feat(ui): bring back quick launcher #5144

Abhijay007 · 2025-10-12T17:39:03Z

Closes: #4242

Pull Request Description

This PR aims to bring back the quick launcher and the fix launcher initial message handling so prompts from the universal shortcut open a chat window with the message pre-filled and auto-submitted.

Type of Change

Feature
Bug fix

Changes made:

Initial Message Flow: Added pendingInitialMessages map to store initial messages until React signals ready, updated react-ready handler to send stored messages, and fixed routing to navigate to /pair when an initial message exists.

Component Support: Added initialMessage prop to Pair2 and BaseChat2, enabled auto-submit for initial messages, and ensured the launcher creates chat windows with pre-filled and auto-submitted messages.

Testing

Tested it in the Goose desktop by using the change

Screenshots/Demos (for UX changes)

DOsinga · 2025-10-13T03:23:10Z

we should think about whether this is the way; message to submit & auto submit does feel like a bit of an anti pattern that will get us in trouble furhter down the lne

alexhancock · 2025-10-14T17:32:56Z

I think the UX of: keyboard shortcut, type message and hit enter, see chat begin with that message seems ok, right @DOsinga? Are you saying anti-pattern in UX or something with the impl?

@Abhijay007 I like what I see in the demo, but could you make it so the input doesn't have margins on top and bottom? It should fill the whole little window I think.

Abhijay007 · 2025-10-14T17:36:14Z

I think the UX of: keyboard shortcut, type message and hit enter, see chat begin with that message seems ok, right @DOsinga? Are you saying anti-pattern in UX or something with the impl?

@Abhijay007 I like what I see in the demo, but could you make it so the input doesn't have margins on top and bottom? It should fill the whole little window I think.

Sure, I will do that. At first, I thought it was only in the local setup, but it might not be visible in prod, as my local electron app sometimes doesn't take all CSS elements in local, but I will update it

zanesq · 2025-10-15T01:07:57Z

I like it! Just a note that its integrated with basechat2 which is an in progress rewrite of how chat will work and initialize from a new message and still a ways off. Maybe it would be better to integrate this with the current basechat to get use out of it faster and then we can port it to the new way when that rewrite is closer.

Abhijay007 · 2025-10-16T12:03:26Z

I like it! Just a note that its integrated with basechat2 which is an in progress rewrite of how chat will work and initialize from a new message and still a ways off. Maybe it would be better to integrate this with the current basechat to get use out of it faster and then we can port it to the new way when that rewrite is closer.

sure will fix that

DOsinga · 2025-10-17T19:57:10Z

at the same time, track the progress, #5237 is the new way but might be a while before it lands

Signed-off-by: Abhijay007 <[email protected]>

Copilot

Pull Request Overview

This PR adds a new launcher feature that allows users to quickly open a search interface with a global keyboard shortcut (Cmd/Ctrl+Alt+Shift+G). The launcher provides a streamlined input experience to create new chat windows with initial messages without needing to open the full application.

A new LauncherView component creates a minimal, always-on-top window for quick queries
The global hotkey now opens the launcher instead of focusing the existing window
Initial messages from the launcher are properly propagated to new chat windows via IPC events

Reviewed Changes

Copilot reviewed 5 out of 5 changed files in this pull request and generated 5 comments.

Show a summary per file

File	Description
ui/desktop/src/renderer.tsx	Conditionally skips goosed connection setup for launcher view
ui/desktop/src/main.ts	Adds createLauncher function, IPC handlers, and message propagation logic
ui/desktop/src/components/LauncherView.tsx	New minimal search input component for quick access
ui/desktop/src/components/BaseChat2.tsx	Supports auto-submission of initial messages
ui/desktop/src/App.tsx	Registers launcher route and handles initial message IPC events

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Copilot · 2025-11-06T15:19:48Z

ui/desktop/src/App.tsx

  const [searchParams, setSearchParams] = useSearchParams();
-  const [initialMessage] = useState(routeState.initialMessage);
-
+  const initialMessage = routeState.initialMessage;


The initialMessage is now directly assigned from routeState.initialMessage instead of being stored in state via useState. This means changes to routeState.initialMessage after the initial render won't be reflected. If the route state can change during the component's lifecycle, this could lead to stale data. Consider whether this behavior is intentional or if the original useState was necessary to preserve the value.

Suggested change

const initialMessage = routeState.initialMessage;

const [initialMessage] = useState(() => routeState.initialMessage);

Copilot · 2025-11-06T15:19:48Z

ui/desktop/src/components/LauncherView.tsx

+    e.preventDefault();
+    if (query.trim()) {
+      // Create a new chat window with the query
+      const workingDir = window.appConfig?.get('GOOSE_WORKING_DIR') as string;


The workingDir is retrieved inside the handleSubmit function and cast to string, but window.appConfig?.get('GOOSE_WORKING_DIR') could return undefined or unknown. This could result in passing undefined to createChatWindow which might not handle it correctly. Consider adding a null check or providing a default value.

Suggested change

const workingDir = window.appConfig?.get('GOOSE_WORKING_DIR') as string;

const workingDir = (window.appConfig?.get('GOOSE_WORKING_DIR') ?? '') as string;

Copilot · 2025-11-06T15:19:49Z

ui/desktop/src/main.ts

+  launcherWindow.setPosition(
+    Math.round(width / 2 - windowBounds.width / 2),
+    Math.round(height / 3 - windowBounds.height / 2)


The launcher window is positioned at height / 3 vertically. This magic number (1/3) lacks explanation. Consider adding a comment explaining why this specific vertical position was chosen, or extract it as a named constant like LAUNCHER_VERTICAL_POSITION_RATIO = 1/3.

Suggested change

launcherWindow.setPosition(

Math.round(width / 2 - windowBounds.width / 2),

Math.round(height / 3 - windowBounds.height / 2)

// Position the launcher window at one-third of the screen height for optimal visibility and accessibility.

const LAUNCHER_VERTICAL_POSITION_RATIO = 1 / 3;

launcherWindow.setPosition(

Math.round(width / 2 - windowBounds.width / 2),

Math.round(height * LAUNCHER_VERTICAL_POSITION_RATIO - windowBounds.height / 2)

Copilot · 2025-11-06T15:19:49Z

ui/desktop/src/main.ts


+  // Get the window that sent the react-ready event
+  const window = BrowserWindow.fromWebContents(event.sender);
+  const windowId = window?.id;


The code retrieves window from event.sender but doesn't check if it's null before accessing window.id on line 1071. Although the optional chaining on line 1071 prevents an error, if window is null, the subsequent code on lines 1074-1078 should not execute. Consider adding an early return: if (!window) return; after line 1070.

Suggested change

const windowId = window?.id;

if (!window) return;

const windowId = window.id;

Copilot · 2025-11-06T15:19:49Z

ui/desktop/src/components/LauncherView.tsx

+          onChange={(e) => setQuery(e.target.value)}
+          onKeyDown={handleKeyDown}
+          className="w-full h-full bg-transparent text-text-default text-xl px-6 outline-none placeholder-text-muted"
+          placeholder="Ask goose anything..."


[nitpick] Corrected capitalization of 'goose' to 'Goose' for consistency with product branding.

Suggested change

placeholder="Ask goose anything..."

placeholder="Ask Goose anything..."

@alexhancock, should we consider this suggestion?

no - we want goose as a product name to always be lowercase

Abhijay007 · 2025-11-06T15:20:48Z

I think the UX of: keyboard shortcut, type message and hit enter, see chat begin with that message seems ok, right @DOsinga? Are you saying anti-pattern in UX or something with the impl?

@Abhijay007 I like what I see in the demo, but could you make it so the input doesn't have margins on top and bottom? It should fill the whole little window I think.

@alexhancock , Update the UI now it fills the whole margins :

…bugfix * 'main' of github.com:block/goose: Change the other location too (#5608) feat(ui): bring back quick launcher (#5144) Support platform tools through CLI (#5570) Avoid web double write (#5601)

* main: (60 commits) fix: add standard context menu items to prevent empty right-click menu (#5616) Bump openapi in prepare-release (#5611) docs: add access control section to Developer tutorial (#5615) Token state not showing on load, or after message is finished. (#5606) Change the other location too (#5608) feat(ui): bring back quick launcher (#5144) Support platform tools through CLI (#5570) Avoid web double write (#5601) fix: gemini flash -> pro for mcp smoke tests (#5574) Manual compaction test and fix (#5568) fix: tidy up claude cli handling (#5594) Remove jetbrains (#5602) feat(githubcopilot): add support for newer Copilot AI Models (#5603) fix: customised recipe to yaml string to avoid minininjia parsing error (#5494) Add pending extension indicator to extension panel (#5493) Add environment subsition for auth blocks (#5439) acp: ToolCallLocations and working cancellation (#5588) feat(providers): add Mistral AI provider (#5009) Listen for ctrl-c during provider request (#5585) Also accept null as description, not just missing (#5589) ...

* main: (31 commits) Standardize CLI argument flags and update documentation (#5516) Release 1.13.0 fix: move goosehints/AGENTS.md handling to goose, and out of developer extension (#5575) fix: add standard context menu items to prevent empty right-click menu (#5616) Bump openapi in prepare-release (#5611) docs: add access control section to Developer tutorial (#5615) Token state not showing on load, or after message is finished. (#5606) Change the other location too (#5608) feat(ui): bring back quick launcher (#5144) Support platform tools through CLI (#5570) Avoid web double write (#5601) fix: gemini flash -> pro for mcp smoke tests (#5574) Manual compaction test and fix (#5568) fix: tidy up claude cli handling (#5594) Remove jetbrains (#5602) feat(githubcopilot): add support for newer Copilot AI Models (#5603) fix: customised recipe to yaml string to avoid minininjia parsing error (#5494) Add pending extension indicator to extension panel (#5493) Add environment subsition for auth blocks (#5439) acp: ToolCallLocations and working cancellation (#5588) ...

* main: (21 commits) differentiate debug/release in cache key (#5613) Unify subrecipe and subagent execution through shared recipe pipeline (#5082) Standardize CLI argument flags and update documentation (#5516) Release 1.13.0 fix: move goosehints/AGENTS.md handling to goose, and out of developer extension (#5575) fix: add standard context menu items to prevent empty right-click menu (#5616) Bump openapi in prepare-release (#5611) docs: add access control section to Developer tutorial (#5615) Token state not showing on load, or after message is finished. (#5606) Change the other location too (#5608) feat(ui): bring back quick launcher (#5144) Support platform tools through CLI (#5570) Avoid web double write (#5601) fix: gemini flash -> pro for mcp smoke tests (#5574) Manual compaction test and fix (#5568) fix: tidy up claude cli handling (#5594) Remove jetbrains (#5602) feat(githubcopilot): add support for newer Copilot AI Models (#5603) fix: customised recipe to yaml string to avoid minininjia parsing error (#5494) Add pending extension indicator to extension panel (#5493) ...

Signed-off-by: Abhijay007 <[email protected]> Co-authored-by: Alex Hancock <[email protected]> Signed-off-by: fbalicchia <[email protected]>

* origin/main: (34 commits) Remove some logging (#5631) Use session IDs as task IDs for subagents instead of UUIDs (#5398) Fix the naming (#5628) fix: default tetrate model is broken, replace with haiku-4.5 (#5535) (#5587) Fetch less and use the right SHA (#5621) feat(ui): add custom macOS dock menu with New Window option (#5099) feat: remove hints from recipe prompts (#5622) docs: October 2025 Community All-Stars spotlight, Hacktoberfest edition (#5625) differentiate debug/release in cache key (#5613) Unify subrecipe and subagent execution through shared recipe pipeline (#5082) Standardize CLI argument flags and update documentation (#5516) Release 1.13.0 fix: move goosehints/AGENTS.md handling to goose, and out of developer extension (#5575) fix: add standard context menu items to prevent empty right-click menu (#5616) Bump openapi in prepare-release (#5611) docs: add access control section to Developer tutorial (#5615) Token state not showing on load, or after message is finished. (#5606) Change the other location too (#5608) feat(ui): bring back quick launcher (#5144) Support platform tools through CLI (#5570) ...

Signed-off-by: Abhijay007 <[email protected]> Co-authored-by: Alex Hancock <[email protected]>

Signed-off-by: Abhijay007 <[email protected]> Co-authored-by: Alex Hancock <[email protected]> Signed-off-by: Blair Allan <[email protected]>

Abhijay007 requested a review from alexhancock October 12, 2025 17:39

DOsinga requested a review from zanesq October 13, 2025 03:19

alexhancock and others added 3 commits November 6, 2025 14:58

feat(ui): bring back quick launcher

8fb0e62

fix: implement initial message handling for launcher

a1c9a52

Signed-off-by: Abhijay007 <[email protected]>

refactor : updated UI

2a84495

Signed-off-by: Abhijay007 <[email protected]>

Copilot AI review requested due to automatic review settings November 6, 2025 15:17

Abhijay007 force-pushed the feat/quickLauncher branch from 447519d to 2a84495 Compare November 6, 2025 15:17

Copilot AI reviewed Nov 6, 2025

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alexhancock approved these changes Nov 6, 2025

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alexhancock merged commit 0a4cf49 into block:main Nov 6, 2025
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github-actions bot mentioned this pull request Nov 6, 2025

chore(release): release version 1.13.1 (patch) #5619

Merged

fbalicchia pushed a commit to fbalicchia/goose that referenced this pull request Nov 7, 2025

feat(ui): bring back quick launcher (block#5144)

c76cc3f

Signed-off-by: Abhijay007 <[email protected]> Co-authored-by: Alex Hancock <[email protected]> Signed-off-by: fbalicchia <[email protected]>

github-actions bot mentioned this pull request Nov 11, 2025

chore(release): release version 1.14.0 (minor) #5676

Merged

Surendhar-N-D pushed a commit to Surendhar-N-D/goose that referenced this pull request Nov 17, 2025

feat(ui): bring back quick launcher (block#5144)

0ea7e91

Signed-off-by: Abhijay007 <[email protected]> Co-authored-by: Alex Hancock <[email protected]>

arul-cc pushed a commit to arul-cc/goose that referenced this pull request Nov 17, 2025

feat(ui): bring back quick launcher (block#5144)

de8aa2f

Signed-off-by: Abhijay007 <[email protected]> Co-authored-by: Alex Hancock <[email protected]>

BlairAllan pushed a commit to BlairAllan/goose that referenced this pull request Nov 29, 2025

feat(ui): bring back quick launcher (block#5144)

9e9fa9d

Signed-off-by: Abhijay007 <[email protected]> Co-authored-by: Alex Hancock <[email protected]> Signed-off-by: Blair Allan <[email protected]>

	const initialMessage = routeState.initialMessage;
	const [initialMessage] = useState(() => routeState.initialMessage);

	const workingDir = window.appConfig?.get('GOOSE_WORKING_DIR') as string;
	const workingDir = (window.appConfig?.get('GOOSE_WORKING_DIR') ?? '') as string;

	const windowId = window?.id;
	if (!window) return;
	const windowId = window.id;

	placeholder="Ask goose anything..."
	placeholder="Ask Goose anything..."

feat(ui): bring back quick launcher #5144

feat(ui): bring back quick launcher #5144

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Abhijay007 commented Oct 12, 2025

Pull Request Description

Type of Change

Changes made:

Testing

Screenshots/Demos (for UX changes)

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DOsinga commented Oct 13, 2025

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alexhancock commented Oct 14, 2025

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Abhijay007 commented Oct 14, 2025

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Abhijay007 commented Oct 16, 2025 •

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