Would it be possible to implement Shift+Click to select multiple topics in a topic list? If not, can we make it a feature request?
AI-generated summary
Users discuss implementing Shift+Click to select a range of topics in Discourse, similar to file selection in OS file explorers. meglio proposes the feature, clarifying it applies to checkboxes, not topic titles. j127 initially misunderstands but later agrees. codinghorror questions the need, noting checkboxes allow multi-select without Shift, and suggests “Select All” suffices. meglio counters that Shift+Click enables precise range selection (e.g., A to D), unlike “Select All,” which may over-select. JonathanShaw initially claims it already works, but meglio clarifies the difference between Shift and Ctrl/Command behavior, noting Shift+Click doesn’t work in Discourse as it does in OS file managers. JonathanShaw acknowledges the point. codinghorror tests and finds Shift+Click works for them, but meglio confirms it doesn’t in Firefox on macOS and reiterates the UI convention across OSes. pmusaraj supports the request and submits a draft PR, noting it won’t merge before the next release due to timing.
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Select them like this?
If shift-click is implemented, it might break the standard browser shortcut for opening links in new windows.
It will not if you only handle “Shift” when clicking on those checkboxes.
So, the confusion here is that that’s exactly what I’m talking about - I mean holding Shift while clicking on those checkboxes.
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Sorry, I thought you meant “multiple select” by clicking on the topics themselves. I see what you mean now.
This makes no sense. Once you expand the selector you can click all the checkboxes you like, there is no need to hold down shift.
In any OS, when multiple files are shown in a list, it somehow makes sense to allow Shift + click to select a range of files. Why doesn’t it make sense in a list of topics?
It already works this way, without the need to press shift. The shift-click paradigm is usually for selecting things that are not checkboxes; checkboxes conventionally allow multiple selection without shift.
It doesn’t. You are confusing Shift vs Command on MacOS (Shift vs Ctrl on Windows).
If you have 5 files:
A
B
C
D
E
Click on file A, then hold Shift, then click on file D - all 4 files from A to D will get selected.
And that’s what the topic title says! Shift + Click
If you try the same with checkboxes in Discourse, it does not work this way.
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ah, makes sense.
I see what you mean, but usually there is a “select all” button in web design, e.g.
So there’s less need for a shift+click when you can Select All via the button.. and heck now that I’m testing it, actually shift+click works fine in this scenario for me?
Wait, there is quite a difference between “select all” and “shift-select”. “Select all” can select many more items than I need, while shift-select A-B only selects all items starting from A and up to and including B. Like, if I’m trying to select 20 topics from A to B while 100+ are shown, “select all” will select 100 topics while I only need 20 topics to be selected.
Also, testing in Firefox for MacOS, Shift+Select does nothing for me.
Would you consider implementing Shift+Select? Whenever I select multiple topics, I feel like it’s lacking this functionality, and I keep forgetting it does not work this way in Discourse - because it works this way everywhere else, so the intuition is to use it whenever I want to select all items between A and B.
Just wanted to add a note that in Windows, even with checkboxes ON in the file list view, you can still select all files between A and B by clicking FileA+Shift+FileB. Same in MacOS. It’s a UI convention everywhere.
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I thought this was a good feature request when it was first raised, but didn’t have time to try adding it. I had some time today, so I gave it a shot and came up with this draft PR:
https://github.com/discourse/discourse/pull/15682
Note that we’re very very close to a release, so this won’t be merged in core for at least another few weeks.
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