrowserWindow(
if (!waveWindow) {
console.log("createBrowserWindow: no waveWindow");
waveWindow = await WindowService.CreateWindow(null, "");
if (opts.cwd && waveWindow?.workspaceid) {
await ObjectService.UpdateObjectMeta(`workspace:${waveWindow.workspaceid}`, { "cmd:cwd": opts.cwd } as MetaType);
}
}
let workspace = await WorkspaceService.GetWorkspace(waveWindow.workspaceid);
if (!workspace) {
Expand Down Expand Up @@ -847,8 +851,8 @@ ipcMain.on("delete-workspace", (event, workspaceId) => {
});
});

export async function createNewWaveWindow() {
log("createNewWaveWindow");
export async function createNewWaveWindow(cwd?: string) {
log("createNewWaveWindow" + (cwd ? ` cwd=${cwd}` : ""));
const clientData = await ClientService.GetClientData();
const fullConfig = await RpcApi.GetFullConfigCommand(ElectronWshClient);
let recreatedWindow = false;
Expand All @@ -862,6 +866,7 @@ export async function createNewWaveWindow() {
const win = await createBrowserWindow(existingWindowData, fullConfig, {
unamePlatform,
isPrimaryStartupWindow: false,
cwd,
});
if (quakeWindow == null) {
quakeWindow = win;
Expand All @@ -878,6 +883,7 @@ export async function createNewWaveWindow() {
const newBrowserWindow = await createBrowserWindow(null, fullConfig, {
unamePlatform,
isPrimaryStartupWindow: false,
cwd,
});
if (quakeWindow == null) {
quakeWindow = newBrowserWindow;
Expand Down
3 changes: 2 additions & 1 deletion emain/emain.ts
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Original file line number Diff line number Diff line change
Expand Up @@ -388,7 +388,8 @@ async function appMain() {
}
electronApp.on("second-instance", (_event, argv, workingDirectory) => {
console.log("second-instance event, argv:", argv, "workingDirectory:", workingDirectory);
fireAndForget(createNewWaveWindow);
const cwd = workingDirectory || undefined;
fireAndForget(() => createNewWaveWindow(cwd));
});
Comment on lines 389 to 393
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@coderabbitai coderabbitai Bot May 4, 2026

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⚠️ Potential issue | 🟠 Major | ⚡ Quick win

🧩 Analysis chain

🌐 Web query:

Electron second-instance workingDirectory vs argv for Windows Explorer right-click Directory context menu

💡 Result:

Electron single-instance relaunch: use the second-instance event’s argv (and workingDirectory) rather than process.argv. 1) What Electron passes to the primary instance - When a second process starts and the first instance called app.requestSingleInstanceLock, Electron emits: - second-instance with parameters (event, argv, workingDirectory, additionalData). - argv is an array of the second instance’s command-line arguments, and workingDirectory is the second instance’s current working directory. - additionalData is JSON/object data you passed to app.requestSingleInstanceLock(additionalData); Electron documentation notes that argv may not be exactly the same as what you launched with (order may change; additional args may be appended). - Electron also notes Chromium may add extra arguments (e.g. --original-process-start-time). So, for your Windows Explorer right-click Directory context menu, the value you care about (the selected directory path) should be read from the argv array provided to the second-instance handler, and/or (more robustly) you should move that data into additionalData. 2) workingDirectory vs argv (which one to use) - workingDirectory: - It is the “current working directory” of the second launch. - This is generally not the selected directory path you get from Explorer context menus. - argv: - Contains the command-line arguments that Explorer (via your registered command) passed to your Electron executable for the second launch. - This is what you should parse to obtain the selected folder path. 3) Important caveats on Windows/Chromium argument handling - Electron/Chromium may manipulate the second-instance argv: - The documentation explicitly warns that argv “will not be exactly the same list of arguments as those passed to the second instance”; order can change and additional args can be appended. - Chromium command-line parsing can also split/move values such as switches vs positional arguments (documented in electron/electron issues). This can make “exact argv reproduction” unreliable. Practical implication for your question: - Don’t rely on workingDirectory to provide the right-click target. - Don’t rely on argv matching process.argv exactly. 4) Recommended robust pattern - In main process, register a single-instance lock and in second-instance: - Parse the directory path from the argv array you receive. - Focus/notify your existing BrowserWindow. - If you need strict data fidelity (exact path, including tricky quoting), prefer passing your payload through additionalData (Electron supports an object passed via app.requestSingleInstanceLock(additionalData) and received in the second-instance handler as additionalData). Code skeleton: const { app, BrowserWindow } = require('electron'); let win; const gotTheLock = app.requestSingleInstanceLock(/* optional initial data /); if (!gotTheLock) app.quit; else { app.on('second-instance', (event, argv, workingDirectory /, additionalData */) => { // argv: array of second instance’s command-line args // workingDirectory: cwd of second instance // Example: find your custom flag and read the following value // const path = extractFrom(argv); if (win) { if (win.isMinimized) win.restore; win.focus; } // send the extracted folder path to renderer / update tabs }); app.whenReady.then( => { win = new BrowserWindow({}); // load your app }); } 5) Bottom line answer to the “workingDirectory vs argv” part - Use argv for the Explorer right-click “Directory” target path you pass via your registry “command” line. - workingDirectory is only the second process’s current working directory and usually won’t be the selected directory. - Treat argv as parsed-by-Chromium and not guaranteed to equal your original process.argv; if you need exactness, use additionalData.

Citations:

workingDirectory is only correct for Directory\Background; the Directory and Drive entries will silently open the wrong folder.

workingDirectory is the second instance's current working directory, not necessarily the folder that was right-clicked. For Directory\Background, Windows Explorer sets the process CWD to the browsed folder, so workingDirectory is correct. However, for Directory and Drive, the target path is passed as a command-line argument (%1 in the registry command) and the process CWD is elsewhere — workingDirectory will silently resolve to the wrong location.

The robust approach is to scan argv for the first non-flag, absolute-path argument and fall back to workingDirectory. Note that Electron's argv may not exactly match what was passed to the second instance — order may change and Chromium flags (e.g., --original-process-start-time) may be appended, which is why scanning for a non-flag absolute path (not relying on a fixed position) is necessary.

Proposed fix 
  electronApp.on("second-instance", (_event, argv, workingDirectory) => {
      console.log("second-instance event, argv:", argv, "workingDirectory:", workingDirectory);
-     const cwd = workingDirectory || undefined;
+     // For Directory/Drive context menu, the target path is passed as an explicit
+     // %1/%V argument in argv. For Directory\Background, workingDirectory is the folder.
+     // Electron may inject Chromium flags into argv, so scan for a non-flag absolute path.
+     const pathArg = argv?.find(
+         (arg) => !arg.startsWith("-") && /^[a-zA-Z]:[\\\/]/.test(arg)
+     );
+     const cwd = pathArg || workingDirectory || undefined;
      fireAndForget(() => createNewWaveWindow(cwd));
  });
📝 Committable suggestion

‼️ IMPORTANT
Carefully review the code before committing. Ensure that it accurately replaces the highlighted code, contains no missing lines, and has no issues with indentation. Thoroughly test & benchmark the code to ensure it meets the requirements.

Suggested change
electronApp.on("second-instance", (_event, argv, workingDirectory) => {
console.log("second-instance event, argv:", argv, "workingDirectory:", workingDirectory);
fireAndForget(createNewWaveWindow);
const cwd = workingDirectory || undefined;
fireAndForget(() => createNewWaveWindow(cwd));
});
electronApp.on("second-instance", (_event, argv, workingDirectory) => {
console.log("second-instance event, argv:", argv, "workingDirectory:", workingDirectory);
// For Directory/Drive context menu, the target path is passed as an explicit
// %1/%V argument in argv. For Directory\Background, workingDirectory is the folder.
// Electron may inject Chromium flags into argv, so scan for a non-flag absolute path.
const pathArg = argv?.find(
(arg) => !arg.startsWith("-") && /^[a-zA-Z]:[\\\/]/.test(arg)
);
const cwd = pathArg || workingDirectory || undefined;
fireAndForget(() => createNewWaveWindow(cwd));
});
🤖 Prompt for AI Agents 
Verify each finding against current code. Fix only still-valid issues, skip the
rest with a brief reason, keep changes minimal, and validate.

In `@emain/emain.ts` around lines 389 - 393, The second-instance handler currently
uses workingDirectory which is only reliable for Directory\\Background; instead,
in the electronApp.on("second-instance", ...) callback scan the argv array for
the first non-flag absolute path (skip entries that start with "-" or are
relative) and use that path as cwd when calling createNewWaveWindow; if none
found, fall back to the provided workingDirectory/undefined. Update the handler
around electronApp.on("second-instance", ...) to perform this argv scan and then
call fireAndForget(() => createNewWaveWindow(resolvedCwd)) so Directory and
Drive launch targets open the correct folder.

try {
await runWaveSrv(handleWSEvent);
Expand Down
9 changes: 9 additions & 0 deletions wave-context-menu-remove.reg
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Original file line number Diff line number Diff line change
@@ -0,0 +1,9 @@
Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

; ============================================================
; Remove Wave Terminal Context Menu
; ============================================================

[-HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Directory\Background\shell\WaveTerminal]
[-HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Directory\shell\WaveTerminal]
[-HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Drive\shell\WaveTerminal]
33 changes: 33 additions & 0 deletions wave-context-menu.reg
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Original file line number Diff line number Diff line change
@@ -0,0 +1,33 @@
Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

; ============================================================
; Wave Terminal - Windows Right-Click Context Menu
; ============================================================
; Adds "Open in Wave Terminal" to:
; 1. Right-click on empty space in a folder (Directory\Background)
; 2. Right-click on a folder itself (Directory)
; ============================================================

; --- Folder background (right-click empty space) ---
[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Directory\Background\shell\WaveTerminal]
@="Open in Wave Terminal"
"Icon"="C:\\Users\\azurr\\AppData\\Local\\Programs\\waveterm\\Wave.exe"

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Directory\Background\shell\WaveTerminal\command]
@="\"C:\\Users\\azurr\\AppData\\Local\\Programs\\waveterm\\Wave.exe\" \"%V\""

; --- Folder itself (right-click on folder) ---
[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Directory\shell\WaveTerminal]
@="Open in Wave Terminal"
"Icon"="C:\\Users\\azurr\\AppData\\Local\\Programs\\waveterm\\Wave.exe"

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Directory\shell\WaveTerminal\command]
@="\"C:\\Users\\azurr\\AppData\\Local\\Programs\\waveterm\\Wave.exe\" \"%1\""

; --- Drive root (right-click on drive in This PC) ---
[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Drive\shell\WaveTerminal]
@="Open in Wave Terminal"
"Icon"="C:\\Users\\azurr\\AppData\\Local\\Programs\\waveterm\\Wave.exe"

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Drive\shell\WaveTerminal\command]
@="\"C:\\Users\\azurr\\AppData\\Local\\Programs\\waveterm\\Wave.exe\" \"%1\""
Comment on lines +14 to +33
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@coderabbitai coderabbitai Bot May 4, 2026

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⚠️ Potential issue | 🔴 Critical | 🏗️ Heavy lift

Hardcoded developer path makes this file non-functional for any other user.

All six path entries reference C:\\Users\\azurr\\AppData\\Local\\Programs\\waveterm\\Wave.exe — a personal installation that will not exist on any other machine. Merging this as-is means the feature ships completely broken for every user who tries to apply it.

Since .reg files don't expand %LOCALAPPDATA% in plain REG_SZ values, the recommended fix is to replace this static .reg file with a PowerShell script that builds the paths dynamically:

$wavePath = "$env:LOCALAPPDATA\Programs\waveterm\Wave.exe"

@(
    "HKCU:\SOFTWARE\Classes\Directory\Background\shell\WaveTerminal",
    "HKCU:\SOFTWARE\Classes\Directory\shell\WaveTerminal",
    "HKCU:\SOFTWARE\Classes\Drive\shell\WaveTerminal"
) | ForEach-Object {
    New-Item -Path "$_\command" -Force | Out-Null
    Set-ItemProperty -Path $_ -Name "(default)" -Value "Open in Wave Terminal"
    Set-ItemProperty -Path $_ -Name "Icon"       -Value $wavePath
    Set-ItemProperty -Path "$_\command" -Name "(default)" -Value "`"$wavePath`" `"%V`""
}

Using HKCU:\SOFTWARE\Classes\... rather than HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\... also avoids the administrator-elevation requirement.

Note: for the Directory and Drive cases you'll also want to validate which shell variable (%V vs %1) correctly delivers the target path (see the comment on emain.ts).

🤖 Prompt for AI Agents 
Verify each finding against current code. Fix only still-valid issues, skip the
rest with a brief reason, keep changes minimal, and validate.

In `@wave-context-menu.reg` around lines 14 - 33, The .reg file hardcodes a
developer path (C:\\Users\\azurr\\AppData\\Local\\Programs\\waveterm\\Wave.exe)
in all Icon and command values so it will fail for other users; replace the
static .reg with a PowerShell installer that constructs the executable path from
$env:LOCALAPPDATA (e.g. $env:LOCALAPPDATA\Programs\waveterm\Wave.exe), writes
entries under HKCU:\SOFTWARE\Classes for the keys
Directory\Background\shell\WaveTerminal, Directory\shell\WaveTerminal and
Drive\shell\WaveTerminal (setting the default value, Icon and the \command
default), and ensure the command default uses the correct shell variable (%V vs
%1) for Directory vs Folder/Drive as noted so the context-menu opens the
intended target without requiring elevation.