"Focused" items?

[Filehero]

Hi,

reading this release note

Code: Select all

v11.30.0108 - 2012-06-19 09:40
    * Menu File | Metadata: Now it also works on the focused list item 
      when it is unselected.

made me really think about the semantics of focused vs. selected for the first time.

After looking around in the help and checking what kind of commands apply for focused items I came up with the following conceptual view:
Technically, a focused item is a formerly selected one. Practically, it's a sort of a lightweight selection, offering a set of harmless read-only/informative operations only.

Is this the main purpose of this feature?


Cheers,
Filehero

[admin]

"Focused" and "selected" are really two different things although they often coincide, and in many controls (Tree, Catalog, Address Bar.) they always coincide. In the file list the difference is most important and it is visible: Selected items are colored (highlighted), and none, one, or more items can be selected at the same time. But in a non-empty list, there is always exactly one item focused (by default it's the first/top item), recognizable by the dotted focus rect; this is the default item, the one that receives the key input (although depending on the key, it also needs to be selected at the same time) IF the list has the input focus (or if key input defaults to the list).

[Filehero]

Okay, I see. Thanks for explanation.


Cheers,
Filehero