fix(plugins): standardize should_focus parameter when launching new plugin via pipe (#4309)

* fix(plugins): standardize should_focus parameter when launching new plugins via pipe

* docs(changelog): add PR

9 files changed, 21 insertions, 3 deletions

diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index f45af785..829ed649 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -24,6 +24,7 @@ The format is based on [Keep a Changelog](https://keepachangelog.com/en/1.0.0/)
 * fix: account for emoji/widechars when double/triple-clicking to mark words (https://github.com/zellij-org/zellij/pull/4302)
 * fix: allow pasting and emojis in tab/pane names and pasting in search (https://github.com/zellij-org/zellij/pull/4303)
 * fix: stack pane ordering when stacking multiple panes (https://github.com/zellij-org/zellij/pull/4308)
+* fix: normalize focusing of plugins launched through pipes (https://github.com/zellij-org/zellij/pull/4309)
 
 ## [0.42.2] - 2025-04-15
 * refactor(terminal): track scroll_region as tuple rather than Option (https://github.com/zellij-org/zellij/pull/4082)
diff --git a/default-plugins/plugin-manager/src/main.rs b/default-plugins/plugin-manager/src/main.rs
index c148a7ba..8e1c91a8 100644
--- a/default-plugins/plugin-manager/src/main.rs
+++ b/default-plugins/plugin-manager/src/main.rs
@@ -468,6 +468,7 @@ impl NewPluginScreen {
                         .new_plugin_instance_should_have_pane_title(
                             "Select a .wasm file to load as a plugin...",
                         )
+                        .new_plugin_instance_should_be_focused()
                         .with_args(args),
                 );
             },
diff --git a/default-plugins/session-manager/src/main.rs b/default-plugins/session-manager/src/main.rs
index 8e1d039f..6be29dc5 100644
--- a/default-plugins/session-manager/src/main.rs
+++ b/default-plugins/session-manager/src/main.rs
@@ -249,6 +249,7 @@ impl State {
                         .new_plugin_instance_should_have_pane_title(
                             "Select folder for the new session...",
                         )
+                        .new_plugin_instance_should_be_focused()
                         .with_args(args),
                 );
                 should_render = true;
diff --git a/zellij-server/src/plugins/mod.rs b/zellij-server/src/plugins/mod.rs
index 6e84649a..1c77df5e 100644
--- a/zellij-server/src/plugins/mod.rs
+++ b/zellij-server/src/plugins/mod.rs
@@ -715,6 +715,7 @@ pub(crate) fn plugin_thread_main(
                             &mut wasm_bridge,
                             &plugin_aliases,
                             floating_pane_coordinates,
+                            None,
                         );
                     },
                     None => {
@@ -777,6 +778,7 @@ pub(crate) fn plugin_thread_main(
                                 &mut wasm_bridge,
                                 &plugin_aliases,
                                 floating_pane_coordinates,
+                                None,
                             );
                         },
                         None => {
@@ -842,6 +844,7 @@ pub(crate) fn plugin_thread_main(
                             &mut wasm_bridge,
                             &plugin_aliases,
                             floating_pane_coordinates,
+                            message.new_plugin_args.and_then(|n| n.should_focus),
                         );
                     },
                     (None, Some(destination_plugin_id)) => {
@@ -1047,6 +1050,7 @@ fn pipe_to_specific_plugins(
     wasm_bridge: &mut WasmBridge,
     plugin_aliases: &PluginAliases,
     floating_pane_coordinates: Option<FloatingPaneCoordinates>,
+    should_focus: Option<bool>,
 ) {
     let is_private = true;
     let size = Size::default();
@@ -1069,6 +1073,7 @@ fn pipe_to_specific_plugins(
                 pane_id_to_replace.clone(),
                 cli_client_id,
                 floating_pane_coordinates,
+                should_focus.unwrap_or(false),
             );
             for (plugin_id, client_id) in all_plugin_ids {
                 pipe_messages.push((
diff --git a/zellij-server/src/plugins/wasm_bridge.rs b/zellij-server/src/plugins/wasm_bridge.rs
index 9ccd7c1d..fbb67a5e 100644
--- a/zellij-server/src/plugins/wasm_bridge.rs
+++ b/zellij-server/src/plugins/wasm_bridge.rs
@@ -1427,6 +1427,7 @@ impl WasmBridge {
         pane_id_to_replace: Option<PaneId>,
         cli_client_id: Option<ClientId>,
         floating_pane_coordinates: Option<FloatingPaneCoordinates>,
+        should_focus: bool,
     ) -> Vec<(PluginId, Option<ClientId>)> {
         let run_plugin = run_plugin_or_alias.get_run_plugin();
         match run_plugin {
@@ -1453,8 +1454,6 @@ impl WasmBridge {
                     ) {
                         Ok((plugin_id, client_id)) => {
                             let start_suppressed = false;
-                            let should_focus = Some(false); // we should not focus plugins that
-                                                            // were started from another plugin
                             drop(self.senders.send_to_screen(ScreenInstruction::AddPlugin(
                                 Some(should_float),
                                 should_be_open_in_place,
@@ -1466,7 +1465,7 @@ impl WasmBridge {
                                 cwd,
                                 start_suppressed,
                                 floating_pane_coordinates,
-                                should_focus,
+                                Some(should_focus),
                                 Some(client_id),
                             )));
                             vec![(plugin_id, Some(client_id))]
diff --git a/zellij-utils/assets/prost/api.plugin_command.rs b/zellij-utils/assets/prost/api.plugin_command.rs
index 0c290fc3..6e80de23 100644
--- a/zellij-utils/assets/prost/api.plugin_command.rs
+++ b/zellij-utils/assets/prost/api.plugin_command.rs
@@ -660,6 +660,8 @@ pub struct NewPluginArgs {
     pub cwd: ::core::option::Option<::prost::alloc::string::String>,
     #[prost(bool, tag="5")]
     pub skip_cache: bool,
+    #[prost(bool, optional, tag="6")]
+    pub should_focus: ::core::option::Option<bool>,
 }
 #[allow(clippy::derive_partial_eq_without_eq)]
 #[derive(Clone, PartialEq, ::prost::Message)]
diff --git a/zellij-utils/src/data.rs b/zellij-utils/src/data.rs
index 91f2c713..42635864 100644
--- a/zellij-utils/src/data.rs
+++ b/zellij-utils/src/data.rs
@@ -1988,6 +1988,7 @@ pub struct NewPluginArgs {
     pub pane_title: Option<String>,
     pub cwd: Option<PathBuf>,
     pub skip_cache: bool,
+    pub should_focus: Option<bool>,
 }
 
 #[derive(Debug, Clone, Copy, Serialize, Deserialize, PartialEq, Eq, Hash, PartialOrd, Ord)]
@@ -2077,6 +2078,11 @@ impl MessageToPlugin {
         new_plugin_args.skip_cache = true;
         self
     }
+    pub fn new_plugin_instance_should_be_focused(mut self) -> Self {
+        let new_plugin_args = self.new_plugin_args.get_or_insert_with(Default::default);
+        new_plugin_args.should_focus = Some(true);
+        self
+    }
 }
 
 #[derive(Debug, Default, Clone, Serialize, Deserialize)]
diff --git a/zellij-utils/src/plugin_api/plugin_command.proto b/zellij-utils/src/plugin_api/plugin_command.proto
index d46ba1e3..106544e0 100644
--- a/zellij-utils/src/plugin_api/plugin_command.proto
+++ b/zellij-utils/src/plugin_api/plugin_command.proto
@@ -545,6 +545,7 @@ message NewPluginArgs {
     optional string pane_title = 3;
     optional string cwd = 4;
     bool skip_cache = 5;
+    optional bool should_focus = 6;
 }
 
 message PaneId {
diff --git a/zellij-utils/src/plugin_api/plugin_command.rs b/zellij-utils/src/plugin_api/plugin_command.rs
index 073284bc..f5411cb8 100644
--- a/zellij-utils/src/plugin_api/plugin_command.rs
+++ b/zellij-utils/src/plugin_api/plugin_command.rs
@@ -971,6 +971,7 @@ impl TryFrom<ProtobufPluginCommand> for PluginCommand {
                                 pane_title: protobuf_new_plugin_args.pane_title,
                                 cwd: protobuf_new_plugin_args.cwd.map(|cwd| PathBuf::from(cwd)),
                                 skip_cache: protobuf_new_plugin_args.skip_cache,
+                                should_focus: protobuf_new_plugin_args.should_focus,
                             })
                         }),
                         destination_plugin_id,
@@ -2260,6 +2261,7 @@ impl TryFrom<PluginCommand> for ProtobufPluginCommand {
                                 pane_title: m_t_p.pane_title,
                                 cwd: m_t_p.cwd.map(|cwd| cwd.display().to_string()),
                                 skip_cache: m_t_p.skip_cache,
+                                should_focus: m_t_p.should_focus,
                             }
                         }),
                         destination_plugin_id: message_to_plugin.destination_plugin_id,