Microsoft/vscode

git.openFile opens in wrong split

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#265,405 opened on Sep 5, 2025

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 (1 comment) (0 reactions) (1 assignee)TypeScript (10,221 forks)batch import
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Description

Does this issue occur when all extensions are disabled?: Yes

  • VS Code Version: 1.103.2 (Universal)
  • OS Version: Darwin arm64 24.6.0

Steps to Reproduce:

  1. Open two diff editors in different split panels
  2. Click the "git.openFile" editor action button for the editor that isn't focused

The file opens in the same panel as the focused editor instead of the same panel as the corresponding diff editor. This is disorienting and doesn't match the behavior of other editor action buttons such as "workbench.action.splitEditor". This issues is also present with buttons provided by extensions such as "pr.addFileComment" from https://marketplace.visualstudio.com/items?itemName=GitHub.vscode-pull-request-github.

https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/950c9c0c-e9cb-435c-acc2-41cd51c72c63

Contributor guide

Research direction
Examine the command handler for 'git.openFile' in the VS Code source code to understand how it determines the target editor group. Compare with other editor actions like 'workbench.action.splitEditor' to identify the discrepancy in split behavior when the command is invoked from a non focused diff editor.
Tech stack
typescript
Domain
desktopfrontend
Issue type
Bug
DifficultyEstimated implementation difficulty for a new contributor, from 1 for very small changes to 5 for expert-level work.
3
Estimated timeA rough time range for an experienced contributor to investigate, implement, test, and prepare a pull request.
1-2 days
Activity statusHow available the issue appears right now: fresh, active, stale, blocked, or waiting on maintainer input.
Active
ClarityHow clearly the issue explains the expected change, acceptance criteria, and next step.
Clear
Prerequisites
Node.jsyarnGit
Newbie friendlinessA 1-100 score estimating how approachable this issue is for first-time contributors.
60