[GNC-dev] Register text selection

[Geert Janssens]

Op maandag 21 mei 2018 19:44:57 CEST schreef David T.:
> > On May 21, 2018, at 6:14 PM, Geert Janssens <geert.gnucash at kobaltwit.be>
> > wrote:> 
> > Op maandag 21 mei 2018 13:08:05 CEST schreef Robert Fewell:
> >> I have been looking at getting the middle mouse button to work for
> >> pasting
> >> selected text and whilst trying to do that started to wonder about the
> >> existing preselected text.
> >> 
> >> Currently...
> >> If you open a register, the blank transaction date text is preselected.
> >> If you start Gnucash with saved open registers, the last register in the
> >> list to load has the blank date text preselected, this may not be the
> >> current open register.
> 
> I would like to point out that I find *this* aspect of the register behavior
> highly confusing.

I had to re-read the description to get what you guys mean. I have *never* seen this precise 
behavior as described by Bob.

When I open gnucash the any keypresses I type before using my mouse will always go to the 
currently active tab. If that's a register tab it will alter the data field as that's the field selected 
by default.

The only variation I can think of would be if you have configured gnucash to open each tab in a 
separate window. I don't do that and haven't tested how it behaves in that case.

> The “Select a field in a register that is not the current
> one” problem crops up at other times. I am not certain, but I think it
> happens when a modal dialog is closed. It is extremely frustrating to be
> working in a register that is not the bottom-most and then discover that
> your typing is going into a register that is NOT the one you are currently
> working in!

That also sounds like you are opening registers in multiple windows ?

> Moreover, you may not even be aware that you are changing a
> transaction that is out of sight—and if you choose to leave GnuCash at this
> juncture, you will get a mysterious dialog asking if you want to save your
> changes (huh? what changes? I guess I better!). And THEN, you have no idea
> the next time what happened in that OTHER register.

I have seen this "mysterious dialog" pop up at times so I agree there's room for improvement.

I know closing a modal dialog is not the only way to get it. It can be triggered by an action as 
simple as starting a change in one register and forgetting to complete it before moving to 
another making other changes.

For example I frequently hit this when I am clearing (not reconciling) splits. That's done by 
clicking in the "n" in the reconcile state column of a register. The click changes the "n" to "c" but 
the state change is only complete when I *leave* the transaction. Something I frequently forget 
to do for the last transaction I'm changing.

Geert