Editor focus behavior allows accidental deletion of currently highlighted Editor Component

Technical Support & Bugs
1

When modifying a Pre-defined setup (PDS) within the Module Editor, I have on multiple occasions discovered that I have accidentally deleted the currently highlighted “node” (module Component) in the design “tree” (Configuration Window). This happens when I press the DELETE key while the mouse focus (and my own) is currently within the PDS Map Window (e.g. - intending to delete the currently selected game piece).

To reproduce this issue:

  1. Edit the latest version (0.94) of the Normandy '44 module with the latest (3.7.15) Vassal.
  2. Select the Markers node in the Configuration Window; leave it highlighted.
  3. Open the PDS by selecting Campaign Game from the N44 Files menu; play as observer.
  4. Select the German Pt. du Hoc SP game piece in hex 2818 in the Main Map window; leave that piece highlighted on the map.
  5. While the Markers node is selected in the Editor Configuration Window and the SP game piece is selected on the Main Map, press the DELETE key (intending to delete the game piece).

The selected game piece remains on the Main Map, but the Markers node is silently deleted from the Configuration Window! Successive DELETE key presses will continue to delete the next highlighted node in the design tree.

As you can imagine, this is potentially very disruptive, especially if you save the module without noticing the deleted Editor Components. So far, I have not permanently lost any deleted module Components, but I have several times had to abort my module editing session without saving and start over again.

The way I expected the Editor to behave is that when I change the mouse focus to be outside of the Configuration Window (e.g. - by selecting a game piece in the Main Map), the currently highlighted node in the Configuration Window would no longer be reacting to keyboard input.

Since this behavior is so disruptive, yet apparently not reported, I wonder if it is specific to something in my environment. I use MacOS (Sequoia 15.4). I typically uncheck the Use combined applications window in the module Settings, but I verified that the issue persists even when I check that box.

I think this behavior is a bug that is worth fixing, even at this late stage of Vassal version 3.

Cheers,
Jim Hunter.

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2

This behavior was apparently introduced in Vassal release 3.6.0. It was not present in the prior release 3.5.8.

Cheers,
Jim Hunter.

3

Hi Jim,

This sounds like another manifestation of this issue.

If so, it does indeed appear to be MacOS related and I trust it will be resolved by the upcoming workaround in Vassal 3.7.16 that I announced here.

Interested to hear if the workaround is ok for you. We were unable to find a way to restrict delete to the in-focus window, though that seems to be automatic on other platforms.

Mark

4

Hi Mark,

Yeah, that sure sounds like the same thing. If you built a snapshot with this fix (for Mac x86_64), I’d be happy to test it.

Cheers,
Jim.

5

3.7.16 is imminent (like maybe within the hour), so look out for it and try that first.

6

Hi Mark,

The issue did indeed disappear with 3.7.16.

Cheers,
Jim Hunter.

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