Preflight Checklist
Problem Statement
In Claude Code Desktop, clicking a file path in the chat or diff viewer always opens the in-app file pane, and there's no modifier-key shortcut to bypass it. To open a referenced file in VS Code (or whatever editor the user has set as default in the right-click "Open in" menu), the only path today is right-click → Open in → VS Code, every single time. In a typical session Claude references files dozens of times, so the friction adds up fast.
This is also inconsistent with how every IDE terminal and most chat tools handle file:// links — Cmd-click (macOS) / Ctrl-click (Windows/Linux) is the universal "open in external editor" gesture, and users reflexively try it.
Proposed Solution
Make Cmd-click (macOS) / Ctrl-click (Windows/Linux) on a file path open the file in the user's default external editor — the same editor that's already wired up under right-click → Open in. Plain left-click keeps its current behaviour (in-app file pane), so nothing changes for users who like the default.
Ideally the file opens at the referenced line/range when one is present (e.g. src/auth/session.ts:42), matching how IDE terminal hyperlinks behave.
Alternative Solutions
No response
Priority
Critical - Blocking my work
Feature Category
CLI commands and flags
Use Case Example
No response
Additional Context
No response
Preflight Checklist
Problem Statement
In Claude Code Desktop, clicking a file path in the chat or diff viewer always opens the in-app file pane, and there's no modifier-key shortcut to bypass it. To open a referenced file in VS Code (or whatever editor the user has set as default in the right-click "Open in" menu), the only path today is right-click → Open in → VS Code, every single time. In a typical session Claude references files dozens of times, so the friction adds up fast.
This is also inconsistent with how every IDE terminal and most chat tools handle
file://links — Cmd-click (macOS) / Ctrl-click (Windows/Linux) is the universal "open in external editor" gesture, and users reflexively try it.Proposed Solution
Make Cmd-click (macOS) / Ctrl-click (Windows/Linux) on a file path open the file in the user's default external editor — the same editor that's already wired up under right-click → Open in. Plain left-click keeps its current behaviour (in-app file pane), so nothing changes for users who like the default.
Ideally the file opens at the referenced line/range when one is present (e.g.
src/auth/session.ts:42), matching how IDE terminal hyperlinks behave.Alternative Solutions
No response
Priority
Critical - Blocking my work
Feature Category
CLI commands and flags
Use Case Example
No response
Additional Context
No response