Upgrade StorageUnexpected update of search results (Zotero 5)
I regulary move data, such as conference names, from one field to another. This cleanup activity is needed for some web imports and always works in the same way: Click on the attribute field -> CMD+x on macOS for putting the data into the clipboard -> CMD+v for pasting it into another field.
Sometimes, this activity is done for all papers from the same conference. I therefore search for a part of the conference name, which gives me a result list. I click on one entry, remove the text from the field as described above, and ... boom, the record is no longer shown. The reason seems to be that the search result is instantly updated on record change, the modified one no longer matches (since the according text is in the clipboard) and it is removed from the list. After that, I need to find the record again based on other search criterias, which is kind of annoying.
I am also unsure if this behavior was the same in Zotero 4 (plugin edition).
The general question here is if Zotero should change the list of search results without an explicit re-triggering of the search activity, e.g. by pressing RETURN again in the search bar.
Sometimes, this activity is done for all papers from the same conference. I therefore search for a part of the conference name, which gives me a result list. I click on one entry, remove the text from the field as described above, and ... boom, the record is no longer shown. The reason seems to be that the search result is instantly updated on record change, the modified one no longer matches (since the according text is in the clipboard) and it is removed from the list. After that, I need to find the record again based on other search criterias, which is kind of annoying.
I am also unsure if this behavior was the same in Zotero 4 (plugin edition).
The general question here is if Zotero should change the list of search results without an explicit re-triggering of the search activity, e.g. by pressing RETURN again in the search bar.
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In 5.0, the search stays active, so the item disappears, which I agree is less helpful behavior.
I think what might work is a hybrid of what 5.0 does and what you suggest. If a selected item was modified, it would turn gray if it didn't match (like other context rows in searches) but remain in place. Other changes (e.g., from saving or syncing) would still be reflected live in the search. Re-running the search would reproduce its normal behavior and hide items that no longer matched.
Please post the GitHub issue if this becomes an official thing. You will have my upvote.