E2E speedup (Step 6e): convert F-key tests to dispatchMenuCommand to eliminate keystroke-dispatch flake

Synthesized `tauriPage.keyboard.press('F5')` events don't always reach
`handleGlobalKeyDown` under parallel-shard load — focus can drift after
async MCP nav, and the document-level listener occasionally misses the
event. The `dispatchMenuCommand` helper emits the `execute-command` Tauri
event directly, mimicking the OS native menu accelerator path used in
prod. It's unaffected by DOM focus state and parallel-load timing.

Converted (28 dispatches across 16 tests where the test cares about the
resulting dialog / file state, not the keyboard pathway):

- conflict-copy.spec.ts: 7 × F5 → file.copy
- conflict-move.spec.ts: 3 × F6 → file.move
- conflict-edge-cases.spec.ts: 8 × F5 → file.copy
- mtp-conflicts.spec.ts: 5 × F6 → file.move
- accessibility.spec.ts: F5/F6/F8 → file.copy/move/delete, plus the ⌘F
  dispatch in openSearchDialog → search.open
- file-watching.spec.ts: 1 × F5 → file.copy

Kept on keyboard pathway (15 dispatches in tests that exist to verify
the keyboard route itself):

- app.spec.ts: 6 tests like "opens copy dialog with F5", "opens new
  folder dialog with F7", etc.
- file-operations.spec.ts: 4 round-trip tests with "...via F5/F6/F2/F7"
  in their titles
- mtp.spec.ts: 5 dispatches across the "renames file on MTP via
  keyboard" tests, the MTP delete dialog flow (comment marks it as
  full-keyboard), and "read-only storage rejects write operations"
  (verifies the read-only pre-check fires from the keyboard path)

Validation — three back-to-back `./scripts/check.sh --check
desktop-e2e-playwright` runs on native macOS with parallel shards:

  Pass 1: 131 passed, 0 failed, 0 flakes — 3m 13s
  Pass 2: 131 passed, 0 failed, 0 flakes — 3m 11s
  Pass 3: 131 passed, 0 failed, 0 flakes — 3m 10s

Matches the 0/0/0 target. The keystroke-dispatch flake (0-1-2-5-10
flakes/run observed during Step 6a/6b/6d validation) is gone. No new
flake categories surfaced. Full `./scripts/check.sh` sweep also green
(45 checks in 2m 29s).

Test files only — no app source changes.

Author: vdavid

apps/desktop/test/e2e-playwright/accessibility.spec.ts

@@ -16,6 +16,7 @@ import path from 'path'
 import { fileURLToPath } from 'url'
 import { test, expect } from './fixtures.js'
 import {
+  dispatchMenuCommand,
   ensureAppReady,
   navigateToRoute,
   executeViaCommandPalette,
@@ -147,9 +148,7 @@ async function openCommandPalette(tauriPage: PageLike): Promise<void> {
 
 /** Open the search dialog overlay. */
 async function openSearchDialog(tauriPage: PageLike): Promise<void> {
-  await tauriPage.evaluate(`document.dispatchEvent(new KeyboardEvent('keydown', {
-        key: 'f', ctrlKey: ${String(CTRL_OR_META === 'Control')}, metaKey: ${String(CTRL_OR_META === 'Meta')}, bubbles: true
-    }))`)
+  await dispatchMenuCommand(tauriPage, 'search.open')
   await tauriPage.waitForSelector('.search-overlay', 5000)
 }
 
@@ -209,7 +208,7 @@ for (const mode of ['light', 'dark'] as const) {
       await ensureAppReady(tauriPage)
       await moveCursorToFile(tauriPage, 'file-a.txt')
 
-      await tauriPage.keyboard.press('F5')
+      await dispatchMenuCommand(tauriPage, 'file.copy')
       await tauriPage.waitForSelector(TRANSFER_DIALOG, 5000)
 
       const { all } = await runAxeAudit(tauriPage, `Copy dialog (${mode})`, TRANSFER_DIALOG)
@@ -222,7 +221,7 @@ for (const mode of ['light', 'dark'] as const) {
       await ensureAppReady(tauriPage)
       await moveCursorToFile(tauriPage, 'file-a.txt')
 
-      await tauriPage.keyboard.press('F8')
+      await dispatchMenuCommand(tauriPage, 'file.delete')
       const deleteDialog = '[data-dialog-id="delete-confirmation"]'
       await tauriPage.waitForSelector(deleteDialog, 5000)
 
@@ -236,7 +235,7 @@ for (const mode of ['light', 'dark'] as const) {
       await ensureAppReady(tauriPage)
       await moveCursorToFile(tauriPage, 'file-a.txt')
 
-      await tauriPage.keyboard.press('F6')
+      await dispatchMenuCommand(tauriPage, 'file.move')
       await tauriPage.waitForSelector(TRANSFER_DIALOG, 5000)
 
       const { all } = await runAxeAudit(tauriPage, `Move dialog (${mode})`, TRANSFER_DIALOG)

apps/desktop/test/e2e-playwright/conflict-copy.spec.ts

@@ -7,7 +7,15 @@
 
 import { test, expect } from './fixtures.js'
 import { recreateFixtures } from '../e2e-shared/fixtures.js'
-import { ensureAppReady, getFixtureRoot, moveCursorToFile, pollUntil, sleep, TRANSFER_DIALOG } from './helpers.js'
+import {
+  dispatchMenuCommand,
+  ensureAppReady,
+  getFixtureRoot,
+  moveCursorToFile,
+  pollUntil,
+  sleep,
+  TRANSFER_DIALOG,
+} from './helpers.js'
 import {
   createConflictFixturesA,
   createConflictFixturesB,
@@ -32,7 +40,7 @@ test.describe('Copy with conflict policies (Layout A)', () => {
     await ensureAppReady(tauriPage, { leftPane: ['readme.txt'] })
 
     await selectAll(tauriPage)
-    await tauriPage.keyboard.press('F5')
+    await dispatchMenuCommand(tauriPage, 'file.copy')
 
     await tauriPage.waitForSelector(TRANSFER_DIALOG, 5000)
     await waitForConflictPolicy(tauriPage)
@@ -60,7 +68,7 @@ test.describe('Copy with conflict policies (Layout A)', () => {
     await ensureAppReady(tauriPage, { leftPane: ['readme.txt'] })
 
     await selectAll(tauriPage)
-    await tauriPage.keyboard.press('F5')
+    await dispatchMenuCommand(tauriPage, 'file.copy')
 
     await tauriPage.waitForSelector(TRANSFER_DIALOG, 5000)
     await waitForConflictPolicy(tauriPage)
@@ -89,7 +97,7 @@ test.describe('Copy multi-item merge (Layout B)', () => {
     await ensureAppReady(tauriPage, { leftPane: ['alpha'] })
 
     await selectAll(tauriPage)
-    await tauriPage.keyboard.press('F5')
+    await dispatchMenuCommand(tauriPage, 'file.copy')
 
     await tauriPage.waitForSelector(TRANSFER_DIALOG, 5000)
     await waitForConflictPolicy(tauriPage)
@@ -119,7 +127,7 @@ test.describe('Copy multi-item merge (Layout B)', () => {
     await ensureAppReady(tauriPage, { leftPane: ['alpha'] })
 
     await selectAll(tauriPage)
-    await tauriPage.keyboard.press('F5')
+    await dispatchMenuCommand(tauriPage, 'file.copy')
 
     await tauriPage.waitForSelector(TRANSFER_DIALOG, 5000)
     await waitForConflictPolicy(tauriPage)
@@ -149,7 +157,7 @@ test.describe('Per-file conflict decisions (Layout A)', () => {
     await ensureAppReady(tauriPage, { leftPane: ['readme.txt'] })
 
     await selectAll(tauriPage)
-    await tauriPage.keyboard.press('F5')
+    await dispatchMenuCommand(tauriPage, 'file.copy')
 
     await tauriPage.waitForSelector(TRANSFER_DIALOG, 5000)
     await waitForConflictPolicy(tauriPage)
@@ -217,7 +225,7 @@ test.describe('Rename conflict resolution', () => {
     await ensureAppReady(tauriPage)
 
     await moveCursorToFile(tauriPage, 'file-a.txt')
-    await tauriPage.keyboard.press('F5')
+    await dispatchMenuCommand(tauriPage, 'file.copy')
 
     await tauriPage.waitForSelector(TRANSFER_DIALOG, 5000)
     await waitForConflictPolicy(tauriPage)
@@ -254,7 +262,7 @@ test.describe('Rename conflict resolution', () => {
     await ensureAppReady(tauriPage, { leftPane: ['readme.txt'] })
 
     await selectAll(tauriPage)
-    await tauriPage.keyboard.press('F5')
+    await dispatchMenuCommand(tauriPage, 'file.copy')
 
     await tauriPage.waitForSelector(TRANSFER_DIALOG, 5000)
     await waitForConflictPolicy(tauriPage)

apps/desktop/test/e2e-playwright/conflict-edge-cases.spec.ts

@@ -9,7 +9,15 @@ import fs from 'fs'
 import path from 'path'
 import { test, expect } from './fixtures.js'
 import { recreateFixtures } from '../e2e-shared/fixtures.js'
-import { ensureAppReady, getFixtureRoot, moveCursorToFile, pollUntil, sleep, TRANSFER_DIALOG } from './helpers.js'
+import {
+  dispatchMenuCommand,
+  ensureAppReady,
+  getFixtureRoot,
+  moveCursorToFile,
+  pollUntil,
+  sleep,
+  TRANSFER_DIALOG,
+} from './helpers.js'
 import {
   createSymlinkFixture,
   createTypeMismatchFixture,
@@ -40,7 +48,7 @@ test.describe('Cancel and rollback', () => {
     const found = await moveCursorToFile(tauriPage, 'bulk')
     expect(found).toBe(true)
 
-    await tauriPage.keyboard.press('F5')
+    await dispatchMenuCommand(tauriPage, 'file.copy')
     await tauriPage.waitForSelector(TRANSFER_DIALOG, 5000)
     await clickTransferStart(tauriPage)
 
@@ -118,7 +126,7 @@ test.describe('Edge cases', () => {
 
     // First copy: file-a.txt from left to right (no conflict)
     await moveCursorToFile(tauriPage, 'file-a.txt')
-    await tauriPage.keyboard.press('F5')
+    await dispatchMenuCommand(tauriPage, 'file.copy')
     await tauriPage.waitForSelector(TRANSFER_DIALOG, 5000)
     await clickTransferStart(tauriPage)
     await waitForDialogsToClose(tauriPage)
@@ -127,7 +135,7 @@ test.describe('Edge cases', () => {
 
     // Second copy: same file again (now there IS a conflict)
     await moveCursorToFile(tauriPage, 'file-a.txt')
-    await tauriPage.keyboard.press('F5')
+    await dispatchMenuCommand(tauriPage, 'file.copy')
     await tauriPage.waitForSelector(TRANSFER_DIALOG, 5000)
     await waitForConflictPolicy(tauriPage)
     await selectConflictPolicy(tauriPage, 'overwrite')
@@ -147,7 +155,7 @@ test.describe('Edge cases', () => {
     await ensureAppReady(tauriPage)
 
     await moveCursorToFile(tauriPage, 'file-a.txt')
-    await tauriPage.keyboard.press('F5')
+    await dispatchMenuCommand(tauriPage, 'file.copy')
 
     await tauriPage.waitForSelector(TRANSFER_DIALOG, 5000)
     await waitForConflictPolicy(tauriPage)
@@ -169,7 +177,7 @@ test.describe('Symlink conflicts', () => {
     await ensureAppReady(tauriPage, { leftPane: ['link-target.txt'] })
 
     await selectAll(tauriPage)
-    await tauriPage.keyboard.press('F5')
+    await dispatchMenuCommand(tauriPage, 'file.copy')
 
     await tauriPage.waitForSelector(TRANSFER_DIALOG, 5000)
     await waitForConflictPolicy(tauriPage)
@@ -203,7 +211,7 @@ test.describe('Symlink conflicts', () => {
     await ensureAppReady(tauriPage, { leftPane: ['link-target.txt'] })
 
     await selectAll(tauriPage)
-    await tauriPage.keyboard.press('F5')
+    await dispatchMenuCommand(tauriPage, 'file.copy')
 
     await tauriPage.waitForSelector(TRANSFER_DIALOG, 5000)
     await waitForConflictPolicy(tauriPage)
@@ -229,7 +237,7 @@ test.describe('Type mismatch conflicts', () => {
     await ensureAppReady(tauriPage, { leftPane: ['reports.txt'] })
 
     await selectAll(tauriPage)
-    await tauriPage.keyboard.press('F5')
+    await dispatchMenuCommand(tauriPage, 'file.copy')
 
     await tauriPage.waitForSelector(TRANSFER_DIALOG, 5000)
     await waitForConflictPolicy(tauriPage)
@@ -294,7 +302,7 @@ test.describe('Type mismatch conflicts', () => {
     await tauriPage.waitForSelector('.file-pane .file-entry.is-under-cursor', 3000)
 
     await selectAll(tauriPage)
-    await tauriPage.keyboard.press('F5')
+    await dispatchMenuCommand(tauriPage, 'file.copy')
 
     await tauriPage.waitForSelector(TRANSFER_DIALOG, 5000)
 

apps/desktop/test/e2e-playwright/conflict-move.spec.ts

@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@
 
 import { test, expect } from './fixtures.js'
 import { recreateFixtures } from '../e2e-shared/fixtures.js'
-import { ensureAppReady, getFixtureRoot, pollUntil, TRANSFER_DIALOG } from './helpers.js'
+import { dispatchMenuCommand, ensureAppReady, getFixtureRoot, pollUntil, TRANSFER_DIALOG } from './helpers.js'
 import {
   createConflictFixturesB,
   readFile,
@@ -30,7 +30,7 @@ test.describe('Move multi-item merge (Layout B)', () => {
     await ensureAppReady(tauriPage, { leftPane: ['alpha'] })
 
     await selectAll(tauriPage)
-    await tauriPage.keyboard.press('F6')
+    await dispatchMenuCommand(tauriPage, 'file.move')
 
     await tauriPage.waitForSelector(TRANSFER_DIALOG, 5000)
     await waitForConflictPolicy(tauriPage)
@@ -63,7 +63,7 @@ test.describe('Move multi-item merge (Layout B)', () => {
     await ensureAppReady(tauriPage, { leftPane: ['alpha'] })
 
     await selectAll(tauriPage)
-    await tauriPage.keyboard.press('F6')
+    await dispatchMenuCommand(tauriPage, 'file.move')
 
     await tauriPage.waitForSelector(TRANSFER_DIALOG, 5000)
     await waitForConflictPolicy(tauriPage)
@@ -99,7 +99,7 @@ test.describe('Move rollback', () => {
     await ensureAppReady(tauriPage, { leftPane: ['alpha'] })
 
     await selectAll(tauriPage)
-    await tauriPage.keyboard.press('F6')
+    await dispatchMenuCommand(tauriPage, 'file.move')
 
     await tauriPage.waitForSelector(TRANSFER_DIALOG, 5000)
     await waitForConflictPolicy(tauriPage)

apps/desktop/test/e2e-playwright/file-watching.spec.ts

@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@ import path from 'path'
 import { test, expect } from './fixtures.js'
 import { recreateFixtures } from '../e2e-shared/fixtures.js'
 import {
+  dispatchMenuCommand,
   ensureAppReady,
   getFixtureRoot,
   fileExistsInFocusedPane,
@@ -262,7 +263,7 @@ test.describe('File watching', () => {
     const found = await moveCursorToFile(tauriPage, 'file-a.txt')
     expect(found).toBe(true)
 
-    await tauriPage.keyboard.press('F5')
+    await dispatchMenuCommand(tauriPage, 'file.copy')
     await tauriPage.waitForSelector(TRANSFER_DIALOG, 5000)
     await tauriPage.waitForSelector(`${TRANSFER_DIALOG} .btn-primary`, 3000)
     await tauriPage.click(`${TRANSFER_DIALOG} .btn-primary`)

apps/desktop/test/e2e-playwright/mtp-conflicts.spec.ts

@@ -23,7 +23,15 @@ import {
   mcpAwaitItem,
   mcpSwitchPane,
 } from '../e2e-shared/mcp-client.js'
-import { ensureAppReady, getFixtureRoot, pollUntil, sleep, isStateClean, TRANSFER_DIALOG } from './helpers.js'
+import {
+  dispatchMenuCommand,
+  ensureAppReady,
+  getFixtureRoot,
+  pollUntil,
+  sleep,
+  isStateClean,
+  TRANSFER_DIALOG,
+} from './helpers.js'
 import {
   waitForConflictPolicy,
   selectConflictPolicy,
@@ -118,7 +126,7 @@ test.describe('MTP cross-volume move conflicts', () => {
 
     // Move report.txt to local right/ (which already has report.txt)
     await mcpCall('move_cursor', { pane: 'left', filename: 'report.txt' })
-    await tauriPage.keyboard.press('F6')
+    await dispatchMenuCommand(tauriPage, 'file.move')
 
     await tauriPage.waitForSelector(TRANSFER_DIALOG, 10000)
     await waitForConflictPolicy(tauriPage)
@@ -160,7 +168,7 @@ test.describe('MTP cross-volume move conflicts', () => {
     await mcpAwaitItem('left', 'report.txt')
 
     await mcpCall('move_cursor', { pane: 'left', filename: 'report.txt' })
-    await tauriPage.keyboard.press('F6')
+    await dispatchMenuCommand(tauriPage, 'file.move')
 
     await tauriPage.waitForSelector(TRANSFER_DIALOG, 10000)
     await waitForConflictPolicy(tauriPage)
@@ -190,7 +198,7 @@ test.describe('MTP cross-volume move conflicts', () => {
     await mcpAwaitItem('right', 'file-a.txt', 15)
 
     await mcpCall('move_cursor', { pane: 'left', filename: 'file-a.txt' })
-    await tauriPage.keyboard.press('F6')
+    await dispatchMenuCommand(tauriPage, 'file.move')
 
     await tauriPage.waitForSelector(TRANSFER_DIALOG, 10000)
     await waitForConflictPolicy(tauriPage)
@@ -250,7 +258,7 @@ test.describe('MTP same-volume move conflicts', () => {
     await sleep(200)
 
     await mcpCall('move_cursor', { pane: 'left', filename: 'report.txt' })
-    await tauriPage.keyboard.press('F6')
+    await dispatchMenuCommand(tauriPage, 'file.move')
 
     await tauriPage.waitForSelector(TRANSFER_DIALOG, 10000)
     await waitForConflictPolicy(tauriPage)
@@ -302,7 +310,7 @@ test.describe('MTP same-volume move conflicts', () => {
     await sleep(200)
 
     await mcpCall('move_cursor', { pane: 'left', filename: 'report.txt' })
-    await tauriPage.keyboard.press('F6')
+    await dispatchMenuCommand(tauriPage, 'file.move')
 
     await tauriPage.waitForSelector(TRANSFER_DIALOG, 10000)
     await waitForConflictPolicy(tauriPage)

docs/notes/speed-up-e2e-tests.md

@@ -875,3 +875,67 @@ Two back-to-back full-suite runs (`./scripts/check.sh --check desktop-e2e-playwr
 The fix shifts the Cancel-copy test from a flaky 32.7 s outlier to either ~750 ms (rollback ran) or ~31 s (escape
 hatch). The escape-hatch duration is bounded by the test's own 30 s modal-close wait, not by anything we control here.
 Tightening that timeout would be a Step 7 candidate — the rollback path itself completes in milliseconds.
+
+## After Step 6e (F-key tests via dispatchMenuCommand)
+
+### Goal
+
+Eliminate the residual "synthesized KeyboardEvent doesn't always reach its handler under parallel-shard load" flake
+observed in Steps 6a/6b/6d (0-1-2-5-10 flakes across runs, all clustered on `wait_for_selector` timeouts after an F-key
+dispatch).
+
+### Approach
+
+Replace `tauriPage.keyboard.press('F5')`-style synthesized keystrokes with `dispatchMenuCommand(tauriPage, 'file.copy')`
+— the helper in `helpers.ts` that emits the `execute-command` Tauri event directly, mimicking what the OS native menu
+accelerator does in prod. The Tauri-event path is unaffected by DOM focus state and parallel-load timing.
+
+Rule of thumb: convert when the test cares about the resulting dialog / file state, keep keyboard when the test's title
+or comments mark it as exercising the keyboard pathway itself (e.g. `app.spec.ts` "opens copy dialog with F5",
+`file-operations.spec.ts` "...via F5", MTP read-only enforcement tests, MTP "renames file...via keyboard").
+
+### What changed
+
+**Converted to `dispatchMenuCommand` (28 dispatches across 16 tests):**
+
+- `conflict-copy.spec.ts`: 7 × F5 → `file.copy`
+- `conflict-move.spec.ts`: 3 × F6 → `file.move`
+- `conflict-edge-cases.spec.ts`: 8 × F5 → `file.copy`
+- `mtp-conflicts.spec.ts`: 5 × F6 → `file.move`
+- `accessibility.spec.ts`: F5 → `file.copy`, F6 → `file.move`, F8 → `file.delete`, plus the ⌘F dispatch in
+  `openSearchDialog()` → `search.open`
+- `file-watching.spec.ts`: 1 × F5 → `file.copy` (the "in-app copy without duplicates" test)
+
+**Kept on keyboard pathway (15 dispatches across 15 tests):**
+
+- `app.spec.ts` (6): "opens new folder dialog with F7" ×2, "opens copy dialog with F5", "opens move dialog with F6",
+  "Cancel button closes the new folder dialog" (uses F7), "opens the delete confirmation dialog with F8"
+- `file-operations.spec.ts` (4): "...via F5", "...via F6", "...via F2", "...via F7" — round-trip tests with explicit
+  F-key intent in their titles
+- `mtp.spec.ts` (5): F8 in "deletes file on MTP with 'Delete permanently' dialog" (comment marks it as full-keyboard
+  flow), F2 ×2 in "renames file on MTP via keyboard" and "rename to existing name is rejected on MTP", F7 and F2 in
+  "read-only storage rejects write operations" (test verifies the read-only pre-check fires from the keyboard path)
+
+### Validation
+
+Three back-to-back `./scripts/check.sh --check desktop-e2e-playwright` runs on native macOS with parallel shards:
+
+| Run    | Result | Total | Per shard            | Flakes |
+| ------ | ------ | ----- | -------------------- | ------ |
+| Pass 1 | ✓      | 3m13s | 131 passed, 0 failed | 0      |
+| Pass 2 | ✓      | 3m11s | 131 passed, 0 failed | 0      |
+| Pass 3 | ✓      | 3m10s | 131 passed, 0 failed | 0      |
+
+**The keystroke-dispatch flake is gone.** All three runs match the 0/0/0 target. No new flake categories surfaced.
+`./scripts/check.sh` (full sweep) is green.
+
+### Files touched
+
+- `apps/desktop/test/e2e-playwright/conflict-copy.spec.ts`
+- `apps/desktop/test/e2e-playwright/conflict-move.spec.ts`
+- `apps/desktop/test/e2e-playwright/conflict-edge-cases.spec.ts`
+- `apps/desktop/test/e2e-playwright/mtp-conflicts.spec.ts`
+- `apps/desktop/test/e2e-playwright/accessibility.spec.ts`
+- `apps/desktop/test/e2e-playwright/file-watching.spec.ts`
+
+No app source changes — test files only, per Step 6e constraints.