microsoft / microsoft/PowerToys

Command Palette: Go back but keep the typed text

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#48,648 1 comment 0 reactions 0 assignees View on GitHub
Needs-Triage Product-Command Palette
Dominant language
C
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Description

### Description of the new feature / enhancement

When using the Command Palette, it would be great if hitting the Escape key gave us the option to keep our typed text instead of clearing it.

Currently, there are these options:

- "Clear search first, then go back"
- "Go back"

The issue is that even if you choose "Go back", the text in the field gets wiped out when you return to your previous screen.
It would be much more convenient if we could preserve what we've typed.

### Scenario when this would be used?

**Scenario 1: Using a Tool**

Imagine you’re using a tool and start typing, only to realize you've selected the wrong one. You want to head back to the main menu to pick the right tool without losing your progress. If you hit `Esc`, it takes you straight back to the main menu—but wouldn't it be great if you could also keep everything you’ve already written?

**Scenario 2: Using the Command Palette**

Suppose you open the Command Palette while already inside a tool (perhaps because you have "Automatically return home" set to Never). As you start typing, you realize you’re actually inside a tool rather than in the main menu. You hit `Esc` to jump back to the main menu, but just like before, you’d love to keep all that text you were working on!

### Supporting information

_No response_

Contributor guide

Open the contributing guide

Research direction

Start by locating the Command Palette handling for Escape and the transition back to the previous screen, then reproduce both scenarios described in the issue. Done means choosing "Go back" preserves the text entered in the field while "Clear search first, then go back" continues to clear it.

Written by the indexing model from the issue text.

Assessment

Domain
desktop
Issue type
Feature
Difficulty
3/5
Estimated time
1-2 days
Activity status
Quiet
Clarity
Mostly clear
Newbie friendliness
55/100

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