Allow using env vars that resolve to a full cmdline as program in launch mappings

Fixes #8613

docs/changelog.rst

@@ -156,6 +156,8 @@ Detailed list of changes
 
 - macOS: Fix text color in visual window select ignoring the color theme (:iss:`8579`)
 
+- Launch action: Allow using an env var that resolves to a full command-line as the program to launch (:pull:`8613`)
+
 0.41.1 [2025-04-03]
 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
 

kitty/boss.py

@@ -141,6 +141,7 @@
     platform_window_id,
     safe_print,
     sanitize_url_for_dispay_to_user,
+    shlex_split,
     startup_notification_handler,
     timed_debug_print,
     which,
@@ -2655,6 +2656,11 @@ def new_window_with_cwd(self, *args: str) -> None:
     def launch(self, *args: str) -> None:
         from kitty.launch import launch, parse_launch_args
         opts, args_ = parse_launch_args(args)
+        if args_ and ' ' in args_[0]:
+            # this can happen for example with map f1 launch $EDITOR when $EDITOR is not a single command
+            q = which(args_[0])
+            if not q or (q is args_[0] and not os.access(q, os.X_OK)):
+                args_[:1] = shlex_split(args_[0])
         if self.window_for_dispatch:
             opts.source_window = opts.source_window or f'id:{self.window_for_dispatch.id}'
             opts.next_to = opts.next_to or f'id:{self.window_for_dispatch.id}'