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Open in Editor

Open in editor actions connect PastePrompt selection and preview workflows to your normal development tools.

What it does​

PastePrompt can open selected files in an external editor or reveal them in Finder. Supported actions can include:

  • Open in VS Code.
  • Open in Cursor.
  • Open with the macOS system default app.
  • Reveal file in Finder.
  • Use a CLI fallback such as code or cursor when configured and available.

These actions should use canonicalized file paths from the selected repository and should not require uploading source code.

Why it matters​

PastePrompt is for context building, not replacing your editor. Reviewers still need full editor capabilities for symbol navigation, tests, Git tools, search, and manual inspection.

Editor actions help you:

  • Move from a bundle selection to full code review.
  • Inspect a file at the source instead of only in preview.
  • Compare selected files with local tests or traces.
  • Use Cursor, VS Code, or another editor without manually finding the path.
  • Reveal a file in Finder when checking exports or repository layout.

How to use it​

  1. Select a repository.
  2. Click a file in the tree, search results, preview, or selected-files panel.
  3. Choose an editor action:
    • Open in VS Code when VS Code is installed or its CLI is available.
    • Open in Cursor when Cursor is installed or its CLI is available.
    • Open with default app for the macOS file association.
    • Reveal in Finder to locate the file on disk.
  4. If the action fails, check that the editor is installed and that command-line helpers are configured.

VS Code and Cursor​

VS Code and Cursor can usually open files through app integration or CLI helpers. If the app cannot open a file directly, installing the editor command-line helper may allow a fallback through code or cursor.

System default​

The system default action uses the macOS file association for the selected file. This is useful when you prefer another editor or when VS Code/Cursor integration is unavailable.

Reveal in Finder​

Reveal in Finder opens the file location in macOS Finder. This is useful for checking generated exports, repository layout, symlink targets, or local file permissions.

Example workflow​

  1. Search for session.ts.
  2. Preview the file in PastePrompt.
  3. Copy the file path into your audit notes.
  4. Open the file in Cursor for deeper review.
  5. Reveal the file in Finder when checking whether it lives under src/ or a vendored dependency.
  6. Return to PastePrompt and add the related files to the bundle.

Limitations​

  • External editor actions depend on installed applications and local configuration.
  • CLI fallback requires the relevant command to be available on the app's executable path or through a supported configuration.
  • Opening a file in an editor does not add it to the context bundle automatically unless PastePrompt explicitly provides that workflow.
  • Files outside the selected workspace should not be opened through workspace-scoped actions unless the user intentionally selected or allowed that path.
  • macOS permissions can prevent opening or revealing files in restricted locations.