fix(#403): No way to clear a selection: no Esc, no clear button, no select-all; Upload stay

Esc on a row or the list clears a non-empty selection (onActionKey in itemActions.ts); the selection bar (desktop and phone sheet) gets a borderless 'Clear selection' icon button; the shortcuts dialog lists Esc; i18n added in all three locales. The #403 E2E test now deletes its folder afterwards so the shared home root stays under the list's 200-entry render limit, which had made the collision spec time out on mobile.

Refs #403

Co-Authored-By: Claude Opus 5.5 <noreply@anthropic.com>

Author: BeSovereign

DECISIONS.md

@@ -1388,3 +1388,11 @@ Question: a password-protected link answered `info` with the item's name and typ
 Decision: while locked, `GET /s/<token>/info` is `{ locked: true }` and nothing else; `name` and `type` are optional in `PublicLinkInfo` and come only once the link is unlocked, as before. The page keeps the header with the app's name, as on every visitor page; the kind line says "Shared link" instead of "Shared file"/"Shared folder", the heading is "Protected link" (`link.page.lockedTitle`), and the existing line "This link is protected by a password." stands above the password field. A link without a password is unlocked at once and is unchanged.
 
 Why: the owner set the password to keep the item private, and what it is called and whether it is a file or a folder is part of that; file requests already answer only the owner-written label while locked. The link's label stays owner-only: it was written for the owner's list ("For the accountant"), not for visitors, and showing it would be a new disclosure nobody asked for (YAGNI).
+
+## 2026-10-20: One step clears a selection: Esc and a clear button (#403)
+
+Question: after Ctrl+A (or "New folder", which selects what it creates) nothing cleared the selection but unticking every row, and on the desktop the bar keeps Upload hidden meanwhile. Which ways out, and do a select-all checkbox in the list header or Ctrl+A as a toggle come with them?
+
+Decision: Esc on a row or tile clears a non-empty selection (`onActionKey`; open menus and dialogs stop the key first), and the selection bar has a borderless icon button "Clear selection" (`icon-close`, aria-label) right after the count, on the desktop bar and on the phone's bottom bar alike. The shortcuts dialog lists "Esc: clear the selection". No header checkbox, Ctrl+A stays select-all, and a click on the empty area does not clear.
+
+Why: the issue's expected behaviour asks for exactly these two ways; the clear button sits beside the count it resets, where both a mouse and a finger look for it. A header checkbox and a toggling Ctrl+A would be a second and third way to the same state (YAGNI), and clearing on an empty-area click would fight the empty area's own menu (#340).

e2e/polish.spec.ts

@@ -280,7 +280,10 @@ test('in the trash and in a read-only share, no menu offers rename, move or uplo
   await row(member, 'notes.txt').locator('input[type=checkbox]').check();
   const bar = member.getByRole('group', { name: 'Actions for the selection' });
   await expect(bar.getByRole('link', { name: 'Download' })).toBeVisible();
-  await expect(bar.getByRole('button')).toHaveText(['Copy to…']); // copying out only reads (#339)
+  // Copying out only reads (#339); clearing the selection (#403) changes nothing in the share.
+  await expect(bar.getByRole('button')).toHaveCount(2);
+  await expect(bar.getByRole('button').first()).toHaveAccessibleName('Clear selection');
+  await expect(bar.getByRole('button').last()).toHaveText('Copy to…');
   await member.context().close();
 });
 

e2e/selection-bar.spec.ts

@@ -177,3 +177,50 @@ test('#383 in a pane of two the German selection bar wraps under the title, not
     await put('/api/v1/settings', { locale: null, theme: 'system' });
   }
 });
+
+// #403: one step clears a selection: Esc on a row, or the bar's "Clear selection" button; then Upload is back.
+test('#403 Esc and the bar\'s clear button clear the selection and bring Upload back', async ({ page }, info) => {
+  await page.goto('/');
+  await expect(page.getByRole('navigation', { name: /Pfad|Path/ })).toBeVisible();
+  const { csrfToken } = await (await page.request.get('/api/v1/me')).json();
+  const headers = { 'x-csrf-token': csrfToken, origin: new URL(page.url()).origin };
+  const dir = `selclear403-${tag(info)}`;
+  expect((await page.request.post('/api/v1/sources/home/mkdir', { headers, data: { path: `/${dir}` } })).status()).toBe(201);
+  for (const name of ['a.txt', 'b.txt', 'c.txt']) {
+    const r = await page.request.put(`/api/v1/sources/home/content?path=${encodeURIComponent(`/${dir}/${name}`)}&onCollision=fail`,
+      { headers: { ...headers, 'content-type': 'application/octet-stream' }, data: Buffer.from(name) });
+    expect(r.status()).toBe(201);
+  }
+  await page.goto(`/home/${encodeURIComponent(dir)}`);
+  await expect(page.locator('tbody tr')).toHaveCount(3);
+  const upload = page.getByRole('button', { name: /^(Hochladen|Upload)$/ });
+  await expect(upload).toBeVisible();
+
+  await row(page, 'b.txt').focus();
+  await page.keyboard.press('ControlOrMeta+a');
+  await expect(bar(page).locator('.selection-count')).toHaveText(/^3 (ausgewählt|selected)$/);
+  if (!isMobile(info)) await expect(upload).toBeHidden(); // on the desktop the bar takes the toolbar's place
+  await page.keyboard.press('Escape');
+  await expect(bar(page)).toHaveCount(0);
+  await expect(upload).toBeVisible();
+  await expect(row(page, 'b.txt')).toBeFocused();
+
+  await page.keyboard.press('ControlOrMeta+a');
+  await expect(bar(page).locator('.selection-count')).toHaveText(/^3 (ausgewählt|selected)$/);
+  const clear = bar(page).getByRole('button', { name: /^(Auswahl aufheben|Clear selection)$/ });
+  await expect(clear).toBeVisible();
+  await clear.click();
+  await expect(bar(page)).toHaveCount(0);
+  await expect(upload).toBeVisible();
+  for (const name of ['a.txt', 'b.txt', 'c.txt']) await expect(row(page, name).getByRole('checkbox')).not.toBeChecked();
+
+  // The shortcuts dialog names the key.
+  await row(page, 'b.txt').focus();
+  await page.keyboard.press('?');
+  const dialog = page.getByRole('dialog', { name: /^(Tastenkürzel|Keyboard shortcuts)$/ });
+  await expect(dialog.getByRole('row', { name: /^Esc (Auswahl aufheben|Clear the selection)$/ })).toBeVisible();
+
+  // Removed again so the home root stays within the list's window for other specs (it windows from 200 entries, #225).
+  const del = await page.request.post('/api/v1/sources/home/delete', { data: { paths: [`/${dir}`] }, headers });
+  expect(del.status(), await del.text()).toBe(204);
+});

web/src/components/FolderPane.vue

@@ -826,6 +826,20 @@ defineExpose({
           v-if="selectedEntries.length"
           class="selection-count"
         >{{ $t('actions.selected', { count: selectedEntries.length }) }}</span>
+        <!-- One step out of a selection (#403), on the desktop bar and on the phone sheet alike. -->
+        <button
+          v-if="selectedEntries.length"
+          type="button"
+          class="icon-button clear-selection"
+          :aria-label="$t('actions.clearSelection')"
+          :title="$t('actions.clearSelection')"
+          @click="selected = []"
+        >
+          <span
+            class="icon icon-close"
+            aria-hidden="true"
+          />
+        </button>
         <template v-if="selectedEntries.length">
           <a
             class="button"

web/src/components/ShortcutsDialog.vue

@@ -12,7 +12,7 @@ const emit = defineEmits<{ close: [] }>();
 const { t } = useI18n();
 const layout = useLayoutStore();
 const SHORTCUTS = computed(() => ['arrows', 'galleryArrows', 'homeEnd', 'open', 'select', 'selectAll', 'rename', 'trash', 'cut', 'copy',
-  'paste', 'moveTo', 'copyTo', 'newFolder', 'menu', 'close', 'history', 'help',
+  'paste', 'moveTo', 'copyTo', 'newFolder', 'menu', 'clearSelection', 'close', 'history', 'help',
   ...(layout.dualPane ? ['switchPane', 'copyOther', 'moveOther'] : []),
   ...(layout.tabs ? ['newTab', 'closeTab', 'openTab'] : [])]);
 </script>

web/src/i18n/de-du.json

@@ -533,6 +533,7 @@
     "pasteMove": "Hierher verschieben ({count})",
     "pasteCopy": "Hierher kopieren ({count})",
     "clearClipboard": "Verschieben oder Kopieren abbrechen",
+    "clearSelection": "Auswahl aufheben",
     "trash": "In den Papierkorb",
     "favourite": "Favorit",
     "copyToOther": "In den anderen Bereich kopieren",
@@ -1199,6 +1200,7 @@
       "moveTo": "Umschalt + M",
       "copyTo": "Umschalt + C",
       "menu": "Umschalt + F10",
+      "clearSelection": "Esc",
       "close": "Esc",
       "history": "Alt + ← / →",
       "help": "?",
@@ -1225,6 +1227,7 @@
       "moveTo": "Auswahl in einen gewählten Ordner verschieben",
       "copyTo": "Auswahl in einen gewählten Ordner kopieren",
       "menu": "Aktionsmenü des Eintrags öffnen (ohne Eintrag im Fokus das des Ordners)",
+      "clearSelection": "Auswahl aufheben",
       "close": "Dialog oder Menü schließen",
       "history": "Im Ordnerverlauf zurück oder vor, auch mit den Seitentasten der Maus",
       "help": "Diese Hilfe anzeigen",

web/src/i18n/de-sie.json

@@ -533,6 +533,7 @@
     "pasteMove": "Hierher verschieben ({count})",
     "pasteCopy": "Hierher kopieren ({count})",
     "clearClipboard": "Verschieben oder Kopieren abbrechen",
+    "clearSelection": "Auswahl aufheben",
     "trash": "In den Papierkorb",
     "favourite": "Favorit",
     "copyToOther": "In den anderen Bereich kopieren",
@@ -1199,6 +1200,7 @@
       "moveTo": "Umschalt + M",
       "copyTo": "Umschalt + C",
       "menu": "Umschalt + F10",
+      "clearSelection": "Esc",
       "close": "Esc",
       "history": "Alt + ← / →",
       "help": "?",
@@ -1225,6 +1227,7 @@
       "moveTo": "Auswahl in einen gewählten Ordner verschieben",
       "copyTo": "Auswahl in einen gewählten Ordner kopieren",
       "menu": "Aktionsmenü des Eintrags öffnen (ohne Eintrag im Fokus das des Ordners)",
+      "clearSelection": "Auswahl aufheben",
       "close": "Dialog oder Menü schließen",
       "history": "Im Ordnerverlauf zurück oder vor, auch mit den Seitentasten der Maus",
       "help": "Diese Hilfe anzeigen",

web/src/i18n/en.json

@@ -533,6 +533,7 @@
     "pasteMove": "Move here ({count})",
     "pasteCopy": "Copy here ({count})",
     "clearClipboard": "Cancel moving or copying",
+    "clearSelection": "Clear selection",
     "trash": "Move to trash",
     "favourite": "Favourite",
     "copyToOther": "Copy to other pane",
@@ -1199,6 +1200,7 @@
       "moveTo": "Shift + M",
       "copyTo": "Shift + C",
       "menu": "Shift + F10",
+      "clearSelection": "Esc",
       "close": "Esc",
       "history": "Alt + ← / →",
       "help": "?",
@@ -1225,6 +1227,7 @@
       "moveTo": "Move the selection into a folder you pick",
       "copyTo": "Copy the selection into a folder you pick",
       "menu": "Open the item menu (with no item focused, the folder’s)",
+      "clearSelection": "Clear the selection",
       "close": "Close the dialog or menu",
       "history": "Back or forward in the folder history, also with the mouse’s side buttons",
       "help": "Show this help",

web/src/itemActions.ts

@@ -89,6 +89,8 @@ export function useItemActions(props: ItemProps, emit: Emits,
     else if (props.editable && e.shiftKey && !mod && !e.altKey && key === 'm' && handled()) emit.action('moveTo', targets(i));
     else if (e.shiftKey && !mod && !e.altKey && key === 'c' && handled()) emit.action('copyTo', targets(i));
     else if (mod && key === 'a' && handled()) emit.select(props.entries.map((x) => x.path));
+    // Esc clears the selection (#403); open menus and dialogs stop it before it gets here.
+    else if (key === 'Escape' && chosen.value.size > 0 && handled()) emit.select([]);
     else if ((key === 'ContextMenu' || (key === 'F10' && e.shiftKey)) && handled()) ui.showMenu(i);
     else if (key === 'Enter' && handled()) emit.open(entry); // a folder opens, a file opens in the preview
     else return false;