Desktop Mouse Swipe Delete Troubleshooting
Problem
Mouse left swipe to delete notes was not working on desktop platforms (Windows, macOS, Linux, Web browsers).
Root Cause Analysis
- Flutter Dismissible Limitations:
Dismissiblewidget is optimized for touch interactions, not mouse gestures - SelectionArea Gesture Conflict:
SelectionAreaintercepted mouse drag events for text selection, blockingDismissibleswipe gestures
Solution
Initial Approach (Failed)
Attempted platform-specific custom GestureDetector implementation:
- Added desktop platform detection logic
- Implemented custom mouse drag threshold calculations
- Issue:
GestureDetectoronly detects gestures but provides no visual feedback
Final Solution (Working)
Two-part fix for Dismissible widget:
- Immediate Mouse Response
Dismissible(
dragStartBehavior: DragStartBehavior.down, // Key fix
// ... other properties
)
- Gesture Conflict Resolution
// Before: SelectionArea wrapping entire content
SelectionArea(
child: GestureDetector(...) // Blocked swipe gestures
)
// After: SelectionArea only around text content
GestureDetector(
child: Column([
metadata,
SelectionArea(child: noteContent), // Limited scope
footer,
])
)
Technical Details
dragStartBehavior Impact
DragStartBehavior.start(default): Waits for drag distance thresholdDragStartBehavior.down: Starts drag immediately on mouse down- Desktop users expect immediate response to mouse actions
SelectionArea Scope Reduction
- Problem: Full-content
SelectionAreacaptured all mouse events - Solution: Limit
SelectionAreato text content only - Result: Swipe gestures work on margins, text selection works on content
Testing Strategy
Created comprehensive test suite covering:
Dismissibleconfiguration validation- Platform-specific behavior
- Gesture conflict scenarios
- Integration with existing callbacks
Key Learnings
- Flutter's
Dismissiblesupports desktop with proper configuration - Widget event hierarchies can cause unexpected gesture conflicts
- Scope reduction often beats complex custom implementations
- Platform-specific UX requires careful gesture management
Code Impact
- Files Modified:
note_list_item.dart - Tests Added:
note_list_item_test.dart - Lines Changed:
30 additions,15 deletions - Breaking Changes: None
Verification
- All tests pass
- Code analysis clean
- Desktop mouse swipe delete functional
- Text selection preserved