Author Topic: Inconsistent cursor focus when searching  (Read 1904 times)

Offline tgray

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Inconsistent cursor focus when searching
« on: May 23, 2020, 07:02:46 AM »
When searching a catalog, if one does not have a search window open, as soon as you hit return, the results show up in a new sheet.  The search box still appears to have focus (blue box around it, blinking cursor at the end of the search phrase), but the box does *not* have focus - the search results contact sheet does.  Which means that any mistaken 'text entry' potentially runs commands on your images.  As I type much faster than I typically edit photos, it is very easy to wreck a photo before I realized what happened; this morning I just renamed a file by mistake.  For example, I type a search term, and decide to go edit it and rerun a search.  Since the delete key and return can both edit photos (delete and rename) *and* edit search terms, it's very easy to inadvertently make changes to the photos.

I've noticed that if I already have a search results window open, and I edit the search phrase and press return, the search entry box both indicates that it has focus and it still actually has focus.  So I can continue to change the phrase and run new searches with out clicking on the entry box, with no chance of changing photos.

At the very least, the behavior should be consistent after I press return for a search.  Either the search results gain focus or the search entry box retains its focus.  Personally, I think it is safer and more intuitive for the latter where the search entry box retains focus, though I could see where some might like the slight increase in speed by having focus change automatically to the results.

Hope this makes sense.  I'm running the beta 18 on macOS 10.15.4.

Offline Kirk Baker

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Re: Inconsistent cursor focus when searching
« Reply #1 on: May 23, 2020, 01:34:33 PM »
When searching a catalog, if one does not have a search window open, as soon as you hit return, the results show up in a new sheet.  The search box still appears to have focus (blue box around it, blinking cursor at the end of the search phrase), but the box does *not* have focus - the search results contact sheet does.  Which means that any mistaken 'text entry' potentially runs commands on your images.  As I type much faster than I typically edit photos, it is very easy to wreck a photo before I realized what happened; this morning I just renamed a file by mistake.  For example, I type a search term, and decide to go edit it and rerun a search.  Since the delete key and return can both edit photos (delete and rename) *and* edit search terms, it's very easy to inadvertently make changes to the photos.

I've noticed that if I already have a search results window open, and I edit the search phrase and press return, the search entry box both indicates that it has focus and it still actually has focus.  So I can continue to change the phrase and run new searches with out clicking on the entry box, with no chance of changing photos.

At the very least, the behavior should be consistent after I press return for a search.  Either the search results gain focus or the search entry box retains its focus.  Personally, I think it is safer and more intuitive for the latter where the search entry box retains focus, though I could see where some might like the slight increase in speed by having focus change automatically to the results.

Agreed.  Thanks for the information.

-Kirk