Before version 1.18.0, the project sidebar made it easy to switch between projects while also seeing the sessions associated with each project.
This layout used screen space efficiently, kept sessions clearly organized by project, and could be collapsed when more workspace was needed.
The new tab-based interface is a good addition, but it introduces several regressions. Ideally, users should be able to choose between the previous sidebar workflow and the new tab workflow, or use both together.
1. The active project is no longer clearly visible
With the new session tabs, it is difficult to identify which project a session belongs to at a glance.
The project can currently only be identified through:
The project icon.
Hovering over the tab to see the folder path.
The hover tooltip is also unreliable and sometimes does not appear.
In previous versions, the project sidebar always made it clear which project was active, while keeping its sessions neatly grouped underneath it.
A possible solution would be to keep the project and session sidebar while also supporting multiple tabs. Tabs could remain useful for quickly switching between active sessions, especially when the sidebar is collapsed.
2. The terminal cannot be opened when a project has no session
Previously, opening a project allowed the user to open its terminal immediately.
Now, when a project has no existing or active session, there appears to be no way to open a terminal for that project without first starting a conversation.
The terminal should remain accessible as soon as a project is opened, regardless of whether a session exists.
3. Archiving sessions now requires additional steps
Previously, sessions could be archived directly from the sidebar using a visible shortcut.
Now, the user must open the three-dot menu and select the archive option.
This makes a frequent action slower and less discoverable. A direct archive button or shortcut should be restored.
4. Creating a new session can easily target the wrong project
The new session screen uses a simple chat-style input with model selection and a project dropdown.
There are two problems with this workflow.
First, when the application window is not tall enough, the project dropdown cannot be scrolled properly, making some projects inaccessible.
Second, the selected project is inherited from the currently active session. This is convenient in some cases, but it can also lead to mistakes.
For example, a user may intend to start a session in Project Y while currently viewing a session from Project X. Pressing the + button automatically selects Project X, so the user must remember to manually change the project every time.
Previously, starting a session from within a clearly selected project made the target project more obvious.
The new-session interface should make the selected project much more prominent and should ensure that the dropdown remains fully scrollable at every window size.
5. Projects can no longer be reordered
The new home view does not allow users to reorganize projects.
The previous interface supported drag-and-drop project reordering, which was useful for prioritizing frequently used projects.
Drag-and-drop ordering should be restored.
6. Projects cannot be removed from OpenCode
There should be an option to remove a project and its associated sessions from OpenCode.
This should only remove the project from the application and should not delete the underlying project folder or files unless the user explicitly requests that.
Conclusion
The session tabs and the new home view are useful additions, but they currently replace several efficient workflows from the previous interface.
New UI features should expand the available workflows rather than remove existing ones. Ideally, users should be able to:
- Keep the project and session sidebar.
- Open multiple sessions in tabs.
- Collapse the sidebar when more space is needed.
- Clearly identify the project associated with every session.
- Access the terminal without first creating a session.
- Reorder and remove projects.
- Archive sessions with a direct shortcut.
Please consider making the new interface optional or combining it with the strongest parts of the previous layout rather than replacing the previous workflow entirely.
Before version 1.18.0, the project sidebar made it easy to switch between projects while also seeing the sessions associated with each project.
This layout used screen space efficiently, kept sessions clearly organized by project, and could be collapsed when more workspace was needed.
The new tab-based interface is a good addition, but it introduces several regressions. Ideally, users should be able to choose between the previous sidebar workflow and the new tab workflow, or use both together.
1. The active project is no longer clearly visible
With the new session tabs, it is difficult to identify which project a session belongs to at a glance.
The project can currently only be identified through:
The project icon.
Hovering over the tab to see the folder path.
The hover tooltip is also unreliable and sometimes does not appear.
In previous versions, the project sidebar always made it clear which project was active, while keeping its sessions neatly grouped underneath it.
A possible solution would be to keep the project and session sidebar while also supporting multiple tabs. Tabs could remain useful for quickly switching between active sessions, especially when the sidebar is collapsed.
2. The terminal cannot be opened when a project has no session
Previously, opening a project allowed the user to open its terminal immediately.
Now, when a project has no existing or active session, there appears to be no way to open a terminal for that project without first starting a conversation.
The terminal should remain accessible as soon as a project is opened, regardless of whether a session exists.
3. Archiving sessions now requires additional steps
Previously, sessions could be archived directly from the sidebar using a visible shortcut.
Now, the user must open the three-dot menu and select the archive option.
This makes a frequent action slower and less discoverable. A direct archive button or shortcut should be restored.
4. Creating a new session can easily target the wrong project
The new session screen uses a simple chat-style input with model selection and a project dropdown.
There are two problems with this workflow.
First, when the application window is not tall enough, the project dropdown cannot be scrolled properly, making some projects inaccessible.
Second, the selected project is inherited from the currently active session. This is convenient in some cases, but it can also lead to mistakes.
For example, a user may intend to start a session in Project Y while currently viewing a session from Project X. Pressing the + button automatically selects Project X, so the user must remember to manually change the project every time.
Previously, starting a session from within a clearly selected project made the target project more obvious.
The new-session interface should make the selected project much more prominent and should ensure that the dropdown remains fully scrollable at every window size.
5. Projects can no longer be reordered
The new home view does not allow users to reorganize projects.
The previous interface supported drag-and-drop project reordering, which was useful for prioritizing frequently used projects.
Drag-and-drop ordering should be restored.
6. Projects cannot be removed from OpenCode
There should be an option to remove a project and its associated sessions from OpenCode.
This should only remove the project from the application and should not delete the underlying project folder or files unless the user explicitly requests that.
Conclusion
The session tabs and the new home view are useful additions, but they currently replace several efficient workflows from the previous interface.
New UI features should expand the available workflows rather than remove existing ones. Ideally, users should be able to:
Please consider making the new interface optional or combining it with the strongest parts of the previous layout rather than replacing the previous workflow entirely.