Support floating/sidebar mode for project-wide text search instead of full-screen tab

[MagnusPladsen]

Body

What are you proposing?

The project-wide word/text search (pane::DeploySearch / project_search::ToggleFocus) should support a side pane or floating modal mode instead of only opening as a full-screen tab that replaces the current editor view.

Currently, triggering a project-wide search takes over the entire editor area with a dedicated search tab. The desired behavior is a floating panel or persistent sidebar overlay (similar to VS Code's Cmd+Shift+F sidebar search or Neovim's Telescope live_grep) that allows the user to search for text across all project files while still seeing their current editor content alongside the results.

Why does this matter?

Loss of context is the core problem. When the project-wide search opens as a full-screen tab, you lose sight of the code you're currently working on. This matters because:

• You often search for a word or symbol because of something you're reading in the current file — a function call, a type reference, an import you want to trace. Losing that context forces you to remember what you were looking at and why you initiated the search.
• In VS Code, Cmd+Shift+F opens a search panel in the sidebar — you can see results populating while your editor remains fully visible next to it. In Neovim (Telescope), live_grep floats over the editor with a preview pane, and your buffer is still visible behind it.
• It breaks flow. The full-screen tab takeover feels like navigating away from your work rather than quickly searching for something. The cognitive cost of losing your editor to view search results is significantly higher than glancing at a sidebar or overlay.
• Jumping between the search results tab and your editor tab to cross-reference matches is tedious — you end up tab-switching repeatedly instead of seeing results and code side-by-side.

Are there any examples or context?

• VS Code — Cmd+Shift+F opens a search panel in the left sidebar. The current file remains fully visible in the editor. Clicking a result opens it in the editor pane without closing the search panel.
• Neovim + Telescope — live_grep opens a floating window with a results list and live file preview side-by-side. The underlying buffer is dimmed but visible.
• JetBrains IDEs — "Find in Files" opens as a floating dialog with grouped results, and double-clicking a match opens it in the editor while the dialog persists. A "Find" tool window can also dock as a bottom panel.
• Sublime Text — Cmd+Shift+F opens a "Find in Files" panel at the bottom of the editor, and results appear in a new buffer — but the editor content remains accessible in its own pane.

Every major editor/IDE treats project-wide text search as a panel, sidebar, or floating overlay that coexists with the editor — not a full-screen tab replacement. Zed is the outlier here.

Possible approach

A few options that could work:

1. Sidebar panel (preferred) — Render project-wide search results in a sidebar panel (similar to the project panel or the chat panel) that coexists with the editor. Clicking a result opens or previews the file in the main editor pane without dismissing the search.
2. Floating modal with preview — Open the search as a centered floating panel (similar to the command palette) with a results list on the left and a file preview on the right. The editor remains visible but dimmed behind it.
3. Bottom dock panel — Show search results in a dockable bottom panel (like a terminal pane) that splits the view vertically, keeping the editor visible above.
4. Configuration option — Add a setting like "project_search_mode": "sidebar" | "panel" | "tab" so users can choose their preferred behavior. Default to sidebar to match industry standard UX.

The project panel and chat panel already prove Zed can render persistent sidebar views — applying the same pattern to project-wide search (with inline result previews and match highlighting) would be the most natural fit.