b4 Fix to 'Generating' message getting stuck.

New 'display density' setting.
UI polish to top bar, scrollbars and scrolling.

Author: jgclark

helpers/react/DynamicDialog/DropdownSelect.css

@@ -68,18 +68,37 @@
 	box-shadow: 0 2px 5px var(--divider-color);
 	z-index: 5;
 	width: 100%;
-	/* ensure that a right margin can be seen still - not sure why this is needed */
-	padding-right: 6px; 
+	box-sizing: border-box;
+	/* Include padding in width so it does not force a needless horizontal scrollbar */
+	padding-right: 6px;
+	/* thumb = grabable knob */
+	scrollbar-color: var(--bg-alt-color, #e6e9ef) transparent;
+}
+
+.dropdown-select-dropdiv::-webkit-scrollbar {
+	width: 8px;
+	height: 8px;
+}
+
+.dropdown-select-dropdiv::-webkit-scrollbar-track {
+	background: transparent;
+}
+
+.dropdown-select-dropdiv::-webkit-scrollbar-thumb {
+	background: var(--bg-alt-color, #e6e9ef);
+	border-radius: 6px;
 }
 
 /* The displayed options. */
 .dropdown-select-option {
 	cursor: pointer;
 	color: var(--fg-main-color);
-	margin: 0rem 0.2rem;
-	padding: 0.2rem;
+	/* Inset via padding only - margin + width:100% overflowed the menu by a few pixels and forced a horizontal scrollbar */
+	margin: 0;
+	padding: 0.2rem 0.4rem;
 	min-height: 0.9rem;
 	width: 100%;
+	box-sizing: border-box;
 }
 
 /* The currently hovered-over or keyboard-highlighted option. */

jgclark.Dashboard/CHANGELOG.md

@@ -1,8 +1,17 @@
 # What's changed in 🎛 Dashboard plugin?
 For more details see the [plugin's documentation](https://github.com/NotePlan/plugins/tree/main/jgclark.Dashboard/).
 
+<!-- "Not calling init(): Automatic plugin updates are disabled in preferences." -->
+
 ## [2.5.0.b4] 2026-09-10
+- New: Add task / checklist dialogs (Today, Week, etc.) pre-select Under Heading by near-match to the active Perspective name, otherwise the first real heading (not top-of-note / insert-new pseudo options).
 - New: Display Density setting (Normal / Compact). Compact tightens vertical spacing between items and truncates item text at half the Normal length (70 vs 140 characters).
+- Change: Top-bar Refresh, Hard Refresh, and Perspective dropdown share the same control height, with text/icons set 1px higher.
+- Change: Refresh icon spins during first generation ("Generating") as well as during refresh.
+- Fix: Perspective dropdown menu no longer shows a needless horizontal scrollbar (width:100% options plus horizontal margin/padding overflow).
+- Change: Horizontal overscroll bounce disabled. Vertical bounce applies only to Sections (header stays fixed).
+- Change: Main window and Perspective dropdown scrollbar thumbs use `--bg-alt-color`.
+- Fix: Generating no longer sticks after open when ForceInitialLoad is on - defer relative-dates Calendar bridge until after `firstRun` clears, and clear `firstRun` before done-count recount on that path.
 
 ## [2.5.0.b3] 2026-09-08
 - Fix: If a task cannot be opened/highlighted from Dashboard, refresh that section and say so in the toast. The refresh now runs before the toast, so the banner cannot interrupt it.

jgclark.Dashboard/src/__tests__/dashboardHelpers.test.js

@@ -9,9 +9,12 @@ import {
   filterParasByIgnoreTerms,
   filterParasByIncludedCalendarSections,
   filterParasByExcludedCalendarSections,
+  isPseudoHeadingOption,
   isWinItem,
   makeDashboardParas,
   mergeSections,
+  pickDefaultHeadingForAddTaskDialog,
+  scoreHeadingPerspectiveMatch,
 } from '../dashboardHelpers.js'
 import { DataStore, Editor, CommandBar, NotePlan, Paragraph, Note, simpleFormatter } from '@mocks/index'
 import * as timeblocks from '@helpers/timeblocks'
@@ -78,6 +81,79 @@ describe(`${PLUGIN_NAME}`, () => {
       })
     })
 
+    describe('isPseudoHeadingOption()', () => {
+      test('detects top / bottom / insert-new pseudo headings', () => {
+        expect(isPseudoHeadingOption('⏫ (top of note)')).toBe(true)
+        expect(isPseudoHeadingOption('⏬ (bottom of note)')).toBe(true)
+        expect(isPseudoHeadingOption('➕#️⃣ (first insert new heading at the start of the note)')).toBe(true)
+        expect(isPseudoHeadingOption('➕#️⃣ (first insert new heading under the title)')).toBe(true)
+        expect(isPseudoHeadingOption('Home')).toBe(false)
+        expect(isPseudoHeadingOption('### CCC')).toBe(false)
+      })
+    })
+
+    describe('scoreHeadingPerspectiveMatch()', () => {
+      test('exact match scores highest', () => {
+        expect(scoreHeadingPerspectiveMatch('CCC', 'CCC')).toBe(100)
+        expect(scoreHeadingPerspectiveMatch('ccc', '### CCC')).toBe(100)
+      })
+
+      test('close matches score above zero', () => {
+        expect(scoreHeadingPerspectiveMatch('Home', 'Home tasks')).toBe(80)
+        expect(scoreHeadingPerspectiveMatch('Wider Ministry', 'Ministry')).toBe(60)
+      })
+
+      test('unrelated names score zero', () => {
+        expect(scoreHeadingPerspectiveMatch('NotePlan', 'Journal')).toBe(0)
+        expect(scoreHeadingPerspectiveMatch('-', 'Home')).toBe(0)
+      })
+    })
+
+    describe('pickDefaultHeadingForAddTaskDialog()', () => {
+      const headings = [
+        '⏫ (top of note)',
+        '➕#️⃣ (first insert new heading at the start of the note)',
+        'Home',
+        'Ministry',
+        'CCC',
+        'Journal for 10.9.26',
+        '⏬ (bottom of note)',
+      ]
+
+      test('picks exact perspective match among real headings', () => {
+        const result = pickDefaultHeadingForAddTaskDialog(headings, 'CCC')
+        expect(result.heading).toBe('CCC')
+        expect(result.reason).toBe('perspective-match')
+        expect(result.score).toBe(100)
+      })
+
+      test('picks close match when no exact match', () => {
+        const result = pickDefaultHeadingForAddTaskDialog(headings, 'Wider Ministry')
+        expect(result.heading).toBe('Ministry')
+        expect(result.reason).toBe('perspective-match')
+        expect(result.score).toBe(60)
+      })
+
+      test('falls back to first real heading when no near match', () => {
+        const result = pickDefaultHeadingForAddTaskDialog(headings, 'NotePlan')
+        expect(result.heading).toBe('Home')
+        expect(result.reason).toBe('first-real-heading')
+        expect(result.score).toBe(0)
+      })
+
+      test('falls back to first real heading when perspective is -', () => {
+        const result = pickDefaultHeadingForAddTaskDialog(headings, '-')
+        expect(result.heading).toBe('Home')
+        expect(result.reason).toBe('first-real-heading')
+      })
+
+      test('returns empty when only pseudo headings exist', () => {
+        const result = pickDefaultHeadingForAddTaskDialog(['⏫ (top of note)', '⏬ (bottom of note)'], 'CCC')
+        expect(result.heading).toBe('')
+        expect(result.reason).toBe('none')
+      })
+    })
+
     describe('filterToOpenParagraphs()', () => {
       test('should return empty array when input is empty', () => {
         const result = filterToOpenParagraphs([], false, '')

jgclark.Dashboard/src/dashboardHelpers.js

@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 // @flow
 //-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
 // Dashboard plugin helper functions
-// Last updated 2026-08-14 for v2.4.0.b63 by @jgclark + @CursorAI
+// Last updated 2026-09-10 for v2.5.0.b4 by @jgclark + @CursorAI
 //-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
 // import pluginJson from '../plugin.json'
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@ import { normaliseDashboardNumberSettings } from './dashboardSettings'
 import { getDashboardSettingsDefaults } from './dashboardSettingsDefaults'
 import { loadDashboardPluginSettings, saveDashboardPluginSettings } from './dashboardPluginSettings'
 import { removeInvalidTagSections } from './dashboardSettingsClean'
-import { getCurrentlyAllowedFolders } from './perspectivesShared'
+import { getActivePerspectiveNameSync, getCurrentlyAllowedFolders } from './perspectivesShared'
 import { normalizePreferredWindowType } from './preferredWindowType'
 import { parseSettings, validateAndFlattenMessageObject } from './shared'
 import type { ValidatedData } from './shared'
@@ -793,11 +793,115 @@ export function isTBSectionEnabled(config: TDashboardSettings): boolean {
 }
 
 /**
- * Default heading for new-task form fields; empty string when setting is <<carry forward>>.
+ * Whether a heading option is a pseudo-option (top/bottom/insert-new) rather than a real note heading.
+ * @param {string} heading
+ * @returns {boolean}
+ */
+export function isPseudoHeadingOption(heading: string): boolean {
+  if (!heading || typeof heading !== 'string') return true
+  const h = heading.toLowerCase()
+  return (
+    h.includes('top of note') ||
+    h.includes('bottom of note') ||
+    h.includes('insert new heading') ||
+    heading.includes('⏫') ||
+    heading.includes('⏬') ||
+    heading.includes('➕')
+  )
+}
+
+/**
+ * Strip markdown heading markers and trim for comparison.
+ * @param {string} heading
+ * @returns {string}
+ */
+function normalizeHeadingTextForMatch(heading: string): string {
+  return heading.replace(/^#{1,5}\s*/, '').trim()
+}
+
+/**
+ * Score how well a heading matches a perspective name (higher is better; 0 = no match).
+ * @param {string} perspectiveName
+ * @param {string} heading
+ * @returns {number}
+ */
+export function scoreHeadingPerspectiveMatch(perspectiveName: string, heading: string): number {
+  const p = perspectiveName.trim().toLowerCase()
+  const h = normalizeHeadingTextForMatch(heading).toLowerCase()
+  if (!p || !h || p === '-') return 0
+  if (p === h) return 100
+  // Starts-with either direction (e.g. "Home" / "Home tasks")
+  if ((h.startsWith(p) || p.startsWith(h)) && Math.min(p.length, h.length) >= 2) return 80
+  // Substring either direction when the shorter term is meaningful (e.g. "Wider Ministry" / "Ministry")
+  const shorter = p.length <= h.length ? p : h
+  const longer = p.length <= h.length ? h : p
+  if (shorter.length >= 3 && longer.includes(shorter)) return 60
+  // Token overlap (split on whitespace / common separators)
+  const pTokens = p.split(/[\s/_:-]+/).filter((t) => t.length >= 3)
+  const hTokens = h.split(/[\s/_:-]+/).filter((t) => t.length >= 3)
+  if (pTokens.some((pt) => hTokens.includes(pt))) return 50
+  return 0
+}
+
+/**
+ * Pick the best Under Heading pre-select for add-task dialogs: near-match to the active Perspective,
+ * otherwise the first real (non-pseudo) heading.
+ * @param {Array<string>} headings - options as shown in the dropdown (may include pseudo-headings)
+ * @param {string} perspectiveName - active Perspective name (or '-' / empty)
+ * @returns {{ heading: string, reason: string, score: number }}
+ */
+export function pickDefaultHeadingForAddTaskDialog(
+  headings: Array<string>,
+  perspectiveName: string,
+): { heading: string, reason: string, score: number } {
+  const realHeadings = headings.filter((h) => h && String(h).trim() !== '' && !isPseudoHeadingOption(h))
+  logInfo(
+    'pickDefaultHeadingForAddTaskDialog',
+    `Input: perspectiveName="${perspectiveName}", headings=[${headings.join(' | ')}], realHeadings=[${realHeadings.join(' | ')}]`,
+  )
+
+  let bestHeading = ''
+  let bestScore = 0
+  if (perspectiveName && perspectiveName !== '-') {
+    for (const heading of realHeadings) {
+      const score = scoreHeadingPerspectiveMatch(perspectiveName, heading)
+      if (score > bestScore) {
+        bestScore = score
+        bestHeading = heading
+      }
+    }
+  }
+
+  if (bestHeading) {
+    logInfo(
+      'pickDefaultHeadingForAddTaskDialog',
+      `Result: matched "${bestHeading}" (score ${String(bestScore)}) for perspective "${perspectiveName}"`,
+    )
+    return { heading: bestHeading, reason: 'perspective-match', score: bestScore }
+  }
+
+  const fallback = realHeadings[0] || ''
+  logInfo(
+    'pickDefaultHeadingForAddTaskDialog',
+    `Result: no near match for perspective "${perspectiveName}"; falling back to first real heading "${fallback}"`,
+  )
+  return { heading: fallback, reason: fallback ? 'first-real-heading' : 'none', score: 0 }
+}
+
+/**
+ * Default heading for new-task form fields.
+ * When headings are provided, prefers a near-match to the active Perspective, else the first real heading.
+ * Without headings, falls back to newTaskSectionHeading (empty when that setting is <<carry forward>>).
  * @param {TDashboardSettings} config
+ * @param {Array<string>} headings - optional dropdown options from the destination note
  * @returns {string}
  */
-export function getDefaultHeadingForNewTask(config: TDashboardSettings): string {
+export function getDefaultHeadingForNewTask(config: TDashboardSettings, headings: Array<string> = []): string {
+  if (headings.length > 0) {
+    const perspectiveName = getActivePerspectiveNameSync()
+    const { heading } = pickDefaultHeadingForAddTaskDialog(headings, perspectiveName)
+    if (heading) return heading
+  }
   return config.newTaskSectionHeading !== '<<carry forward>>' ? config.newTaskSectionHeading : ''
 }
 
@@ -810,7 +914,7 @@ export function getDefaultHeadingForNewTask(config: TDashboardSettings): string
 export function buildAddTaskFormFields(headings: Array<string>, config: TDashboardSettings): Array<TDialogSettingItem> {
   const formFieldsBase: Array<TDialogSettingItem> = [{ type: 'input', label: 'Task:', key: 'text', focus: true }]
   if (!headings.length) return formFieldsBase
-  const defaultHeadingToAddTo = getDefaultHeadingForNewTask(config)
+  const defaultHeadingToAddTo = getDefaultHeadingForNewTask(config, headings)
   return formFieldsBase.concat(
     ([
       {

jgclark.Dashboard/src/perspectivesShared.js

@@ -3,9 +3,10 @@
 // Shared perspective-related utilities
 // This file is reserved for shared perspective functions that don't belong
 // in perspectiveHelpers.js (to avoid circular dependency).
+// Last updated 2026-09-10 for v2.5.0.b4 by @jgclark + @CursorAI
 //-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
-import type { TDashboardSettings } from './types'
+import type { TDashboardSettings, TPerspectiveDef } from './types'
 import { stringListOrArrayToArray } from '@helpers/dataManipulation'
 import { getFoldersMatching } from '@helpers/folders'
 import { logDebug } from '@helpers/dev'
@@ -28,3 +29,22 @@ export function getCurrentlyAllowedFolders(
   const folderListToUse = getFoldersMatching(includedFolderArr, true, excludedFolderArr)
   return folderListToUse
 }
+
+/**
+ * Sync read of the active Perspective name from DataStore.settings (or '-' if none).
+ * Kept here so dashboardHelpers can call it without importing perspectiveHelpers (circular dependency).
+ * @returns {string}
+ */
+export function getActivePerspectiveNameSync(): string {
+  try {
+    const raw = DataStore.settings?.perspectiveSettings
+    if (raw == null) return '-'
+    const defs: Array<TPerspectiveDef> = typeof raw === 'string' ? JSON.parse(raw) : raw
+    if (!Array.isArray(defs)) return '-'
+    const active = defs.find((p) => p && p.isActive === true)
+    return active && typeof active.name === 'string' && active.name !== '' ? active.name : '-'
+  } catch (error) {
+    logDebug('getActivePerspectiveNameSync', `Failed to read active perspective: ${error.message}`)
+    return '-'
+  }
+}

jgclark.Dashboard/src/react/components/Dashboard.jsx

@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
 //--------------------------------------------------------------------------
 // Dashboard React component to aggregate data and layout for the dashboard
 // Called by WebView component.
-// Last updated for 2026-08-21 for v2.4.1, @jgclark + @CursorAI
+// Last updated for 2026-09-14 for v2.5.0.b4, @jgclark + @CursorAI
 //--------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
 //--------------------------------------------------------------------------
@@ -232,19 +232,27 @@ const Dashboard = ({ pluginData }: Props): React$Node => {
     logChanges('pluginData', pluginData)
   }, [pluginData])
 
-  // At Startup, request the Dashboard Sections content by telling the plugin that Dashboard is loaded
-  // Sections starts out as empty array, so this is the first time it will be populated
+  // At Startup, request the Dashboard Sections content by telling the plugin that Dashboard is loaded.
+  // Sections starts out as empty array, so this is the first time it will be populated.
   useEffect(() => {
     // Note: This executes before globalSharedData is saved into state
     logInfo('Dashboard/useEffect [] (startup only)', `${sections.length} sections (${origSections.length} origSections): [${sections.map((s) => s.sectionCode).join(', ')}]`)
     logDebug('Dashboard', `React: sending reactWindowInitialisedSoStartGeneratingData command to plugin`)
     runPluginCommand('reactWindowInitialisedSoStartGeneratingData', 'jgclark.Dashboard', [''])
-    // WebView Calendar.* calls often return Thenables during early startup. Re-apply week entries in the
-    // NPdateTime relative-dates cache once the bridge is ready (correct week start vs moment fallback).
+    // Do NOT call refreshRelativeDatesISOCache() here. Its Calendar/DataStore bridge traffic
+    // contends on the same JSContext as generation and was aborting firstRun completion
+    // ('generating' stuck while sections from ForceInitialLoad already looked done).
+  }, [])
+
+  // After generation clears firstRun, refresh relative-week ISO cache once (bridge is quiet).
+  const relativeDatesRefreshedAfterGenerationRef = useRef(false)
+  useEffect(() => {
+    if (pluginData.firstRun || relativeDatesRefreshedAfterGenerationRef.current) return
+    relativeDatesRefreshedAfterGenerationRef.current = true
     refreshRelativeDatesISOCache().catch((err) => {
       logWarn('Dashboard', `refreshRelativeDatesISOCache failed: ${err?.message ?? String(err)}`)
     })
-  }, [])
+  }, [pluginData.firstRun])
 
   // Keep the window/tab title in sync. In Main Window / Split View, NotePlan's chrome uses the
   // title from showInMainWindow and does not reliably follow document.title changes that append
@@ -449,7 +457,7 @@ const Dashboard = ({ pluginData }: Props): React$Node => {
       style={dashboardContainerStyle}
       tabIndex={0}
       ref={containerRef}
-      className={`${pluginData.platform ?? ''}${dashboardSettings?.displayDensity === 'Compact' ? ' density-compact' : ''}`.trim()}
+        className={`dashboard-app ${pluginData.platform ?? ''}${dashboardSettings?.displayDensity === 'Compact' ? ' density-compact' : ''}`.trim()}
     >
       {autoUpdateEnabled && (
           <IdleTimer
@@ -464,7 +472,7 @@ const Dashboard = ({ pluginData }: Props): React$Node => {
       )}
       <div className="dashboard">
           <Header lastFullRefresh={lastFullRefresh} onDropdownMenuOpenChange={setDropdownMenuOpen} />
-        <main>
+          <main className="dashboard-sections">
           {sections.map((section, index) => (
             <Section key={`${section.sectionCode}-${index}`} section={section} onButtonClick={handleSectionButtonClick} isViewVisible={isViewVisible} />
           ))}