microsoft / microsoft/terminal

Align terminal output to the bottom of the window (as option, especially with _quake)

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#14,773 12 comments 1 reaction 0 assignees View on GitHub
Area-TerminalControl Issue-Feature Product-Terminal
Dominant language
C++
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Avg merge
3d 17h
Merged PRs (30d)
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Description

# Description of the new feature/enhancement

I would like you to consider allowing users to align the output of the terminal to the bottom edge of the terminal window.

Currently, the terminal output is being rendered on the top edge of the terminal window. This is often just a single prompt line:

![obraz](https://user-images.githubusercontent.com/34579814/216163974-4089f1c9-7032-4d1a-91b2-536b1027bfb9.png)

While working with any shell, though, the screen gets filled with output and prompt usually ends up on the bottom for the entirety of the session:

![obraz](https://user-images.githubusercontent.com/34579814/216164203-919f5bf3-88af-48fb-a88b-62c6433b315b.png)

Allowing user to align the output to the bottom of the screen would keep the prompt consistently in the same place, giving less distracting and more visually pleasing experience (subjectively):

![obraz](https://user-images.githubusercontent.com/34579814/216164336-5fb23577-e677-44f5-b7f8-d1924fef832b.png)

It would also be a more natural experience, when using the console quake-style.

I am well aware, that the same effect can be achieved in most shells using various tricks, but:
- they mostly depend on filling the output with missing lines, which is slow,
- it will break once the terminal window gets resized,
- it will break once any `clear`-like command gets issued.

As this is my first appearance here, HUGE THANKS for the awesome work done already! ❤😊

Contributor guide

Open the contributing guide

Research direction

The issue names no files or tests. Start by tracing terminal output rendering, window-resize handling, and clear-like commands, then determine where a user-configurable alignment option belongs. Done means the prompt and output remain aligned to the bottom after normal output, resizing, and clearing, including quake-style use.

Written by the indexing model from the issue text.

Assessment

Tech stack
cpp
Domain
cli
Issue type
Feature
Difficulty
5/5
Estimated time
Over a week
Activity status
Stale
Clarity
Mostly clear
Newbie friendliness
30/100

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