Topleftest Window Not Picked When `actions.open_file.window_picker.enable` false

[alex-courtis]

Discussed in #1983

^{Originally posted by paulrouget February 10, 2023}
I have window_picker disabled. And the picked window is the most ancient window. Is it possible to automatically pick the most left-top window?

[alex-courtis]

The topleftest window should be picked in this situation.

Looks like a bug with first_win_id not being called

nvim-tree.lua/lua/nvim-tree/actions/node/open-file.lua

Line 167 in d85b671

local function get_target_winid(mode, win_ids)

[alex-courtis]

Further experimentation indicates that nvim-tree attempts to use the most recently used window, then the topleftest.

Most recently used is set on open, focus etc. but not when manually moving to the nvim-tree window.

[alex-courtis]

Tracking the previously focused window when entering the nvim-tree window is impractical via events.

Things are working exactly as per the doc, with the window from which the tree was opened being used:

            *nvim-tree.actions.open_file.window_picker.enable*
            Enable the feature. If the feature is not enabled, files will open in window
            from which you last opened the tree.
              Type: `boolean`, Default: `true`

@paulrouget could you live with using :NvimTreeFocus to navigate to nvim-tree?

[paulrouget]

@paulrouget could you live with using :NvimTreeFocus to navigate to nvim-tree?

Absolutely! Changed my bindings to use :NvimTreeFocus instead of jumping to the window, and it works perfectly.

Thank you.

[alex-courtis]

@paulrouget could you live with using :NvimTreeFocus to navigate to nvim-tree?

Absolutely! Changed my bindings to use :NvimTreeFocus instead of jumping to the window, and it works perfectly.

Thank you.

That's good to hear; there's no nice way to do it otherwise...

[zhimsel]

Is there really no way to open to the window that was previously active before selecting the nvim-tree window (regardless on navigation method)?

I have the same problem as @paulrouget, however I often use the mouse to start interacting with nvim-tree (to open a file, for instance). If I don't use :NvimTreeFocus, then it opens the file in the last window to have previously used :NvimTreeFocus (or presumably have been created by nvim-tree).

Would it be possible to use the lua equivalent of :winnr(#) (if it exists)?

Would it be possible to track the previous window by an event that fires every time you leave a window? Like maybe the WinLeave autocmd event? We could add another WinLeave autocmd similar to the one defined here, but using a negated pattern to ignore unwanted buffers like NvimTree_*.

[alex-courtis]

@zhimsel it sounds like you have encountered a bug; the previously active window should be chosen when the window picker is disabled.

Please raise a Bug Report with minimal configuration and detailed replication instructions.

[zhimsel]

Please raise a Bug Report with minimal configuration and detailed replication instructions.

Done: #2262