v0.9.1: playlist merges stop losing your track order

What scrambled `a nissa one` took three defects at once. Reorder it on machine
A; open it on machine B and resize the window; B's file is now newer, so the
merge takes B's order — the old one — wholesale.

_merge_playlist was a 2-way union with no common ancestor: one side's order
wholesale, the other side's extras appended at the tail, so a track inserted in
the middle on one machine arrived at the bottom on the other. merge_track_order
re-inserts each side-only track after the nearest track both copies share
instead. _reconcile_playlist (the live-reload path) uses the same helper. The
union invariant is unchanged and property-tested over 300 random pairs — a
merge never drops a track.

Whose order wins is now Playlist.date_modified, bumped only in _set_track_ids
(add / remove / reorder / undo) and deliberately not by
mark_playlist_settings_dirty, with a file-mtime fallback for playlists written
before the field existed. The file's mtime was a lie: the last column is
stretch-sized, so Qt re-fires sectionResized whenever the viewport width
changes, and a window resize or splitter drag rewrote the open playlist's JSON
— moving its mtime and handing Syncthing another conflict — for a width
apply_settings overrides on load anyway. _on_section_resized now skips that
section; genuine drags on every other column still persist.

Replayed on a copy of the real playlists: `a nissa one` keeps its reorder
against a newer-by-mtime opponent, and `a nissa ideas` takes the other
machine's two mid-list inserts at 5 and 12 rather than 26 and 27.

Co-Authored-By: Claude Opus 5 <noreply@anthropic.com>
Claude-Session: https://claude.ai/code/session_01M8Mzze7shr5pZoEgKQU5NW

CLAUDE.md

@@ -57,7 +57,14 @@ persistence) → GUI (Qt widgets that read the manager and connect to its signal
   `plays/<machine-id>.json` per machine. Writes are atomic (`*.json.tmp`
   → rename). **`storage/conflict_resolver.py`** merges Syncthing
   `*.sync-conflict-*` files on startup: play counts take the max, edited fields
-  take the newest, playlist membership takes the union.
+  take the newest, playlist membership takes the union. Since Round 39 that
+  union is **anchor-based** (`merge_track_order`): a track only one copy has is
+  re-inserted after the nearest track both share, not appended at the tail, so
+  a middle insert stays in the middle. Whose order wins is decided by
+  `Playlist.date_modified` — bumped *only* in
+  `LibraryManager._set_track_ids` — not by the file's mtime, which moves for
+  cosmetic reasons. `library_manager._reconcile_playlist` uses the same helper
+  for the live-reload path.
 
 - **`lintunes/storage/play_journal.py`** — why play counts can't conflict. Since
   Round 38 `library.json` holds only a **base** count and each machine owns
@@ -187,6 +194,12 @@ persistence) → GUI (Qt widgets that read the manager and connect to its signal
 - **Keep `Player` and `track_table` manager-free where they already are** —
   cross-cutting data is injected via callbacks/signals (e.g. `track_table` takes
   a `playlists_for_track` callback rather than importing the manager).
+- **Cosmetic table settings must not look like edits.** The last column is
+  stretch-sized, so Qt re-fires `sectionResized` for it on every viewport width
+  change; `track_table._on_section_resized` ignores that section, or resizing
+  the window would rewrite the open playlist's JSON (and hand Syncthing a
+  conflict) purely for a width `apply_settings` overrides on load anyway.
+
 - **Qt/Wayland gotchas (GNOME/Mutter):** `QDrag.setPixmap` / `setDragCursor` /
   `QCursor.pos()` are unreliable during a drag — `gui/drag_ghost.py` paints its
   own child-widget overlay instead. `QAudioOutput` must not be constructed before

TASKS.md

@@ -12,28 +12,25 @@ When a round closes, move its finished items to `tasks-done.md`.
 ## Round 37 (2026-08-19) — Export Playlist: done, see tasks-done.md
 
 Folder + web-mix export, audio.js/jQuery dropped for a dependency-free
-player, lossless-only conversion. Round 36 below is still open.
+player, lossless-only conversion.
 
 ## Round 38 (2026-08-20) — merge windows + play journals: done, see tasks-done.md
+## Round 39 (2026-08-20) — playlist order + honest date_modified: done, see tasks-done.md
 
-## Round 36 — the merge rework (the playlist half is still open)
+## Round 36 — the merge rework (closed out by Rounds 38 and 39)
 
 The three symptoms in Round 35 shared a root cause; that round fixed the
-performance half. Round 38 took the play-count and dialog items; the two
+performance half. Round 38 took the play-count and dialog items, Round 39 the
-playlist items below are what's left.
+two playlist ones. Only the `.stignore` note below is left.
 
-- [ ] **Playlist merges lose position.** `_merge_playlist` is a 2-way union with
+- [x] **Playlist merges lose position.** Done in Round 39 — `merge_track_order`
-      no common ancestor: it takes one side's order wholesale and *appends* the
+      anchors each side-only track to the nearest track both copies share.
-      other side's extras, so a track inserted in the middle on one machine
+      Replayed against the real `a nissa one`: the reorder survives and a
-      arrives at the tail on the other (this is what happened to `nissa one`).
+      mid-list insert lands at index 5, not 26.
-      Replace with an anchor-based merge — insert each side-only track after its
+- [x] **mtime is a lie for playlists.** Done in Round 39 — `Playlist.date_modified`
-      nearest preceding common anchor. Same in `_reconcile_playlist`.
+      is bumped only in `_set_track_ids`, and `_on_section_resized` now ignores
-- [ ] **mtime is a lie for playlists.** `mark_playlist_settings_dirty` rewrites
+      the stretched last column, so resizing the window doesn't rewrite the
-      the whole playlist file for UI-only changes, and because the last column
+      playlist file at all.
-      is stretch-sized, *resizing the window* rewrites the open playlist's JSON.
-      So "most recently edited" often means "most recently resized". Give
-      `Playlist` a `date_modified` bumped only in `_set_track_ids`, and merge on
-      that.
 - [x] **`max()` play counts discard concurrent plays.** Done as described —
       per-machine `plays/<machine-id>.json` journals, machine id in the config
       dir. Three plays on the real library now write 83 bytes instead of 15 MB,

lintunes/__init__.py

@@ -1,3 +1,3 @@
 """LinTunes — iTunes-style music library manager and player for Linux."""
 
-__version__ = "0.9.0"
+__version__ = "0.9.1"

lintunes/gui/track_table.py

@@ -714,6 +714,15 @@ class TrackTableView(QTableView):
     def _on_section_resized(self, section, _old, new_width):
         if self._suppress_signals or section >= len(self.model_.fields):
             return
+        header = self.horizontalHeader()
+        if (header.stretchLastSection()
+                and section == header.logicalIndex(header.count() - 1)):
+            # The last column is stretch-sized, so Qt re-fires this every time
+            # the viewport changes width — resizing the window or dragging the
+            # splitter would otherwise rewrite the whole playlist JSON (and hand
+            # Syncthing a conflict). Its width is derived, not chosen: there's no
+            # right edge to drag, and apply_settings overrides it on load.
+            return
         field = self.model_.fields[section]
         if field != INDEX_FIELD:
             self.column_width_changed.emit(field, new_width)

lintunes/library_manager.py

@@ -313,6 +313,11 @@ class LibraryManager(QObject):
         if playlist is None:
             return
         playlist.track_ids = list(ids)
+        # The single funnel for every content change (add / remove / reorder /
+        # undo), and deliberately the *only* place date_modified moves — a
+        # column resize must not look like an edit to the merge. See
+        # conflict_resolver._playlist_newer.
+        playlist.date_modified = _utc_now_iso()
         self._mark_playlist(pid)
         self.playlist_content_changed.emit(pid)
 
@@ -974,13 +979,13 @@ def _reconcile_track(mem_track, disk_track):
 
 
 def _reconcile_playlist(mem_pl, disk_pl):
-    """Reconcile a playlist we were locally editing with the disk copy: keep our
+    """Reconcile a playlist we were locally editing with the disk copy: our order
-    order and append any tracks that exist only on the other machine (a merge
+    wins (the local edit is the more recent one), and tracks that exist only on
+    the other machine are merged back into position rather than appended (a merge
     never drops tracks)."""
-    local = list(mem_pl.track_ids)
+    from lintunes.storage.conflict_resolver import merge_track_order
-    local_set = set(local)
+    mem_pl.track_ids = merge_track_order(list(mem_pl.track_ids),
-    mem_pl.track_ids = local + [tid for tid in disk_pl.track_ids
+                                         list(disk_pl.track_ids))
-                                if tid not in local_set]
 
 
 def _utc_now_iso() -> str:

lintunes/models/playlist.py

@@ -58,6 +58,10 @@ class Playlist:
     track_ids: list[int] = field(default_factory=list)
     settings: PlaylistSettings = field(default_factory=PlaylistSettings)
     is_system: bool = False
+    # Bumped only when track_ids change (LibraryManager._set_track_ids), never
+    # for column widths or sort order — the conflict merge uses it to decide
+    # whose order wins, and the file's mtime moves for cosmetic reasons.
+    date_modified: Optional[str] = None
     # Set only for SMART playlists. Membership (track_ids) is derived from this
     # by the LibraryManager; for imported playlists track_ids also doubles as a
     # snapshot fallback when the criteria couldn't be fully parsed.
@@ -78,6 +82,8 @@ class Playlist:
         }
         if self.parent_persistent_id:
             d["parent_persistent_id"] = self.parent_persistent_id
+        if self.date_modified:
+            d["date_modified"] = self.date_modified
         if self.smart_criteria is not None:
             d["smart_criteria"] = self.smart_criteria.to_dict()
         return d
@@ -96,6 +102,7 @@ class Playlist:
             track_ids=d.get("track_ids", []),
             settings=PlaylistSettings.from_dict(d.get("settings", {})),
             is_system=d.get("is_system", False),
+            date_modified=d.get("date_modified"),
             smart_criteria=smart_criteria,
         )
 

lintunes/storage/conflict_resolver.py

@@ -226,43 +226,102 @@ def _merge_track_fields(orig: dict, conflict: dict) -> list[str]:
     return notes
 
 
+def merge_track_order(primary: list[int], secondary: list[int]) -> list[int]:
+    """Union two orderings of a playlist without losing position.
+
+    A plain union appends whatever the other copy had at the tail, so a track
+    inserted in the *middle* on one machine arrives at the *bottom* on the other
+    — which is what scrambled `a nissa one`. Instead, every track that exists
+    only in ``secondary`` is re-inserted after its nearest preceding track that
+    both copies share (its "anchor"); ``primary`` decides the order of everything
+    the two have in common.
+
+    The result is always the union of the two lists: a merge must never drop a
+    track, so anything whose anchor never turns up is flushed at the tail.
+    """
+    common = set(primary) & set(secondary)
+
+    # Walk secondary once: each secondary-only track hangs off the last shared
+    # track before it (None = it led the list).
+    pending: dict[object, list[int]] = {}
+    anchor = None
+    for tid in secondary:
+        if tid in common:
+            anchor = tid
+        else:
+            pending.setdefault(anchor, []).append(tid)
+
+    merged = list(pending.pop(None, []))
+    seen = set()
+    for tid in primary:
+        merged.append(tid)
+        # First occurrence only — a playlist may hold the same track twice.
+        if tid in common and tid not in seen:
+            seen.add(tid)
+            merged.extend(pending.pop(tid, []))
+    for leftover in pending.values():  # anchor never appeared; never drop it
+        merged.extend(leftover)
+    return merged
+
+
+def _playlist_newer(original: dict, conflict: dict,
+                    original_path: Path, conflict_path: Path) -> bool:
+    """Is the incoming copy the more recently *edited* one?
+
+    Prefer the playlist's own ``date_modified``, which only moves when its
+    contents change. File mtime is a lie: the last column is stretch-sized, so
+    resizing the window rewrites the open playlist's JSON — "most recently
+    edited" used to mean "most recently resized". Falls back to mtime for
+    playlists written before ``date_modified`` existed.
+    """
+    ours, theirs = original.get("date_modified"), conflict.get("date_modified")
+    if ours and theirs:
+        return theirs > ours
+    return conflict_path.stat().st_mtime > original_path.stat().st_mtime
+
+
 def _merge_playlist(original_path: Path, conflict_path: Path) -> ConflictSummary:
     original = read_json(original_path)
     conflict = read_json(conflict_path)
     name = original.get("name") or conflict.get("name") or original_path.stem
 
+    conflict_newer = _playlist_newer(original, conflict, original_path, conflict_path)
+
     # Smart playlists: membership is derived, so keep the newer criteria and let
     # it recompute (unioning derived track_ids would resurrect non-matches).
     if original.get("playlist_type") == "smart" or conflict.get("playlist_type") == "smart":
-        newer = _keep_newer(original_path, conflict_path)
+        if conflict_newer:
-        newer.file, newer.kind = name, "playlist"
+            write_json(original_path, conflict)
-        newer.lines = ["Smart-playlist rules taken from the most recently edited copy."]
+        return ConflictSummary(
-        return newer
+            name, "playlist",
+            ["Smart-playlist rules taken from the most recently edited copy."])
 
     orig_ids = list(original.get("track_ids", []))
     conf_ids = list(conflict.get("track_ids", []))
     orig_set, conf_set = set(orig_ids), set(conf_ids)
 
-    conflict_newer = conflict_path.stat().st_mtime > original_path.stat().st_mtime
     if conflict_newer:
-        base_order = conf_ids
+        # The other copy was edited last, so it sets the order; anything only we
-        extra = [tid for tid in orig_ids if tid not in conf_set]
+        # had is re-inserted at its anchor rather than dumped at the tail.
-        original["track_ids"] = base_order + extra
+        original["track_ids"] = merge_track_order(conf_ids, orig_ids)
         if "settings" in conflict:
             original["settings"] = conflict["settings"]
+        if conflict.get("date_modified"):
+            original["date_modified"] = conflict["date_modified"]
         order_src = "the other machine"
+        moved_in = len(conf_set - orig_set)
     else:
-        extra = [tid for tid in conf_ids if tid not in orig_set]
+        original["track_ids"] = merge_track_order(orig_ids, conf_ids)
-        original["track_ids"] = orig_ids + extra
         order_src = "this machine"
+        moved_in = len(orig_set - conf_set)
 
     write_json(original_path, original)
 
     added = len(set(original["track_ids"]) - orig_set)
     lines = [f"Order kept from {order_src} (most recently edited)."]
     if added:
-        lines.append(f"{added} track(s) that were only in the other copy were kept "
+        lines.append(f"{added} track(s) that were only in the other copy were kept, "
-                     "(nothing is removed on a merge).")
+                     "back in position (nothing is removed on a merge).")
     return ConflictSummary(name, "playlist", lines)
 
 

tasks-done.md

@@ -1,5 +1,35 @@
 ## Done
 
+### Round 39 (2026-08-20) — Playlist merges stop losing your track order (v0.9.1)
+
+The playlist half of the Round 36 rework, and what actually scrambled
+`a nissa one`. It took three defects together: reorder it on machine A, open it
+on machine B and resize the window, and B's file is newer, so the merge takes
+B's order — the old one — wholesale.
+
+- [x] **Anchor-based merge.** `merge_track_order` in `conflict_resolver` unions
+      two orderings by re-inserting each side-only track after the nearest track
+      both copies share, instead of appending it at the tail. `_merge_playlist`
+      and `library_manager._reconcile_playlist` (the live-reload path) both use
+      it. The union invariant is unchanged and property-tested over 300 random
+      pairs: a merge never drops a track, duplicates and disjoint lists included.
+- [x] **`Playlist.date_modified`, bumped only in `_set_track_ids`** — the single
+      funnel for add / remove / reorder / undo, and deliberately *not*
+      `mark_playlist_settings_dirty`. `_playlist_newer` prefers it over the
+      file's mtime, falling back to mtime for playlists written before the field
+      existed. The smart-playlist branch uses the same test, which told the same
+      lie.
+- [x] **A window resize no longer rewrites the playlist.** The last column is
+      stretch-sized, so Qt re-fires `sectionResized` for it whenever the viewport
+      width changes — a resize or a splitter drag rewrote the open playlist's
+      JSON, moved its mtime, and handed Syncthing another conflict, all for a
+      width `apply_settings` overrides on load. `_on_section_resized` skips that
+      section; genuine drags on every other column still persist.
+
+Replayed against the real playlists on a copy: on `a nissa one` (23 tracks) the
+reorder survives a newer-by-mtime opponent, and on `a nissa ideas` (26 tracks)
+the other machine's two mid-list inserts land at 5 and 12 rather than 26 and 27.
+
 ### Round 38 (2026-08-20) — One merge window, and play counts that can't conflict (v0.9.0)
 
 Fifteen "Synced changes merged" windows were stacked on the desktop. Two

tests/test_round39.py

@@ -0,0 +1,247 @@
+"""Round 39: playlist merges stop losing your track order.
+
+Three defects, and it took all three to scramble `a nissa one`:
+
+* `_merge_playlist` was a 2-way union with no common ancestor — it took one
+  side's order wholesale and *appended* the other side's extras, so a track
+  inserted in the middle on one machine arrived at the bottom on the other.
+* Whose order won was decided by the file's mtime, and the last column is
+  stretch-sized — so resizing the window rewrote the open playlist's JSON and
+  "most recently edited" meant "most recently resized".
+* Those cosmetic rewrites were themselves handing Syncthing conflicts.
+"""
+import json
+import random
+
+import pytest
+
+from lintunes.models import Library, Playlist, PlaylistType
+from lintunes.storage import json_storage, conflict_resolver
+from lintunes.storage.conflict_resolver import merge_track_order
+
+
+def _save(tmp_path, playlists=()):
+    lib = Library()
+    for p in playlists:
+        lib.playlists[p.persistent_id] = p
+    json_storage.save_library(lib, tmp_path)
+    return lib
+
+
+def _conflict_name(original: str) -> str:
+    stem, _, ext = original.rpartition(".")
+    return f"{stem}.sync-conflict-20240101-120000-ABCDEFG.{ext}"
+
+
+class TestAnchoredOrder:
+    """merge_track_order: a track inserted in the middle stays in the middle."""
+
+    def test_middle_insert_is_not_appended(self):
+        # The other copy slipped 99 between 2 and 3. It belongs there, not last.
+        assert merge_track_order([1, 2, 3, 4], [1, 2, 99, 3, 4]) == [1, 2, 99, 3, 4]
+
+    def test_both_sides_inserted_at_different_points(self):
+        assert merge_track_order([1, 7, 2, 3], [1, 2, 8, 3]) == [1, 7, 2, 8, 3]
+
+    def test_consecutive_inserts_keep_their_relative_order(self):
+        assert merge_track_order([1, 2], [1, 8, 9, 2]) == [1, 8, 9, 2]
+
+    def test_a_leading_insert_goes_to_the_head(self):
+        assert merge_track_order([1, 2, 3], [7, 1, 2, 3]) == [7, 1, 2, 3]
+
+    def test_primary_decides_the_order_of_shared_tracks(self):
+        # Both copies hold 1-2-3; primary reversed them. Primary wins.
+        assert merge_track_order([3, 2, 1], [1, 2, 3]) == [3, 2, 1]
+
+    def test_trailing_insert_still_lands_after_its_anchor(self):
+        assert merge_track_order([1, 2, 3], [1, 2, 3, 4]) == [1, 2, 3, 4]
+
+    @pytest.mark.parametrize("primary,secondary", [
+        ([], []),
+        ([1, 2, 3], []),
+        ([], [1, 2, 3]),
+        ([1, 2, 3], [4, 5, 6]),          # disjoint
+        ([1, 2, 2, 3], [1, 2, 3, 3]),    # the same track twice
+    ])
+    def test_edge_cases_never_drop_a_track(self, primary, secondary):
+        merged = merge_track_order(primary, secondary)
+        assert set(merged) == set(primary) | set(secondary)
+
+    def test_nothing_is_ever_dropped(self):
+        """The invariant that matters most: a merge is a union, always."""
+        rng = random.Random(39)
+        for _ in range(300):
+            base = rng.sample(range(20), rng.randint(0, 10))
+            a = [t for t in base if rng.random() > 0.3] + rng.sample(range(20, 30), 2)
+            b = [t for t in base if rng.random() > 0.3] + rng.sample(range(30, 40), 2)
+            rng.shuffle(a)
+            merged = merge_track_order(a, b)
+            assert set(merged) == set(a) | set(b)
+            # Primary's entries keep primary's exact sequence — only tracks it
+            # never had get woven in between them.
+            assert [t for t in merged if t in set(a)] == a
+
+
+class TestHonestDateModified:
+    """The merge decides on the playlist's own date_modified, not file mtime."""
+
+    def _setup(self, tmp_path, ours, theirs, our_stamp, their_stamp):
+        pl = Playlist(name="a nissa one", persistent_id="AAAA1111",
+                      playlist_type=PlaylistType.REGULAR, track_ids=ours,
+                      date_modified=our_stamp)
+        _save(tmp_path, [pl])
+        pfile = tmp_path / "playlists" / "AAAA1111.json"
+        other = json.loads(pfile.read_text())
+        other["track_ids"] = theirs
+        if their_stamp is None:
+            other.pop("date_modified", None)
+        else:
+            other["date_modified"] = their_stamp
+        cfile = tmp_path / "playlists" / _conflict_name("AAAA1111.json")
+        cfile.write_text(json.dumps(other))
+        return pfile, cfile
+
+    def test_a_resize_no_longer_beats_a_reorder(self, tmp_path):
+        """The `a nissa one` regression. We reordered; the other machine only
+        opened it and resized the window, so its *file* is newer — but its
+        date_modified is older, and our order must survive."""
+        pfile, cfile = self._setup(
+            tmp_path,
+            ours=[3, 1, 2],           # we carefully reordered
+            theirs=[1, 2, 3],         # they never touched the contents
+            our_stamp="2026-08-20T18:00:00",
+            their_stamp="2026-08-19T09:00:00")
+        import os, time
+        os.utime(cfile, (time.time() + 100, time.time() + 100))  # their file is newer
+
+        summaries = conflict_resolver.resolve_conflicts(tmp_path)
+
+        assert json.loads(pfile.read_text())["track_ids"] == [3, 1, 2]
+        assert "this machine" in summaries[0].lines[0]
+
+    def test_the_genuinely_newer_edit_still_wins(self, tmp_path):
+        pfile, _ = self._setup(
+            tmp_path, ours=[1, 2, 3], theirs=[3, 2, 1],
+            our_stamp="2026-08-19T09:00:00",
+            their_stamp="2026-08-20T18:00:00")
+
+        summaries = conflict_resolver.resolve_conflicts(tmp_path)
+
+        assert json.loads(pfile.read_text())["track_ids"] == [3, 2, 1]
+        assert "the other machine" in summaries[0].lines[0]
+
+    def test_their_insert_lands_in_position_not_at_the_tail(self, tmp_path):
+        pfile, _ = self._setup(
+            tmp_path, ours=[1, 2, 3], theirs=[1, 2, 99, 3],
+            our_stamp="2026-08-20T18:00:00",
+            their_stamp="2026-08-19T09:00:00")
+
+        summaries = conflict_resolver.resolve_conflicts(tmp_path)
+
+        assert json.loads(pfile.read_text())["track_ids"] == [1, 2, 99, 3]
+        assert "back in position" in summaries[0].lines[1]
+
+    def test_falls_back_to_mtime_before_the_field_existed(self, tmp_path):
+        """Playlists written by an older version carry no stamp."""
+        pfile, cfile = self._setup(
+            tmp_path, ours=[1, 2, 3], theirs=[3, 2, 1],
+            our_stamp=None, their_stamp=None)
+        import os, time
+        os.utime(cfile, (time.time() + 100, time.time() + 100))
+
+        conflict_resolver.resolve_conflicts(tmp_path)
+        assert json.loads(pfile.read_text())["track_ids"] == [3, 2, 1]
+
+    def test_smart_playlist_rules_also_use_date_modified(self, tmp_path):
+        from lintunes.smart import SmartCriteria
+        pl = Playlist(name="Recent", persistent_id="BBBB2222",
+                      playlist_type=PlaylistType.SMART, track_ids=[1],
+                      smart_criteria=SmartCriteria(), date_modified="2026-08-20T18:00:00")
+        _save(tmp_path, [pl])
+        pfile = tmp_path / "playlists" / "BBBB2222.json"
+        ours = json.loads(pfile.read_text())
+        other = dict(ours)
+        other["name"] = "Stale"
+        other["date_modified"] = "2026-08-19T09:00:00"
+        cfile = tmp_path / "playlists" / _conflict_name("BBBB2222.json")
+        cfile.write_text(json.dumps(other))
+        import os, time
+        os.utime(cfile, (time.time() + 100, time.time() + 100))
+
+        conflict_resolver.resolve_conflicts(tmp_path)
+        assert json.loads(pfile.read_text())["name"] == "Recent"
+
+
+class TestDateModifiedMovesOnlyForContent:
+    @pytest.fixture
+    def manager(self, tmp_path, qapp, monkeypatch):
+        monkeypatch.setenv("XDG_CONFIG_HOME", str(tmp_path / "config"))
+        from lintunes.library_manager import LibraryManager
+        from lintunes.models import Track
+        lib = Library()
+        for tid in (1, 2, 3):
+            lib.tracks[tid] = Track(track_id=tid, name=f"T{tid}")
+        lib.playlists["AAAA1111"] = Playlist(
+            name="a nissa one", persistent_id="AAAA1111",
+            playlist_type=PlaylistType.REGULAR, track_ids=[1, 2, 3])
+        return LibraryManager(lib, tmp_path)
+
+    def _stamp(self, manager):
+        return manager.library.playlists["AAAA1111"].date_modified
+
+    def test_reorder_bumps_it(self, manager):
+        assert self._stamp(manager) is None
+        manager.move_tracks_in_playlist("AAAA1111", [2], 0)
+        assert self._stamp(manager) is not None
+
+    def test_add_and_remove_bump_it(self, manager):
+        manager.remove_tracks_from_playlist("AAAA1111", [0])
+        first = self._stamp(manager)
+        assert first is not None
+        manager.add_tracks_to_playlist("AAAA1111", [1])
+        assert self._stamp(manager) >= first
+
+    def test_undo_bumps_it_too(self, manager):
+        manager.move_tracks_in_playlist("AAAA1111", [2], 0)
+        before = self._stamp(manager)
+        manager.undo_stack.undo()
+        assert manager.library.playlists["AAAA1111"].track_ids == [1, 2, 3]
+        assert self._stamp(manager) >= before
+
+    def test_a_column_resize_does_not(self, manager):
+        """The whole point: cosmetic settings must not look like an edit."""
+        manager.mark_playlist_settings_dirty("AAAA1111")
+        assert self._stamp(manager) is None
+
+
+class TestStretchedColumnIsNotPersisted:
+    @pytest.fixture
+    def table(self, qapp):
+        from lintunes.gui.track_table import TrackTableView
+        from lintunes.models import Track
+        view = TrackTableView()
+        view.set_tracks([Track(track_id=1, name="A", artist="B")])
+        return view
+
+    def test_a_middle_column_still_persists(self, table):
+        seen = []
+        table.column_width_changed.connect(lambda f, w: seen.append((f, w)))
+        table.horizontalHeader().resizeSection(1, 123)
+        assert seen and seen[0][1] == 123
+
+    def test_the_stretched_last_column_does_not(self, table):
+        """Qt re-fires sectionResized for the stretched column on every viewport
+        width change — a window resize used to rewrite the playlist JSON."""
+        header = table.horizontalHeader()
+        last = header.logicalIndex(header.count() - 1)
+        seen = []
+        table.column_width_changed.connect(lambda f, w: seen.append((f, w)))
+        header.resizeSection(last, 321)
+        assert seen == []
+
+    def test_resizing_the_widget_is_silent(self, table):
+        seen = []
+        table.column_width_changed.connect(lambda f, w: seen.append((f, w)))
+        table.resize(400, 300)
+        table.resize(900, 300)
+        assert seen == []