The cursor position is at the start of the field instead of the end of the field after a call to Context.API.ChangeQuery("...") from inside a plugin

[gissehel]

Describe the bug/issue
I'm developing a plugin (which target both Flow Launcher and Wox using an abstraction layer for both).

At a certain point in parsing the command, I decide to rewrite the current query from "vol +" to "vol change +".
To do that I use PluginInitContext.API.ChangeQuery("vol change +")

(Note: I happen to use the same API for both Wox and Flow Launcher)

Expected result:

• The new query is "vol change +" and the cursor is at the end of the query so any new char typed is inserted at the end of the string

Actual result:

• The new query is "vol change +" but the cursor is at the start of the query so any new char typed is inserted at the start of the string

Notes:

• Under Wox, the cursor is at the end of the query as excepteded.
• While the context is different, the problem may be related to Custom Query Hotkey feature not usable because of incorrect caret position #1070 and/or Shell plugin "WIN+R" hotkey cursor default position error #1025
• This context may help in solving the problem of the above issues
• I haven't yet looked at Flow Launcher source code about this problem

Your System:

Microsoft Windows [version 10.0.19043.1586]
Flow Launcher version: 1.9.3

Flow Launcher Error Log:
No log is generated during this sequence.

[gissehel]

I've analyzed further:

• I can see the "intention" in the code of having the cursor at the end of the query after a call to PluginInitContext.API.QueryChange (which means it would be indeed a bug, and not a weird feature for a strange use case)
• I've spotted a case where it's working fine (which is coherent with the aspect "hard to reproduce" of Custom Query Hotkey feature not usable because of incorrect caret position #1070 and Shell plugin "WIN+R" hotkey cursor default position error #1025)
• But each time I've tried, I've consistently been able to reproduce the problem "not happening" "and then happening" (which may be a nice context to study the problem... Or just pure luke...)

Note:

• As the plugin used in the following context is meant to change the volume of your audio device, it may change the volume of your audio device as a side effect of this context. Be careful if you're listening to music/have some notifications while analyzing this problem.

Full context:

• Exit Flow Launcher
• Install plugin "BarLauncher-Volume" manually (as it's not currently in the store) from https://github.com/gissehel/BarLauncher-Volume/releases/download/v0.0.2/BarLauncher.Volume.Flow.Launcher-0.0.2.zip
• Start Flow Launcher
• Type "vol "
• Add a "+" (as if you want to have "vol +")
• Expected result: The query is "vol change +" with the cursor at the end
• Actual result: The query is "vol change +" with the cursor at the end (which is the expected result, it's working the first time!)
• Erase the query
• Type "vol "
• Add a "+" (as if you want to have "vol +")
• Expected result: The query is "vol change +" with the cursor at the end
• Actual result: The query is "vol change +" with the cursor at the start : This is the problem

It seems to always work just after the start of Flow Launcher. It never works a second time (at least, in all the tests I've tried).

Code

From the code point of view, ChangeQuery calls ChangeQueryText inside MainViewModel:

The instruction QueryTextCursorMovedToEnd = true seems clear to me that when use that call, we always want the cursor to appears at the end of the search.

Then, this flag is used inside the PropertyChanged hook:

and it's reset to false in that hook (and only there).

Which means if the hook is not played for a reason (I still don't know why), that hook will never be reset to false, thus will never change, thus PropertyChanged will never be triggered anymore. Which may explains the other "may be related issues".

[gissehel]

I've just noticed now the PR #1074 , and while I still don't understand why there are cases where QueryTextCursorMovedToEnd being set to true doesn't trigger the PropertyChanged hook to set it back to false, that PR should indeed close the issue.

[taooceros]

I've just noticed now the PR #1074 , and while I still don't understand why there are cases where QueryTextCursorMovedToEnd being set to true doesn't trigger the PropertyChanged hook to set it back to false, that PR should indeed close the issue.

It is an optimization from fody. If the value doesn't changed, it won't trigger the propertychanged event.

[gissehel]

I've tried to apply #1074 in local to see if its solves my issue, and it doesn't.
I'll continue my analysis on #1074 PR

[ATNewHope]

Same issue for me (and for now the biggest bug for my workflow). Hope it could be fixed one day.

[jjw24]

Can you try this build from pr 1074, see if it does solve the issue:
https://ci.appveyor.com/api/buildjobs/vune5b0m6mpf6lpd/artifacts/Output%2FPackages%2FFlow-Launcher-Portable.zip

[ATNewHope]

Can you try this build from pr 1074, see if it does solve the issue: https://ci.appveyor.com/api/buildjobs/vune5b0m6mpf6lpd/artifacts/Output%2FPackages%2FFlow-Launcher-Portable.zip

Nice! It works for me. Thanks!

[github-actions]

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