OpenNoodl/dev-docs/tasks/phase-3-editor-ux-overhaul/TASK-013-integration-bugfixes/BUG-1-property-panel-stuck.md

BUG-1: Property Panel "Stuck" on Previous Node

Priority: P0 - Blocks basic workflow
Status: 🔴 Research
Introduced in: Phase 2 Task 8 (Side panel changes)

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Symptoms

1. Click on node A in canvas → Property panel shows node A's properties ✅
2. Click on node B in canvas → Property panel STILL shows node A's properties ❌
3. Click blank canvas area → Property panel closes ✅
4. Now click node B again → Property panel shows node B's properties ✅

Workaround: Must click blank canvas to "clear" before selecting a different node.

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User Impact

• Severity: Critical - Breaks basic node selection workflow
• Frequency: Every time you try to select a different node
• Frustration: Very high - requires extra clicks for every node selection

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Initial Analysis

Suspected Root Cause

Looking at nodegrapheditor.ts line ~1150, the selectNode() function has this logic:

selectNode(node: NodeGraphEditorNode) {
  if (this.readOnly) {
    this.notifyListeners('readOnlyNodeClicked', node.model);
    return;
  }

  if (!node.selected) {
    // ✅ First selection works - this branch executes
    this.clearSelection();
    this.commentLayer?.clearSelection();
    node.selected = true;
    this.selector.select([node]);
    SidebarModel.instance.switchToNode(node.model);  // ← Opens panel

    this.repaint();
  } else {
    // ❌ Second selection fails - this branch executes
    // Handles double-click for navigating into components
    // But doesn't re-open/switch the sidebar!

    if (node.model.type instanceof ComponentModel) {
      this.switchToComponent(node.model.type, { pushHistory: true });
    } else {
      // Check for component ports and navigate if found
      // OR forward double-click to sidebar
      if (this.leftButtonIsDoubleClicked) {
        SidebarModel.instance.invokeActive('doubleClick', node);
      }
    }
  }
}

The Problem: When node.selected is already true, the else branch handles double-click navigation but never calls SidebarModel.instance.switchToNode() for a regular single click.

Why This Worked Before Phase 2 Task 8

Phase 2 Task 8 changed how the sidebar/property panel manages visibility and state. Previously, the panel might have stayed open between selections. Now it appears to close/hide, so clicking a node that's already "selected" doesn't re-trigger the panel opening.

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Investigation Tasks

• Trace SidebarModel.instance.switchToNode() behavior
• Check if node.selected state is properly cleared when panel is hidden
• Verify sidebar visibility state management after Phase 2 changes
• Check if there's a SidebarModelEvent.activeChanged handler that should be deselecting nodes
• Test if this happens with ALL nodes or just specific types

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Proposed Solutions

Option A: Always Switch to Node (Preferred)

selectNode(node: NodeGraphEditorNode) {
  if (this.readOnly) {
    this.notifyListeners('readOnlyNodeClicked', node.model);
    return;
  }

  if (!node.selected) {
    this.clearSelection();
    this.commentLayer?.clearSelection();
    node.selected = true;
    this.selector.select([node]);
  }

  // ✅ ALWAYS switch to node, even if already selected
  SidebarModel.instance.switchToNode(node.model);

  // Handle double-click navigation separately
  if (this.leftButtonIsDoubleClicked) {
    if (node.model.type instanceof ComponentModel) {
      this.switchToComponent(node.model.type, { pushHistory: true });
    } else {
      SidebarModel.instance.invokeActive('doubleClick', node);
    }
  }

  this.repaint();
}

Option B: Clear Selected State on Panel Hide

Update the SidebarModelEvent.activeChanged handler to clear node.selected when switching away from PropertyEditor:

SidebarModel.instance.on(
  SidebarModelEvent.activeChanged,
  (activeId) => {
    const isNodePanel = activeId === 'PropertyEditor' || activeId === 'PortEditor';
    if (isNodePanel === false) {
      // Clear node.selected so next click will trigger switchToNode
      this.selector.nodes.forEach((n) => (n.selected = false));
      this.repaint();
    }
  },
  this
);

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Files to Investigate

1. packages/noodl-editor/src/editor/src/views/nodegrapheditor.ts

   • selectNode() method (~line 1150)
   • SidebarModelEvent.activeChanged handler (~line 220)

2. packages/noodl-editor/src/editor/src/models/sidebar/sidebarmodel.ts

   • switchToNode() method
   • hidePanels() method
   • State management

3. Property Panel Files

   • Check if panel properly reports when it's closed/hidden

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Testing Plan

Manual Testing

1. Open editor with multiple nodes
2. Click node A → verify panel shows A
3. Click node B directly → verify panel shows B (NOT A)
4. Click node C → verify panel shows C
5. Click between nodes rapidly → should always show correct node
6. Test with different node types (Function, Expression, Script, Component)

Edge Cases

• Clicking same node twice (should keep panel open with same node)
• Clicking node while another panel is active (should switch to PropertyEditor)
• Multiselect scenarios
• Read-only mode

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Related Code Patterns

Similar selection logic exists in:

• Comment selection
• Component selection in ComponentsPanel
• These might have the same issue

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Success Criteria

• Can click any node and see its properties immediately
• No need to click blank canvas as workaround
• Double-click navigation still works
• Panel stays open when clicking same node repeatedly
• No regressions in node selection behavior

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Last Updated: January 13, 2026