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Extension System to Enable Powerful, Optional Tooling #24023

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opened 2026-01-31 08:59:15 +00:00 by claunia · 2 comments
claunia commented 2026-01-31 08:59:15 +00:00
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Originally created by @ImanRezaeipour on GitHub (Jan 29, 2026).

Description of the new feature

Summary

Windows Terminal is fast, stable, and visually polished.
However, many advanced terminal capabilities should not live in the core, and also cannot be implemented properly at the shell level.

A sandboxed extension / plugin system would allow third-party developers to provide powerful, optional tooling without increasing core complexity.

This request is about enabling power, not just appearance.

Problem Statement

Currently, Windows Terminal does not provide a supported way to:

  • Extend terminal-level UI
  • Build cross-shell tools (PowerShell, WSL, cmd)
  • React to terminal output and sessions
  • Add optional workflows without modifying the core

As a result, many useful tools are either impossible to build, implemented externally with fragmented UX, or pushed into shells where they do not belong.

Why an Extension System

These features are valuable, but should not be hard-coded into the terminal:

  • Not all users need them
  • Many are domain-specific
  • Some evolve quickly
  • Many are best built and maintained by the community

An extension model enables optional adoption, experimentation, and ecosystem growth while keeping the core minimal and performant.

Examples of Capabilities Enabled by Extensions

The following are examples of tools that could be delivered via extensions instead of core features.

Session and Connection Management

  • Session manager (save and restore terminal sessions)
  • SSH profile and server list manager
  • Telnet manager
  • FTP / SFTP manager
  • List of connected servers
  • RDP sessions launched from terminal context

Productivity and Workflow

  • Macro recording and playback
  • Notification when a command finishes
  • Better command history (search, timeline, replay)
  • Groups of related commands or workflows
  • Easier and smarter split management

UI and Layout Extensions

  • Status bar extensions
  • Toolbar or header widgets
  • Sidebar panels
  • Custom context menus
  • Menu bar extensions
  • Theme, font, and color extensions beyond static JSON
  • Emoji support
  • Better Right-To-Left (RTL) language support

Developer Assistance and Intelligence

  • Shell-agnostic auto completion engines
  • Syntax highlighting
  • Code detection in output
  • ANSI escape code visualization
  • Help overlays per command
  • Diff checker for files or outputs
  • AI-based assistants (read-only, opt-in, output-aware)

Tools and Integrations

  • Password manager integration
  • Key or token generators
  • Azure and cloud tools
  • Monitoring tools (CPU, memory, jobs)
  • Network traffic monitor
  • Export output as PDF or screenshot
  • Visual file manager
  • Browse web resources through terminal UI
  • Linux distribution explorer

Inspiration and Parity

  • Feature parity ideas from MobaXterm without a monolithic design
  • Selective inspiration from iTerm2, Warp, and VS Code Terminal

High-Level Extension Model

One possible direction (intentionally high-level):

  • Sandboxed extensions
  • Explicit permission model
  • Read-only access to terminal output and session metadata
  • Optional UI surfaces such as status bar, sidebar, or overlays
  • No command execution by default

Conclusion

This request is not about turning Windows Terminal into an IDE.

It is about providing a controlled extension surface so advanced, optional capabilities can be delivered by the ecosystem without compromising performance, security, or simplicity.

Let the core stay minimal.
Let extensions deliver power.

Proposed technical implementation details

No response

Originally created by @ImanRezaeipour on GitHub (Jan 29, 2026). ### Description of the new feature ## Summary Windows Terminal is fast, stable, and visually polished. However, many advanced terminal capabilities should not live in the core, and also cannot be implemented properly at the shell level. A sandboxed extension / plugin system would allow third-party developers to provide powerful, optional tooling without increasing core complexity. This request is about enabling power, not just appearance. ## Problem Statement Currently, Windows Terminal does not provide a supported way to: * Extend terminal-level UI * Build cross-shell tools (PowerShell, WSL, cmd) * React to terminal output and sessions * Add optional workflows without modifying the core As a result, many useful tools are either impossible to build, implemented externally with fragmented UX, or pushed into shells where they do not belong. ## Why an Extension System These features are valuable, but should not be hard-coded into the terminal: * Not all users need them * Many are domain-specific * Some evolve quickly * Many are best built and maintained by the community An extension model enables optional adoption, experimentation, and ecosystem growth while keeping the core minimal and performant. ## Examples of Capabilities Enabled by Extensions The following are examples of tools that could be delivered via extensions instead of core features. ### Session and Connection Management * Session manager (save and restore terminal sessions) * SSH profile and server list manager * Telnet manager * FTP / SFTP manager * List of connected servers * RDP sessions launched from terminal context ### Productivity and Workflow * Macro recording and playback * Notification when a command finishes * Better command history (search, timeline, replay) * Groups of related commands or workflows * Easier and smarter split management ### UI and Layout Extensions * Status bar extensions * Toolbar or header widgets * Sidebar panels * Custom context menus * Menu bar extensions * Theme, font, and color extensions beyond static JSON * Emoji support * Better Right-To-Left (RTL) language support ### Developer Assistance and Intelligence * Shell-agnostic auto completion engines * Syntax highlighting * Code detection in output * ANSI escape code visualization * Help overlays per command * Diff checker for files or outputs * AI-based assistants (read-only, opt-in, output-aware) ### Tools and Integrations * Password manager integration * Key or token generators * Azure and cloud tools * Monitoring tools (CPU, memory, jobs) * Network traffic monitor * Export output as PDF or screenshot * Visual file manager * Browse web resources through terminal UI * Linux distribution explorer ### Inspiration and Parity * Feature parity ideas from MobaXterm without a monolithic design * Selective inspiration from iTerm2, Warp, and VS Code Terminal ## High-Level Extension Model One possible direction (intentionally high-level): * Sandboxed extensions * Explicit permission model * Read-only access to terminal output and session metadata * Optional UI surfaces such as status bar, sidebar, or overlays * No command execution by default ## Conclusion This request is not about turning Windows Terminal into an IDE. It is about providing a controlled extension surface so advanced, optional capabilities can be delivered by the ecosystem without compromising performance, security, or simplicity. Let the core stay minimal. Let extensions deliver power. ### Proposed technical implementation details _No response_
claunia added the Issue-FeatureResolution-Duplicate labels 2026-01-31 08:59:16 +00:00
claunia commented 2026-01-31 08:59:17 +00:00
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@DHowett commented on GitHub (Jan 29, 2026):

/dup #4000

@DHowett commented on GitHub (Jan 29, 2026): /dup #4000
claunia commented 2026-01-31 08:59:17 +00:00
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@microsoft-github-policy-service[bot] commented on GitHub (Jan 29, 2026):

Hi! We've identified this issue as a duplicate of another one that already exists on this Issue Tracker. This specific instance is being closed in favor of tracking the concern over on the referenced thread. Thanks for your report!

@microsoft-github-policy-service[bot] commented on GitHub (Jan 29, 2026): Hi! We've identified this issue as a duplicate of another one that already exists on this Issue Tracker. This specific instance is being closed in favor of tracking the concern over on the referenced thread. Thanks for your report! <!-- Policy app identification https://img.shields.io/static/v1?label=PullRequestIssueManagement. -->
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Reference: starred/terminal#24023
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