I am writing to submit two feature requests regarding the desktop version of Anki. Both relate to usability improvements that I believe would benefit the broader user base.
1. Sort Order of Tag Suggestions in the Editor
When a user clicks on the Tags field while adding a new card, Anki displays a dropdown list of previously used tags. Currently, this list is sorted alphabetically. I would like to request an option (or a change in default behavior) to sort this list by most recently used tag first, rather than alphabetically. This would make it significantly faster to tag new cards with tags that were just created or used, without having to scroll or type to locate them among older, unrelated tags.
2. Live Search in the Browser Window
In the Browser window, search results are only updated after the user presses Enter following a query. I would like to request a “live search” feature, where results update automatically as the user types (ideally with a short debounce delay to avoid performance issues on large collections). This would make searching and filtering cards noticeably faster and more intuitive.
I understand that both of these behaviors are part of Anki’s core UI and cannot be modified through add-ons, which is why I am submitting them here as feature requests. I would greatly appreciate it if these could be considered for a future release.
Thank you for your time and for developing such a valuable tool.
You’re mistaken, man, because Anki isn’t a locked-down app like most programs or games. It’s like an open book. The creators left the app’s “guts” completely exposed. Because of that, any extension can get in there and change the rules of the game. We can literally intercept a keypress, change its function before Anki even realizes it, and force the program to do whatever we want. There isn’t a single thing on the Anki screen that can’t be modified.
Regarding your second request, I’ve written the code, and it’s at the link below.
Almost. The “Rust” language is there too, but it can’t be changed. And even if we change it with add-ons, it’s not a guarantee that it won’t work in some version.
When a user clicks on the Tags field while adding a new card, Anki displays a dropdown list of previously used tags. Currently, this list is sorted alphabetically. I would like to request an option (or a change in default behavior) to sort this list by most recently used tag first, rather than alphabetically. This would make it significantly faster to tag new cards with tags that were just created or used, without having to scroll or type to locate them among older, unrelated tags.
Yes, for about 20 years now, I’ve wanted a standard Windows component with an alphabetical drop-down list, but above that list, at least 3-5 previously used or frequently used items. I’ve implemented this component myself in some apps, but it would be much more convenient if it were a global standard. You enter a character, say, “s,” and below it, you get all the items that begin with “s,” but above that, you see frequently or previously used items that also begin with “s.” Simply press the “Up” button to start selecting the desired item.
