[Feature Request] Allow opening past sessions in integrated terminal from sidebar panel

Summary

When clicking a session in the VS Code sidebar session list, it always opens as an editor tab (webview). There is currently no way to open/resume a past session directly in the integrated terminal from the sidebar — users must manually type claude --resume <session-id> in a terminal.

This feature request proposes adding the ability to open sessions in the integrated terminal from the sidebar panel.

Current Behavior

1. Click the Claude Code icon in the Activity Bar → session list appears
2. Click any past session → opens only as a full editor tab (webview)
3. To resume in terminal mode, users must:

• Copy or remember the session ID
• Open a terminal manually
• Run claude --resume <session-id>

Proposed Behavior

Add a way to open/resume sessions in the integrated terminal directly from the sidebar. Possible approaches (open to discussion):

Option A: Context Menu Action

Right-click a session → "Open in Terminal" menu item that spawns an integrated terminal running claude --resume <session-id>.

Option B: Configurable Default Click Behavior

A VS Code setting (e.g., claude-code.sessionOpenMode: "editor" | "terminal") that controls what happens when a session is clicked. This aligns with the existing "Use Terminal" toggle in General Config.

Option C: Both

Context menu for ad-hoc use + setting for users who always prefer terminal mode.

Use Cases

• Terminal-first users: Many developers prefer the terminal experience for its speed, keyboard-driven workflow, and familiarity with shell integration (piping, ! commands, etc.). Currently, the sidebar session list is effectively unusable for these users.
• Quick session switching: When working across multiple sessions, being able to click and immediately resume in a terminal tab would significantly reduce friction compared to typing claude --resume each time.
• Consistent experience: The extension already supports terminal mode via the "Use Terminal" setting, but the sidebar doesn't respect this preference — it always opens in editor mode regardless.

Motivation

The session list sidebar is a great UX improvement over claude --resume in the CLI. However, for users who prefer terminal mode (or have it set as default), there's a disconnect: the sidebar always forces the editor tab experience. Bridging this gap would make the sidebar useful for all users, not just those who prefer the webview editor.

Implementation Notes

From a high-level perspective, the implementation would likely involve:

• Adding a vscode.commands.registerCommand for "open session in terminal"
• Using vscode.window.createTerminal() with claude --resume <session-id> as the shell command
• Registering a context menu contribution in package.json under view/item/context
• Optionally reading a configuration setting to determine default click behavior

I'd be happy to contribute a PR for this once the maintainers agree on a direction. Would love to hear which approach (A/B/C or something else entirely) aligns best with the project's vision.

Related Issues

• #37628 — Sidebar session rename doesn't sync with terminal tab title
• #35719 — Display indicator when session is already open in another terminal
• #39799 — Session rename not persisted across terminals in /resume

Environment

• VS Code Extension (macOS)
• Claude Code CLI + VS Code integration