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Description
What specific problem does this solve?
When Roo Code edits files, it opens diff views that steal focus from whatever the user is currently working on. This creates a frustrating, disruptive experience that makes it nearly impossible to work alongside Roo.
Who is affected: Anyone who tries to continue working while Roo Code is editing files
When this happens: Every time Roo edits a file - which can be dozens of times during a single task
Current behavior:
- I'm typing in my current file
- Roo starts editing another file
- A diff view pops up and steals my focus
- My typing suddenly goes into the wrong file
- I have to stop what I'm doing and switch back
- This happens over and over, making parallel work impossible
Expected behavior:
- I can keep working without interruption
- Roo's edits happen in the background
- My focus stays where I put it
- I can review changes when I'm ready, not when forced to
Impact:
- Constant interruptions destroy productivity
- Text gets typed into wrong files
- Can't effectively work while Roo is active
- Forced to wait for Roo to finish before continuing my work
How should this be solved?
Solution:
Add an experimental setting that prevents file edits from stealing focus.
What users need:
- A simple toggle in experimental settings
- When enabled: File edits happen without disrupting the user's current focus
- When disabled: Current behavior (for users who prefer seeing diffs immediately)
User experience when enabled:
- I can type uninterrupted while Roo works
- Files update in the background
- I stay focused on my task
- I can review changes in the chat or open files when convenient
- No more focus stealing, no more disruption
Acceptance Criteria
Given I enable the "prevent focus disruption" experimental setting
When Roo edits any file
Then my current focus remains unchanged
And I can continue typing without interruption
And the file is still edited successfully
But no UI elements steal my focus
Given I'm actively typing in file A
When Roo edits file B with this setting enabled
Then I continue typing in file A without any disruption
And file B is updated in the background
And I'm never forced to switch context
Trade-offs and Risks
Benefits:
- Enables true parallel work with Roo
- Eliminates constant context switching
- Improves developer productivity
- Makes Roo less intrusive
Trade-offs:
- Users won't see visual diffs immediately
- Must check chat or files to see what changed
- Files will not be opened in vscode so the diagnostics will not operate on those files
- Some users may prefer immediate visual feedback
Mitigation:
- Experimental setting allows users to choose their preference
- Can be toggled on/off based on current needs
- Default behavior remains unchanged
Related Discussions
Related to #1696 - This setting would also help C# developers experiencing LSP crashes
Related to #2122 - Directly addresses the focus stealing problem
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