DevCentr terminal manager :: Shell Architecture :: OpenShellOrg Docs

DevCentr terminal manager

Intent

A dedicated terminal manager UI for sessions that DevCentr (or Open Terminal under DevCentr orchestration) spawned. It is a first-class Open Terminal layout mode — not a relocation of DevCentr’s project browser.

Recommended mode name: project-grouped manager (projectGroupedManager).

Leave the grid-based project browser inside DevCentr. Do not move the project grid into the terminal manager.

Layout mode

Mode Summary

Standalone

Classic Terminal-like; tabs top or left; tabs + surface may share one HWND. See open-terminal host.

Decoupled index

Index window holds tabs/thumbs; sessions in separate OS windows.

Project-grouped manager (this page)

Single dedicated manager window; tabs grouped by the DevCentr project that spawned them; vertical tabs are the ideal default (groups down the side). Live PTY surfaces remain session windows (or co-located panes) per association rules.

Nested zones

Optional contained tiling inside the dedicated manager UI / per-monitor zone windows. See Nested zones.

Other

Future OK; do not over-specify.

Project-grouped manager is a DevCentr-spawned specialization of the subscriber/index idea in session association: DevCentr owns the project grid; Open Terminal owns the terminal chrome.

Division of surfaces

Surface Owner Job

Project grid / thumbnails

DevCentr

Browse projects; spawn and focus work; show project identity.

Terminal manager (vertical tab groups)

Open Terminal (host mode)

Organize live sessions by spawn-project; focus/close/spawn more terminals for a group.

Live PTY session windows

Open Terminal session processes

Paint cells; produce thumbs when associated; taskbar-visible in v0.

Do not fold the DevCentr project grid into the manager window. Cross-link: Division of Labor, Relationship.

Vertical tabs (default)

Ideal default chrome for this mode:

+========+================================+
| Group A|                                |
|  tab   |                                |
|  tab   |     focused PTY / session      |
| Group B|     (or focus pointer to       |
|  tab   |      separate session HWND)    |
|  tab   |                                |
+========+================================+

  • Group = project that spawned the session in DevCentr (groupId / project key from association registration).

  • Vertical rail is the default; top tabs remain available as a preference for users who want WT muscle memory inside the manager.

  • Last-used CLI app icon appears on session/tab chrome (see CLI app icons).

Linking manager focus to DevCentr grid

When the user focuses a session in the manager, DevCentr should show which project grid cell that session belongs to. Two options:

Option Mechanism Verdict

A — visual pipe

Draw a "pipe" / connector from the manager window edge into the matching grid item / thumbnail edge (spatial flourish).

Optional later; high polish cost; can feel noisy on multi-monitor or crowded grids. Cousin idea noted in open-terminal WINDOW-PIPING.adoc (prior art NOT FOUND).

B — highlight + dull (preferred default)

Highlight the thumbnail’s containing cell/tab in the DevCentr grid; dull other grid items. User swaps focus via the grid (click another project) or via manager tabs.

Recommend as default. Cleaner, cheaper, works when windows do not share an edge; matches selection-dimming patterns users already know.

Document both. Ship B first. Treat A as an optional flourish once association + highlight are stable.

HCI note (highlight vs pipe): highlight-vs-pipe-linking @ HCI-Nerdz.

Nested zones (optional)

Inside the dedicated manager, optionally embed contained tiling — scratch the Linux/dev tiling itch without hijacking the OS DE/WM.

  • Spawn faded/empty zones (e.g. one per monitor).

  • Place groups/sessions into zones; group membership stays stable; groups register to zones for display.

  • Vertical tab rail and DevCentr project grid remain the identity surfaces; zones are placement only.

Pattern (HCI): contained-tiling. Product: Nested zones. == Last-used CLI app icon

On each session/tab in the manager:

  • Show the last-used CLI app icon (not only the shell binary).

  • Discovery: CLI app icons (app.icon / package assets).

  • Fallback: shell glyph, generic terminal icon, or first letter of argv0 if no icon resource.

Association payload hints

Extend registration (sketch) so DevCentr can highlight the right cell:

SessionRegistration
  groupId              // DevCentr project key / spawn group
  sourceLayout         // projectGroupedManager | ...
  spawnSource          // "devcentr" | other
  tabs[]               // id, title, surfaceId, lastCliAppId?
  lastCliAppId         // optional; for tab chrome icon
  ...

Full handshake: Session association.

Non-goals

  • Moving DevCentr’s project grid into Open Terminal

  • Full visual-pipe implementation in v0

  • Exclusive manager role that hides all session taskbar windows (still deferred per session-association)

  • Full UI implementation (spec only)

  • OS-level tiling WM replacement (nested zones stay inside the dedicated UI)

Demo

Interactive mock (manager + DevCentr grid highlight/dull): shell-context-demo · Project manager.

projectGroupedManager with vertical tabs and highlighted DevCentr grid cell