fix(boards): open tabs before async fetch in bulk action

Pre-open blank tabs synchronously to preserve browser user-activation, then navigate those tab handles after app URLs are fetched. Also close surplus tabs and update tests for the new flow.

Co-authored-by: Copilot <223556219+Copilot@users.noreply.github.com>

apps/docs/docs/getting-started/after-the-installation.mdx

@@ -316,6 +316,7 @@ You can drag and drop items in to this category in the edit mode.
 Categories will have a big space before and after them in the edit mode to
 enable you to drag and drop items outside the category.
 You can also collapse or open categories in edit mode to facilitate your editing process.
+Use the category menu to open every app in that category in new tabs, or use the board header action to open every app on the current board layout in new tabs.
 
 :::note
 

apps/nextjs/src/app/[locale]/boards/(content)/_header-actions.tsx

@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@ import {
   IconBox,
   IconBoxAlignTop,
   IconChevronDown,
+  IconExternalLink,
   IconLayoutBoard,
   IconPencil,
   IconPencilOff,
@@ -21,8 +22,11 @@ import {
 
 import { clientApi } from "@homarr/api/client";
 import { useSession } from "@homarr/auth/client";
-import { useRequiredBoard } from "@homarr/boards/context";
+import { getCurrentLayout, useRequiredBoard } from "@homarr/boards/context";
 import { useEditMode } from "@homarr/boards/edit-mode";
+import { useSettings } from "@homarr/settings";
+import { openAppsInNewTabs } from "~/components/board/open-apps-in-new-tabs";
+import { filterByItemKind } from "~/components/board/sections/category/filter";
 import { revalidatePathActionAsync } from "@homarr/common/client";
 import { env } from "@homarr/common/env";
 import { hotkeys } from "@homarr/definitions";
@@ -46,9 +50,34 @@ export const BoardContentHeaderActions = () => {
   const board = useRequiredBoard();
   const { hasChangeAccess } = useBoardPermissions(board);
   const { data: demoMode, isLoading } = clientApi.info.isDemoMode.useQuery();
+  const settings = useSettings();
+  const t = useI18n();
+  const { openConfirmModal } = useConfirmModal();
+
+  const openAllInNewTabs = useCallback(async () => {
+    const currentLayoutId = getCurrentLayout(board);
+    const appIds = filterByItemKind(
+      board.items.filter((item) => item.layouts.some((layout) => layout.layoutId === currentLayoutId)),
+      settings,
+      "app",
+    ).map((item) => {
+      return item.options.appId;
+    });
+
+    await openAppsInNewTabs(appIds, { t, openConfirmModal });
+  }, [board, t, openConfirmModal, settings]);
 
   if (!hasChangeAccess || isLoading) {
-    return <SelectBoardsMenu />;
+    return (
+      <>
+        {!isLoading && (
+          <HeaderButton onClick={openAllInNewTabs} aria-label={t("section.category.action.openAllInNewTabs")}>
+            <IconExternalLink stroke={1.5} />
+          </HeaderButton>
+        )}
+        <SelectBoardsMenu />
+      </>
+    );
   }
 
   return (
@@ -57,6 +86,12 @@ export const BoardContentHeaderActions = () => {
 
       <EditModeMenu demoMode={demoMode ?? false} />
 
+      {!isEditMode && (
+        <HeaderButton onClick={openAllInNewTabs} aria-label={t("section.category.action.openAllInNewTabs")}>
+          <IconExternalLink stroke={1.5} />
+        </HeaderButton>
+      )}
+
       {!demoMode && (
         <OnboardingTour.Target id="board-settings">
           <HeaderButton href={`/boards/${board.name}/settings`}>

apps/nextjs/src/components/board/open-apps-in-new-tabs.ts

@@ -0,0 +1,48 @@
+import { fetchApi } from "@homarr/api/client";
+
+type AppWithHref = {
+  href: string | null;
+};
+
+type TranslationKey = "section.category.openAllInNewTabs.title" | "section.category.openAllInNewTabs.text";
+
+interface OpenAppsInNewTabsOptions {
+  t: (key: TranslationKey) => string;
+  openConfirmModal: (options: { title: string; children: string }) => void;
+  fetchAppsByIds?: (appIds: string[]) => Promise<AppWithHref[]>;
+}
+
+export const openAppsInNewTabs = async (
+  appIds: string[],
+  { t, openConfirmModal, fetchAppsByIds = fetchApi.app.byIds.query }: OpenAppsInNewTabsOptions,
+) => {
+  if (appIds.length === 0) return;
+
+  const distinctAppIds = [...new Set(appIds)];
+  const openedWindows = distinctAppIds.map(() => window.open("", "_blank", "noopener,noreferrer"));
+  for (const openedWindow of openedWindows) {
+    if (!openedWindow) continue;
+    openedWindow.opener = null;
+  }
+
+  const apps = await fetchAppsByIds(distinctAppIds);
+  const appsWithUrls = apps.filter((app) => app.href && app.href.length > 0);
+  const tabsToClose = openedWindows.slice(appsWithUrls.length).filter((openedWindow): openedWindow is Window => Boolean(openedWindow));
+  for (const tabToClose of tabsToClose) {
+    tabToClose.close();
+  }
+
+  for (const [index, app] of appsWithUrls.entries()) {
+    const openedWindow = openedWindows[index];
+    if (openedWindow) {
+      openedWindow.location.href = app.href;
+      continue;
+    }
+
+    openConfirmModal({
+      title: t("section.category.openAllInNewTabs.title"),
+      children: t("section.category.openAllInNewTabs.text"),
+    });
+    break;
+  }
+};

apps/nextjs/src/components/board/sections/category/category-menu-actions.tsx

@@ -1,6 +1,5 @@
 import { useCallback } from "react";
 
-import { fetchApi } from "@homarr/api/client";
 import { getCurrentLayout, useRequiredBoard } from "@homarr/boards/context";
 import { createId } from "@homarr/common";
 import { useConfirmModal, useModalAction } from "@homarr/modals";
@@ -8,6 +7,7 @@ import { useSettings } from "@homarr/settings";
 import { useI18n } from "@homarr/translation/client";
 
 import type { CategorySection } from "~/app/[locale]/boards/_types";
+import { openAppsInNewTabs } from "~/components/board/open-apps-in-new-tabs";
 import { useCategoryActions } from "./category-actions";
 import { CategoryEditModal } from "./category-edit-modal";
 import { filterByItemKind } from "./filter";
@@ -115,21 +115,7 @@ export const useCategoryMenuActions = (category: CategorySection) => {
       return item.options.appId;
     });
 
-    const apps = await fetchApi.app.byIds.query(appIds);
-    const appsWithUrls = apps.filter((app) => app.href && app.href.length > 0);
-
-    for (const app of appsWithUrls) {
-      const openedWindow = window.open(app.href ?? undefined);
-      if (openedWindow) {
-        continue;
-      }
-
-      openConfirmModal({
-        title: t("section.category.openAllInNewTabs.title"),
-        children: t("section.category.openAllInNewTabs.text"),
-      });
-      break;
-    }
+    await openAppsInNewTabs(appIds, { t, openConfirmModal });
   }, [category, board, t, openConfirmModal, settings]);
 
   return {

apps/nextjs/src/components/board/test/open-apps-in-new-tabs.spec.ts

@@ -0,0 +1,65 @@
+import { describe, expect, test, vi } from "vitest";
+
+import { openAppsInNewTabs } from "../open-apps-in-new-tabs";
+
+describe("openAppsInNewTabs", () => {
+  test("opens tabs synchronously and navigates them to fetched URLs", async () => {
+    const openedWindowOne = { opener: null, location: { href: "" }, close: vi.fn() } as unknown as Window;
+    const openedWindowTwo = { opener: null, location: { href: "" }, close: vi.fn() } as unknown as Window;
+    const openedWindowThree = { opener: null, location: { href: "" }, close: vi.fn() } as unknown as Window;
+    const open = vi.spyOn(window, "open").mockReturnValueOnce(openedWindowOne).mockReturnValueOnce(openedWindowTwo).mockReturnValueOnce(openedWindowThree);
+    const fetchAppsByIds = vi
+      .fn()
+      .mockResolvedValue([{ href: "https://example.com/one" }, { href: null }, { href: "https://example.com/two" }]);
+    const openConfirmModal = vi.fn();
+
+    await openAppsInNewTabs(["app-one", "app-two", "app-three"], {
+      t: (key) => key,
+      openConfirmModal,
+      fetchAppsByIds,
+    });
+
+    expect(fetchAppsByIds).toHaveBeenCalledWith(["app-one", "app-two", "app-three"]);
+    expect(open).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(3);
+    expect(open).toHaveBeenNthCalledWith(1, "", "_blank", "noopener,noreferrer");
+    expect(open).toHaveBeenNthCalledWith(2, "", "_blank", "noopener,noreferrer");
+    expect(open).toHaveBeenNthCalledWith(3, "", "_blank", "noopener,noreferrer");
+    expect(openedWindowOne.location.href).toBe("https://example.com/one");
+    expect(openedWindowTwo.location.href).toBe("https://example.com/two");
+    expect(openedWindowThree.close).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1);
+    expect(openConfirmModal).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+  });
+
+  test("de-duplicates app IDs before fetching", async () => {
+    const openedWindow = { opener: null, location: { href: "" }, close: vi.fn() } as unknown as Window;
+    const open = vi.spyOn(window, "open").mockReturnValue(openedWindow);
+    const fetchAppsByIds = vi.fn().mockResolvedValue([{ href: "https://example.com/one" }]);
+    const openConfirmModal = vi.fn();
+
+    await openAppsInNewTabs(["app-one", "app-one", "app-one"], {
+      t: (key) => key,
+      openConfirmModal,
+      fetchAppsByIds,
+    });
+
+    expect(fetchAppsByIds).toHaveBeenCalledWith(["app-one"]);
+    expect(open).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1);
+  });
+
+  test("shows confirm modal when popup is blocked", async () => {
+    vi.spyOn(window, "open").mockReturnValue(null);
+    const fetchAppsByIds = vi.fn().mockResolvedValue([{ href: "https://example.com/one" }]);
+    const openConfirmModal = vi.fn();
+
+    await openAppsInNewTabs(["app-one"], {
+      t: (key) => key,
+      openConfirmModal,
+      fetchAppsByIds,
+    });
+
+    expect(openConfirmModal).toHaveBeenCalledWith({
+      title: "section.category.openAllInNewTabs.title",
+      children: "section.category.openAllInNewTabs.text",
+    });
+  });
+});