Zed terminal integration: auto-create workspace scoped to project directory

[sumit-poudel]

question

I'm migrating from tmux to Herdr. In tmux, I used this Zed terminal config to automatically create or attach to a named session scoped to the current project directory:

"terminal": {
  "font_family": "MonoLisa",
  "shell": {
    "with_arguments": {
      "program": "/bin/zsh",
      "args": ["-c", "tmux new-session -A -s \"$(basename \"$PWD\")\""],
    },
  },
},

But Herdr docs only show --cwd as a flag for workspace create, so I'm in an awkward dilemma where I can't create a workspace without a session already running, and opening a session won't open the workspace.

The closest working config I've found:

"terminal": {
  "font_family": "MonoLisa",
  "working_directory": "current_project_directory",
  "shell": {
    "with_arguments": {
      "program": "/bin/zsh",
      "args": ["-c", "herdr workspace create --cwd $PWD --label $(basename $PWD)  2>/dev/null; herdr"]
    }
  }
},

I can attach to the session only and cd my way to the project, but I'd prefer not to if possible.

context

No response

[MRDGH2821]

I'm also in the same dilemma. zed-industries/zed#62072

[MRDGH2821]

Closely related - #2508

[MRDGH2821]

@sumit-poudel I vibe coded a script which partially solves the problem.
Name the script herdr-open & put it in ~/.local/bin

Details

#!/usr/bin/env bash
set -euo pipefail

usage() {
  cat << 'EOF'
Usage: herdr-open [DIR]

Opens or creates a Herdr workspace for the given directory.
Default: current directory.
EOF
  exit "${1:-0}"
}

dir="${1:-.}"
dir="$(cd "$dir" 2> /dev/null && pwd)" || {
  echo >&2 "Directory does not exist: ${1:-.}"
  exit 1
}

herdr workspace list --format json > /dev/null 2>&1 || true

# Find an existing workspace bound to this directory (worktree source or plain cwd).
find_workspace() {
  local target="$1"
  herdr workspace list > /dev/null 2>&1 || true
}

# Collect workspace IDs whose root path matches $dir.
candidate_ids=$(
  herdr workspace list 2> /dev/null \
    | yq -r '.result.workspaces[].workspace_id' || true
)

matched_workspace_id=""
for ws_id in $candidate_ids; do
  info=$(herdr workspace get "$ws_id" 2> /dev/null || true)
  # Check worktree list first.
  wt=$(herdr worktree list 2> /dev/null || true)
  if [ -n "$wt" ]; then
    open_id=$(printf '%s' "$wt" | yq -r --arg dir "$dir" '
      .result.worktrees[]
      | select(.path == $dir)
      | .open_workspace_id // ""
    ' 2> /dev/null || true)
    if [ "$open_id" = "$ws_id" ]; then
      matched_workspace_id="$ws_id"
      break
    fi
  fi
  # Fallback: match workspace label against basename of dir.
  label=$(printf '%s' "$info" | yq -r '
    .result.workspace.label // ""
  ' 2> /dev/null || true)
  if [ "${label}" = "$(basename "$dir")" ]; then
    matched_workspace_id="$ws_id"
    break
  fi
done

if [ -n "$matched_workspace_id" ]; then
  echo "Found existing Herdr workspace: $matched_workspace_id ($dir)"
  herdr workspace focus "$matched_workspace_id"
  exec herdr
fi

# Decide whether we can create a git worktree.
if git -C "$dir" rev-parse --is-inside-work-tree > /dev/null 2>&1; then
  if [ -d "$dir/.git" ] || [ -f "$dir/.git" ]; then
    echo "Directory already contains a Git checkout. Creating plain Herdr workspace for $dir..."
    herdr workspace create \
      --cwd "$dir" \
      --label "$(basename "$dir")" \
      --focus
    exec herdr
  else
    branch="$(git -C "$dir" branch --show-current 2> /dev/null || echo main)"
    echo "Creating Git worktree workspace for $dir..."
    # --path uses the directory itself as the checkout path.
    herdr worktree create \
      --path "$dir" \
      --branch "$branch" \
      --label "$(basename "$dir")" \
      --focus
    exec herdr
  fi
else
  echo "Directory is not a Git repo. Creating plain Herdr workspace for $dir..."
  herdr workspace create \
    --cwd "$dir" \
    --label "$(basename "$dir")" \
    --focus
  exec herdr
fi