I agree, wholeheartedly. Cursor wrote a thesis on the topic for me:
# Cursor Feature Request: Forked Command Execution / Command Isolation Mode
## Title
Support forked chat execution for custom commands to preserve conversation context
## Problem Statement
Custom commands that perform complex multi-step operations generate substantial conversation noise (terminal output, file operations, user prompts) that clutters the main conversation thread and consumes token budget. This creates friction between:
1. **Design discussions** - High-level conversations about features, architecture, problem-solving
2. **Operational commands** - Multi-step workflows like commits, builds, refactoring, testing
**Current Behavior:**
When executing a custom command like `/commit` in an active conversation:
- All git commands, file reads, diffs, and prompts are added to conversation history
- Previous design discussion context is pushed out of view
- Token budget consumed by operational details rather than design thinking
- Difficult to resume prior conversation after command completes
**Example:** A `/commit` command may generate 50+ tool calls and 15K+ tokens of operational output, which interrupts and obscures the design conversation that led to those changes.
## Proposed Solution
Add capability for custom commands to execute in a **forked chat window** that:
1. **Clones relevant context** from the parent conversation (configurable depth)
2. **Executes the command** in an isolated chat session
3. **Preserves parent chat** without adding operational noise
4. **Optionally returns** summary results to parent chat upon completion
### Command Metadata Enhancement
```yaml
-–
description: Perform a multi-step commit operation
requires_tools:
-
run_terminal_cmd
-
read_file
-
write
-
search_replace
execution_mode: forked # NEW: run in forked chat window
context_depth: 50 # NEW: clone last N messages for context
return_summary: true # NEW: post completion summary to parent chat
-–
```
### User Experience Flow
1. User types `/commit` in a design discussion chat
2. Cursor opens new temporary chat window in background or side panel
3. New chat contains:
4. User interacts with `/commit` prompts in the forked chat
5. Upon completion, forked chat either:
-
Closes automatically and posts brief summary to parent chat, OR
-
Remains available as “Command Execution History” for review
6. Parent chat continues cleanly without operational clutter
### Alternative UI Approaches
**Option A: Side Panel Execution**
- Command runs in collapsible side panel
- Parent chat remains visible and usable
- Side panel shows all operational details
- Summary posted to parent on completion
**Option B: Background Execution**
- Command runs entirely in background
- Progress indicator in parent chat
- Click to expand operational details if needed
- Summary posted to parent on completion
**Option C: Tab-Based Execution**
- New chat tab created automatically
- Tab labeled with command name and timestamp
- Tabs persist in session for review
- Summary posted to parent on completion
## Use Cases
### 1. Multi-Step Git Workflows
**Command:** `/commit` (validate, stage, generate summary, update changelog, commit, tag)
**Why fork:** 30+ tool calls, diffs, git output clutters design conversation
**Context needs:** Recent changes discussed, feature intent, design decisions
### 2. Comprehensive Testing
**Command:** `/run-all-tests` (unit, integration, e2e with verbose output)
**Why fork:** Test output very verbose, parent chat focused on feature development
**Context needs:** What changed, why, which tests are expected to pass/fail
### 3. Large-Scale Refactoring
**Command:** `/refactor-module` (analyze dependencies, update files, verify, test)
**Why fork:** Many file operations, validation steps, but design discussion should continue
**Context needs:** Refactoring goals, architectural constraints, style guidelines
### 4. Build and Deployment
**Command:** `/deploy-to-staging` (build, test, deploy, verify)
**Why fork:** Long-running with progress output, main chat used for monitoring discussions
**Context needs:** What’s being deployed, expected behavior, rollback criteria
### 5. Code Generation from Specs
**Command:** `/generate-api` (read spec, generate code, tests, docs)
**Why fork:** Many file creations/edits, parent chat discussing API design
**Context needs:** API requirements, design decisions, integration points
## Benefits
### For Users
1. **Cleaner conversations** - Design discussions not interrupted by operational details
2. **Better context preservation** - Can continue design thinking while operations run
3. **Token efficiency** - Parent chat tokens spent on design, not git command output
4. **Audit trail** - Command execution history preserved separately for review
5. **Reduced cognitive load** - Don’t have to mentally filter operational noise
### For Custom Command Developers
1. **Freedom to be thorough** - Commands can validate, log, explain without cluttering
2. **Better error reporting** - Can show detailed diagnostics without overwhelming user
3. **Interactive workflows** - Multi-prompt operations don’t fragment parent conversation
4. **Quality summaries** - Can access parent context to write meaningful change descriptions
### For Cursor Platform
1. **Differentiation** - Sophisticated workflow capability competitors may not have
2. **Enterprise appeal** - Complex workflows crucial for regulated development
3. **Token optimization** - More efficient use of API quota
4. **Workflow enablement** - Unlocks new categories of custom commands
## Implementation Considerations
### Context Cloning
- Allow configuration of how much context to clone (N messages, time window, or manual selection)
- Consider token limits when cloning context
- Provide option to clone “summary only” vs. full messages
### Chat Lifecycle
- Auto-close after successful completion (configurable)
- Keep on error for debugging
- Provide “Command History” view to review past forked executions
- Limit number of simultaneous forked chats
### Parent-Child Communication
- Summary format (plain text, structured data, markdown)
- Ability to ask parent chat for additional context mid-execution
- Error propagation from child to parent
### Security/Privacy
- Ensure forked chats have same permissions as parent
- Workspace scope maintained
- File access restrictions preserved
## Alternatives Considered
### 1. Manual Chat Management (Current)
**Status:** Available now
**Process:** User manually opens new chat, provides context, runs command
**Drawbacks:** Manual overhead, context not automatically preserved, friction
### 2. Collapsed Output Sections
**Status:** Could be implemented without forked execution
**Process:** Command output collapsed by default, expandable
**Drawbacks:** Still in conversation history consuming tokens, less clean separation
### 3. External Script Orchestration
**Status:** Possible with custom tooling
**Process:** Script manages multiple Cursor CLI sessions
**Drawbacks:** Complex, requires Cursor CLI support, fragile, poor UX
### 4. Post-Execution Cleanup
**Status:** Could be attempted with AI instruction
**Process:** Command deletes its own conversation history after completion
**Drawbacks:** Probably not technically feasible, loses audit trail
## Similar Features in Other Tools
- **Jupyter Notebooks:** Separate execution context from narrative
- **IDE Background Tasks:** Build/test runs in separate panel
- **GitHub Actions:** Detailed logs separate from PR discussion
- **Slack Threads:** Operations happen in threads, summaries in main channel
## Success Criteria
Feature is successful if:
1. Users can run complex commands without cluttering design conversations
2. Commands can access parent conversation context for better summaries
3. Token usage reduced for parent chat by 50-80% during command execution
4. Command execution history is preserved and reviewable
5. Minimal additional clicks/friction compared to current inline execution
6. Works seamlessly with existing custom command system
## Priority Assessment
**Impact:** High - Addresses significant friction in custom command workflows
**Effort:** Medium-High - Requires chat management architecture, UI changes
**Adoption:** High - Benefits all users who create/use complex custom commands
**Differentiation:** High - Unique workflow capability
## Requested By
User developing medical device software with rigorous change tracking and documentation requirements. Custom `/commit` command performs comprehensive git workflow with automatic changelog generation but creates conversation noise that disrupts design discussions.
-–
**Submitted:** [Date]
**Category:** Custom Commands / Workflow Enhancement
**Affected Components:** Chat UI, Custom Command Execution, Context Management
