Opening multiple directories from the CLI merges them into a single multi-root workspace; right-clicking opens them as separate Threads

Reproduction steps

Summary

When I open several folders at once with Zed.exe <dir1> <dir2> <dir3>, the editor creates a single workspace that contains all three directories as project roots. The left Threads panel shows a single combined thread, and the project panel lists all roots expanded. If one root contains a long file list, switching to another root requires a lot of scrolling.

When I open the same folders by right-clicking each one in Windows Explorer and selecting Open with Zed, each folder appears as its own thread in the left Threads panel, and I can switch between them quickly. I would like the CLI to behave the same way.

Steps to Reproduce

1. Create three sibling folders, for example:
   • test-folder-alpha
   • test-folder-beta
   • test-folder-gamma
2. From PowerShell, run Zed.exe with all three paths as arguments:

   Zed.exe "C:\Users\...\test-folder-alpha" "C:\Users\...\test-folder-beta" "C:\Users\...\test-folder-gamma"

   This can also be reproduced with the attached script zed-open.ps1.
3. Compare with right-clicking each of the three folders individually and choosing Open with Zed.

Screenshots

• Desired behavior after right-clicking each folder:
  right-open-multi-folders-threads.png
• Actual behavior after running Zed.exe with three folders:
  ps-open-multi-folders.png
• Single folder opened by right-click (for reference):
  right-open-folder1.png
• Parent folder opened by right-click (for reference):
  right-open-top-folder.png

Additional Context

Zed.exe --help shows that it accepts a sequence of [PATHS_OR_URLS]..., but there does not appear to be a CLI flag (for example --new-window or --separate-threads) to force each path into its own window or thread. The only workaround right now is to invoke Zed.exe once per folder, which is inconvenient when opening many folders at once from a script.

Ideally, the CLI and the Windows context menu would have the same semantics: opening multiple folders should give the same result as opening each one separately, so the left Threads panel can be used to switch between them quickly.

Current vs. Expected behavior

Expected Behavior

Zed.exe with multiple directories should behave like right-clicking each folder individually: each directory should become a separate thread in the left Threads panel, and the project panel should show only the selected directory at a time.

Actual Behavior

Zed.exe with multiple directories opens a single window with a multi-root workspace. The left Threads panel shows one entry named after all three directories (test-folder-alpha, test-folder-beta, test-folder-gamma), and the project panel lists all three roots expanded. When one folder has a long file list, I have to scroll past it to reach the next folder.

Zed version and system specs

Environment

Zed: v1.26.2+stable.384.c4273271092b0287f7d181f616bd5171e0a2f70c (Zed)
Commit: c4273271092b0287f7d181f616bd5171e0a2f70c
OS: Windows 10.0.26200
Memory: 15.5 GiB
Architecture: x86_64

Attach Zed log file

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Relevant Zed settings

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Relevant Keymap

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(for AI issues) Model provider details

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If you are using WSL on Windows, what flavor of Linux are you using?

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