Prevent settings target navigation from flashing #194

New issue

Closed

opened 2026-06-01 09:39:19 +00:00 by steve · 0 comments

steve commented

2026-06-01 09:39:19 +00:00

Owner

Problem

The Obsidian-style settings navigation has canonical surfaces, but some target
navigation paths still appear to tear down and rebuild the visible content when
the user clicks a settings icon/gear. That makes the whole settings panel flash
instead of feeling like an in-panel navigation action.

Goal

Make settings icon/gear navigation stable: opening a target setting should select
the owning surface, scroll/highlight the row when available, and preserve the
panel shell without a visible full-screen flash.

Scope

Trace the openPluginSettings and settings search/deep-link target paths.
Fix any avoidable surface remount, selection reset, or search/scroll timing
that causes a blank panel flash.
Add regression coverage for gear/icon navigation to a settings target.
Keep the existing Obsidian-style grouping and schema section card styling.

Non-goals

Redesign the settings sidebar model.
Replace existing schema controls or plugin SettingTab controls.
Change persisted configuration keys or plugin data.

Acceptance Criteria

Clicking a plugin settings gear/icon navigates to the plugin settings surface
without blanking or remounting the whole settings panel.
Navigating to a schema row target selects the canonical surface and scrolls or
highlights that row without clearing the selected surface.
Search-driven settings targets still work after the fix.
E2E coverage detects the absence of a transient blank/settings-panel flash for
the affected navigation path.

Implementation Notes

Prefer stabilizing target resolution and lifecycle timing over adding delays.
Inspect keyed Svelte blocks and onDestroy/mount probes around settings
surfaces before changing render structure.
If the issue is caused by route state changing through an intermediate empty
value, coalesce updates so navigation moves directly to the final surface.

Suggested Files or Specs To Inspect

packages/workspace/src/lib/components/configuration/configuration.svelte
packages/workspace/src/lib/components/configuration/configuration.ts
packages/workspace/e2e/core-plugin-settings.spec.ts
spec/src/30-cross-package-contracts/configuration-and-settings.md

Validation Commands

pnpm --filter @lapis-notes/workspace check:all
pnpm --filter @lapis-notes/workspace test:e2e -- e2e/core-plugin-settings.spec.ts --project chromium
pnpm test:smoke

Follow-up to #192 — Adopt Obsidian-style settings navigation

Follow-up Tasks

Implementation Summary

Removed the forced settings close/reopen when opening a target settings surface, added a regression sampler around the plugin gear navigation path, updated the plugin settings target unit coverage, and documented that in-panel settings target navigation must preserve the mounted settings shell.

Clicking a settings gear/icon that deep-links to a concrete settings row can make the settings panel visibly flash or remount. Settings navigation should switch or scroll to the target without blanking the panel. ## Problem The Obsidian-style settings navigation has canonical surfaces, but some target navigation paths still appear to tear down and rebuild the visible content when the user clicks a settings icon/gear. That makes the whole settings panel flash instead of feeling like an in-panel navigation action. ## Goal Make settings icon/gear navigation stable: opening a target setting should select the owning surface, scroll/highlight the row when available, and preserve the panel shell without a visible full-screen flash. ## Scope - Trace the `openPluginSettings` and settings search/deep-link target paths. - Fix any avoidable surface remount, selection reset, or search/scroll timing that causes a blank panel flash. - Add regression coverage for gear/icon navigation to a settings target. - Keep the existing Obsidian-style grouping and schema section card styling. ## Non-goals - Redesign the settings sidebar model. - Replace existing schema controls or plugin `SettingTab` controls. - Change persisted configuration keys or plugin data. ## Acceptance Criteria - Clicking a plugin settings gear/icon navigates to the plugin settings surface without blanking or remounting the whole settings panel. - Navigating to a schema row target selects the canonical surface and scrolls or highlights that row without clearing the selected surface. - Search-driven settings targets still work after the fix. - E2E coverage detects the absence of a transient blank/settings-panel flash for the affected navigation path. ## Implementation Notes - Prefer stabilizing target resolution and lifecycle timing over adding delays. - Inspect keyed Svelte blocks and `onDestroy`/mount probes around settings surfaces before changing render structure. - If the issue is caused by route state changing through an intermediate empty value, coalesce updates so navigation moves directly to the final surface. ## Suggested Files or Specs To Inspect - `packages/workspace/src/lib/components/configuration/configuration.svelte` - `packages/workspace/src/lib/components/configuration/configuration.ts` - `packages/workspace/e2e/core-plugin-settings.spec.ts` - `spec/src/30-cross-package-contracts/configuration-and-settings.md` ## Validation Commands - `pnpm --filter @lapis-notes/workspace check:all` - `pnpm --filter @lapis-notes/workspace test:e2e -- e2e/core-plugin-settings.spec.ts --project chromium` - `pnpm test:smoke` ## Related Issues - Follow-up to #192 — [Adopt Obsidian-style settings navigation](../closed/192-adopt-obsidian-style-settings-navigation.md) ## Follow-up Tasks ## Implementation Summary Removed the forced settings close/reopen when opening a target settings surface, added a regression sampler around the plugin gear navigation path, updated the plugin settings target unit coverage, and documented that in-panel settings target navigation must preserve the mounted settings shell.

steve

2026-06-01 09:39:19 +00:00