Added a global setting to choose the default dock position of the Claude Code session tab (https://github.com/nbclaudecodegui/NetbeansClaudeCodeGui/issues/24)

CHANGELOG.md

@@ -1,5 +1,8 @@
+- Added a global setting to choose the default dock position of the Claude Code session tab (https://github.com/nbclaudecodegui/NetbeansClaudeCodeGui/issues/24)
+
+# 0.21.50 (2026-04-19)
+
 - Fixed diff panel appearing at wrong height (nearly invisible) after Reset Windows or on first use
-- Fixed second diff in the same Claude session being invisible (stale card accumulation)
 - Fixed terminal scrolling to the beginning when a choice menu or diff panel appears (regression since 0.20.20)
 
 # 0.21.46 (2026-04-17)

pom.xml

@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@
 
     <groupId>io.github.nbclaudecodegui</groupId>
     <artifactId>netbeans-claude-code-gui</artifactId>
-    <version>0.22.3-SNAPSHOT</version>
+    <version>0.22.6-SNAPSHOT</version>
     <packaging>nbm</packaging>
     <name>Netbeans Claude Code GUI</name>
     <description>NetBeans plugin that provides a GUI for Claude Code CLI — run claude code sessions directly inside the IDE.</description>

src/main/java/io/github/nbclaudecodegui/settings/ClaudeCodeOptionsPanel.java

@@ -40,6 +40,13 @@
  */
 public final class ClaudeCodeOptionsPanel extends JPanel {
 
+    private static final String[] DOCK_MODE_VALUES = {
+        "editor", "commonpalette", "explorer", "navigator", "output"
+    };
+    private static final String[] DOCK_MODE_LABELS = {
+        "Editor area (default)", "Right side", "Left side top", "Left side bottom", "Bottom dock"
+    };
+
     private static final String[] KEY_VALUES = {
         ClaudeCodePreferences.ENTER,
         ClaudeCodePreferences.SHIFT_ENTER,
@@ -68,6 +75,8 @@ public final class ClaudeCodeOptionsPanel extends JPanel {
     private javax.swing.JCheckBox startNewSessionCheck;
     /** Spinner for the maximum number of sessions shown in the session list. */
     private JSpinner sessionListLimitSpinner;
+    /** Dropdown for the dock position of the Claude Code session tab. */
+    private javax.swing.JComboBox<String> dockModeCombo;
     /** Spinner for the hang-detection timeout in seconds (0 = disabled). */
     private JSpinner hangTimeoutSpinner;
     /** Checkbox to enable MCP integration (pass --mcp-config flag). */
@@ -222,6 +231,13 @@ private JPanel buildGeneralPanel() {
         form.add(sessionListLimitSpinner, gbc(1, row, false));
         row++;
 
+        // --- session tab dock position ---
+        form.add(new JLabel("Session tab dock position:"), gbc(0, row, false));
+        dockModeCombo = new javax.swing.JComboBox<>(DOCK_MODE_LABELS);
+        dockModeCombo.setToolTipText("Where to dock the Claude Code session tab when opening it");
+        form.add(dockModeCombo, gbc(1, row, false));
+        row++;
+
         // spacer
         GridBagConstraints spacer = new GridBagConstraints();
         spacer.gridx = 0; spacer.gridy = row;
@@ -357,6 +373,9 @@ void load() {
                 ClaudeCodePreferences.getContextMenuSessionMode()
                         == io.github.nbclaudecodegui.model.SessionMode.NEW);
         sessionListLimitSpinner.setValue(ClaudeCodePreferences.getSessionListLimit());
+        String dockMode = ClaudeCodePreferences.getSessionDockMode();
+        int dockIdx = java.util.Arrays.asList(DOCK_MODE_VALUES).indexOf(dockMode);
+        dockModeCombo.setSelectedIndex(dockIdx >= 0 ? dockIdx : 0);
         hangTimeoutSpinner.setValue(ClaudeCodePreferences.getHangTimeoutSeconds());
         mcpEnabledCheckBox.setSelected(ClaudeCodePreferences.isMcpEnabled());
 
@@ -391,6 +410,11 @@ void store() {
                         ? io.github.nbclaudecodegui.model.SessionMode.NEW
                         : io.github.nbclaudecodegui.model.SessionMode.CONTINUE_LAST);
         ClaudeCodePreferences.setSessionListLimit((Integer) sessionListLimitSpinner.getValue());
+        int dockSel = dockModeCombo.getSelectedIndex();
+        ClaudeCodePreferences.setSessionDockMode(
+                dockSel >= 0 && dockSel < DOCK_MODE_VALUES.length
+                        ? DOCK_MODE_VALUES[dockSel]
+                        : ClaudeCodePreferences.DEFAULT_SESSION_DOCK_MODE);
         ClaudeCodePreferences.setHangTimeoutSeconds((Integer) hangTimeoutSpinner.getValue());
         ClaudeCodePreferences.setMcpEnabled(mcpEnabledCheckBox.isSelected());
         ClaudeCodePreferences.setSendKey(selectedValue(sendRadios));

src/main/java/io/github/nbclaudecodegui/settings/ClaudeCodePreferences.java

@@ -551,6 +551,25 @@ public static void setMcpEnabled(boolean v) {
         NbPreferences.forModule(ClaudeCodePreferences.class).putBoolean(MCP_ENABLED, v);
     }
 
+    // -------------------------------------------------------------------------
+    // sessionDockMode
+    // -------------------------------------------------------------------------
+
+    /** Preference key: dock mode for the Claude Code session tab. */
+    public static final String KEY_SESSION_DOCK_MODE = "sessionDockMode";
+    /** Default: editor area. */
+    public static final String DEFAULT_SESSION_DOCK_MODE = "editor";
+
+    public static String getSessionDockMode() {
+        return NbPreferences.forModule(ClaudeCodePreferences.class)
+                .get(KEY_SESSION_DOCK_MODE, DEFAULT_SESSION_DOCK_MODE);
+    }
+
+    public static void setSessionDockMode(String mode) {
+        NbPreferences.forModule(ClaudeCodePreferences.class)
+                .put(KEY_SESSION_DOCK_MODE, mode != null ? mode : DEFAULT_SESSION_DOCK_MODE);
+    }
+
     private static String validated(String value, String fallback) {
         return ENTER.equals(value) || SHIFT_ENTER.equals(value)
                 || CTRL_ENTER.equals(value) || ALT_ENTER.equals(value)

src/main/java/io/github/nbclaudecodegui/ui/ClaudeSessionTab.java

@@ -294,6 +294,17 @@ public ClaudeSessionTab(File dir) {
      *
      * <p>Focuses an existing idle session if one is open; otherwise opens a new one.
      */
+    private static void dockAndOpen(ClaudeSessionTab tab) {
+        String modeName = ClaudeCodePreferences.getSessionDockMode();
+        if (!ClaudeCodePreferences.DEFAULT_SESSION_DOCK_MODE.equals(modeName)) {
+            org.openide.windows.Mode mode = WindowManager.getDefault().findMode(modeName);
+            if (mode != null) {
+                mode.dockInto(tab);
+            }
+        }
+        tab.open();
+    }
+
     public static void openNewOrFocus() {
         SwingUtilities.invokeLater(() -> {
             for (TopComponent tc : WindowManager.getDefault().getRegistry().getOpened()) {
@@ -310,7 +321,7 @@ public static void openNewOrFocus() {
             }
             LOG.fine("openNewOrFocus: no idle tab found, opening new tab");
             ClaudeSessionTab tab = new ClaudeSessionTab();
-            tab.open();
+            dockAndOpen(tab);
             tab.requestActive();
         });
     }
@@ -342,7 +353,7 @@ public static void openForDirectory(File dir, String profileName) {
                 }
             }
             ClaudeSessionTab tab = new ClaudeSessionTab(dir);
-            tab.open();
+            dockAndOpen(tab);
             tab.requestActive();
             tab.autoStart(dir, profileName);
         });

src/test/java/io/github/nbclaudecodegui/settings/ClaudeCodePreferencesTest.java

@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@ void tearDown() {
         ClaudeCodePreferences.setMcpPort(ClaudeCodePreferences.DEFAULT_MCP_PORT);
         ClaudeCodePreferences.setOpenDiffInSeparateTab(ClaudeCodePreferences.DEFAULT_OPEN_DIFF_IN_SEPARATE_TAB);
         ClaudeCodePreferences.setMdPreviewInDiff(ClaudeCodePreferences.DEFAULT_MD_PREVIEW_IN_DIFF);
+        ClaudeCodePreferences.setSessionDockMode(ClaudeCodePreferences.DEFAULT_SESSION_DOCK_MODE);
     }
 
     @Test
@@ -97,4 +98,24 @@ void mdPreviewInDiffStoreAndRetrieve() {
         ClaudeCodePreferences.setMdPreviewInDiff(false);
         assertFalse(ClaudeCodePreferences.isMdPreviewInDiff());
     }
+
+    @Test
+    void sessionDockModeDefaultIsEditor() {
+        assertEquals(ClaudeCodePreferences.DEFAULT_SESSION_DOCK_MODE,
+                ClaudeCodePreferences.getSessionDockMode());
+        assertEquals("editor", ClaudeCodePreferences.getSessionDockMode());
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    void sessionDockModeStoreAndRetrieve() {
+        ClaudeCodePreferences.setSessionDockMode("output");
+        assertEquals("output", ClaudeCodePreferences.getSessionDockMode());
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    void sessionDockModeNullFallsBackToDefault() {
+        ClaudeCodePreferences.setSessionDockMode(null);
+        assertEquals(ClaudeCodePreferences.DEFAULT_SESSION_DOCK_MODE,
+                ClaudeCodePreferences.getSessionDockMode());
+    }
 }