Merge branch 'copilot/add-support-for-alternate-extents' of https://github.com/kovidgoyal/kitty

Fixes #10165

docs/changelog.rst

@@ -176,6 +176,8 @@ Detailed list of changes
 0.50.0 [future]
 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
 
+- kitten @ get-text: Add support for :code:`alternate` and :code:`alternate_scrollback` extents to fetch text from the alternate screen buffer.
+
 0.47.4 [2026-06-15]
 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
 

kitty/rc/get_text.py

@@ -14,9 +14,10 @@ class GetText(RemoteCommand):
 
     protocol_spec = __doc__ = '''
     match/str: The window to get text from
-    extent/choices.screen.first_cmd_output_on_screen.last_cmd_output.last_visited_cmd_output.all.selection: \
+    extent/choices.screen.first_cmd_output_on_screen.last_cmd_output.last_visited_cmd_output.all.selection.alternate.alternate_scrollback: \
         One of :code:`screen`, :code:`first_cmd_output_on_screen`, :code:`last_cmd_output`, \
-        :code:`last_visited_cmd_output`, :code:`all`, or :code:`selection`
+        :code:`last_visited_cmd_output`, :code:`all`, :code:`selection`, :code:`alternate`, \
+        or :code:`alternate_scrollback`
     ansi/bool: Boolean, if True send ANSI formatting codes
     cursor/bool: Boolean, if True send cursor position/style as ANSI codes
     wrap_markers/bool: Boolean, if True add wrap markers to output
@@ -28,7 +29,7 @@ class GetText(RemoteCommand):
     options_spec = MATCH_WINDOW_OPTION + '''\n
 --extent
 default=screen
-choices=screen, all, selection, first_cmd_output_on_screen, last_cmd_output, last_visited_cmd_output, last_non_empty_output
+choices=screen, all, selection, first_cmd_output_on_screen, last_cmd_output, last_visited_cmd_output, last_non_empty_output, alternate, alternate_scrollback
 What text to get. The default of :code:`screen` means all text currently on the screen.
 :code:`all` means all the screen+scrollback and :code:`selection` means the
 currently selected text. :code:`first_cmd_output_on_screen` means the output of the first
@@ -37,6 +38,9 @@ class GetText(RemoteCommand):
 the first command output below the last scrolled position via scroll_to_prompt.
 :code:`last_non_empty_output` is the output from the last command run in the window that had
 some non empty output. The last four require :ref:`shell_integration` to be enabled.
+:code:`alternate` means the text in the screen that is not currently visible (if the terminal
+is in the main screen this is the secondary/alternate screen and vice versa).
+:code:`alternate_scrollback` is the same but also includes the scrollback buffer (if any).
 
 
 --ansi
@@ -112,6 +116,14 @@ def response_from_kitty(self, boss: Boss, window: Window | None, payload_get: Pa
                 as_ansi=bool(payload_get('ansi')),
                 add_wrap_markers=bool(payload_get('wrap_markers')),
             )
+        elif payload_get('extent') in ('alternate', 'alternate_scrollback'):
+            ans = window.as_text(
+                as_ansi=bool(payload_get('ansi')),
+                add_history=payload_get('extent') == 'alternate_scrollback',
+                add_cursor=bool(payload_get('cursor')),
+                add_wrap_markers=bool(payload_get('wrap_markers')),
+                alternate_screen=True,
+            )
         else:
             ans = window.as_text(
                 as_ansi=bool(payload_get('ansi')),