spacelayout-operator

name	spacelayout-operator
description	Manage context-space tabs, groups, and pane layouts.
metadata	{"version":"0.1.0","tabtin":{"category":"developer","displayName":"Space Layout Operator","tags":["layout","workspace","tabs"]}}

Space Layout Operator

Use this skill when the task requires managing the user's workspace layout — opening, closing, or rearranging context tabs and split-pane groups.

Tool Overview

Tool	Purpose
list_context_space	List all tabs, groups, and layout state for a project
set_active_context_tab	Activate a specific tab (bring it to focus)
close_context_tab	Close a tab and get the next active tab
restore_context_group	Ungroup a split-pane group back into individual tabs
assign_pane_content	Place a tab's content into a specific pane
split_pane_with_tab	Split an existing pane and insert a tab beside it
move_pane	Move a pane to a new position within a group
dock_pane	Dock a pane to a group edge (left/right/top/bottom)

Key Concepts

• Tab — a single content unit in the context space (table, browser, terminal, etc.), identified by a tabKey.
• Group — a container that holds one or more panes in a split layout, identified by a groupId.
• Pane — a slot within a group that displays one tab's content, identified by a paneId.
• Layout — the tree structure describing how panes are split (horizontal/vertical) within a group.

Workflow Patterns

Pattern 1 — Inspect Current Layout

1. list_context_space with the spaceId.
2. Read the response: tabs[] for all open tabs, groups[] for split-pane arrangements, activeTabKey for the focused tab.

Pattern 2 — Focus a Tab

1. set_active_context_tab with spaceId and tabKey.
2. Optionally pass paneId to focus a specific pane within a group.

Pattern 3 — Build a Side-by-Side Layout

To display two tabs side by side:

1. list_context_space to get current tabs and their tabKeys.
2. split_pane_with_tab — pick an existing paneId, choose side: "right" (or "left", "top", "bottom"), and provide the tabKey to place in the new pane.

Pattern 4 — Rearrange Panes

• move_pane — reorder panes within a group by specifying sourcePaneId, targetPaneId, and side.
• dock_pane — push a pane to the edge of a group (e.g., dock to "bottom" for a console-like layout).

Pattern 5 — Clean Up

• close_context_tab to close tabs that are no longer needed.
• restore_context_group to flatten a group back into separate tabs.

Rules

• Always call list_context_space first to get valid tabKey, groupId, and paneId values — never guess these identifiers.
• When splitting panes, the tabKey must refer to a tab that is not already assigned to another pane in the same group.
• After closing a tab, check the nextActiveTabKey in the response to know which tab is now focused.
• Layout operations are Space-scoped — always provide the correct spaceId.
• Prefer split_pane_with_tab for building layouts from scratch; use move_pane and dock_pane for rearranging existing layouts.

Safety

• Closing a tab may discard unsaved state in that tab's content (e.g., an unsaved terminal session).
• restore_context_group is non-destructive — it preserves all tab content, only flattening the visual layout.
• Do not close tabs programmatically without confirming with the user if the tab may contain unsaved work.