CTRL+SHIFT+click a Link: setting whether to split before opening

Feature requests
, ,
1

PROBLEM

When I CTRL + SHIFT + LMB a Link, it does the exact same thing as CTRL + LMB: open link in new tab (and steal focus depending on Always focus new tabs/focusNewTab setting).

Use case or problem

I want to be able to choose with a modifier key whether a new tab (created by clicking on links) steals focus or not. This functionality would mimic web browsers where you can choose this with the SHIFT modifier:

  • Ctrl + LMB = open link in new tab
  • MMB = open link in new tab
  • Ctrl + Shift + LMB = open link in new tab and focus it
  • Shift + MMB = open link in new tab and focus it

Currently Obsidian ignores the Shift modifier in these cases such that all the above behave the same (and only focus depending on the Always focus new tabs/focusNewTab setting).

Proposed solution

I propose handling the Shift modifier such that new tabs steal focus, even if the Always focus new tabs/focusNewTab setting is set to FALSE (when the setting is TRUE the tab will be focused anyway, so the behaviour wouldn’t change).

Current workaround (optional)

–

Related feature requests (optional)

This behaviour was already requested in this FR, but not as the main request:

1 Like
2

This would be very useful and mirror how it works in Firefox :+1:

when the setting is TRUE the tab will be focused anyway, so the behaviour wouldn’t change

Instead, to allow for greater flexibility, I suggest that holding down Shift does the opposite of what Always focus new tabs is set to. If the toggle is set to ON, open the tab in background; if it’s OFF, switch to the tab immediately.

This should also work if you right-click a link and choose Open in new tab.