Floating editor window is not registered as Editor Group 2 in Cursor, unlike VS Code

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1

Where does the bug appear (feature/product)?

Cursor IDE

Describe the Bug

I noticed a behavioral difference between VS Code and Cursor regarding editor groups moved to a new window.

In VS Code, when I create a second editor group using Ctrl+\ and then move the new editor group or tab into a new window, that floating/new window is still treated as Editor Group 2. After that, pressing Ctrl+2 focuses the floating/new window correctly.

However, in Cursor, after moving the second editor group or tab into a new window, the floating window is no longer treated as Editor Group 2. When I press Ctrl+2, Cursor creates or focuses a new Editor Group 2 inside the original main window instead of focusing the floating/new window.

This also affects extensions that rely on opening content in Editor Group 2. For example, the R extension can be configured to open data viewers triggered by View() in Group 2. In VS Code, this workflow allows the R data viewer to appear in the floating/new window. In Cursor, this fails because the floating window is not recognized as Group 2.

Steps to Reproduce

Open a project in Cursor.
Open an R script or any text file.
Press Ctrl+\ to split the editor and create a second editor group.
Move the second editor group or tab into a new window using one of the following methods:
Drag the tab out of the main window;
Right-click the tab and select Move into New Window;
Or use Move Editor Group into New Window.
Press Ctrl+2.

Expected Behavior

After the second editor group is moved into a new window, pressing Ctrl+2 should focus that floating/new window, as it does in VS Code.

The floating/new window should remain associated with Editor Group 2, or otherwise remain addressable by the same editor group navigation command.

Operating System

Windows 10/11

Version Information

Cursor version: 3.4.20 (system setup)

Does this stop you from using Cursor

Sometimes - I can sometimes use Cursor

5

Hey, thanks for the detailed report with steps to reproduce and the comparison to VS Code. That really helps.

Confirmed, this is a Cursor-specific regression. A change that was meant to exclude the chat editor group from Ctrl+N navigation also excluded normal editor groups that were moved into auxiliary windows. So after Move into New Window, Ctrl+2 can’t find the floating window and creates a new group in the main window instead.

I’ve filed an internal report with all the details. I can’t share an ETA yet, but we’ll post an update in the thread when we have one.

8

Thanks for confirming and filing the internal report.

This makes sense, and it explains why extensions relying on ViewColumn.Two, such as the R View() viewer, now send all outputs back to the main window. I’ll keep an eye on the thread for updates, and I’m happy to test any workaround if needed.