Change in selection in List View?

[BookJunkieLI]

I don't know if this is a bug, a deliberate change, or a QT5 issue. I thought I saw it mentioned elsewhere but can't find the reference now.

Until 2.0, XP and Win7 64-bit, I could always click on the grey number box next to a book to select it and it would highlight the entire row giving me a clear idea as to what book was selected. The same book would be the one that appeared in the Book Details panel. I could also use Shift and CTRL while clicking on those boxes to select multiple books. I've always preferred to do this because it meant I didn't accidentally activate the edit option while trying to select multiple books, or even one book. As I do use the edit in List View feature on a regular basis turning it off is not an option.

In 2.0 I noticed that I could no longer select multiple books in the same manner. I could select one book using the grey box but then to select more I had to click inside the actual List View and hope that I didn't hold down the mouse a fraction of a second too long and set off the edit option. With the number of bugs that popped up from the switch and thinking I'd seen someone else mention a similar issue I decided to wait until 2.1.

Unfortunately in 2.1 the behaviour seems to have gotten worse rather than better. Now if I click on the grey box to select a book it selects it but doesn't highlight the line, instead it puts a dotted line around the first column entry of that book. All well and good except that if another book was selected prior by clicking inside the List View that book is highlighted and remains highlighted despite a new book being selected in the other manner. I've attached a screenshot to show what I mean. Book 12 was selected by clicking on the title in List View, it is highlighted. Book 16 was selected by clicking on the grey box marked 16 and you can see the dotted line around the title as well as the fact that it's the one showing in the Book Details panel.

And just to make things even more fun, I clicked on Edit Metadata and book 12, not book 16, is the one that it brings up. That is just going to get really frustrating really fast.

[kovidgoyal]

The edit option is not trigerred by clicking long, but by clicking an already selected cell.

As for clicking on the numbers not highlighting the row, wait for 2.2

[BookJunkieLI]

Thanks, Kovid!

[BetterRed]

@BookJunkieLI - this might work as a partial temporary work around Preferences->Tweaks-> Control behavior of the book list

You can control the behavior of doubleclicks on the books list.

Choices: open_viewer, do_nothing, edit_cell, edit_metadata.

Selecting anything other than open_viewer has the side effect of disabling editing a field using a single click.

Default: open_viewer.
Example: doubleclick_on_library_view = 'do_nothing'

You can also control whether the book list scrolls horizontal per column or per pixel. Default is per column.

I have mine set to do_nothing, net effect is that single/double click anywhere on a line selects the line and nothing else. I use F2 to edit a cell, V to View the book, and E to bring up Metadata Editor. Ctrl/shift left-click can be used with no surprises BTW : that is my permanent setting.

BR