feat: Add Ctrl+L keyboard shortcut for new task (#3599)

[MuriloFP]

Related GitHub Issue

Closes: #3599

Roo Code Task Context (Optional)

Description

This PR implements the Ctrl+L (Cmd+L on Mac) keyboard shortcut to close the current task and start a new one, as requested in issue #3599.

Implementation Details:

• Added keyboard event handler in the webview component following existing patterns for mode switching shortcuts
• The shortcut directly calls startNewTask() when Ctrl+L (Windows/Linux) or Cmd+L (Mac) is pressed
• Implemented comprehensive test coverage for the new keyboard shortcut functionality

Design Decisions:

• Followed the existing webview keyboard handling pattern used for mode switching (Ctrl+Period) rather than using VSCode's keybinding system
• This approach ensures consistency with how other keyboard shortcuts are handled in the extension
• The shortcut works globally within the webview without requiring specific focus conditions

Note: The implementation deviates from the original plan to use VSCode's keybinding system, but maintains consistency with existing keyboard shortcut patterns in the codebase.

Test Procedure

Automated Tests:

• Added comprehensive unit tests in ChatView.spec.tsx covering:
  • Ctrl+L functionality on Windows/Linux
  • Cmd+L functionality on Mac
  • Prevention of default browser behavior
  • Edge cases (e.g., shortcut disabled when modal is open)
  • Ensuring existing mode switching shortcuts still work

Manual Testing Steps:

1. Open the Roo Code sidebar
2. Start a task or have an existing task open
3. Press Ctrl+L (Windows/Linux) or Cmd+L (Mac)
4. Verify that the current task closes and a new task interface appears
5. Test that the shortcut doesn't interfere with other functionality

Test Results:

• All unit tests pass (29 tests in ChatView component)
• No lint errors or warnings
• TypeScript compilation successful

Pre-Submission Checklist

• Issue Linked: This PR is linked to an approved GitHub Issue (see "Related GitHub Issue" above).
• Scope: My changes are focused on the linked issue (one major feature/fix per PR).
• Self-Review: I have performed a thorough self-review of my code.
• Testing: New and/or updated tests have been added to cover my changes (if applicable).
• Documentation Impact: I have considered if my changes require documentation updates (see "Documentation Updates" section below).
• Contribution Guidelines: I have read and agree to the Contributor Guidelines.

Screenshots / Videos

No visual changes - this PR only adds a keyboard shortcut that triggers existing functionality.

Documentation Updates

• No documentation updates are required.
• Yes, documentation updates are required. (The keyboard shortcuts documentation should be updated to include Ctrl+L/Cmd+L for "Close task and start a new one")

Additional Notes

Translation Impact: No translations were required as no new user-facing strings were added.

PR Review Feedback: Based on the review feedback, the implementation deviates from the original architectural plan by implementing the shortcut in the webview rather than using VSCode's keybinding system. This approach was chosen to maintain consistency with existing keyboard shortcut patterns in the codebase (e.g., mode switching with Ctrl+Period).

Get in Touch

@MuriloFP

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Important

Adds Ctrl+L/Cmd+L keyboard shortcut in ChatView.tsx to start a new task, with comprehensive tests.

• Behavior:
  • Adds Ctrl+L (Cmd+L on Mac) keyboard shortcut in ChatView.tsx to start a new task.
  • Shortcut calls startNewTask() when pressed, preventing default browser behavior.
• Implementation:
  • Adds keyboard event handler in ChatViewComponent to handle Ctrl+L/Cmd+L.
  • Follows existing pattern for keyboard shortcuts, similar to mode switching.
• Testing:
  • Comprehensive unit tests added in ChatView.spec.tsx for new shortcut functionality.

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[daniel-lxs]

Thanks for working on this! I noticed that this functionality is already available through VSCode's keybinding system.

Regarding the focus requirement mentioned in the issue, VSCode provides the focusedView context key that we can use:

{
  "key": "ctrl+l",
  "command": "roo-cline.plusButtonClicked",
  "when": "focusedView == 'roo-cline.SidebarProvider'"
}

This ensures the shortcut only works when the Roo Code sidebar is focused (not just visible), which addresses the specific requirement from the issue discussion.

The plusButtonClicked command already does exactly what we need - it clears the current task and starts a new one. Users can add this to their keybindings.json right now.

If we want to provide this shortcut by default, we could add it to the contributes.keybindings section in package.json instead. What do you think?

I'll close this PR in the meantime.