apps: 'Open Project in VS Code' — pick a folder, isolated local instance

The button opened a fixed throwaway folder in a fresh profile (a blank session).
Now it prompts for a project folder (NSOpenPanel / FolderBrowserDialog) and opens
THAT project in an isolated VS Code instance pointed at the shim. The --user-data-dir
profile is now a stable, reused location outside any project (Application Support/
FauxClaude on mac, %LOCALAPPDATA%\fauxclaude on Windows), so it keeps the local
routing and remembers its state instead of starting blank each time. Still a
separate instance (env can't be injected into an already-running window), so it
doesn't disturb your normal VS Code. Verified on macOS: opens the chosen project
and the process carries ANTHROPIC_BASE_URL; Windows compile-checked (0 errors).

Co-Authored-By: Claude Fable 5 <noreply@anthropic.com>

Author: garthvh

mac-app/main.swift

@@ -41,9 +41,11 @@ final class ShimController: ObservableObject {
         FileManager.default.homeDirectoryForCurrentUser
             .appendingPathComponent("Library/Logs/fauxclaude.log")
     }
-    var vscodeWorkspaceURL: URL {
+    // Reused VS Code profile for the local instance — stable so it isn't a blank
+    // session each time (remembers recents/layout); kept out of any project folder.
+    var vscodeProfileURL: URL {
         FileManager.default.homeDirectoryForCurrentUser
-            .appendingPathComponent("fauxclaude-test")
+            .appendingPathComponent("Library/Application Support/FauxClaude/vscode-profile")
     }
     var modelMapURL: URL {
         FileManager.default.homeDirectoryForCurrentUser
@@ -165,30 +167,35 @@ final class ShimController: ObservableObject {
         }
     }
 
-    // Open VS Code pointed at the shim. Claude Code (CLI or the VS Code extension)
-    // reads ANTHROPIC_BASE_URL from its PROCESS environment — settings.json can't
-    // redirect it — so we must launch VS Code with the env set. A dedicated
-    // --user-data-dir makes this a separate instance that reliably inherits the
-    // env even if VS Code is already open (extensions are shared from the default
-    // location). The shim ignores auth, so a dummy token stands in for the login.
+    // Open a chosen PROJECT in VS Code pointed at the shim. Claude Code (CLI or the
+    // VS Code extension) reads ANTHROPIC_BASE_URL from its PROCESS environment —
+    // settings.json can't redirect it — so we launch VS Code with the env set. A
+    // dedicated (reused) --user-data-dir keeps this a separate, isolated instance
+    // that inherits the env even if your normal VS Code is open, and stays pointed
+    // local across projects. Extensions are shared from the default location; the
+    // shim ignores auth, so a dummy token stands in for the login.
     func openVSCode() {
-        let ws = vscodeWorkspaceURL
-        try? FileManager.default.createDirectory(at: ws, withIntermediateDirectories: true)
-        let readme = ws.appendingPathComponent("README.md")
-        if !FileManager.default.fileExists(atPath: readme.path) {
-            try? "# FauxClaude local test workspace\n\nClaude Code here talks to your local FauxClaude shim (\(shimURL)).\n"
-                .write(to: readme, atomically: true, encoding: .utf8)
-        }
+        let panel = NSOpenPanel()
+        panel.canChooseDirectories = true
+        panel.canChooseFiles = false
+        panel.allowsMultipleSelection = false
+        panel.prompt = "Open in FauxClaude"
+        panel.message = "Choose a project folder to open in VS Code pointed at your local shim."
+        panel.directoryURL = FileManager.default.homeDirectoryForCurrentUser
+        NSApp.activate(ignoringOtherApps: true)
+        guard panel.runModal() == .OK, let folder = panel.url else { return }
+
         let vscode = "/Applications/Visual Studio Code.app/Contents/MacOS/Electron"
         guard FileManager.default.isExecutableFile(atPath: vscode) else {
             alert("VS Code not found",
-                  "Install VS Code in /Applications, then reopen. Or open \(ws.path) manually with ANTHROPIC_BASE_URL=\(shimURL) set.")
+                  "Install VS Code in /Applications. Or open \(folder.path) manually with ANTHROPIC_BASE_URL=\(shimURL) set.")
             return
         }
+        let profile = vscodeProfileURL
+        try? FileManager.default.createDirectory(at: profile, withIntermediateDirectories: true)
         let p = Process()
         p.executableURL = URL(fileURLWithPath: vscode)
-        p.arguments = [ws.path, "--new-window",
-                       "--user-data-dir", ws.appendingPathComponent(".vscode-profile").path]
+        p.arguments = [folder.path, "--user-data-dir", profile.path]
         var env = ProcessInfo.processInfo.environment
         env.removeValue(forKey: "ANTHROPIC_API_KEY")
         env["ANTHROPIC_BASE_URL"] = shimURL
@@ -359,7 +366,7 @@ struct MenuContent: View {
             .keyboardShortcut("d")
         Button("Run Claude Code in Terminal") { shim.runClaude() }
             .keyboardShortcut("t")
-        Button("Open in VS Code") { shim.openVSCode() }
+        Button("Open Project in VS Code…") { shim.openVSCode() }
             .keyboardShortcut("v")
         Button("View Log") { shim.openLog() }
         Button("Edit Model Map…") { shim.editModelMap() }

windows-app/Program.cs

@@ -90,7 +90,7 @@ public TrayApp()
 
         menu.Items.Add("Open Dashboard", null, (_, _) => OpenUrl($"{ShimUrl}/"));
         menu.Items.Add("Run Claude Code in Terminal", null, (_, _) => RunClaude());
-        menu.Items.Add("Open in VS Code", null, (_, _) => OpenVSCode());
+        menu.Items.Add("Open Project in VS Code…", null, (_, _) => OpenVSCode());
         menu.Items.Add("View Log", null, (_, _) => OpenLog());
         menu.Items.Add("Edit Model Map…", null, (_, _) => EditModelMap());
         menu.Items.Add(new ToolStripSeparator());
@@ -267,22 +267,27 @@ private void RunClaude()
         }
     }
 
-    // Open VS Code pointed at the shim. Claude Code (CLI or the VS Code extension)
-    // reads ANTHROPIC_BASE_URL from its PROCESS environment — settings.json can't
-    // redirect it — so we launch VS Code with the env set. A dedicated
-    // --user-data-dir makes it a separate instance that reliably inherits the env
-    // even if VS Code is already open (extensions are shared from the default
-    // location). The shim ignores auth, so a dummy token stands in for the login.
+    // Open a chosen PROJECT in VS Code pointed at the shim. Claude Code (CLI or the
+    // VS Code extension) reads ANTHROPIC_BASE_URL from its PROCESS environment —
+    // settings.json can't redirect it — so we launch VS Code with the env set. A
+    // reused --user-data-dir keeps this an isolated instance that inherits the env
+    // even if your normal VS Code is open and stays pointed local across projects.
+    // Extensions are shared; the shim ignores auth, so a dummy token stands in.
     private void OpenVSCode()
     {
         if (_shim is not { HasExited: false } && !_running) StartShim();
 
-        var ws = Path.Combine(Environment.GetFolderPath(Environment.SpecialFolder.UserProfile), "fauxclaude-test");
-        Directory.CreateDirectory(ws);
-        var readme = Path.Combine(ws, "README.md");
-        if (!File.Exists(readme))
-            try { File.WriteAllText(readme, $"# FauxClaude local test workspace\r\n\r\nClaude Code here talks to your local FauxClaude shim ({ShimUrl}).\r\n"); }
-            catch { /* best effort */ }
+        // Pick a project folder.
+        string folder;
+        using (var dlg = new FolderBrowserDialog
+        {
+            Description = "Choose a project folder to open in VS Code pointed at your local shim.",
+            UseDescriptionForTitle = true,
+        })
+        {
+            if (dlg.ShowDialog() != DialogResult.OK || string.IsNullOrEmpty(dlg.SelectedPath)) return;
+            folder = dlg.SelectedPath;
+        }
 
         // Find Code.exe (user install first, then machine-wide).
         var lad = Environment.GetFolderPath(Environment.SpecialFolder.LocalApplicationData);
@@ -297,17 +302,21 @@ private void OpenVSCode()
 
         if (code == null)
         {
-            MessageBox.Show($"VS Code (Code.exe) not found. Install it, or open this folder manually with " +
-                            $"ANTHROPIC_BASE_URL={ShimUrl} set:\n\n{ws}", "FauxClaude");
+            MessageBox.Show($"VS Code (Code.exe) not found. Install it, or open {folder} manually with " +
+                            $"ANTHROPIC_BASE_URL={ShimUrl} set.", "FauxClaude");
             return;
         }
 
-        var profile = Path.Combine(ws, ".vscode-profile");
+        // Reused profile (outside any project) so it's an isolated instance that
+        // stays pointed local and isn't a blank session each time.
+        var profile = Path.Combine(lad, "fauxclaude", "vscode-profile");
+        Directory.CreateDirectory(profile);
+
         // UseShellExecute must be false so the Environment dictionary is applied.
         var psi = new ProcessStartInfo(code)
         {
             UseShellExecute = false,
-            Arguments = $"\"{ws}\" --new-window --user-data-dir \"{profile}\"",
+            Arguments = $"\"{folder}\" --user-data-dir \"{profile}\"",
         };
         psi.Environment.Remove("ANTHROPIC_API_KEY");
         psi.Environment["ANTHROPIC_BASE_URL"] = ShimUrl;