Previous (in history) tab is not opened after an editor tab is closed

[nomadbyte]

geany 1.36 (git >= 825acb21) (built on 2020-04-28 with GTK 3.22.30, GLib 2.56.4)

When Editor has multiple tabs, closing a given tab does not open the previous (in viewing/location history). Instead it opens a next (to the right) tab from the closed one, or a previous (to the left) if there's no next.

This is somewhat disorienting, especially if there're many tabs opened. I'm expecting to be back to the previously viewed file. The previous location is tracked in history, so it should be available to decide which tab to jump to after closing the current one.

[elextr]

Menu -> Edit -> Preferences -> Interface -> Notebook Tabs -> Switch to last used document after closing tab

[nomadbyte]

Thanks. What is the reason for this not to be a default behavior?

[elextr]

The change was in a commit immediately after one that said "I won't make an option" but the series doesn't have a PR or issue reference and my quick search found nothing relevant, so I guess there is no record of why it went from no option to not the default.

[elextr]

PS, Maybe its because its the way browsers do it??

[nomadbyte]

It's certainly good that it's configurable, at least that the history behavior could be enabled.

However, it would make sense to reverse the default, based on the "least surprise" UI rule. This is especially apparent while using Version Control (or any other plugin that opens some transient editor tabs). Say, requesting a Diff for a current file opens up a new tab; once done viewing the Diff, the tab is closed; then logically, the view should return to the requesting tab. Opening a whatever adjacent tab does not seem to fit into the intent flow, and indeed just "pollutes" the intra-tab location history.

Perhaps, I'm not much accustomed to Geany to notice things like this, but that's my new user experience.

It may be different with a web-browser, as it usually does not track intra-tab history. Still, Firefox, for example, will create a new tab at the end of stack, but on closing would get back to the "intiator" tab.

[elextr]

Still, Firefox, for example, will create a new tab at the end of stack, but on closing would get back to the "intiator" tab.

Doesn't here (nor does chrome), maybe an option somewhere (like Geany :)

Personally I don't mind which is default, but maybe somebody can come up with an explanation, its been this way since 2011 so a bit longer won't hurt :)

[nomadbyte]

Doesn't here (nor does chrome), maybe an option somewhere (like Geany :)

I'm running a vanilla Ubuntu 18.04 on this box, Firefox 75, here from this window I click on + to add a new tab, it opens up at the very end of my "millions" of opened tabs; I click on whatever bookmark to browse in the new tab. When I close that tab, I'm back to typing this. No searching/scrolling through the list of the tabs.

Not a biggie, of course. I'd say the default change would affect mostly new users/installs. Those that only update the version would just reload the saved configuration, right? I won't be surprised if most users have this option On already, provided they're aware of the difference.