[Original thread: #766] [Spec: {none}] [Initial PR: #10972] [Multiple windows PR: #11083]

This thread is being used to track all the component work for restoring the window state. Additionally related threads:

• Enable Terminal to persist / restore instance settings #766 - Restore the layout, position of windows
  • This is partially implemented in Persist window layout on window close #10972
  • Persist window layout cont. save multiple windows #11083 handles this for multiple windows.
• Restore previously closed session's state (Buffer contents) #961 - Restore the contents of the buffer when resuming a tab.
  • This is not about restoring the process state entirely, since that's impossible. Simply the text content is good enough.
  • Stashing this in JSON doesn't really make sense - imagine SHRT_MAX lines of text + attributes in a json string.
• Feature Request - Restore closed tab #960 - Re-open a recently closed tab
  • This means we shouldn't just discard the terminal control when closing a pane/tab. This is similar to the ctrl+shift+t shortcut in (Chromium) browsers
  • Likely best to wait for Add support for tab tearoff and tab merge #1256 and Scenario: Windows Terminal 2.0 Process Model Improvements #5000 to sort themselves out before starting this one.
• Move the commandline args to their own project #8841 and Add startupActions to SUI #8812 need to merge, so we can properly reflect all these options in the SUI.
• Add a "Quit" action #11081
• Preserve WT_SESSION across restarts #6362

2.0 Bugs

these are all presuming that #10972 merges basically as is

• We should wrap this feature up in a Preview-only feature flag (no external community member should have to deal with that)
• Opening an elevated window will automatically re-open all the unelevated window state (as elevated!). This is because there are separate monarchs for elevated and unelevated windows.
  • Elevated windows should probably just participate at all in persist/restore for now. That's okay. We may revisit after https://github.com/microsoft/terminal/projects/5#card-67023745
• How do we persist something like wt -- cmd.exe? That won't have a profile, only a NewTerminalArgs, that we don't cache at runtime
  • We've mentioned in team syncs before that we may need to keep the NewTerminalArgs around when spawning a
• Same idea with a defterm connection - We won't be able to restore defterm panes at all, because we have no idea what profile they were. Right?
• How exactly does this work with the _quake window? Should that participate in the session restore? Probably, yea.
• Window names need to be persisted as well.
• Closing the last window with ClosePane will clear out any persisted layout.
  • This is by design
• Similarly with closing the last tab by clicking the x on the tab itself. Doesn't seem to save the window layout in that case.
  • This is by design
• If you have a profile with a background, then the colorscheme will blow away the profile's background on restore.
  • fixed in Persist window layout cont. save multiple windows #11083
• Terminal doesn't remember maximized, focus, fullscreen states Terminal doesn't remember maximized, focus, fullscreen states #11426
• Windows Terminal failed to restore the position in the 2nd or 3rd monitor with maximized window mode. #11639
• Terminal should also restore runtime tab titles #11878
• Move tab to new window, launch position, center on launch? #18670
• Tab position is not restored for restoreLastClosed action #12902
• Opening a new terminal window does not restore the previous window's size and position on the screen #12633
• The size of a focus mode window is wrong after a session restore. I believe this is actually the same root cause as:
  • Launching in Focus mode doesn't start at the correct size #10730
  • as also noted in Also remember to persist window positions #17066 (comment)