CmdPal: Add ability to refresh the list page while preserving selection (#45882)

## Summary of the Pull Request

This PR adds ability to invoke soft/incremental refresh that updates
items but keep selection in place (instead of resetting it to the first
item). For now, this is implemented as a hack using an unused parameter
of `ListPage.RaiseItemsChanged`: passing the constant `-2` tells the
view model that this is an incremental change and that it should keep
the current selection.


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## PR Checklist

- [x] Closes: #45694
- [x] Related to: #44407
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issues) -->
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- [ ] **Tests:** Added/updated and all pass
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- [ ] **Dev docs:** Added/updated
- [ ] **New binaries:** Added on the required places
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for new binaries
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and link it here: #xxx

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or any additional comments/features here -->
## Detailed Description of the Pull Request / Additional comments

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wherever possible, but list manual validation steps taken as well -->
## Validation Steps Performed

src/modules/cmdpal/Microsoft.CmdPal.UI.ViewModels/Commands/MainListPage.cs

@@ -120,7 +120,7 @@ public sealed partial class MainListPage : DynamicListPage,
         }
         else
         {
-            RaiseItemsChanged();
+            RaiseItemsChanged(ListViewModel.IncrementalRefresh);
         }
     }
 
@@ -331,7 +331,7 @@ public sealed partial class MainListPage : DynamicListPage,
             {
                 _filteredItemsIncludesApps = _includeApps;
                 ClearResults();
-                RaiseItemsChanged(commands.Count);
+                RaiseItemsChanged();
                 return;
             }
 
@@ -503,7 +503,7 @@ public sealed partial class MainListPage : DynamicListPage,
                     return;
                 }
 
-                RaiseItemsChanged();
+                RaiseItemsChanged(ListViewModel.IncrementalRefresh);
             }
         },
             token);

src/modules/cmdpal/Microsoft.CmdPal.UI.ViewModels/ListViewModel.cs

@@ -18,6 +18,8 @@ namespace Microsoft.CmdPal.UI.ViewModels;
 
 public partial class ListViewModel : PageViewModel, IDisposable
 {
+    public const int IncrementalRefresh = -2;
+
     private readonly TaskFactory filterTaskFactory = new(new ConcurrentExclusiveSchedulerPair().ExclusiveScheduler);
 
     private readonly Dictionary<IListItem, ListItemViewModel> _vmCache = new(new ProxyReferenceEqualityComparer());
@@ -83,6 +85,11 @@ public partial class ListViewModel : PageViewModel, IDisposable
 
     private ListItemViewModel? _lastSelectedItem;
 
+    // Persists across cancelled FetchItems calls so a forceFirstItem=true
+    // intent is never lost when FetchItems(false) is cancelled by a
+    // subsequent FetchItems(true).
+    private volatile bool _forceFirstItemPending;
+
     // For cancelling a deferred SafeSlowInit when the user navigates rapidly
     private CancellationTokenSource? _selectedItemCts;
 
@@ -115,7 +122,7 @@ public partial class ListViewModel : PageViewModel, IDisposable
     }
 
     // TODO: Does this need to hop to a _different_ thread, so that we don't block the extension while we're fetching?
-    private void Model_ItemsChanged(object sender, IItemsChangedEventArgs args) => FetchItems();
+    private void Model_ItemsChanged(object sender, IItemsChangedEventArgs args) => FetchItems(args.TotalItems == IncrementalRefresh);
 
     protected override void OnSearchTextBoxUpdated(string searchTextBox)
     {
@@ -191,8 +198,15 @@ public partial class ListViewModel : PageViewModel, IDisposable
     }
 
     //// Run on background thread, from InitializeAsync or Model_ItemsChanged
-    private void FetchItems()
+    private void FetchItems(bool keepSelection)
     {
+        // If this fetch should reset selection, remember that intent even if
+        // a later incremental fetch cancels us.
+        if (!keepSelection)
+        {
+            _forceFirstItemPending = true;
+        }
+
         // Cancel any previous FetchItems operation
         _fetchItemsCancellationTokenSource?.Cancel();
         _fetchItemsCancellationTokenSource?.Dispose();
@@ -382,7 +396,12 @@ public partial class ListViewModel : PageViewModel, IDisposable
                     UpdateEmptyContent();
                 }
 
-                ItemsUpdated?.Invoke(this, new ItemsUpdatedEventArgs(IsRootPage));
+                // Consume the pending flag on the UI thread so a
+                // forceFirstItem=true intent survives cancellation.
+                var forceFirst = _forceFirstItemPending;
+                _forceFirstItemPending = false;
+
+                ItemsUpdated?.Invoke(this, new ItemsUpdatedEventArgs(forceFirstItem: IsRootPage && forceFirst));
                 _isLoading.Clear();
             });
     }
@@ -661,7 +680,7 @@ public partial class ListViewModel : PageViewModel, IDisposable
         Filters?.InitializeProperties();
         UpdateProperty(nameof(Filters));
 
-        FetchItems();
+        FetchItems(true);
         model.ItemsChanged += Model_ItemsChanged;
     }
 

src/modules/cmdpal/Microsoft.CmdPal.UI/ExtViews/ListPage.xaml.cs

@@ -231,7 +231,22 @@ public sealed partial class ListPage : Page,
         if (_scrollOnNextSelectionChange)
         {
             _scrollOnNextSelectionChange = false;
+            ScrollToItem(li);
+        }
 
+        // Automation notification for screen readers
+        var listViewPeer = ListViewAutomationPeer.CreatePeerForElement(ItemView);
+        if (listViewPeer is not null)
+        {
+            UIHelper.AnnounceActionForAccessibility(
+                ItemsList,
+                li.Title,
+                "CommandPaletteSelectedItemChanged");
+        }
+    }
+
+    private void ScrollToItem(ListItemViewModel li)
+    {
         var scrollTarget = li;
 
         // If the previous item is a separator, also scroll it into view to provide
@@ -252,17 +267,6 @@ public sealed partial class ListPage : Page,
         }
     }
 
-        // Automation notification for screen readers
-        var listViewPeer = ListViewAutomationPeer.CreatePeerForElement(ItemView);
-        if (listViewPeer is not null)
-        {
-            UIHelper.AnnounceActionForAccessibility(
-                ItemsList,
-                li.Title,
-                "CommandPaletteSelectedItemChanged");
-        }
-    }
-
     private void Items_RightTapped(object sender, RightTappedRoutedEventArgs e)
     {
         if (e.OriginalSource is FrameworkElement element &&
@@ -717,6 +721,8 @@ public sealed partial class ListPage : Page,
         {
             using (SuppressSelectionChangedScope())
             {
+                ListItemViewModel? stickyRestored = null;
+
                 if (!forceFirstItem &&
                     _stickySelectedItem is not null &&
                     items.Contains(_stickySelectedItem) &&
@@ -724,6 +730,7 @@ public sealed partial class ListPage : Page,
                 {
                     // Preserve sticky selection for nested dynamic updates.
                     ItemView.SelectedItem = _stickySelectedItem;
+                    stickyRestored = _stickySelectedItem;
                 }
                 else
                 {
@@ -741,7 +748,26 @@ public sealed partial class ListPage : Page,
                         return;
                     }
 
+                    if (stickyRestored is not null)
+                    {
+                        ScrollToItem(stickyRestored);
+                    }
+                    else
+                    {
                         ResetScrollToTop();
+                    }
+                });
+            }
+        }
+        else
+        {
+            // Selection is valid and unchanged, just make sure the item is visible
+            if (_stickySelectedItem is ListItemViewModel li)
+            {
+                _ = DispatcherQueue.TryEnqueue(Microsoft.UI.Dispatching.DispatcherQueuePriority.Low, () =>
+                {
+                    ItemView.UpdateLayout();
+                    ScrollToItem(li);
                 });
             }
         }