UI: Add dock for switching viewlets/panels

[octref]

#1105 - Provide an option to hide the activity bar currently has 79 upvotes.

Per today's discussion in UX meeting #15217, I came up with this idea:

(Ignore the blank part on the right, just a quick hack to get the idea across)

It'll work similarly to Windows's Ctrl+Tab or macOS's Cmd+Tab. Say if you have Cmd+B assigned to it:

Workflow

• Cmd+B brings up this dock

  • If sidebar is hidden, also bring up the dimmed Viewlet
  • If sidebar is shown, dim active Viewlet

  

• While Cmd is pressed, additional B selects next Viewlet, both the highlight item on the dock and dimmed Viewlet background update

  

• When Cmd is released, dock is gone. The last selected Viewlet is shown.

  

Additional

• This could also apply to panels, where we can have a horizontal dock.

---

What does everyone think?

@Microsoft/vscode

[joaomoreno]

Interesting idea.

But, instead of introducing new UI, why not reusing the pick API to switch between the viewlets? You could reach that pick by running a Switch View command or through a given keyboard shortcut. This is something we could benefit from today even without hiding the activity bar.

Also, note that Cmd B is the shortcut that currently shows and hides the sidebar.

[octref]

pick API to switch between the viewlets

That's a good idea. Let me give that a try as an extension. (Although I'd prefer some visual indication.)

[sandy081]

Looks good. I liked the idea of navigating the views with single key board shortcut / command. But how about following small suggestions?

• Toggle side bar: Toggles the visibility of side bar
• Navigating views: Navigates the views. (If side bar is hidden, opens the sidebar and navigates)

[bpasero]

I would also follow our UX model we have for when navigating files and just open a picker with the views. I think this could be done as an extension but I also do not mind to having this as a core workbench command (especially now that I pushed the option to hide the activity bar).

@octref if you are interested in providing a PR on this, I can review it 👍

[octref]

@sandy081 Thanks for the suggestion. Will keep that in mind while doing the PR.

@bpasero Sure, I'll give it a try.

[bgashler1]

I'm also for the picker so that you can use a hotkey to open it, or you can find it in the Command Palette.

[jrieken]

👍 for picker and it should also contain the panels, not just flat but like Problems, Debug Repl, TypeScript Output, Foo Output, Terminal 1, Terminal 2. One picker to jump to all no-editor views.

[bpasero]

I introduce a new picker ("Open View") that shows all viewlets, panels, output channels and terminals:

[jrieken]

I like, but I see unneeded repetition of Output and Terminal - once as instances and once as category. I think I cannot open terminal without opening an instance of a terminal. likewise with output-channels

[bpasero]

Good point, I think we can merge them. For output that is straight forward, for terminals we can only do it if we also have an instance opened which requires to open a terminal panel first.

The only drawback would be that you cannot just jump back to your last Output or Terminal, you need to know where you left off.