scripts/startup/bl_ui/space_userpref.py

@@ -216,6 +216,11 @@ class USERPREF_PT_interface_display(InterfacePanel, CenterAlignMixIn, Panel):
         sub.active = view.show_tooltips
         sub.prop(view, "show_tooltips_python")
 
+        col.separator()
+
+        col = layout.column(heading="Search", align=True)
+        col.prop(prefs, "use_recent_searches", text="Sort by Most Recent")
+
 
 class USERPREF_PT_interface_text(InterfacePanel, CenterAlignMixIn, Panel):
     bl_label = "Text Rendering"

source/blender/blenkernel/BKE_appdir.h

@@ -188,6 +188,7 @@ enum {
 #define BLENDER_QUIT_FILE "quit.blend"
 #define BLENDER_BOOKMARK_FILE "bookmarks.txt"
 #define BLENDER_HISTORY_FILE "recent-files.txt"
+#define BLENDER_RECENT_SEARCHES_FILE "recent-searches.txt"
 #define BLENDER_PLATFORM_SUPPORT_FILE "platform_support.txt"
 
 #ifdef __cplusplus

source/blender/blenlib/BLI_string_search.hh

@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@
 #pragma once
 
 #include "BLI_linear_allocator.hh"
+#include "BLI_map.hh"
 #include "BLI_span.hh"
 #include "BLI_string_ref.hh"
 #include "BLI_vector.hh"
@@ -12,10 +13,23 @@
 namespace blender::string_search {
 
 struct SearchItem {
+  void *user_data;
   Span<blender::StringRef> normalized_words;
   int length;
-  void *user_data;
   int weight;
+  /**
+   * This is a logical time stamp, i.e. the greater it is, the more recent the item was used. The
+   * number is not based on an actual clock.
+   */
+  int recent_time;
+};
+
+struct RecentCache {
+  /**
+   * Stores a logical time stamp for each previously choosen search item. The higher the time
+   * stamp, the more recently the item has been selected.
+   */
+  Map<std::string, int> logical_time_by_str;
 };
 
 /**
@@ -25,6 +39,7 @@ class StringSearchBase {
  protected:
   LinearAllocator<> allocator_;
   Vector<SearchItem> items_;
+  const RecentCache *recent_cache_ = nullptr;
 
  protected:
   void add_impl(StringRef str, void *user_data, int weight);
@@ -43,6 +58,11 @@ class StringSearchBase {
  */
 template<typename T> class StringSearch : private StringSearchBase {
  public:
+  StringSearch(const RecentCache *recent_cache = nullptr)
+  {
+    this->recent_cache_ = recent_cache;
+  }
+
   /**
    * Add a new possible result to the search.
    *

source/blender/blenlib/intern/string_search.cc

@@ -398,8 +398,14 @@ void StringSearchBase::add_impl(const StringRef str, void *user_data, const int
 {
   Vector<StringRef, 64> words;
   string_search::extract_normalized_words(str, allocator_, words);
-  items_.append(
-      {allocator_.construct_array_copy(words.as_span()), int(str.size()), user_data, weight});
+  const int recent_time = recent_cache_ ?
+                              recent_cache_->logical_time_by_str.lookup_default(str, -1) :
+                              -1;
+  items_.append({user_data,
+                 allocator_.construct_array_copy(words.as_span()),
+                 int(str.size()),
+                 weight,
+                 recent_time});
 }
 
 Vector<void *> StringSearchBase::query_impl(const StringRef query) const
@@ -429,17 +435,23 @@ Vector<void *> StringSearchBase::query_impl(const StringRef query) const
   Vector<int> sorted_result_indices;
   for (const int score : found_scores) {
     MutableSpan<int> indices = result_indices_by_score.lookup(score);
-    if (score == found_scores[0] && !query.is_empty()) {
-      /* Sort items with best score by length. Shorter items are more likely the ones you are
-       * looking for. This also ensures that exact matches will be at the top, even if the query is
-       * a sub-string of another item. */
-      std::sort(indices.begin(), indices.end(), [&](int a, int b) {
-        return items_[a].length < items_[b].length;
-      });
-      /* Prefer items with larger weights. Use `stable_sort` so that if the weights are the same,
-       * the order won't be changed. */
+    if (score == found_scores[0]) {
+      if (!query.is_empty()) {
+        /* Sort items with best score by length. Shorter items are more likely the ones you are
+         * looking for. This also ensures that exact matches will be at the top, even if the query
+         * is a sub-string of another item. */
+        std::sort(indices.begin(), indices.end(), [&](int a, int b) {
+          return items_[a].length < items_[b].length;
+        });
+        /* Prefer items with larger weights. Use `stable_sort` so that if the weights are the same,
+         * the order won't be changed. */
+        std::stable_sort(indices.begin(), indices.end(), [&](int a, int b) {
+          return items_[a].weight > items_[b].weight;
+        });
+      }
+      /* Prefer items that have been selected recently. */
       std::stable_sort(indices.begin(), indices.end(), [&](int a, int b) {
-        return items_[a].weight > items_[b].weight;
+        return items_[a].recent_time > items_[b].recent_time;
       });
     }
     sorted_result_indices.extend(indices);

source/blender/blenloader/intern/versioning_userdef.cc

@@ -461,7 +461,7 @@ void blo_do_versions_userdef(UserDef *userdef)
 
   if (!USER_VERSION_ATLEAST(278, 6)) {
     /* Clear preference flags for re-use. */
-    userdef->flag &= ~(USER_FLAG_NUMINPUT_ADVANCED | USER_FLAG_UNUSED_2 | USER_FLAG_UNUSED_3 |
+    userdef->flag &= ~(USER_FLAG_NUMINPUT_ADVANCED | (1 << 2) | USER_FLAG_UNUSED_3 |
                        USER_FLAG_UNUSED_6 | USER_FLAG_UNUSED_7 | USER_FLAG_UNUSED_9 |
                        USER_DEVELOPER_UI);
     userdef->uiflag &= ~(USER_HEADER_BOTTOM);

source/blender/editors/include/UI_string_search.hh

@@ -0,0 +1,34 @@
+/* SPDX-FileCopyrightText: 2023 Blender Authors
+ *
+ * SPDX-License-Identifier: GPL-2.0-or-later */
+
+#pragma once
+
+#include "BLI_string_search.hh"
+
+namespace blender::ui::string_search {
+
+/**
+ * Remember the string that the user chose. This allows us to put it higher up in the search items
+ * later on.
+ */
+void add_recent_search(StringRef chosen_str);
+
+/**
+ * Depending on the user preferences, either outputs the recent cache or null.
+ */
+const blender::string_search::RecentCache *get_recent_cache_or_null();
+
+void write_recent_searches_file();
+void read_recent_searches_file();
+
+/**
+ * Wrapper for the lower level #StringSearch in blenlib that takes recent searches into account
+ * automatically.
+ */
+template<typename T> class StringSearch : public blender::string_search::StringSearch<T> {
+ public:
+  StringSearch() : blender::string_search::StringSearch<T>(get_recent_cache_or_null()) {}
+};
+
+}  // namespace blender::ui::string_search

source/blender/editors/interface/CMakeLists.txt

@@ -64,6 +64,7 @@ set(SRC
   interface_region_search.cc
   interface_region_tooltip.cc
   interface_regions.cc
+  interface_string_search.cc
   interface_style.cc
   interface_template_asset_view.cc
   interface_template_attribute_search.cc

source/blender/editors/interface/interface.cc

@@ -25,7 +25,6 @@
 #include "BLI_listbase.h"
 #include "BLI_rect.h"
 #include "BLI_string.h"
-#include "BLI_string_search.hh"
 #include "BLI_string_utf8.h"
 #include "BLI_vector.hh"
 
@@ -52,6 +51,7 @@
 
 #include "UI_interface.hh"
 #include "UI_interface_icons.hh"
+#include "UI_string_search.hh"
 #include "UI_view2d.hh"
 
 #include "IMB_imbuf.h"
@@ -3444,6 +3444,7 @@ static void ui_but_free_type_specific(uiBut *but)
   switch (but->type) {
     case UI_BTYPE_SEARCH_MENU: {
       uiButSearch *search_but = (uiButSearch *)but;
+      MEM_SAFE_FREE(search_but->item_active_str);
 
       if (search_but->arg_free_fn) {
         search_but->arg_free_fn(search_but->arg);
@@ -6400,7 +6401,7 @@ static void operator_enum_search_update_fn(
     const EnumPropertyItem *all_items;
     RNA_property_enum_items_gettexted((bContext *)C, ptr, prop, &all_items, nullptr, &do_free);
 
-    blender::string_search::StringSearch<const EnumPropertyItem> search;
+    blender::ui::string_search::StringSearch<const EnumPropertyItem> search;
 
     for (const EnumPropertyItem *item = all_items; item->identifier; item++) {
       search.add(item->name, item);

source/blender/editors/interface/interface_handlers.cc

@@ -56,6 +56,7 @@
 #include "ED_undo.hh"
 
 #include "UI_interface.hh"
+#include "UI_string_search.hh"
 #include "UI_view2d.hh"
 
 #include "BLF_api.h"
@@ -1252,6 +1253,8 @@ static void ui_apply_but_TEX(bContext *C, uiBut *but, uiHandleButtonData *data)
   if ((but->func_arg2 == nullptr) && (but->type == UI_BTYPE_SEARCH_MENU)) {
     uiButSearch *search_but = (uiButSearch *)but;
     but->func_arg2 = search_but->item_active;
+
+    blender::ui::string_search::add_recent_search(search_but->item_active_str);
   }
 
   ui_apply_but_func(C, but);

source/blender/editors/interface/interface_intern.hh

@@ -329,6 +329,7 @@ struct uiButSearch : public uiBut {
   uiButSearchListenFn listen_fn = nullptr;
 
   void *item_active = nullptr;
+  char *item_active_str;
 
   void *arg = nullptr;
   uiFreeArgFunc arg_free_fn = nullptr;

source/blender/editors/interface/interface_region_search.cc

@@ -301,6 +301,8 @@ bool ui_searchbox_apply(uiBut *but, ARegion *region)
     }
 
     search_but->item_active = data->items.pointers[data->active];
+    MEM_SAFE_FREE(search_but->item_active_str);
+    search_but->item_active_str = BLI_strdup(data->items.names[data->active]);
 
     return true;
   }

source/blender/editors/interface/interface_string_search.cc

@@ -0,0 +1,103 @@
+/* SPDX-FileCopyrightText: 2023 Blender Authors
+ *
+ * SPDX-License-Identifier: GPL-2.0-or-later */
+
+#include <sstream>
+
+#include "BKE_appdir.h"
+
+#include "DNA_userdef_types.h"
+
+#include "UI_string_search.hh"
+
+#include "BLI_fileops.hh"
+#include "BLI_map.hh"
+#include "BLI_path_util.h"
+
+namespace blender::ui::string_search {
+
+using blender::string_search::RecentCache;
+
+struct RecentCacheStorage {
+  /**
+   * Is incremented every time a search item has been selected. This is used to keep track of the
+   * order of recent searches.
+   */
+  int logical_clock = 0;
+  RecentCache cache;
+};
+
+static RecentCacheStorage &get_recent_cache_storage()
+{
+  static RecentCacheStorage storage;
+  return storage;
+}
+
+void add_recent_search(const StringRef chosen_str)
+{
+  RecentCacheStorage &storage = get_recent_cache_storage();
+  storage.cache.logical_time_by_str.add_overwrite(chosen_str, storage.logical_clock);
+  storage.logical_clock++;
+}
+
+const RecentCache *get_recent_cache_or_null()
+{
+  if (U.flag & USER_FLAG_RECENT_SEARCHES_DISABLE) {
+    return nullptr;
+  }
+  RecentCacheStorage &storage = get_recent_cache_storage();
+  return &storage.cache;
+}
+
+static std::optional<std::string> get_recent_searches_file_path()
+{
+  const char *user_config_dir = BKE_appdir_folder_id_create(BLENDER_USER_CONFIG, nullptr);
+  if (!user_config_dir) {
+    return std::nullopt;
+  }
+  char filepath[FILE_MAX];
+  BLI_path_join(filepath, sizeof(filepath), user_config_dir, BLENDER_RECENT_SEARCHES_FILE);
+  return std::string(filepath);
+}
+
+void write_recent_searches_file()
+{
+  const std::optional<std::string> path = get_recent_searches_file_path();
+  if (!path) {
+    return;
+  }
+
+  const RecentCacheStorage &storage = get_recent_cache_storage();
+  Vector<std::pair<int, std::string>> values;
+  for (const auto item : storage.cache.logical_time_by_str.items()) {
+    values.append({item.value, item.key});
+  }
+  std::sort(values.begin(), values.end());
+
+  fstream file(*path, std::ios::out);
+  for (const auto &item : values) {
+    file.write(item.second.data(), item.second.size());
+    file.write("\n", 1);
+  }
+}
+
+void read_recent_searches_file()
+{
+  const std::optional<std::string> path = get_recent_searches_file_path();
+  if (!path) {
+    return;
+  }
+
+  RecentCacheStorage &storage = get_recent_cache_storage();
+  storage.logical_clock = 0;
+  storage.cache.logical_time_by_str.clear();
+
+  fstream file(*path);
+  std::string line;
+  while (std::getline(file, line)) {
+    storage.cache.logical_time_by_str.add_overwrite(line, storage.logical_clock);
+    storage.logical_clock++;
+  }
+}
+
+}  // namespace blender::ui::string_search

source/blender/editors/interface/interface_template_attribute_search.cc

@@ -7,7 +7,6 @@
  */
 
 #include "BLI_string_ref.hh"
-#include "BLI_string_search.hh"
 
 #include "DNA_customdata_types.h"
 
@@ -22,6 +21,7 @@
 
 #include "UI_interface.hh"
 #include "UI_resources.hh"
+#include "UI_string_search.hh"
 
 using blender::nodes::geo_eval_log::GeometryAttributeInfo;
 
@@ -91,7 +91,7 @@ void attribute_search_add_items(StringRefNull str,
    * so the items are in the same order they will appear in while searching. */
   const char *string = is_first ? "" : str.c_str();
 
-  string_search::StringSearch<const GeometryAttributeInfo> search;
+  ui::string_search::StringSearch<const GeometryAttributeInfo> search;
   for (const GeometryAttributeInfo *item : infos) {
     if (!bke::allow_procedural_attribute_access(item->name)) {
       continue;

source/blender/editors/interface/interface_template_search_menu.cc

@@ -31,7 +31,6 @@
 #include "BLI_set.hh"
 #include "BLI_stack.hh"
 #include "BLI_string.h"
-#include "BLI_string_search.hh"
 #include "BLI_string_utils.h"
 #include "BLI_utildefines.h"
 
@@ -50,6 +49,7 @@
 #include "WM_types.hh"
 
 #include "UI_interface.hh"
+#include "UI_string_search.hh"
 #include "interface_intern.hh"
 
 /* For key-map item access. */
@@ -1002,7 +1002,7 @@ static void menu_search_update_fn(const bContext * /*C*/,
 {
   MenuSearch_Data *data = (MenuSearch_Data *)arg;
 
-  blender::string_search::StringSearch<MenuSearch_Item> search;
+  blender::ui::string_search::StringSearch<MenuSearch_Item> search;
 
   LISTBASE_FOREACH (MenuSearch_Item *, item, &data->items) {
     search.add(item->drawwstr_full, item);

source/blender/editors/interface/interface_templates.cc

@@ -34,7 +34,6 @@
 #include "BLI_path_util.h"
 #include "BLI_rect.h"
 #include "BLI_string.h"
-#include "BLI_string_search.hh"
 #include "BLI_string_utils.h"
 #include "BLI_timecode.h"
 #include "BLI_utildefines.h"
@@ -90,6 +89,7 @@
 
 #include "UI_interface.hh"
 #include "UI_interface_icons.hh"
+#include "UI_string_search.hh"
 #include "UI_view2d.hh"
 #include "interface_intern.hh"
 
@@ -423,7 +423,7 @@ static void id_search_cb(const bContext *C,
   ListBase *lb = template_ui->idlb;
   const int flag = RNA_property_flag(template_ui->prop);
 
-  blender::string_search::StringSearch<ID> search;
+  blender::ui::string_search::StringSearch<ID> search;
 
   /* ID listbase */
   LISTBASE_FOREACH (ID *, id, lb) {

source/blender/editors/interface/interface_utils.cc

@@ -18,7 +18,6 @@
 
 #include "BLI_listbase.h"
 #include "BLI_string.h"
-#include "BLI_string_search.hh"
 #include "BLI_utildefines.h"
 
 #include "BLT_translation.h"
@@ -37,6 +36,7 @@
 #include "UI_interface.hh"
 #include "UI_interface_icons.hh"
 #include "UI_resources.hh"
+#include "UI_string_search.hh"
 #include "UI_view2d.hh"
 
 #include "WM_api.hh"
@@ -519,7 +519,7 @@ void ui_rna_collection_search_update_fn(
   char *name;
   bool has_id_icon = false;
 
-  blender::string_search::StringSearch<CollItemSearch> search;
+  blender::ui::string_search::StringSearch<CollItemSearch> search;
 
   if (data->search_prop != nullptr) {
     /* build a temporary list of relevant items first */

source/blender/editors/space_node/link_drag_search.cc

@@ -5,7 +5,6 @@
 #include "AS_asset_representation.hh"
 
 #include "BLI_listbase.h"
-#include "BLI_string_search.hh"
 
 #include "DNA_space_types.h"
 
@@ -17,6 +16,8 @@
 #include "BKE_node_tree_update.h"
 #include "BKE_screen.h"
 
+#include "UI_string_search.hh"
+
 #include "NOD_socket.hh"
 #include "NOD_socket_search_link.hh"
 
@@ -359,7 +360,7 @@ static void link_drag_search_update_fn(
     storage.update_items_tag = false;
   }
 
-  string_search::StringSearch<SocketLinkOperation> search;
+  ui::string_search::StringSearch<SocketLinkOperation> search;
 
   for (SocketLinkOperation &op : storage.search_link_ops) {
     search.add(op.name, &op, op.weight);

source/blender/editors/space_node/node_geometry_attribute_search.cc

@@ -9,7 +9,6 @@
 #include "BLI_set.hh"
 #include "BLI_string.h"
 #include "BLI_string_ref.hh"
-#include "BLI_string_search.hh"
 
 #include "DNA_modifier_types.h"
 #include "DNA_node_types.h"

source/blender/editors/space_node/node_select.cc

@@ -16,7 +16,6 @@
 #include "BLI_listbase.h"
 #include "BLI_rect.h"
 #include "BLI_string.h"
-#include "BLI_string_search.hh"
 #include "BLI_string_utf8.h"
 #include "BLI_utildefines.h"
 
@@ -41,6 +40,7 @@
 
 #include "UI_interface.hh"
 #include "UI_resources.hh"
+#include "UI_string_search.hh"
 #include "UI_view2d.hh"
 
 #include "DEG_depsgraph.hh"
@@ -1346,7 +1346,7 @@ static void node_find_update_fn(const bContext *C,
 {
   SpaceNode *snode = CTX_wm_space_node(C);
 
-  string_search::StringSearch<bNode> search;
+  ui::string_search::StringSearch<bNode> search;
 
   for (bNode *node : snode->edittree->all_nodes()) {
     char name[256];

source/blender/editors/util/CMakeLists.txt

@@ -104,6 +104,7 @@ set(SRC
   ../include/UI_interface_c.hh
   ../include/UI_interface_icons.hh
   ../include/UI_resources.hh
+  ../include/UI_string_search.hh
   ../include/UI_tree_view.hh
   ../include/UI_view2d.hh
 )

source/blender/makesdna/DNA_userdef_types.h

@@ -1084,9 +1084,9 @@ typedef enum eUserPref_SpaceData_Flag {
 typedef enum eUserPref_Flag {
   USER_AUTOSAVE = (1 << 0),
   USER_FLAG_NUMINPUT_ADVANCED = (1 << 1),
-  USER_FLAG_UNUSED_2 = (1 << 2), /* cleared */
-  USER_FLAG_UNUSED_3 = (1 << 3), /* cleared */
-  USER_FLAG_UNUSED_4 = (1 << 4), /* cleared */
+  USER_FLAG_RECENT_SEARCHES_DISABLE = (1 << 2), /* cleared */
+  USER_FLAG_UNUSED_3 = (1 << 3),                /* cleared */
+  USER_FLAG_UNUSED_4 = (1 << 4),                /* cleared */
   USER_TRACKBALL = (1 << 5),
   USER_FLAG_UNUSED_6 = (1 << 6), /* cleared */
   USER_FLAG_UNUSED_7 = (1 << 7), /* cleared */

source/blender/makesrna/intern/rna_userdef.cc

@@ -7143,6 +7143,10 @@ void RNA_def_userdef(BlenderRNA *brna)
   RNA_def_property_ui_text(prop, "Auto-Execution Paths", "");
   rna_def_userdef_autoexec_path_collection(brna, prop);
 
+  prop = RNA_def_property(srna, "use_recent_searches", PROP_BOOLEAN, PROP_NONE);
+  RNA_def_property_boolean_negative_sdna(prop, nullptr, "flag", USER_FLAG_RECENT_SEARCHES_DISABLE);
+  RNA_def_property_ui_text(prop, "Recent Searches", "Sort the recently searched items at the top");
+
   /* nested structs */
   prop = RNA_def_property(srna, "view", PROP_POINTER, PROP_NONE);
   RNA_def_property_flag(prop, PROP_NEVER_NULL);

source/blender/modifiers/intern/MOD_nodes.cc

@@ -20,7 +20,6 @@
 #include "BLI_path_util.h"
 #include "BLI_set.hh"
 #include "BLI_string.h"
-#include "BLI_string_search.hh"
 #include "BLI_utildefines.h"
 
 #include "DNA_collection_types.h"

source/blender/windowmanager/intern/wm_init_exit.cc

@@ -111,8 +111,10 @@
 
 #include "BLF_api.h"
 #include "BLT_lang.h"
+
 #include "UI_interface.hh"
 #include "UI_resources.hh"
+#include "UI_string_search.hh"
 
 #include "GPU_context.h"
 #include "GPU_init_exit.h"
@@ -357,6 +359,7 @@ void WM_init(bContext *C, int argc, const char **argv)
   ED_render_clear_mtex_copybuf();
 
   wm_history_file_read();
+  blender::ui::string_search::read_recent_searches_file();
 
   STRNCPY(G.lib, BKE_main_blendfile_path_from_global());
 
@@ -539,6 +542,10 @@ void WM_exit_ex(bContext *C, const bool do_python_exit, const bool do_user_exit_
       ED_screen_exit(C, win, WM_window_get_active_screen(win));
     }
 
+    if (!G.background) {
+      blender::ui::string_search::write_recent_searches_file();
+    }
+
     if (do_user_exit_actions) {
       if ((U.pref_flag & USER_PREF_FLAG_SAVE) && ((G.f & G_FLAG_USERPREF_NO_SAVE_ON_EXIT) == 0)) {
         if (U.runtime.is_dirty) {