Optional minimap hover preview

[pixel365]

I would like to propose an optional hover preview for the editor minimap.

The idea is to let users inspect nearby code before jumping to a location from the minimap. In large files, the minimap can be useful for quick navigation, but it can also be difficult to identify the exact area before clicking. A small preview next to the minimap can make that interaction more predictable.

I opened a draft PR with a working prototype here:

#61195

Demo

1.webm

2.webm

How it works

When enabled, hovering over the minimap shows a small code preview next to it.

The preview:

• Shows the code around the hovered minimap position
• Uses the editor's existing syntax highlighting and theme colors
• Highlights the hovered line
• Updates as the mouse moves over the minimap
• Does not change existing minimap click or drag behavior

The feature is disabled by default.

Settings

The prototype currently adds these settings:

"minimap": {
  "hover_preview": true,
  "hover_preview_lines": 9,
  "hover_preview_width_columns": 80
}

hover_preview enables the feature. Default: false.

hover_preview_lines controls how many lines are shown in the preview. Default: 9,

hover_preview_width_columns controls the preview width. Default: 80.

The settings apply immediately when changed.

Why this may be useful

This is mainly intended for navigating large files.

The minimap gives a compact overview, but it can be hard to know whether a particular point in the minimap is the section you want. The preview gives quick visual confirmation before clicking.

This can make the existing minimap interaction more deliberate: hover to inspect the target area, then click if it is the location you want.

Related minimap navigation discussion

There is also a related discussion about minimap click behavior:

#61181

And a closed PR that explored changing minimap click navigation:

#61174

I think hover preview is useful independently because it does not require changing the current click behavior. But it could also complement a broader future direction where minimap navigation modes are configurable, for example keeping the current behavior as default while offering an alternative scrollbar-like mode.

Open questions

• Would a minimap hover preview fit Zed's interaction model?
• Should this be disabled by default, enabled by default, or tied to another minimap setting?
• Are hover_preview_lines and hover_preview_width_columns reasonable settings?
• Would maintainers prefer this as a single boolean setting first, without size customization?