[HOLD #11768] [$16000] Desktop - The Back ⌘[ and Forward ⌘] shortcuts keys are not working as expected in LHN

[isagoico]

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This issue has been split in two. This one is solely focused on the back/forward actions in LeftHandNav (LHN), the other https://github.com/Expensify/App/issues/8657 is focused on back/forward actions in the main chat window.

Action Performed:

1. Open desktop app
2. Navigate to several conversations
3. Use the back ⌘[ and Forward ⌘] shortcuts

Expected Result:

Back ⌘[ and Forward ⌘] shortcuts should work and navigate through the previously navigated conversations and show correctly in LHN.

Actual Result:

Shortcuts are not working as expected.

Workaround:

User has to manually navigate through the conversations.

Platform:

Where is this issue occurring?

• Desktop App

Version Number: 1.0.82-7

Logs: https://stackoverflow.com/c/expensify/questions/4856

Notes/Photos/Videos: Any additional supporting documentation Unable to get a video atm. Will update with video later. Other issue for back/forward working correctly in the main chat window https://github.com/Expensify/App/issues/8657

Expensify/Expensify Issue URL:

View all open jobs on Upwork

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From @mallenexpensify https://expensify.slack.com/archives/C01GTK53T8Q/p1628722621224600

The Back ⌘[ and Forward ⌘] shortcuts keys don't work properly on Desktop Version 1.0.82-7

[MelvinBot]

Triggered auto assignment to @joelbettner (Engineering), see https://stackoverflow.com/c/expensify/questions/4319 for more details.

[MelvinBot]

@joelbettner Eep! 4 days overdue now. Issues have feelings too...

[mallenexpensify]

@joelbettner , do you think this can be worked on by a contributor? If so, can you add the External label? Thx

[joelbettner]

Sorry, I've been nose down in allocations. Yes, I think this can be worked on by a contributor.

[MelvinBot]

Triggered auto assignment to @MitchExpensify (External), see https://stackoverflow.com/c/expensify/questions/8582 for more details.

[parasharrajat]

Proposal

Here we have two options to configure this.

1. the First Option is to register the keyboard short to with these keys to navigate back/forth in history using the History API 's back and forward methods.

for this, we have KeyboardShortcut lib. https://github.com/Expensify/App/blob/2b57f0fac59d007441fb170fd05445d83392ed86/src/libs/KeyboardShortcut/index.js

but we only have to activate these shortcuts for the desktop.

2. the second option is to handle these shortcuts from the Main.js desktop file, it is a little involved but does the same this. First, we have to tap the keyboard events from the browserWindow using before-input-event event.

   win.webContents.on('before-input-event', (event, input) 

Then we have to call web-contents#contentsgoback and web-contents#contentsgoforward to navigate. https://www.electronjs.org/docs/api/web-contents#contentsgoback

I think the first one is going to be easier.

[MitchExpensify]

Upwork job

[parasharrajat]

@MitchExpensify I think this needs Exported label so that an engineer can review proposals.

[MelvinBot]

Triggered auto assignment to @NikkiWines (Exported), see https://stackoverflow.com/c/expensify/questions/7972 for more details.

[NikkiWines]

@parasharrajat's proposal (Option 1) looks good, @MitchExpensify please hire them for this issue! 🙇

[MitchExpensify]

Hired!

[parasharrajat]

@mallenexpensify Since you faced this issue. I would like to ask about your experience with it. I found out that the app already has these shortcuts in place.

[mallenexpensify]

I don't know why it doesn't work consistently for me on desktop. It's via the keyboard shortcuts and also my back/forth keys on my logitech trackbacll, when don't have issues in other applications, mainly Chrome.
Any thoughts why that might be the case @parasharrajat ?

[parasharrajat]

There was a misunderstanding here. The app is already configured with these shortcuts in main.js so my proposal is invalid now. But, I would like to request @mallenexpensify to provide more concrete reproduction steps or information.

1. When the keys don't work for you?
2. What steps you followed when the keys stop working for you? e.g. went to grab a coffee, petting the cat, and then suddenly...
3. Keys are working but there is someting wrong with the navigation order?

etc.

[mallenexpensify]

went to grab a coffee, petting the cat, and then suddenly... hahahah, love it.

Here are some examples on Desktop

• ⌘+k to chat with Mitch, type nothing
• ⌘+k to go to chat with Scott, type nothing
• ⌘[ goes back to a chat with Michelle, type nothing
• ⌘] does nothing

Example 2

• in chat with James, sending messages back/forth
• ⌘+k to chat with my test account, type a message
• ⌘[ goes back to chat with Michelle
• ⌘] goes to chat with my test account
• ⌘[ does nothing

ooooh, it might have to do with chat switcher, seems to work as expected when accessing chats via LHN

• click Rajat in LHN
• click Mitch in LHN
• click Monte in LHN
• ⌘[ goes to Mitch
• ⌘[ goes to Rajat.
• ⌘] goes to Mitch
• ⌘] goes to Monte
• ⌘[ goes nowhere (hahahhahahah)

Need/want more examples?

[parasharrajat]

Thank you for the steps. I will try 'em all.

[mallenexpensify]

Feel free to send me test messages too

[parasharrajat]

I still have to dig more into this. I will update soon

[kadiealexander]

Hi @parasharrajat, I've placed this issue on hold as per this update, as we are prioritising issues related to a feature release scheduled for 9/24. As an apology for the delay, we will add a $100 bonus as a thank you for waiting.

[NikkiWines]

MevlinBot this isn't overdue

[NikkiWines]

Still not overdue

[NikkiWines]

(changing the label for now so that MelvinBot stops adding the overdue label as frequently)

[kadiealexander]

Please refer to this post for updated information on the n6 hold, we've raised the bonus to $250 for all issues where a PR is created before the N6 hold is lifted.

[NikkiWines]

N6-hold no longer applies - @parasharrajat you should feel free to work on this now.

[NikkiWines]

@parasharrajat any update on this or should we open this back up for other contributors to take on?

[parasharrajat]

I am sorry, I will give it a go this weekend and update you by Monday,

[parasharrajat]

Ok. So I am looking into this. I think the changes I did https://github.com/Expensify/App/pull/6207 here are also needed for this to work. The main issue is that history is not created correctly when we use chat switcher to change the chats. I will test it on that branch and share the updates shortly.

[NikkiWines]

Looks like the review for https://github.com/Expensify/App/pull/6207 is on hold while Marc is OOO, so seemsl like we should expect any progress on this to be delayed until next week

[marcaaron]

Does this feel like a potential react-navigation problem?

history is not created correctly when we use chat switcher to change the chats

I'd be curious to see if there are any new developments with the web implementation of react-navigation. IIRC a lot of the custom logic I added this past year to fix the history was basically just hacks to get browser history to work correctly and wasn't intended to be a long term solution.

The way I see it, we could double down on the custom navigation action path we went down - but also try to see if we can influence a change in react-navigation. Maybe there's an open issue we can add context to or create a new one (web issues).

[parasharrajat]

I have recently updated the react-navigation to the latest so maybe retest this issue and try out default behaviour.

[marcaaron]

so maybe retest this issue and try out default behaviour

Ok so, who should do this? 😄

[parasharrajat]

I will do this.

[parasharrajat]

Updated are posted on #6207 a couple of days back. Waiting for the response there.

[NikkiWines]

@parasharrajat any update on this one?

[parasharrajat]

Oops, forgot to check it due to hold on 6207 but I will look into it from now. It could take a day or two.

[parasharrajat]

@mallenexpensify Could you please retest it may have been resolved? I can't reproduce it. The fact that I changed the navigation in https://github.com/Expensify/App/pull/6207 to work the same as LHN and this issue not reproducible via LHN says that it is fixed.

[mallenexpensify]

@parasharrajat

The Back ⌘[ and Forward ⌘] shortcuts keys are not working as expected I'm still able reproduce the issue on Desktop Version 1.1.18-3.

1. Via search/chat switcher - Jack > Monte > Deeter > Manager.
2. CMD + [ goes to Joe G.
3. CMD + ] goes to Manager.

Via clicking on user names in LHN seems to work better, I had one time where it navigated correctly using CMD + [ but also had other times/tests where it didn't work correctly

[mallenexpensify]

@parasharrajat can you do more testing based on my comment above and see what you find? I'm still on Version 1.1.18-3

[parasharrajat]

Ok, I think I found a strange issue similar to what you are facing. this is reproducible from LHN as well. It seems more severe from what you are facing. But unfortunately, I haven't got a solution for that and nor time to analyze this ATM.

I request to open this to the pool.

[mallenexpensify]

Want me to leave you assigned as Contributor-Plus @parasharrajat ?

[parasharrajat]

Yup, that's fine. I have some context to this problem.

[MelvinBot]

Current assignee @parasharrajat is eligible for the Exported assigner, not assigning anyone new.

[MelvinBot]

Current assignee @NikkiWines is eligible for the Exported assigner, not assigning anyone new.

[mallenexpensify]

Price doubled! I need to update the Upwork job, they're having some issues. Update 12/29 - Price updated in Upwork.

[MelvinBot]

Current assignee @parasharrajat is eligible for the Exported assigner, not assigning anyone new.

[MelvinBot]

Triggered auto assignment to @AndrewGable (Exported), see https://stackoverflow.com/c/expensify/questions/7972 for more details.

[mallenexpensify]

Doubled price to $2000 https://www.upwork.com/jobs/~01a4e8881ff6937bae This job is open to proposals, @parasharrajat is currently assigned as the contributor-plus

[mallenexpensify]

Doubled price to $4000 https://www.upwork.com/jobs/~01a4e8881ff6937bae

[murataka]

Hello,

Currently the shourtcuts seem to be not configured in this version already :

CONST.js

KEYBOARD_SHORTCUTS: {
        SEARCH: {
            descriptionKey: 'search',
            shortcutKey: 'K',
            modifiers: ['CTRL'],
        },
        NEW_GROUP: {
            descriptionKey: 'newGroup',
            shortcutKey: 'K',
            modifiers: ['CTRL', 'SHIFT'],
        },
        SHORTCUT_MODAL: {
            descriptionKey: 'openShortcutDialog',
            shortcutKey: 'I',
            modifiers: ['CTRL'],
        },
        ESCAPE: {
            descriptionKey: 'escape',
            shortcutKey: 'Escape',
            modifiers: [],
        },
        ENTER: {
            descriptionKey: null,
            shortcutKey: 'Enter',
            modifiers: [],
        },
        COPY: {
            descriptionKey: 'copy',
            shortcutKey: 'C',
            modifiers: ['CTRL'],
        },
    },

Is someone working on this and does some older version include those configuration ? @parasharrajat I see that you already worked on that. I think I can solve that issue.

[parasharrajat]

We are open to proposals. Great to hear you can solve it. Let's see your approach.