From ec9e478399b35fcd9f57753a30c8bee87cc76c4a Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001
From: Veronica Berglyd Olsen <1619840+vkbo@users.noreply.github.com>
Date: Sun, 6 Jul 2025 18:20:13 +0200
Subject: [PATCH] Improve dialogue line symbol setting box (#2453)

---
 novelwriter/common.py                      |  2 +-
 novelwriter/dialogs/preferences.py         | 30 ++++++++++++++++++----
 tests/test_dialogs/test_dlg_preferences.py | 15 ++++++-----
 3 files changed, 35 insertions(+), 12 deletions(-)

diff --git a/novelwriter/common.py b/novelwriter/common.py
index 2ad42935..9d18515f 100644
--- a/novelwriter/common.py
+++ b/novelwriter/common.py
@@ -301,7 +301,7 @@ def uniqueCompact(text: str) -> str:
 def processDialogSymbols(symbols: str) -> str:
     """Process dialogue line symbols."""
     result = ""
-    for c in uniqueCompact(symbols):
+    for c in uniqueCompact("".join(symbols.split())):
         if c in nwQuotes.ALLOWED:
             result += c
     return result
diff --git a/novelwriter/dialogs/preferences.py b/novelwriter/dialogs/preferences.py
index c01275ba..fbeb0523 100644
--- a/novelwriter/dialogs/preferences.py
+++ b/novelwriter/dialogs/preferences.py
@@ -29,7 +29,7 @@ import logging
 from PyQt6.QtCore import Qt, pyqtSignal, pyqtSlot
 from PyQt6.QtGui import QAction, QCloseEvent, QKeyEvent, QKeySequence
 from PyQt6.QtWidgets import (
-    QCompleter, QDialogButtonBox, QFileDialog, QHBoxLayout, QLineEdit,
+    QCompleter, QDialogButtonBox, QFileDialog, QHBoxLayout, QLineEdit, QMenu,
     QPushButton, QVBoxLayout, QWidget
 )
 
@@ -639,14 +639,26 @@ class GuiPreferences(NDialog):
         )
 
         # Dialogue Line
+        self.mnLineSymbols = QMenu(self)
+        for symbol in nwQuotes.ALLOWED:
+            label = trConst(nwQuotes.SYMBOLS.get(symbol, nwQuotes.DASHES.get(symbol, "None")))
+            self.mnLineSymbols.addAction(
+                f"[ {symbol } ] {label}",
+                lambda symbol=symbol: self._insertDialogLineSymbol(symbol)
+            )
+
         self.dialogLine = QLineEdit(self)
-        self.dialogLine.setMaxLength(4)
-        self.dialogLine.setFixedWidth(boxFixed)
+        self.dialogLine.setMinimumWidth(100)
         self.dialogLine.setAlignment(QtAlignCenter)
-        self.dialogLine.setText(CONFIG.dialogLine)
+        self.dialogLine.setText(" ".join(CONFIG.dialogLine))
+
+        self.dialogLineButton = NIconToolButton(self, iSz, "add", "green")
+        self.dialogLineButton.setMenu(self.mnLineSymbols)
+
         self.mainForm.addRow(
             self.tr("Dialogue line symbols"), self.dialogLine,
-            self.tr("Lines starting with any of these symbols are dialogue.")
+            self.tr("Lines starting with any of these symbols are dialogue."),
+            button=self.dialogLineButton
         )
 
         # Narrator Break
@@ -913,6 +925,14 @@ class GuiPreferences(NDialog):
         self.askBeforeBackup.setEnabled(state)
         return
 
+    @pyqtSlot(str)
+    def _insertDialogLineSymbol(self, symbol: str) -> None:
+        """Insert a symbol in the dialogue line box."""
+        current = self.dialogLine.text()
+        values = processDialogSymbols(f"{current} {symbol}")
+        self.dialogLine.setText(" ".join(values))
+        return
+
     @pyqtSlot(bool)
     def _toggleAutoReplaceMain(self, state: bool) -> None:
         """Toggle switches controlled by the auto replace switch."""
diff --git a/tests/test_dialogs/test_dlg_preferences.py b/tests/test_dialogs/test_dlg_preferences.py
index ab5822be..05d7b7e5 100644
--- a/tests/test_dialogs/test_dlg_preferences.py
+++ b/tests/test_dialogs/test_dlg_preferences.py
@@ -268,14 +268,17 @@ def testDlgPreferences_Settings(qtbot, monkeypatch, nwGUI, fncPath, tstPaths):
     # Text Highlighting
     prefs.dialogStyle.setCurrentData(3, 0)
     prefs.allowOpenDial.setChecked(False)
-    prefs.dialogLine.setText("–")
-    prefs.narratorBreak.setCurrentData("–", "")
-    prefs.narratorDialog.setCurrentData("–", "")
+    prefs.dialogLine.setText(nwUnicode.U_EMDASH)
+    prefs.narratorBreak.setCurrentData(nwUnicode.U_EMDASH, "")
+    prefs.narratorDialog.setCurrentData(nwUnicode.U_EMDASH, "")
     prefs.altDialogOpen.setText("%")  # Symbol also tests for #2455
     prefs.altDialogClose.setText("%")  # Symbol also tests for #2455
     prefs.highlightEmph.setChecked(False)
     prefs.showMultiSpaces.setChecked(False)
 
+    prefs._insertDialogLineSymbol(nwUnicode.U_ENDASH)
+    assert prefs.dialogLine.text() == f"{nwUnicode.U_ENDASH} {nwUnicode.U_EMDASH}"
+
     assert CONFIG.dialogStyle == 2
     assert CONFIG.allowOpenDial is True
     assert CONFIG.dialogLine == ""
@@ -398,9 +401,9 @@ def testDlgPreferences_Settings(qtbot, monkeypatch, nwGUI, fncPath, tstPaths):
     # Text Highlighting
     assert CONFIG.dialogStyle == 3
     assert CONFIG.allowOpenDial is False
-    assert CONFIG.dialogLine == "–"
-    assert CONFIG.narratorBreak == "–"
-    assert CONFIG.narratorDialog == "–"
+    assert CONFIG.dialogLine == f"{nwUnicode.U_ENDASH}{nwUnicode.U_EMDASH}"
+    assert CONFIG.narratorBreak == nwUnicode.U_EMDASH
+    assert CONFIG.narratorDialog == nwUnicode.U_EMDASH
     assert CONFIG.altDialogOpen == "%"
     assert CONFIG.altDialogClose == "%"
     assert CONFIG.highlightEmph is False