Preserve fzf fuzzy list view?

[tmpm697]

Checklist

• [X] I have read through the manual page (man fzf)
• [X] I have searched through the existing issues
• [X] For bug reports, I have checked if the bug is reproducible in the latest version of fzf

Output of fzf --version

0.51.0

OS

• [ ] Linux
• [X] macOS
• [ ] Windows
• [ ] Etc.

Shell

• [ ] bash
• [X] zsh
• [ ] fish

Problem / Steps to reproduce

i'm using this --preview 'echo $(({n} + 1)) >~/.cache/fzf/my_no_file' \ to save current cursor's position in the list, but i will lose the view of it, how to preserve the view also?

check two images below: the last view before close fzf:

now after re-open fzf, the view of current line drop to last line:

why i want to preserve the last view? because human brain or my brain will fix thinking the last image of what i see fzf, but when re-open, i am a bit surprise with the view change, the position still correct (10) though.

[kuremu]

If you are trying to open fzf at the most recent position after closing, I would suggest something like seq 50 | fzf --bind $'focus:execute-silent(echo $(({n} + 1)) > last.pos)' --bind $'load:transform(echo pos\($(cat last.pos)\))'

[tmpm697]

seq 50 | fzf --bind $'focus:execute-silent(echo $(({n} + 1)) > last.pos)' --bind $'load:transform(echo pos($(cat last.pos)))'

it does not load up last post and not keep the view

[kuremu]

If you mean you want to reopen fzf with 10 still selected, and also 11 and 12 still visible at the bottom of the list, I don't think there is functionality for this. The scrolling and view position is sorted out automatically by pos(). You might find --scroll-off=n useful, which will at least keep a buffer of n items between the top/bottom edges of the list and the cursor.

[tmpm697]

If you mean you want to reopen fzf with 10 still selected, and also 11 and 12 still visible at the bottom of the list, I don't think there is functionality for this. The scrolling and view position is sorted out automatically by pos(). You might find --scroll-off=n useful, which will at least keep a buffer of n items between the top/bottom edges of the list and the cursor.

yeah, --scroll-off=LINES helped but it feel less natural than usual.

and why u suggest save and restore pos with this? seq 50 | fzf --bind $'focus:execute-silent(echo $(({n} + 1)) > last.pos)' --bind $'load:transform(echo pos\($(cat last.pos)\))' --> i tried and it does not work, pos is saved to file but cursor not restored at last pos.

[kuremu]

and why u suggest save and restore pos with this? seq 50 | fzf --bind $'focus:execute-silent(echo $(({n} + 1)) > last.pos)' --bind $'load:transform(echo pos\($(cat last.pos)\))' --> i tried and it does not work, pos is saved to file but cursor not restored at last pos.

Sorry didn't notice you were using zsh. This looks like it works:

seq 50 | fzf --bind 'focus:execute-silent(echo $(({n} + 1)) > last.pos)' --bind 'load:transform:echo pos\($(cat last.pos)\)'

[tmpm697]

seq 50 | fzf --bind 'focus:execute-silent(echo $(({n} + 1)) > last.pos)' --bind 'load:transform:echo pos($(cat last.pos))'

ty, so via --bind is more preferred than via --preview to save/restore pos is what u mean?

[kuremu]

ty, so via --bind is more preferred than via --preview to save/restore pos is what u mean?

Yeah, specifically --bind 'focus:... for saving and --bind 'load:... for loading. But there are quite a few ways you could do it. Check man fzf AVAILABLE KEYS and AVAILABLE EVENTS for what you can bind to, and AVAILABLE ACTIONS for what can be performed on a bind.

[tmpm697]

@junegunn @LangLangBart any idea for this issue?

[junegunn]

What exactly are you trying to implement here?

fzf doesn't support persisting and restoring its internal states between processes, because of its asynchronous nature and because there are just too many dynamic states that affect the user interface. If you want to quickly come back to fzf after running some other interactive tasks, use execute action.

[tmpm697]

i just realized that this feature may need to bring a daemon and db to persist some states which is not standalone exe fzf can solve.

[tmpm697]

for someone who stumble to this issue later, we can save last post with fzf and restore it later, then i wonder if we can able to save the last top line pos (below header if has) and the bottom one --> so we can restore the last pos relative to one of two top and bottom pos.

this theoretically possible, when we restore the last pos, say we can make it relative (last pos + last bottom) = current relative pos. or (last pos + last top) = relative pos.

@junegunn is that possible?