ADR-0061: Click a line number to select the line

• Status: Accepted
• Date: 2026-09-04
• Deciders: jka
• Decision: D61

Context

In most editors, clicking a line number selects the line and dragging extends the selection line by line. The gutter of ADR-0049 was display-only.

Decision

Pressing on a gutter number selects that whole logical line; dragging extends the selection over the lines between the anchor and the pointer, in either direction.

Because the gutter paints each number at the text widget's own y position, a click's y coordinate maps back to a logical line with index @0,y. The selection covers the line including its newline and is clamped at the end of the buffer. The press moves keyboard focus to the text widget, so the status bar and current-line band follow.

Consequences

• The feature is a binding on the existing gutter; the core is untouched.