fix(core): backspace mid-text next to columnList moves block BLO-1126

[YousefED]

Summary

• The "move to end of prev columnList" backspace handler was missing a selectionAtBlockStart guard, causing mid-text backspace next to a columnList to move the entire block into the column instead of deleting a character.
• Added 3 unit tests for backspace behavior with multi-column blocks.

Closes #2621

Test plan

• mid-text backspace next to columnList should not move block — verifies the fix
• backspace at block start should move block into last column — verifies intended behavior
• second backspace should merge into previous block in column — verifies merge after move
• All existing xl-multi-column tests pass (56 passed, 5 skipped)

🤖 Generated with Claude Code

Summary by CodeRabbit

• Bug Fixes

  • Fixed keyboard shortcut behavior in multi-column block layouts so actions only run when the cursor is exactly at the relevant block boundary, preventing unintended block moves.

• Tests

  • Added thorough tests for Backspace/Delete in multi-column layouts, validating block movement into/out of columns and subsequent merging behavior via document snapshots.

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Project	Deployment	Actions	Updated (UTC)
blocknote	Ready	Preview	Apr 7, 2026 8:44am
blocknote-website	Ready	Preview	Apr 7, 2026 8:44am

[coderabbitai]

📝 Walkthrough

Walkthrough

Adds selection-position guards to keyboard shortcuts that move blocks around multi-column (columnList) structures and adds Vitest coverage for Backspace/Delete behaviors around multi-column blocks. Changes prevent invalid relocations by verifying the cursor is at block start/end before mutating the document.

Changes

Cohort / File(s)	Summary
Keyboard Shortcut Handler packages/core/src/extensions/tiptap-extensions/KeyboardShortcuts/KeyboardShortcutsExtension.ts	Added explicit selection-position checks (e.g., selectionAtBlockStart) to columnList-related Backspace/Delete handlers and return early when the cursor is not at the required boundary before computing surrounding block info or applying moves.
Tests — multi-column keyboard behavior packages/xl-multi-column/src/test/commands/backspace.test.ts	New Vitest suite exercising Backspace and Delete around columnList fixtures: mid-text (no move), boundary deletes (move block out/in), and repeated deletes (merge behavior). Uses editor snapshots for assertions.

Sequence Diagram(s)

Estimated code review effort

🎯 3 (Moderate) | ⏱️ ~20 minutes

Possibly related PRs

• fix: Backspace bug when current block is empty and previous block's last child is empty #2610 — Also adjusts keyboard shortcut/backspace-delete logic in KeyboardShortcutsExtension.ts, introducing related selection/position checks for nested/previous block relocation.

Suggested reviewers

• nperez0111
• matthewlipski

Poem

🐰 Hopping keys and guarded bounds,
Cursor checks keep safe the rounds,
Columns steady, no more fright,
Backspace dances in the light. ✨

🚥 Pre-merge checks | ✅ 4 | ❌ 1

❌ Failed checks (1 warning)

Check name	Status	Explanation	Resolution
Docstring Coverage	⚠️ Warning	Docstring coverage is 0.00% which is insufficient. The required threshold is 80.00%.	Write docstrings for the functions missing them to satisfy the coverage threshold.

✅ Passed checks (4 passed)

Check name	Status	Explanation
Description check	✅ Passed	The description covers the key aspects: the bug fix, test plan with specific test cases, and references the resolved issue #2621.
Linked Issues check	✅ Passed	The PR directly addresses issue #2621 by adding a selectionAtBlockStart guard to prevent RangeError when deleting after multi-column blocks, with corresponding test coverage.
Out of Scope Changes check	✅ Passed	All changes are directly related to fixing the backspace/delete behavior with columnList blocks; no unrelated modifications were introduced.
Title check	✅ Passed	The title accurately describes the main fix: adding a missing guard to prevent block movement when pressing Backspace mid-text next to a columnList, which directly addresses the changeset modifications to the KeyboardShortcutsExtension and the corresponding tests.

_{✏️ Tip: You can configure your own custom pre-merge checks in the settings.}

✨ Finishing Touches

📝 Generate docstrings

• Create stacked PR
• Commit on current branch

🧪 Generate unit tests (beta)

• Create PR with unit tests
• Commit unit tests in branch fix/backspace-columnlist-mid-text

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commit: 031c6fe

[YousefED]

fyi @nperez0111 @matthewlipski I think the keyboardshortcuts could use a rewrite in general. I'm not convinced the separation of different commands actually improve readability / testability.

Example: I think it would be a cleaner to have 1 if-statement that checks for "is cursor at block end", and within that determines the operation needed, versus what we have now: x different chained commands that all check independently whether "is cursor at block end"

[nperez0111]

fyi @nperez0111 @matthewlipski I think the keyboardshortcuts could use a rewrite in general. I'm not convinced the separation of different commands actually improve readability / testability.

Yep, it's a mess. commands aren't the recommended pattern here