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Changelog

All notable changes to FilterMate are documented here.

[2.3.7] - December 18, 2025 - Project Change Stability Enhancement​

🛡️ Stability Improvements​

  • Enhanced Project Change Handling - Complete rewrite of project change detection

    • Forces cleanup of previous project state before reinitializing
    • Clears layer cache, task queue, and all state flags
    • Resets dockwidget layer references to prevent stale data

  • New cleared Signal Handler - Proper cleanup on project close/clear

    • Ensures plugin state is reset when project is closed or new project created
    • Disables UI widgets while waiting for new layers

  • Updated Timing Constants - Improved delays for better stability with PostgreSQL

✨ New Features​

  • Force Reload Layers (F5 Shortcut) - Manual layer reload when project change fails
    • Press F5 in dockwidget to force complete layer reload
    • Shows status indicator during reload ("⟳")
    • Useful recovery option when automatic project change detection fails

🐛 Bug Fixes​

  • Fixed Project Change Not Reloading Layers - More aggressive cleanup prevents stale state
  • Fixed Dockwidget Not Updating After Project Switch - Full reset of layer references
  • Fixed Signal Timing Issue - QGIS emits layersAdded signal BEFORE projectRead handler completes

[2.3.6] - December 18, 2025 - Project & Layer Loading Stability​

🛡️ Stability Improvements​

  • Centralized Timing Constants - All timing values now in STABILITY_CONSTANTS dict

    • MAX_ADD_LAYERS_QUEUE: 50 (prevents memory overflow)
    • FLAG_TIMEOUT_MS: 30000 (30-second timeout for stale flags)

  • Timestamp-Tracked Flags - Automatic stale flag detection and reset

    • Prevents plugin from getting stuck in "loading" state
    • Auto-resets flags after 30 seconds

  • Layer Validation - Better C++ object validation

    • Prevents crashes from accessing deleted layer objects

  • Signal Debouncing - Rapid signal handling

    • Queue size limit with automatic trimming (FIFO)
    • Graceful handling of rapid project/layer changes

🐛 Bug Fixes​

  • Fixed Stuck Flags - Flags now auto-reset after 30-second timeout
  • Fixed Queue Overflow - add_layers queue capped at 50 items
  • Fixed Error Recovery - Flags properly reset on exception

[2.3.5] - December 17, 2025 - Code Quality & Configuration v2.0​

🛠️ Centralized Feedback System​

  • Unified Message Bar Notifications - Consistent user feedback across all modules
    • New show_info(), show_warning(), show_error(), show_success() functions
    • Graceful fallback when iface is unavailable

⚡ PostgreSQL Init Optimization​

  • 5-50× Faster Layer Loading - Smarter initialization for PostgreSQL layers
    • Check index existence before creating
    • Connection caching per datasource
    • Skip CLUSTER at init (deferred to filter time)
    • Conditional ANALYZE only if table has no statistics

⚙️ Configuration System v2.0​

  • Integrated Metadata Structure - Metadata embedded directly in parameters
  • Automatic Configuration Migration - v1.0 → v2.0 migration system
  • Forced Backend Respect - User choice strictly enforced (no fallback to OGR)

🐛 Bug Fixes​

  • Fixed Syntax Errors - Corrected unmatched parentheses
  • Fixed Bare Except Clauses - Specific exception handling

🧹 Code Quality​

  • Score Improvement: 8.5 → 8.9/10

[2.3.4] - December 16, 2025 - PostgreSQL 2-Part Table Reference Fix​

🐛 Bug Fixes​

  • CRITICAL: Fixed PostgreSQL 2-part table references - Spatial filtering now works correctly with tables using "table"."geom" format
  • Fixed GeometryCollection buffer results - Now properly extracts polygons and converts to MultiPolygon
  • Fixed PostgreSQL virtual_id error - Informative error for layers without primary key

✨ New Features​

  • Smart display field selection - New layers auto-select the best descriptive field (name, label, titre, etc.)
  • Automatic ANALYZE on source tables - PostgreSQL query planner now has proper statistics

⚡ Performance Improvements​

  • ~30% Faster PostgreSQL Layer Loading
    • Fast feature count using pg_stat_user_tables (500× faster than COUNT(*))
    • UNLOGGED materialized views (30-50% faster creation)

[2.3.3] - December 15, 2025 - Project Loading Auto-Activation Fix​

🐛 Bug Fixes​

  • CRITICAL: Fixed plugin auto-activation on project load - Plugin now correctly activates when loading a QGIS project containing vector layers

[2.3.2] - December 15, 2025 - Interactive Backend Selector​

✨ New Features​

  • Interactive Backend Selector - Backend indicator is now clickable to manually force a specific backend

    • Click on backend badge to open context menu with available backends
    • Forced backends marked with ⚡ lightning bolt symbol
    • Per-layer backend preferences

  • 🎯 Auto-select Optimal Backends - Automatically optimize all layers

    • Analyzes each layer's characteristics (provider type, feature count)
    • Intelligently selects the best backend for each layer

🎨 UI Improvements​

  • Enhanced Backend Indicator
    • Added hover effect with cursor change to pointer
    • Visual feedback for forced backend with ⚡ symbol

[2.3.1] - December 14, 2025 - Stability & Backend Improvements​

🐛 Bug Fixes​

  • CRITICAL: Fixed GeometryCollection error in OGR backend buffer operations
    • Added automatic conversion from GeometryCollection to MultiPolygon
  • CRITICAL: Fixed potential KeyError crashes in PROJECT_LAYERS access
    • Added guard clauses to verify layer existence before dictionary access
  • Fixed GeoPackage geometric filtering - GeoPackage layers now use fast Spatialite backend (10× performance improvement)

🛠️ Improvements​

  • Improved exception handling throughout codebase - Replaced generic exception handlers with specific types

[2.3.0] - December 13, 2025 - Global Undo/Redo & Automatic Filter Preservation​

🚀 Major Features​

Global Undo/Redo Functionality​

Intelligent undo/redo system with context-aware behavior:

  • Source Layer Only Mode: Undo/redo applies only to the source layer when no remote layers are selected
  • Global Mode: When remote layers are selected and filtered, undo/redo restores the complete state of all layers simultaneously
  • Smart Button States: Undo/redo buttons automatically enable/disable based on history availability
  • Multi-Layer State Capture: New GlobalFilterState class captures source + remote layers state atomically
  • Automatic Context Detection: Seamlessly switches between source-only and global modes

Automatic Filter Preservation ⭐ NEW​

Critical feature preventing filter loss during layer switching and multi-step filtering workflows:

  • Problem Solved: Previously, applying a new filter would replace existing filters
  • Solution: Filters are now automatically combined using logical operators (AND by default)
  • Available Operators: AND (default), OR, AND NOT
  • Use Case Example:
    1. Filter by polygon geometry → 150 features
    2. Switch to another layer
    3. Apply attribute filter population > 10000
    4. Result: 23 features (intersection of both filters preserved!)

Reduced Notification Fatigue ⭐ NEW​

Configurable feedback system with verbosity control:

  • Three Levels: Minimal (-92% messages), Normal (default, -42%), Verbose
  • Configurable via: config.json → APP.DOCKWIDGET.FEEDBACK_LEVEL

✨ Enhancements​

  • Auto-Activation: Plugin now auto-activates when vector layers are added to empty project
  • Debug Cleanup: All debug print statements converted to proper logging

🐛 Bug Fixes​

  • QSplitter Freeze: Fixed freeze when ACTION_BAR_POSITION set to 'left' or 'right'
  • Project Load Race Condition: Fixed freeze when loading projects with layers
  • Global Undo Remote Layers: Fixed undo not restoring all remote layers

🛠️ Code Quality​

  • Comprehensive codebase audit with overall score 4.2/5
  • All != None and == True/False comparisons fixed to PEP 8 style

[2.2.5] - December 8, 2025 - Automatic Geographic CRS Handling​

🚀 Major Improvements​

  • Automatic EPSG:3857 Conversion: FilterMate now automatically detects geographic coordinate systems (EPSG:4326, etc.) and switches to EPSG:3857 for metric-based operations
    • Why: Ensures accurate buffer distances in meters instead of imprecise degrees
    • Benefit: 50m buffer is always 50 meters, regardless of latitude!
    • User impact: Zero configuration - works automatically

🐛 Bug Fixes​

  • Geographic Coordinates Zoom & Flash: Fixed critical issues with EPSG:4326
    • Feature geometry was modified in-place during transformation
    • Buffer distances in degrees varied with latitude
    • Solution: Use geometry copy, auto-switch to EPSG:3857 for buffers

[2.2.4] - December 8, 2025 - Spatialite Expression Fix​

🐛 Bug Fixes​

  • CRITICAL: Spatialite Expression Quotes: Fixed bug where double quotes around field names were removed
    • Issue: "HOMECOUNT" > 100 was incorrectly converted to HOMECOUNT > 100
    • Impact: Filters failed on Spatialite layers with case-sensitive field names
    • Solution: Preserved field name quotes in expression conversion

🧪 Testing​

  • Added comprehensive test suite for Spatialite expression conversion
  • Validated field name quote preservation

[2.2.3] - December 8, 2025 - Color Harmonization & Accessibility​

🎨 UI Improvements​

  • Enhanced Visual Distinction: Significantly improved contrast between UI elements
  • WCAG 2.1 Compliance: AA/AAA accessibility standards met for all text
    • Primary text contrast: 17.4:1 (AAA compliance)
    • Secondary text contrast: 8.86:1 (AAA compliance)
    • Disabled text: 4.6:1 (AA compliance)
  • Theme Refinements:
    • default theme: Darker frame backgrounds (#EFEFEF), clearer borders (#D0D0D0)
    • light theme: Better widget contrast (#F8F8F8), visible borders (#CCCCCC)
  • Accent Colors: Deeper blue (#1565C0) for better contrast on white backgrounds
  • Frame Separation: +300% contrast improvement between frames and widgets
  • Border Visibility: +40% darker borders for clearer field delimitation

📊 Accessibility & Ergonomics​

  • ✅ Reduced eye strain with optimized color contrasts
  • ✅ Clear visual hierarchy throughout the interface
  • ✅ Better distinction for users with mild visual impairments
  • ✅ Long work session comfort improved

🧪 Testing & Documentation​

  • New Test Suite: test_color_contrast.py validates WCAG compliance
  • Visual Preview: generate_color_preview.py creates interactive HTML comparison
  • Documentation: Complete color harmonization guide

[2.2.2] - December 8, 2025 - Configuration Reactivity​

✨ New Features​

  • Real-time Configuration Updates: JSON tree view changes now auto-apply without restart
  • Dynamic UI Profile Switching: Instant switching between compact/normal/auto modes
  • Live Icon Updates: Configuration icon changes reflected immediately
  • Automatic Saving: All config changes auto-save to config.json

🎯 Enhanced Configuration Types​

  • ChoicesType Integration: Dropdown selectors for key config fields
    • UI_PROFILE, ACTIVE_THEME, THEME_SOURCE dropdowns
    • STYLES_TO_EXPORT, DATATYPE_TO_EXPORT format selectors
  • Type Safety: Invalid values prevented at UI level

🔧 Technical Improvements​

  • Signal Management: Activated itemChanged signal for config handler
  • Smart Path Detection: Auto-detection of configuration change type
  • New Module: config_helpers.py with get/set config utilities
  • Error Handling: Comprehensive error handling with user feedback

🎨 Initial Color Harmonization Work​

  • Enhanced contrast between UI elements in normal mode
  • WCAG AAA compliance (17.4:1 for primary text)
  • Better frame/widget distinction

[2.2.1] - December 7, 2025 - Maintenance Release​

🔧 Maintenance​

  • ✅ Release Management: Improved release tagging and deployment procedures
  • ✅ Build Scripts: Enhanced build automation and version management
  • ✅ Documentation: Updated release documentation and procedures
  • ✅ Code Cleanup: Minor code formatting and organization improvements

[2.2.0] - December 2025​

Added​

  • ✅ Enhanced Qt JSON view crash prevention
  • ✅ Improved tab widget error recovery
  • ✅ Robust theme handling and synchronization
  • ✅ Complete multi-backend architecture documentation

Improved​

  • ⚡ 2.5× faster performance with intelligent query ordering
  • 🎨 Dynamic UI adaptation based on screen resolution
  • 🔧 Better error recovery for SQLite locks
  • 📝 Enhanced logging and debugging capabilities

Fixed​

  • 🐛 Qt JSON view crash on theme switching
  • 🐛 Tab widget initialization issues
  • 🐛 Geometry repair edge cases
  • 🐛 CRS reprojection warnings

[2.1.0] - November 2025​

Added​

  • 🎨 Adaptive UI with dynamic dimensions
  • 🌓 Automatic theme synchronization with QGIS
  • 📝 Filter history with undo/redo
  • 🚀 Performance warnings for large datasets

Improved​

  • ⚡ Multi-backend support (PostgreSQL, Spatialite, OGR)
  • 📊 Enhanced performance monitoring
  • 🔍 Better spatial predicate handling

[1.9.0] - October 2025​

Added​

  • 🏗️ Factory pattern for backend selection
  • 📈 Automatic performance optimizations
  • 🔧 SQLite lock retry mechanisms

Performance​

  • ⚡ 44.6× faster Spatialite filtering (R-tree indexes)
  • ⚡ 19.5× faster OGR operations (spatial indexes)
  • ⚡ 2.3× faster with predicate ordering

[1.8.0] - September 2025​

Added​

  • 🎨 Layer-specific widget configuration
  • 💾 Persistent settings per layer
  • 🔄 Automatic CRS reprojection

Earlier Versions​

For complete version history, see the GitHub Releases page.

Version Numbering​

FilterMate follows Semantic Versioning:

  • Major.Minor.Patch (e.g., 2.1.0)
  • Major: Breaking changes
  • Minor: New features (backward compatible)
  • Patch: Bug fixes

Upgrade Guide​

From 1.x to 2.x​

Version 2.0 introduced the multi-backend architecture. To upgrade:

  1. Update via QGIS Plugin Manager
  2. (Optional) Install psycopg2 for PostgreSQL support
  3. Existing settings will be migrated automatically

From 2.0 to 2.1+​

No breaking changes. Update directly via Plugin Manager.

Reporting Issues​

Found a bug or have a feature request?