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These APIs are experimental and may change or be removed in future versions.Use with caution in production configurations. Breaking changes will not be considered major version bumps.
The glide.unstable namespace contains experimental features that are still being refined. These APIs provide access to cutting-edge browser functionality but may have bugs or incomplete implementations.

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glide.unstable.split_views

Manage tab split views for displaying multiple tabs side-by-side.
Split views are experimental in Firefox itself. There will be bugs and limitations.

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split_views.create()

Start a split view with the given tabs displayed side-by-side. 
glide.unstable.split_views.create(
  tabs: Array<TabID | Browser.Tabs.Tab>,
  opts?: glide.SplitViewCreateOpts
): glide.SplitView

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Parameters

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tabs
Array<number | Tab>
required
Array of at least 2 tabs to display in split view. Can be tab IDs or tab objects.Requirements:
  • Must provide at least 2 tabs
  • Tabs must not be pinned
  • Tab IDs must be valid
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opts
object
Optional configuration

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Returns

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id
number
Unique identifier for this split view
​
tabs
Browser.Tabs.Tab[]
Array of tab objects currently in the split view

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Example

// Create split view with tab objects
const tabs = await glide.tabs.query({});
const splitView = glide.unstable.split_views.create([tabs[0], tabs[1]]);

console.log("Split view ID:", splitView.id);
console.log("Tabs in split:", splitView.tabs);

// Create split view with tab IDs
const tab1 = await glide.tabs.active();
const tab2 = await browser.tabs.create({ url: "https://example.com" });
glide.unstable.split_views.create([tab1.id, tab2.id!]);

// Create with custom ID
glide.unstable.split_views.create([tab1, tab2], { id: 1234 });

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split_views.get()

Retrieve a split view by ID, tab ID, or tab object. 
glide.unstable.split_views.get(
  tab: SplitViewID | TabID | Browser.Tabs.Tab
): glide.SplitView | null

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Parameters

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tab
number | Tab
required
Can be:
  • Split view ID
  • Tab ID (returns the split view containing that tab)
  • Tab object (returns the split view containing that tab)

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Returns

Returns the SplitView object if found, or null if the identifier doesn’t correspond to any split view.

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Example

const tabs = await glide.tabs.query({});
const splitView = glide.unstable.split_views.create([tabs[0], tabs[1]]);

// Get by split view ID
const view1 = glide.unstable.split_views.get(splitView.id);

// Get by tab ID
const view2 = glide.unstable.split_views.get(tabs[0].id!);

// Get by tab object
const view3 = glide.unstable.split_views.get(tabs[0]);

// All three return the same split view
console.log(view1?.id === view2?.id); // true
console.log(view2?.id === view3?.id); // true

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split_views.separate()

Revert a tab in a split view back to a normal tab, destroying the split view. 
glide.unstable.split_views.separate(
  tab: SplitViewID | TabID | Browser.Tabs.Tab
): void

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Parameters

​
tab
number | Tab
required
Can be:
  • Split view ID (separates all tabs)
  • Tab ID (separates that specific tab)
  • Tab object (separates that specific tab)

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Behavior

  • Separating any tab in a split view destroys the entire split view
  • All tabs in the split view become normal standalone tabs
  • Throws an error if the tab is not in a split view

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Example

const tabs = await glide.tabs.query({});
const splitView = glide.unstable.split_views.create([tabs[0], tabs[1]]);

console.log(glide.unstable.split_views.has_split_view(tabs[0])); // true
console.log(glide.unstable.split_views.has_split_view(tabs[1])); // true

// Separate one tab - destroys the entire split view
glide.unstable.split_views.separate(tabs[0]);

console.log(glide.unstable.split_views.has_split_view(tabs[0])); // false
console.log(glide.unstable.split_views.has_split_view(tabs[1])); // false

// Can also separate by split view ID
const newSplit = glide.unstable.split_views.create([tabs[2], tabs[3]]);
glide.unstable.split_views.separate(newSplit.id);

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split_views.has_split_view()

Check whether a tab is currently in a split view. 
glide.unstable.split_views.has_split_view(
  tab: TabID | Browser.Tabs.Tab
): boolean

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Parameters

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tab
number | Tab
required
Tab ID or tab object to check

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Returns

Returns true if the tab is in a split view, false otherwise.

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Example

const tabs = await glide.tabs.query({});

console.log(glide.unstable.split_views.has_split_view(tabs[0])); // false

const splitView = glide.unstable.split_views.create([tabs[0], tabs[1]]);

console.log(glide.unstable.split_views.has_split_view(tabs[0])); // true
console.log(glide.unstable.split_views.has_split_view(tabs[1])); // true
console.log(glide.unstable.split_views.has_split_view(tabs[2])); // false

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Split View Examples

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Basic Split View Setup

glide.keymaps.set("normal", "<leader>vs", async () => {
  const tabs = await glide.tabs.query({ currentWindow: true });
  
  if (tabs.length < 2) {
    console.log("Need at least 2 tabs to create split view");
    return;
  }
  
  // Split the first two tabs
  const splitView = glide.unstable.split_views.create([tabs[0], tabs[1]]);
  console.log(`Created split view ${splitView.id}`);
});

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Split Current Tab with New Tab

glide.keymaps.set("normal", "<leader>vn", async ({ tab_id }) => {
  // Create a new tab
  const newTab = await browser.tabs.create({
    url: "https://example.com"
  });
  
  // Wait for tab to be created
  await new Promise(resolve => setTimeout(resolve, 100));
  
  // Create split view with current and new tab
  glide.unstable.split_views.create([tab_id, newTab.id!]);
});

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Toggle Split View

glide.keymaps.set("normal", "<leader>vt", async ({ tab_id }) => {
  if (glide.unstable.split_views.has_split_view(tab_id)) {
    // Already in split view - separate it
    glide.unstable.split_views.separate(tab_id);
    console.log("Separated split view");
  } else {
    // Not in split view - create one with next tab
    const tabs = await glide.tabs.query({ currentWindow: true });
    const currentIndex = tabs.findIndex(t => t.id === tab_id);
    const nextTab = tabs[currentIndex + 1];
    
    if (nextTab) {
      glide.unstable.split_views.create([tab_id, nextTab.id!]);
      console.log("Created split view");
    }
  }
});

glide.excmds.create(
  { 
    name: "split_open",
    description: "Open URL in split view with current tab"
  },
  async ({ tab_id, args_arr }) => {
    if (args_arr.length === 0) {
      console.error("Usage: split_open <url>");
      return;
    }
    
    const url = args_arr[0];
    const newTab = await browser.tabs.create({ url, active: false });
    
    // Wait for tab to be ready
    await new Promise(resolve => setTimeout(resolve, 200));
    
    try {
      glide.unstable.split_views.create([tab_id, newTab.id!]);
    } catch (error) {
      console.error("Failed to create split view:", error);
    }
  }
);

declare global {
  interface ExcmdRegistry {
    split_open: {};
  }
}

// Usage: :split_open https://glide-browser.app

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Inspect Split View Info

glide.keymaps.set("normal", "<leader>vi", async ({ tab_id }) => {
  const splitView = glide.unstable.split_views.get(tab_id);
  
  if (splitView) {
    console.log(`Split View #${splitView.id}`);
    console.log(`Tabs: ${splitView.tabs.length}`);
    splitView.tabs.forEach((tab, i) => {
      console.log(`  [${i}] ${tab.title} - ${tab.url}`);
    });
  } else {
    console.log("Current tab is not in a split view");
  }
});

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Known Limitations

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Split Views

  1. Cannot split pinned tabs - Will throw an error if you try to create a split view with a pinned tab
  2. Firefox bugs - Split views are experimental in Firefox itself and may have rendering or stability issues
  3. Custom ID collisions - Using { id: N } with an existing ID throws an error
  4. Separating destroys all - Separating one tab closes the entire split view, not just that tab
  5. Two tabs minimum - Must provide at least 2 tabs to create a split view

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Error Handling

try {
  const tabs = await glide.tabs.query({});
  
  // This will throw if a tab is pinned
  glide.unstable.split_views.create([tabs[0], tabs[1]]);
} catch (error) {
  console.error("Split view error:", error);
  // Error: Could not create a splitview; Is one of the tabs pinned?
}

try {
  // This will throw if ID is already in use
  glide.unstable.split_views.create([tabs[2], tabs[3]], { id: 1234 });
  glide.unstable.split_views.create([tabs[4], tabs[5]], { id: 1234 });
} catch (error) {
  console.error("Split view error:", error);
  // Error: Could not create a splitview; The 1234 ID is already in use
}

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Migration Notes

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glide.unstable.include() (Deprecated)

Deprecated: Use glide.include() instead.
// ❌ Old (deprecated)
await glide.unstable.include("shared.glide.ts");

// ✓ New
await glide.include("shared.glide.ts");

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Future Unstable APIs

The glide.unstable namespace will continue to host experimental features as they’re developed. Check the Changelog for updates on:
  • New experimental APIs
  • Unstable APIs graduating to stable
  • Breaking changes to unstable APIs

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See Also